Chapter 296. Using Any Means to Win
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The race had begun!
Over a hundred cars launched at once, instantly drawing everyone's attention. And with the loud, flamboyant commentary unique to Kumogakure, the crowd erupted in excitement, roaring non-stop.
"In the lead is Konoha's very own Hatake Kakashi!"
Unlike the elegant and reserved style of Konoha's commentators, the one from Kumogakure was way more unrestrained—shirtless, microphone in hand, standing high above and shouting, "0.1 seconds for a hundred-meter dash, that dazzling tail, that silver-glowing body—no matter where it is, it's like a firefly in the dark! So distinct! So outstanding! Let's hear it for him—leaving the pack in the dust!"
"Kakashi! Kakashi!~"
The crowd's energy instantly exploded.
However—
This race was destined to be anything but ordinary from the very start.
Because—
This was a ninja race!
The very moment the race began…
Ninjas from each village started pulling out all the tricks.
Some launched kunai like jets, constantly bursting tires. Some controlled tandem cars to block off opponents. Others stretched giant hands out from their car windows to drag the front car. One even drove while spreading water behind them to make others slide.
Of course, that was just the beginning.
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Yuto silently watched as one explosive tag after another flew out of a purple car. He stiffly turned to Kana. "Is that her secret weapon?"
It's truly… so simple~
Kana gave a helpless smile and nodded. "Yes."
"She used to be such a thrifty, sensible girl..." Yuto sighed, shaking his head as he watched Konan blow through explosive tags in just a few minutes. "How'd she end up like this?"
You know, Konan used to be the kind of person who wouldn't even waste a single explosive tag. How did she become like this now?
As expected—
Not everyone is like him. No matter how rich he is, he still keeps his original intention!
"She said it was Yuto-sama who taught her: if you're upset, blow it up. If there's danger, blow it up. If someone's getting flirty, blow it up! Don't hold back! Brother Yuto is rich!" Kana grinned mischievously and winked. "She packed tons of explosive tags! She even gave me a whole stack too!"
"...Heh… hehehe..." Yuto laughed awkwardly. "You still… can't spoil them too much. You have to teach the girls properly. Wasting like this is no good!"
Then he quickly turned his head back to the race and changed the subject. "Look! Look! They've already reached Kumogakure's first stage—the Cliff Jump!"
That's right! A 100-meter cliff!
Only by leaping over it could they enter the next leg of the track. But since flying for over ten seconds had recently been banned, it wasn't easy to get a big, heavy car across in such a short time.
And not to mention—
The course set by Kumogakure was long.
At this point, the racers were rapidly approaching the cliff.
But—
Jumping a 100-meter cliff wasn't a joke. A small mistake and it'd be race over, straight to the Kumogakure medical team to watch the rest of the race lying down.
Yuto heard that to prep for this race, Kumogakure had stationed tons of medical ninjas nearby, ready to rush in if anything happened.
You could imagine just how dangerous this race really was.
As a result, a lot of racers started slowing down, afraid they'd mess up and plunge off the edge!
This was ninja racing.
Terrifying to the core!
Even regular spectators watched with their hearts in their throats.
However, a few people didn't slow down.
Kakashi eyed the cliff ahead, calmly maneuvering the steering wheel. He furrowed his brow slightly, then suddenly let go and slammed the gas pedal.
VROOOM!
A powerful engine roar burst forth!
That silver car seemed to turn into a mechanical beast, roaring endlessly.
[I'm counting on you, Three-Tails.]
[Leave it to me!]
Under everyone's gaze, the silver car charged straight toward the cliff—without the slightest hesitation. It didn't slow down—it sped up!
But—
With such a long gap, if there wasn't some kind of boost underneath, there was no way they could make the jump with just the rear thrusters.
You think you can charge like a tornado?
It accelerated and rushed over.
Just as everyone smirked, thinking the Hero of Konoha—Hatake Kakashi—had overestimated himself and was about to fall into the abyss...
Suddenly—
The jets behind the car surged dramatically!
Then—
A cloak of crimson chakra suddenly enveloped the silver car. The dual jets at the back merged into one, and it looked like three tails had sprouted behind it.
"What is that?"
While everyone was still stunned—
A blast!
A massive energy cannon shot out from the car's rear! With immense propulsion, it instantly launched the silver car across the cliff!
Safe clearance!
"Hiss~?!"
Everyone at the scene gasped sharply.
"That's…"
A Tailed Beast Ball?!
Can you still play like this?
Is that guy crazy?
However—
"Hatake Kakashi?" Nii Yugito, driving a brown car, snapped out of her shock. She smiled slightly and said calmly, "Your turn, Two-Tails."
[Has the whole ninja world gone crazy like this now?]
The once fearsome Tailed Beasts…
Now reduced to tools for race propulsion?
Even so, hearing Yugito's words, the Two-Tails let out a meow. Then, what seemed like claws stretched out from the car, and in the next moment… the vehicle morphed into a ghostly blue cat, leaping across the cliffside!
A mountain cat!
It took a slightly longer route, but still made it across the chasm.
At that moment—
Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, saw that his two juniors had cleared the cliff. He got fired up. "Yo yo yo~ Ninja racing's insane, Tailed Beast Balls and little kitty lanes, unbelievable how they just jumped the gap, oh yeah~ Partner, it's our turn to rap!"
"Ready!"
Right as he finished—
Eight thick tails burst from the back of the vehicle. The whole car was cloaked in a crimson, fearsome chakra, just like the silver car earlier.
Then—
Just as everyone expected the Eight-Tails to also launch a Tailed Beast Ball—
Instead—
That bull-headed car floored the gas and charged straight at the cliff, but… unexpectedly, there was no Tailed Beast Ball.
The eight tails began to spin furiously!
Then, it flew off into the air!
Everyone fell into silence.
Respect! Mad respect!
At this moment—
"That's the Nine-Tails."
Another Tailed Beast joined the show.
But—
No flashy gimmicks. It just jumped the cliff—clean and direct.
By now, everyone who'd cleared the cliff was a Jinchuriki racer.
And then—
"Cheating! Cheating! That's cheating!"
The racers who fell behind weren't having it. They all started complaining to Kumogakure, the event host.
"As racers, how can they use the power of Tailed Beasts? That's not fair!"
The complaints came in waves, calling for penalties against the Jinchuriki.
However—
"This is the Ninja Grand Prix!" The Fourth Raikage grabbed the microphone and roared, "Other than banned space-time ninjutsu, any other ninjutsu is allowed! You shameful punks! You're ninjas! Use your skills to win!"
With that, the entire venue erupted in cheers again.
The other racers… fell silent.
That's right.
They were ninjas too!
But then—
Following an agreement with Iwagakure, Orochimaru, who was watching the race quietly from nearby, twitched his mouth.
This thing…
What does it have to do with being a ninja?!
Especially when he saw a giant toad carrying a van and leaping across the cliff—
He suddenly had something in his heart that he didn't know whether to say or not.
[The ninja world is really crazy now~]
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