23 Growth

Near the Waterfall,

Swish!

Arrow's barraged from all the bushes around, though the three showing no panic.

Sayuri moved quickly and pulled the old man who was the weakest near her, both Naoki and Shinku covering them, safe in the middle.

"Glin!"

The speed of arrows was way slow compared to shuriken hurled by an even average shinobi, Shinku easily cutting every arrow with his sword.

Naoki looked even more relaxed, with his bare hands precisely grabbing the wooden part of every arrow at high speed and throwing them away.

HAAAA!!!!

Both of them calmly dealt with all the arrows, successfully protecting Sayuri and old man in the middle, though the moment arrows stopped, from the bushes quite a few figures standing up, yelling out.

Thup!!!

Around 20 to 30 figures holding swords, axes and other cold weapons rushed towards Naoki and other three.

The approaching speed of all of them was slow as a turtle compared to even a genin, just normal bandits not able to utilize the power of chakra.

The movements of the bandits were full of flaws in shinku's eyes and he could also see the intent to kill in there eyes, despite this the hands holding the swords shaking.

Boom!!

Unlike Shinku, Naoki didn't show any hesitation as he squatted a little, the ground under him cracking a little as he shot towards the group like a bullet.

"Monster!!"

Such speed frightened the approaching bandits, the one's at front halting in shock.

Boom!!!

Naoki at high speed appeared before them as his right hand clenched into a fist striking the stomach of a bandit, the impact generating a loud visible air burst.

PONG!!!!

Blood like a stream flew out of the mouth of the bandit hit by the punch, like a rag doll shot back flying upside down, taking five six other bandits behind him as well as all crashed into trees far away, uprooting them.

The trees fell down as dust rose up, though the figures shot upside down by Naoki on the ground motionless, no sign of life in the still horrified eyes.

"This body is truly a blessing in this world with people having such weak physiques!"

Seeing what his punch without the aid of chakra had done, Naoki truly understood the value of his otherworldly body.

If the physique of an average shinobi was 1 point, then an average pirate or marine had physique equal to 20 points at least, such a vast difference.

His punch just now wouldn't even had injured a marine or pirate, but here he had taken six lives with it.

*What am I even doing?*

The destruction caused by Naoki brought Shinku to his senses, the hesitation and every other thought drifting away.

This was a battlefield, the most important thing was now for him to say alive, anything else can be thought about later if he survived.

"Thwack!!"

The hands holding the blade stopped shaking as shinku plunged into the group of remaining bandits, blood flying, screams sounding.

"Clin!"

Die!!!!

The sword of shinku cleanly cut the neck of a bandit, then another's but suddenly a mad bandit from behind raised his sword to slash at him.

*Whiz!!*

Though Shinku despite feeling the danger didn't turn around and focused on front, just when the sword of the bandit about to cleave him into two, a kunai cutting through air drilling into the neck of the bandit.

The bandit tumbled down holding his neck, shinku from the corner of his eyes giving the girl next to the old man an approved look.

Crack!!

"Ha...they finally understand what's important now!"

Said Naoki letting out a small laugh, tilting the neck of the bandit in his grip, relieved that his teammates had gotten over there hesitation and knew what was more important.

The bandits with no ninjutsu or taijutsu didn't last long against talented shinobi like Naoki, Shinku and Sayuri, one by one cut down.

"These little monsters!! I'm not getting killed here!"

The last remaining bandit seeing all his companions dead, let out his frustration and with an anxious look turned around to run.

Thud!

"Wait... let's see where he runs off to!"

Shinku wanted to chase and kill him though stretching his arm Naoku prevented him, telling his plan.

Shinku stopped as the three watched the bandit rushing towards the waterfall, soon disappearing behind it.

Without wasting any moment, the three of them approached the waterfall, ready to investigate.

Though it didn't take much looking, the three finding the cave behind the waterfall very quickly.

"I guess this is there lair...from here onwards the real mission starts!"

Said Naoki in a serious tone, eyes gazing into the deep dark cave before him.

"We don't know what we might encounter inside...there could also be traps around... I think just in case we should leave one person outside!"

Though they didn't enter immediately and began to formulate a plan, Sayuri presenting her opinion.

Hello Guys Author Here.

The word count of chapters may be low but due to job and other stuff, I don't get much time to write, so I write whatever I can, also after this mission volume 2 starts where story will enter the interesting phase of mc improving himself.

10 chapters ahead on p@treon.com/Yuki7145.