As Naruto's final words faded away, an uncountable number of incantations shimmered with a blinding light.
Suddenly, a square chakra barrier appeared, completely enclosing Naruto and the Sunakagure Shinobis within it.
---
Hokage's Office
"This chakra… what is this feeling...?"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, suddenly sensed an unusual chakra fluctuation.
Thinking back to what he had done three days prior, a startling thought arose in his mind.
From the drawer of his desk, Hiruzen retrieved a faintly purple crystal ball.
This crystal ball was linked to the barriers surrounding the Konoha, allowing him to observe every corner of the village. However, there were exceptions—places like the Root Base and certain residences of the higher-ups remained hidden.
Originally intended to patrol and monitor the village, the crystal ball had rarely been used for its intended purpose.
Hiruzen ran his hands over the ball, and the misty surface gradually revealed a clear image.
"This is... the commercial district!"
"Fools! This is utter chaos!"
Hiruzen's expression darkened, his tone sharp with displeasure.
Even during the Chūnin Exams, fighting in the commercial district was unacceptable. If a civilian were to get hurt, did they think the Third Hokage was merely a figurehead?
With a simple wave of his hand, several dark shadows darted from the corners of the Hokage's office.
These were the ANBU, elite shinobi responsible for the Hokage's protection.
"Go. Stop them before this gets out of hand."
"Yes."
As soon as the words fell, the shadows vanished into thin air.
Hiruzen gave a small nod of approval before turning his gaze back to the crystal ball.
---
Within the Flying Thunder God Barrier
"Chidori."
As the barrier rose, Naruto's figure vanished. Sunagakure's Shinobi, Masan, whose nerves were taut, finally exhaled a breath of relief.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto reappeared behind Masan, his right hand glowing intensely with lightning chakra, already at his back.
"Body Flicker Technique? No… this is different."
Masha considered himself capable of detecting a Body Flicker Technique, but this time he hadn't sensed a thing—let alone reacted in time.
Though astonished by Naruto's sudden and elusive speed, Masan did not panic. A shinobi who had risen to the ranks of elite jōnin in one of the Five Great Nations wasn't one to crumble under pressure.
With a sharp gleam in his eyes, Masan released a burst of chakra.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
A violent gust erupted from Masan's body, momentarily disrupting Naruto's movements.
However, the Chidori still struck Masan's waist without fail. Naruto's indifferent gaze lingered as he swung his right hand sharply.
Masan's body split in two at the waist. But within moments, the severed form exploded into a puff of smoke, leaving behind only a wooden log.
"Substitution Technique."
Looking at the wooden log on the ground, Naruto muttered, "Not bad for an elite jōnin."
Just then, a familiar sound echoed in Naruto's mind.
[Ding! A beginner task has been issued...]
[Task: Defeat the Sunagakure Shinobi team...]
[Reward: Summoning Beast Lottery.]
As Naruto pondered what is the best way to deal with the elite jōnin with the unpleasant face, the system's machine-like voice rang in his head.
His gaze shifted to the three figures behind Masha.
"Lightning Release: Chakra Mode."
A cloak of lightning armor enveloped Naruto, and he disappeared once again.
"This technique... isn't that from Kumogakure...?"
Before Masan could finish his thought, a gust of wind surged, and Naruto appeared directly before him. Masha's pupils narrowed slightly.
Too fast! There wasn't even time to perform another Substitution Technique. His only option was to take the hit head-on.
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop"
An overwhelming force surged from Naruto's strike.
Masan crossed his arms to block, his teeth gritting tightly, so hard that his gums began to bleed.
The impact was akin to an out-of-control car crashing with a deafening roar, sending Masan hurtling into a nearby clothing store.
The shopkeeper, who had been lounging in a rattan chair half-asleep, was startled awake and quickly hid under the counter, trembling.
"Masan-sensei!"
Pakuro cried out in alarm. How could an elite jōnin be sent flying like this?
"Don't worry. You'll be joining that ugly sh*t soon enough."
Naruto's cold voice sounded as if whispered directly into Pakuro's ear. She froze momentarily before instinctively raising her arm to block.
"Boom!"
Another loud crash rang out as Pakuro was sent flying by a kick from Naruto.
Everything happened in an instant. Naruto's speed was so overwhelming that the two people behind Pakuro hadn't even reacted.
Seeing Masha struck down, Sasori quickly retrieved a red scroll from his belongings.
Before he could unfurl it, a flash of blue light streaked past his eyes. The next moment, he lost consciousness.
Saro collapsed onto the ground, his face pale and spirit drained. They had come to gather intelligence, yet their entire team was now defeated.
[Ding...]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the task: Defeat the Sunagakure Shinobi team.]
[Reward unlocked: Summoning Beast Lottery.]
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