Chapter 77 Uchiha Takashi: A Little Show Isn't Just for Show!
Injection!
Uchiha Takashi first injected the Nature Energy serum.
The formula had been modified.
The auxiliary materials didn't enhance the serum's effect; instead, they 'slowed down' the release time of the serum's effects.
Previously, the effects erupted instantly.
Now, the formula allowed the effects to unfold more gradually.
Having learned so much medical knowledge, Uchiha Takashi had completed the improvements.
Hiss! He took a deep breath, as if that could cool his insides a bit.
The injected Nature Energy serum felt like lava flowing through his body, causing intense pain.
"Not bad!"
Uchiha Takashi carefully assessed his condition, and once he found he could barely endure it, he began his journey to the Land of Rivers.
Now that Taiichi had returned to the Valley of Hot Springs, he could only travel on foot.
Fortunately, he was a ninja! Even if he wasn't moving at full speed, he was still covering nearly a hundred kilometers.
In just one day, Uchiha Takashi entered the Land of Rivers and followed the signals left behind to find his team.
However... his timing was a bit off.
Clang, clang!
The sound of weapons clashing was incessant.
Two groups of ninjas were battling on the river, with a small island not far away.
The smaller group was Kobayashi Hei and his team, struggling to hold their defensive line.
They weren't wearing headbands! They couldn't reveal their identities, or the Sand Ninja army would surely come 'visiting.'
"Kill them!"
"Take everything from these fat sheep!"
"Don't retreat, all of you, charge!"
...
A guy wielding a ninja sword was commanding from the rear, occasionally shouting orders, making this group of rogue ninjas attack like a pack of wolves, probing and attacking constantly.
Note that the two sides weren't in a chaotic melee; the rogue ninjas were launching probing attacks and then quickly retreating.
It was clear that the enemy intended to exhaust Kobayashi Hei and his team's energy and chakra before finishing them off in one go.
And that wasn't all!
On either side of the small island were several small boats, a few meters long, filled with pirates wielding swords and harpoons, ready to seize any opportunity to storm the island.
Riverbank Bandit Group?
Uchiha Takashi immediately recognized the identity of these people from the flag on the ninja wielding the sword.
Knowing who they were, Uchiha Takashi felt relieved.
As long as it wasn't the Sand Ninja army attacking, he didn't need to worry.
Even though the enemy had numbers, rogue ninjas and village ninjas were on completely different levels in terms of combat power.
To put it bluntly.
Whether any of these people could even perform C-rank ninjutsu was questionable.
In the Five Great Ninja Villages, high-level ninjutsu might be hard to come by.
But in small ninja villages and among rogue ninjas, there was simply no chance to obtain them; they had to steal, cheat, or rob to get them.
That's why these rogue ninjas weren't using any ninjutsu, relying only on taijutsu or projectile attacks to fight.
Uchiha Takashi removed his Leaf headband and stepped forward.
At this moment.
The situation on the river was extremely unfavorable for the Leaf side.
Almost everyone was injured, and their faces were pale, clearly not in good condition.
The little chubby guy was definitely in the worst shape.
Because his combat ability was lacking, if Kobayashi Hei hadn't deliberately protected him, he wouldn't have lasted this long.
Seeing the enemy charging again, Honda was about to engage when he noticed Kobayashi Hei blocking his way.
"Captain?"
Honda looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he was being stopped.
"No need to act."
Kobayashi Hei looked at Uchiha Takashi, who was slowly walking along the river towards the battlefield, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter 77: Uchiha Takashi: A Little Show-Off Isn't Really Showing Off!
He had previously witnessed the opponent's combat strength, which was not much weaker than his own. The key point was that the opponent wasn't injured! A fully capable Jonin-level combatant from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages could easily sweep the entire field.
The unusual behavior of Kobayashi and the nearby Konoha ninjas did not escape the notice of the Riverbank Bandit Group. Following their gazes, they saw Uchiha Takashi walking on water from behind.
What a grand entrance!
Feeling the attention on him, Uchiha Takashi was extremely satisfied.
In the past, he kept a low profile to stay out of trouble, but that didn't mean he liked being unknown.
Since he had crossed over into the ninja world, it would be a lie to say he didn't desire to become a powerful figure with supreme strength; he just hadn't had the opportunity.
Now, this was the scene he had longed to see.
At this moment, he could perfectly describe himself as "showing off like the wind, always by my side."
Hmm, this wasn't awkward at all.
Future Sasuke Uchiha, during the Chunin Exams, made a back-to-back entrance surrounded by countless Konoha ninjas at the last second, which was truly awkward showing off.
Right now, Uchiha Takashi was at the level of "a little show-off isn't really showing off."
"Get lost, or die here!"
He directly stated his stance.
Although bandits in the ninja world weren't necessarily bad people, they often had blood on their hands.
The leader of the Riverbank Bandit Group, a rogue ninja nicknamed "Specter," wielding a long sword, scrutinized Uchiha Takashi.
A kid with some skill!
He made his judgment internally, then fiercely raised his ninja sword and shouted, "Kid, don't meddle in our affairs. While your Uncle Specter isn't angry, get lost!"
As he spoke, his subordinates cheered him on with their eyes.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Uchiha Takashi didn't waste any more words and directly unleashed a C-rank Fire Style jutsu.
However, this Fire Style was different from before.
The flame bullet, now the size of a person, was several times larger and a few shades darker than before.
Even the Uchiha clan's signature "Great Fireball Technique" couldn't compare to the power of this flame bullet.
This was supposed to be a C-rank jutsu, but it could easily be considered B-rank.
Whoosh! The person-sized fireball swiftly skimmed over the water's surface, heading straight for the bandit leader "Specter," engulfing him in flames before he could react.
Boom!
The exploding flames created massive waves, swallowing all the nearby rogue ninjas.
Faced with such a powerful jutsu, the reaction of these people was straightforward.
"Run for your lives!"
One by one, the rogue ninjas fled without looking back.
When disaster strikes, everyone flies away! These rogue ninjas demonstrated just how true this saying was.
The bandit group, a ragtag bunch, couldn't be expected to show much loyalty.
"You all..."
Specter, who had narrowly escaped using the Body Flicker Technique, saw his subordinates fleeing and was instantly enraged.
"Die!"
A voice whispered in his ear before he could react.
Thud! A kunai pierced Specter's heart from behind, causing him to collapse limply.
Uchiha Takashi stood on the water behind him, the flames on his body slowly dissipating.
His Body Flicker Technique had been so fast because he used "Flame Cloak Acceleration," otherwise the battle wouldn't have ended so quickly.
The opponent was merely a Chunin, and one who hadn't mastered any significant jutsu.
With Uchiha Takashi's current strength, defeating him was no problem.
Kobayashi was injured and had a target to protect; otherwise, dealing with him wouldn't have been much harder than killing a chicken.
After dealing with the opponent, Uchiha Takashi didn't pursue the fleeing bandits but instead began to rest on the island.
The upcoming period was his final chance to rest.
He needed this time to absorb the natural energy potion, Hashirama cells, and train his chakra control.
Once he returned to the Land of Fire, endless battles awaited him.
In the past, he had been worried and anxious when he was weaker.
But now... Uchiha Takashi looked towards the direction of the Land of Fire.
He was truly looking forward to what fun this upcoming ninja war would bring him.
(End of Chapter)