Yuhara's kick had been incredibly powerful. Even if it hadn't directly broken the enemy's neck, it would at least have severely dislocated his cervical vertebrae.
On top of that, the man's head had slammed directly into the rocks. No matter how much health he had, he would still be completely defenseless for at least ten seconds.
A ninja who had spent years on the battlefield would never pass up such an opportunity. So although Xinliang was wondering what was going on with Yuhara and why he had suddenly burst with such combat power, those thoughts did not delay his movements.
He picked up the short blade the enemy had dropped on the ground, then lunged forward and hacked at the Cloud Hidden Ninja's neck without a word... The squad's mission was suddenly completed just like that.
Although no ninja would lie about matters related to a mission, Xinliang still brought something resembling a watermelon with him after finishing the beheading, both to make their account more convincing and because the other party's head might contain information.
After finishing these dirty tasks, Jian Dong and Tigo, who had doubled back, also arrived beside them.
"This is..."
Jian Dong saw how drastically the battle had changed, then involuntarily turned her gaze toward Yuhara.
Yuhara looked completely different from before. Even without witnessing the battle just now, Jian Dong knew that what had happened was most likely Yuhara's doing.
"Can you explain what happened?" she asked.
"Actually, I don't know either... Before joining this squad, I was always Lord Orochimaru's Test Subject. I don't know what kind of modifications were performed on me, but I can be certain that I was modified." Yuhara had neither the need nor the means to explain in greater detail. The name Orochimaru alone was convincing enough.
Based on Yuhara's own speculation, his current condition should have been an additional phenomenon caused by a massive amount of Nature Energy acting directly on his body. Although his physical abilities had been greatly enhanced, it was clearly an abnormal state...
This was certainly not Senjutsu. Senjutsu was the sort that made one grow more energetic the longer one fought, with the user's strength even continuing to rise throughout the battle. Yuhara's current state was more like having taken a stimulant.
But there was one crucial question. After a massive amount of Chakra entered Yuhara's body, he had not turned to stone. Based on this phenomenon, he immediately came up with two possibilities: First, although Senjutsu was generally consistent, its specific forms varied, and Mount Myōboku was merely one example. Second, this was the influence of Jugo—the man could casually stuff Nature Energy into his body.
The previous experiments had indeed caused some invisible effect in him. Although the thing inside him was not a Cursed Seal but something even more primitive, its effects were clearly somewhat similar to those of a Cursed Seal.
Sure enough, after hearing the name Orochimaru, all three of them wore expressions that said they finally understood... This meant that Orochimaru's reputation in this regard had already begun spreading among the Konoha Ninja. It also meant that Orochimaru might not be able to remain in Konoha much longer.
"Then how can this state be dispelled?" Jian Dong asked again.
In her view, Yuhara was currently in an out-of-control state. The unknown power was astonishing, but not enviable, because he would inevitably have to pay a heavy price for it.
"I don't know. In any case, let's leave this forest first," Yuhara said.
Judging by common sense, a place with such dense vegetation would certainly have abundant Nature Energy, so they should leave first and worry about the rest afterward.
They could not stay here for long in the first place. This place was still very dangerous.
By then, the wound on Yuhara's shoulder had already begun to heal slowly. At the same time, he had probably used too much force when attacking the enemy, causing severe tearing pain in his thigh. That sensation was now receding as well.
Since Yuhara did not seem to have any major problems for the moment, the squad decisively continued its retreat. This time, the enemy did not pursue them again. Several hours later, they reached the area under Konoha's actual control, and the surroundings became relatively safe.
The squad then chose to stop and rest. After all, there were two injured members.
After leaving the forest and resting for a while longer, the patterns caused by the erosion of Nature Energy on Yuhara's body began to fade. More precisely, as the Chakra within him began to recover, he gradually returned to his normal state.
Then he felt an indescribably severe exhaustion. In simple terms, his entire body was powerless, his muscles ached, and his head throbbed. By the time all the patterns had vanished, he could only lie flat on the ground... The result looked similar to what happened to Kakashi after overusing his Sharingan.
It could only be said that although Yuhara's previous "transformation" had been extremely powerful, it could not be used as a skill. It could only be considered a highly unstable "passive."
Looking back on the battle, Yuhara, who had come to the battlefield, had actually been closer to an ordinary person than a ninja. He had practically no combat methods and belonged to the sort of person brought along merely to make up the numbers... Saying his combat power was fifty would indeed have been an overestimate.
His survival against the odds, victory over the enemy, and completion of the mission had all been due to luck and coincidence.
Leaving aside his unstable physical abilities, even Magnet Release was an exceptionally powerful offensive method under normal circumstances. If Yuhara had undergone even a little specialized systematic training, he would certainly have possessed a certain level of combat ability.
What was more, what Yuhara possessed was very likely a "special Magnet Release." He simply lacked the means and efficiency to use it.
After learning his own shortcomings, experiencing what it felt like to have Strength and Speed at Double-A rank, and clearing away some of the confusion in his mind after arriving in this world... Yuhara had still gained quite a lot from experiencing a battle.
In any case, although the battle had been dangerous, the losses severe, and the outcome a matter of luck, as ninjas who had completed their mission, Yuhara and the others could return openly and honorably to Konoha's forward camp.
However, that would have to wait until Yuhara recovered his basic ability to move.
Three days later, Yuhara was able to stand on both feet, and only then did the squad begin returning to camp.
Before you continue