Chapter seven started....
Wendy had a gist of the image of Naruto as someone who relied on brute force and overwhelming power, but this… this was different.
"H-he's fast," Wendy whispered, eyes wide.
"Fast is an understatement," Carla murmured. "He's refined. Every strike, every motion—it's like watching a seasoned assassin."
Naruto continued his silent rampage, dispatching another bandit with a well-placed elbow to the temple. The man collapsed before he even realized what had happened, his body drained of energy as Naruto swiftly tied him up.
Wendy covered her mouth in awe. "Amazing…"
She had come here expecting to observe and learn, but instead, she was witnessing a master at work.
The moon hung high, casting a pale glow over the battered village as Naruto crouched atop the roof of the elder's lot. His breath was steady, eyes locked on the lone figure pacing within the dimly lit courtyard. The bandit leader stood surrounded by the unconscious forms of his men—all drained, their energy siphoned away by Naruto's modified Tetragram Seal.
Wendy and Carla watched from the shadows of a crumbled wall, their breaths hushed as they observed Naruto's poised stillness.
"He's like… a wild animal," Wendy whispered.
"Like a predator to it's prey…" Carla murmured, eyes gleaming. "He's hunting, Wendy. Like a hunter who knows exactly when to strike."
Naruto's mind turned over the sensations he'd felt while incapacitating the bandits. The seal worked similarly to his old Baryon Mode, stripping away essence with every touch. Unlike before, it didn't burn his own lifespan; instead, it leeched the ambient magic, shaving away the enemy's vitality. He didn't expect to see the fruits of his labor already but here he was. Alas it's still a far cry from the real one, after all he hasn't even activated the incomplete faux baryon mode yet, the drain was just an unintended effect of the modified seal that happens to function the same as the real baryon mode.
Across the courtyard, the bandit leader grew restless. His eyes darted toward the shadows as he gripped a jagged, rusted blade.
"They're all gone," the man muttered. "How... how did this happen?"
Naruto adjusted his stance, dropping soundlessly to the ground. His presence was like a whisper on the wind, but instinct screamed at the bandit leader.
The man's head snapped toward Naruto's position. "Who's there?!"
"The guy who just dismantled your entire crew," Naruto answered, stepping into the moonlight with an almost lazy stride. His eyes, however, glinted with hard steel. "You like taking from people who can't fight back, huh? Must feel nice bein' king of a wasteland."
The bandit leader snarled. "Don't get cocky, wizard! I'm not like the rest!"
With a guttural roar, his body shimmered with golden light. Plates of armor materialized over his limbs, covering him in steel as a massive halberd appeared in his grasp.
"Requip magic," Carla murmured from the sidelines. "A versatile combat magic that allows the user to swap equipment in and out of a dimensional storage."
"So he's not bluffing..." Wendy's voice trembled.
The bandit leader swung the halberd, cracking the stone beneath his feet. "You messed with the wrong man!"
Naruto exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah. Big guy, big weapon... heard it all before."
The bandit lunged. The ground shuddered beneath his charge as he aimed a sweeping strike at Naruto's midsection. Naruto twisted effortlessly, sidestepping the blade by a hair's breadth. The weapon cleaved through a support beam, sending splinters flying.
"Fast!" Wendy gasped.
"But Naruto's faster," Carla responded.
The bandit pivoted, bringing the halberd around for a downward slash. Naruto caught the handle mid-swing with one hand. The seal burned to life beneath his palm; energy surged from the weapon into his grasp. The bandit's muscles trembled as his strength bled away.
"W-what... the hell are you?!"
Naruto's expression darkened. "I'm someone who knows what it's like to have everything stolen," he said, voice low. "Your kind? You don't take just food or goods. You rob people of hope."
With a sharp twist, he ripped the halberd from the man's grasp and slammed a knee into his chest. The bandit collapsed, coughing violently as the draining effect intensified.
"Stealing's easy," Naruto continued, crouching beside the downed man. "But taking… it leaves holes behind. In others, sure... but mostly in yourself."
The bandit wheezed. "Screw... you..."
Naruto sighed, eyes softening with disappointment. With a swift, precise chop to the neck, the bandit leader went limp.
The seal flared once more, sapping the last reserves of the man's magical strength before fading.
Naruto stood and turned toward Wendy and Carla. "All clear."
Wendy emerged, wide-eyed. "That was... incredible," she breathed. "The way you just... knew what he was going to do."
"Instinct," Naruto replied with a shrug. "And experience." His gaze drifted toward the unconscious bandit leader. "Never underestimate desperate people. They're always the most dangerous."
Carla walked around observing the downed leader. "Your magic... it drained his power completely."
Naruto flexed his fingers. "Yeah… didn't know my magic would be that… 'potent'. Don't worry I'll be careful around you." he smiled reassuring them.
As dawn crested the horizon, the villagers crept from their homes to find their tormentors defeated and tied in the village square. Their hope, once stolen, began to spark anew.
Naruto watched from the side, arms crossed. Wendy approached him hesitantly. "Naruto?"
"Can you teach me how to…" She swung her arms in an exaggerated motion, mimicking his precise strikes with comically endearing punches. "Wham, whack, and wham?"
Naruto blinked, then chuckled. The girl's nervousness had melted away, replaced by wide-eyed admiration.
Carla crossed her arms with a huff, though her eyes twinkled with unspoken approval. "Hmph. Don't get carried away, Wendy."
Naruto ruffled Wendy's hair. "Sure. I'll teach you the basics when we get back."
The next morning, the village gathered to thank their rescuers. The elder shook Naruto's hand firmly, eyes glistening with gratitude.
"We don't have much, but please… take this." He handed Naruto a pouch of 10,000 Jewels, along with several bundles of dried meat and preserved fruits.
"We can't take all this," Naruto objected.
"Please," the elder insisted. "Without you three, we wouldn't have survived the winter."
To be continued….
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