Chapter 292. Skills
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Biwa Juzo took the water bottle passed to him by Roshi, drank it in one go, then wiped his mouth and gave a faint smile as he said calmly, "Ninja Grand Prix!"
"The timing's about right too," Roshi said, opening a bottle of water himself as he stood to the side.
"There was a big piece of news from Konoha not long ago!"
As he spoke—
Biwa Juzo's eyes narrowed, and he muttered in a serious tone, "Hatake Kakashi… Uchiha Fugaku!"
"Yeah! As expected of the largest ninja village. They really have a bunch of skilled drivers."
Roshi sighed with emotion.
He recalled the silver car like moonlight and the ghost-like black armored vehicle from the video.
His eyes were instantly drawn to them.
It looked like—
Konoha had done a thorough job preparing and modifying their cars, and that was only in terms of speed.
You have to remember—Kumogakure was hosting the Ninja Grand Prix. Only ninja were eligible to enter, so this race… was destined to be anything but ordinary from the start.
Glancing at Biwa Juzo's modified car, especially the Four-Tails emblem on it, Roshi said, "It's really something to look forward to!"
As the words left his mouth—
He looked over at Biwa Juzo, who now wore a faint, unintentional smile.
It seemed—
Juzo was pretty excited about it too!
As if remembering something, Roshi pulled out a piece of paper. "Right, Kumogakure released some new rules this morning—they've banned the use of certain ninjutsu!"
"Hmph! How narrow-minded! Ninjas should use whatever means necessary! Banning things? Ridiculous!" Biwa Juzo sneered in disdain and tossed the empty water bottle to Roshi. "I'm going for a few more laps. Talk to me later!"
With that—
The engine roared to life.
That gentle, flowing sound hinted at just how special this car really was.
With a smooth one-handed turn, Biwa Juzo launched the car straight out of the parking spot.
He sped away!
Watching the drizzle outside the window, the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile. He murmured to himself, "This is going to be fun."
…
"No need to keep practicing," Nagato said, sipping hot tea.
It was a new cheese milk tea from Yuto Milk Tea, quite popular in the Land of Rain. It was warm in the hands and sold well.
Looking at the purple car flapping its wings in front of him, he thought for a moment before continuing, "Kumogakure has already revised the rules, and flying in the air for more than ten seconds in any form is now prohibited. Your plan to fly over the course has failed."
He knew Konan's driving skills.
Compared to the Konoha Police Captain's amateur driving from last time, hers were still far worse—not to mention the others.
She could only fly and nothing else.
"I think you should borrow Hanzo's summoning beast. That thing's huge, probably strong enough to carry your car! He'd probably be glad to help—free advertisement for his brand!"
Screech~
A sliding sound.
Konan stepped out, wearing a blue racing suit. With a toss of her head, she did look the part of a racer.
"Little Pepper is too slow—especially in areas with low moisture." Then, angrily, she added, "Damn it! Why did Kumogakure change the rules at the last minute?! Otherwise, I totally would've taken the championship!"
"…"
With your driving skills, you'd probably get shot down mid-air by another ninja anyway!
Don't underestimate the ninja from other villages!
Nagato rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Hanzo's salamander isn't called Little Pepper!"
Who even named it that?
Oh, right—
That day—
The Akatsuki had just relocated to a remote spot, waiting for the leader of the Land of Rain to begin negotiations.
"It's officially renamed Little Pepper now. It's the mascot of Hanzo Salamander Company, and he personally chose the name~," Konan said cheerfully. "Kids love it now! It's super popular."
"…"
Has the so-called Demi-God of the Ninja World really thrown away all dignity just to make money?
That's a summoning beast, for crying out loud!
Nagato raised an eyebrow, shook his head speechlessly, and looked at Konan. "You're still planning to participate? But you can't fly nonstop anymore!"
"So what if I can't fly?" Konan replied with a mysterious smile. "Don't worry, I've got a secret weapon!" She paused, then added, "Brother Yuto and the others are going too! Sister Kana is super excited about it~"
"Brother Yuto~ Bah! Scumbag!" Nagato spat in frustration, then sighed, patted his butt as he stood up, and casually tossed his empty bottle into the trash can. "I'm heading to the prison for a bit."
"Oh right, remind that red-haired guy to hurry up and finish the modifications I requested for my car. The race is almost here!"
"I have red hair too!"
"Please, I'm counting on you!"
"This is so boring…" Nagato shook his head. Thinking about that Suna ninja, he really did feel a little pity for the guy. He's been locked up for years and still stuck in there.
Now he even had to help modify someone else's car.
If the prison in the Land of Rain was as secure as it is now—
It was all thanks to him!
He truly made an indelible contribution to the peace and stability of the Land of Rain!
…
At the same time.
Konoha.
After the racing incident at the Hokage Rock, the Fourth Hokage designated an area for practice, so these days the village was frequently filled with the roar of engines and bursts of loud cheering from time to time.
With the race getting closer, the racers in Konoha were all training hard!
At this moment—
Inside the Konoha Police's prison.
Shiranui Genma stood looking at the barred cell with a complicated expression, staring at the black-and-white-striped-uniform-wearing Kakashi.
Everyone else had already been released.
But Hatake Kakashi, who had blatantly provoked the Konoha Police Force… still had to stay locked up a bit longer.
Seriously—
What a mess!
He really should've just stopped and pulled over at the time.
"Obito managed to escape afterwards, and as for Asuma… not a big issue—just some minor injuries. He's a top-tier VIP at Konoha Hospital. The moment he arrived, he received the best treatment," Genma said, peeling a pear for Kakashi. "How much longer till you're out?"
"A few more days," Kakashi replied nonchalantly. "Have I got my car back?"
"I've already sent it back," Genma nodded, then added regretfully, "It's too bad everyone else is already training, and you're still stuck in here. You know there's not much time left till the race!"
"It doesn't matter," Kakashi said in his usual calm tone, then slightly furrowed his brows and muttered, "I haven't wasted the time. I've been thinking about a few things."
For example, boosting speed right after drifting—this could quickly regain lost momentum.
Even midair, it could be used to reduce drag and hang time, then boost again after landing.
He called it—
Double Boost!
"Is that so?" Genma listened to Kakashi's plan and didn't say much else. He picked at his teeth with a senbon needle, then after checking the time said, "I'm leaving first! I have to stop by the hospital to visit Asuma later. Really… he was barely out of recovery for a few days."
Asuma…
These past few years hadn't been easy for him~
Hopefully, Kakashi and the others would manage to get a good result in the end!
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