Kazuki glanced at Tsunade, who was on the ground.
It seemed that her hemophobia was even more severe than he had initially estimated. It wasn't just that she became immobilized when her body was stained with blood—now, even the sight of blood had caused her to fall into a paralyzing fear.
"Master Mink, Master Tsunade—please leave this to me," said a voice calmly. "Apologies for the battle below. At the moment, we are unable to provide assistance."
Silently raising their head, the medical-nin looked at Kazuki and continued,
"But I am a medic. Please bring your injured shinobi to me, and I will treat him."
Kazuki nodded. "Understood."
The battlefield had shifted in an instant. Five enemy shinobi, each at the quasi-Jonin level, had entered the fight.
They possessed the strength of full-fledged Jonin and, with the support of specialized Jonin and Chunin on their side, the situation had become dire. Haidao's absolute defense provided some resistance, and Sunflower's stealth and evasion skills allowed them to barely keep up, but the enemy's use of secret techniques and insect-based attacks was overwhelming.
Taijutsu had never been the forte of their ally, and after barely maneuvering the insects to evade multiple strikes, he had been forced into a disadvantage. One of the five enemy Jonin had landed a critical hit—piercing his shoulder blade with a long, barbed sword.
It was time for Kazuki to act.
A white afterimage flickered through the air.
Kazuki's cloak billowed as he propelled himself toward the battlefield, intercepting the attack aimed at Qing.
The moment he landed, his sword was already drawn.
"Cut."
A surge of chakra erupted from him.
The long sword in Kazuki's hands slashed toward the ground.
Boom!
A deep, thunderous roar resonated across the battlefield, followed by a continuous rumble—like rolling thunder.
The earth beneath the enemy shinobi was split in two by Kazuki's blade.
A massive fissure instantly formed, widening at an accelerating pace. The surrounding enemies scrambled to evade but found themselves slipping into the abyss-like crevice.
"Aaaah! What is this?!"
"Help!"
"Kawasuke-sama, save us!"
Panicked screams filled the air.
There was no blood. No prolonged battle.
Only terror-stricken faces turning away in a desperate attempt to flee.
But there was no escape.
The chakra-infused ground trembled violently, sealing off all possible routes of retreat.
And then—
The moment the last enemy fell in—
The earth snapped shut.
It was as if the enormous chasm had never existed.
Kazuki lowered his sword.
The battlefield in front of him was smooth once more—untouched, pristine.
The enemy's Jonin commander, the one they had called Kawasuke-sama, stood frozen. He had watched helplessly as more than a dozen of his subordinates were buried alive, unable to react.
Not only had he failed to save them, but the sheer force of Kazuki's sword strike had also sent him stumbling several meters back.
"Captain…"
A previously despairing voice now carried a tone of renewed hope.
Seeing Captain Ming Yu take action, their spirits surged.
"Sunflower! Island! Both of you, regroup with me!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The two immediately disengaged from the battlefield and rushed to Kazuki's side.
But correspondingly, the scattered enemy forces on the battlefield, where they had been fighting separately, quickly regrouped.
However, in the face of Kazuki, who had just killed over ten of them in a single strike, they hesitated. For a moment, they were wary of his strength and dared not charge in recklessly.
The battlefield fell into a temporary stalemate.
In the previous battle, Haidao had eliminated one enemy Jōnin, four Tokubetsu Jōnin, and over ten Chūnin.
Qing had taken down two Tokubetsu Jōnin and seven Chūnin.
Sunflower had eliminated one Tokubetsu Jōnin and five Chūnin.
Now, on the battlefield, four enemy Jōnin, eight Tokubetsu Jōnin, and around twenty Chūnin remained.
"How much chakra do you have left?" Kazuki asked.
"I have about a third left," Haidao replied.
"I still have a little less than half," Sunflower added.
"You've only taken down a third of the enemy forces, yet you're already running low on chakra. If I don't step in, how do you plan to handle the next phase of the battle?"
Haidao and Sunflower, along with the injured Qing, fell silent.
As their captain, Kazuki wasn't reprimanding them outright, but his questioning made them deeply uncomfortable. They all knew the truth—without Kazuki's intervention, they would be staring death in the face.
"If it comes down to it, we'll just fight to the death!" Haidao muttered, frustration evident in his tone beneath the mask.
"Foolishness."
Kazuki's voice suddenly turned sharp.
"A meaningless sacrifice—do you think that's something to be proud of?"
Silence hung over them once more.
Kazuki knew his words had landed. Now, all that remained was for them to reflect on their shortcomings. That alone was enough.
This was his duty as their captain—to guide them. In the end, real combat was the best teacher.
"Alright, take the injured Qing and head to Shizune," Kazuki ordered Haidao and Sunflower. "She's a medical-nin. She'll take care of his wounds."
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Sunflower supported the injured Qing and began moving toward Shizune's position.
Haidao, however, stood still. His hands clenched into fists, his body rigid, as if he was trying to suppress something.
"Captain, let me stay and fight alongside you. I want to prove my strength."
"There's no need."
Kazuki's reply was cold.
"I've already seen your strength. If you stay here, you'll only get in my way."
"In the next battle, I alone am enough."
Haidao was silent for a few seconds.
Then, after a stiff "Understood," he turned and leaped away, heading toward Shizune.
Now, only Kazuki remained standing on the battlefield.
At that moment, an enemy Jōnin named Kawasuke stepped forward.
"Don't be afraid! The Anbu aren't invincible! Didn't we injure them just now?!"
"Hey, if we all attack together, we can take down this Konoha Anbu captain and avenge our comrades!"
"He's just a single kid now! Let's finish him!"
At his command, the remaining enemy ninjas—all the Jōnin, Tokubetsu Jōnin, and Chūnin—charged forward, wielding kunai, shuriken, and various weapons.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Lightning Release: Thunder Slash!"
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