In the forest, Tatsuma looked at the Ninja before him, whose face was twisted with pain, and whose eyes were filled with disbelief. Tatsuma showed a contagious smile and said:
"Your Achilles tendons in both legs and all ten fingers have already been snapped. Now you look moke like the puppets you guys use."
"You little devil."
The Ninja lowered his head, then immediately raised it. A Senbon shot out from his mouth, aiming straight at Tatsuma. Inuzuka Makoto, who was rushing from a distance, was about to throw a Kunai, but Tatsuma's speed was faster.
"Ding~"
The Senbon collided with Chakra, spinning back towards the Sand Ninja. It pierced into the shoulder of the Sand Ninja who was struggling, and Tatsuma's smile remained as he watched the Sand Ninja.
In just a breath, the exposed skin on the Sand Ninja's neck turned purple, clearly indicating that he was poisoned. Tatsuma pursed his lips and, without saying a word, returned to his original position.
"Ding~ [Stamina+3], [Speed+3], would you like to claim?"
".Pick up."
Back in the queue, Tatsuma noticed that many people were looking at him. Having not participated in wars before, Tatsuma was unfamiliar with the usual procedures.
Normally, in the first attempt, no one would take it too seriously, and the Kunai thrown earlier should have all been intercepted. The next step would usually involve the leaders giving some harsh commands. However, Tatsuma went over and took down an opponent, which was evidently somewhat impolite.
"Is this the attitude of Konoha?!"
The voice of the elderly woman from earlier echoed once again, but this time, there was a hint of frustration in her tone. Orochimaru shifted his gaze back from Tatsuma and said:
"What about the attitude of the Sand? Do you plan to surrender today? If so, I can express sincere apologies on behalf of Konoha. If not..."
As Orochimaru spoke, a mocking smile appeared on his face. Tatsuma's actions might have been a bit unconventional, but he hadn't done anything wrong.
Do they not even have the right to retaliate when attacked? This is a battlefield, not a children's play area. If it's time to fight, then it's time to fight, as there's no avoiding it.
"There's nothing more to say then!"
As the words fell, another round of ninja tools was thrown in the jungle. Orochimaru waved his hand, and in an instant, the formation opened up. Tatsuma was unfamiliar with these tactics, but he followed the other ninja in his queue.
The Sand Ninjas also continued throwing Kunai and Shuriken in waves. Konoha's team gradually struggled between evasion and defense, causing the formation to become unbalanced, showing signs of being divided.
Orochimaru, standing still without dodging or avoiding, observed the situation of the team. A hint of urgency appeared on his face, but his eyes remained incredibly calm, as this was all part of his plan.
Before Konoha's reinforcements arrived, let them taste defeat a few times.
However, shortly after, he squinted his eyes, about to leave his position. At that moment, rows of Senbon fell at his feet.
"Orochimaru, don't think about helping your people."
In front of Orochimaru, three puppets suddenly appeared. Seeing these three puppets, Orochimaru, who had been composed, showed a trace of caution on his face.
However, his eyes couldn't help but look toward Tatsuma's position because, at this moment, Tatsuma was already surrounded by several Sand Ninjas.
As the "leading figure," Tatsuma received special attention. Holding a Chakra short knife, Tatsuma looked vigilantly at the five Sand Ninjas surrounding him.
After noticing that they were only focused on him and not paying attention to other Konoha ninjas, Tatsuma probably understood that his recent actions had drawn the hatred of this group of Sand Ninjas.
Especially for these Sand Ninjas surrounding him, the mission might no longer be essential. Killing him, the one who violated unwritten rules, seemed to be their top priority.
However, Tatsuma remained calm. The Sand Ninjas surrounding him were only at the Chunin level. Despite being outnumbered five to one, Tatsuma had confidence.
"Kid, you're as good as dead!"
At this moment, a Sand Ninja standing right in front of Tatsuma arrogantly spoke. Upon hearing this unoriginal threat, Tatsuma's mind remained unaffected, and he even felt like laughing.
However, Tatsuma held back, realizing that laughing on the battlefield might not be appropriate. Instead, he displayed a polite smile and spoke after surveying the surroundings:
"A lion must exert its full strength even when pouncing on a rabbit. In terms of this level of caution, you are undoubtedly outstanding ninjas."
"???"
Hearing Tatsuma speak with an air similar to the team leader Jonin who had guided them in the past, some of the Sand Ninjas were a bit puzzled. What's going on with this guy? Is he treating himself as an exam proctor?
"Susu~"
However, they were not fools. Someone quickly caught on. With hand seals, Tatsuma sensed an abnormal concentration of Chakra in the air, identifying it as Wind Release Ninjutsu.
In the blink of an eye, Tatsuma made a directional judgment, executing a spin to evade the Wind Release Ninjutsu attack. However, as he landed, a Sand Ninja wielding a Kunai was already rushing towards him.
For most ninjas, Chakra was precious. Even at the Chunin level, tools and combat skills remained mainstream in battles, with Ninjutsu serving as a supplementary or trump card.
These Sand Ninjas were evidently very familiar with each other. Even without verbal communication, they coordinated seamlessly.
As Tatsuma straightened his body, he saw a Kunai coming towards him. Choosing a conservative approach, he deflected it, using the Cross Sweep technique to press down the Sand Ninja's attacking Kunai. Before he could counter, another Sand Ninja was already at his side.
Feeling a bit uneasy, Tatsuma took a step back to evade the attack. Watching the Sand Ninja pass by in front of him, Tatsuma immediately lifted his leg and kicked, hitting the Sand Ninja in the liver.
The Sand Ninja, impacted in the ribs, crashed into the other Sand Ninja, instantly losing balance. Tatsuma intended to follow up with an attack, but two Shuriken were faster than him, piercing the throats of the two Sand Ninjas.
Tatsuma looked in the direction where the Shuriken came from, seeing Inuzuka Makoto engaged in battle with the remaining enemies. Makoto took a moment to give Tatsuma a thumbs up.
Tatsuma nodded in acknowledgment. With three enemies remaining instead of five, he felt considerably relieved. However, the three Sand Ninjas did not retreat. After all, Tatsuma hadn't demonstrated overwhelming superiority; he had merely unbalanced two of them. After all, it was another Konoha ninja who finished the job.
"Wind Release! Wind Cutter Technique!"
With fewer enemies, Tatsuma found it easier to focus on them. Noticing the hand seals of a ninja, Tatsuma instantly deduced the technique being unleashed.
Tatsuma initiated a Body Flicker, swiftly changing direction to make it difficult for the Sand Ninjas to track his position. Simultaneously, the distance between them closed rapidly. Another Sand Ninja attempted to control Tatsuma's movement, but Tatsuma was quick to notice.
Tatsuma swung his Chakra short knife at the approaching Sand Ninja. Without much hesitation, the Sand Ninja leaned back, trying to evade. However, at that moment, Tatsuma opened his mouth and released a burst of Wind Release Chakra.
The Wind Release Chakra instantly wrapped around the Chakra short knife, transforming it into a longer blade. Even though the Sand Ninja had leaned back, a deep, visible-to-the-bone cut appeared above his chest.
In that moment, the Sand Ninja understood why his companion had uttered those eerie words just before death.
"Pu~"
However, this split-second attack provided an opportunity for the Sand Ninja who had activated the Wind Release Ninjutsu. A jet of blood suddenly spurted from Tatsuma's left shoulder.
In the astonished gazes of the trio, Tatsuma, despite the injury to his shoulder, seemed unaffected and came to him in an instant.
"Damn!"
"Bang!"
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