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

"You're serious about this?"

"You're the one who said you'd quit gambling, not me…"

"Bastard! You did this on purpose!"

Tsunade was practically foaming with rage. Who was she, after all? The Gambling Queen! She'd been betting since she was a kid—telling her to quit gambling was like asking her to give up her life!

Kazuyama watched Tsunade, on the verge of snapping, and couldn't help but grin.

Wow. A random comment had actually driven Tsunade into a frenzy—plus he got a sweet reward out of it. Talk about a win-win.

Those explosive tags were just forced on him by that damn system anyway. He didn't care for them, didn't even like using them. Might as well hand them out.

Tsunade clenched her fists, restraining the urge to punch him.

"Fine, Kazuyama, I'm not forgetting this!"

Kazuyama shrugged, completely unfazed. "You said it. What now? Planning to take it back?"

Tsunade's face turned visibly red—she was on the edge.

Unbelievable! Infuriating! That bastard was clearly doing this to get back at her!

"Hmph! I said it, so I'll do it! Once this war is over—fine! I'll quit gambling!"

"Just wait!"

Kazuyama almost burst out laughing. If he didn't know Tsunade so well, he might've believed her.

But come on—this was Tsunade. Alcohol and gambling were two things she'd never give up. She was just mouthing off.

Soon enough, the explosive tags were fully distributed, and the battle was about to start.

"Tsk tsk. I'm really looking forward to seeing you quit gambling, Lady Tsunade."

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang!

As the Iwa forces closed in, Kazuyama slammed his hand to the ground and summoned his beasts.

A burst of white smoke erupted.

Kinrin rose and lifted Kazuyama into the air, where he stood cross-armed on Kinrin's head, striking a pose that looked remarkably like Orochimaru.

Around Kinrin, five massive anacondas slithered out.

Their appearance instantly boosted Konoha's morale.

"Hmph, you little punk—you really are just like your sensei."

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Iwagakure's vanguard surged forward like a flood.

"Fire Release—now!"

"Don't let them get close!"

At Tsunade's command, the Uchiha Clan's Great Fireball and Phoenix Sage Fire, combined with the Sarutobi Clan's Great Flame, blasted across the battlefield.

But the Poison Bees didn't even flinch—they flew straight through the flames.

"Damn it, are these things suicidal!?"

"Keep going! Don't stop the Fire Release!"

"The rest of you, use explosive tags for aerial support!"

Seeing the flames weren't stopping them, Tsunade immediately gave new orders.

In a flash, countless kunai flew skyward, each one trailing lit explosive tags.

Boom!

A chain of explosions rocked the sky.

Yet still, the poisonous bees kept swarming like a tidal wave.

Meanwhile, Iwagakure's main force began its charge.

"Combined Ninjutsu!"

"Launch it!"

Jōnin Shibito Azuma, one of Iwa's commanders, shouted the order.

"Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique!"

It was a basic Earth-style move every Iwa shinobi knew—spitting out tiny stones that grew mid-air into solid cannonballs.

Used by a single person, the technique wasn't much. But unleashed by a thousand shinobi at once?

The results were overwhelming.

In an instant, countless stone projectiles rained down on Konoha like a violent hailstorm.

"You think a pile of pebbles is gonna shake us?"

"Kazuyama! Give them something to remember!"

Tsunade's scoffing voice rang out. She didn't move herself, though—she tossed the job to Kazuyama instead.

Standing atop Kinrin's head, Kazuyama was speechless.

Yeah, this was definitely payback. That woman was way too petty.

The sky had already become a battlefield.

Above, the Poison Bees clashed with the Kikaichū and waves of Fire Release.

Below, though the infantry hadn't clashed yet, Iwagakure's first major assault had fully arrived.

"Tch, yeah yeah, I got it."

"Come on, Earth Release? Let's see who's afraid of who!"

The range and power of a jutsu came down to chakra and mastery.

And when it came to defensive ninjutsu, Kazuyama was as skilled as they came.

He rapidly formed hand seals and shouted, "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A thick, towering wall of earth rose up from the ground. The massive stone bullets launched by Iwagakure's shinobi slammed into it, sending dirt and dust flying everywhere.

But the barrage didn't stop—more stone projectiles were already incoming.

"Hmph, did you really think that would stop us?" Seeing the resistance, the Iwa shinobi poured in more chakra, and their attacks gained speed and force.

Sweat beaded on Kazuyama's forehead. He gritted his teeth and pushed more chakra into the wall to reinforce it.

Then Kinrin moved.

The golden serpent shot forward like a gleaming blade toward the enemy lines.

The five other giant snakes followed closely behind.

Seeing the giant summons charge, the Iwa shinobi panicked—no one underestimated beasts of that scale on the battlefield.

"Don't lose your heads!"

"Kitsuchi! Taiseki!"

Two figures leapt from the ranks—Kitsuchi, son of Tsuchikage Ōnoki, and the Jōnin Taiseki.

"Earth Release: Golem Technique!"

Two massive stone giants erupted from the ground, charging straight at Kinrin.

"Just two walking rocks? You think that's enough to stop me?"

Kinrin let out a cold laugh. Its massive body radiated raw power.

But Kitsuchi and Taiseki didn't stop there. With a wave of their arms, more Iwa shinobi joined them.

Each placed a palm to the earth and shouted in unison:

"Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!"

The moment the jutsu activated, the ground ahead split open and collapsed.

Cracks spidered out in deep channels, tearing toward Kinrin.

But Kinrin wasn't fazed in the slightest. It slithered forward through the trenches, sending soil and rocks flying as it advanced.

"Earth Release: Rock Collapse!"

At Kitsuchi's command, the surrounding hills began to rumble. Huge boulders broke loose, tumbling down toward Kinrin and the giant snakes behind it.

Kinrin twisted its body, deflecting some of the rocks with its armored scales—but a few landed solid hits, slowing its charge.

Its eyes gleamed with even more fury as it tried to surge forward, only to be blocked again.

The other snakes were also pinned down by the successive waves of attacks.

Still, all this disruption worked in Konoha's favor—because the crumbling terrain had forced Iwa to slow their advance. With the ground in ruins, they had no choice but to detour, and that took time.

"They're just a few snakes! Don't let them hold us back!"

"Surprise Attack Unit—move in from underground!"

Acting fast, Shibito Azuma came up with a new plan. As expected from one of Iwa's sharpest commanders.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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