Haruto Saito could see the warrior's identity information.
Name: Kuromaru
Identity: Rogue Samurai of the Land of Iron, Wandering Warrior, Fugitive
Reputation: 1285
Relationship: Hostile
"Spirit, does the reputation calculation for samurai work the same as for ninja?" Haruto quickly asked in his mind.
"Yes!" The system spirit promptly replied.
Haruto felt reassured. This warrior named Kuromaru only had a reputation of just over a thousand, meaning his strength was equivalent to that of a typical Taijutsu-focused Chunin. However, since samurai primarily relied on swords, their offensive capabilities were stronger, though their defense was relatively weaker.
This was the first time Haruto had encountered a truly hostile samurai.
He knew that there were extremely powerful samurai in this world, most of them residing in the Land of Iron. For instance, in the original story, the Land of Iron's general, Mifune, was capable of clashing with the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander. That meant he had Kage-level strength. Such samurai could also wield chakra, making them not so different from ninja who specialized in swordsmanship.
Haruto processed his thoughts quickly as Kuromaru charged toward him.
A warrior of this level wasn't much of a concern for him.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled three kunai!
The kunai flew in a triangular formation toward Kuromaru. At such close range, dodging them outright was difficult. However, Kuromaru's blade flickered as he slashed mid-air, deflecting all three kunai. Seizing the opportunity, Haruto leaped back while forming hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Stop!!!" The approaching Konoha Police Force ninja shouted, but it was already too late.
Haruto exhaled a powerful gust of wind, sending a ferocious torrent toward Kuromaru and rippling out across the street.
Kuromaru bent low, reducing his body's exposure to the wind's force. He avoided taking direct damage but was still forced backward.
The stone pavement of the street cracked and lifted, merchant stalls were blown away, wooden shop doors and windows shattered, and dust filled the air…
Amidst the collapse of buildings, panicked screams erupted.
The rapidly advancing Konoha Police Force ninja were also caught in the wind's radius, forcing them to retreat.
"This brat is actually a Chunin?" Kuromaru was surprised. A ninja who could swiftly complete hand seals and effectively utilize a C-rank jutsu was at least Chunin-level.
Haruto looked no older than eleven or twelve. A Chunin at this age was a rare sight, and almost every one of them could be considered a prodigy. Generally, children his age hadn't even graduated from the academy.
A glint of excitement flashed in Kuromaru's eyes.
"If I take him hostage, could I…?"
Holding an average Chunin hostage wouldn't mean much—Konoha wouldn't negotiate for them. But if the hostage was a genius, things could be different.
As the wind subsided slightly, Kuromaru suddenly leaped over ten meters into the air, landing on the third-floor exterior wall of a shop. He ran horizontally across the wall before springing off with even greater speed, launching himself toward Haruto.
His attack was fast and came from an exceptionally tricky angle.
Haruto narrowed his eyes and quickly formed another seal.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
Thick mist engulfed the area just as Kuromaru closed within five meters. Haruto controlled the jutsu to release less chakra, weakening the mist's density. Even so, in a single breath, the mist covered nearly half the street.
Kuromaru knew something was wrong but didn't retreat. He hunched low, nearly gliding along the ground, speeding toward Haruto.
Though he couldn't see Haruto, he could sense his presence.
In truth, this wasn't a bad tactic. Samurai specialized in close-quarters combat, excelling in reaction speed and precision in melee range. Against ninja of equivalent strength, a samurai had a nine-out-of-ten chance of winning in close combat. Conversely, if the ninja could keep their distance, their jutsu would overwhelm the samurai.
Thus, Kuromaru's gamble to close in was a reasonable move.
But he wasn't facing an ordinary Chunin—he was facing Haruto Saito!
A sharp whistling sound rang out as kunai streaked through the air.
Kuromaru, still low to the ground, sensed the kunai approaching. He twisted his body mid-air, narrowly dodging the projectiles. Now, only one meter away from Haruto, he swung his sword!
At that exact moment, Haruto raised his right hand, a glowing sphere of blue chakra rapidly expanding in his palm!
"Rasengan!"
Boom!—
Kuromaru's blade shattered upon impact. The spiraling chakra sphere exploded, unleashing a devastating force that sent Kuromaru flying.
His body shot through the air like a cannonball, smashing through the fifth-floor wall of a nearby inn. Another loud crash followed.
The fight was over.
Even in his final moments, Kuromaru couldn't comprehend how this Chunin had managed to unleash a jutsu so quickly in a completely obscured field of vision.
Everything seemed complicated in hindsight, but in reality, it had all happened in mere seconds.
Under Haruto's control, the mist quickly dissipated, restoring clarity to the street.
The scene was a mess.
This was the busiest district in Konoha, with tightly packed buildings on both sides of the road. Haruto's Wind Release: Great Breakthrough had been enhanced by two jutsu cards, doubling its normal power.
Three traditional buildings had collapsed, while others, though still standing, had their doors and windows utterly destroyed.
The street was filled with injured people—perhaps thirty or forty. Some had been hit by flying debris, others had fallen and injured themselves, but none were critically harmed. The worst injuries seemed to be broken bones.
"Damn, I screwed up." Haruto finally understood why the Konoha Police Force ninja had shouted at him to stop. They weren't talking to Kuromaru—they were talking to him!
Clearly, the police had foreseen the consequences of using jutsu in a crowded area.
It also explained why they had let Kuromaru run so far before acting—they hadn't wanted to cause a disaster in the heart of the village.
"Help the wounded!"
"There are people trapped under the rubble!"
"Start digging them out!"
The street fell into chaos. People rushed toward the collapsed buildings, cries of pain and panic filling the air. It was unclear if there had been any fatalities.
Haruto was about to step forward to help when suddenly, three whirlwinds spun around him.
Three Konoha Police Force ninja materialized, blocking his path. The one standing directly in front of him was an Elite Chunin named Uchiha Toshi.
"Damn it! I told you to stop!"
"Don't move!"
"You're under arrest!"
"You two, keep him here. I'm going to help the injured!" Uchiha Toshi barked orders before rushing toward the wreckage.
Haruto didn't even get a chance to speak.
He had no intention of arguing. The damage was done—no point in making excuses. The two Uchiha guards flanked him, ensuring he didn't try to run. He simply stood there and observed the ongoing rescue efforts.
More and more people arrived to help, including several Konoha ninja who had heard the commotion.
The number of injured continued to rise.
Then, from the ruins, a voice shouted in desperation—
"He's alive! Quickly, be careful!"
A critically injured civilian was pulled from the debris, covered in blood, his abdomen pierced by a wooden beam. He was still breathing, but barely.
"We need a Medical Jounin!" someone shouted.
Haruto took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"I can save him."
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