A surge of energy flowed through Dacheng. It felt warm and comforting, and he didn't feel so hurt anymore.
[Passive skill Warmth activated. The optimal fighting condition has been restored.]
He clenched his fists into a warrior's pose and then released them.
"Blazing with passion, refining the wicked. I am... Fire - Ninja - Kabuto... Seven!!"
Making a jump upwards to join the others, Dacheng entered into a team pose with them.
"Fighting for justice, we are the Ninja Team Kabuto!"
"Number Seven, this is HQ." A female voice, which Dacheng recognized as belonging to the woman in the pink kimono, sounded in his ears. "We'll sort out your unexpected case later. Your current mission is to defeat all the Genin of the Devil Storm Clan!"
"Will do!" he replied eagerly. A window flashed before his eyes, catching him by surprise.
[You have received a new mission!]
[Mission: Defeat the Genin!
Description:
Difficulty: E
Your first mission as a ninja in training is to defeat no less than 10 Genin of the Devil Storm Clan. If you can't beat them, don't call yourself a ninja! Don't hold back. Go crazy!
Reward for success: HQ will have a better opinion of you.
Penalty for failure: You wouldn't want to find out, now, would you?]
Once the initial surprise wore off, he took one look at his mission and accepted it without hesitation. He yelled loudly and charged into battle, kicking the nearest Genin with his right leg. The Genin stumbled and fell into the nearby sea.
"Kid, this is Number Two." Another voice crashed into his head. "We'll let ya tag along for now, but don't try anythin' stupid."
Dacheng nodded in response. That last voice sounded annoyingly familiar, but he had better things to do than try to recall the owner - like beating up the Genin in front of him.
"Dacheng!!" Ritsuko yelled from somewhere safe, guarded by Mr. Tendo. "DO YOUR BEST!!"
Dacheng nodded. He fought with renewed vigor and determination.
Now that he had backup and the pressure of a mission upon him, he didn't think he would be losing so quickly. He even felt like he could put up more of a fight!
Bloody Bat flew away to observe the battle from afar.
Dacheng saw the rest of his team holding up on their own very well, so he decided to focus on his problems. 'Borrowing' another ninjatō from a knocked-out Genin, he managed to take several Genin out, with more strength and speed behind every strike.
He slowly but surely got a feel for swordsmanship and managed to knock out a few more Genin.
A new message appeared with peppy celebratory fanfare as Dacheng defeated another Genin.
[Congratulations! You have raised your Strength and Stamina by 1 point each!]
Dacheng suddenly began to have a minor headache, but he shook it off.
As Mr. Tendō protected the Minister and Ritsuko, the Kabuto team, sans Dacheng, defeated their foes with skill, strength, and teamwork.
The Genin of the Devil Storm Clan seemed almost unlimited, but the Kabuto Six had a few tricks up their sleeves!
"Kabutonium: Attack Formation: Disk Setting!"
A golden liquid appeared in Number Five's hand and hardened into a golden-yellow gear-shaped throwing disk - this was a metal element that hadn't even appeared in the periodic table yet. In the spirit of a blue war veteran, Number Five tossed it towards the enemy, downing a few Genin upon impact.
"Earth Kanabō!"
Number Four summoned a big brown club. They struck their opponents with such force that the club vibrated, and their heads were bent in.
"Flower Nunchucks!"
Number Three summoned a pair of nunchucks made from vines. With it, they beat back the foe, evoking the image of the dragon man in the yellow tracksuit.
"Sonic Gourd: Burst Jutsu!"
Number Six summoned a plain-looking bottle gourd and unscrewed it. Suddenly, a great wind burst from the gourd and blew some Genin away.
"Elek Kusari-fundo!"
Number One summoned a rope with metal weights at the tips. Unfortunately, they nearly got dragged away by a stronger Genin. Thankfully, they managed to shock the Genin unconscious.
"Hydro Hand Cannon: Rapid Stream Jutsu!"
Number Two did the unexpected and summoned a water gun with a pressure valve, firing rapid streams of water that left the Genin all washed up.
But how was Dacheng doing?
He had dealt with the Genin almost effortlessly. Having a brief debate with himself on whether or not he would keep the ninjatō he had just taken, he had decided to save himself the trouble and dropped it for the time being.
He confronted Bloody Bat, who had just jumped down from higher ground.
"Bloody Bat!" Dacheng yelled. "For threatening a child, I won't let you off at all!!"
"You have no power here, foreigner!" the monster ninja replied.
And so, the fight between an experienced Chūnin and a young man with bizarre dreams began.