Chapter 572: Minoko and Koushin's First Battle!
Chapter 572: Minoko and Koushin's First Battle!
Several kilometers away, in a field of tall reeds, Tang Ping and his three companions stood, their gazes fixed on a particular area.
"Come out, you rats in the gutter!" Tang Ping's voice carried a clear tone of disdain. He truly looked down upon Root members, who would resort to any means necessary.
In the ninja world, using all means available was often praised, but the issue with Root was that they would employ such methods even against their own comrades, which was shameful.
Take the Intelligence Division of the Heavenly Castle, for example; they also used all sorts of methods, but only against external targets, never their own people.
Internally, they had a robust welfare system and a comprehensive contribution system. Once a certain level of contribution was reached, one could even apply to retire... and so on.
Root, led by Danzo, was completely different. Once you joined, you were bound to him for life, and there was no welfare system to speak of.
In his words, as the foundation of Konoha, everything must be dedicated to the village, and there was no need for salaries.
Even the most ruthless capitalists couldn't compare to his stinginess.
So, while Danzo could lead a department, if he were to become a leader of a power, it was impossible for anyone to submit to him, and other forces would never cooperate with him.
Under normal circumstances, Danzo had no chance of rising to power.
If he did manage to ascend, it would only be through underhanded means. Even without Zangetsu's intervention, he wouldn't be able to hold onto the position of Hokage.
The atmosphere became deathly silent.
In the dense reeds ahead, there was still no movement.
Perhaps the opponent thought Tang Ping was bluffing, knowing they were there but unsure of their exact location.
"Five Root squads, plus a 'special surprise.' Do I need to say more?" Tang Ping revealed their numbers and kept his gaze steady, proving he truly knew their location.
Even without Hyuga Cangyue, wasn't Koushin, with her super-human radar-like abilities, by his side? There was no way they couldn't locate their opponents.
As Tang Ping spoke, a group of people dressed in cloaks and wearing pale bone masks emerged from the reeds several dozen meters ahead.
Disguise!
It seemed Root was trying to conceal their identities to capture them, hence the disguise resembling the 'Shell Organization.'
Damn! It appeared that Danzo had been shifting blame onto the Shell Organization.
But... Tang Ping's gaze swept over a dozen Root ninjas, then turned to the group of several-meter-tall small giants behind them.
Their bodies were covered in dark snake scales, and their incredibly muscular physiques seemed forged from steel. In their sinister vertical pupils, a bloodthirsty gleam flickered, and they held two-meter-long heavy blades in their hands.
Root Blades! Tang Ping instantly recognized the identity of these three-meter-tall giants.
They were the special experimental products of Orochimaru's 'Demi-God Plan,' which utilized the second heart technology.
However, the technology had likely improved significantly since then.
To capture their exchange team, Root had dispatched five squads and twenty Root Blades. With this lineup, they could even destroy some smaller hidden villages, yet they were using it to capture Tang Ping's team, showing the extent of Danzo's attention.
"Interesting, Danzo really holds us in high regard!" Tang Ping couldn't help but admire Danzo's boldness. If they were a regular exchange team, they wouldn't stand a chance of escaping with their current strength.
"Attack!" The leading Root ninja gave the order without any pre-battle taunts, which was one of Root's strengths.
They were known for their actions, not words.
Unlike some who loved to engage in 'verbal jutsu,' if not for being the direct son of Rikudo, their bodies might have already been cold (Naruto: Just call me by my name.)
"It's your turn to show your skills." Tang Ping didn't join the fight but instead retreated with Izumi, leaving Minoko and Koushin to face the opponents.
"Is that okay?" Izumi asked with some concern.
"Don't worry!" Tang Ping gave Izumi a reassuring look.
Even if they couldn't win, they would definitely be safe.
This was a rare opportunity for real combat! They could fight Root without holding back and with a high degree of safety.
Joking aside, with Tang Ping's current strength, if something unexpected happened in this situation, he wouldn't bother with anything else.
After the two of them retreated, Minoko held a kunai in each hand and charged forward.
Incredible speed!
Many ninjas could use the Teleportation Technique, but for some, it was a divine skill, while for others, it was just an ordinary ninjutsu.
Minoko had put in the most effort in this aspect.
Whoosh!
The kunai in her hand slashed across the front of a Root ninja's abdomen, and at the same time, she dodged several incoming kunai with a slight twist of her body.
Close combat was a real test of one's reflexes.
Even with the Byakugan and Sharingan's superior perception, they could only react slightly faster, but it didn't significantly enhance their reflexes.
However, Minoko had an innate talent for reflexes, and Tang Ping, aware of her talent, had specifically trained her since childhood to enhance her nervous system's response speed and spatial awareness, pushing these two talents to a level far beyond that of the Fourth Hokage.
It could be said that Minoko already had the foundation to become a top-tier powerhouse.
Now, she was showcasing her strengths to the fullest.
She danced on the tip of a knife!
The Root ninja's attacks barely grazed her skin, but she remained calm and handled them with ease.
Even Tang Ping, faced with such inhuman reflexes, had to resort to other tactics.
For example, the Flame Cloak!
By increasing the temperature to its maximum, Minoko's chakra would be unable to withstand it, and she wouldn't dare to engage in close combat.
However, if her chakra was powerful enough, and she had strong ninja tools, it would be a different story.
Infinite potential!
Watching Minoko's performance, Tang Ping's mind was filled with this thought.
Once she matures, even if the Fourth Hokage were to be resurrected, he wouldn't stand a chance.
The gap in their foundational abilities was too vast.
Bang, bang, bang!
A modified person, covered in mud and water grass, charged towards Minoko, brandishing a board-like blade and sweeping it horizontally.
If struck by this blade, even with a Jonin's armor, one would be cut in half.
It wasn't that the blade in the modified person's hand was a divine weapon, but rather that these modified people possessed terrifying strength.
Instead of using ninja tools like kunai, they wielded massive blades like samurai, fully utilizing their strength advantage.
Their every move was comparable to a Chunin-level chakra-enhanced strike. If this mission were a battle instead of a capture operation, these Root Blades might have been equipped with heavy armor, making them true battle tanks.
It had to be said that Danzo, despite his questionable morals, had an eye for talent, fully exploiting these modified people's strengths.
However, facing this sweeping attack, Minoko's slender waist twisted, avoiding it, while a kunai left a white mark on her leg.
Yes, her defense wasn't breached! Perhaps this was the embarrassing part of speed-type ninjas.
Their attacks were like bloodletting.
Even the Fourth Hokage was like this, which was why he developed the Rasengan, a technique that didn't require hand seals.
Unfortunately, even the Rasengan was like bloodletting when facing a group of overpowered immortals.
Whoosh!
A dark golden chain, like a spirit snake, slithered across the ground and tightly wrapped around the modified person, pinning them to the water grass.
It was Koushin!
Her Vajra Seal, while not suitable for fighting ninjas, was perfect for dealing with these bulky opponents.
The chain tightened, giving the feeling that it would tear the target apart.
With just physical strength, escaping the chain was nearly impossible.
Even the terrifying Nine-Tails couldn't break free with its physical strength, indicating how sturdy the chain was.
However, if chakra were used to resist, it might buy some time.
The issue was that these modified people, though they could use chakra, did so instinctively, and their chakra reserves were limited, so they couldn't hold out for long.
Snap!
Soon, this modified person, comparable to a Special Jonin specializing in taijutsu, had their neck snapped by the chain.
It had to be said that no one expected Koushin to succeed before Minoko.
Seeing this, Minoko didn't want to fall behind in front of Tang Ping, so she took out several special kunai.
Next, she was going all out.
(End of Chapter)
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