I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 359 and 360: Pretending to be weak while actually being strong?

"Drink, drink, drink!"

Kurogane Kouzo was pulled into the judo club's training ground by several second and third-year students. Several pairs of club members were practicing in pairs, with shouts and thuds of bodies being thrown to the ground coming from time to time.

The judo club at Kobe No. 2 Boys' High School is considered a large sports club, with more than fifty members.

Upon entering the training ground, the trio of classmates from Nishikawa were indeed already standing against the wall.

"You're good at fighting, huh? What good is being good at fighting? To get ahead in school, you need influence and connections."

Although he had a band-aid on his nose, Nishikawa was extremely arrogant, with a fierce and menacing look on his face.

Kurogane Kouzo, on the other hand, remained expressionless, a storm brewing between his brows.

He was sweating profusely, and his abdomen was cramping. He hadn't eaten all day, and his strength had dropped to its lowest point.

Although Mr. Kai said that as long as you have youth and passion, miracles will happen, it is obviously full of nonsense.

The fact that he was able to defeat the Nishikawa trio at noon was not due to his own strength at all.

Mr. Kai's ghost has left him, and now Kurogane Kouzo is in extremely poor condition; any one of them could easily defeat him.

Moreover, we've already ventured deep into the lion's den; this is the judo club's headquarters, and this matter can't be resolved peacefully.

But it doesn't matter.

All Black Iron Kousuke wants to do now is kill others or be killed by others!

Knowing full well that the other party had ill intentions, Kouzo Kurogane still cooperated and came to the judo club, simply because he was desperate and wanted to vent his anger through a fight.

"Kid, if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, you might be able to leave the hospital next New Year."

"Xi Chuan, are you even a woman? Stop nagging."

Nishikawa, who was hurling insults and threats, was forcibly interrupted by Kurogane Teruzo. An angry expression immediately appeared on his face, and he glared at him fiercely.

Then their eyes met, and they were startled by the terrifying, lustful gaze of Kurogane Hikari.

Nishikawa couldn't help but recall how he had been taken down in one fell swoop by Kurogane's lightning-fast combo at noon, and he was still shaken by the experience.

Looking at the senior judo students around him, Nishikawa's courage grew again.

He was also somewhat moved, not expecting the senior members of the judo club to be so loyal; he had only complained a few times, and they had already grabbed him.

"You two, and the seniors, let's all go at him! Let this kid taste the power of the judo club!" Nishikawa, who was trying to intimidate others, took a small step back and shouted in a show of bravado.

The senior members of the judo club who had been watching from the sidelines exchanged glances, their faces full of disapproval, and remained motionless.

However, Nishikawa's two classmates lacked discernment and surrounded them with sinister smiles.

I don't know if it's because the tap water at school isn't very clean, or because I drank too much cold water and it irritated my stomach, but now Kurogane Kouzo's stomach is churning.

"Waaah..."

Kurogane Kouzo let out a muffled groan, his lips turning cyanotic.

But at times like this, you absolutely cannot show weakness. Even if you're beaten to a pulp, you still have to bite off a piece of their flesh!

A mad, ruthless glint appeared deep in Kurogane Hiroshi's eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

Just as the situation was about to escalate, a tall, muscular blond-haired boy walked out of the locker room and shouted sternly.

"minister!"

"Minister Noro!"

Several senior students who were watching with their arms crossed bowed and greeted them.

The two first-year students, who were about to resort to violence, looked at each other, their raised hands hanging in mid-air, unsure whether to lower them or not.

"What are you going to do to the guests I invited?"

Noro-senpai, dressed in a white judo uniform, slowly walked over, glanced at Nishikawa and the other two, and said calmly.

Although Noro-senpai spoke in a calm tone, as a third-year senior and the captain of the judo club, his aura completely overwhelmed Nishikawa.

Why did this bastard suddenly become Minister Noro's guest?

"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding..."

Cold sweat beaded on Nishikawa's forehead as he stammered.

"Hey, Kurogane-kun, you should remember me, right? We met yesterday at the beach under the Kobe Bridge."

Noro-senpai walked up to Kurogane Kouzo and laughed heartily in a relaxed tone.

Kurogane Kozo remained silent, looking at his 'love rival' with a complicated expression.

Recalling the conversation he overheard of Arisaki-sensei's phone call at noon, Kurogane Kozo bit his lip, narrowed his eyes, and struggled to suppress any hostility that might have been shown in them.

"You were very brave yesterday. Are you alright with your injury?"

Senior Noro's gaze lingered intently on Kurogane Kouzo's face, as if trying to see through everything, before he smiled and said:

"Look at the bruises on your face, they're almost healed. Your constitution is truly extraordinary."

His words seemed to have a deeper meaning.

"Thank you for your concern," Kurogane Hiroshi replied curtly.

Noro-senpai didn't take Kurogane Kouzo's rudeness to heart. He turned around and looked at the three bewildered Nishikawa members.

"I've heard about what happened in your class this afternoon. Those three really went too far. You three first graders, why don't you apologize to Heitie?"

"What, apologize to him?"

The three of them stared wide-eyed, hardly believing it.

They were clearly beaten up by Kurogane Kozo, and Noro-senpai, as the captain of the judo club, not only failed to uphold justice, but also demanded that the victims apologize to the perpetrators.

This is outrageous! They're completely siding with outsiders!

"Do you learn judo so you can bully the weak? You don't respect me as the club president, do you?" Senior Noro said coldly, his face darkening.

"sorry……"

The three from Xichuan bowed their heads in humiliation and stammered.

"Haven't you eaten? Why are you speaking so softly!"

"sorry!"

Kurogane Hirozo remained expressionless, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

You can't judge a book by its cover. Although Noro-senpai may look frivolous, he is reasonable and can distinguish right from wrong. He did not show favoritism to Nishikawa and the other two just because they were members of the judo club.

However, this only made Kouzo Kurogane feel more frustrated.

If Noro-senpai were an overbearing and domineering person, and insulted Kurogane Kouzo without distinguishing right from wrong, Kurogane Kouzo would secretly be pleased.

Only by pointing out Noro's flaws can Kurogane Kouzo's sensitive and fragile heart find some balance.

"Kurotetsu-kun, you defeated all three of them by yourself, that's amazing! How about joining the judo club?"

Suddenly, Senior Noro reached out and grasped Kurogane Kouzo's hands, displaying the passionate spirit of a hot-blooded man, and said:

"We need talent like you to work together to dominate the nation!"

Kurogane Kouzo was caught off guard by Noro-senpai's attack, and his hands were squeezed so hard they turned red and ached slightly.

The texture on his hand felt rough. Kurogane Kouzo looked down and saw that Noro-senpai's right hand was wrapped in a white bandage.

Then, a chill ran down Kurogane's spine.

He'd never even held a woman's hand before, yet he was holding hands with a grown man.

And this person is also his love rival!

"No, no need."

Kurogane Kozo disgustedly shook off Noro-senpai's hand and refused repeatedly.

"You idiot! The club president already invited you, you're really asking for it!"

"You don't know what's good for you! Who do you think you are?"

The other second and third-year students were already quite dissatisfied with Kurogane Kouzo's disrespectful attitude and lack of respect for his seniors. Now, they completely erupted and repeatedly berated Kurogane Kouzo.

"What, is your judo club going to gang up on us again?"

Kurogane Hirozo stiffened his neck and spoke with unwavering defiance.

"You little brat!"

Some of the older students were already furious and about to rush forward.

"Don't be violent. We learn judo to improve our health and protect ourselves, not to fight."

Senior Noro waved his hand dismissively, stopping the other members from getting physical.

As the head of the judo club, Noro-senpai is highly respected.

With his words, the others stopped shouting for battle and instead looked at Kurogane Kouzo with murderous eyes.

"Everyone has their own ambitions, and you can't force things. Since Kurogane has no interest in judo, I won't force him."

The more sunny, magnanimous, and radiant Senior Noro was, the more Kurogane Kouzo felt his own base and dark thoughts growing and spreading unchecked.

Why can't I be that kind of person?!

At the same time, he felt ashamed and embarrassed.

In terms of appearance, athletic ability, and personality, Kurogane Kouzo was completely defeated by Noro-senpai.

Noro-senpai is more suitable than me to stand next to Arisaki-sensei.

However, no matter what, it was impossible for Kurogane Kouzo to bless them.

"Hey, Black Iron, I'm actually quite interested in martial arts."

Senior Noro scratched his face, seemingly a little embarrassed, and said:

"I have a favor to ask, and I hope you can have a brief conversation with me. Of course, I'll keep it to a point."

Department Head Noro has actually challenged a first-year student to a duel?!

All the judo club members present were shocked.

He couldn't help but look at Kurogane Kouzo with a strange gaze.

Is this unassuming young man really a master?

Kurogane Hiroshi frowned.

He was fully aware of the difference in martial prowess between himself and Noro.

The thug who beat Kurogane Kouzo to a pulp yesterday was taken down by Noro-senpai in less than ten rounds.

I'd be instantly killed by Senior Ye Lu nine times out of ten, and wouldn't even last a second round.

However, Kurogane Kouzo is now finding fault with Noro-senpai's handsome face no matter what he looks at.

Since it was a challenge from his "love rival," his manly pride wouldn't allow him to refuse.

So be it!

If I finish this match thoroughly, maybe I can let go of this relationship.

"Let's just go for it..."

Suddenly, Black Iron Radiance saw stars in his eyes, and everything spun around him. His feet felt as if they were floating on clouds, with no support.

Amid a gasp of surprise.

Kurogane Kouzo's entire body slumped to the ground.

He collapsed to the ground in a daze. From this angle, Kurogane Kouzo could glimpse the arrogance and coldness hidden in Noro's eyes before he fainted and lost consciousness.

-

"I've already taken him to the infirmary. The school nurse said it was low blood sugar caused by not eating lunch, and he's on an IV drip now."

In the judo club's manager's lounge, a third-year student reports to Manager Noro.

"Is he really unconscious?"

Senior Noro pondered for a moment, then pressed for an answer.

"Yes. The teacher checked him, and besides not eating, the boy is also a bit malnourished and his physical development isn't very good."

The third-year student scoffed:

"I really don't know how those three first-graders were defeated by this little chick."

"Alright, you can go train now."

The third-year student glanced at Noro-senpai's bandaged right hand, then hesitated to speak.

"Minister, your right hand..."

"Oh, I twisted my hand during training yesterday. It's nothing."

Senior Noro raised his bandaged right hand, made a few loose clenching motions, and looked relaxed.

"Minister, please take care of yourself." The third-year student said with concern, "This is our last chance as third-year students. Without you, Minister, we can forget about making it to the national tournament."

"Don't worry, you'll recover quickly."

After the third-year student left the lounge and closed the door, a while later, they heard Senior Noro let out a cold laugh.

"The national tournament? I have absolutely no interest in that kind of childish game for ordinary people. What I'm participating in now is a death game between extraordinary individuals..."

Noro-senpai, who usually has a sunny and cheerful personality, suddenly changed his demeanor, his face turning gloomy and his eyes flashing with cold light.

"Is that kid named Kurogane Kouzo pretending to be weak while actually being strong...?"

Senior Noro placed his right hand on the table, tapped the surface lightly with his index finger, and murmured to himself in a barely audible voice.

"Did he realize I was trying to test him, so he pretended to faint to avoid a fight? But looking at the change in his expression when he finally collapsed, even an Oscar-winning actor couldn't pull that off."

Senior Noro asked and answered his own questions, as if he were having a nervous breakdown, communicating with an unknown entity in the void.

"Sir, please listen to me. I saw that kid get beaten black and blue yesterday. It's impossible for such injuries to heal completely overnight."

"Those three first-year students may be useless, but they're not all muscle-bound for nothing. Even for a third-year student to take on all three of them wouldn't be easy. What makes Kurogane think he can defeat them, with his pathetic skills?"

"Kung Fu is just a movie trick; I think judo is the real deal. There's definitely something strange about that kid! But..."

Noro-senpai touched his right hand, which was wrapped in white bandages, with his left hand, his brows furrowed:

"When I shook hands with him, I looked him over repeatedly. Sir, that boy didn't have the kind of curse mark you mentioned on the back of his hands, nor did he have them wrapped up or disguised like I did."

Suddenly, Senior Noro broke out in a cold sweat, stood up from his seat, and bowed repeatedly to the void with trepidation.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I will do everything in my power for you, my lord. You will surely eliminate the other competitors, bring the dead back to life, and truly revive us."

"Since we can't tell the difference, it's better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free!"

A sinister glint appeared in Senior Noro's eyes.

"However, sir, you said that this battle should be conducted discreetly, so it's not convenient to carry out the operation at school. I've already found out that kid's home address."

"Let's strike tonight, Lord Zabuza!"

(End of this chapter)