Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"No problem!"

Kisame patted his chest confidently.

After all, he was the one who made the unreasonable demand first. Now that it was his turn to be put on the spot, he had no right to complain.

"In that case, here you go. You'll be in charge of announcing the results."

Naruto, still feigning a wronged expression, handed over the paper with 'paper' written on it to Kisame.

Inside, however, he was practically laughing his head off.

There was no need for suspense, as he had already cheated with the Byakugan and seen Kisame's answer. Victory was guaranteed, and losing was simply not an option.

"Alright, then. I'll reveal the results."

Kisame's face brimmed with confidence. Now that he held the answer in his hands, Naruto had no room to play any tricks.

But the moment he opened the paper, Kisame's smug expression vanished… Because his rock lose to Naruto's paper.

"How is this possible? How could I lose in a game of pure luck?" Kisame muttered in disbelief. With only a one-in-three chance of losing, he never expected to be so unlucky.

"I won? Great, I won!"

Naruto's face transformed from fake disappointment to surprise, then into uncontainable excitement. He jumped for joy, as if his victory were a complete shock.

Watching this display, Itachi's expression turned slightly exasperated. He had witnessed Naruto's cheating from start to finish, and yet Naruto's acting was flawless.

"Cough!"

Itachi cleared his throat and said indifferently, "Kisame, the result is clear. Don't forget the promise you just made."

Coming back to his senses, Kisame grumbled, "Don't look down on me. A promise is a promise, I don't go back on my word."

From start to finish, Kisame hadn't noticed anything suspicious. To him, losing this time was simply his bad luck.

Turning to Naruto, he said irritably, "Go ahead and think about your request. In the meantime, I'll go make that umbrella."

After saying that, Kisame marched into the woods without looking back.

Moments later, when Kisame returned, both Naruto and Itachi were stunned by what they saw.

Naruto couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of you."

'I knew Kisame would craft an umbrella, but this… was this really an umbrella?'

In order to ensure all three of them could fit under it, Kisame didn't cut any corners. He had constructed a massive umbrella.

The so-called umbrella was over twice the size of a standard beach parasol. Though roughly built, the surface was coated with some kind of tree resin to make it waterproof. The canopy itself was made of massive wooden panels, while the handle and support pole were fashioned from Kisame's Samehada.

'This thing must weigh several hundred kilograms, or even tons… Only someone like Kisame, with muscles for brains, could come up with such a thing.'

"Alright, tell me your request."

Kisame urged, holding the enormous umbrella with ease as if it weighed nothing.

"My request is..."

Just as Naruto was about to speak his mind, he suddenly frowned.

He opened the system inventory and found that there was something wrong with the Poke Ball.

Since his and Lee's fight against Gaara, Squirtle had been staying inside the Poke Ball due to severe injuries and the changes brought on by evolving into Wartortle. Now, it seemed that Wartortle wanted to come out and explore the world.

"In that case, come out, Wartortle!"

Naruto took out the Poke Ball and released Wartortle.

Looking at the unfamiliar environment, Wartortle called out in confusion: "Wartortle, Wartortle?"

"This is outside the village." Naruto explained, "We won't be going back anytime soon, so stay by my side and train with me.

"Wartortle, Wartortle." Wartortle nodded its head innocently.

Naruto chuckled, reaching out to rub Wartortle's smooth head. To him, this growing Pokemon was already like a cherished son.

However, the warm scene was abruptly interrupted by Kisame's untimely remark, "Naruto, how about this: I'll let you make two requests, and in exchange, give me that turtle. It's so big… it would make an excellent soup."

"Wartortle! Wartortle!"

Although Wartortle couldn't speak, it clearly understood Kisame's words. The idea of being turned into soup enraged it.

Naruto wasn't pleased either. Kisame daring to lay a hand on his 'son' was nothing short of a challenge.

But before Naruto could act, Wartortle stepped forward, then said firmly, "Wartortle! Wartortle!"

"Hmm? That works too," Naruto nodded slightly.

Wartortle had just communicated that it had fully adapted to its new evolved form and was eager to test its strength. Being targeted as food was the perfect opportunity to prove itself.

"Wartortle, go ahead and show them what you're capable of. I've got your back!"

"Wartortle, Wartortle!"

With a determined cry, Wartortle suddenly charged forward. The stereotypical image of a slow-moving turtle was shattered by it, as it left afterimages as it dashed.

In the blink of an eye, Wartortle closed the distance to Kisame.

Stopping abruptly, it twisted slightly, using the momentum to whip its cloud-like tail straight at Kisame's shin.

Although Wartortle's tail looks fluffy, in fact, it was as sturdy as a steel rod. A strike like this could easily pulverize solid rock.

"Perfect execution!"

Naruto nodded in approval.

The fluidity of Wartortle's movement was remarkable. It wasn't using innate abilities but rather practical combat techniques honed under Rock Lee's tutelage.

What is Taijutsu?

To most, it's about pushing the body to its limits.

But Naruto, with his understanding of the Eight Gates, knew better. For him, Taijutsu was about maximizing the body's strengths with precision and efficiency. Wartortle had mastered this balance, and its potential in Taijutsu was boundless.

'Sure enough, my Wartortle was not an ordinary Pokemon. Training it into a Ninja Turtle was definitely the right choice.'

Bang!

Just as Naruto was lost in thought, the tail strike finally landed on Kisame's shin.

However, Kisame didn't just stand there and take it. The moment he noticed Wartortle's tail swing, he simultaneously kicked out at it.

Though his kick wasn't fully powered, Kisame figured it would be more than enough to send Wartortle tumbling.

However, he was wrong.

As his foot connected, Kisame felt as though he'd kicked a steel plate. If it weren't for his robust physique, that single strike might have left his shin shattered.

"Not bad. This turtle's got some bite to it." Kisame commented, licking his crimson lips.

Whoosh!

Wartortle wasn't one for idle banter. Taking advantage of Kisame's distraction, it bent its legs slightly before propelling itself upward. Its smooth, rounded head shot straight toward Kisame.

At nearly two meters tall, Kisame towered over Wartortle's one-meter stature.

But Wartortle showed no hesitation, ramming directly into Kisame's... crotch.