Land of Fire, Southern Border, in a dense forest twenty kilometers from the southern base.
Several figures flashed like lightning between trees that towered into the clouds.
Aside from ninja, the most striking feature of the Naruto world was its almost perfect vegetation coverage.
Trees dozens of meters tall were everywhere. A person standing atop one looked little different from a bird.
Precisely because of this, this planet had developed chakra, the embodiment of life force, to a degree that astonished even the Ōtsutsuki.
"Lord Kyosuke!"
"I know."
He quietly made a few hand signals. The group appeared perfectly normal, but they had already prepared themselves in secret.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A swarm of shuriken came flying at them without warning. This was already the seventh attack since their departure.
As a member of the Uchiha Three Prodigies, Kyosuke had a sizable bounty on his head, naturally attracting the interest of many hunters.
However, they had severely underestimated the boy's strength, as well as that of the guards beside him.
Before their departure, Madara had quietly given him a gift.
After learning that Kyosuke had been appointed a Unit Commander, the Dance King worried that he would be unable to win his subordinates' respect, so he simply selected two of his finest guards and gave them to him.
One was named Uchiha Izumi, and her strength had reached the peak of the Elite Chunin level.
She specialized in Fire Release Ninjutsu and was no slouch in close combat.
The other woman was named Uchiha Maya, and she had only just advanced to the Elite Chunin level.
She specialized in genjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu, and she was also fairly good at looking after others.
It was fair to say that Madara had given him a tremendous gift.
With their assistance, Kyosuke would be able to retain his position as Unit Commander even if no one else was willing to join him.
In the forest, three pairs of Sharingan activated simultaneously, allowing them to easily evade the dense barrage of shuriken.
Bringing her hands together, Uchiha Izumi opened her mouth and spewed scorching flames.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
The powerful Fire Release Ninjutsu immediately forced the hidden enemies out into the open.
Seizing the opening, Kyosuke decisively drew his short sword, then flung several shuriken with his other hand, forcing his enemy onto the defensive.
By the time his opponent reacted, the deadly blade was already upon him.
Blood sprayed as Kyosuke killed one man in an instant.
"Trash like this thinks it can take my life?" Looking at the paltry points he had earned, the boy couldn't help shaking his head with a sigh.
Compared with Jonin, these self-taught Genin really were worth next to nothing.
Still, however small the amount, points were points. If he could earn them, he couldn't let them go to waste.
Sticking to the principle of frugal living, Kyosuke turned and charged toward the second enemy.
His blade rose and fell, easily netting him 40 points.
His swordsmanship was solid, and his two-tomoe Sharingan allowed him to read a Genin's movements perfectly.
These days, Kyosuke's battles either ended with him killing his enemy in an instant or left him struggling desperately.
These few useless bounty hunters weren't enough to force him into a difficult fight.
Soon, the sudden skirmish ended. Kyosuke had personally slain three men, earning over 120 points.
"The attacks are getting more frequent," Maya remarked.
"Maybe they're afraid we'll get away," Uchiha Izumi said coldly. "A bunch of idiots. Lord Kyosuke killed a Jonin of the Nara Clan. How could they possibly hunt him down?"
"People will die for money." Kyosuke shook his head and resumed the journey toward the Southern Army.
Everyone outside was discussing his magnificent feat of cutting down two Jonin.
In truth, only Kyosuke himself knew how misleading that accomplishment was.
The death of the Yamanaka Clan's Jonin had been an accident caused entirely by a secret technique.
As for the Nara Clan's Jonin, his dying resistance had nearly taken both Kyosuke and Madara down with him.
At present, with his two-tomoe Sharingan and Body Flicker Technique, Kyosuke had a chance of killing an opponent at the Elite Chunin level, provided he was willing to pay any price.
Against a Jonin, even escaping would be wishful thinking.
Outsiders could be ignorant of the truth, but he had to know his own damn limits.
Fortunately, Kyosuke had never been the blindly arrogant type.
He had already decided that once his team reached the Southern Army, he would immediately start taking on missions like mad.
He would accumulate merits and harvest points, then find a way to recruit subordinates once he was strong enough.
Tajima Uchiha had played a dirty trick on him. Kyosuke would show him what it meant to try stealing a chicken only to lose the rice used as bait.
The following afternoon, after traveling at full speed, the team finally reached the base.
Once their identities were checked, the three entered the military camp without incident.
"Go get some rest first." As a Unit Commander, Kyosuke had the right to establish his own section of the camp.
Other ninja had to share a tent, but they could arrange their sleeping quarters however they pleased.
After his subordinates left, Kyosuke straightened his clothes and headed alone toward the Southern Army's Commander-in-Chief's Tent.
But halfway there, several clansmen suddenly blocked his path.
"The Army Commander is in a meeting." The man's voice wasn't loud, but it drew quite a few people's attention.
Seeing this, Kyosuke frowned slightly, but patiently took out the document proving his status.
As a Unit Commander, he had the right to meet Rei Uchiha at any time.
Since he had only returned to camp today, it was understandable that someone might not recognize him.
"Hmm?" The man frowned and examined it carefully. Just when Kyosuke thought the matter would end there, the man flung the Appointment Letter back at him.
"I told you, Lord Rei is in a meeting. I don't care who you are."
His attitude was truly arrogant. Kyosuke might have been young, but his position as Unit Commander was an undeniable fact.
Such behavior already constituted the offense of insulting a superior officer.
There's no way the army hasn't received word of my appointment.
Rei Uchiha is a crafty old fox. He wouldn't fail to see Tajima's malicious intentions.
In other words, this man is deliberately targeting me.
He's one of Tajima Uchiha's men!
Once he understood this, Kyosuke's gaze instead grew steadily calmer.
Under the sympathetic and mocking gazes around him, he raised his hands and began forming seals at an unhurried pace.
"What is he doing?"
"No way. Is he going to attack someone inside the camp?!"
"Does he have a death wish?!"
"What should we do? Should we stop him?"
"Are you an idiot? Can't you see what's going on?"
His actions threw everyone around him into an uproar.
The most shocked of all was the man standing before Kyosuke.
He was indeed one of Tajima Uchiha's men, but his actions today had been entirely his own idea.
The Clan Leader wanted to curb Kyosuke's growth. As his subordinate, he naturally had to find a way to achieve that goal.
In the man's view, humiliating Kyosuke in public would not only undermine his confidence, but also send his authority plummeting.
It would kill two birds with one stone.
But he had never imagined that an eight-year-old brat would actually attack him in front of everyone.
"Insulting a superior is punishable by death!"
In the Naruto world, the hierarchy between superiors and subordinates was clearly defined.
Especially during the Warring States Period, if someone insulted a superior, that superior could kill them on the spot without issue.
In fact, that was exactly what Kyosuke was doing.
As he completed the final seals, the Shisui-style Body Flicker Technique activated instantly.
A streak of light flashed past. In an instant, Kyosuke appeared behind the man.
"You..." Clutching his neck as blood gushed out, the man slowly collapsed to the ground, his face filled with regret.
Silence fell over everyone!
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