Chapter 23: Do Ninjas Really Still Need Kunai and Explosive Tags to Fight?
Bang—
The Nine-Tails shrank down to the size of a mini plush toy doll.
Its appearance was adorably chibi.
Now manifested in the real world,
no one could possibly imagine this was once the invincible, world-shaking Nine-Tails—
the strongest tailed beast that made countless ninjas tremble in fear!
Its aura was only detectable by Naruto.
Everything else was perfectly concealed!
"Not bad—you look pretty good like this."
Naruto rubbed his chin,
giving an approving evaluation.
Too bad this trash fox couldn't turn into a fox-girl form.
Just think of the gorgeous nine-tailed fox lady from LoL.
Then look at the Nine-Tails in the ninja world!
What the hell?!
One's a seductive monster girl,
the other's a literal beast.
Completely incomparable!
Being stared at by Naruto,
the Nine-Tails felt goosebumps all over its fur. Tears welled up as it cried:
"M-Master… I really can't change any further."
"I get it. From now on, whenever I call you out, appear like this—got it?"
Naruto spread his hands, showing understanding.
That disappointed look in his eyes
gave the nearly broken Nine-Tails a sliver of hope for survival.
Boss, whatever you say is law.
But turning into a human form—let's just forget that.
Way too insulting to us tailed beasts!
"Yes, Master!"
"Eh… two hostile auras are rapidly closing in on us!"
"Master, what should we do now?"
The Nine-Tails asked politely.
These two auras were extremely well-hidden.
Among ordinary ninjas,
they'd be considered top-tier elites!
But…
to the Nine-Tails, these were just a bunch of weak chickens!
Like mosquitoes or flies—could be swatted dead with a casual slap.
It was sure Naruto had sensed them too.
To prove it still had some use,
the Nine-Tails decided to perform well.
"Oh? Looks like some of cheap old man's old enemies. Perfect—let's use them as practice dummies."
Naruto cracked his neck,
doing some light warm-up stretches.
As the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze,
had killed countless elite ninjas from other villages during the Third Great Ninja War.
His battle record was legendary.
Otherwise he wouldn't have become Hokage.
Anyone who reached that position
had rivers of blood on their hands.
The families of those dead elite ninjas couldn't touch Minato himself.
But could they at least kill his weak little brat of a son who just became a genin?
Killing Naruto
would also let them steal the Nine-Tails sealed inside him.
Two birds with one stone.
So quite a few talented ninjas had volunteered to form a small assassination squad
to take out Naruto.
"Eh… interesting. They got stopped by the ANBU."
Though he couldn't see them,
Naruto could sense the two hostile auras charging toward him
suddenly halt outside.
They couldn't advance even half a step closer!
"How boring… these weaklings are too trash. Can't even get past the ANBU, and they dare come assassinate me?"
Naruto pouted in dissatisfaction.
He thought he'd have some fun tonight,
really enjoy himself.
Who knew these clowns would die before even reaching the battlefield.
Holy crap!
These days if you don't have real strength, don't come out and embarrass yourself.
The Nine-Tails barely held back its urge to roast him.
My Master…
Konoha's ANBU aren't eating rice for nothing.
Intercepting some small fry is child's play for them.
The Nine-Tails thought so.
But it got face-slapped soon enough.
One extremely well-hidden aura slipped past the ANBU blockade.
It was now speeding straight toward them.
"Hm… at least there's one decent piece among the trash—not complete garbage."
Naruto grinned.
The Nine-Tails' mouth twitched violently.
A surge of rage rose in its chest.
Not directed at Naruto—
but at that sneaky bastard aura.
Almost made me lose face as a fox!
You filthy scum!
I'll kill you!
"I'll go greet our guest. I don't want to dirty up my new place."
Bang—
A puppet shadow clone appeared in front of him.
Naruto closed his eyes and focused.
His consciousness instantly linked to the clone.
Right now he could personally control up to ten such puppet clones at once.
"Personally" meaning direct control!
Closing his eyes helped him focus better on real-time operation,
instead of just issuing a single command or intent
and letting the clones act freely afterward.
That was the fundamental difference.
The Nine-Tails was confused.
"Master… you're not going out yourself?"
Weren't you just cracking your knuckles,
itching to stretch your muscles?
Now you're sending a clone?
The puppet shadow clone Naruto rolled its eyes.
It looked at the Nine-Tails like it was looking at an idiot.
"Can't you have a little ambition?"
"Do I really need my main body to deal with a weak chicken?"
The movements and expression were identical to the original!
What shocked the Nine-Tails even more
was the chakra signature on the clone—
exactly the same as Naruto's main body.
No way…
This kid is a freak, right?
The Nine-Tails had seen it before on Uchiha Madara.
Even with vast, near-limitless chakra,
it still couldn't match the main body's total amount.
Otherwise during battles, he wouldn't have needed so many people to die for him.
Everyone using shadow clones,
sending them to fight while the real body lounged at home resting—
use your butt to think: that's impossible.
Speaking of Madara—
he had that kind of ability,
and the Nine-Tails wasn't surprised.
But you, Naruto—so young and already mastering a ninjutsu it had never heard of or seen?
That's just too broken, right?
He pushed open the door.
"Ah… Master, wait for me."
The Nine-Tails glanced between the main body and the clone,
finally deciding to follow Naruto's clone outside.
If the boss is leaving,
how could the employee dare stay behind alone?
"Haa… just like the intel said—this is the place."
A thin man with an extremely concealed aura
wiped the sweat from his forehead.
His teammates were providing a diversion,
drawing the Konoha ANBU's attention.
He had slipped through to assassinate the currently powerless Naruto.
Can't beat the big tiger?
Fine—can't I at least kill the tiger cub?
"Uzumaki Naruto, right? Tonight I'll send you on your way nicely. Go reunite with your parents—consider it a good deed for the village and the country."
"You should be grateful. I'm freeing you from the village's hatred and pain."
The man had bad intel.
He still thought Naruto was the hated, despised rat everyone wanted dead.
"Got some guts—I like guys like you. No self-awareness, no idea how trash you are, yet full of blind confidence."
The door opened.
Naruto stepped out just in time to hear the man muttering to himself.
He raised an international friendly gesture toward him.
The man froze in utter confusion.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
The assassination target isn't hiding—he's boldly walking out of his room
and throwing some unknown hand sign at me.
Happiness came too suddenly, like a tornado.
Can't escape love, can't run away, I can't…
"Hmph, brat—if you're coming out to die, don't blame me for being impolite."
The man reached into his ninja pouch.
One hand held a kunai, the other an explosive tag.
"Hahahaha… Kurama, where did they dig up this clown? Do ninjas really still need kunai and explosive tags to fight these days?"
Naruto laughed so hard he doubled over.
The Nine-Tails had to admit—
Naruto had a point.
It had experienced it firsthand.
Back when it fought those ninjas,
they loved throwing kunai at it.
The damage was pitiful—not even enough to scratch an itch.
Which normal ninja actually uses kunai in a real fight?!
Do you?
I sure don't.
The Nine-Tails chimed in:
"No idea where this country bumpkin came from—never seen the big world, only knows these two toys."
The man froze.
Did he see wrong?
A doll just spoke?!
Not only spoke—but called him a country bumpkin?!
Aren't kunai and explosive tags basic ninja tools?!
Not using them—how dare you call yourself a ninja?
This was blatant humiliation!
The man flew into a humiliated rage.
"Damn it! You damn brat and your stinky-mouthed fox doll—I'm gonna kill you both!"
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