Konoha Drunkard

"That's amazing! Even an S-rank ninjutsu couldn't hurt him?"

The girl with the broad forehead stared wide-eyed in disbelief. She had seen S-rank ninjutsu before, and she had personally witnessed the power of Kakashi-sensei's Lightning Blade. To be completely unharmed by a ninjutsu of Kakashi-sensei's Lightning Blade was simply unbelievable!

"Not only that! Little girl! Lord Shanks is the toughest man in the ninja world, S-rank ninjutsu is just a piece of cake for him."

Kai, the green-skinned guy next to Kakashi, grinned and said to the girl with the broad forehead and Ino, recalling the scene when Shanks went head-to-head with the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, that S-rank ninjutsu was just a piece of cake.

Not only were the people from Konoha shocked, but the audience in the stands were no better off. Some of the younger people only realized how amazing the young boy's skill of withstanding the wind blades was after the older audience members explained it to them. It was a skill of the legendary ninja Shanks of Konoha! So this kid is Shanks' grandson. Being born into wealth is truly a blessing!

"Xiaochun, Menyan! Am I seeing things? This... this isn't Shanks's taijutsu?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi in the VIP box had his tongue tied in knots. He had seen this scene countless times, but only with that bastard Shanks. This skill was something that talent alone couldn't teach, which was a regret he had felt during his many years in power. If everyone in Konoha knew this skill, just imagine the scene: a Konoha ninja with super high defense taking on five generals would no longer be a dream.

He originally thought this skill would be taken to his grave with Shanks, but unexpectedly, Shanks' grandson, their future Grand Marshal of Konoha, also possesses it today. This is quite different.

Why is Shanks so arrogant? It's not because of his powerful swordsmanship or big fists. After all, no matter how strong your attack power is, there's always the risk of being stabbed in the back. The key is that this bastard is tough, incredibly tough. He can even withstand the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball. Shanks really can't think of any other way to kill this bastard.

Now that their future Grand Marshal of Konoha also possesses this skill, coupled with the intellect of the Nara clan, Konoha has a worthy successor. Dominating the ninja world for another few decades is not a problem. How could Hiruzen Sarutobi not be excited when he thinks about this? He deserves credit for this. Hiruzen Sarutobi shamelessly takes the blame. Without the foundation he laid, could Konoha's children grow up in peace? It's all thanks to him.

"Yes, have someone engrave this achievement on the monument tomorrow!"

"...That seems to be the case, but Shanks said Shikamaru doesn't have that talent either, so what's going on..."

Koharu Utatane was also completely confused. When the little version of Skyrocket was born, they asked Shanks if it was possible for him to awaken his special taijutsu talent. Shanks confidently said no. Apart from inheriting the Uzumaki clan's chakra and strong vitality, the little version of Skyrocket didn't have any special talents, not even the talent of transferring his vitality to others like Karin.

"Let's not speculate. We'll just ask Shikamaru after he's done."

"A seasoned shopper like Mitokado Haruyuki said calmly," he replied, his composure remarkably steady. Having been a tycoon for so many years, what storms hadn't he weathered? To be so surprised by something like this would only make him a laughingstock.

Sitting in the giant rocket was completely Spartan. He was a shadow puppeteer, and he knew his son's skill all too well. This wasn't his father-in-law's physical technique; it involved tightly wrapping himself in shadow, hardening his muscles and increasing his defense. However, this defense increased with the tightness of the shadow's wrapping—the tighter the wrap, the greater the defense. But too tight, and his body would collapse. His son had withstood this wave of wind blades, so the wrapping was definitely quite tight. He hadn't expected his son to dare to play like this. If he used too much force, his Nara family line would end. He was already in his forties; who knew if he could even have a second child?

"Kakashi-sensei, what's so special about this special taijutsu? Why was Shanks the only one who knew it before?"

The girl with the broad forehead was inquisitive and eager to learn, and this was all new knowledge to her, quite novel. Besides, her teachers at school always said that a good child asks questions when they don't understand. At the same time, a group of little devils looked over, clearly wanting to hear the story too.

"...Because this is a special talent derived from Lord Shanks's bloodline limit. Lord Shanks was exceptionally gifted from a young age, able to sense a kind of aura that others cannot perceive. Through the manipulation of this aura, he evolved various powerful physical techniques and swordsmanship. Actually, this cannot be called physical techniques; Shanks calls it Armament Haki. Covering his body with Armament Haki not only grants him powerful defense but also increases his attack power. In addition to Armament Haki, there is also a powerful sword aura. Back then, he used his powerful sword aura to cleave Kirigakure in two with a single sword strike. There is also Conqueror's Haki, which can awe and intimidate people. Under the influence of this aura, weaker people will be stunned, and stronger people will become weak in the knees and unable to exert their full fighting power. There are also some uses that you cannot know right now."

Kakashi recounted everything his father had told him to these kids, but he omitted the part about Observation Haki, the mysterious ability to hear people's thoughts. Even he found it strange; if his father hadn't told him, he wouldn't believe such a skill existed. So, it was best not to burden these kids. Everyone has secrets; they weren't like Naruto, who was completely clueless.

665. My upbringing is still the best.

"So this is the special taijutsu of the Red-Haired Shanks of Konoha? It can actually withstand my wind blade. Let's see how you handle this!"

The girl with the large fan in the arena naturally heard the exclamations from the audience and understood why they were so surprised. It turned out that the guy opposite was using a special taijutsu that only Konoha's Shanks himself knew. No wonder, everyone knew that only Konoha's Shanks knew this kind of super-high defensive taijutsu. Now, it seemed that a kid from Konoha also knew it. It was hard not to be surprised. The toughest man in the ninja world was not just a title.

"Ugh! Women are such a pain in the ass."

The guy opposite him, nicknamed "Skyrocket," looked up at the sky helplessly, seemingly still awake. If he wanted to defeat this girl with the giant fan, he could KO her within a minute of the start. But remembering the orders his irresponsible grandfather had given him, and for the sake of his future married life, he tried his best to put on a good show. He couldn't lose too casually, lest he hurt the girl's pride, but he also couldn't lose too badly. After all, he was the future Grand Marshal of Konoha and the grandson of Shanks. If he lost too badly, it wouldn't matter if Konoha lost face, but if his grandfather lost face, his life would be difficult. So, he started his personal show mode right away, displaying all the ninjutsu he knew and showcasing the glory of Konoha. He appeared, but who would have thought this girl was so stubborn? Even after he'd gone easy on her, she still wouldn't let it go. If he'd known it would be this troublesome, he wouldn't have participated in the Chunin Exams. With his future status as the Grand Marshal, he could have easily become a Chunin in a year or two, then a Jonin in three to five years. After his father retired, he could succeed him as Grand Marshal, spending his life in the office assisting the next Hokage, getting married, having a son, and then having him inherit his position. He could then live a carefree life like his grandfather and great-grandfather. Wouldn't that have been great? Why was he so brain-dead as to sign up for the Chunin Exams?

"You brat, what did you say? How dare you call me troublesome! Die!"

"Wind Killing Formation!"

Although the sound of the "Little Sky Cannon" was very soft, the girl with the big fan wasn't far away, so she could still hear the words of the "Little Sky Cannon" in the noisy arena. This ignited her temper, and she immediately unleashed her ultimate move, using up the last of her mana, as if it was a fight to the death.

I surrender!

Seeing the girl with the big fan looking murderous, the little rocket launcher thought, "This is unacceptable! Who knows what kind of trouble I'll get into later?" So, while the girl with the big fan was still preparing her ultimate move, he immediately raised his hands in surrender to Garp above him!

"...Haha! He really is my grandson, he has half my charm!"

Shanks seemed to have anticipated that the "Little Cannon" would admit defeat, showing no surprise at all when he saw the "Little Cannon" raise his hands in surrender. He had always believed that these kids shouldn't lay a hand on girls. Didn't you see how arrogant Shanks was in the ninja world, yet at home he still obeyed Haruko-sama like a dog? Even Garp, with his fiery temper, didn't dare to lay a hand on Hyuga Tsuruhime after getting married; instead, he was completely subservient to the wealthy man because he needed pocket money.

"My upbringing is really good!"

Shanks should give himself a thumbs up for being so shameless.

"........."

The people around him were used to his shamelessness, and after giving him a disdainful look because of his age, they ignored him.

........

"What?! They were fighting so well just now, how could he give up so suddenly! This kid is so disappointing!"

"Yeah! He's so cowardly. He gave up as soon as the other guy got serious!"

"I wanted to see if this brat could use the swordsmanship of Konoha's Red-Haired Shanks! He's just giving up like that?"

"........."

The small-sized rocket's surrender displeased many ticket-buying audience members. They had just put on such a brilliant show, only to give up in the end. It was like watching a movie where the plot was just getting to the exciting part and then it ended in a second. Wasn't this just playing with them?

The audience members in the stands were unhappy, and regardless of what they were holding, they kept heading towards the small rocket launcher.

"Ugh! How rude!"

Watching the dense swarm of things flying towards him, Little Cannonball dodged while shaking his head and sighing. These people were so immoral, throwing even their underwear.

"What is Shikamaru doing?!......!"

The fact that "Little Cannon" conceded defeat left his Konoha friends very frustrated. This guy could clearly still fight, but he still gave up. What's going on?

"Why, why is he so strong... Damn it!"

However, the second male lead, Kuku, didn't think so. He was truly impressed by the "small-time super-lazy" guy in this battle. The guy who had always been a lazybones who did nothing but sleep in class and whose test scores were always terrible was actually so strong. He had paid attention to Nara Shikamaru for a while, wanting to see what kind of person this grandson of Konoha's Shanks was. But this grandson of Konoha's Shanks always looked like he hadn't woken up yet, and he was lazy and gluttonous. Even during extracurricular training, he would find a place to hide and sleep. When Konoha's Shanks wanted to teach him, he was resistant.

Since then, the second male lead has paid no attention to this super lazybones. In his opinion, there's nothing to care about about this super lazybones. If he had to say what's outstanding about him, it would probably be his laziness.

The second male lead, Kuku, had always believed he was the best in his class because his academic performance and demonstrated strength were far superior to his peers. However, after seeing the power displayed by the "Little Sky Cannon" (a nickname for a character), with his various impressive clan techniques, especially the shocking taijutsu where he stood completely black and withstood a wind blade, Kuku compared himself to the "Little Sky Cannon." He realized that even after learning Kakashi's Chidori, he still couldn't beat him. If that special taijutsu was really as strong as Kakashi said, unable to even harm an S-rank ninjutsu, it meant that none of his ninjutsu could deal with this super lazybones, and he himself couldn't dodge the super lazybones' shadow techniques.

At this moment, the second male lead was heartbroken. He needed to become stronger, he needed to defeat the man known as a super genius. But after all these years of hard work, he couldn't even beat a lazybones who only knew how to sleep all day. How could he accept this? This time, the second male lead had an unprecedented and intense need for power. This desire was amplified infinitely. He was willing to do anything to become stronger, even if it meant death. He didn't care as long as he could defeat that man.

666. The quality has declined.

"Shikamaru, have you really awakened Shanks' taijutsu?"

As soon as the small rocket reached the audience seats, it was surrounded by a group of people chattering away, and it never got to play. There was no way around it; the way it managed to withstand the wind blade in the end was just too amazing.

"No, I just slightly modified my grandfather's Armament Haki based on the family's secret technique, but I can't do that again next time."

The little rocket launcher said lazily that he had just had a sudden inspiration and did not expect it to actually work. However, he was wrapped too tightly by the shadow and his bones still hurt all over his body. The feeling of his bones being crushed was not pleasant.

"Using shadows to tightly wrap the body to increase muscle density and thus improve the body's defense is indeed a good method. However, you are still young and your body is still developing. It's best not to use this kind of ninjutsu in the future."

Kakashi was once a great genius, though now he's been ruined by that Sharingan. However, after hearing the explanation from "Small Sky Cannon," he understood the principle behind the technique. It has to be said, the Nara clan's ingenuity is remarkable; they actually came up with such a method. However, this kind of ninjutsu is impossible for those who aren't physically strong. "Small Sky Cannon" dares to use it so skillfully only because he has the Uzumaki clan's bloodline and strong vitality; otherwise, with his current physical strength, he would either be cut to death by the wind blades or cripple himself.

"Sog! Shikamaru, you're really something. We thought you had really awakened Shanks' talent."

After hearing Kakashi's explanation, the surrounding friends suddenly realized that the Nara clan was really clever to come up with such a method. Although it was not the legendary taijutsu, developing such a ninjutsu was still very impressive.

.......

"Tch! All looks and no substance. I told you, physical strength is what really matters. It would have been so much better if I had trained him a couple of years ago, but it's not too late now... Lingling, go back and tell your mother to have Shikamaru train with me for a year or two after his exams. I guarantee I'll raise a tough son for you!"

After learning the principle behind the small version of Skyrocket's ninjutsu, Shanks pursed his lips in disdain, still holding a grudge about what happened back then. If the small version of Skyrocket's body hadn't been so weak back then, he could have trained for two years, and this level of ninjutsu would have been a piece of cake. Didn't you see how powerful that bootleg Leonardo is now? No matter how much Green Guy trains, he's still full of energy.

"Go tell your mother yourself."

Big Mom won't give him a second thought this time. Her son was almost killed by her training back then, and if it weren't for how badly she beat him, she would have wanted to finish him off. Now she's starting to target her son again.

"I'm doing this for Shikamaru's own good. The ninja world is very dangerous, especially since he's my grandson, Shanks. There are plenty of people who want to climb over him to get ahead. If you run into a tough opponent like Asuma and he can't protect you, you'll regret it."

Shanks advised, "If Haruko hadn't forbidden him from touching the smaller version of Skyrocket these past few years, it wouldn't be so weak. Back when it was 12, it was already shouting about crushing Madara. Now, the smaller version is struggling even to withstand a small Wind Release technique."

Although the last experiment failed, he learned from the experience. By observing how Green Skin Kai simply copied Leonardo's series of operations, he revised his training plan. This time, there shouldn't be any problems.

"No! Unless you can persuade Mother, Shikamaru will absolutely not be handed over to you."

Big Mom resolutely shook her head. If her son died outside, at least he would get a hero's title. But if his father trained him to death, there would be no benefit at all. She wasn't stupid. Besides, although Asuma's character was unreliable, his strength was still quite impressive. The chances of him encountering a tough opponent were slim. Moreover, her father wasn't without friends in the ninja world. How could he possibly run into a tough enemy by sheer coincidence? The chances of that were practically nonexistent.

"........."

Seeing his daughter's stubbornness, Shanks reluctantly sat down to drink his goji berry tea and continued watching the chicks pecking at each other below. After the mini-cannonball and the girl with the big fan, it was time for some extras to make their cameo appearances. The genin's attack methods were mainly taijutsu, since they didn't have much chakra. Many of them would get weak in the knees after using one or two small ninjutsu techniques. It was basically a hand-to-hand combat with punches landing. This kind of fighting excited the country bumpkins in the audience the most. However, some of the well-traveled noblemen were drowsy. They had seen too much of this kind of hand-to-hand combat and were not excited at all. They thought the magnificent ninjutsu clashes were much more spectacular and exciting.

"Sigh! It seems that it's not just Konoha's quality that has declined, but the other villages are too. Look at that Cloud Ninja, they can't even handle a small guy now."

Look at that young man from the Cloud Ninja styled James, who is actually evenly matched with a skinny Mist Ninja in taijutsu. Shanks couldn't help but complain that the Cloud Ninja's general combat strength was the highest in the ninja world back then. After all, their physiques were what they were. Konoha only had a lot of elites, and their general combat strength was not as high as that of the Cloud Ninja.

But now, after more than ten years of peace, the Fourth Raikage is no longer like his father, who would frequently challenge people to fights. If the leader is like this, then the underlings are naturally no better.

"Grand Uncle, were the Cloud Ninja very powerful before?"

Seeing Shanks' disappointed expression towards the Cloud Ninja, Karin asked curiously. Having never left her village before, and being a top student, she was curious about many new things, especially the other four great ninja villages. And judging from Shanks' tone, the Cloud Ninja must have been very powerful in the past.

"Of course, the Cloud Ninja were very strong more than ten years ago. Let me put it this way: Konoha has many elite ninjas, but in terms of general combat strength, the Cloud Ninja were stronger, especially when the Third Raikage was in power. The Cloud Ninja reached their peak. Back then, everyone in the Cloud Ninja was warlike, and those who fought often were naturally quite strong. Konoha suffered a lot of losses at the hands of the Cloud Ninja in the two major wars. If it weren't for your great-uncle... the outcome would have been hard to say. Even if Konoha had won, they would have been severely injured, or at least suffered serious injuries."

Shanks spoke the truth, which was rare for him, but Karin didn't quite believe him, after all, her great-uncle had made far too many boasts over the years.

667. Neji vs. James

"Hey! What kind of look is that? Are you doubting your great-uncle? Ask your father, who doesn't know that your great-uncle led three thousand ragtag troops to block the tens of thousands of Yunren troops back then? Your father was one of those ragtag troops."

When Shanks saw the suspicious look in Karin's eyes, he felt terrible. What's wrong with people these days? He had finally spoken the truth, and they still didn't believe him. Did he have to exaggerate before they would believe him?

"Yes, yes, you're the best, Grand Uncle! You're much better than my dad! Oh? Look, Neji is coming up!"

After Karin casually brushed off Shanks, she suddenly noticed that it was Neji's turn to face another big guy from the Cloud Ninja. Just by comparing their physiques, it was like a father beating his son. The Cloud Ninja was dark and strong, while Neji was fair-skinned and looked refined. The contrast was just too great.

When Neji entered the arena, a cheer erupted from the crowd. Although they didn't recognize Neji, the name Hyuga still had an effect. The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist was renowned throughout the ninja world. It was a fist technique that could break through the Third Raikage's defenses, and many people had never seen it before. Here, they had the opportunity to witness it.

The giant Cloud Ninja opposite him had a cold, prematurely aged face; anyone who didn't know better would think he was overage. But just the way he walked indicated he was a master, especially his arms, which were several sizes thicker than Neji's waist—it gave the impression he could smash Neji with a single punch.

After entering the ring, the two didn't waste time with empty talk or verbal sparring. When Garp announced the start, they charged at each other simultaneously. Upon contact, the sounds of their muscles clashing filled the air. The Cloud Ninja's large frame clearly had the upper hand, each punch feeling like an earthquake. Neji, on the other hand, calmly adopted a defensive counter-attacking style, occasionally slapping the Cloud Ninja's small frame with a weak, almost limp slap. The Cloud Ninja, seeing his relentless attacks fail to land a single blow on the small, clean-cut man, who then slapped himself repeatedly, felt humiliated even with his thick skin, despite the weak slaps. Thus, his attacks became even more ferocious.

The people from Konoha were terrified, after all, this giant from the Cloud Ninja was much easier to fight than Neji, especially his arm, which was thicker than his waist. If they were hit by that arm, they would be severely injured even if they didn't die.

"What's wrong with Neji? Did he skip breakfast? He's so weak and useless when I hit him. He didn't even wash after being punched by that big guy."

Naruto was the most excited, gesturing wildly as if he were the one wrestling with the big guy on the field. It was incredibly exciting. Although it didn't seem as slick as the clashes between ninjutsu, the physical contact between the muscles was exhilarating. However, he was quite dissatisfied with Neji's weak fists. If it were him, he would have knocked the big guy down with just a few blows.

"...Naruto, shut up and watch the game."

Kakashi helplessly pressed Naruto's shoulders and firmly held him down on the stool. How could his teacher have such a son who didn't even know the characteristics of the Hyuga Gentle Fist from his own village? As a teacher, he felt ashamed.

......

"Dad, Neji doesn't look good. What should we do?"

Inside the private room, Karin noticed that Neji was constantly on the defensive, and his occasional attacks didn't seem to do much damage. She frowned and asked Nawaki, who was just standing by.

"Uh... this... this must be Neji's strategy. You see, that big guy keeps hitting like that, and his legs will give way soon. Neji is just waiting for him to give way before he delivers a blow... Ouch!"