Naruto: Can't Use Ninjutsu? I'll Create the Strongest Fighting Style-Chapter 49 - 47: I Don’t Have the Tools Yet, But I’m Already Planning the Research Paper

Chapter 49 - 47: I Don’t Have the Tools Yet, But I’m Already Planning the Research Paper

Ninja tools were still just tools.

If the people ahead truly were the Four Celestial Symbols Men, things were actually simpler than they seemed. Garou might not be strong enough to beat them head-on, but in the world of shinobi, information could be more powerful than brute strength.

Just look at how Asuma died in the anime.

Was he really weaker than Hidan? Not necessarily.

Hidan couldn't die, sure, but he also couldn't heal or reattach his own limbs. As long as he didn't get your blood, you could defeat him with the right tactics.

If Asuma had known that, the outcome might've been very different.

That was the value of intel.

Likewise, if Garou could determine with a high probability that these enemies were the Celestial Symbols Men, then with the right plans and traps, he was confident he could cause them real trouble, even if he couldn't outright beat them.

Besides, this was the perfect case study for his recent observations of absorption barriers, sealing arrays, and binding jutsu.

Still, overconfidence would get him killed.

He vaguely remembered that these four carried powerful ninja tools.

'Wait... if I managed to take them down, didn't that mean I'd temporarily possess four high-grade ninja tools?'

These were, after all, considered treasures of the Artisan Village. Even if the Celestial Symbols Men were criminals, Konoha couldn't just claim the tools for themselves... unless something unexpected happened.

Something like... the infamous rogue Orochimaru conveniently swooping in and "stealing" the tools during the chaos.

Or perhaps, if Lord Hokage, also known for his infamous tactics, was willing to play dumb, Konoha could hang onto the tools a little longer. That would buy time for him and Tenten to study them, maybe even reverse-engineer how they were made.

Garou didn't even have the tools yet, but he was already thinking about how to study them.

The Four Celestial Symbols Men.

An annoying, yet strangely exciting group of enemies.

"I can't take them on directly. I'd be stretched too thin."

He shifted his gaze toward a different direction.

There were a few samurai over there, probably Kiyotani clan members.

'Can Kakashi-sensei handle them?'

Garou hesitated for a moment.

"Focus on delaying them. Create distractions. Set traps. Give Kakashi-sensei time to move."

"That team, likely the Celestial Symbols Men..."

"Their attitude isn't clear yet. I'll avoid provoking them, at least for now."

After weighing everything carefully, Garou settled on the plan he believed was the most stable and effective for the situation. He had considered one other, riskier move: deliberately entering their possible detection range to draw their attention, then circling around to attack the samurai from behind.

That would definitely expose their affiliations.

But the risk was too high. If the four were aligned with the Kiyotani samurai, Garou could end up completely surrounded, and not even his current level of skill would save him.

He had the Bodhi Seed. He believed in his future.

Dying here from arrogance wasn't part of the plan.

Especially not when there seemed to be an Anbu squad trailing them from behind. With such solid odds already in play, there was no reason to get reckless.

Garou crept toward the space between the "arc" of samurai and the "center point" of their formation. He quietly placed sealing tags and chakra-absorbing tags on eight trees, setting up a trap zone using a combination of binding arrays and absorption seals.

Then, moving a little closer toward where Yuichi was located, he positioned himself in a tree where he could observe without being detected.

Kakashi-sensei was already in battle!

---

"So you're Yuichi. Surrender now," Kakashi said coldly.

"You're from Konoha, aren't you? Why are you interfering in the affairs of the Land of Iron? You're violating the treaty!" Yuichi snarled.

There was a scabbed-over scar across his cheek, making his expression even more menacing.

"Oh? Leaving aside the fact that I'm here on an official mission, you, a rogue, want to invoke the neutrality treaty to keep me out of this?" Kakashi narrowed his eye, voice like steel.

Yuichi looked momentarily stunned. His scar seemed to twitch as rage distorted his face.

"Rogue? Me? You...!"

"There's nothing more to say," Kakashi cut him off. "You're a samurai. Then I'll honor that... and kill you in the way of a samurai."

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a scroll.

After forming a few seals, a blade materialized from the summoning technique.

Kasumi's eyes lit up.

It was an Anbu sword.

Tenten, unlike Kasumi, didn't watch Kakashi. She kept her eyes locked on Nobu. The man looked far too nervous while Kakashi and Yuichi were speaking.

She knew he was hiding something.

She discreetly took out a scroll and gripped it tightly.

Yuichi snorted, drawing his own sword in one hand, gaze like ice, but then, the moment Kakashi charged, Yuichi spun on his heel and fled north.

Toward the Land of Iron.

Kakashi saw through it instantly. 'Why would a rogue flee back toward his own homeland?'

'Unless... he isn't a traitor. Someone else is.'

Still, that alone wasn't enough for Kakashi to act against Nobu.

"Nobu, that man refused an honorable duel. I no longer need to offer him respect. Let's chase him down."

"Understood!" Nobu replied, clearly relieved. He drew his blade and rushed forward.

With Nobu now separated from Tenten and Kasumi, and with Garou's position confirmed, Kakashi focused fully on the pursuit. He quickly closed the gap with Yuichi.

But he was met by a sudden slash, an unbelievably fast strike.

Iaido.

But Kakashi blocked it with his scabbard and asked in a low voice, "What's the deal with the Kiyotani clan?"

"...What?"

Yuichi froze, startled.

"You're not the traitor, are you? Did they betray the Land of Iron?"

Kakashi drew his blade and attacked.

Yuichi's eyes sharpened. He understood now.

The Copy Ninja, elite jōnin Kakashi, choosing to use kenjutsu instead of ninjutsu... that alone was suspicious.

Now, the questioning confirmed it.

Kakashi wasn't aligned with Nobu.

Swords clashed in a blur of speed and sparks. The two figures danced violently across the clearing, their duel intense and precise.

Back behind them, Nobu's expression darkened.

Thank goodness they'd tricked Kakashi into chasing Yuichi alone. Otherwise, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Yuichi wasn't a mid-level jōnin. He was the strongest external samurai of the Kiyotani clan, a swordsman on par with elite-level ninja.

"Let's back him up, Mr. Nobu!" Tenten called out from a few steps away, rushing in as if eager to assist.

"Right." Nobu responded, glancing back briefly at the "Garou" who was gasping for breath.

He hesitated, but didn't raise his sword.

That was still Kakashi.

Even if he'd been running, even if he'd engaged in battle, he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

It was better to let the duel play out longer.

Meanwhile, the other Kiyotani samurai slowly advanced, closing the encirclement.

Garou watched it all unfold, but his mind was still on Yuichi's earlier attack.

That slash... it was cleaner, faster, and sharper than anything Kasumi had ever shown him.

Of course.

If you wanted to learn pure swordsmanship, there was no better place than the Land of Iron.

Garou focused his thoughts, dissecting every aspect of that iaido strike.

Several seconds passed. Something clicked.

"So that's it... At that moment, he aligned his breathing, posture, and mental state into perfect harmony. The angle, tension, and positioning of the blade... all timed with a flawless release of power. That's why it was so fast."

"I understand it now!"

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