Naruto's Favorite Pupil

Wanting to participate in the upcoming war, Konohamaru and his friends train before interviewing other ninja to see how best to prepare. After they are berated by Sakura for taking war lightly, she drafts them into stocking medical supplies. Konohamaru's venting over being looked down upon as a genin attracts the attention of Shikamaru who asks him the identity of the "King" he is to protect. When Konohamaru is unable to answer, Shikamaru gives him advice to think it over along with a shogi piece-shaped rock that he wrote the "King" kanji on. After being thrown out by Tsunade, Konohamaru decides to prove his worth by challenging Temari shortly after her delivery of a scroll to Tsunade. Initially outmatched, he goes all out and readies a Rasengan after hearing Temari not only mock Naruto but insulting him too. Luckily, Shikamaru learned of the match from Udon and Moegi and stopped it before anyone got killed. Moegi slaps some sense into him while recounting her experience during Pain's attack and Konohamaru realizes that the "King" he wants to protect are the villagers who are unable to defend themselves. Temari compliments Konohamaru's mastery of such a high-level jutsu and leaves to tell her village that the Hidden Leaf have promising young shinobi. Shikamaru reports to Tsunade about Konohamaru's words of protecting the village and of one day becoming Hokage. It brings a smile to Tsunade as she remembers her younger brother Nawaki made a similar speech when she gave him their grandfather's necklace.