Chapter 146: The Bet—Uchiha Akira vs. Uzumaki Naruto

"The Kurama Mode? What's that?" Hearing Akira mention it, Naruto's previously smug expression froze, staring at him in confusion.

"So, you haven't activated Kurama Mode? Then what do you mean by saying you can use the Nine-Tails' chakra?" Akira didn't answer directly, instead responding with another question.

"I mean I can borrow the Nine-Tails' chakra now! Even when I grow four tails, I can still maintain control of myself!" Naruto explained.

"Oh, so when you said you could use the Nine-Tails' chakra, that's what you meant," Akira nodded, understanding.

For some reason, Naruto had felt pretty proud about being able to harness the Nine-Tails' chakra, but seeing Akira's reaction made him feel like his achievement wasn't all that impressive.

"Akira, what is this Kurama Mode you mentioned?" After a brief pause, Naruto couldn't help but ask.

"Well, that depends on when you and the Nine-Tails become completely in sync," Akira responded with a slight smile.

Seeing Akira's expression, Naruto suddenly felt like his earlier boast had been a bit ridiculous. It seemed Akira knew more about the Nine-Tails than he did!

But then again, it made sense. Akira had shown an understanding of the Nine-Tails way back when he first entered Naruto's mindscape.

As for this Kurama Mode, Naruto mentally noted to ask the Nine-Tails about it the next time he got a chance.

Naruto now felt like he had been bragging to someone who was miles ahead of him, much like a Saiyan from Dragon Ball boasting about their power level, only to be asked if they'd achieved Super Saiyan status—and not even knowing what that was.

In other words, his attempt to show off had only highlighted his ignorance.

"Hey, Akira, did you spend these seven years training hard and getting even stronger?" Naruto asked, his curiosity overcoming any embarrassment he might have felt.

"Me? No, I guess you could say I spent the last seven years asleep, really. I didn't train at all," Akira replied, shaking his head.

And that was the truth. For him, it really did feel like he'd just gone to sleep and woken up seven years later.

"Seriously? Haha, in that case, I think I might actually stand a chance in a sparring match with you now!" Naruto's face lit up with a wide grin upon hearing that Akira hadn't trained.

"A sparring match? Sure, let's see how much you've improved," Akira chuckled, nodding in agreement.

Naruto could now unleash four tails' worth of the Nine-Tails' chakra. In the original series, Naruto at that level could even hold his own against Orochimaru. That meant he was definitely at Kage-level strength.

This would be a good opportunity to test Naruto's progress, and it would also give Akira a chance to gauge his own strength since achieving Sage Mode and his dragon transformation.

Naruto was certainly qualified to be his sparring partner now.

"Great! Let's get to it!" Naruto's excitement was palpable as Akira agreed to the sparring match.

"You're way too excited. Anyone who saw you right now might think you've already won," Akira teased, seeing Naruto's overjoyed expression.

"Winning doesn't matter. The important thing is that you're willing to spar with me—that means you acknowledge my strength, right?" Naruto responded cheerfully.

Naruto's mindset was admirable. Winning was great, but it wasn't the be-all and end-all. What mattered to him was that Akira was willing to recognize his progress by agreeing to fight. That alone was a huge step up from seven years ago when he couldn't even get Akira to notice him.

Akira smiled at Naruto's attitude, genuinely appreciating it.

With their match confirmed, the two left the house and headed to one of the training grounds in the Uchiha compound.

Naturally, Akira's grandfather, Keiko, and Orochimaru followed to watch the fight, curious to see how much Akira's strength had changed over the past seven years.

Word quickly spread, and soon enough, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Might Guy also made their way to the Uchiha compound, eager to catch up with Akira after hearing he had returned to the village.

Upon learning about the upcoming sparring match between Akira and Naruto, they all headed straight for the training ground to witness it firsthand.

Over the last seven years, Naruto's reputation had grown considerably, not just in Konoha but across the entire shinobi world. His status as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki was well known.

"So, who do you think will win this match between these two?" Jiraiya asked Orochimaru quietly as they stood on the sidelines.

"Akira," Orochimaru answered without hesitation.

"What about you?" Jiraiya turned to Kakashi for his opinion.

"I think Akira's chances of winning are higher, but…" Kakashi began, pausing before continuing, "But Naruto is the most unpredictable ninja I know. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of him winning either."

Well, that was about as noncommittal as it gets, Jiraiya thought to himself.

Next, Jiraiya turned to Might Guy to get his take.

"Sure, Naruto's strong, but we don't know how much Akira has progressed in these seven years. If he opens the Eight Gates, Naruto probably doesn't stand a chance," Might Guy replied, considering the various possibilities.

"As long as everyone has their opinions, why not place a little bet?" At that moment, Tsunade's voice rang out. She had just arrived on the scene as well.

Tsunade had initially returned to the village to catch up with Jiraiya and Orochimaru, but upon hearing that they were both at the Uchiha compound—and that Akira had returned—she had hurried over as well.

Overhearing the discussion about who might win, Tsunade couldn't resist the opportunity to place a wager.

"Alright, everyone, place your bets! If you're betting on Akira, place your money on the left. If you're betting on Naruto, place it on the right!" Tsunade declared, not even waiting for anyone to agree before she started taking bets.

"I'll bet on Akira—200,000 ryō!" Orochimaru was the first to speak up, firmly placing his bet on Akira.

"I'll bet on Akira too!"

"Same here!"

One after another, Might Guy and Akira's grandfather each took out a substantial amount of money and placed their bets on Akira as well.

"I'm betting on myself—one million ryō!" Although Akira had just returned and didn't have much money on hand, he figured there was no way he could lose to Naruto.

With the odds stacked in his favor, not betting on himself would be foolish.

"You're all betting on him? Fine, I'm betting on myself—two million ryō!" Naruto, now a rich young man, refused to be outdone. Seeing everyone betting on Akira only made him more determined.

"I'll bet on Naruto too," Jiraiya said, confident in Naruto's abilities.

"With these kinds of odds, a bet on Naruto could pay off big if he wins," Kakashi reasoned, deciding to place his money on Naruto as well. Although he thought Akira was likely to win, the potential payout from a Naruto victory was too tempting to ignore.

And so, the bets were placed.

On one side were Akira, Orochimaru, Akira's grandfather, Might Guy, and Keiko, all betting on Akira to win.

On the other side were Jiraiya, Naruto, and Kakashi, betting on Naruto to emerge victorious.

"Haha, alright! I also think Akira is more likely to win, so I'm putting 200,000 ryō on him too!" As the instigator of the bet, Tsunade couldn't resist joining in, finally placing her own bet on Akira.

"Great, just what I needed…" Akira inwardly groaned the moment Tsunade placed her bet. After all, Tsunade had a notorious reputation in the gambling world as the "Legendary Loser."

She was known for never winning a bet, no matter how sure the odds were. If there was one person whose bad luck could turn the tide, it was Tsunade.

Even though Akira felt confident that he wouldn't lose to Naruto, Tsunade's involvement left him feeling just a bit uncertain.

"Alright, Akira, let's do this!" With all the bets placed, Naruto clapped his hands together, signaling the start of the match.

With that, he formed the seals for his signature move, and in a puff of smoke, dozens of shadow clones appeared, all charging straight toward Akira.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Seeing Naruto initiate the fight, Akira's demeanor shifted to a more serious one. He quickly formed the necessary hand seals.

Dozens of fireballs erupted from Akira, hurtling towards Naruto's clones.

Initially, Akira had intended to treat this as a casual spar, just a friendly match. But once Tsunade placed her bet, he knew he had to take this seriously.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The fireballs hit their targets, and Naruto's clones vanished in bursts of smoke. However, using the cover of the smoke, the real Naruto closed in on Akira, a large Rasengan forming in his hand.

This was clearly the Giant Rasengan.

Moving at incredible speed, Naruto reached Akira in an instant, the massive Rasengan aimed directly at Akira.

Akira's eyes narrowed, and his Sharingan immediately activated, its three tomoe swirling into place.

He was getting serious.

Seeing Akira bring out his Sharingan, everyone watching perked up, knowing that he was no longer holding back. This was the moment to see just how powerful Akira had become in these seven years.

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<Next 2500 goal is power stones>

Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 195 at patreon.com/Emik01.

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