Chapter 28: ch 28 : what is combat experience ?
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"So reckless?" Naruto exclaimed, retreating quickly.
With the Nine Tails Chakra enhancing his body, Naruto had undergone multiple systematic improvements. His speed was now nearly on par with the Body Flicker Technique. In less than two seconds, he retreated about ten meters.
Unfortunately, Uzuki Yugao was not as fortunate. She leaped up onto a tree branch but was immediately attacked from behind by two Root ninjas. Despite the ambush, her impressive sword skills allowed her to handle both attackers simultaneously.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Below the tree where Naruto and Uzuki Yugao had been standing moments ago, an explosion of ninjutsu shook the area. The resulting noise was so loud that it would surely alert the teachers from the ninja academy leading their team.
Naruto, seeing no escape, quickly prepared for combat. More Root ninjas disengaged from their positions and charged at him.
As Naruto retreated, he rapidly formed hand seals.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains - Transformation!"
Five golden chains, imbued with sealing power, materialized in the air. Naruto directed these chains to attack the advancing Root ninjas.
Clang! Clang!
The Root operatives unsheathed their swords, clashing against the chains, their weapons ringing like steel meeting steel. Though Naruto had managed to stall some of the attackers, the overwhelming number of opponents still forced him to act quickly.
He grabbed a kunai from his waist and engaged the nearest enemy. The Nine Tails Chakra cloak not only boosted Naruto's speed but also greatly enhanced his strength. However, the Root ninjas remained confident in their skills—or perhaps they were simply unaware of the danger they faced.
A Root ninja charged at Naruto, brandishing his sword. Their weapons collided with a loud clang, sparks flying. Surprisingly, the ninja's sword shattered upon impact with Naruto's kunai. Typically, Root-issued ninja swords were far superior in quality to a standard kunai, but Naruto's weapon had been heavily reinforced by the Nine Tails Chakra.
With the sword broken, Naruto swiftly stabbed the kunai into the chest of the Root ninja. At that moment, Naruto's combat experience, acquired through the system, truly came into play. He locked his gaze onto the remaining Root ninjas, bent down, and reached into the defeated ninja's pouch.
Naruto then quickly withdrew, and as the pursuing Root ninjas reached his position, they were suddenly engulfed by a fiery explosion. It turned out that Naruto had activated all the detonating tags stored inside the dead Root ninja's bag.
While detonating tags in the original story often seemed ineffective against powerful enemies, that was because those opponents were usually at the Kage level or higher. Against standard ninja, detonating tags still packed a considerable punch.
Three or four Root ninjas caught in the blast couldn't react in time. They were sent flying, their skin scorched and damaged beyond repair. Without immediate medical attention, they would likely perish soon.
Naruto wasted no time during the chaos. He grabbed a ninja sword from one of the fallen enemies, who was barely clinging to life. While his Adamantine Sealing Chains continued to buy him time, only six of the remaining Root ninjas were still able to pursue him.
Sword in hand, Naruto charged toward the remaining enemies. The Root ninjas, trained to be relentless, surrounded him without hesitation, and close combat ensued.
But just as one of the ninjas slashed at Naruto with his sword, something unexpected happened. The sword passed through Naruto's body without resistance, as if it had struck air.
"Is this a Clone Technique?!" the ninja gasped in shock.
In the distance, a scream rang out. Naruto had used the Clone Technique to distract the six Root ninjas, while his real body had slipped away to eliminate more of the enemies entangled with his Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Meanwhile, Uzuki Yugao managed to defeat her two attackers, but she was not in good shape. Blood was dripping from a deep wound in her arm. Despite her injury, she rejoined Naruto and, seeing the six remaining Root ninjas, warned them:
"Give up. Uzumaki Naruto is far stronger than you think, and the Nine Tails is aiding him. Once the Hokage arrives, your identities will be exposed if you're captured alive. You don't want your boss caught doing something shady, do you?"
Her words struck a nerve. The Root ninjas exchanged hesitant glances. They hadn't expected Naruto to be this powerful—not only physically but with the backing of the Nine Tails as well. More impressively, he displayed an astonishing level of combat experience.
These Root ninjas were no strangers to danger. Under Danzo's orders, they were accustomed to assassination missions and daily battles. Yet here they were, completely outmaneuvered by Naruto, a mere teenager.
Even if they managed to kill Yugao or capture Naruto, many of their comrades had already fallen. The mission had failed.
Realizing this, the Root ninjas turned and fled the scene. The battle had lasted less than two minutes.
Once the Root operatives retreated, Yugao sheathed her sword and collapsed to the ground, clutching her wounded arm. Her face was pale with pain.
Naruto, glancing at her injury, panicked. "What do I do now?"
Although Naruto was incredibly strong, with physical enhancements, advanced ninjutsu, Senju bloodline abilities, and solid taijutsu skills, he had no knowledge of first aid.
Yugao, struggling to stay conscious, stood up and staggered toward the nearby river, leaving a trail of blood behind. Naruto followed her closely. He took out a kunai and carefully cut away the fabric of her sleeve, revealing a deep, gory wound.
Blood streamed down her arm, staining her pale skin crimson. "I have some healing powder and bandages in my ninja bag," Yugao whispered.
Naruto quickly removed her ninja bag and rummaged through it. He found the powder and bandages while Yugao rinsed her wound in the river.
"Is this it?" Naruto asked, holding up a small bottle.
Yugao nodded weakly. Naruto opened the bottle, poured the powder into his hand, and applied it to her wound. Yugao winced and let out a soft sound of pain.
Naruto then wrapped the wound with bandages as carefully as he could.
"You're so calm," Yugao said with a faint smile. "Just like his son."
Naruto didn't act like a typical ninja trainee at all. In fact, the only other person who displayed such composure in battle was the captain of the Anbu squad—or rather, the Anbu leader himself. It was unsettling. Could it be that Minato had somehow returned to teach Naruto in secret?
As Naruto finished bandaging her arm, Yugao's condition improved slightly. He sighed with relief. "Let's head back to the camp. You need to rest. And thank you—really."
Though Naruto could have handled the situation alone, he appreciated Yugao's help regardless.
Yugao chuckled softly. "The little guy knows his manners."
Amused by the serious look on Naruto's face, she reached out with her uninjured hand and playfully pinched his cheek. Naruto felt a strange sensation wash over him but said nothing.
When they returned to camp, they found Haruno Sakura cowering inside her tent, visibly shaken. She had clearly heard the sounds of the battle and was terrified.
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