The terrain shifted from the lush forest of the Fire Country to the jagged, dusty expanse of the canyons. Towering walls of red rock rose on either side of us, creating a natural wind tunnel that whistled eerily. It was the perfect place for an ambush, which meant, statistically speaking, it was exactly where we were going to get ambushed.
I ran alongside Sakura, testing the flow of my newly unsealed chakra. One percent. It sounded pathetic, but for Naruto Uzumaki, one percent of his reserves was roughly equivalent to a normal Chunin’s entire tank. I could feel the energy humming in my stomach, a warm, comforting presence that reassured me I wasn't just a cosplayer anymore.
"Kiba," Captain Yamato whispered, holding up a hand to signal a stop. "Status?"
Kiba Inuzuka sniffed the air, his nose twitching. Akamaru gave a low, menacing growl.
"They are close," Kiba said, his voice dropping to a serious growl. "I smell unwashed bodies, cheap sake, and... hair grease? Definitely bandits. About twenty of them, hiding in the ridges up ahead."
"Good work," Yamato said. "Shino?"
"My destruction bugs have already scouted the area," Shino Aburame said, adjusting his sunglasses. "They are waiting for us to enter the narrowest part of the pass. They intend to drop rocks on us."
"Classic," I muttered. "Why do bandits never have any creativity?"
Sakura looked at me. "Naruto, stay focused. This is real combat. You have been acting confident since the river, but do not get cocky."
"I am the definition of focus, Sakura-chan," I said, though my mind was actually focused on the System menu.
("System, if I get into a fight, will the Rito Effect trigger on the enemies?")
"Affirmative," the System replied. "Any male entity with a pulse is a valid target for a Netorare Situation. However, hostile targets generate twenty percent more Shy Points due to the 'Forbidden Romance' bonus."
("Forbidden Romance bonus? You have got to be kidding me.")
"I never kid, Host. I only calculate."
"Alright, Team Seven and Team Eight," Yamato commanded. "We will not walk into their trap. We will scale the walls and hit them from above. Hinata, your Byakugan will lead the way."
"Yes, sir," Hinata said softly. She brought her hands up, veins bulging around her eyes. "Byakugan!"
She scanned the cliff face. "I see them. Three on the left ridge, four on the right. The main group is waiting around the bend."
"Let's move," Yamato ordered.
We moved silently. I used my new chakra to stick to the vertical wall, following Hinata. It was thrilling. I was actually doing ninja stuff.
We reached the top of the ridge. Below us, hidden in the crevices, were men dressed in ragged armor, holding swords and crossbows. They looked like standard RPG mobs.
"Now!" Yamato signaled.
We dropped down on them like hawks.
"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba yelled, spinning like a drill with Akamaru. They smashed into two bandits, sending them flying.
"Cha!" Sakura screamed, punching the ground near a group of archers. The rock shattered, and the shockwave knocked three men unconscious instantly.
I landed in front of a bandit who looked surprised to see a teenager in an orange jumpsuit drop from the sky.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I shouted, forming the cross seal.
A puff of smoke erupted next to me, and a perfect copy of myself appeared. I felt a sudden drain on my chakra—about half of my current reserve gone instantly.
("Okay, one clone is my limit for now,") I noted.
"Get him!" the bandit yelled, swinging a rusty scimitar.
My clone ducked under the swing and kicked the bandit in the knee. I followed up with a straight punch to the jaw, using the muscle memory I had bought earlier. The bandit’s head snapped back, and he crumpled.
"Nice one, Boss!" my clone gave me a thumbs up before poofing out of existence to save chakra.
"I did it!" I cheered. "I actually fought a guy and won!"
However, the celebration was premature. A massive roar echoed from the canyon floor.
"Who dares attack the Red Rock Gang?!"
A giant of a man stepped out from a cave entrance. He was at least seven feet tall, shirtless, with muscles that looked like they were carved from granite. He wielded a massive iron club that probably weighed more than Hinata.
"That must be the leader," Shino observed, sending a cloud of bugs toward him.
The leader swung his club, the wind pressure alone blowing the bugs away. "Insects! I will crush you all!"
He looked around, scanning for a target. His eyes landed on Hinata, who was currently engaging two smaller bandits with her Gentle Fist style.
"A pretty little doll?" The giant grinned, revealing missing teeth. "I will take you as a souvenir!"
He charged at her like a rampaging bull.
"Hinata, look out!" I shouted, sprinting toward the edge of the ridge to jump down.
Hinata turned, her Byakugan widening as she saw the giant bearing down on her. She settled into her stance. "Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
She thrust her palm forward, sending a vacuum shell of air at the giant. It hit him in the chest, but he just grunted, sliding back a few inches before resuming his charge.
"Too weak!" he roared, raising his club.
Hinata prepared to dodge to the left. It was a perfect, textbook evasion maneuver.
"Warning," the System chimed. "Boss Monster Interaction Detected. Initiating Rito Effect: The Accidental Kabedon."
("The what now?!") I screamed internally.
As Hinata shifted her weight to dodge, her foot landed on a small, perfectly round pebble. Her ankle rolled. Instead of dodging left, she stumbled forward, directly toward the charging giant.
The giant, expecting her to run away, was caught off guard. He tried to stop his momentum, but physics had left the chat.
Hinata fell forward. Her hands, instinctively reaching out to stop her fall, slapped against the giant’s massive bare chest.
.....
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