Chapter 356: Round One

Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Round One

My shadow clones started to bring out the appetizers and simpler dishes that required little preparation, giving Genta, Naruto, and me a chance to finally catch up on the time I had missed.

As the clones passed by, they "accidentally" bumped their knees into my legs with entirely unnecessary force. I shot them the most intimidating, death-promising glare I could possibly muster.

However, the effect was completely ruined when Genta leaned in, genuine worry clear in his voice. "Are you constipated? Maybe you shouldn’t eat solid food right now."

I coughed into my fist, desperately trying to salvage my dignity. "I am completely fine. I assure you, my lightning-enhanced body can handle solid food with absolutely no issues."

Despite my confident words, my hands subtly formed a seal beneath the table. I quietly created one more shadow clone and sent it slipping away to check on the toiletry supplies and make sure the bathroom was fully stocked... just in case. This, of course, earned me a venomous look of pure resentment from the newly spawned clone.

Naruto noticed the steady flow of plates, his blue eyes brightening with realization. "Are you going to invite Boss Snowball?"

I laughed. "I was planning to wait until everything was ready, but you look eager. Do you want me to bring him in now?"

Naruto sprang to his feet, bouncing with pure excitement. "Yes, yes!"

My heart warmed at his cheerful disposition. I quickly bit my thumb, smeared the blood, and slammed my palm against the floorboards. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A thick explosion of smoke instantly swallowed the room, billowing outward until it almost filled the entire house. As the cloud parted, a powerful beast stepped into view. He was a colossal polar bear with piercing crimson eyes and an overwhelmingly heavy presence. Numerous scars, both fresh and old, marked his broad frame, matting patches of his snow-white fur with an ominous, bloody red.

He surveyed the room, his deep voice rumbling dangerously. "I was just about to eat something I killed. This better be worth it, summoner, or I will cut your nails... with my teeth."

I gulped audibly as he locked onto me with pure murderous intent. However, his crimson eyes immediately darted downward, catching sight of the lavish spread laid out across the floor. He blinked, the bloodlust vanishing in an instant, and nodded sagely. "On second thought, all is forgiven."

Naruto couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He lunged forward and threw a flurry of harmless kicks and punches at the bear’s sturdy leg, laughing the entire time. "Boss Snowball! I haven’t seen you in forever! Look how powerful I’ve become!"

Snowball looked down at Naruto and nodded solemnly. "I see. You got stronger, that is true. Such devastating attacks... oh no, I am falling."

With a dramatic groan, the giant, bloodied bear collapsed in mock defeat, shaking the house. Naruto immediately scrambled onto his soft belly, bouncing up and down with joyous laughter. Snowball played along flawlessly, letting his tongue loll out as if dead, only to casually flick it out and snatch a piece of pickled fish off a nearby platter the moment Naruto turned his head to brag to us about how powerful he was for defeating such a mighty foe.

While Naruto remained preoccupied with Boss Snowball, his laughter filling the room, Genta studied me with lingering concern. "Are you really okay?"

I nodded, grateful for his worry. "I am. It was reckless and dangerous, and Ayaka most likely saved my life back there. Though I think I still would have pulled through." I delivered the last part with cautious bravado, knowing full well that the agonizing duration of the procedure pointed to a critical miscalculation on my part.

"I can feel it, you know. You’ve grown absurdly strong, haven’t you?"

I bared my teeth in a sharp grin, letting my satisfaction show at the sheer output I had achieved with the seal formation augmentation.

Genta caught the expression and groaned, clutching his forehead. "Every single time I think I’m catching up, you pull off some insane stunt like this and leap miles ahead. Do you want me to drop dead from overtraining?"

I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. "When were you ever close to me?"

Genta’s jaw dropped in sheer disbelief. "Not only have you caused me immense suffering through the hellish routine my father forced on me and that poor kid," he pointed a finger at Naruto. "Right, Naruto?"

However, Naruto didn’t answer, as he was thoroughly enjoying his bear cushion. Genta ignored him completely, forging on. "Now you go and slander me by claiming I was never even in the race!"

Faint sparks of lightning danced across my knuckles as I smirked. "Want to test that theory in a second round?"

Genta shot back a competitive grin. "Just give me a little time to prepare, and I will show you the true might of a Senju."

I rolled my eyes as the remaining dishes finally crowded every inch of available space. "Alright, let’s eat."

Snowball delicately pinched the back of Naruto’s collar between two massive claws. He hoisted the boy into the air while Naruto flailed, yelling, "Put me down, you brute!" before depositing him safely onto a cushion. Without missing a beat, the bear descended upon the meal, devouring half the banquet in a matter of seconds.

Genta, Naruto, and I traded one look and realized that if we wasted another breath, there would be nothing left to salvage. We dove in instantly.

Dishes vanished the exact second they left the cooking surface. My shadow clones worked at a frantic, desperate tempo, flickering back and forth across the kitchen just to keep the dishes coming. The scene looked less like a cozy home dinner and more like the backline of a packed shinobi tavern during a festival rush.

What followed was not a meal. It was an all-out clash.

Claws collided with chopsticks. Empty ceramic plates zipped through the air like shuriken. Naruto unleashed a precise, chakra-infused strike just to claim a plate of sweets, a display of raw focus so impressive that it earned a brief nod of respect from Snowball, which bought Naruto just enough time to drag the dessert to safety.

Genta moved with astonishing speed, his arms blurring so rapidly that he practically channeled the Hyuga clan’s Gentle Fist. He fired off flurry strikes to swat away stray utensils and secure the final serving of dumplings. Not about to be outmatched, I channeled thin arcs of electricity along my fingertips, zapping away any greedy hands reaching toward my grilled skewers.

By the time the storm finally settled, the room resembled a freshly contested battlefield.

The three of us lay sprawled flat on the battered floorboards, utterly immobilized and fighting for every breath. Our stomachs were pushed past their absolute limits, leaving us completely defeated by our own gluttony.

Above us, a heavy shadow fell across the floor.

Boss Snowball stood tall, looking down at our groaning figures. Darkness cloaked the upper half of his face, leaving only his crimson eyes gleaming with cold, unfiltered disgust. He cast a slow glance over our slumped, defeated bodies.

He exhaled slowly, letting a single word drop from his maw with enough ice to freeze the room solid.

"Pathetic."

Before anyone could recover their pride, the front door swung inward with a slow, agonizing creak. My eyes widened in mounting dread as a tall, imposing figure stepped into the hall. I swallowed hard as the brief flicker of relief across Takemura’s face twisted instantly into volcanic fury.

Visible chakra surged over his clenched knuckles. Naruto and Genta instantly went pale, scrambling backward to hide behind Boss Snowball.

Takemura flickered across the space in a heartbeat. Before I could utter a single word of defense, I was beaten black and blue, with Snowball looking on in pure amusement at my misery while Genta and Naruto quivered behind his towering frame.

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A/N: This is a one-time reminder of the new posting schedule, which is 5 Chapters a week (Friday to Tuesday), so I will see you all on Friday. Until then, know that I will miss you too <3