"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Just ten minutes after everyone had slipped away, explosions echoed through the dense forest. Reiki had connected all the detonating charm traps with wires, so when one was triggered, they all erupted. Hundreds of detonating symbols went off simultaneously, obliterating several Chuunin at the heart of the explosion.
"Have they been discovered?" a ninja sneered, his face showing a twisted smile. These mercenary ninjas had already been paid, and in the ninja world, there's an unspoken rule for their kind: once they accept a task, abandoning it requires paying back double the commission. This ninja had pocketed quite a sum, and with his lingering resentment towards Konoha, he wasn't about to leave.
"Chase them! Those little Konoha brats won't escape back so quickly!"
With that, he disappeared, his form leaving an afterimage as more than a dozen figures followed swiftly. Among them, at least four possessed jounin-level strength, as indicated by their chakra. After they left, a lone figure emerged from the shadows.
"Seventeen of them, at least four are jounin-level," Reiki muttered, lifting his hood slightly, smiling. "The rest are likely special jounin-level in combat strength. Seems like I've caught the attention of some big shots."
With that, he vanished again. Just as the group of ninjas started their pursuit, another loud explosion resounded.
"Boss Kuze, Shangyi and Yuan were taken out by the blast," a perceptive ninja reported, quickly approaching Kuze. "There's strong residual chakra here; they probably set up the trap recently."
Kuze scowled. "These little runts are quite capable. Move—"
Before he could finish, kunai sank into the ground in front of him with a thud.
"Huh?" Kuze looked up, his eyes narrowing as they landed on a lone ninja standing before him.
"Reiki?" Kuze asked, puzzled. "The so-called Konoha Medical Sage, Senju Tsunade's personal disciple?"
The perceptive ninja quickly confirmed, "He's the only one nearby."
Kuze's confusion grew. Reiki was a known genius, yes, but his renown was primarily in medical ninjutsu. What was this medical ninja doing, standing alone before them?
"Not going to chase us?" Reiki smirked, his tone taunting. "Look, I'm right here, and you're not doing a thing. That's not very fitting for you desperate strays!"
One ninja couldn't contain his rage, his family having been destroyed during Konoha's battles with Kumogakure. Enraged by Reiki's mockery, he charged forward with a kunai, and Kuze did nothing to stop him. If Reiki was bold enough to stand alone, there had to be a reason. He gave a subtle nod to the perceptive ninja beside him, signaling him to continue monitoring their surroundings for Tsunade's potential presence.
"Ding!" Reiki's long blade blocked the attacking kunai. "Oh, did I mention? I may be a medical ninja, but my sword skills are sharp too. Careful—don't let my blade catch you."
With a swift sidestep, Reiki moved to the left, Murasame glinting coldly in the morning light. A flash, and the ninja's arm was slashed. Though it wasn't enough to halt the fight, he now knew Reiki's sword skills were formidable.
But ninjas don't rely solely on swordplay.
"Lightning Release!" he began, but his chakra immediately faltered. He choked, feeling as if something clamped around his throat, and within moments, he collapsed, lifeless.
"A medical ninja with deadly sword skills? And a mere scratch leads to death?" Kuze's eyes narrowed in shock. Poison?
In mere seconds, a Chuunin lay dead at Reiki's feet. Walking over to the body, Reiki stretched out his hands, gloved in blue chakra, attempting to control the soul. "Body's completely gone… and I can't manage simultaneous healing and soul control just yet."
"You could try taking me on all at once," Reiki said, looking at them with contempt, raising his blade. "Or, maybe you'd prefer a one-on-one fight? Come on!"
Chakra surged around Reiki, his aura flaring. The sheer presence left Kuze momentarily stunned. *What kind of medical ninja is this? And he's only eight years old!*
"Fine, I've had enough of this," Kuze growled. "Dongye, Siyi, Hegu—attack! I refuse to believe he can take on four jounin alone."
As Kuze weaved his hands into seals, he called out, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique!" The three other jounin rushed forward with short blades, blocking all paths of escape.
"Let's see how you handle this!" Reiki grinned, forming hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!" He unleashed his Teigu, and immense armor materialized, startling his opponents.
"Puppet technique?" Kuze's voice quivered, but before he could react, his Fire Release crashed into Reiki, kicking up a thick dust cloud.
Only the clash of metal resounded within the cloud. "Wind Release: Flow!" Kuze used wind to disperse the dust, revealing that Reiki had already pierced Dongye with a spear, blood dripping from the wound. The other two attackers bore injuries as well.
"Not bad!" Reiki muttered, feeling the rush of power. "The sensation of fully wielding the Teigu… of mastering true strength!"
But he felt his chakra waning. At this rate, he could possibly take down one or two more jounin but wouldn't have the energy left for the others following behind.
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