The Strongest Ally!?

Reaching their next stop, Mirai's party finds that a huge boulder now sits where a hot spring should be. A local explains that a landslide the previous month dislodged it and has kept the spring sealed off ever since. Appeals to the Land of Hot Water produced only a pair of Yugakure ninja, since the settlement is too small and remote to warrant more. Those Yu-nin gripe that the task is hopeless given the boulder's size, muttering that Konoha would be far better suited yet would never dispatch anyone for such lowly work. Bound by her cover story, Mirai cannot argue the point.

Their defeatism reminds Mirai of trying to coach Shikadai, who never took her lessons seriously and only ever applied himself when his father Shikamaru was nearby to spur him on. While she and Kakashi study the rock and Guy drinks himself merry with the Yu-nin, Kakashi observes that smashing the obstacle outright would probably harm the village. He has already reached out to someone perfectly capable who happens to be close by, and expects them the next day.

Mirai briefly lets herself imagine the incoming help might be Sasuke Uchiha, so she deflates when the arrival turns out to be Choji Akimichi. The Yu-nin greet him warmly, but Mirai stays skeptical, never having thought of Choji as particularly formidable. He shrugs off her hints about the difficulty and keeps munching the potato chips he brought along. His confidence collapses only when the last bag runs out and he worries he will fall just short of the calories he needs. Grasping that Choji fuels his jutsu with those calories, Mirai commits to cooking up a fresh batch of chips for him.

The chapter is part of the Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls manga and was gathered into volume 2. It was released digitally through Shonen Jump+ on February 18, 2023.