Chapter 12: Combat Application of Lifestyle Ninjutsu (Extended Chapter)
Early the next morning, at the North Gate of Konoha.
The leader of the caravan was a middle-aged man with a beer belly named Kato.
He looked at the Ninja squad in front of him, which seemed unreliable no matter how he looked at it, and his brows knitted into a knot.
There was a female Jonin who looked more boisterous than him, two greenhorns, and a... white-haired boy who was squatting on the ground, busily rubbing something together with Earth Release.
A moment later, a large, roofed, dirt-made wheelchair was freshly baked.
Haruko clapped his hands in satisfaction, pulled a rope from his Ninja tool pouch, tied the wheelchair to the carriage, and sat down on it.
Everyone: "..."
Bang!
Anko kicked Haruko off, shattering the wheelchair into pieces.
'Kid, are you here for a picnic? Get your head in the game!"
Anko, with a dark face, grabbed Haruko's ear and gritted her teeth. The team's image had been completely ruined by this kid.
" Jonin Ninja Anko, is your team member really okay?" Kato couldn't help it anymore, pointing at Haruko and complaining, 'He doesn't look like a Ninja at all!"
'Don't worry, Mr. Kato, " Anko rubbed her temples, 'He... is reliable at critical moments."
Though she said that, she was also drumming in her heart. Is this guy really reliable?
After the small interlude, the team officially set off.
Ichi and Makire were tense the whole time, afraid of missing any movement.
'These two silly kids, they'll be exhausted in a few days if they stay this nervous. Besides, we're so close to Konoha, there won't be any Mountain Bandits blocking the road."
Haruko followed at the very back of the team, hands behind his head, strolling leisurely, occasionally taking out snacks to eat.
" Jonin Ninja Anko, is he really a Ninja? Why does he look more relaxed than me?" a guard muttered in a low voice.
Anko heard it, but didn't say anything.
She knew that although Haruko appeared lazy, his perception was far beyond ordinary people.
The reason he was so relaxed was because he hadn't sensed any threat.
...
Night fell, and the caravan stopped at a relatively flat open space to prepare for camping.
'We'll stay here tonight!" Anko gave the order, 'Prepare the campsite and start setting up the tents."
Ichi and Makire immediately got busy. Although clumsy, they started setting up the tents in a decent manner. Haruko took a look at the surroundings and curled his lips.
'Setting up tents? Too troublesome."
He formed seals with both hands, and Earth Release Chakra circulated. The ground shook slightly.
" Earth Release: Earth House."
Soon, a simple shelter rose from the ground.
'This..."
The merchants and guards were stunned. They had never seen such a way of'setting up a tent' in their lives.
" Earth Release: Rock Furniture."
He even had the leisure to make some simple furniture and a rocking chair.
Ichi and Makire also stopped their work, staring at Haruko in a daze.
They were still struggling with how to insert the tent poles, while Haruko just clapped his hands and whatever he needed appeared.
Then, he took out an exquisite teapot and a few packs of tea leaves from his Ninja tool pouch, used Water Release to condense a mass of clear water in mid-air, and directly heated it.
Before long, a fresh tea aroma filled the air.
'Teacher Anko, would you like a cup of hot tea?" Haruko handed a cup of hot tea to Anko, with a hint of pride in his tone.
Anko took the teacup, took a sip, and the warmth spread from her throat to her whole body.
She had to admit that these 'Lifestyle Ninjutsu " of Haruko's indeed made her camp so easily and comfortably for the first time.
'This kid... only shows drive when he's enjoying himself..."
She noticed that Haruko even used Wind Release to form a wall of airflow around the shelter to blow away the surrounding mosquitoes.
'If this were daily life, this guy Haruko would be the perfect partner..." Ichi muttered to himself while enjoying the convenience, then quickly shook his head to shake off this dangerous thought.
Makire was thinking about the principles of Haruko's Ninjutsu: 'Using Chakra to change the state of matter, if it can be applied to combat, it might have unexpected effects."
The attitude of the merchants and guards towards Haruko also began to change subtly.
Although he was sloppy, he really had some skills. None of the Ninjas they had hired before could reach this level.
...
The team continued to move forward, and another two days passed like this.
When they reached a canyon, Haruko, who had been sloppy all along, suddenly stopped.
'Teacher Anko, there are quite a few people ahead, they might be in ambush. I suggest taking a detour."
'Huh? I've walked this road for decades, it's very safe!" Kato sneered.
'This is the shortest route, a detour would take two more days. Besides, I didn't hire you to be freeloaders. Can't you even deal with some Mountain Bandits?"
He waved his hand and ordered the team to continue moving forward.
Haruko looked at Anko, and seeing her shake her head: 'Everyone, be on alert and prepare for battle."
Just like that, the caravan ignored the warning and bit the bullet to enter the canyon.
The cliffs on both sides of the canyon were steep, and the terrain was dangerous, making it an excellent location for an ambush.
" Earth Release: Earth Wall'
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Long before the sound of breaking through the air came, Haruko had already activated his Ninjutsu.
An Earth Wall rose, blocking the rain of arrows flying from both sides.
'Enemy attack—!"
The guards of the caravan only then reacted, breaking out in cold sweats and assuming a defensive posture—if it weren't for Haruko's quick reaction, there would have already been casualties.
'Kill!"
Accompanied by shouts of killing, countless figures rushed down along the hillside, charging towards the caravan. Most of these people were ragged, holding knives, guns, and sticks; they were indeed vicious Mountain Bandits.
Following closely, several figures with Chakra fluctuations also flashed from behind the rocks, their eyes cold; clearly, the masterminds behind this group of Mountain Bandits were these rogue Ninjas.
Ichi and Makire were facing this kind of life-and-death struggle for the first time, their faces pale, and their movements were somewhat stiff.
" Ichi, Makire, this is not the Ninja game from before, this is a life-and-death battlefield! Get it together!"
Haruko's heartbeat was also accelerating—not out of fear, but excitement.
The battle-crazy blood of the Kaguya clan was boiling.
His mind hated this impulse, but his body was craving the battlefield, especially since the battle was now unavoidable.
Haruko left the team and took the initiative to meet the direction with the most people.
'Teacher Anko! I'll leave protecting the caravan to you."
His palms were covered with Chakra, and he casually smoothed his hair to the back.
His originally lazy temperament also became cold and sharp, like a drawn blade.
" Water Release: Bubbles." " Wind Release: Breeze."
He waved his hand casually, and crystal-clear bubbles drifted towards the Mountain Bandits with the wind.
'What the hell? Are you teasing children?" A Mountain Bandit poked the bubble in front of him with disdain.
Pop!
Sticky liquid smeared his face, instantly sealing his mouth and nose.
He scratched his face in horror, but couldn't tear it off no matter what, and soon suffocated and fell to the ground.
The Ninjutsu that was originally used to amuse Ayame had turned into a vicious killing move!
'Be careful! Don't let the bubbles get on your face!"
The Mountain Bandit who witnessed this scene loudly reminded his companions, while pulling down his clothes to block in front of him.
'As long as you block it, there's nothing to be afraid of!" A Mountain Bandit who successfully blocked the mucus with his clothes was feeling smug—
But he didn't notice that Haruko had already arrived in front of him.
'What about this?"
A cold light flashed, and a Kunai precisely sliced across his throat.
Blood sprayed.
Ignoring the fallen Mountain Bandit, Haruko's figure shuttled through the battlefield, the Kunai in his hand flying up and down, harvesting the Mountain Bandits distracted by the bubbles.
Every swing was accompanied by a shrill scream.
'Watch me blow them away, Wind Release—" A rogue Ninja saw that the situation was bad and began to form seals.
" Wind Release: Fly Swatter!"
Without forming seals, Haruko made a motion of swatting a fly.
An invisible wind mass hit the side of the rogue Ninja's face, as if he had been slapped, interrupting his Ninjutsu.
He wanted to distance himself to re-form seals, but his feet were already stuck in the soil at some point.
Earth Release: Soil Turning. It can not only farm, but also plant people.
In panic, Haruko had already arrived close and swung his Kunai, and the rogue Ninja subconsciously used the short blade in his hand to block.
The Kunai and the short blade clashed, making a harsh friction sound.
" Fire Release: Self-Heating Pot!"
Haruko gave a low shout, and a burst of Chakra instantly surged into the short blade.
The short blade became extremely hot, directly burning the rogue Ninja's palm.
The Ninjutsu originally used for fireless cooking had now become a divine weapon for disarming.
The rogue Ninja screamed, and the short blade left his hand.
He didn't give him any chance. The moment the short blade left his hand, Haruko's Kunai had already sliced across the opponent's throat.
Blood spurted out, and the rogue Ninja clutched his neck, eyes wide, and fell down unwillingly.
Another rogue Ninja saw his companion killed so easily by Haruko, roared, formed seals with both hands, and a Fire Release Ninjutsu attacked Haruko.
Haruko didn't even look, just leaned slightly to the side, while his left hand waved.
" Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
A thin Earth Wall appeared out of thin air, blocking in front of the Fire Release Ninjutsu.
The Fire Release Ninjutsu bombarded the Earth Wall, and the Earth Wall shattered instantly.
But there was no longer Haruko's figure behind it.
'Where are you looking?"
A cold light attacked from the side. The rogue Ninja wanted to avoid it, but the ground under his feet suddenly rolled, and a moment of imbalance made him follow in his companion's footsteps.
Across the battlefield, Haruko was like a cold and ruthless harvester; his movement was erratic, and his Ninjutsu was weird and unpredictable.
Those Lifestyle Ninjutsu that were usually used for enjoyment were now showing terrifying power in actual combat.
'My god... this guy..." Ichi's eyes were about to pop out. Haruko, who only knew how to slack off and rot every day, had now turned into a killing god on the battlefield.
Makire was also too shocked to speak; he had never seen such a relaxed and weird way of killing.
Kato and the guards were completely stunned. Their previous doubts about Haruko had all turned into awe at this moment.
The salted fish boy of ordinary days was actually such a killing god?!
Anko looked at Haruko with complex eyes. She knew Haruko was strong, but she never thought he could be this strong.
The Ninjutsu that was fired continuously like it didn't cost money was far stronger than her in both speed and precision, and no Jonin she knew could compare to it; it might even be comparable to Hokage-sama.
As for the lack of power in the Ninjutsu, it should be because Haruko is still young and lacks Chakra.
Once he grows up and fills in the shortcomings, and learns some powerful Ninjutsu, Konoha will surely add a general comparable to Hokage.
But where did he learn that Taijutsu that looked a bit like a dance? It could be seen that it was a systematic Taijutsu, but it was not taught by the Ninja Academy or even a school within Konoha.
And those eyes that made her feel strange, cold and even with a hint of... excitement?
...
The battle ended quickly.
After several rogue Ninjas were killed by Haruko like chopping melons and vegetables, the remaining Mountain Bandits soon scattered, leaving a mess.
The air was filled with a thick smell of blood.
Several surviving Mountain Bandits lay on the ground, crying and kowtowing for mercy.
It wasn't that they didn't want to run, their feet were stuck in the soil.
'Lo, Lord, spare us! We were wrong! We will never dare again!"
Haruko walked to them expressionlessly, added a knife to each of them, as if just clearing weeds in the field.
'You don't know you were wrong, you just know you are going to die. Be a good person in the next life."
Finally, he dragged two Mountain Bandits who were scared out of their wits and not yet dead back to the front of the team, and threw them in front of Ichi and Makire.
'You two haven't seen blood yet, right?" He pointed with his chin, 'There, two left, do you want to break your cherry?"
The hands of the two holding the Kunai were shaking, and they couldn't make a move for a long time.
The Mountain Bandits saw this and cried even harder, talking about their eighty-year-old mothers and three-year-old children, kowtowing until their heads were broken.
'Haruko, they already know they were wrong, there's no need..." Ichi said with some unbearable heart.
Makire also turned his head away, his face full of struggle.
Anko also walked over with a frown: 'Haruko, they are still children..."
"'Children' don't count on the battlefield. And Ninjas have to pass this hurdle sooner or later." Haruko shrugged, 'Forget it, I won't force it."
Then, in the terrified eyes of everyone, the Kunai in his hand did not hesitate, and with a flick of his hand, he directly cut the throats of the two Mountain Bandits.
Blood spurted out, splashing into the soil, staining a piece of land red.
'But we definitely can't let them go. If we let them go, what about the people they robbed and killed?"
Haruko wiped the blood on the Kunai on the corpse and slowly put it back into the Ninja tool pouch. It was as if he had just stepped on two bugs.
'Alright, it's time to clean up the battlefield." Haruko clapped his hands, returning to his lazy appearance again, 'And I can earn some extra money by the way."
'Uncle Kato, wait a moment, if so many corpses are not handled, they may attract beasts and cause a plague."
'Ye, yes, please go ahead."
Mr. Kato and the guards looked at Haruko with horror in their eyes.
After simply cleaning up the battlefield, the team continued to move forward.
Haruko used Earth Release to make a tricycle, and in the cart were the trophies he had looted and the heads of the rogue Ninjas that might have bounties.
This time, Kato and the guards didn't dare to express dissatisfaction. They didn't even dare to look at Haruko more, for fear of angering this terrifying boy.
Anko looked at Haruko's back, her eyes complex.
In this C-Rank Mission, Haruko had already shown the world the other side hidden under his lying flat.
She vaguely felt that the days to come would probably not be as easy as they were now.
This monster who lies flat will sooner or later stir up waves because of maintaining his own stable life.