Ryōto knew from a single glance—she was ill.
Unnaturally pale, she resembled a fragile porcelain doll. She possessed the beautiful, elven-like, refined features characteristic of the Uchiha. She wore a short, white floral dress and white, low-heeled sandals with straps—a very fashionable choice, quite unlike the simple style of the Uchiha Clan. Her medium-length, ash-colored hair was gathered into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and beneath a carelessly ragged fringe, her eyes held a piercing gaze.
And those red eyes… Were there no tomoe within them? Was it not the Sharingan?
Her entire being exuded an ethereal, refined beauty. Yet, her scent… was even worse—it was of medicine. The bitter aroma made Ryōto's throat dry. In his eyes, the primary distinction between a beautiful woman and one who was not was her scent.
Ryōto, of course, knew how to please women, but children did not fall into that category. Adult interactions had their own unwritten rules, but he could not fathom the whimsical thoughts that swirled within a true child's mind. Children might feign obedience before adults, but they behaved differently with their peers.
Therefore…
With a lightning-fast motion, Mai swung her hand, aiming to slap Ryōto.
Poisonous Meow-Meow Claws!
Without a second thought, Ryōto automatically raised a hand and intercepted her wrist.
Soul-Rending Iron Claws!
Mai raised her eyebrows in surprise, staring intently at Ryōto. Seeing his own reflection in her pupils, Ryōto curled his lips. The nails of both were short and sharp, but the girl's glinted with a sinister, dark black hue.
This girl not only doesn't wash her hands, but she also coats them in poison! The thought made the hair on the back of Ryōto's neck stand on end.
In the next second, Mai whipped her other hand toward him with blinding speed. Ryōto reacted instantly, catching that hand as well. With both of her hands captured, Mai spoke coldly.
"Let go."
"Alright," Ryōto nodded and released his grip.
"Don't you dare fight back," Mai said through clenched teeth. She hid her hands behind her back and began to secretly rub her aching wrists, her eyes glistening with tears.
It hurts!!!
"I can't do that," Ryōto said, shaking his head. "Are you trying to kill me, friend?"
"I am," Mai answered directly. "But only enough to send you to the hospital."
"That's not going to work either," Ryōto said. "I hate hospitals."
"All the better," Mai replied and sharply thrust both hands forward.
A surprise attack!
I'll defend myself!
Ryōto put up both hands. Mai waved her arms with frantic speed, turning them into blurred afterimages.
Meow-Meow Claw Flurry!
Ryōto parried every blow, his hands moving so quickly they merged into a single blur, deflecting all her attacks.
Soul-Rending Iron Claws!
A series of dull yet sharp smacks echoed through the forest. A moment later, Mai lowered her hands and hid them behind her back. Her forearms, covered in red, swollen marks, trembled slightly.
It hurts so much!!!
Fearing he might have accidentally broken her, Ryōto asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"
Hearing this, Mai bit her lip and glared fiercely at Ryōto, her eyes welling with tears.
"You're strong. It seems I no longer need to hold back."
If she didn't get her revenge, she simply couldn't swallow this insult!
"It's best to know your limits with some things," Ryōto said, looking at her ferocious face, and added after a pause, "Just a piece of advice."
Hey, hey, hey! She's about to cry!
"Enough talk!" Mai leaped back, creating distance with several bounds. "One of us is going down today!"
Ryōto took a deep breath and said, "Can't we talk this over? Maybe I can treat you to some sweets, your choice, as an apology."
"No! More! Talking!" Mai lifted the hem of her long dress and drew a kunai from her thigh.
It was a slightly unusual kunai.
"Kazama!!!" Mai shouted coldly, and immediately a Ninja Cat leaped from behind the trees, throwing a spinning object toward her.
Without turning, Mai caught it while simultaneously tossing the kunai into the air. The short tube in her hand spun and extended into a long staff. As she struck it against the ground, the kunai fell from the sky and embedded itself into the staff's head. Kicking the bottom end, she sent the spear spinning into the air. Mai caught the shaft with one hand, twirled it, and slung it behind her back. Crouching low, she stared at Ryōto. The spearhead, resting on the ground, gleamed coldly.
What a beautiful opening spear stance. A spear... is she a weapons master?
"Draw your blade. Don't say I took advantage of you," Mai said.
But Ryōto didn't know how to handle weapons, not even a kunai.
"If we move on to weapons, I can no longer treat this as a joke," Ryōto said, pulling his arms from his sleeves. He removed his outer garment, revealing a muscular torso with well-defined, sculpted muscles.
This… was definitely not the physique of a child. Ryōto tied the removed clothing around his waist, tightening the knot securely. If he tore his clothes, his mother would kill him.
Beast Mimicry!
Activate!
His muscles swelled dramatically, making him a full inch taller, and his fair skin took on an almost steel-like sheen. A blow from that spear was no laughing matter. Ryōto was a coward and afraid of dying. His golden pupils narrowed into vertical slits as he looked at Mai.
I need to end this quickly!
Four Legs Technique!
Activate!
Azure chakra erupted from his body, first enveloping his limbs and then his entire torso. Covering him, the flow of chakra solidified, like a flame burning quietly and flickering on his body. It was as if he were clad in armor. Bending slightly, he began to exude the dangerous aura of a wild beast.
A biting dog doesn't bark.
For a moment, silence reigned. Both the cats and dogs ceased their noise, watching each other. Seeing this, Mai felt her eyelid twitch.
An opponent! A tough one!
It was her first time fighting someone, and she was extremely nervous. Almost instinctively, all her chakra burst forth. A massive torrent of dark red chakra swirled around her, covering her entire body and rapidly changing shape. A cat skeleton, half the height of a person with a body as elongated as a leopard's, appeared. It loomed menacingly and fiercely over Mai's head. The empty eye sockets of the cat's skull stared malevolently at Ryōto, and its huge bone paws with sharp, extended claws were ready to attack.
Having completed the technique, Mai breathed a sigh of relief.
What is this Susanoo-cat?! This girl! Who is she?! Ryōto stared at the monstrous creation. Then his gaze shifted to Mai, positioned inside it.
"Try not to die too easily," Mai said coldly.
"Tsk!" Ryōto narrowed his eyes.
I've stumbled into trouble!
Though he had tried not to underestimate these abnormal ninja children, he had still underestimated them.
So this is what a genius is?!
Ryōto had seen something similar in Boruto, but he hadn't watched it! Therefore…
"What is that?" he asked.
Confident in her victory, Mai didn't mind enlightening him and replied with a cold smirk:
"Beast Calamity!"
Ryōto's eyelid twitched again. This was getting more serious. "Beast Calamity" was like a Susanoo enhanced with the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Sighing softly, Ryōto extended his left arm to the side. With a piercing howl of wind, vortexes began to swirl around his forearm. At first, it was just a light breeze.
"Do you know what a drill that pierces the heavens is?"
The wind spun faster and faster.
"A true drill's greatness isn't in its size."
The wind enveloping his arm emitted a shrill whine. As the rotation speed increased, a drill-shaped vortex formed on his arm.
"Speed is power!"
The rotational speed increased ferociously, filling the air with a deafening screech and a furious roar.
"Focus on a single point! Achieve perfection!"
Leaves caught by the strong wind fell onto his drill-arm and, before they could even get close, were torn to shreds by the piercing vortex.
"Tempered by hundreds of training sessions! Forged to perfection!"
With the change in the nature of the Wind Style chakra, the violent noise intensified, turning into the roar of a wild beast! Ultra-high-frequency sound waves blasted in all directions, enveloping the entire battlefield. Under this sonic assault, the sound-sensitive Ninja Cats and ninja hounds whimpered in pain.
The Beast Calamity couldn't protect Mai. She felt her head buzz, and stars swam before her eyes.
What?! Why is his attack affecting me?!
How do you think Ryōto became the Dog General? With his fists, of course.
When the whistling suddenly stopped, Mai struggled to look forward. The blurry image before her eyes gradually sharpened.
The wind has stopped? Is the technique incomplete?
Her gaze fell upon his arm. Around it, materialized ribbons of wind swirled, forming the shape of a drill that seemed to be frozen in place.
No!
Mai's pupils constricted.
It's my eyes that can no longer keep up with the wind's rotation!
"Just in time!" Beneath his silver, disheveled fringe, his face with its battle markings looked demonic and dangerous. His golden, beast-like eyes gleamed ominously from the shadow of his bangs. "That thing of yours looks very sturdy."
Ryōto had not yet tested the limits of this technique. So far, he hadn't encountered anything that could withstand even a single blow. Besides, he could only use it once a day.
"My Gatsuga is the strongest piercing technique in the ninja world! The ultimate spear! And my drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens! Are you confident enough to take my blow?!"
In the distance, Rin rubbed her aching ear and looked at the dense forest ahead. What was that noise that boy just made?
Standing beside her, Minato said with a serious face, "Rin-senpai, I sense an exceedingly powerful and sinister chakra…" Since he couldn't perceive the high-frequency sound waves, Minato appeared completely calm.
If you can't hear it, there is no sound. Hyper-sensitive senses are inevitably more vulnerable to stimuli. Rin shot Minato a quick glance.
Mai discreetly swallowed, looking at the dangerous Ryōto, and dared not move. Ryōto didn't move either. But the atmosphere had already reached its breaking point. Not to begin now would be impolite.
Eight Ninja Cats leaped forward simultaneously, surrounding Mai, and quickly formed seals.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Furious fireballs erupted one after another. Following this, eight ninja hounds spun into vortexes simultaneously.
Gatsuga!
In that same instant, techniques clashed in the forest. Amidst explosions of flame and hurricane-force winds, the battle began. Ryōto and Mai, without moving, stared intently at each other, a light sweat breaking out on their foreheads.
From the loud explosion, a column of black smoke rose above the forest, soaring into the sky. Seeing this, Rin, forgetting about concealment, rushed forward. Minato, who was just about to call for backup, froze for a moment and then followed her.
In the forest, the ninja hounds and Ninja Cats were already fighting to the death, their piercing yelps and meows echoing everywhere. But in the center of the clearing, Ryōto and Mai remained motionless, still drilling each other with their gazes.
Did they really not want to move?
Mai tasted bitterness in her mouth. She knew her strengths and weaknesses perfectly well. Besides, she was ill: she grew breathless just from walking, and her eyes ached even from a short time reading. She could barely stay on her feet; the moment she moved, she would collapse in a faint.
As for Ryōto, he found it hard to express his suffering. Being the boss means keeping up appearances. In this world, one must be true to one's principles. His little brothers were watching him. How could he lead them after something like this? Ryōto found himself in a difficult position. But his opponent was a sick child, and he couldn't bring himself to raise a hand against her. His conscience wouldn't allow it! Do you understand?!
Both sides had laid their cards on the table, but neither had managed to intimidate the other. Staring at each other, Ryōto and Mai mentally screamed:
"Help!!!"