Chapter 6: Six Against One
Naruto Uzumaki had encountered plenty of dangerous women during his seventeen years of life.
There was Tsunade, who could demolish buildings with her fists and had an alarming habit of demonstrating that ability whenever someone mentioned her age.
There was Sakura, who had apparently inherited both Tsunade's strength and her terrifying temper.
And then there were the kunoichi who preferred using deception, charm, and carefully concealed weapons rather than simply punching someone through a wall.
Poison, Naruto decided, belonged to the third category.
The pink-haired woman stood several meters away, one hand resting on her hip while the other toyed with a length of chain hanging from her waist. Every movement appeared casual, almost playful.
But Naruto wasn't fooled.
Her weight remained balanced between her feet. Her eyes constantly examined his posture, and the apparently careless movements of her hands kept her weapon within easy reach.
She's pretty good.
He had encountered kunoichi who used similar tactics. They encouraged opponents to focus on their appearance while quietly positioning themselves for an attack.
Poison clearly understood how to exploit that distraction.
Unfortunately for her, Naruto had learned long ago that underestimating a pretty woman was an excellent way to end up in the hospital.
Or worse.
He looked toward the five fighters standing behind her.
Abigail and Hugo were practically mountains.
Rolento carried himself like a veteran soldier.
Sodom held his jitte with the confidence of an experienced weapons specialist.
And Roxy, Poison's orange-haired sister, was casually twirling a metal bat.
All six possessed substantial Ki.
This was going to be interesting.
Naruto smiled.
"So, you're Poison."
The woman tilted her head.
"Guilty, handsome."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
"Oh, I know. Your little performance against Zangief was quite impressive."
"Thanks!"
"Although I must admit, I preferred watching you knock out my guards. Much more entertaining."
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"Sorry about that."
"Are you?"
"Well, they did attack me first."
Poison chuckled.
"Fair enough."
Naruto's smile softened.
"Listen, I don't have anything personal against you. But I'm afraid I need to take you down."
For a moment, Poison simply examined him.
Then her lips curved into a playful smile.
"Now, why would you want to do something like that?"
"Because your gang's been causing trouble."
"Allegedly."
"Right."
"And you don't strike me as someone who enjoys hurting people unnecessarily."
Naruto nodded.
"I don't."
Poison took a step closer.
"Then perhaps we're approaching this the wrong way."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Think about it. You're clearly talented. You've got tremendous potential, and from what I've seen, you're not affiliated with any major organization."
Her voice became softer.
"Why waste your abilities fighting us when you could join us instead?"
Roxy grinned behind her sister.
"Here we go."
Poison ignored her.
"I could make you a core member of Mad Gear. You'd have money, influence, connections, and access to fighters from all over the world."
Naruto listened politely.
Poison smiled encouragingly.
"And naturally, you'd have the pleasure of working closely with me."
She leaned forward slightly.
Naruto stared at her.
Then asked, "Does that include health insurance?"
Poison blinked.
"...What?"
"Health insurance. You know, in case someone gets hurt."
Roxy snorted.
Naruto continued, perfectly serious.
"I mean, your guys are lying unconscious over there. I'd hate to join an organization that doesn't take care of its employees."
Poison stared.
Behind her, Roxy burst into laughter.
"Hey, sis! Did your charm stop working, or is this guy a machine?"
Poison's smile tightened.
"Quiet, Roxy."
Naruto chuckled.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not interested."
"Not even a little?"
"Nope."
"May I ask why?"
Naruto's expression became serious.
"Because I don't work for villains."
The words were spoken without anger.
That somehow made them more irritating.
Poison straightened.
"That's a rather harsh judgment to make about people you barely know."
"Maybe. But I've heard enough about Mad Gear to know you've caused plenty of problems."
"And you've appointed yourself our judge?"
"No."
Naruto shrugged.
"I'm just here to stop you from hurting more people."
Poison regarded him silently.
Then she smiled again.
"Such a righteous young man."
Naruto grinned.
"Yeah, I get that sometimes."
Roxy shook her head.
"He's either incredibly confident or completely insane."
"Could be both," Rolento remarked.
Naruto ignored the comment.
His attention had settled on the chain resting near Poison's waist.
He wanted to test something.
Without warning, he bent down and picked up a small pebble.
Poison's eyes followed the movement.
Naruto flicked it.
WHOOSH!
The pebble shot toward Poison at nearly the speed of sound.
The movement was so sudden that an ordinary person would never have registered the projectile.
Poison did.
Her hand snapped toward her waist.
CLANG!
A length of reinforced chain whipped through the air.
The pebble struck it and ricocheted sideways, embedding itself in a shipping container.
For a moment, everyone remained silent.
Naruto smiled.
"Nice!"
Poison's eyes narrowed.
That had been fast.
Extremely fast.
She had reacted largely through instinct, recognizing the movement of his fingers before the projectile left his hand.
Had she hesitated, the pebble would have struck her.
And judging by the dent in the metal container, it would have hurt considerably.
"Well," she said, recovering her smile, "you're full of surprises."
Naruto nodded appreciatively.
"Your reaction time is impressive. And that chain control was really good."
"Flattery won't help you."
"Wasn't trying to flatter you."
Poison studied him.
He wasn't bluffing.
He was genuinely analyzing her technique.
So that's what he's doing.
She understood now.
The boy wasn't simply challenging Mad Gear out of some misguided sense of justice.
He was also studying them.
Learning their fighting styles.
Assessing their abilities.
Poison's smile grew sharper.
"You're quite interesting, Naruto."
"Thanks!"
"Unfortunately, you've made a rather serious mistake."
Naruto tilted his head.
"What's that?"
Poison stepped backward.
"You've assumed you're the only one here who knows how to fight."
Rolento moved first.
His pistol appeared in his hand with practiced speed.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunfire shattered the silence of the docks.
Naruto didn't dodge.
The bullets struck his chest.
TINK! TINK! TINK!
Flattened metal dropped harmlessly to the pavement.
Rolento's eyes widened.
Naruto looked down at his shirt.
Then at the bullets.
"Huh."
He rubbed his chest.
"That tickles."
Rolento's expression hardened.
"Enhanced physical resistance."
He discarded the empty weapon and immediately reached for his grenades.
"Let's test its limits."
Naruto saw the explosives coming.
He could have intercepted them.
Instead, he remained still, curious about their destructive force.
Three grenades struck the ground around him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fire erupted across the loading area.
The explosions hurled fragments of concrete and metal through the air.
Smoke swallowed Naruto completely.
From her hiding place, King stiffened.
"Naruto!"
She nearly rushed forward.
Then she sensed his energy.
Steady.
Untroubled.
The smoke gradually cleared.
Naruto stood in the center of the damaged pavement, brushing dust from his shoulder.
His clothes were scorched in several places.
His body was unharmed.
He looked mildly disappointed.
"That's it?"
Rolento stared.
"Impossible."
Naruto examined the blackened ground.
So ordinary explosives aren't much of a problem.
He had deliberately relied on his physical conditioning and a restrained layer of chakra reinforcement.
The explosions had barely registered.
Still, he could see why such weapons were dangerous to ordinary people.
He glanced toward Rolento.
"Hey, you really shouldn't throw those around when there are other people nearby."
Rolento's eyes narrowed.
"Your concern is misplaced."
"Not really."
Naruto's smile vanished.
"Explosives don't care who gets caught in the blast."
Poison saw the change in his expression.
For the first time, the teenager looked genuinely displeased.
She decided it was time to act.
Her chain snapped outward.
CRACK!
The weapon wrapped around Naruto's right arm.
Poison planted her feet and pulled.
Naruto allowed himself to move.
Let's see what they've got.
He shot toward her.
But Poison wasn't trying to bring him closer to herself.
She was redirecting him.
Straight toward Abigail and Hugo.
"NOW!" she shouted.
The two giants moved simultaneously.
Their enormous arms swung outward.
Ki surged through their muscles.
DOUBLE LARIAT!
BAAAAAAM!
Both arms struck Naruto's chest.
The impact sent a violent tremor through the pavement.
Even Naruto felt that one.
His body jerked backward, and a sharp pressure spread through his ribs.
Whoa!
The two giants were significantly stronger than the ordinary thugs.
Their combined attack possessed enough force to crush heavily reinforced machinery.
Naruto slid several meters before stopping.
Abigail grinned.
"HAHA! HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT, PUNK?"
Naruto looked up.
"Not bad!"
Abigail blinked.
"...WHAT?"
"Seriously. That was pretty strong!"
Hugo frowned.
"He is still standing."
Naruto smiled.
"Yep!"
Before either giant could respond, something moved behind him.
Roxy.
She had used their attack as cover to circle around his position.
Her metal bat swung toward his head.
CRACK!
The reinforced weapon struck his skull.
Naruto was sent flying sideways.
He twisted in midair and landed on his feet.
Okay. That one had some weight behind it.
Roxy grinned.
"Gotcha!"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head.
"Nice timing."
"Thanks, sweetheart."
Then Sodom appeared.
His jitte flashed.
Naruto shifted away from the first strike.
The second skimmed his arm.
A thin line appeared across his skin.
Naruto glanced down.
Huh. He actually scratched me.
He had relaxed his chakra reinforcement while focusing on the others.
The wound was superficial, but the lesson was useful.
These people knew how to exploit openings.
Sodom pressed forward, both weapons moving in a rapid sequence.
Naruto avoided three strikes, redirected a fourth, and allowed the fifth to connect against his reinforced forearm.
CLANG!
The jitte rebounded.
Sodom's eyes widened.
Naruto grinned.
"My turn."
His chakra surged outward.
WHOOOM!
A controlled shockwave hurled Sodom backward.
Before the armored fighter could recover, Naruto accelerated.
He caught up with him in midair.
Crossing his forearms in an X-shaped strike, Naruto slammed both fists into Sodom's abdomen.
BOOM!
Sodom flew across the docks.
His body skimmed over the harbor water before crashing into the sea with an enormous splash.
Naruto landed lightly.
"Hope that armor doesn't make swimming too difficult."
King stared from her hiding place.
She had expected Naruto to be powerful.
But this was becoming ridiculous.
Bullets hadn't hurt him.
Grenades had barely inconvenienced him.
Abigail and Hugo had struck him together, yet he remained completely functional.
And Sodom, a seasoned martial artist, had just been thrown into the harbor.
Still, something else concerned her.
Naruto wasn't attempting to end the confrontation.
He was studying his opponents.
He allowed attacks to land.
Measured their power.
Observed how they coordinated.
Then responded with controlled force.
He's treating this like a sparring session.
King frowned.
That could be dangerous.
The Mad Gear veterans were experienced fighters. Although Naruto possessed an extraordinary advantage, carelessness against coordinated opponents could still result in injury.
More importantly, they were criminals.
There was no guarantee they would respect any limits he imposed.
King shifted her weight, ready to intervene.
Then she noticed something.
Naruto was smiling.
Not cruelly.
Not arrogantly.
He looked genuinely delighted by the challenge.
You really are a strange boy.
Naruto glanced toward the water.
Sodom had surfaced and was swimming toward a nearby ladder.
Good.
He hadn't intended to seriously injure him.
Then Naruto turned toward the remaining fighters.
Their teamwork is incredible.
Poison's chain had redirected him perfectly.
Abigail and Hugo had attacked at the exact moment he entered their range.
Roxy had exploited his recovery.
And Sodom had followed immediately.
Each attack created an opening for the next.
Naruto's expression became thoughtful.
They're better coordinated than Team Seven used to be.
It was a painful realization.
He loved his teammates.
But their early missions had been full of arguments, competing priorities, and attempts to prove themselves individually.
Sasuke preferred relying on his own abilities.
Naruto had frequently charged ahead.
Sakura often ended up trying to keep them both under control.
Kakashi had worked hard to teach them cooperation, but their circumstances hadn't always allowed that lesson to fully develop.
These criminals, on the other hand, worked together with remarkable efficiency.
Guess there's always something new to learn.
Naruto sighed.
His own shadow-clone combat style was still developing.
He could coordinate multiple bodies and execute complex formations, but truly mastering that style required tremendous practice.
Jiraiya had repeatedly warned him against relying entirely on overwhelming chakra reserves.
A good fighter knows how to win. A great fighter knows why he won.
Naruto had initially thought the old man was being unnecessarily dramatic.
Now he understood the lesson.
If these six fighters possessed strength comparable to his own, their coordination could have made them extremely dangerous opponents.
Fortunately, that wasn't the situation.
Naruto looked toward the gang.
"All right!"
He shrugged off his orange jacket.
Beneath it, he wore a black shirt decorated with an orange spiral.
His necklace rested against his chest, while his orange pants and shinobi sandals completed his familiar appearance.
He tossed the jacket aside.
"Let's have some fun!"
Abigail scowled.
"YOU THINK THIS IS FUN?"
Naruto grinned.
"Sure! You guys are pretty good!"
Roxy stared at him.
"Pretty good?"
"Yeah. Your teamwork's excellent."
Poison narrowed her eyes.
"You're mocking us."
"Nope."
Naruto stretched his shoulders.
"I'm serious. But I think you can do better."
Rolento's face darkened.
"You presume too much."
"Maybe."
Naruto lowered his stance.
"But you haven't forced me to get serious yet."
Silence.
Then Abigail roared.
"I'LL SHOW YOU SERIOUS!"
He charged.
Naruto sighed.
"Here we go again."
"Hold on!"
Poison raised her hand.
Abigail stopped reluctantly.
"WHAT NOW?"
Poison ignored him.
Her attention remained fixed on Naruto.
"You're certainly confident, handsome."
Naruto smiled.
"Thanks."
"Perhaps too confident."
"Been told that before."
Roxy approached her sister.
She leaned against Poison, wearing an exaggeratedly innocent expression.
"Come on, Naruto. You wouldn't really hurt us, would you?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Roxy smiled sweetly.
"We're just two fragile maidens."
Naruto looked at the two women.
Then at the unconscious guards.
Then at the dent Poison's chain had left in a shipping container.
"...Fragile?"
"Very," Roxy assured him.
Poison smiled.
"Extremely delicate."
Naruto burst into laughter.
"Oh, that's a good one!"
Roxy pouted.
"You're supposed to feel sorry for us."
"Sorry, ladies."
Naruto cracked his knuckles.
"But I'm no gentleman."
Poison laughed.
"At least you're honest."
Naruto's smile softened.
"Look, I'm not trying to kill anybody. I don't even have proof of everything your organization has been doing yet."
"Then why attack us?" Poison asked.
"Your guards tried to kill me, remember?"
Roxy glanced toward the unconscious men.
"He's got a point."
Naruto continued.
"I'm here because someone asked me to investigate you. And since you guys seem determined to fight, I figured I might as well get some practice."
Poison stared.
"Practice?"
"Yep."
She slowly shook her head.
"You really are something else."
Naruto grinned.
"Thanks!"
Poison's smile disappeared.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Aw."
Then Hugo and Abigail charged.
The two giants approached from opposite directions.
Naruto ducked beneath Abigail's enormous fist.
Hugo lunged forward, attempting to seize him.
Naruto slipped between them.
Rolento's staff swept toward his legs.
Naruto jumped.
For a brief instant, he hung above the three fighters.
Then his legs snapped outward.
BAM! BAM!
One kick struck Abigail.
The other hit Hugo.
Both giants crashed onto the pavement.
Before Naruto landed, Poison's chain wrapped around his left ankle.
"Got you!"
She pulled.
Naruto twisted, using the movement to rotate his body.
But Poison anticipated the counter.
Rather than resisting, she slid across the pavement, using his momentum to accelerate toward him.
Her leg rose.
A sharp heel strike aimed directly at his forehead.
Naruto shifted his head.
Not quite enough.
CRACK!
The heel struck just above his eyebrow.
A thin line of blood appeared.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
Nice!
The strike had been incredibly well timed.
Poison had transformed his own defensive maneuver into an opening.
Naruto landed.
Before he could straighten, Roxy appeared with her bat.
He raised one arm.
CLANG!
The weapon struck his forearm.
Rolento attacked from the opposite side.
His staff slammed toward Naruto's ribs.
Naruto blocked.
The impact vibrated through his arm.
Then Rolento changed direction, attempting to catch his shoulder.
Naruto seized the staff.
Rolento released it instantly and reached for another weapon.
Too late.
Naruto caught his wrist.
"Sorry!"
He twisted.
POP!
Rolento's shoulder dislocated.
The soldier's face tightened.
But he refused to scream.
Instead, he attempted to strike Naruto with his free hand.
Naruto ducked.
Then delivered a controlled kick.
BAM!
Rolento flew backward and crashed onto the pavement.
He rolled several times before coming to a stop.
For a moment, he tried to rise.
Then his injured shoulder failed him.
Rolento collapsed to one knee.
Naruto watched him carefully.
He'll live.
He had deliberately restrained the force of the kick.
Still, Rolento was finished for the moment.
"ONE DOWN!" Abigail roared angrily.
"Technically," Naruto replied, "I already sent your samurai friend swimming."
As if summoned by the insult, Sodom climbed onto the dock.
Water poured from his armor.
He looked furious.
Naruto waved.
"Hey! Welcome back!"
Sodom tightened his grip on his jitte.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!"
Naruto sighed.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
Poison was beginning to understand something unpleasant.
They were losing.
Not because they lacked experience.
Not because their tactics were poor.
Their coordination had been excellent.
Against most opponents, their opening combination would have ended the fight.
Against Naruto?
It had barely slowed him down.
Even worse, the boy seemed to be improving as the battle continued.
Every time they attempted a combination, he adapted.
He recognized their timing.
Adjusted his movements.
And countered with increasingly precise attacks.
He's learning our fighting styles.
Poison narrowed her eyes.
The mysterious teenager wasn't simply overpowering them.
He was using their attacks as opportunities to improve himself.
That was infuriating.
And frightening.
She had encountered powerful fighters before.
Cody.
Guy.
Ryu.
Terry Bogard.
Each possessed extraordinary combat ability.
But Naruto was something different.
His speed was absurd.
His energy reserves were difficult to measure.
And his durability seemed almost impossible.
She watched as he casually wiped blood from his forehead.
The cut began closing.
Poison froze.
What?
She stepped closer.
The blood remained on his fingers.
But the injury was disappearing.
Within seconds, the skin above his eyebrow was completely restored.
Roxy noticed too.
"Sis..."
"I see it."
"That isn't normal."
"No."
Abigail cracked his knuckles.
"SO WHAT? I'LL JUST HIT HIM HARDER!"
Poison glanced toward the enormous man.
For once, she wished he would stop talking.
Naruto looked at the blood on his fingers.
Then shrugged.
"Guess that's taken care of."
Poison stared.
"Who are you?"
Naruto looked up.
"Huh?"
"Who are you really?"
His smile faded slightly.
Poison continued.
"You're seventeen. You appear out of nowhere, challenge Zangief, and then walk into our territory as though you're taking an evening stroll."
Naruto listened.
"You possess extraordinary speed, unusual energy, and enough durability to withstand attacks that should cripple ordinary fighters."
She gestured toward his forehead.
"And now you're healing injuries right before our eyes."
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"Well..."
Poison stepped closer.
"Why did you specifically target Mad Gear?"
For a moment, the docks fell silent.
Even Abigail stopped shouting.
Naruto looked around.
At Roxy.
At the wounded Rolento.
At Sodom, still dripping seawater.
At Hugo and Abigail.
Then finally at Poison.
He smiled.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Poison frowned.
"You already told me that."
Naruto continued.
"The Sixth Hokage."
Silence.
Roxy blinked.
"The sixth what?"
"Hokage."
Poison stared.
"Is that a martial arts title?"
"Something like that."
Rolento narrowed his eyes.
"An unfamiliar military designation?"
Naruto considered the question.
"Not exactly."
Poison folded her arms.
"And what does this Hokage title mean?"
Naruto grinned.
"Basically? I'm the leader of my village."
Roxy laughed.
"You're a village chief?"
"Hey! It's a pretty important job!"
Poison studied his face.
For some reason, she believed him.
Not that she understood what he was talking about.
But he wasn't lying about the title.
That much seemed clear.
"All right, Naruto Uzumaki, Sixth Hokage," she said slowly. "Why are you here?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Someone asked me to deal with your gang. And I needed some live practice."
Poison's eye twitched.
"Practice."
"Yep!"
"You attacked our headquarters for practice?"
"Well, I did try talking first."
Roxy snorted.
"He's not wrong."
Poison glared at her.
Roxy wisely fell silent.
Naruto continued.
"Look, I'm not interested in killing you. But I do want answers about what Mad Gear's been doing around Tokyo."
His smile softened.
"And if you guys insist on fighting, I'm happy to keep going."
Poison examined him.
He wasn't threatening them.
Not deliberately.
That was what made the situation so disturbing.
Naruto genuinely considered this battle little more than a sparring session.
He had taken their strongest attacks, analyzed their techniques, and defeated several of their members without treating them as serious threats.
And somehow, Poison suspected she still hadn't seen anything close to his full strength.
She glanced toward her remaining fighters.
Hugo and Abigail were breathing heavily.
Sodom was injured but still standing.
Roxy remained ready.
Rolento was attempting to reset his shoulder.
They could continue.
But should they?
Poison hated admitting it, even privately, but the answer was becoming increasingly obvious.