Chapter 262: Reinforcements
In the forest.
"Everyone, you are forbidden from going further."
Kabuto stood on a branch, leaning against the tree as he spoke to the advancing trio of Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba.
Swish! Swish!
The three stopped in their tracks the moment they saw Kabuto. Kiba immediately activated his sense of smell to search for any traps the enemy might have laid.
"Don't worry, I'm only here to stall you, not to kill you. As long as you stay put, I won't take action against you." Kabuto smiled as he watched their movements.
"You're that Yakushi Kabuto from the Chunin Exams, aren't you? Are you trying to stop us too?" Shikamaru gave a secret signal to the two behind him.
At the same time, he felt a sense of dread; according to their intelligence, this man was an incredibly troublesome opponent.
"Stall us? Such big words. I've got twelve years of power behind this punch—can you handle it?" Chakra flared from Kiba's limbs as he shot forward like a bolt. He reached Kabuto in an instant and threw a heavy punch.
Boom!
The massive tree was caved in by the punch, but Kabuto had already appeared on a tree several meters away.
"How reckless," Kabuto remarked nonchalantly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Behind Shikamaru, Neji suddenly hurled several kunai with explosive tags toward Kabuto, while Kiba provided support from the flank.
Bang! Bang!
"Kabuto... Orochimaru actually sent him out? Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
Tonbo Tobitake was quite surprised in the shadows. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to deploy Kabuto; in the original story, only Kimimaro was supposed to show up. Clearly, the butterfly effect was in full swing.
He wondered what kind of threat the trio could pose to Kabuto. Tonbo felt they had no chance of winning. The gap between the current trio and Kabuto was simply too vast. One can only truly feel the overwhelming pressure of a Jonin-level fighter once they reach that realm themselves.
Currently, even Neji—the strongest of the three—posed zero threat to him. He was curious, however, to see if their teamwork could put even a shred of pressure on Kabuto.
Swish! Swish! Bang!
No matter how the three attacked, Yakushi Kabuto neutralized everything with ease. He had no intention of killing them; he was simply killing time. He parried Kiba and Akamaru's assault while effortlessly dodging Shikamaru's support and Neji's Byakugan-enhanced Gentle Fist.
Slice!
Kabuto lightly evaded Kiba's taijutsu and grazed the boy's thigh with a chakra scalpel, severing the tendon.
"Ngh!" Kiba grunted, clutching his leg as he stared at Kabuto with a grim expression.
This guy is too strong. Kabuto looked utterly ordinary, but whether it was taijutsu or ninjutsu, he was leagues ahead of them. Even Neji, hailed as a genius, felt like a child fighting an adult in his presence.
"But... why hasn't he killed us?" Kiba wondered. He felt that Kabuto could have done far more than just slice a tendon if he had wanted to.
Thud!
After some time, all three were wounded. They looked at Kabuto, their faces filled with shock. He's a monster.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures appeared from the distance.
"Sister, I feel it. Hehe, I didn't think we'd end up saving these Leaf brats!"
"Let's hope they don't die too quickly."
Kankuro and Temari were traveling at high speed.
Swish! Swish!
"Reinforcements are here, so I won't have to step in."
Tonbo Tobitake sensed the two figures approaching from afar and looked back at the battered trio. He hadn't realized Kabuto was so proficient not only in taijutsu and medical ninjutsu but also in elemental styles. He was using Wind, Earth, and Water styles with incredible fluidity.
He truly was a man capable of being a spy in multiple countries without ever being caught.
"Move!"
On the grass, two figures were locked in combat. The large barrel had been reduced to splinters.
Tonbo watched the fight. Sasuke had already emerged from the seal and headed toward Orochimaru's hideout, while Naruto was being intercepted by Kimimaro. However, compared to the original plot, Naruto had learned to use tactics.
This time, he didn't blindly rush in with a swarm of clones for Kimimaro to mow down. Instead, he attacked in waves of continuous strikes, supported by smoke bombs and shuriken from a distance.
Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra was leaking out; his eyes had turned from blue to orange, his pupils narrowing into slits.
"Where are the reinforcements? I guess I'll have to—oh, they're finally here."
In his perception, a figure arrived at high speed and sent Kimimaro flying with a kick.
Bang!
Kimimaro managed to block the attack with his bones just in time, but he skipped across the ground like a stone on water.
"Lee!"
Naruto looked at Rock Lee, his eyes lighting up with joy.
"Yeah. Leave this guy to me. You go after Sasuke." Lee dropped into a stance, looking at Kimimaro with a serious gaze.
"But your injuries..." Naruto knew Lee's injuries had been severe. He had no idea that Tsunade and Tonbo Tobitake had already healed him.
"Don't worry, my body is fully recovered."
"Alright! I'll go after Sasuke then!" Trusting Lee's strength, Naruto gave him and the enemy one last look before sprinting off in the direction Sasuke had gone.
Zip!
A bone spur shot out to block Naruto.
Clang!
A foot kicked the spur away instantly.
"Your opponent is me, the Blue Beast of the Leaf—Rock Lee." After kicking the bone away, Lee looked at him solemnly. This was an opponent worth fighting.
Whoosh...
A breeze blew past. Kimimaro stared at the green figure, his expression becoming heavy. This one is trouble.
The markings on his face began to shift slowly. Unlike the Sound Four, his markings were more symmetrical. He pulled a bone sword from his back. "To protect Lord Orochimaru's plans, I must make you disappear."
"Heh, we'll see who disappears," Lee smiled slightly. "Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life—Open!"
He didn't waste another word as a terrifying aura exploded from his body.
"Wind Style: Great Sickle Weasel!"
Kabuto, looking somewhat disheveled, was about to focus on eliminating Shikamaru, the strategist, when a hurricane swept through and blew him back.
"What?"
Kabuto hadn't expected the Leaf to have reinforcements at this hour. He stabilized himself in the wind, landing on a tree trunk to see the newcomers.
Blonde hair, giant fan, teenage girl... Sunagakure.
"Where are you looking?"
A puppet suddenly appeared in front of him, forcing Kabuto back several steps, nearly into the open stomach of a waiting wooden trap.
Poof!
He instantly transformed into a log.
"Hey, for a smart guy, you sure look pathetic!" Temari teased Shikamaru. However, her expression grew serious when she turned back to Kabuto.
They had stayed hidden for a long time just to pull off that specific ambush to finish him. To think he dodged it so easily—this was no simple opponent.
"Can't be helped. Our teamwork was perfect, but the enemy is too strong. The gap in raw power is just too big!" Shikamaru sighed in relief at their arrival. It was clear they were here to help.
"Tch, you guys had to come and steal the spotlight," Kiba grumbled from the distance. They had thought their final tactic under Shikamaru's command would work, but it only managed to mess up the enemy's clothes.
Now that backup had arrived, he felt much better. The enemy in front of them wasn't even on the same level as the previous four.
Kankuro landed near them. "Is this the guy the Hokage asked us to help with? He looks pretty harmless!"
To Kankuro, Kabuto just looked like a polite older brother with glasses. He had a smiling face that felt very approachable. If they hadn't been observing him during their stakeout, he never would have guessed this man was so powerful.
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