"If you can't even beat me, don't even think about heading out to sea. Those pirates will tear you to pieces!"
"So, this is a test of our skills, huh?"
Hearing the young man's words, Kazama flashed a grin.
"Let me take you on!"
But before Kazama could make a move, Naruto, laughing heartily, charged toward the young man from behind.
"I'll treat this fight as the start of my training! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Seeing Naruto jump in, Kazama chuckled and stepped back.
If someone else was eager to take the lead, Kazama was happy to sit back and watch.
"Hoshiton: Kujaku Myōhō!"
What Kazama didn't expect, though, was that before Naruto could even get close, the young man's chakra morphed into a beastly form and sent Naruto sprawling to the ground.
Dozens of Naruto's shadow clones vanished in an instant.
"Hmph! With skills like that, you think you can go out to sea? Do yourself a favor and stay somewhere safe!"
With that, the young man turned to leave.
"Damn it! You jerk!"
Naruto, still on the ground, was fuming with defiance.
"Kazama, looks like you need to teach this guy a lesson!"
Though frustrated, Naruto knew he was outmatched, so he pinned his hopes on Kazama.
"Hey, hold up, I—"
"You want a piece of me too? Bring it!"
Before Kazama could finish, the young man came rushing at him with a fierce attack.
"Do you think these Konoha ninja can beat Natsuhiboshi?"
At that moment, the sailors gathered around, eager to watch the commotion.
"I doubt it. Natsuhiboshi's no pushover. That blond kid got flattened in seconds. This black-haired guy looks scrawny—probably no better."
"And those other two ninja? One's in a green spandex suit, and the other's wearing a helmet. They look like they're here for a comedy show. Konoha ninja are all hype, no substance!"
The crowd started mocking Kazama and his group.
"Hoshiton: Kujaku Myōhō!"
Right then, the young man called Natsuhiboshi unleashed the same technique that had floored Naruto.
"This so-called Hoshiton Kujaku Myōhō seems kinda like my Banjū Reika attack style. Wonder how strong it really is?"
Instead of dodging, Kazama stepped forward, letting the attack hit him head-on.
"He's done for! This black-haired kid's even worse than the blond!"
"Yeah, the blond at least tried to dodge. This guy didn't even move!"
Just when everyone thought Kazama was toast, they saw him standing there, completely unharmed.
The beastly forms created by the Kujaku Myōhō vanished without a trace.
"This kid blocked Natsuhiboshi's attack?"
"Blocked? Looks more like he absorbed it!"
"What?! Absorbed it? No way!"
The crowd was stunned, jaws dropping at Kazama's display.
Natsuhiboshi himself was wide-eyed with shock.
He'd seen it with his own eyes—every bit of his attack had been completely absorbed by Kazama.
If you'd told him this was possible before, he'd have laughed it off.
Ding! Successfully absorbed Hoshiton Kujaku Myōhō. Congratulations, host, for acquiring Hoshiton: Hoshizora Sei'en!
"Alright, my turn. Hoshiton: Hoshizora Sei'en!"
While Natsuhiboshi and the crowd were still reeling, Kazama's counterattack came like a bolt from the blue.