"Hm? Venusaur's already reached Jōnin-level strength? Seems Naruto's training didn't hold back his Pokémon's progress either."
Tsunade observed from a distance, nodding in satisfaction as she watched Venusaur emerge onto the field.
"Of course!" Jiraiya puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm the Toad Sage of Konoha, remember? Training with me, how could Venusaur not improve?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. Where does this guy get his confidence from? She shook her head and chose not to dignify Jiraiya's boasting with a response.
"You don't believe me?" Jiraiya asked, slightly deflated by her silence.
Still, Tsunade didn't respond. When it came to Jiraiya's antics, sometimes silence was the best answer.
Shizune, however, voiced a more serious concern. "Lady Tsunade, are you sure this is okay? Letting the Pokémon join in the battle… changes the scale of everything."
She was well aware of the Pokémon each of them had caught—after all, they were obtained during the same period as Sakura's. By now, most of them had reached at least level 60, which put them on par with a Jōnin's strength.
Tsunade understood Shizune's worry. She shook her head. "It's fine. They know their limits—and we're here watching. Nothing dangerous will happen."
Shizune had feared things might spiral out of control with three high-level Pokémon joining the mix. But with herself, Jiraiya, and Kakashi present, that outcome was highly unlikely.
Besides, Kakashi wasn't just any Elite Jōnin.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the ones Shizune had been worried about—Naruto, Sakura, Venusaur, and Fukutan—stood side by side, facing Kakashi with determination in their eyes.
Kakashi gave a dry chuckle, rubbing his temple. "You guys sure about this? I was testing your strength, not your Pokémon's."
"Huh? Really?" Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Didn't realize…"
"You idiot," Sakura sighed, shooting him a glare. Then she turned to Kakashi. "Sensei, our Pokémon are part of our strength too."
"Yeah! Exactly!" Naruto nodded quickly. "They're part of our power!"
Kakashi relented with a small nod. "Alright then. Raichu, you're up."
With that, he tossed his Poké Ball. A flash of light burst forth, and just as Naruto had expected, Raichu materialized at Kakashi's side.
"Rai~chuu!"
Raichu gave a cheerful wave toward Naruto and Venusaur.
Naruto beamed. "Raichu! Long time no see. You look strong!"
"Venaaaar," Venusaur echoed, nodding in agreement.
"Rairaichuu…" Raichu rubbed the back of his head shyly, flattered by their praise.
"Alright, save the reunion for later," Kakashi cut in. "Raichu, it's time to battle."
At his words, Raichu's playful smile vanished. He nodded, his eyes sharpening with focus.
Kakashi was pleased. "Let's get this round started. Raichu, approach Fukutan."
"Raichuuuu!" Raichu let out a cry and launched forward like a streak of yellow lightning, targeting Fukutan with precision.
"Fukutan, use Minimize! Stay alert and keep dodging!" Sakura called out, concern lacing her voice.
Though Fukutan was close to Raichu in level, there were still differences. First, Fukutan hadn't evolved yet, limiting its physical strength. Second, Sakura's training emphasized healing more than offense, unlike Naruto or Kakashi's approach.
So while Fukutan could fight, it was far from a power-based battler like Venusaur or Raichu.
"Venusaur, use Vine Whip to block Raichu!" Naruto commanded quickly.
"Venaaaar!"
Venusaur responded immediately, sending two thick vines whipping toward Raichu to intercept.
Whoosh!
But just as the vines flew through the air, a sharp gleam flashed—and they were severed mid-air, collapsing onto the ground in limp coils.
"Your opponent is me, Naruto."
Naruto narrowed his eyes as Kakashi stepped into view. "Sensei… You're letting Raichu go after Sakura and Fukutan alone?"
Kakashi raised his hand in apology. "Can't be helped. But don't worry, I'll step in if needed."
Naruto gritted his teeth. "Venusaur, use Growth—get ready for a full-force attack!"
As he spoke, Naruto formed a hand seal—Shadow Clone Jutsu! Multiple clones exploded into being, and they all surged toward Kakashi in unison.
"That won't work on me anymore, Naruto."
Kakashi's tone was calm as his short blade swung expertly, slicing through the clones one after another.
But just then—whoosh! Naruto reappeared behind him, his hand glowing with a Rasengan as he aimed for the surprise strike.
Sensing the attack, Kakashi crouched and leapt high, evading the technique just in time.
"You really aren't Genin anymore," he said as he landed. "Looks like I'll need to take this more seriously."
With that, he pulled down his forehead protector—revealing his Sharingan.
The tension rose instantly.
Naruto inhaled sharply, realizing the level of seriousness Kakashi had stepped into. Without missing a beat, he gave new orders to his clones and pressed the attack.
But Kakashi wasn't interested in direct clashes anymore. His hands moved quickly—Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! A wave of flames surged forward, engulfing the clones and dispersing them in bursts of smoke.
"Yaaah!"
From within the blaze, Naruto's shout rang out. He emerged, Rasengan still in hand, racing straight at Kakashi.
Kakashi's expression shifted. His palm surged with chakra as he formed his own Rasengan to meet Naruto's.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked in disbelief. "Sensei… You know Rasengan too?"
Kakashi twitched slightly, resisting the urge to sigh. Is now really the time for that kind of question?
Taking advantage of Naruto's brief distraction, Kakashi twisted his body and landed a clean kick to Naruto's side, sending him flying across the field.
Eliza, watching from a distance beside Tsunade, winced. "Oof… He really needs to stop talking mid-fight."
"Tell me about it," Ryo muttered, arms crossed. "That's classic Naruto."
Akio cracked a small smile. "At least he's improving. And the kid never gives up—that's his real strength."
Tsunade stood quietly beside them, arms folded, eyes narrowed in thought.
They're all growing stronger. Faster than expected.
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