Kakashi's team and Captain Yamato watched the battle with taut nerves, only to see the situation change in an instant.
They had originally planned to rush in and pull Naruto out, but in the time it took to turn their heads, the Root members had all been taken down.
The female Root operative was the most severely injured.
A Shadow Clone's self-destruction was not as devastating as an explosive tag, but with chakra exploding right against her body, she lost consciousness on the spot.
Naruto's Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, hurled out with his own chakra, truly could not match Orochimaru's spectacle of sweeping across the Forest of Death, but it was more than enough to send two Chunin flying.
The two crashed through several trees in succession, breaking who knew how many ribs.
They stared at Naruto with wide eyes, their minds left with only one thought—how long had it even been?
Half a year ago, Naruto had still needed the Nine-Tails' chakra to contend with Root operatives. Now he had effortlessly taken down three by himself?
These people might only have been Chunin, but Root's battle experience, earned at the edge of a blade, far surpassed that of ordinary shinobi.
Then again, Root had fewer than ten people who measured up to Jonin level. These three already counted as formidable fighting strength within Konoha.
Naruto coldly looked at the three sprawled across the ground and snorted.
"Fighting isn't about whether something is orthodox or underhanded. But you lot were far too soft."
"You little brat!"
Hatred covered the largest Root operative's face. His hands flashed through seals before he slapped a palm against the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Countless sharp rocks suddenly thrust up from beneath Naruto's feet, stabbing straight into the air.
Kakashi and the others' expressions changed drastically.
"This is bad, it's a B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu! Get ready to save him!"
Naruto still wore that cold sneer.
"Can't you see the difference between us yet? Taijutsu, chakra, combat judgment—you're inferior in every way."
Before his words had even faded, Naruto's body burst into a cloud of white smoke and instantly turned into a log, which was pierced clean through by the Earth Spear rising from below.
"What!? The Substitution Technique!"
The Root operative's pupils contracted sharply. He frantically turned to scan his surroundings, but a violent pain only reached the back of his head before everything went dark.
Naruto emerged from behind a tree, muttering.
"Did you really think I blew you all over here for no reason?"
He had long since planted substitution logs throughout the area, ready to use at any time.
In his previous life, people had praised the Substitution Technique like some divine skill. It was not until Naruto entered the Ninja Academy that he understood how many restrictions it actually had.
First, a Curse Mark had to be carved onto the substitution log in advance. Then it had to be sealed into a scroll carried on one's person. Before fighting, the scroll had to be placed somewhere hidden, allowing the user to switch places with the log within range.
In a sense, it was a low-grade version of Amenotejikara.
Many sudden encounters gave no time to set up substitution logs, so the log could only be placed directly in front of oneself to block the attack.
If the ninjutsu was too powerful, both the log and the real body would be finished together, making the substitution pointless. That was why the Substitution Technique rarely appeared in later battles.
The reason was simple. Any of those later ninjutsu could easily blast through a mere log.
Only by burying substitution logs everywhere in advance like Sakura could one produce an effect resembling teleportation.
Naruto had arranged substitution logs around the area beforehand just in case, deliberately training his combat awareness as well.
Below the Six Paths, all bodies were ultimately made of flesh and blood. An explosive tag or a kunai could take a life.
Back when Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju fought to the death at the Valley of the End, even Madara Uchiha, powerful as he was, had been forced into using Izanagi after Hashirama Senju stabbed him with a kunai.
If one wanted to truly sleep peacefully in this world, one had to evolve one's life to the level of the Sage of Six Paths.
Naruto nudged one of the unconscious Root operatives with his foot, then happily waved toward the rocks.
Hana Inuzuka and Izumi Uchiha crawled out from behind them.
"Naruto! Those were ANBU! You were amazing!"
Their eyes nearly sparkled with stars as they stared at him with utter admiration.
Naruto, however, put on a serious face.
"Did you two clearly see the way I fought just now? When shinobi fight, there's no such thing as proper or improper methods. Never hesitate to use tricks that seem beneath you just because you're softhearted."
"All of these people coated their weapons with poison. Even a scrape could have an unpredictable outcome. You must carve that into your minds when you go on missions in the future."
Even at a time like this, he did not forget to teach them. Hana Inuzuka and Izumi Uchiha nodded vigorously, deeply moved.
Captain Yamato, hiding in the shadows, was also full of emotion. He lowered his voice and said to Kakashi.
"Senior, Naruto's cultivation of the Will of Fire is truly beyond reproach. He stepped in for Yūgao without the slightest hesitation. It seems he still recognizes the path Lord Hokage chose."
Kakashi nodded, his heart stirring with waves of emotion. At his age, I might not have done any better. As expected of Sensei's son.
They were about to go out and help Naruto deal with the remaining mess when they heard him seriously tell Hana Inuzuka and Izumi Uchiha.
"Look at this ANBU big sister. She was poisoned so badly that she fainted."
"Come on, let's carry her into the tent, take off all her clothes, and carefully check her over to see whether she has any other injuries."
"Poisoning can be a major or minor matter. If we miss an injury somewhere, she could be completely done for. When shinobi go on missions, we must throw aside the idea that men and women should keep apart."
"Enemies won't go easy on you just because you're girls. The two of you too—were you caught in the fighting just now? I'll check you both while I'm at it."
Kakashi, Yamato: "..."
Before you continue