North of the Imperial Capital, deep within the mountains.
Tatsumi, shirtless, lay on the ground with vacant eyes, looking utterly bewildered, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.
Didn't they say the Emperor was very weak and had never trained?
What was wrong with the person he was sparring with just now?
Despite having such a scrawny body, he had been slapped to the ground with a single palm. Was he hallucinating?
Was that person really the Emperor of the Empire?
It wasn't just Tatsumi who had these doubts; Bulat, who was training Tatsumi, and Leone, who was watching the show, shared them too.
Oh, right! Leone was the one who instigated Tatsumi and Naruto's sparring match!
This woman saw Naruto diligently training every day, looking quite serious, and his appetite was even larger than Akame's—that's right, after a week of training, Naruto's appetite had officially surpassed Akame's.
However, Naruto's daily training consisted of simple activities like running and push-ups. More often, he would sit motionless, breathing in a strange way, and didn't perform any feats that highlighted strength or power.
The bored and vengeful Leone recalled how Naruto had slapped her a few days ago, so she instigated Tatsumi to spar with Naruto—and the result was Tatsumi lying there, doubting his life choices.
"Hey, Bulat."
Leone approached Bulat and whispered, "Did I see that right? The Emperor slapped Tatsumi to the ground with one palm!"
"You saw correctly."
Bulat stared intently at Naruto, who was searching for something, and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty doesn't seem as frail as we imagined."
"This is it!"
Naruto walked over to a large rock that was taller than himself and patted it with his hand. Then, under Bulat and Leone's puzzled gazes, he bent down, supported the rock with one hand, inserted the other hand under the bottom of the boulder, and suddenly exerted force, easily lifting the rock that weighed at least a thousand catties!
"!!!"
This scene made Leone and Bulat, who were watching from the side, widen their eyes in disbelief.
That wasn't all. After Naruto lifted the large rock and raised it twice, he showed a satisfied expression. Then, under their astonished gazes, he began doing squats while holding the large rock with both hands!
"So strong!"
Tatsumi, who had been 'playing dead' on the ground, immediately sprang up when he saw Naruto's 'training' and excitedly looked around, saying, "Even the Emperor is working so hard, I can't fall behind! I need to lift an even bigger rock!"
Upon hearing Tatsumi's words, Bulat's forehead couldn't help but show a few black lines. Then, with a poker face, he stepped forward, pulled him away, and said, "Idiot, you can't do this kind of training right now."
Are you kidding? Doing squats with a rock weighing tons—even he couldn't last long. And you, a rookie, want to try?
As for the Emperor—God knows what kind of monster he is. Squatting more than ten times with such a heavy rock, he didn't even lose his breath. It's simply absurd!
Bulat pulled Tatsumi away, but Leone didn't leave. Instead, she sat down cross-legged, watching Naruto train with great interest, seemingly wanting to see how far he could go.
"Hoo!~"
After one hundred overhead squats, Naruto put down the large rock he was holding, then took a deep breath.
One hundred times was not his limit, and after finishing, Naruto could clearly feel that his physical fitness had improved even further.
In fact, Naruto was quite surprised by the speed of his physical improvement.
The strength he originally thought would take at least a month of training to achieve was reached in just one week.
However, after reaching this level of physical strength, Naruto could also clearly feel that the strength of this body was nearing its limit.
This physiological limit was not impossible to break through. In fact, with Naruto's growth rate, even if he only maintained his food intake daily and supplemented it with simple exercises, he would naturally break through once his body matured, as this body was only twelve years old.
But that would take a long time, and the current situation seemed to offer no time for him to slowly develop and grow. That's why Naruto began this 'pressure-based' training, attempting to forcefully break through his body's limits and accelerate his growth.
"Just a little more!"
Naruto clenched his fist, feeling that his body was still a little short of reaching its limit.
Although Najenda already had a plan, Naruto didn't want to entrust his future to others, so he had to quickly master the power to turn the tide.
Naruto planned that once this body reached its peak strength, he would try to activate the Mark, using the awakening of the Mark to break through the limits early.
As long as he activated the Mark, Transparent World could also be used. At that time, he would be able to exert his full combat power and should be able to try challenging the woman named Esdeath.
"What's 'just a little more'?"
Leone suddenly appeared in front of Naruto. Hearing his mumbling, she asked curiously, then excitedly said, "I see your training seems to be over. Do you want to try sparring with me?"
Saying that, she immediately activated her Imperial Arm, transforming into her Beastkin state, then eagerly said to Naruto, "I'm very strong, you know."
"Is this Beast King Transformation also an Imperial Arm ability?" Naruto asked curiously, looking at Leone in her Beastkin state.
"That's right!"
Leone put her hands on her hips and said proudly, "My Imperial Arm is called Beast King Transformation: Lion King. When activated, it can beastify my body and dramatically enhance my physical and sensory abilities. It's very powerful!"
By the way, Leone's Imperial Arm was bought by her at an incredibly low price from the black market, and she didn't even realize she had bought an Imperial Arm at the time.
This is the compatibility between an Imperial Arm and its user; if their temperaments match, they will attract each other!
"Okay—"
Naruto was also very curious about Imperial Arms. Just as he was about to agree to Leone's request to spar, he suddenly sensed something, sharply turned his head, and said in a low voice, "Someone's coming!"
"What?!"
Leone was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then immediately assumed a defensive stance, her gaze solemn as she looked in the direction Naruto was staring. Then she saw two figures slowly walking toward them from that direction.
"What the heck, it's Sheele and Lubbock."
Leone immediately breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the figures appear in her sight. Just as she was about to turn her head to mock Naruto, she saw his figure instantly flash from his original spot, rapidly rushing toward Sheele and Lubbock, who were walking toward them.
"Hey, what are you trying to do?!"
Leone saw this scene and thought Naruto was going to attack his comrades, so she immediately chased after him.
Sheele and Lubbock, who had returned from their errands, saw Naruto rushing toward them. Although they didn't understand what was happening, they immediately assumed defensive stances.
Lubbock raised his hand, preparing to activate his Imperial Arm, Infinite Variety: Cross Tail; the glasses-wearing older sister also raised her hand, gripping the large scissors Imperial Arm, All-Delete: Extinction, behind her. However, just as they were about to activate their respective Imperial Arms, they saw Naruto's figure suddenly flash between them, then abruptly launch an attack toward the empty space behind them.
Boom!~
Naruto's attack clearly missed, yet there was a sound of hitting a heavy object. Then Lubbock, Sheele, and the chasing Leone saw a burly figure fly backward from the spot Naruto struck, crashing heavily into a distant tree.
"!!!"
Sheele and Lubbock realized they had been followed only when they saw this scene.
"Cough, cough, to think I was discovered!~"
The figure sent flying by Naruto stood up, coughing up blood, then looked at the group with a twisted expression and laughed loudly, "But… it really is Night Raid's lair! I found it!"
After speaking, he pulled out a flare gun from his embrace and fired it into the sky.
Pew!
A bright red signal shot into the sky, causing Sheele and the others' faces to change dramatically. Then, without prior agreement, they all launched an attack toward that person.
"Hahahaha!~"
Upon seeing this, the man immediately threw away the flare gun in his hand, then laughed loudly and turned to prepare to escape. As he turned, his figure suddenly seemed to become transparent, disappearing from their sight.
"This ability… Is this how we were tracked?"
Lubbock stopped in his tracks when he saw the opponent's disappearing figure, then couldn't help but say, "That must be some kind of Imperial Arm ability, right? How did that kid discover him?"
The 'kid' Lubbock referred to was, of course, Naruto, the Emperor.
"It's Five Sights Omnipotent: Spectator."
Sheele also stopped beside Lubbock, then gently said, "That's the name of the Imperial Arm he's wearing on his head. But I remember Five Sights Omnipotent shouldn't have the ability to make the user invisible."
"As for how His Majesty discovered him, I'm not sure."
Five Sights Omnipotent: Spectator is an Imperial Arm that grants the wearer five abilities: insight, foresight, X-ray vision, future vision, and illusion. They allow one to discern hearts, observe distant places, penetrate visual obstructions, see the future, and cast illusions respectively.
However, it does not possess the ability to make the user transparent or invisible.
"That's because my Imperial Arm has been modified!"
A whisper from beside them answered their confusion, and then Lubbock was sent flying by a tremendous force.
Seeing this, Sheele instinctively held the large scissors Imperial Arm in her hand horizontally in front of her. The next moment, a powerful force struck the large scissors in her hand.
After being discovered, this person didn't choose to escape; instead, he intended to use his Imperial Arm's ability to ambush the group.
Boom!~
As Sheele was attacked, the golden-haired giant beast figure also descended angrily from the sky, delivering a precise, heavy blow to the invisible enemy.
The Imperial Arm on his head fell off, and the hidden figure reappeared, only to be firmly pinned under Leone's foot, unable to move.
"Why, why could you also discover me?!"
Zank, pinned under Leone's foot, raised his head and glared at her fiercely, asking unwillingly.
That person, Dr. Stylish, clearly said that after his Five Sights Omnipotent was modified, the improved illusion ability's concealment effect was absolutely impossible to discover. Why was he discovered the very first time he used it, and twice at that!
"Of course, it's because—"
Leone stomped on his neck, breaking it, then said with satisfaction, "You reek of blood and killing intent. You're too pungent!"
"This person is Zanku the Executioner!"
Lubbock walked over, looking at the dead man under Leone's foot, and said with a grim expression, "He should be a wanted criminal of the Imperial Capital. Why would he target us?"
Because Lubbock was not on the Empire's wanted list and had a bookstore in the Imperial Capital as a cover, he was usually responsible for coordinating with other members of the organization who were also not on wanted lists to gather intelligence in the Imperial Capital, and also for preparing essential supplies for those hiding in these deep mountains.
He never expected that they would be targeted this time and even followed back to their lair. As assassins, this kind of thing was simply too disgraceful.
"Probably because he rejoined the Imperial Army."
Sheele also walked over and explained, "I saw in the Imperial Capital that the Minister issued a recruitment order in the Empire's name to all Imperial Arm users nationwide. It stated that any Imperial Arm user who joined the Imperial Army after the recruitment order was issued, regardless of any crimes they had committed in the past, would be pardoned and could also join the special police force led by Esdeath."
"They would have the right to legally kill. I think Zanku probably rejoined the Imperial Army for this reason and then targeted us, who are wanted by the Empire."
"I see—"
Leone nodded upon hearing Sheele's explanation, then kicked Zank's corpse away, picked up his Imperial Arm, and said with a grin, "Who cares who he is? He's already been dealt with—huh, by the way, where did the Emperor go?"
After Leone picked up Zank's Imperial Arm, she only then realized Naruto's figure was gone. He was the first one to discover Zank, so why was he gone now?
"He went that way."
Sheele raised her hand, pointing in front of them, and said, "He went that way after seeing you hit Zank, Leone."
Only she noticed that Naruto had left confidently after seeing Leone defeat Zank. She just didn't know what he went to do.
"That way—oh no!"
Leone looked in the direction Sheele pointed. Her beast ears twitched, then her expression changed, and she said, "There are other enemies—that bastard's signal from before exposed our location!"
After speaking, she immediately sped toward Naruto's location. She heard the sounds of battle from that direction, and there were many of them!
Sheele and Lubbock exchanged glances. The latter immediately said.
"I'll go help. The others must have seen that signal too. You wait for them here." Without waiting for Sheele's response, he chased after Leone.
It was then that they remembered the signal Zanku had initially sent, and that signal was clearly guiding the Imperial Army to their location.
---
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