"Because right now, the thing I'm best at is medical ninjutsu, there's no comparison."
Aoba helplessly shrugged his shoulders.
Although the Chakra Scalpel and Vacuum Sword had considerable destructive power and were more difficult to master than the Great Fireball Jutsu, they were Jutsus specialized for fighting humans. In terms of raw power, they couldn't compare to Fire Release.
Judging strength like this wouldn't determine who was stronger or weaker.
"Then... then what should we do?"
Sasuke looked a little at a loss.
Suddenly, an idea struck Aoba, and he suggested, "How about this? Let's spar again, but this time we both can use ninjutsu. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Sasuke was just about to agree but then suddenly hesitated and refused Aoba's proposal.
"N-No... My Great Fireball Jutsu is too powerful. What if I accidentally hurt you?"
'Great Fireball Jutsu?'
'Isn't that the Jutsu that never actually hit anyone? How can it possibly hurt someone?'
Aoba kept a straight face to avoid bursting out laughing, "Don't worry, Sasuke. I know medical ninjutsu. Even if I get injured, I can heal myself."
As he spoke, green chakra glowed in Aoba's hand, showcasing the Mystical Palm Technique he had mastered.
"This is called the Mystical Palm Technique. It's an A-rank medical ninjutsu. Even if I get hurt, I can heal quickly."
"A... A-rank ninjutsu?", Sasuke froze on the spot, his eyes filled with confusion.
No way. He had just fully mastered the Great Fireball Jutsu, and now he found out Aoba could already use an A-rank jutsu?
Sasuke felt so embarrassed he wanted to cry but couldn't even find the words to say.
"Sasuke, do you still want to fight?", Aoba asked again, kindly.
"Yes!", Sasuke's eyes were filled with determination.
To use this ninjutsu more skillfully, he had suffered quite a bit this morning, even nearly burning himself several times.
And at noon today, he had finally received recognition from both his father and his brother.
("As expected of my son!")
("As expected of my little brother!")
Although Sasuke was overjoyed by their approval, right now, he had a more important goal.
He couldn't back down without a fight.
"Then let's do it," Seeing that Sasuke still wanted to fight, Aoba took a few steps back, positioning himself a few meters away from Sasuke. Then he signaled for Naruto to move further away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Sasuke saw that Aoba was ready, "Then I'm coming!"
"Come at me," Aoba nodded slightly, lowering his stance a little.
Without hesitation, Sasuke formed hand seals.
'Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger...', Uchiha Sasuke's gaze was firm, and his hands moved swiftly and steadily as he completed the seals.
Chakra flowed through his body in accordance with the seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
In an instant, Sasuke gathered chakra in his throat, and a massive fireball, as large as Sasuke himself, spewed from his mouth.
The Great Fireball Jutsu, though only a C-rank jutsu, had impressive power and was the foundational Fire Release Jutsu that all Uchiha clan members learned.
However, throughout the entire series, this Jutsu never actually hit anyone…
"Aoba! This is the new power I—huh?"
Before Sasuke could finish his arrogant declaration, his eyes widened in shock.
He saw Aoba leap high into the air, and his fireball completely missed, hitting only empty space.
Before he could react, Aoba landed and knocked him out with a single punch.
"Aoba! That was amazing! You won again!", Naruto ran over, cheering for Aoba.
Aoba just smiled. For someone with cheats activated, victory was inevitable.
Meanwhile, Sasuke lay on the ground, questioning his entire existence. He clenched his fists, biting his lip, filled with frustration.
His Great Fireball Jutsu hadn't even touched Aoba's clothing.
"Sasuke, you're really strong too! That fireball just now was seriously cool," Noticing Sasuke's dejected expression, Naruto ran over to comfort him. Both Aoba and Sasuke were his most treasured friends.
Sasuke got up from the ground, his gaze complicated.
"Aoba, I lost to you. Not the Uchiha clan. When I become stronger, I will challenge you again."
"I'll be waiting anytime."
Sasuke had just given him ten thousand ryo. For now, he was welcome anytime.
Then, Aoba flashed a warm smile, "Do you want to train with us?"
At Aoba's smile, Sasuke's eyes lit up slightly. He muttered in a small voice, "...Okay."
———
That night, Aoba used Sasuke's ten thousand ryo, added another thousand, and did eleven gacha pulls.
Under a vast blue sky filled with white clouds, he fell asleep directly.
Counting the explosive tags Tenten gave him, the two thousand ryo Naruto gave him, and the thousand left from Sasuke's money yesterday, he still needed five thousand more ryo to summon another SR.
.
.
.
The next day, at dawn, the hardworking little Leaf Village ninja was about to start another day of running errands from morning till night.
As Aoba approached Ino's family's flower shop, he overheard an argument that sounded all too familiar.
"Tenten, what are you doing here?"
"I'm just looking at flowers. What's wrong with that?"
"There's nothing worth seeing here. Get lost!"
"Hmph, I won't leave! What can you do about it?"
"You—!"
"Aoba!", Just as Tenten was bickering with Ino, she spotted Aoba walking over.
Letting out a surprised shout, she immediately ran toward him, her twin buns bouncing with each step.
She looked both adorable and lively.
Ino reacted quickly, grabbing Tenten's arm and stepping sideways to block her path.
Tenten tried to step forward.
Ino blocked her again.
"Ino!", Tenten glared angrily.
Ino refused to back down.
Aoba sighed and walked over. He first greeted the quiet and well-behaved Sakura, then looked at the two arguing girls and felt a headache coming on.
He hadn't expected Tenten to show up here.
For now, he needed to change the topic.
"Tenten, do you want to come with me to Lady Tsunade's place?"
Just as Tenten was still engaged in a staring contest with Ino, she froze at Aoba's words.
"L-Lady Tsunade?"
Aoba smiled, "Yes, one of the Three Legendary Sannin—Tsunade. She's my teacher now."
"WHAT?", Tenten was completely shocked.
"Hmph, originally, it was just Sakura and me going," Ino said, still displeased about Tenten's sudden arrival.
But Tenten ignored her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder and shoving her aside as she moved closer to Aoba, her big eyes sparkling.
"Aoba, is it really Lady Tsunade?"
"Looks like you really admire my teacher."
"Of course! I've always dreamed of becoming an amazing kunoichi like Lady Tsunade," As she spoke, her eyes practically glowed.
Aoba reached out and ruffled one of her twin buns.
"In that case, let's go together."
Just as Aoba thought the situation had settled—
"Aoba-kun?"
A voice, soft yet firm, filled with both grievance and a hint of anger, came from behind them.
A young girl with short, dark hair and pure white eyes stood in the shadows, watching them silently, her eyes shining with emotion.
"Aoba-kun, did I... come at the wrong time?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y