"Chakra Scalpel?! Watch out! This kid is something else! Use ninjutsu! Don't engage him in close combat!"
The leader of the Grass ninjas was clearly someone who knew his business. He recognized the terrifying nature of the staggering amount of Chakra enveloping the boy's hands at a glance and barked a warning to his comrades.
Taking the lesson from their fallen comrade to heart, the remaining five ninjas drew kunai and shuriken, hurling them like they cost nothing. They were desperate to maintain a safe distance to perform their techniques.
A few seconds later, a female ninja finally finished a sequence of four hand signs. She took a deep breath and exhaled a concentrated line of intense flame.
Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!
As a C-rank Fire Release technique, its primary difference from the Great Fireball is its significantly longer range. Guided by a wire, it incinerates everything in a straight line ahead, packing enough power to instantly shatter a massive tree or torch a building.
If hit head-on without the protection of the Red Dragon's scales, even Allen wouldn't escape unscathed. He was currently maintaining Chakra mode rather than Nen mode; while he could switch between the two rapidly, they could not coexist, at least not yet.
Regrettably, the female ninja's hand signs were painfully slow. Those four gestures took her nearly two full seconds!
By the time the seals were complete, Allen had already leaped out of the fire's path. Relying on his terrifying explosive power and reflexive speed, he closed the distance in a single stride and slit her throat with the same clinical precision.
As blood sprayed into the air, a look of utter disbelief flashed in her eyes. She collapsed, struggling for a few moments before breathing her last.
Less than twenty seconds into the fight, two out of the six were dead. Both had died decisively, with almost no chance to fight back.
This outcome left the attacking Grass ninjas in shock. They couldn't fathom how a brat who looked like a fresh Ninja Academy graduate could possess such frightening strength. Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, there hadn't been an all-out war between the Great Nations. The era of "graduating today, battlefield tomorrow" was over, the days when geniuses could grow rapidly through life-or-death combat to become Jonin in their teens were largely a thing of the past.
Seeing the fear creeping into the enemies' eyes, Allen sighed with slight disappointment. "Sigh. You're all too weak. You aren't even useful for testing my limits. Then again, perhaps my expectations were just a bit too high."
"Who... just who are you?" the Grass ninja leader stammered, his voice trembling.
"Me? I'm just a Konoha Genin. Sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I won't bother asking for your last words."
With that, Allen vanished again. Moving at a speed nearly invisible to the naked eye, he systematically slit the throats of the remaining Grass ninjas.
He had no interest in interrogating them to find out if this was a conspiracy against Konoha or a simple robbery. He just wanted to finish devouring them and leave the copied corpses behind before anyone else arrived.
In short order, the Grass ninjas were turned into cocoons in the Red Dragon's belly. Unlike Nen abilities, these Chakra cocoons were merged together from the start.
Once it was done, Allen finally let his tensed nerves relax. But before he could catch his breath, Might Guy stepped out of the darkness. Staring at the bodies scattered across the ground, he asked in shock, "You killed them all by yourself?"
"Yeah. It wasn't as difficult as I imagined," Allen replied, feigning a tired air as he deactivated his Chakra Scalpel.
"You've already mastered an A-rank medical ninjutsu? Such unbelievable talent! If Kakashi hadn't told me himself that your body has extreme difficulty refining Chakra, I would have believed you were a natural-born genius. But promise me, don't be so reckless next time. Charging the front lines isn't something a medical ninja should be doing," Might Guy cautioned solemnly.
"Sorry. I was just curious to see where my current strength stood. I won't do it again," Allen said, putting on his best "good boy" act and admitting his "mistake."
Of course, should such a situation arise again, he wouldn't hesitate to act alone. The more Chakra cocoons he devoured, the more "media" he had for refining and controlling Chakra, which boosted his conversion efficiency. It was only a matter of time before he obtained a constitution as staggering as the Uzumaki clan. Furthermore, by devouring ninjas of different elements, he could simultaneously acquire Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water natures, and perhaps even stimulate the development of Yin and Yang Release.
"Hahahaha! Wanted to test your strength, eh? OK! I forgive you! Because that is the essence of youth!"
After a brief moment of seriousness, Might Guy reverted to his goofy self. He flashed a thumbs-up, his teeth reflecting the moonlight like a beacon, nearly blinding anyone looking his way.
After a quick search of the bodies for potential intel, the two returned to the campfire, acting as if nothing had happened.
Early the next morning, the team continued along their planned route. Only the cautious Neji felt a lingering doubt about why the stalker following them had suddenly vanished. However, he eventually chalked it up to the observer deciding not to provoke Konoha. He had no idea that the attackers had all been wiped out by Allen the night before. Within a few hours, the corpses replicated by Nen would vanish without a trace, leaving nothing but bloodstains on the ground.
When they safely reached their destination, Fukusaburo bowed deeply to the hired ninjas. "Thank you all so much for your protection! Without you, I'm afraid I would have ended up like that other caravan, just corpses by the roadside for wild beasts to pick at."
"Think nothing of it! It was our duty. If there's nothing else, we shall take our leave here," Guy replied with a smile.
"Please take care!"
"Goodbye!"
After the farewells, the caravan headed toward the bustling marketplace. The members of Team 3 remained in place, waiting for their Jonin leader to decide whether they would stay for a day of rest or head back immediately.
Seeing the expectant looks in Tenten and Lee's eyes, Guy couldn't bring himself to issue the cruel order of an immediate return. He waved his hand and laughed. "It's rare to be out! I'll give you a day off. But remember, we are very close to the Hidden Grass Village, so don't go looking for trouble, or it'll be a real headache."
"Hooray! I love Guy-sensei!"
Tenten jumped with excitement, her eyes already locked on the various goods and trinkets in the street behind them. Lee's reaction was similar, filled with curiosity about the world beyond Konoha.
It had to be said, the children in the hidden villages of this world lived quite restricted lives. From birth until becoming a ninja, they were largely confined to a very small area, knowing little of the outside world. This was why, upon becoming Genin, their greatest desire was to take a C-rank mission just to see what lay beyond the village gates.