169: What does Orochimaru have to do with the damage dealt by Kabuto?

"Yah! Yah! Yah!"

Naruto yelled, his eyes locked onto Kabuto. 

He charged forward, right arm cocked back in a fist, the Wind Eagle Armor making him look incredibly imposing. 

He accelerated with each stride, leaving a blue-green streak in the sunlight.

BOOM!

The tremendous sound startled Shizune, who was holding Tonton. 

Everyone watched as Kabuto used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge. 

Naruto, in his Armor Hero getup, didn't even try to avoid the collision, charging straight into the large rock behind Kabuto. 

He embedded himself halfway into it.

"Um, Lady Tsunade, is Naruto…really going to be okay?" Shizune muttered worriedly. 

While Naruto's outfit looked incredibly safe and powerful, the person wearing it was, unfortunately, a notorious idiot.

"He should be fine. He's probably just not used to the armor yet." Tsunade frowned as she watched Naruto.

"Hey, kid. You fine? Why don't you step back and let us handle them?

"My body has fully recovered now.

"Ahhhh, no need!" Naruto roared, struggling to pull himself free from the rock face. "I'm just too fast in this armor!

"I can't control it yet!"

This made everyone present pause. 

Armor was generally known for its defense; it usually slowed the wearer down considerably. 

Yet, Naruto seemed to have become much faster in this armor. He was almost as fast as a ninja using the Body Flicker Technique. 

They didn't know that the Wind Eagle Armor, in the world it came from, was famous for its speed. 

It was the fastest of all the armors.

"Wa-ha-ha! You can't even touch me, loser!

"Come on, Kabuto-senpai, stop running and take a punch!"

Naruto adjusted his stance and charged again, yelling. 

Kabuto pushed his glasses up and dodged with another Body Flicker.

'Like hell I'll just stand there! Try standing still and letting me stab you, see what happens.'

Kabuto thought furiously. 

But then he realized that even if Naruto did stand still, he probably couldn't pierce the armor. The thought made him gloomy. 

'I want an armor like that too…'

Rip!

After several successful dodges, Naruto finally managed a glancing blow. 

This small victory made Naruto's eyes light up.

"Senpai Kabuto, looks like you're getting tired~?

"I'm just warming up though!

"This armor is so comfortable; I don't even get tired of running!" Naruto, couldn't help but start bragging. Kabuto's eye twitched.

'Damn it! I really want that armor! Is it too late to join Konoha now?'

'This can't go on any longer,' Kabuto thought grimly.

'That brat's movements are getting more refined.

'And that armor…it doesn't seem to require much Chakra to maintain.

'Meanwhile, I'm constantly using Chakra for the Body Flicker to dodge. If this drags on, I'll lose for sure.

'I've figured out most of this armor's capabilities anyway. Lord Orochimaru should be able to analyze even more intel from this. That's enough.'

Kabuto decided to retreat. 

He was only sparring with Naruto to test the armor's strength and abilities, to gather information. 

Now that Tsunade had recovered, and Jiraiya had arrived, there was no point in continuing. He didn't want to tangle with Naruto anymore.

Unfortunately for him, Naruto wasn't about to let him go. Such a good punching bag, ahem, sparring partner, was not to be let off easily.

Thanks to Kabuto, Naruto felt himself getting more and more proficient with the use of the armor. 

With a burst of speed, he created a gust of wind as he chased after Kabuto. 

In a flash, he was running alongside him.

"Kabuto-senpai, you're so slow!" Naruto even spread his hands and somehow made a silly face with the armor. 

Seeing a robotic figure make such a gesture was, in a way, both cute and funny.

"You little brat!" Kabuto gritted his teeth, spitting out the words.

'He's gotten faster. This kid's using me as practice. But, I've been waiting for you to get close. '

A sinister smile flashed across Kabuto's face. He unleashed the jutsu he'd prepared while running.

Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!

A massive water dragon roared to life behind him. 

The sudden attack caught Naruto completely off guard. 

Of course, being newly empowered, Naruto hadn't even considered the possibility of a sneak attack. He was instantly swallowed and swept away by the water dragon.

The flat ground exploded with a massive splash, leaving a clear watery trail dozens of meters long.

"Hahaha, that armor might block some ordinary physical attacks…

"But can it block ninjutsu?" Kabuto chuckled, adjusting his glasses.

"Naruto!" Tsunade exclaimed, finally alarmed. 

Seeing Naruto with his miraculous power, she'd assumed he was safe and hadn't intervened. 

Now, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. 

If a normal person were to take on such an attack without any protection, they would have been pulverized without doubt.

You can never let your guard down in a ninja battle. Ambushes, assassinations, and feigned weakness were a ninja's bread and butter.

"Orochimaru, if anything happens to Naruto, I'll skin you alive!" Tsunade shouted, slamming her right hand onto the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Smoke billowed into the sky as Katsuyu, the giant slug, made a grand entrance.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Seeing Tsunade finally make her move, Jiraiya followed suit, summoning Gamabunta, the giant toad. 

He leaped onto Gamabunta's back, who was the size of a small hill, and charged towards Orochimaru and Kabuto. 

Regardless of Naruto's condition, stalling those two was the priority.

"What does this poor Orochimaru have to do with the damage dealt by Kabuto?" Orochimaru, with his immobile arms dangling, feigned innocence. 

At the same time, he glanced at Kabuto.

Kabuto, as a loyal and capable subordinate, instantly understood.

He used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Orochimaru. 

He lifted Orochimaru's arm, made a cut, and pressed it to the ground. The sequence was fluid and practiced. 

He assisted Orochimaru in completing his summoning jutsu.

Amidst the rising smoke, the monstrous and powerful Manda appeared. As if they were lifelong enemies, Gamabunta and Manda locked eyes. 

Killing intent filled the air.

"Prepare 10,000 sacrificial offerings." Manda, as arrogant as ever, stated his summoning conditions with a narrowed gaze. 

Then, its massive body launched into the air and burrowed underground. 

When it emerged, a tremendous explosion rocked the ground as it appeared beside Gamabunta. 

Its enormous jaws opened wide, threatening to swallow the mountain-sized toad whole.

"Quickly, find me the armored warrior.

"He's a Konoha Genin. If he's injured, heal him immediately." Tsunade, ignoring the battle beside her, urgently ordered Katsuyu to search for Naruto.

"Understood, Lady Tsunade!"

Countless miniature slugs split off from Katsuyu, heading towards the smoky area where the Water Dragon Bullet had landed.

"Grandma Tsunade, I'm fine!"

At that moment, a blue figure emerged from the smoke. 

Although a bit disheveled, with scratches all over his armor, his movements were still agile and natural. 

He seemed unharmed.

"Kabuto-senpai! that was sneaky. I almost blacked out.

"But, that was really a blessing in disguise…

"I unlocked a new skill!"

The imposing armored warrior, with steam rising from his body, slowly walked towards Orochimaru and Kabuto. 

This action once again drew everyone's attention.

"I can do long-range attacks now!" Naruto declared loudly, raising his right arm.

"Here it comes!

"Wind Eagle Crossbow!"