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"This is insane!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he quickly leaped backward. With the Nine-Tails' chakra coursing through him, his physical abilities had been enhanced far beyond normal limits.
His speed was nearly on par with the Body Flicker Technique, in less than two seconds, he had already put ten meters between himself and the attackers.
Uzuki Yugao wasn't as fortunate. She managed to retreat to a tree branch, only to be ambushed from behind by two Root operatives.
Yet her swordsmanship was sharp, allowing her to hold her own against both assailants at once.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground where Naruto and Yugao had stood moments earlier erupted in a violent explosion of ninjutsu. The sheer force of the blasts would undoubtedly alert the academy instructors leading the training exercise.
Seeing Naruto attempting to escape, more Root ninjas broke away from the skirmish and pursued him. Naruto continued retreating while weaving hand signs.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains-Release!"
Five shimmering golden chains, infused with sealing power, materialized in mid-air. With a flick of his wrist, Naruto sent them lashing toward the Root operatives.
Clang! Clang!
The Root ninjas drew their swords, deflecting the chains with sharp metallic clashes. But with so many enemies pressing forward, Naruto found himself slightly overwhelmed.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked a kunai from his waist and slashed at the nearest attacker. The Nine-Tails' chakra cloak amplified his speed and strength to terrifying levels.
Yet the Root ninja seemed either supremely confident or utterly unaware of the danger—he swung his blade straight at Naruto.
KSHHINK!
A spark flew as kunai met ninja sword, then with a resounding crack, the sword shattered.
Logically, a Root operative's weapon should have been far sturdier than a standard kunai. But upon closer inspection, Naruto's blade was sheathed in a dense layer of Nine-Tails chakra. Without hesitation, he drove the kunai into the Root ninja's chest.
This was where Naruto's system-granted combat experience truly shone.
His eyes locked onto the remaining pursuers as he crouched beside the wounded Root operative. With a swift motion, he rifled through the man's storage pouch—then immediately backflipped away.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion engulfed the area as the detonating tags Naruto had just triggered erupted in a fiery inferno.
Detonating tags had often been dismissed as ineffective in the grand scheme of things, but that was only because the enemies in the stories were Kage-level monsters, or even godlike beings.
Against ordinary shinobi, they were devastating.
The three Root operatives at the blast's epicenter had no time to react. Their bodies were flung backward, flesh seared and limbs mangled.
Without immediate medical attention, they'd bleed out within minutes.
Naruto didn't waste the opportunity. He snatched a fallen ninja sword from one of the half-dead enemies and turned to face the remaining six.
With the Adamantine Sealing Chains still occupying some of the attackers, only half a dozen Root operatives remained in pursuit. Naruto charged forward, blade gleaming.
The six Root ninjas fanned out, surrounding him.
"You're outnumbered,"Â one of them growled.
Naruto smirked. "Try me."
The clash was brutal but in the midst of the skirmish, one Root ninja lunged, his sword slicing straight toward Naruto's forehead.
Yet the blade passed through harmlessly, the image of Naruto distorting like mist.
"A clone?!"Â the man gasped.
A second later, a scream echoed from behind.
Naruto had used the Clone Technique to misdirect his pursuers, his real body had circled back and cut down the Root operatives still entangled with the chains.
Meanwhile, Uzuki Yugao had finally overpowered her two opponents but not without cost. Blood streamed from a deep gash on her arm as she staggered toward Naruto.
"Give it up,"Â she panted, addressing the remaining Root operatives.Â
"Naruto isn't the weakling you assumed. The Nine-Tails is aiding him, and his combat instincts are beyond anything you've faced. If the Hokage arrives and captures any of you alive, your leader's schemes will be exposed. Do you really want that?"
Her words struck a nerve. The Root operatives hesitated.
This mission had already failed. Naruto's strength, the Nine-Tails' influence, and his unnaturally refined battle sense had turned the tables completely.
Even if they killed Yugao or subdued Naruto now, the sealing squad was already wiped out.
After a tense silence, the Root ninjas exchanged glances—then vanished into the trees.
The entire battle had lasted less than two minutes.
Once the enemies were gone, Yugao's knees buckled. She collapsed, clutching her wounded arm with a pained grimace.
Naruto's eyes widened in alarm. "Shit—what do I do?!"
Despite his newfound strength, his arsenal didn't include medical expertise.
Gritting her teeth, Yugao forced herself up and limped toward the nearby river, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Naruto followed, hastily cutting away her torn sleeve with a kunai.
The wound beneath was deep, blood staining her pale skin crimson.
"There's… medical powder and bandages… in my pouch," she managed.
Naruto quickly retrieved the supplies, watching as Yugao rinsed the injury with river water.
"This one?"Â He held up a small vial.
She nodded weakly.
Naruto uncorked it, sprinkling the powder over the wound. Yugao hissed but stayed still as he wrapped the bandages tightly around her arm.
"You're… surprisingly calm under pressure," she murmured, studying his focused expression.
'Just like his son would be.'
Naruto didn't fight like a rookie. His instincts were razor-sharp, more akin to an elite Anbu captain than a trainee.
'Had Minato's spirit been secretly guiding him all along?'
Once Yugao's condition stabilized, Naruto helped her up. "Let's get back to camp. And… thanks. For having my back."
Even if he could've handled it alone, her assistance had made a difference.
Yugao chuckled weakly. "Such a polite little fox."
Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she reached up with her good hand and pinched Naruto's cheek.
Naruto blinked, caught off guard by the sudden gesture.
The two made their way back to the campsite, where they found Haruno Sakura trembling inside a tent, paralyzed with fear from the distant explosions.
....