Chapter 40: Junior! I'm Your Senior Brother!
Natsuya originally wanted to observe the ninja's fighting style a bit longer.
He hadn't expected the man to assume a "one-shot-kill" stance to end the battle so quickly.
If it were a common trash mob, he would have let it go. But this was an Elite with a Blood Demon Art! The XP payout had to be at least 200 points. One head like that was worth months of bitter training.
Natsuya's "Gamer Soul" ignited.
Action moved faster than thought.
In the split second before Uzui's twin blades could fall, Natsuya drew his own Nichirin Sword.
[Total Concentration!]
[Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!]
He held nothing back.
Natsuya's silhouette transformed into a streak of absolute lightning, trailing azure sparks as he tore through the dense forest. It was the physical embodiment of speed—every ounce of power concentrated into a single point.
The follow-up... arrives first!
The streak of lightning pierced the demon's neck before Uzui could connect. The demon's face froze in a mask of shock and terror as its head was sent flying into the canopy.
Wait... why is there another Slayer? Where did my brother go? Cover me!
In a state of pure bewilderment, the demon began to dissolve.
[Proficiency +289]
[Thunder Breathing] LV.3 (909/2000)
Natsuya's boots skidded against the dirt, carving deep grooves into the earth before he finally came to a halt in front of a massive cedar tree.
Looking at the massive XP dump, Natsuya flashed a very satisfied smile.
Uzui Tengen: (´･_･)?
Uzui's grip on his twin blades loosened. His expression shifted from serious combat-readiness to total confusion.
Natsuya's sudden, high-speed intervention had made Uzui think the bystander was about to defect and save the demon. Why else would someone jump into a finished fight at the last second? It looked like an attempt to protect the demon or ambush Uzui himself.
But then... the kid just took the head?
What was the point?
The Shinobi couldn't possibly understand Natsuya's JRPG logic.
He sheathed one of his blades and tilted his head, inspecting Natsuya. "Ho? You weren't trying to save it... you were just desperate for the kill? Is your grudge against this thing that deep?"
"Did you really have to be the one to deliver the final blow to satisfy your vengeance?"
In Uzui's mind, such a clinical "kill-steal" could only be motivated by a blood feud.
Natsuya didn't bother trying to explain. He just followed the NPC's lead and nodded vaguely. "Yeah, something like that."
The ninja sized up the young swordsman. "It wasn't very flashy, but you've got decent moves."
"I am the God of Shinobi, Uzui Tengen. And you?"
God of Shinobi? Natsuya thought. And I'm Hashirama Senju.
Looking at this overgrown case of "Chunibyo" (middle-schooler syndrome), Natsuya furrowed his brow. The guy looked about eighteen; shouldn't he be a bit more mature?
"I am a Special Jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village, Kokonoe Natsuya."
Uzui: "..."
He's making that up. Uzui had never heard of a ninja village by that name.
However, given Natsuya's undeniable strength, Uzui chose to ignore the nonsense. Though he was a man of supreme confidence, he had to admit that Natsuya's speed and power in that last strike were superior to his own.
He acknowledged the strength. But that Thunder Breathing... it felt strangely familiar.
He had seen a few Thunder users in the Corps, but none felt like this.
Wait...
"Kokonoe, did you learn that Thunder Breathing from that crazy old woman?!"
Old woman?
Natsuya thought of the tanned, eyepatch-wearing, foul-mouthed swordswoman. He frowned and asked, "You mean that battle-maniac Nikaido?"
It was like they had suddenly synced their brainwaves. Uzui burst into a hearty, booming laugh.
"HAHAHA! 'Battle-maniac'? HAHA! Yeah, she's a total hag! That's a flashy description, kid!"
"I knew that wine gourd looked familiar."
Natsuya: "?"
What's so flashy about that?
Besides, he didn't think Nikaido was "old." She was maybe thirty-five or thirty-six. In the real world, she'd be a stunning MILF. With her mixed-race features and her toned, athletic physique from years of training, she could easily be a leading lady in an action movie.
"She's a psycho, but I never called her old," Natsuya corrected, glancing at the injured Kanoe-rank Slayer and the dazed civilian NPCs.
Feeling a sudden urge to survive his next meeting with her, he added seriously: "And she's not a 'hag,' she just has a... direct personality."
I hope she never finds out I was talking about her. Wait, no, she'd probably just kill Uzui first for being an unfilial disciple.
"She's thirty-six! How is that not old?" Uzui gave him a look that said, 'Kid, do you have a thing for grandmas?'
Natsuya then remembered the era. In an age where the average life expectancy was barely fifty, being in your mid-thirties was probably considered "elderly" by some.
"Don't worry, Junior. I, the God of Flashiness, won't snitch to our Master."
God of Flashiness now?
Natsuya wondered if the years of ninja training had finally broken the guy's brain. Compared to Uzui, Giyu and Nikaido seemed perfectly normal and easy to talk to.
"It's not about snitching... and I'm not your 'Junior'."
Uzui flashed a "knowledgeable" look. I get it. You're afraid of being caught in her crosshairs. As your Senior Brother, I understand.
Natsuya: ≖_≖
I feel like you're misunderstanding something fundamental.
The two walked over to the Kanoe-rank Slayer, Kojiro, who was slumped against a tree.
Unlike Natsuya or Uzui, the injured Slayer didn't have the energy for casual banter. He was barely clinging to consciousness after the high-intensity battle.
Seeing Natsuya approach, Kojiro struggled to open his eyes. Are the reinforcements going to say something to me? It's so hard to breathe... I'm so sleepy...
"Open femur fracture, tension pneumothorax, and multiple lacerations..."
"You did your best. For an AI teammate, you performed well."
Is he talking about me? Kojiro thought. My injuries are that bad? I guess this is the end...
He looked at the terrified loggers and their families. He saw a young girl crying. At least I protected them this time. It's not a bad way to go...
His breathing became more labored. His eyelids felt like lead.
Then, he felt a warm palm press against his chest. Is he saying goodbye?
"WAIT! WHY ARE YOU CHOKING ME?! WHY ARE YOU PRESSING ON THE WOUND?!"
"I'm quite strong, so just endure it for a bit."
CRACK.
With the help of [Medicine LV.2], Natsuya began skillfully resetting the man's bones.
PAINPAINPAINPAIN!
A few minutes later, Kojiro—whose soul had nearly left his body from the pain—was wrapped in bandages and resting against the tree. Miraculously, he could breathe normally again.
Uzui Tengen watched in silence as Natsuya literally pulled the man back from the gates of hell. The Slayer was still weak, but he was no longer in a "Critical" state where he might die at any second.
"Junior... that technique... you've practiced that for a long time, haven't you?"
As a ninja, Uzui knew basic first aid. Но compared to what Natsuya just did, the difference was night and day. It was like comparing an apprentice to a veteran surgeon.
What technique? Natsuya was confused for a second, then realized he meant the medical treatment.
In the real world, Natsuya's medical knowledge was limited to YouTube shorts and university first-aid seminars. But in the game, that didn't matter.
When he triggered the medical skill, he just had to select a treatment plan on the UI and play a quick "Match-3" mini-game. Once he cleared the level, the injuries were downgraded to "Stable."
How long did I practice?
Natsuya thought for a bit. "About ten days?"
He had done a lot of "leveling" back at Mt. Sagiri.
Thank you, local wildlife, for your sacrifice to the altar of medical science.
Uzui Tengen: (´･_･)?
"You're sure you mean 'days' and not 'years'?"
Natsuya ignored him. He turned to the rescued civilians.
"Alright, line up! Form a queue! Let's get you patched up."
Get out of the way, you flashy weirdo. I'm busy farming XP.
☆☆☆
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