Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki

That brutal roundhouse from Master Chen had Kazuyama aching for quite a while.

He wasn't great at handling injuries to begin with—getting kicked by a Taijutsu master, and right on the wrist, was hellishly painful.

"Old geezer, that was overkill! Did you really have to go that hard?"

"Don't your creaky arms and legs hurt too?"

Kazuyama clutched his wrist, glaring resentfully at Chen.

But the only answer he got was a barrage of relentless strikes.

Chen and Sakumo launched into coordinated attacks—fists, kicks, short sword. The three were entangled in another fierce round.

There were no flashy moves, just sheer speed and precision.

Every punch and swing targeted Kazuyama's weak points without mercy.

The spectators below were stunned. They quickly noticed that both Chen and Sakumo were aiming low—literally.

Every strike was aimed at the lower half of Kazuyama's body.

They weren't just fighting dirty—they were going all in.

"Holy crap, Master Chen and the principal are being ruthless! If they slip up, Kazuyama-sensei's gonna get wrecked."

"Right? Who fights this dirty in a friendly match? No wonder Chen always looks like such a creep—it all adds up now."

Master Chen: ...Which little brat said that?

"Kazuyama-sensei, you got this!"

"Yeah! Don't lose!"

Suddenly, chants broke out among the students—every last one cheering for Kazuyama.

After all, Sakumo and Chen's fighting style was downright disgraceful.

"Hmph! You kids know nothing. On the battlefield, it doesn't matter if you slice or stomp—as long as you take down your enemy, it's fair game!"

"Winning and surviving are all that matter!"

Sakumo kept up his assault while barking toward the crowd.

His voice carried authority, and the students instantly went silent.

"No one on the battlefield cares about how you fight. But if you fail to use what you have to survive, that battlefield becomes your grave."

"Survival is the only truth!"

"Hatake Kenjutsu—Fifth Form: Chaos!"

Sakumo's body crackled with lightning, and White Fang became a glowing blade of pure white.

That sword had been at his side for countless battles.

Right now, it wasn't just a weapon—it was an extension of himself.

Man and sword, perfectly in sync.

Lightning surged wildly, and Sakumo turned into a living spear.

Kazuyama repaired his crystal armor with Crystal Release, then charged head-on toward the two veterans of Konoha.

Clang!

The clash between White Fang and the hardened crystal sent sparks flying through the air.

Chen's attacks, though less flashy, were just as deadly.

Each chakra-laced punch and kick slammed into Kazuyama's armor, cracking it bit by bit.

"That's enough!"

"How long are we going to keep this up?!"

Kazuyama was strong across the board, but against masters in their own fields, he couldn't keep up.

His Taijutsu didn't match Master Chen's, and his swordsmanship couldn't hold a candle to Sakumo Hatake's.

Left with no choice, he switched tactics to play at his own rhythm.

He scattered crystal kunai in every direction. Sakumo, quick as ever, swept through the air with his blade, shattering dozens of them in an instant.

Master Chen launched the Konoha Dragon God again, using the tornado to intercept the projectiles.

But Kazuyama had planned ahead. Some kunai skimmed along the ground, others shot upward toward the sky.

There were too many angles to cover—no matter how hard the two tried, several kunai still got through.

Seeing this, Sakumo's heart sank.

He knew exactly what this meant.

A moment later, Kazuyama flashed a wicked grin—and vanished.

With Flying Thunder God, he began zipping around the platform.

"Old Chen! Watch your back—he's going to ambush us!"

Sakumo drew White Fang close and began suppressing his chakra.

Master Chen also dropped into a defensive stance.

The momentum shifted—offense to defense.

Kazuyama chuckled, then activated his Crystal Release.

Dozens of crystal senbon flew from all directions.

"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"

"Hmph!"

One spun like a top, the other slashed cleanly through the barrage.

Years of combat had sharpened their instincts. Despite the sudden attack, they reacted smoothly, defending themselves with practiced precision.

Suddenly, a shadow darted at Sakumo from behind.

He spun and slashed in one swift motion.

"Nice try, kid! Not happening!"

"Oh yeah? Old geezer!"

But it was just a decoy—Kazuyama's body shattered into a cloud of crystal shards.

A wave of crystal powder surged forward, blinding Sakumo's vision.

"Perfect! A smokescreen!"

Sakumo didn't bother defending—lightning crackled around him as the crystal dust coated his body.

He calmly sheathed his blade.

"Draw!"

A split second later, he slashed upward with explosive speed.

The lightning-coated blade became a streak of white light, slicing through the crystal haze and cutting the sky open.

The force of the strike split the air itself.

"Crap!"

"Wait, how did I end up here?!"

"Huh?"

"!!!"

Just as the blade surged upward, a surprised voice echoed above Sakumo's head.

His eyes widened. It was too late to stop.

The slash arced straight toward Master Chen.

Startled, Chen raised his arms.

"Barehanded Blade Catch—100%!!"

"Stop!"

His muscles bulged, veins popping as chakra surged through both arms. He clapped his palms together and forcibly caught the incoming slash.

"Damn!"

Even so, pain shot through his arms and palms. The strike carried more than just a blade—it carried electrified chakra.

Sakumo winced. He hadn't meant to hit him, but clearly, Kazuyama had used Flying Thunder God to toss Chen right into his path.

That explained everything.

"Hehehe... now the stage is mine!"

While the two were occupied, Kazuyama had finished prepping the battlefield.

To stop them from interfering, he'd embedded many of his setups directly into the crystal platform.

Master Chen, still gasping from catching that last blow, caught a glimpse of Kazuyama's smug grin.

His heart sank. He knew full well this little punk hadn't gone all out yet. If he kept fighting, he'd just embarrass himself.

"I'm done. I give up. You win."

"These old bones can't handle it anymore."

"Principal, if you want to keep going, be my guest. I'm out!"