In Springwater's eyes, their alliance with Suna was a sure thing. Even if everyone held back, eight against two meant Chiba and Gurōsu were as good as dead. Springwater was certain the Suna shinobi, who already bore a grudge against Konoha, would never refuse his proposal.
"Join forces? Well…"
Four Suna nin emerged from the trees, about to agree to Springwater's offer.
But the moment they got a clear look at Chiba's face, all four of them froze. The one who was about to say 'yes' choked on his own words.
Isn't that the guy the Young Master mentioned? Chiba?
Their initial plan was indeed to team up with Kiri, take out the Konoha shinobi first, then turn on their "allies." But now…
The four Suna nin exchanged looks, their hesitation plain to see.
If they dared lift a hand against Chiba, even if they survived this forest, they would surely be turned into puppets by the Young Master upon their return.
What do we do now? Turn around and pretend we never saw them?
Bad idea. Didn't the Young Master say we could offer him some help? We're here now. Might as well lend a hand.
Even just backing him up for show works. A real fight probably won't break out anyway. It'll make reporting back to the Young Master easier.
A silent agreement passed between them in an instant.
So, under Springwater's confident, smiling gaze, the lead Suna nin took a sharp breath and forcibly changed his words. "Join forces? W-well… how laughable!"
"We hate bastards who gang up on people the most!"
"Yeah, think you're tough just because you have numbers? Get lost now, before we make you!" the other Suna nin shouted, drawing their weapons.
"(òwó?)!Nani?!"
Springwater's victorious smile shattered. His entire brain short-circuited.
"What the hell? Are there always this many busybodies?"
"Since when are shinobi morals this high?"
"Aren't you Suna and Konoha supposed to be mortal enemies?"
"Are you all insane?! Why are you helping Konoha scum?!" Springwater stabbed his blade into the ground, his voice cracking with frustration.
How the hell should I know! the Suna nin thought, just as bewildered.
"What's going on, Gurōsu-senpai? Why would Suna help us? Is this a trap?"
Chiba and Gurōsu were equally baffled. They had braced themselves for a one-against-four fight, only for the Suna team to suddenly flip sides.
Gurōsu offered a gentle smile. "It doesn't matter. We'll deal with whatever comes. Worst case, we just kill them all, too."
The three-way standoff continued. Zabuza Momochi, who had planned to slip away in the chaos, was now stuck. Running wasn't an option, but neither was staying.
Springwater's face was stormy.
He couldn't figure out how he'd offended these Suna shinobi, or why they would refuse a mutually beneficial deal.
Gritting his teeth, he tried one last time. "Brothers from Suna, are you sure…"
"Piss off!" a Suna nin snarled, raising his longsword.
They couldn't touch Chiba, and they had other lone candidates to hunt. They had no time to waste on Springwater.
"Springwater, let's retreat. Zabuza's finished anyway. He's no threat to us now."
"Right. There's no medic-nin here. He's as good as dead!"
Faced with the aggressive Suna shinobi, the remaining Kiri nin were losing their nerve.
Springwater's expression shifted. Their temporary alliance had been shaky to begin with. With morale crumbling, they were just a mob. They stood no chance against Chiba's group now.
"Damn it. I'll remember you two. Let's go!"
He shot a final glare at Chiba and Gurōsu, then backed away and vanished into the treeline without a second glance.
The other three Kiri nin hesitated. Only one followed Springwater. The other two bolted in different directions.
With Zabuza crippled, their next hunting targets… were each other.
Thump.
Zabuza Momochi, who had been holding on through sheer will, finally collapsed. His arm gave out, and he slumped against his giant cleaver, half-kneeling on the ground.
Chiba saw this. He finally looked away from the retreating Kiri nin and turned his attention to the Suna team, who had kept their distance and shown no hostile intent.
"Why did you help me?" Chiba asked, genuinely puzzled.
He could tell their attitude had done a complete one-eighty the moment they saw him.
"You don't need to know the reason," one Suna nin said coolly.
(Of course, the real reason was that he didn't know the reason either.)
"Right. Just remember you owe our Young Master a favor."
With that, the four Suna nin leaped into the trees and were gone in a few bounds, leaving with maximum dramatic flair.
"Hey, wait—"
Chiba was dumbfounded. "Could you at least tell me who your Young Master is before leaving?!"
"What kind of nonsense is this?!" he muttered to himself again.
First, the smirking "Dragon King" Ryouhei. Now, a do-gooder, leave-no-name Bruce Wayne wannabe Young Master.
Gurōsu patted Chiba's shoulder, pointing at the collapsed Zabuza. "Chiba, he doesn't look so good."
Zabuza couldn't even hold his sword steady now. He'd given up, lying flat on the ground.
"Not looking good? Fantastic!" Chiba's face lit up with pure delight.
Zabuza. Gurōsu. "???"
They were both utterly confused. Then what was the point of saving him earlier?
"Hey. You're Zabuza Momochi, right?"
Chiba walked over and crouched beside him. "I'm a medic-nin. You're badly injured and need immediate treatment. Let me help you."
Zabuza turned his head away, his voice cold. "Forget it. I don't need your help."
"Dear patient, whether you need it or not isn't your call. It's the doctor's," Chiba replied with a beaming smile.
Zabuza snapped, impatient. "I said I don't need anyone's hel—"
THWACK!
Before Zabuza could finish, Chiba's fist slammed into his face.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Chiba snarled, his face twisting. "I'm saving your life! Since when do I need your permission?!"
But… the life you're saving is mine… shouldn't I…
Darkness swam before Zabuza's eyes. His head lolled to the side. He was out cold.
"I will never allow any patient to refuse treatment! That's my bottom line!" Chiba declared passionately, spit flying.
…
When Zabuza Momochi woke again, the three of them had moved to a safer location. Chiba was hovering over his wounds, hands glowing green with the Mystical Palm Technique.
"You bastard…"
THWACK!
The moment Zabuza opened his mouth, Chiba's fist met his face again, knocking him straight back into unconsciousness.
When he was healing someone, Chiba hated nothing more than a chatty patient. Knocking them out was just simpler.
What could he say? When you had the skills, you could do whatever you wanted.
[Ding! Treatment successful. Congratulations, Host, on acquiring Taijutsu: [Power Strike]!]
"Huh? A taijutsu this time?"
After finishing the treatment, the system prompt finally arrived, lifting Chiba's spirits.
"Let's see!"
He focused his mind, pulling up the skill description.
[[Power Strike]: At the same striking speed, utilizes a special force application technique to deliver 120% of normal damage.]
"Oh, nice! This taijutsu pairs perfectly with the Eight Gates!"
Chiba's eyes sparkled as he read.
A mere 20% damage increase might not sound like much, but sometimes, the line between life and death is that thin.
When two opponents are evenly matched, and you suddenly pull this out? They're done for.
Just imagine if Might Guy had that extra 20% power behind his kick when he launched it at Madara…
"No, I have to master all Eight Gates when I get back. Combine that with the freakish strength of the Senju clan… One kick per little Madara!" Chiba steeled his resolve.
In hot-blooded series, taijutsu was king. Even god-like beings like the Ōtsutsuki and Naruto and Sasuke ended up throwing hands.
Ōtsutsuki elbow strikes, Uchiha wrestling slams… As long as your battle cry was passionate enough, there was no enemy a fist couldn't beat.
After this little reflection, Chiba's thoughts turned analytical.
Before, the system rewarded him with ninjutsu related to the attributes he possessed. Now that he'd mastered the Gate of Opening, it gave him a taijutsu.
"Could it be… that the system's rewards are tied to my own condition?" he theorized.
"Maybe the stronger I am, the more I know… the richer the system's rewards will become!"
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