"Stop," he said quietly, closing his eyes to concentrate, extending his sensory abilities to their full reach. A moment later, his face hardened. "We're being followed."
The others instantly dropped into defensive stances, senses heightened, eyes scanning their surroundings.
"How many?" Izumo asked, his voice calm but steely.
Inoiki opened his eyes, focused and unflinching. "About ten," he reported. "The one leading them has chakra levels consistent with a Jonin's strength. Two of them are Chunin, and the rest… Genin."
Though the enemy was still nearly two kilometres away, Inoiki's sensory skills allowed him to gauge their numbers and relative power. He turned to Izumo, their team captain, awaiting instructions. "So, what's the plan, Captain?"
Izumo looked at him, assessing. He wanted to see how Inoiki would handle this, so he countered with his own question. "What do you think our course of action should be, Inoiki?"
Inoiki met Izumo's gaze, his eyes steady and brimming with confidence. "Captain, I don't mean to sound overconfident, but I believe I can handle them head-on. I'm sure I can take them down—maybe even decimate the whole group. And with you three by my side, I know I wouldn't be putting anyone in unnecessary danger. So I say we face them directly."
Izumo blinked, momentarily stunned by the conviction in Inoiki's voice. This was no reckless bravado—Inoiki's determination was clear. "Are you absolutely sure?" he asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes," Inoiki replied firmly, his voice unwavering.
Izumo turned to his other teammates. "What do you think?"
Kosuke spoke up first. "I've been on enough missions with Inoiki to know he doesn't make careless decisions. If he's this confident, I trust his instincts completely."
Kotetsu nodded in agreement. "If both of them are on board, I'm in, too. No point hesitating if Inoiki believes in this plan."
Izumo surveyed his team, seeing both readiness and trust in their faces. He nodded, sealing the decision. "All right. We engage."
They quickly devised a plan: while Inoiki would initiate the assault, Izumo, Kosuke, and Kotetsu would conceal themselves in the rocky outcroppings and trees around him, prepared to back him up at a moment's notice. Positioned strategically, they'd be ready to launch a coordinated counterattack if the enemy's numbers or tactics proved challenging.
Inoiki took his place in the open, steadying his breath.
Finally, the team of ten arrived. The leader, a tall, scarred Jonin with a hardened gaze, stopped a few paces away from Inoiki, studying him with an air of contempt. "Where's your team?" he sneered. "Did they run off and leave you here alone?"
Inoiki's expression remained impassive, ignoring the taunt. "Why are you following us?" he demanded calmly, his eyes focused and unyielding.
The Jonin's face darkened, his smirk fading. "A dead man doesn't need to know too much," he replied coldly. Then, turning to his squad, he barked, "Fan out and search the area! His teammates are either hiding nearby or haven't gotten far. Either way, we'll find them."
The Genin in the group immediately split off, scattering across the rocky terrain to follow their orders. Watching them move, Inoiki felt the weight of the leader's intentions and knew there was no point in exchanging more words. This man would reveal nothing willingly.
With a quiet inhale, Inoiki activated his Kekkei Genkai, Psychokinesis. A soft blue aura enveloped him, and his hair lifted in an otherworldly current, charged by the sudden burst of energy. Without a word, he focused his mind, summoning several specially-crafted kunai that hovered in the air around him, glinting in the morning light.
With a swift, precise gesture, Inoiki sent the kunai flying. Guided by his psychokinetic power, each blade shot toward the dispersed Genin with uncanny speed and accuracy.
Inoiki's kunai struck with deadly precision, piercing through the five Genin targets before they could even raise a defence. Two of the Genin who survived the initial attack darted away in panic, each hiding behind a nearby tree. But luck was not on their side; Inoiki, a highly skilled sensory ninja, could pinpoint their exact locations without even needing to see them.
Sensing their presence behind the trees, Inoiki calmly redirected his kunai, which whizzed through the air with deadly intent. The two Genin, drenched in sweat, crouched in fear, thinking they were safe for the moment, intending to reemerge only after their leader had dealt with Inoiki. They had no idea that their end was already upon them. In an instant, the kunai sliced through the air, piercing each of their necks, silencing them before they could react.
Their bodies slumped to the ground from behind the trees, lifeless. The kunai, still slick with blood, returned to Inoiki's side, floating in a slow, menacing circle around him.
The enemy leader's face darkened, his eyes widening as he realized the swiftness of the slaughter. His team of Genin—obliterated without a single chance to strike back. The two Chunin with him exchanged tense glances, their faces twisted with shock and anger. They hadn't anticipated such a fierce counterattack.
Without a word, each Chunin drew their weapon: one unsheathed a gleaming sword, the other gripped a kunai tightly, readying themselves against the deadly kunai orbiting around Inoiki. They braced themselves, their stance defensive, fully aware that the young shinobi before them was no ordinary opponent.
The silence stretched, thick with tension, as Inoiki's team watched from their concealed positions, each poised to strike.
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