NRaO Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Nawaki couldn’t believe this was happening. He was supposed to be the next leader of the Senju clan, so why was he being beaten so badly here? 

From the moment we started fighting for the bell, I didn’t hold back. Nawaki was the brother of one of my future wives. I knew I needed to make sure he wouldn’t die. In order to do that, I needed to make sure he was ready for anything. So, I beat the absolute shit out of him up and down the clearing we were fighting in. Every blow hurt tremendously, but I pulled back enough to let him keep fighting.

The entire time we fought, I didn’t let him do anything. He would try to make a hand seal, and I’d punch his hands, breaking his concentration. If he attacked me, I’d dodge before retaliating. Without a doubt, I went hardest on him. Soon, he was beaten, battered, and bruised, but he kept going. The Senju spirit wouldn’t allow him to quit. No, as injured as he was, he needed to keep going. So it was all the more tragic for him when he heard the third bell.

He couldn’t believe it. Was this all a trick!? Did Orochimaru do this to make fun of him? No, the truth was soon to be revealed. Nawaki kept fighting, which caught me off-guard. He spoke with that smile on his face. “I didn’t hear no bell.” I laughed at him for being so brazen and not quitting even after the three bells were rung. 

I knocked him unconscious before dragging him back toward the clearing where we were all meant to meet. All five of us came together as my clones dispersed. Two looked far more downcast than the other three. A big shit-eating grin was plastered across Gin’s face, while the two girls looked down at the floor. Both knew they had been given their bells and didn’t really deserve to be there.

I slapped Nawaki awake and began to ask, “So, who rang the first bell then?” Ami raised her hand, and I asked, “How were you the first to ring the bell?” She looked confused by what I asked before speaking. “You tossed me the bell when I asked if I could buy it. I didn’t have anything to give you, so I tried to trick you into getting closer. After you made me frustrated, I told you the truth about how it wasn’t fair that an orphan like me had to compete with people from clans, and you just gave me the bell.”

All four looked at me in shock as she explained. “What!?” “No way!” “How’s that fair!” “Ugh.” All gave acceptable answers, including Nawaki’s “Ugh.” He was still waking up from being smacked unconscious, after all. I started channeling some healing magic into him as I asked the next question. “So, who was the second person to ring the bell then?”

Hiami, catching on and seeing where this was going, spoke up. “I fought you for as long as I could, but I haven’t eaten anything in two days. I didn’t have the energy to keep fighting, so you tossed me the bell.” All the rest looked at me confused now as Gin spoke up. “I don’t get it. Why did you just hand the bells over to them when I had to work for mine?”

I burst out laughing as I answered. “I gave you your bell when you started to cry for the third time. I gave you your bell because I felt bad for the crybaby of the group, obviously.” His face grew red as I mocked him again. I asked everyone now, “Does anyone know why I gave you the bells? Out of all my choices, why would I pick the three worst?” 

They all looked at each other, still not sure where I was going with my thought process. “It’s because you’re the most willing to give up. I’m going to be one hundred percent honest; this training is going to be brutal. It’s going to be so hard you’ll wish you were dead because I refuse to train failures. You were the motivation for your more driven squad members. Each one who quit gave them that drive to get the bell before the end time. Neither Nawaki nor Fugaku gave up before the end; they wouldn’t even think of quitting early. That’s what makes them different from you three who rung the bells.”

I finished healing Nawaki as I walked back. I asked again. “So what was the purpose of the bell test? The original is to work together even if not all of you can succeed. What does my bell test mean?” None of them answered so I continued. “It’s that I’m going to push you until you can’t go on anymore, then I’m going to push you further than that. I’m going to keep pushing you until you’re dead or successful. Except you wont die, I won't let you. We’ll talk about your hopes and dreams tomorrow. Until then, come at me all at once. Maybe if all five of you attack me, you might land a hit.”

I rush towards them and kick Nawaki’s freshly healed body back. He was the only actual threat. Picking Gin up, I put him between me and the shurikens flying in my direction. Blunt projectiles land in his back, so dull they don’t even pierce his skin. Still, it probably feels like they did, though. I toss him towards Fugaku who sidesteps and rushes me with his sword. Another wave of kunai and shurikens fly in my direction as I side-step and parry them.

I grabbed Nawaki who jumped at my back and began puppeting his body in front of me. Using his kunai to block the sword swings from Fugaku, I also parry and block the still-flying kunai from the two girls. Fugaku leaves his piles of shuriken and kunai for them to use after seeing Ami’s rusted scrap ones. I kick Nawaki into Fugaku, tangling them up as I rush towards the two girls. Both begin screaming, and Ami actually covers her eyes in fear. That’ll have to be beaten out of her. 

Hard punches are the rewards they’re met with for being in the backline. Fugaku and Nawaki untangled themselves, and Nawaki began throwing his remaining kunai while Fugaku tried another fireball jutsu. Easily dodging them, I kicked the almost recovered Gin as I ran at the two. Running in between them both, I began to block their strikes with one hand each, not focusing on either. Both overreached at the same time, and I capitalized on it by grabbing both and slamming them together. All of them were left moaning in pain as I pulled out a bottle of sake and took a swig.

I pick up all their injured bodies and take them to my house. Tossing them to my wives when I get back, I let them enjoy the rest of their last day in heaven. The training they’re going to be put through will be close to hell. I should let them say goodbye to their loved ones first… Nah, it wouldn’t be fair to the two orphans of the group if I did that.

I guess they’ll all just have to suffer hell together. I wonder if any of them will end up together? Eh, who cares. If it happens, it happens.