Chapter 3: The Mysterious White-Haired Ninja—The First Glimpse of the Spirit Armament’s Power

“Precision mechanical dagger, and the mechanical dart shuttle.”
Naruto held both weapons, examining them closely, and smiled. “The most basic equipment for a combat engineer—rare as they are, these are among the few mechanical tools that can be crafted by hand. Who would have thought I’d one day turn back and use these old companions again?”
He twirled the mechanical dagger a few times, then manipulated the dart shuttle with his mechanical energy, letting it circle around him.
For his three-year-old body, these tools were somewhat heavy.
But with the aid of mechanical energy, he could wield them with ease—it wasn’t much of a problem.
Within Naruto’s perception, the white-haired figure hiding in the shadows was momentarily stunned.
His emotions were exposed, clear and obvious; Naruto’s actions had caught him completely off guard.
Yet he had no intention of reporting to Hiruzen Sarutobi, appearing thoughtful instead.
Interesting—this white-haired man didn’t seem loyal to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Which meant he could possibly be swayed.
Having packed away his equipment, Naruto prepared to return to the village.
Just then, he sensed something amiss.
Several fully armed militants were quickly approaching his position.
The white-haired man noticed the incoming enemies as well and immediately appeared.
“Naruto, this is bad. I’ll take you back.”
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Naruto by the collar and slung him onto his back.
Naruto recognized the man’s attire: every inch was covered, his face hidden behind a mask.
This was the uniform of the Hokage’s elite Anbu.
Naruto couldn’t understand it—ninjas were tools for dirty work, and the Anbu were specialists in such tasks.
Anbu ninjas—they did the dirtiest of the dirty.
He had yet to learn that Konoha had another group, the Root, who took on work even the Anbu wouldn’t touch.
Despite their speed, they were a step too slow; the attacking enemies had already noticed the presence of the white-haired Anbu and Naruto.
Apparently, they hadn’t expected anyone to be here, but launched their assault without hesitation.
A chill swept through Naruto’s heart.
It was the feeling of killing intent.
Naruto’s fingers twitched instinctively, and the mechanical dart shuttle shot into motion, darting swiftly around the two of them.
The sound of clashing metal rang out—several sharp steel needles were sliced cleanly in half and fell to the ground.
“What?”
The white-haired Anbu paused for a moment.

His expression was hidden behind the mask, so Naruto couldn’t see it.
But he could sense the man’s surprise.
The Anbu turned to look at Naruto on his back, but Naruto said,
“Don’t just stand there. Someone’s attacking us with hidden weapons—they’re coated with poison, too. Makes you wonder if our attackers specialize in ambushes, prefer them, or simply don’t know any other tactic.”
The steel needles on the ground glimmered with a sinister sheen.
The white-haired Anbu hadn’t expected Naruto to be so calm and composed.
An attacked three-year-old not only refrained from crying, but counterattacked and even analyzed the situation.
“So this really is the child of Minato-sensei and Big Sister Kushina?”
The Anbu thought to himself,
“And that technique, and those ninja tools—did Naruto make those? When did he do it?”
“Stop spacing out! Get ready to fight!”
Naruto tugged at the Anbu’s white hair.
“Whoever these enemies are, their timing is perfect. Here, use this.”
Naruto shoved the mechanical dagger into his hand.
“I just made this—I haven’t tested its power yet. You specialize in blades, right? Why not help me test it? I’ll cover you with the dart shuttle.”
The Anbu took the dagger, examining it carefully.
“What are these two buttons?” he asked.
Naruto replied, “Oh, that! The blue one is for transformation—it can change the shape. Don’t touch the red one yet, it… ah, the enemy’s here! Four o’clock!”
As he spoke, the enemy appeared in their line of sight.
It was the first time Naruto had seen their true form: a group of dark-skinned ninjas, each wearing a robe that left one shoulder exposed.
“So it’s Konoha’s Anbu—has our plan been exposed?”
The leader whispered to his comrades, but both the Anbu and Naruto, with their sharp senses, overheard.
Another said, “Seems like it. According to intelligence, that kid is Konoha’s jinchuriki. Perhaps they’re lying in wait for us.”
Lying in wait? Deploying strategic weaponry for an ambush?
Hey, come on—get real! Do you really think you’re worth all that trouble?
Naruto was left speechless.
“Make it quick—we can’t let the jinchuriki activate!” the leader ordered. “Kill the white-haired one! And capture Konoha’s jinchuriki!”
With that, the group formed up, advancing rapidly.
“Take this!” one ninja threw several kunai and charged forward, swinging a long sword.

The white-haired Anbu dodged the kunai with ease, then pointed the mechanical dagger at his attacker and pressed a button.
With a crunch of gears, the dagger instantly transformed into a sharp longsword.
A flash of cold light—its blade shot out and pierced the enemy’s throat.
“Whoa! That’s brutal!” the Anbu muttered under his breath.
And he’d spoken too soon.
Pressing the button again, the gear sword morphed into a gear gauntlet, and with a single punch he sent an enemy flying.
By his own estimation, the force of that punch had increased tenfold.
The battle became a dazzling magic show.
Rope darts, broadswords, needles, sickles—every attack triggered a new transformation of the mechanical dagger.
By the time only one enemy remained, half the dagger’s forms had yet to be revealed.
The last enemy, the leader of the eight, was far stronger than the others.
But he stood no chance against the white-haired Anbu, forced to watch helplessly as his subordinate, burdened with Naruto, dispatched all his men in grand fashion.
“Damn it! I’ll take you down with me!”
The leader roared, forming hand seals at lightning speed, and his body crackled with thunder.
“Ninjutsu activation? Hmph, petty tricks…”
The white-haired ninja snorted and prepared to weave his own signs.
Just then, Naruto tugged at his hair and said,
“Now you can press the red button. Point the dagger’s tip at him and then push it.”
“Huh? What?” The Anbu instinctively turned the blade toward the leader and pressed the red button.
The sudden recoil startled him.
The enemy leader was still shouting,
“Take this! This is a secret technique personally taught to me by Lord Raikage! Let me show you the bonds of our Cloud Ninja Village! Lightning Style: Light—”
Before he could finish, a jet of scalding steam burst from the dagger, engulfing him instantly.
The leader vanished, silenced by the torrent.
The battle was over; the white-haired Anbu sheathed the mechanical dagger.
He looked at Naruto, unsure what to say.