Naruto rebirth! Xenoverse!

Chapter 58: Simple Superiority!

The bandits emerged from the treeline with the swagger of strong men who had grown accustomed to easy prey. Six men in mismatched leather armour and rusty weapons, their faces bearing the cruel confidence of those who had never faced real opposition. Their leader, a burly man with a scarred face and a chipped sword, pointed directly at the medical supplies stacked near the survivors.

"Well, well," he called out, his voice carrying across the small clearing. "Looks like we've got ourselves some lost travellers. Hand over the supplies and maybe we'll let the pretty medic live."

Behind Team 15, the three survivors instinctively pressed closer together. Ayame's good hand moved protectively toward her medical pouch, while Hiroshi clutched a walking stick with white knuckles. Kenji's eyes darted between the bandits and the young shinobi who stood between them and certain death.

"They're just children," Hiroshi whispered, his voice tight with fear. "How can three children protect us from six grown men?"

Kōzaru's enhanced senses immediately locked onto the bandits' levels—all of them registering at a pathetic level 3. After facing chunin-level opponents and surviving battles that had pushed them to their absolute limits, these common criminals felt like a joke. Still, Minato's words echoed in his mind about not letting easy victories breed carelessness.

"Should we even bother with jutsu?" Tatsuma asked quietly, his voice carrying a note of almost casual dismissal as he assessed their opponents.

"Save your chakra," Aotaka replied, his hand resting calmly on his sword hilt. "Basic taijutsu should be more than sufficient."

"Agreed," Kōzaru said, though he couldn't help but smile slightly. "Let's show them what shinobi look like."

The bandit leader raised his rusty sword and charged forward with a wild battle cry, clearly expecting his intimidating presence to scatter the young defenders. His crude technique and telegraphed movements seemed almost comically slow to eyes that had tracked the lightning-fast strikes of chunin-level shinobi.

Kōzaru didn't even bother with his Beast Mimicry jutsu. Instead, he simply stepped aside at the last moment, allowing the bandit's momentum to carry him past before delivering a precise strike to the back of his neck. The bandit collapsed instantly, his sword clattering uselessly to the ground.

[Bandit leader level 3 defeated. You have earned 100 EXP.]

"What the—" another bandit began, but his words were cut short as Tatsuma appeared beside him with fluid grace, moving too fast for him to track.

A simple combination—a feint with his left hand followed by a devastating right cross—sent the second bandit spinning to the ground. No shadow clones, no elaborate techniques, just pure skill and perfect timing honed through countless hours of training and real combat experience.

[Bandit level 3 defeated. You have earned 100 EXP.]

Meanwhile, Aotaka drew his sword in one smooth motion, the blade singing as it cleared its sheath. Two bandits rushed him simultaneously, their crude weapons raised in desperate attacks. But where once he might have struggled against multiple opponents, now he moved with the confidence of someone who had crossed blades with truly dangerous enemies.

His first cut parried both attacks simultaneously, the precise angle of his blade redirecting their force harmlessly aside. His follow-up moves were efficient and precise.—the pommel of his sword to one bandit's temple, a horizontal cut with the flat of his blade across the other's chest. Both men crumpled without even understanding what had happened to them.

[Bandit level 3 defeated. You have earned 100 EXP.] [Bandit level 3 defeated. You have earned 100 EXP.]

The remaining two bandits looked around wildly, their confidence evaporating as they watched their companions fall in the space of mere seconds. These weren't the helpless victims they had expected—these were trained killers who had made eliminating six grown men look as effortless as swatting flies.

"Run!" one of them screamed, turning to flee back into the forest.

But Kōzaru was already in motion, his enhanced speed allowing him to intercept the fleeing criminal with ease. A simple leg sweep sent the man tumbling, and a follow-up strike to his solar plexus left him gasping and unconscious as he folded in half on the forest floor.

[Bandit level 3 defeated. You have earned 100 EXP.]

The last bandit threw down his weapon and raised his hands in surrender, his face pale with terror. "Please! I yield! I surrender!"

Tatsuma approached him calmly, his movements relaxed and non-threatening despite the man's obvious fear. "You should find a new line of work," he said conversationally before delivering a quick nerve strike that sent the bandit into unconsciousness, making it look easy.

[Bandit level 3 defeated. You have earned 100 EXP.]

The entire fight had lasted less than thirty seconds. Six dangerous criminals had been neutralised without a single jutsu being used, without any of Team 15 even breaking a sweat. The clearing fell silent except for the gentle rustling of leaves and the shocked breathing of the three survivors.

"How... how did you..." Kenji stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the scattered bodies of their attackers.

"That was incredible," Ayame breathed, her composure cracking as she took in the display of effortless competence. "I've seen other ninja struggle against groups that size."

Hiroshi just stood in stunned silence, his mouth hanging open as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. These weren't just children playing at being warriors—they were genuine shinobi whose skills had been forged in the crucible of real combat.

"It's all about experience," Kōzaru explained gently, checking to ensure all the bandits were properly unconscious. "These men might have been dangerous to civilians, but compared to the enemies we've faced recently..."

"They barely registered as a threat," Aotaka finished, wiping a speck of dust from his blade before resheathing it.

"You three have fought opponents stronger than this?" Ayame asked, her voice carrying a note of professional curiosity mixed with growing respect.

"Much stronger," Tatsuma confirmed. "Chunin-level Stone and Cloud ninja, enemy jonin, coordinated assault teams... These bandits were actually refreshing in their simplicity."

The survivors exchanged glances, their understanding of their protectors' capabilities shifting dramatically. These weren't just academy graduates on their first real mission—they were combat veterans whose skills had been tested against dangerous opponents the ninja world could offer, despite their age.

"We should move," Minato's voice called from the edge of the clearing where he had been observing the brief encounter. "Well handled, all of you. Clean, efficient, and no unnecessary force. That's exactly how such encounters should be resolved."

As they gathered their supplies and prepared to continue their journey, Team 15 found themselves reflecting on how much they had grown since their early missions. The confidence they felt now, the way they had handled the bandits without hesitation or fear, spoke to a fundamental transformation that had occurred within each of them.

"Remember our first convoy mission?" Tatsuma said quietly as they walked, his voice filled with a mixture of nostalgia and amazement. "We were so nervous about facing a few Stone ninja."

"And now chunin-level opponents feel like a fair fight," Kōzaru added, his hand unconsciously moving to comfort Yuki and Riku who trotted beside him. "It's strange how your perspective changes."

"The real difference isn't just our levels," Aotaka observed thoughtfully. "It's our experience. We've learned to stay calm under pressure, to trust our training, to work together."

"Plus we've faced real danger," Kōzaru said, his voice carrying the weight of recent battles. "When you've fought for your life against opponents who could actually kill you, everything else seems manageable."

As they walked, each of them quietly accessed their status screens to check their progress, being careful to keep the information private from their sensei and the survivors.

Kōzaru smiled as he saw his updated statistics:

Kōzaru:

Inuzuka Clan: Level 9: EXP (20/2800) Skill points available: 3

Health: 145 + (15×2) = 175,

Chakra: 145+ (11×2) = 167,

Taijutsu: 15,

Ninjutsu: 11,

Genjutsu: 2,

Kenjutsu: 4,

Abilities: Wind Style (Gale Palm): Cost 20 chakra.

Body Flicker: Cost 10 chakra.

Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu: Cost 30 chakra.

Man Beast Clone: Cost 30 chakra per clone. Now no cost if the dogs use their own chakra.

Fang over fang: Cost 20 chakra.

Special: Heightened senses, Chakra Sensing

Yuki & Riku: Ninja hounds Basic Pack Coordination.

The realisation that he had finally accumulated enough experience to level up brought a warm feeling of satisfaction. All those battles, all that training, all the risks they had taken were finally paying off in measurable progress, also noticing that he had even levelled up a few of his skills from the battles fought.

Tatsuma's own status showed similar advancement, having improved his own skills too.

Tatsuma:

Uzumaki Clan: Level 8: EXP (1210/2000) Skill points available: 1

Health: 140 + (11×2) = 162.

Chakra: 180 + (11×2) + Uzumaki Bonus = 222.

Taijutsu: 11,

Ninjutsu: 11,

Genjutsu: 4,

Kenjutsu: 4,

Shurikenjutsu: 10.

Abilities: Shadow Clone Jutsu: Cost 25 chakra per clone.

Shadow Clone Shuriken: Cost 20 chakra.

Special: Enhanced endurance + 20 points to chakra.

While he hadn't quite reached the threshold for advancement, the steady accumulation of experience points was evidence of his continued growth and development as a shinobi.

Aotaka nodded with satisfaction as he reviewed his own progress, having improved in three areas, his taijutsu, his ninjutsu and his kenjutsu.

Aotaka:

Senju Clan: Level 8: EXP (750/2000) Skill points available: 1

Health: 180 + (8×2) + Senju bonus = 216.

Chakra: 140 + (8×2) = 156.

Taijutsu: 8,

Ninjutsu: 8,

Genjutsu: 4,

Kenjutsu: 15.

Abilities: Lightning Style (Static Force) Cost 20 chakra.

Senju Style: Falling Leaf: No cost to chakra.

Senju Style: Dancing Leaf: No cost to chakra.

Chakra Flow into Weapon: Cost 20 chakra.

Special: Enhanced strength and endurance + 20 points to health.

Each battle, each successful mission, each moment of growth was bringing him closer to the next level of capability. The system's recognition of their achievements provided tangible proof of their development as warriors.

"It's funny," Tatsuma said, his voice barely audible to avoid being overheard by their charges. "Not long ago, we were worried about passing the graduation exam. Now we're escorting survivors through hostile territory and fighting chunin-level opponents."

"The war has forced us to grow up fast," Kōzaru agreed, his enhanced senses automatically monitoring their surroundings even as they talked. "But I think we've handled it well. We're still ourselves, just... more capable versions." He said.

"And we're still together," Aotaka added, his voice carrying the warmth of genuine friendship. "Whatever challenges we've faced, we've faced them as a team."

Their conversation was interrupted by a subtle change in Minato's posture ahead of them. The jonin's relaxed walk became more alert, his head turning slightly as his sensory abilities picked up something that made him tense.

Kōzaru's own enhanced senses immediately sharpened, his nose twitching as new scents reached him through the forest air. What he detected made his blood run cold—the familiar mixture of metal, leather, and killing intent that marked the approach of enemy shinobi.

But these weren't bandits or low-level criminals. The chakra signatures he was picking up spoke to opponents far more dangerous than anything they had faced on this mission so far.

"Sensei," Kōzaru said quietly, his voice carrying a note of warning that immediately put his teammates on alert.

"I sense them too," Minato replied, his hand moving casually toward his weapon pouch in a gesture that would appear natural to any observers. "Multiple contacts, approaching from the northeast. Professional movement patterns."

"How many?" Tatsuma asked, his own senses straining to detect what his companions had already identified.

"At least four," Kōzaru replied, his enhanced abilities allowing him to separate the individual signatures. "Possibly more. And they're... stronger than the others we've faced recently."

The easy confidence they had felt after defeating the bandits began to shift into something more serious as the reality of their situation became clear. Their brief respite was over, and ahead lay another test of their growing capabilities.

But as Team 15 prepared for whatever was approaching through the forest, each of them felt the quiet confidence that came from knowing they had already proven themselves against overwhelming odds. They had grown from nervous academy graduates into capable shinobi, and whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath as enemy ninja moved into position, but Team 15 was ready. They had come too far and grown too much to be intimidated by the prospect of another fight.

Their journey to the medical outpost was far from over, but they would complete their mission and protect their charges, no matter what enemies emerged from the shadows ahead.