Chapter 291. Racers From Various Villages
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The timeline shifts slightly back.
In just the blink of an eye—
As Kakashi stepped harder on the pedal and increased the booster level once again, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation behind him. Instinctively, he glanced at the rearview mirror.
That terrifying shadow—
Like a ghost ready to devour its prey—was locked onto him, relentlessly chasing from behind.
Sure enough—
When he sped up, the Konoha Police Force vehicle behind him accelerated too!
Closer!
Closer!
It was getting closer and closer!
Kakashi's expression instantly changed. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, and even the toes of the foot pressing the pedal curled, anchoring against the sole of his shoe. His face shifted between hesitation and determination.
It was as if he were torn about something.
Should he keep accelerating?
Should he reveal the trump cards he had prepared specifically for the Ninja Grand Prix?
But doing so—
His information would definitely be exposed to other racers, which would be disastrous in the real competition!
Give up now?
Be like the other racers who'd already backed out?
He wavered, but his foot still subconsciously pressed down a little further.
The engine roared louder!
Kakashi stared at the rearview mirror, watching that persistent Konoha Police Force car on his tail.
Suddenly—
As he noticed the other car's speed increase again, he was slightly stunned!
Especially when he saw thick smoke billowing from the front of the vehicle…
He froze!
Staring blankly—
Luckily, the road ahead was a straight dirt path. If it had been a curve, it would've ended in a serious accident.
Kakashi silently watched the approaching car and the thick smoke.
At last—
He sighed and muttered to himself, "Fine. I'll settle this with you at the Ninja Grand Prix."
Revealing too much now… is never good.
As he spoke—
The boosters on the back of his car slowly powered down, and the vehicle came to a forced stop on the side.
Kakashi opened the door, stepped out of the car, and prepared to see just who had such terrifying driving skills. When he saw the door of the other vehicle open slowly—
"I, Hatake Kakashi, will be waiting for you at the Ninja Grand Pri—"
Before he could finish—
A shadow flashed past his eyes.
In that very instant—
"Snap!!"
A crisp sound rang out.
Then—
"Hatake Kakashi, you are under arrest."
A cold voice sounded in his ear.
Kakashi looked silently at the Uchiha clan leader before him, then lowered his gaze to the silver bracelet now on his wrist. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
He nearly forgot—
This wasn't some racing match with another racer!
"…"
Is it too late to run now?
…
The Konoha Police Force won!
The Konoha Police Force…
At that moment—
When everyone saw the silver bracelet—
They finally came to their senses. This wasn't a racing competition at all!
This was—
A Konoha Police Force operation to apprehend illegal racers!
What else could they do?
It had just been so intense.
Adrenaline was pumping!
The car that came from behind actually forced the first-place vehicle to a stop.
It got everyone fired up.
But now…
It was over.
Time to make a quiet exit.
Everyone began to slowly disperse. The once-chaotic scene quickly fell silent, and the sirens of the Konoha Police Force began to sound—
As if celebrating their victory.
None of them had expected…
Fugaku-sama's driving skills were truly godlike.
This time—
They won!
So what if there were traitors?
With Fugaku-sama leading them, no one could threaten Konoha.
Everyone immediately stood in solemn respect, watching as Fugaku-sama walked calmly forward, leading a silver-haired young man in handcuffs, head lowered, silently passing by.
Racer, Hatake Kakashi — Arrested!
…
Yuto let out a sigh and descended the mountain along with Suzune.
Such a dramatic turn of events—
Really.
He truly hadn't expected it.
What was supposed to be a simple and uneventful private racing match ended up with… the entire Konoha racing crew being completely taken down by the Konoha Police Force.
Oh—no, wait.
A few still managed to escape.
He felt genuinely worried about Konoha's lineup for the upcoming Ninja Grand Prix!
Turning his head toward Suzune, he said, "Right—send the footage here to Kumogakure later. It may have only been a small-scale ninja race, but even this shows some flaws. The race rules need to be refined."
For example, Minato's space-time ninjutsu…
How is anyone supposed to compete with that?!
Yuto sighed with emotion, watching the Konoha Police Force cars slowly descend the mountain, muttering, "The upcoming Ninja Grand Prix… really something to look forward to!"
He seemed to be reminded of that one legendary match—
Like the rampaging Mahjong God Cup match that year!
And tonight—
It was destined to be a sleepless night.
…
The next day.
Last night's private race truly exploded across the entire internet.
[All of the Konoha racers are arrested!]
[A Konoha racer lost to an outsider?! Is that a tragedy or a relief?]
[Thanks to the full efforts of the Police Force, a group of illegal racers within Konoha has been completely apprehended. The ringleader—Hatake Kakashi—fully confessed to violating the Konoha Traffic Management Regulations, admitted to causing a terrible influence on the village, and has offered a deep self-reflection.]
[Last night, under the command of Konoha Police Force Captain Uchiha Fugaku, famed Konoha racer Hatake Kakashi was arrested!]
[Shocking! Konoha's strongest racer turns out to be him?!]
[Who is the mysterious cameraman behind the footage?]
[The Fourth Hokage expressed regret over it! He claims he failed in teaching them properly—but acknowledges the racers were training with the safety of Konoha in mind and in preparation for the Ninja Grand Prix. Therefore, an exclusive area will be allocated as a driver training ground.]
[Without him—what's the point of this tournament anymore?!]
The internet exploded.
Many were stunned by the Konoha Police Force Captain's incredible driving skills and declared—if he's not racing, then what's the point of this Ninja Grand Prix?!
It's better not to watch it!
Of course—
Rumor has it that night, the Konoha Police Force also dealt with a traitor.
But who exactly it was… remains unknown.
And the cameraman who captured the entire breathtaking event still hasn't been identified!
There were too many juicy revelations!
People couldn't stop talking!
However—
Last night's Konoha private race still left the rest of the ninja world's racers shaken.
Who would've thought…
There was such a terrifying racer hiding within the Konoha Police Force?
And that was without even using ninjutsu!
Sure enough!
As the top ninja village in the world—
Konoha's strength could not be underestimated!
After watching the race, Kumogakure immediately held an emergency meeting to revise the tournament rules.
That one simple, low-key private race… no one had expected it to cause such a massive ripple effect.
…
At this time.
This is the Land of Rain.
A light rain was falling.
Therefore—
The roads were a bit slick.
However—
One car was still speeding down the road. The body of the car was painted red and blue, symbolizing ocean and flame.
On the front, a dark silhouette of a monkey-like creature with four tails was drawn.
The car made a turn, kicking up a light spray of water with a piercing screech.
A perfect drift!
Then, the door opened, but the car didn't stop. A figure in a lava-colored racing suit stepped out. The car, on its own, turned and perfectly parked in a designated spot.
"Pa~"
The racer clapped hands with the person waiting for him, a calm smile on his face.
"How was it, Roshi?"
"Absolutely perfect!" Roshi gave a thumbs-up, the corner of his mouth curling into a grin. He looked at the now completely transformed Biwa Juzo with satisfaction.
"Your lap time improved by thirteen seconds, and your curves are getting more and more precise. You're really talented, Juzo!"
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