RUMBLING...
The violent whirlwind exploded from Ren's lungs and howled toward the woman——who stood at the edge of the alley. But before it could connect, her body shattered into mud and slopped onto the ground, dispersing instantly.
" Another Earth Clone?! Damn it—"
But Ren's eyes, sharper than steel and keener than most Jōnin, snapped to his left.
"There!!"
The hand signs formed instantly. Wind-natured chakra flared in his arms.
" Wind Release: Wind Cutter! "
In half a second, five thin cyan blades ripped through the sky like lightning—sleek, precise, deadly—slicing straight toward the dense grass on his left.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The blades screamed through the air.
her eyes widened. She'd expected the kid to be clever, sure—but this? This was battle-hardened instinct. Not something a mere Genin should have.
"Shit! No time for substitution…!"
Panicked, she formed a single hand seal and braced herself.
" Earth Release: Rock Iron Bullet Technique! "
BANG BANG BANG BANG—!
A barrage of stone bullets spewed from her mouth—small but fast—and collided with the wind blades mid-air. Dust and splinters erupted everywhere, canceling out Ren's attack. Her chakra surged again. Hands blurred into a sequence of seals, but her expression had shifted—from confident to grim.
"Too fast… I can't keep up with this kid's tempo…"
CRUNCH—
Suddenly, the earth below Ren cracked—and a hand burst forth, clutching his ankle with crushing force.
"WHAT?!"
Ren's pupils contracted. His reflexes screamed danger, and he instantly realized the truth.
"That bastard! While I was focused on her clone, he split off and burrowed beneath—waiting for the perfect moment!"
Her male partner—another undercover Chūnin—had used a classic Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique , blending into the terrain completely.
Ren raised his hand, wind chakra forming around his palm like a blade. He prepared to slash the attacker beneath him—
But before he could swing, a suffocating aura crushed down from the front.
His body went rigid. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He looked up—
Her long hair whipped wildly behind her, her face twisted in sheer fury.
" BOY! "
She looked like a demon, her previously composed face now contorted with killing intent.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that. But you're still wet behind the ears!"
" Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet! "
From the ground in front of her, a giant serpentine dragon formed entirely of hardened mud burst forth. Its massive jaws gaped open, its earthen fangs ready to crush bone.
ROOOOOOAAAAARRR—!!
The beast lunged.
Three meters… two…
Ren's heart pounded, but his expression didn't waver.
He stopped caring about the enemy clutching his leg. In that moment, something inside him broke through—his fear, his panic—gone.
Only cold, calculated instinct remained.
"...Now!"
He activated his inner trump card.
"Heart of the Strong (White)" — a unique talent nestled in the core of his being.
> Effect: For one second, increase the speed and power of ninjutsu release by 100%.
"Use it!"
His chakra surged like an explosion. His lungs filled with hurricane force.
" Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere! "
WHUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMM…
The air twisted and bent, vibrating with sonic pressure. Three compressed wind bullets spun wildly, forming a triangle—sharpening, merging into a single 'pin' formation.
BOOM!
The spear-like wind attack collided head-on with the charging earth dragon.
There was no contest.
CRACK!
The dragon's body splintered like brittle rock under the pressure, reduced to nothing but dust and debris. The wind didn't even slow—it surged forward like a cannon shot straight at her.
Her face crumpled in disbelief. Her chakra reserves had run dangerously low after using multiple B-rank Earth techniques. She couldn't form another defense in time.
"No… this isn't possible—how can a C-rank ninjutsu—!"
BOOM!!!
The impact was immediate and devastating. Blood sprayed the walls like a scarlet mist.
Her body was shredded in half, both sides flung in opposite directions like ragdolls. Entrails and scorched flesh splattered across the stone.
Dead.
"Haaah… HAAAH—!"
Ren stumbled back, breathing heavily. His vision blurred for a moment. He collapsed against the wall, using it for support. The force field overhead—his Blood Duel Domain —still shimmered with a red hue. It hadn't lifted yet.
"C-rank technique plus a 100% buff from Heart of the Strong… yeah, definitely a cheat," he muttered with a crooked grin. "Take that, plot armor."
But the fight wasn't over.
Behind him, the air shimmered.
Something flickered—almost like heat distortion.
Ren's gaze remained forward, but his fingers twitched.
"The opportunity is here!"
A Chūnin, cloaked in a camouflage jutsu and hiding within the wall, stabbed forward with an Earth Spike , aiming straight for Ren's exposed neck.
Just before the tip reached its target—
ZAP!
A fine line of lightning pierced the intruder's heart.
"GAHH—!"
The man froze. Paralyzed.
He looked down.
A tiny bolt of lightning pulsed from Ren's extended index finger—pressed gently against the wall behind him.
"W-What… How did you—find me…?"
The man's voice was hoarse. He looked down and saw the flickering blue light embedded in his chest— Lightning Release: Piercing Current (custom jutsu) —a single bolt, honed like a scalpel.
Ren turned his head slowly. He was pale, but his eyes burned with cold fire.
"Ordinary shinobi couldn't detect you. But unfortunately for you…"
He raised a brow.
"My mental energy's three times stronger than most ninjas. When I killed your friend—'Uchiha Cannon Fodder No. 1'—I felt your chakra signature spike for a brief moment. Sloppy. After that, I locked onto you."
The ninja's eyes widened.
"You... bastard…"
"And then, your little girlfriend called one of your squadmates 'Miyazaki Jirō.' I'm guessing you're his brother? Miyazaki Hiroshi, right? Chūnin-ranked, Earth-style specialist. You must be."
Ren sighed, voice low.
"You guys should've just kept teaching at the Academy."
As he pulled his finger back, the man's body slumped forward. The camouflage jutsu faded, revealing his identity. The fourth assassin. Dead.
"That's the last one."
Ren's legs gave out, and he slid down the wall to the ground, gasping. Blood dripped from several wounds, pooling beneath him. His arms were heavy. Chakra drained.
But…
CRACK—
Above him, the red force field shattered, dissolving into light.
It didn't dissipate like smoke—it rushed downward, slamming into the corpses of the four Chūnin, then funneled into Ren like a tide being absorbed.
"Ugh… what now—?"
Then, four glowing lights rose from the bodies. Ren narrowed his eyes.
"White… white… white…"
He paused.
"Purple?!"
Floating in the air among the skill books—three white, one shining purple—was a single, radiant prize.
Ren's lip curled into a bloody grin.
"A purple skill book…"
The adrenaline finally faded. He let his head fall back against the cold wall, watching the purple light hover above like a halo of fate.
"Not bad… not bad at all."
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