Chapter 4: The Ninja's Battle
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion shattered the silence, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
Chiba couldn't process what had just happened. He only felt his body lighten as he was hurled through the air, spinning uncontrollably. When he finally landed, he realized he'd been flung far away.
The only difference he noticed was that the cloak covered with explosive tags was no longer on him.
"Tsk tsk, that was quick," Kuroshin remarked, stepping out of the shadows with two of his subordinates.
Chiba looked at the dense scattering of projectiles on the ground and realized that an intense exchange had already taken place in just those few seconds. Judging by the number of weapons, Kuroshin's group had unleashed an overwhelming barrage.
Yet the boy, even while carrying Chiba, had evaded every single attack.
Chiba, familiar with the world of Naruto, knew this was no ordinary boy.
The fact that he could hold his own against Kuroshin, an experienced Jonin, while protecting someone else, was a clear sign of exceptional talent.
From the boy's earlier actions, Chiba could also tell he had a good heart.
But none of that mattered now. What mattered was that Chiba was still under someone else's control.
Though he wanted to say something, his body refused to obey. To others, he still appeared like a timid, trembling child, giving no indication that anything was amiss.
The boy infused chakra into Chiba's body to inspect it but found nothing unusual. Tossing Chiba gently behind him, he turned to Kuroshin with a cold glare.
"Using a civilian as bait? That's despicable!"
"Despicable? Me? Hahaha!"
Kuroshin couldn't help but laugh.
"You must be new to the battlefield, kid. Only someone as naive as you would say something so ridiculous. Do you even know what it means to be a ninja?"
"You…!" The boy's fury flared, and the killing intent in his gaze became almost tangible.
Kuroshin's lack of principles had clearly enraged him.
But Kuroshin stared back with equal malice, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
"To achieve one's goals, any means are acceptable—even sacrificing your life if necessary. That's what it means to be a true ninja. Naive kids like you have no idea what you're talking about."
Both men gripped their weapons tightly, ready to clash at any moment.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, a girl who appeared to be a medic ninja wrapped a bandage around Chiba's wound.
"Th-thank you," Chiba stammered.
The girl smiled softly but said nothing.
Her gentle expression quickly vanished as she turned her attention to the hostile ninjas ahead, her face full of vigilance.
Then, without warning, her expression shifted to one of horror.
A thin black thread emerged silently from Chiba's back, slicing cleanly across the girl's throat.
"Shhh—"
Chiba could clearly see a line of blood streaking through the air.
The boy turned at the sound, his face frozen in shock.
"Hotaru?"
From Chiba's angle, he could see the boy's stunned and helpless expression.
Time seemed to stand still as the boy stared blankly, his face filled with confusion.
But his confusion quickly morphed into rage.
"Ahhh!"
In that instant, Chiba could feel the boy's sorrow and fury, his overwhelming pain at being unable to save someone he cared about.
This feeling—causing the death of a close companion through a moment of carelessness—was something Chiba could vaguely understand.
But when the boy turned his icy gaze toward Chiba, Chiba couldn't help but shiver.
"Heh, see? This is what happens when you make stupid mistakes. If it weren't for you, your companion wouldn't have died. You killed her yourself," Kuroshin said mockingly, his words calculated to provoke.
As an observer, Chiba could tell that Kuroshin was trying to infuriate the boy, but he was powerless to intervene.
Though Shadow had left Chiba's body, for some reason, Chiba still couldn't move.
Watching Shadow standing nearby, the boy's two remaining teammates stared in disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
The spider-armed ninja muttered, stunned.
"I couldn't sense even a hint of chakra!"
"Heh, there's a lot you don't know," Shadow sneered before lunging at the remaining two.
Chiba couldn't follow the fight; their movements were simply too fast. To him, they seemed to teleport across the battlefield.
In an instant, Shadow was locked in combat with the two teammates.
"Ahhh! I'll kill you all!"
Meanwhile, the boy was consumed by rage. He charged recklessly at Kuroshin and his two subordinates.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Within moments, the boy had Kuroshin's group on the defensive. His skill with a blade, combined with small ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques, left them struggling to keep up.
For now, it was clear—this boy was a prodigy.
Despite the chaos, the battlefield felt eerily quiet to Chiba. The clash of weapons and the occasional whistle of the wind were the only sounds that broke the silence.
"Whooosh—"
The faint wind seemed to play a haunting melody, accompanying the brutal dance of combat.
Chiba's fear began to fade, replaced by a strange sense of awe as he watched the fight unfold.
Shadows clashed and disappeared in a blur, blades sparking against each other before vanishing into the chaos. The occasional burst of fire or sudden spike of earth added to the spectacle.
Kunai and shuriken littered the ground, the marks of their deadly precision.
So this is what ninja battles look like…
Chiba realized how fortunate he was to be far enough away from the main fight. If the stray attacks had been even slightly off-target, he would have died from the aftershocks alone.
But even if he survived, Chiba didn't know what lay ahead.
If Kuroshin's group won, he would remain a human bomb, a tool of destruction.
If the boy's side won, Chiba wasn't sure they'd spare him. The anger in their eyes earlier made him doubt his chances.
Realizing his situation was hopeless, Chiba felt a wave of despair.
Is this the fate of the powerless?
Unable to fight back, unable to control his own destiny, Chiba could only silently accept the outcome.
For the first time, Chiba felt an overwhelming desire for strength.
As he watched the battlefield, he made a silent vow.
If I survive this… no matter what, I'll learn ninjutsu. I'll take control of my destiny.
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