The net formed by the wind instantly cut through the fireball. Immediately afterwards, countless black shadows rose from the ground like tentacles, accurately wrapping around the necks of the three assassins.
"Shadow Strangulation Jutsu."
Click.
The three assassins fell softly.
The smoke cleared.
Naruto covered his shoulders, half-knelt on the ground, gasping for air. Blood flowed down between his fingers, dyeing Sacred Robe red.
"Naruto-kun!" Shion wanted to step forward in panic.
"Don't move." Naruto waved his hand, "I have poison on me, don't get it on you."
Medical Team's people finally rushed in. Sakura took the lead. Seeing the miserable situation of Naruto, he frowned.
"Antidote!" Sakura's hand glowed with green light and he pressed it on Naruto's wound. "This toxin is very old. It is the neurotoxin that Sunagakure used to deal with Tailed Beast before. It seems that they are well prepared."
"Yeah." Naruto looked at the corpse of the assassin he had knocked away, "They know I don't have Nine-Tails anymore, so they dare to be so unscrupulous."
Shikamaru came over and checked the body.
"There is no Forehead Protector, no characteristics. He is a dead soldier." Shikamaru said solemnly, "But this level of assassination is definitely not something that wandering ninjas can do. There is the shadow of a big country behind it, or... the remnants of Kara Organization."
Naruto endured the pain and asked Sakura to pull out the blade that was broken in his shoulder.
"It seems that the days of peace are indeed over." He looked at the dark clouds gathering outside the window, "Shikamaru, inform Five Kage. We need to have a meeting."
"Also." He turned to look at Shion, "I want to go to the "container" of Land of Demons myself."
"Are you crazy?" Sakura said angrily, "Your current physical condition makes it difficult to even walk out of the village!"
"So I need special training." Naruto's eyes were firm. It was a challenger's look that hadn't appeared in a long time. "I relied too much on Kurama. Over the years, I forgot how to fight as a real ninja."
"I want to practice again."
Leaf A remote place Training Ground.
This was once the place where Team 7 fought for the bell. The three wooden stakes are still standing there, covered with knife marks of time.
Before the morning fog had dissipated, Naruto was already standing there. He did not wear Sacred Robe, but put on a light black training suit, with a thick bandage wrapped around his shoulders.
"Arrived quite early."
Sasuke walked out of the woods, holding a wooden knife in his hand. He still looked like he was awake, but his eyes were terrifyingly sharp.
"Since you asked me for special training, I will not show mercy." Sasuke threw the wooden knife to Naruto, "You are too slow, too weak, and full of flaws."
Naruto caught the wooden knife and weighed it. "Don't say it so harshly. I am the man who defeated Kaguya after all."
"That was the past." Sasuke pulled out Kusanagi Sword, without using Chakra, but just made a starting gesture, "Now, if you encounter an enemy of Code's level, you won't be able to survive for three minutes."
"Then give it a try!"
Naruto gave a low drink and rushed forward.
There is no ninjutsu, no Shadow Clone, no Rasengan. This is a pure competition between Taijutsu and Kenjutsu.
The wooden knife collided with Kusanagi Sword, making a dull sound.
Naruto's attack was very fierce, with a lot of brute force. But in front of Sasuke's Sharingan (although there was only one left), this attack was like slow motion.
Sasuke turned sideways, and tapped Naruto's wrist with the scabbard. Naruto's hand went numb, and he almost let go of the wooden sword. Then, Sasuke's sweeping leg arrived.
Bang!
Naruto tripped and fell to the ground and ate a mouthful of mud.
"Too slow." Sasuke looked at him condescendingly, "There are redundant habits in your movements. You are used to fighting back immediately after being injured, because Nine-Tails will treat you. But now, an injury is an injury, which will affect your speed and judgment."
Naruto got up and wiped his face. "Come again!"
Once, twice, ten times.
Naruto was knocked down again and again, and got up again and again. There were countless bruises on his body, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.
"Take a rest." Kakashi didn't know when he sat on the wooden pile, holding <Makeout Paradise> in his hand, and said in a lazy tone, "Sasuke, don't be too harsh. After all, Naruto hasn't trained like this for a long time."
"The enemy will not give him time to rest." Sasuke sheathed his sword, "His body memory is still at the "god" stage, but his current hardware is just a "human". If this misalignment is not corrected, he will die on the battlefield."
Naruto lay on the grass and looked at the sky.
"Sasuke is right." He breathed heavily, "I used to think that as long as there were enough Chakra and the power was strong enough, everything could be solved. But I forgot that the most original weapon of a ninja is skill, timing, and maximizing limited power."
He raised his hand and looked at his palm.
"I want to learn from the beginning. How to hold a knife, how to breathe, how to kill people with the least amount of effort."
"That's right."
A rough voice came.
Might Guy appeared pushing a wheelchair, followed by Rock Lee.
"Youth means never giving up!" Kai gave a thumbs up, his teeth shining brightly, "Naruto! Since you can't bombard me with ninjutsu, then come and embrace the secret of Taijutsu! Although my leg is broken, my understanding of Taijutsu is Shinobi World's best!"
"Teacher Kai?" Naruto sat up.
"Starting from today, I will practice skills with Sasuke in the morning and physical fitness with me in the afternoon!" Kai shouted enthusiastically, "So what if Tailed Beast is gone? As long as the heart is still beating, the burning youth will not stop! Look at me, I almost kicked Six Paths Madara to death. Is it because of Tailed Beast? No! It's the sweat day after day!"
Naruto looked at these old friends. Sasuke was cold, Kakashi was casual, and Kai was passionate.
He suddenly felt that losing power was not the end, but a new starting point.
"Okay!" Naruto stood up, fire rekindled in his eyes, "Then I'll leave it to you all! I want to get back the feeling of a ninja before I leave for Land of Demons!"
At this moment, a Ninja Hawk circled down and stopped on the shoulder of Sasuke.
Sasuke took off the mailbox from the eagle's leg, unfolded it and took a look, his face changed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.
"The latest news from Land of Demons." Sasuke crushed the letter paper, "The "container" not only woke up, but also started to move."
"Move?"
"It is coming in the direction of Land of Fire." Sasuke looked at Naruto, "And, according to Chakra's wavelength analysis, it is calling for something."
"What are you calling for?"
"Calling you." Sasuke said in a deep voice, "In other words, calling you the Chakra that remains in your body that belongs to Asura."
Naruto clenched the wooden knife in his hand.
"It seems that the special training time will be shortened."
"Then let's practice in actual combat." Sasuke pulled out the sword again. This time, Chidori's lightning flashed on the blade, "Are you ready? You're at the end of the crane. You'll see blood this time."
Naruto took a deep breath and assumed the most classic starting position.
Although there is no golden coat, there is no Truth-Seeking Orb behind him.
But he stood there like a mountain.
"Come on now, Sasuke!"