The Clever Use of the Substitution Technique and Some Improper Teaching

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 lend Naruto a hand, but in the time it took to look away, the Root members were all down.

That female Root operative was the worst injured.

A Shadow Clone's self-destruction was not as vicious as an explosive tag, but when chakra exploded right against her body, she immediately lost consciousness.

The Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Naruto unleashed with his own chakra 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 of them crashed through several trees in a row, breaking who knew how many ribs.

They stared wide-eyed at Naruto, with only one thought left in their minds—how much time had even passed?

Half a year ago, Naruto had still needed the Nine-Tails' chakra to contend with Root members. Now he had taken down three of them alone so easily?

Though these people were only Chunin, the combat experience Root's members had gained while living on the edge of a blade far surpassed that of ordinary shinobi.

Then again, Root had fewer than ten people who qualified as Jonin-level. These three were already considered a respectable fighting force in Konoha.

Naruto looked coldly at the three people sprawled across the ground and snorted.

"There's no such thing as orthodox or unorthodox tricks in a fight. But you guys hit way too softly."

"You little brat!"

The largest Root operative had a face full of hatred. His hands rapidly formed seals before he slammed a palm onto the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"

Countless sharp stone spikes suddenly burst from beneath Naruto's feet, stabbing straight upward.

Kakashi and the others' expressions changed.

"This is bad, it's a B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu! Get ready to save him!"

Naruto still wore that cold smirk.

"Can't you see the gap between us yet? Taijutsu, chakra, combat judgment—you're nowhere close to me in any of it."

Before his words had even faded, Naruto's entire body exploded into white smoke with a bang, instantly turning into a log that was pierced clean through by the Earth Spear rising from below.

"What!? The Substitution Technique!"

The Root operative's pupils contracted. He frantically turned his head to scan the area, but a sharp pain struck the back of his head before he lost consciousness.

Naruto muttered as he strolled out from behind a tree.

"Did you really think I blew you guys over here for no reason?"

He had already buried substitution logs throughout the area, ready to use at any moment.

In his previous life, people had praised the Substitution Technique like it was some divine skill. It was only after Naruto entered the Ninja Academy that he figured out how many restrictions it actually had.

First, you had to carve a Curse Mark onto a substitution log beforehand. Then you had to seal the log into a scroll you carried around. Before a fight, you also had to set the scroll somewhere hidden so that, within range, you could swap places with the substitution log.

In a sense, it was a budget version of Amenotejikara.

Most encounters happened too suddenly for you to set up substitution logs in advance, so all you could do was place one directly in front of yourself to block an attack.

If you ran into a powerful ninjutsu, both the substitution log and your real body would be finished together, making it useless as a substitution. That was why the Substitution Technique rarely appeared in later fights.

The reason was simple: any one of those later ninjutsu could easily destroy a mere log.

Only by burying substitution logs everywhere in advance, like Sakura, could one achieve something resembling teleportation.

Naruto had set up substitution logs around the area long ago just in case, deliberately training his combat awareness as well.

Below the Six Paths, every body was ultimately 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 someone as powerful as Madara Uchiha had been forced into using Izanagi after Hashirama Senju stabbed him with a kunai.

If one wanted to truly sleep soundly in this world, one could only evolve one's life to the level of the Sage of Six Paths.

Naruto nudged the unconscious Root operatives on the ground with his foot, then happily waved toward the rocks.

Hana Inuzuka and Izumi Uchiha crawled out from behind them.

"Naruto! That was ANBU! You were incredible!"

Their eyes practically sparkled with stars, their faces full of admiration.

Naruto put on a stern expression instead.

"Did you two see the way I fought just now? Shinobi don't distinguish between proper and improper methods in battle. Never hesitate to use tactics that might seem beneath you just because you're softhearted."

"These guys coated all their weapons in poison. Even a scraped patch of skin could have unpredictable consequences. You must remember that when you go on missions in the future."

Even at a time like this, he did not forget to teach the two of them. Hana Inuzuka and Izumi Uchiha nodded vigorously, deeply moved.

Captain Yamato, hiding in the shadows, was equally impressed. He lowered his voice and spoke 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 approves more of the path Lord Hokage has taken."

Kakashi nodded, his heart churning with emotion. At his age, I might not have done any better. As expected of Sensei's son.

They were just about to go out and help Naruto clean up the remaining mess when they heard him solemnly tell Hana Inuzuka and Izumi Uchiha,

"Look at this ANBU big sister. The poison got so deep that she passed out."

"Come on, let's carry her into the tent, take off all her clothes, and check her carefully to see whether she has any other injuries."

"Poisoning can be serious or minor. If we miss an injury somewhere, she could be dead for good. When shinobi are on missions, we have to throw aside the idea of differences between men and women."

"Enemies won't go easy on you just because you're girls. The two of you as well—were you caught up in the fight just now? I'll check you both too."

Kakashi and Yamato: "..."