For people like Sora and his group, although Tsunade had restrained her aura, the powerful presence of being one of the "Legendary Sannin" still remained.
Fox was a veteran jonin, and Night Owl and Grey Wolf were also special jonin. Even if Sora did not deliberately show it, the robust temperament brought by his taijutsu training could not be hidden.
Under normal circumstances, any slightly experienced ninja sensing such a lineup would have fled long ago.
'Abnormality indicates a plot, they are either extremely stupid, or... they have some reliance?'
Sora was inwardly alert, but after repeated scans with his sensing, he confirmed that there was indeed only a group of rabble ahead.
As the distance closed, even the sound of conversation could be faintly heard.
"Boss, seems like someone is coming over!" A somewhat panicked voice said.
"What are you panicking about!" A rough voice berated, "Did you see clearly? How many people? Do they have headbands?"
"Ca... can't see too clearly, seems like four or five people, didn't see headbands..."
"No headbands? Hmph, probably merchants or wandering craftsmen! A fat sheep has come to our door! Everyone, perk up!"
The rough voice immediately became excited.
Hearing this, Sora and the others looked at each other, all feeling a mix of amusement and annoyance.
So all this time, the other side hadn't even clearly seen whether they wore headbands and just decided they were "fat sheep"?
'This group's professional level is too amateurish...'
Sora was speechless. It seemed they didn't have any reliance, they were purely stupid and blind.
Tsunade obviously also heard this conversation. The impatience on her face grew stronger. She really had no interest in these small-time roadside thieves and directly said to Sora:
"Sora, you go deal with it. Make it quick, don't waste time."
After a pause, she added:
"Just in time, try out what I just taught you. But pay attention to controlling the force. I'm watching."
This was clearly on-site instruction.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
Sora nodded, took a deep breath, and walked forward.
He understood Tsunade's meaning. Dealing with such small fry, using Super Strength to practice was most suitable. It allowed for practical training without any risk.
Fox and the other two guarded around Tsunade. This small scene wasn't worth them all making a move.
As for the "thing" Tsunade mentioned, the three of them had no thoughts, and dared not have any thoughts, but they still held a trace of curiosity.
Sora turned around a mountain col and saw the group blocking the road.
The leader was a short, stout, and fierce-looking middle-aged man with a dirty cloth strip tied around his forehead, no headband. He was probably that "boss" at chunin level.
Behind him were five or six people, men and women, wearing shabby clothes, holding inferior swords and kunai. Two of them even held pitchforks, their faces a mix of nervousness and greed.
Seeing Sora walking over alone, young and dressed in ordinary dark clothes, the short, stout man's eyes lit up. He laughed loudly:
"Kid, be smart and hand over all your valuables! Otherwise, don't blame me, your uncle Steel Plate Hikawa, for being impolite!"
Sora's gaze swept over the group, finally settling on the short, stout man. His sensing confirmed it. It was indeed only chunin level, and he seemed like the kind of wild, self-taught type with no proper heritage.
'Steel Plate Hikawa?'
But then, belatedly thinking about the name the short, stout man had just announced, Sora felt extremely speechless inside.
'This name, it really is... simple and direct, full of a hard, inconsiderate feeling towards others.'
He shook his head, suppressing the weird feeling inside. Then, Sora looked expressionlessly at Steel Plate Hikawa and spoke:
"Move aside, or, I will help you move aside."
His tone was calm, but carried an undeniable meaning.
Steel Plate Hikawa was angered by Sora's attitude. He was, after all, a chunin. In this area, which ordinary merchant caravan didn't tremble in fear upon seeing them?
"Brat, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Get him!"
Steel Plate Hikawa waved his hand. The several genin and ordinary people behind him shouted and charged forward.
Sora shook his head. Against such small fry, he couldn't even be bothered to use ninja tools or taijutsu techniques.
He recalled the essentials from the scroll, mobilized the chakra within his body, and rapidly concentrated it onto his right fist.
An invisible sense of power began to gather.
'Control... precision... erupt at a single point...'
Seeing a genin charging at the front, waving a kunai to stab, Sora neither dodged nor avoided. His right fist, seemingly slow but actually precise, swung forward.
He didn't aim at the person, but at a half-person-high rock on the ground in front of the opponent.
"Super Strength!"
Sora silently shouted in his heart. The concentrated chakra instantly erupted!
Boom!
That hard rock, like tofu hit by a giant hammer, instantly shattered into pieces, rubble flying everywhere!
A powerful airwave spread out from the point of impact of the fist, directly blowing away the few small fry who had charged forward. They fell, dazed and confused, wailing in pain.
And Sora's fist, after shattering the rock, had already been withdrawn, as if he had only done a trivial thing.
The scene fell dead silent.
Those small fry blown away by the airwave lay on the ground, looking at Sora in terror as if looking at a monster.
The fierce smile on Steel Plate Hikawa's face froze, his eyes wide open.
"You... you..."
He pointed at Sora, his voice trembling, unable to speak a complete sentence for a long time.
Although he was a wild, self-taught chunin, he still had some discernment.
That punch just now had no fancy ninjutsu effects. It was purely the eruption of physical strength combined with chakra. But that destructive power... definitely exceeded the chunin level!
'We've kicked an iron plate! No, we've kicked a steel plate!'
Steel Plate Hikawa's heart sank. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his back.
He finally understood why he couldn't feel the other party's obvious chakra fluctuations earlier. It wasn't that there weren't any, but that the other party's chakra control was far above his, and they had restrained their aura!
"G... great lord, spare my life! This humble one has eyes but failed to see! I have offended you, great lord!"
Steel Plate Hikawa fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing like pounding garlic, none of his previous arrogance remaining.
Seeing this, the small fry behind him also hurriedly knelt and begged for mercy.
Sora ignored Steel Plate Hikawa's pleas for mercy. Instead, he turned to look at Tsunade not far away.
Tsunade slightly nodded. No expression could be seen on her face, but a flash of approval passed in her eyes:
"The speed of chakra concentration is acceptable. The eruption point was also fairly precise."
"However, there was still too much force dispersion. Roughly thirty percent of the force was wasted on blowing away those small fry. Continue practicing. The goal is to have over ninety-five percent of the force act on the attack point."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
Sora replied respectfully, understanding in his heart.
That punch just now was mainly for effect and deterrence. He indeed hadn't achieved extreme precision.
'It seems I need to practice even harder. Tsunade is right. Reducing unnecessary consumption allows for longer-lasting battles.'
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