"These guys have completely lost it!"
Kakashi scowled, glancing back at the screaming Iwa-nin chasing after him with murderous intent.
After the chaos Guy had unleashed with that one-man beatdown, this was no longer a normal 4WD match.
These Iwa-nin wanted blood!
No—
It wasn't just them.
Aside from the Suna-nin still hanging back and watching the spectacle unfold, all the other ninja had decided that Konoha needed to be crushed.
Kakashi sighed inwardly, shaking his head as he narrowly dodged another sneak attack. His eye flicked to the side, catching sight of Shisui Uchiha fending off a mob on the other side of the track.
"Shisui's not having an easy time either..."
The match can be lost—
But Konoha must die!
This insane slogan had swept across the track, and now it wasn't just about smashing Konoha's 4WDs anymore.
It felt like the other villages were trying to beat the Konoha ninja senseless too.
Kakashi frowned with a helpless expression.
"…Screw it. Maybe I should just quit the race before things get worse."
If he stayed, not only would his 4WD probably get ruined, he might get hospitalized on top of it.
As for Lady Tsunade's "perfect" strategy...
Well, he'd done his best.
He looked up ahead, watching as Tsunade and Jiraiya were chased by multiple 4WDs from different villages. Then he casually lowered his gaze, slowing his own 4WD's speed in a way that hopefully no one would notice.
Even if he planned to lose, he had to make it look convincing—
Otherwise, after the race, he might end up bunking in a hospital bed right next to Jiraiya.
But—
"Slowing down?"
The Iwa-nin saw Kakashi's 4WD inexplicably reduce its speed and immediately became suspicious.
Konoha's Copy Ninja—Hatake Kakashi!
No one believed this guy would do something pointless.
There had to be a trick.
There was always a trick with Kakashi!
Especially with that intense side glance he'd given earlier, followed by that lowered head—
He had to be analyzing the situation, plotting how to escape the siege.
But...
The match can be lost—
But Konoha must die!
They weren't going to back down. This time, even if it cost them everything, they were going to make sure this Konoha punk didn't make it out in one piece.
So what if it was 4WD racing?
Ninjas from Konoha weren't better than the puppet-masters of Sunagakure.
Who said they had the edge?!
"Get him!"
"Don't hold back! Hit him hard!"
"I've already prepped self-destruct mode—just waiting to blow that Konoha 4WD sky-high!"
With that—
The Iwa-nin charged forward, full speed, howling like madmen.
Kakashi could only stare in disbelief, especially when he saw five hefty guys rolling up their sleeves like they were prepping for a real brawl.
Yeah, they were definitely planning to jump him too.
So, to avoid unnecessary injury, the moment one of the Iwa-nin's 4WDs came close and even threw a stone at Shadow car, Kakashi made his move.
Without hesitation—
He intentionally overturned his own 4WD in the sand.
Disqualified. Out of the race.
He raised his hand.
He'd done enough.
This slick exit move left the Iwa-nin stunned.
They hadn't even landed their hit yet—and this guy just… forfeit?
"This is rigged!"
"Fake match! Konoha's throwing the race!"
The Iwa-nin were fuming, stomping in frustration like children who'd been robbed of a toy. Watching Kakashi turn his back and walk away calmly only enraged them more.
"You Konoha bastards have no shame! Get back on the track!"
"..."
Kakashi didn't even look back. He just shrugged and strolled toward the sidelines with that usual deadpan expression.
What, did they think he was stupid enough to stay there and get beat up?
Nah.
This is fine.
"What an intense race!"
The once-legendary 4WD racer, now host by necessity, Tobi, once again raised his voice gleefully.
"Konoha's racers are dropping like flies! After the shocking disqualification of dark-horse Might Guy—removed for pummeling five opponents in a 1v5 melee—we now have another dropout!"
"Kakashi Hatake! The genius Copy Ninja, overwhelmed by Iwa-nin, has stepped down!"
"Was it because his 4WD car broke down? Or was there something else that made him give up halfway and quietly exit the scene?"
He let out a regretful sigh—then instantly reverted to his usual smug tone.
"Just a single rock—one little stone!—and the Shadow car is down? Incredible!"
"Or maybe... maybe Konoha's 'Number One Ninja Village' is rigging the game? Heh heh~"
With a dramatic shift in tone, he boomed:
"Say no more—it's absolutely match-fixing! They're throwing the game! Where's the team spirit?! Where's the sportsmanship?!"
"I sincerely hope this racer who abandoned his teammates will have a long, long moment of reflection after the match."
"..."
Can I kill that announcer?
Kakashi shuddered as he caught Tsunade glaring at him, sleeves already rolled up. Then he cast a glance at Tobi—who was literally tied to a cross-shaped penalty post, yet still mouthing off.
Yeah.
He was definitely gonna need to reserve a hospital bed in Sunagakure after this.
"Kakashi, that bastard…" Tsunade seethed, glaring at Jiraiya, who was currently blocking a mob of enemy 4WDs for her.
"He actually dared to throw the match. Completely ignored my plan!"
Did he even respect her as one of the Legendary Sannin?!
"Where the hell is the Third Hokage?!"
"Ehh… I mean, come on, surrounded by that many enemies, Kakashi probably didn't have much choice," Jiraiya said with an awkward laugh, sweat running down his temple.
He tried to defend his student a little—but Tsunade's glare told him that if he said one more word, he was getting decked.
Immediately, he switched to a righteous, serious expression.
"Unforgivable! A ninja of Konoha should never back down from battle! Kakashi has brought shame not only to the Leaf, but to all ninja! He deserves a beating!"
He wasn't scared, no!
He was just… protecting the sacred bond of the Sannin. Yeah, that's it.
Seeing Tsunade's face ease up slightly, Jiraiya relaxed a bit.
At least I probably won't need that hospital bed anymore. I hear Sunagakure charges foreigners a fortune for medical care...
His brow furrowed again as he glanced at the Iwa-nin charging toward them, enraged by Kakashi's retreat.
He spoke seriously.
"So what now?"
"What now?" Tsunade scoffed coldly, glaring at the rest of the ninja from the other villages closing in.
"Simple. You take his place."
"..."
That kind of no-nonsense command…
Only Tsunade.
Jiraiya sighed.
"Understood."
What else could he do?
Other than comply, what choice did he have?
It wasn't like he wanted to end up in a Sunagakure ER...
His expression hardened. He formed a hand seal as the enemy ninja closed in.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Yo~ It's little Jiraiya! Trouble again, huh?"
The old green toad with white whiskers and brows—Fukasaku—peeked up at Jiraiya, then turned to the crowd.
"…Iwa-nin, and… Kumo-nin? Looks like a rough bunch."
Then he blinked, confused.
"Why the hell are there so many people here?"
He looked utterly baffled.
"Fukasaku-sama, Shima-sama, sorry for the trouble," Jiraiya said solemnly.
"I need you both to help me keep things under control."
"Hmph... Jiraiya," said Shima, frowning.
"I get that it's a tough situation, but do you really need Sage Mode for this?"
You know you're terrible at controlling it. And there's a crowd watching. What's really going on here?!
"Do I look like I have time to explain?!"
Before they could argue more, Jiraiya shook his head seriously.
"There's no time! Things are bad. I'm in the middle of a race—
I'm driving right now! I need your help!"