I felt a chill run down my spine as Jūzō Biwa's deep voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Better take care of the little puppies first."
Before I could even react, he vanished from my sight. My body instinctively spun around, but all I could see was the menacing gleam of the massive sword coming straight at me.
I knew I was in danger, and I knew I had to dodge or I would die. But, you know, it's that thing where your brain works much faster than your body...
But the sound of metal clashing, the sparks lighting up the air, snapped me back to reality and saved me. Dekai-sensei was there, blocking the massive blade with two kunai firmly held in his hands. The expression on his face was fierce.
"I won't let you hurt my students!" Dekai growled before delivering a powerful kick to Jūzō's stomach, pushing him back a few meters.
I really felt my heart warm in that moment. Over the past few months, Dekai-sensei had been treating us like soldiers, and of course, we were kind of like child soldiers, but it was nice to be reminded that he wasn't that cold after all.
It was at that moment that Shuro appeared out of nowhere, a mocking grin on his lips.
"Hey, Dekai, don't forget about me!" He attacked with a kunai in hand, aiming for our sensei's neck.
My body moved before I could think. I wasn't going to let him kill my sensei. I ran and delivered a kick straight to Shuro's forearm, redirecting the path of the weapon. The nukenin stumbled back, barely dodging a Jūken strike from Natsu.
We quickly repositioned: me, Jimei, and Natsu formed a triangle around Shuro. My hands were trembling, but my gaze was steady.
"We won't let you hurt our sensei!" I said with conviction, staring down both enemies.
Whatever I expected after my declaration, it wasn't the laughter that came from Shuro's lips. His laugh, so shrill and sickening, echoed in my mind, making me uncomfortable. I knew he wasn't just joking; he was serious.
"These Konoha kids are getting bolder, Jūzō! What do you think?" The manic gleam in his eyes turned to the man beside him.
"You Konoha folks are strange." Jūzō replied disinterestedly, propping his colossal sword on his shoulder.
I felt the weight of Dekai-sensei's gaze, but that didn't stop me from continuing to watch Shuro, the real threat at that moment. The guy was a psychopath, and his obsessive gaze was like poison, slowly poisoning you.
"I love playing with bold children. They always scream louder when they die." Shuro said, licking his lips.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Fear squeezed my chest, but I couldn't let it paralyze me. I had to fight.
At that moment, Shuro turned to us with a piercing look, his smile widening as he unsheathed several kunai from his sleeves. The movement was so fast and fluid, it was like he had become an extension of the blades themselves. And, like a reflex, my hands automatically reached a kunai.
"Jūzō, you can deal with Dekai for now. This man is as annoying as ever..." Shuro said with a mocking tone, treating the giant sword-wielder like he was just a distraction. "I'm going to have some fun with these kids."
His voice was a threat wrapped in pleasure. He was eager to test the limits of our nerves and our abilities.
"Team 4, Crane Formation, Battle Strategy 14." Dekai-sensei spoke, the order leaving his mouth rigidly but with unshakable confidence.
That command froze my blood, but at the same time, it gave me strength. I knew what it meant: unity. We had to move together, not as kids, but as ninjas. As a team.
"Crane Formation. I whispered, confirming. Jimei and Natsu looked at me, then at Dekai. All we had to do now was act.
Before I could think any further, Dekai charged at Jūzō with impressive speed. The ground seemed to tremble under his heavy steps. The sound of his movement made the battlefield vibrate, a promise of a brutal, direct fight, as he left the three of us to face Shuro.
Shuro's eyes gleamed with amusement, and the sense of impending danger became overwhelming. He wasn't just an enemy; he was a disease.
"But your sensei left you here to die, did you know that?" Shuro's voice cut through the silence, challenging as he moved slowly, it was like he was studying us with sadistic pleasure.
"That's not it!" I retorted, trying to stay calm despite the creeping nerves. "He just thinks you're so weak that we can handle you."
I felt Jimei's gaze fix on me, a mixture of surprise and concern in his eyes. He probably didn't expect such this answer, but the situation required that we go all in. The atmosphere was tense, and at that moment, only one thing mattered: that Shuro thought we were ready to face him, no matter what.
But, no matter how hard I tried to keep my composure, I knew that wasn't just bravado. Battle Strategy 14 was a risky play, and the truth was, the three of us, even together, were still inexperienced in front of an enemy like Shuro.
It was a strategy we had developed during training, an idea to deal with stronger enemies, a way to survive while we tried to find an opening for an attack.
The idea was simple: while one of us stayed at the forefront, focusing on direct combat with the enemy, the other two would take the support role, attacking from a distance with jutsus or kunai.
The goal was to wear down the enemy, tire them out, and try, at any cost, to keep the vanguard alive as long as possible until the role could be swapped.
The major flaw, however, was our lack of ranged attack options. The team was still far from having the range of jutsus and abilities needed to make the strategy work properly, but it was all we had, and, at the moment, the most important thing was to survive.
I knew that if we were in a one-on-one battle, against a jounin like Shuro, I wouldn't last long. No matter how much my Taijutsu had improved, it wouldn't be enough to face someone like him.
Shuro's size, endurance, and experience would give him a huge advantage. But with Strategy 14, my job was simple: last long enough to give the others space to attack, until I could step out and someone else could take my place.
And that's when Dekai-sensei came into the equation. If he thought there was no chance for us to win, he would have called for the Spider Web Strategy, which was an advanced retreat tactic. But he didn't. He chose this strategy. He believed there was a chance for us. He believed in us.
That, in some way, gave me confidence, even though my stomach was turning with anxiety.
"Let's see how long you last, then…" Shuro said, his manic smile widening. The blade of his kunai gleamed as he threw it into the air, preparing for another attack.
The tension was palpable, but with my eyes locked on Jimei and Natsu, I stepped forward, feeling the weight of my responsibility. They would replace me when the time came; I just needed to hold on long enough.
"Jimei, Natsu, stay alert! We won't let him have fun with us!" I ordered, trying to control the tension building in my chest.
I advanced without hesitation, my heart pounding in my chest. Every movement, every strike, was a reflection of years of training.
My legs moved with precision, and I even tried to land a few punches, but in front of me, Shuro was like a shadow, an impossible blur to track.
"Too slow, kid." He mocked, his voice dripping with disdain.
Before I could react, the impact of a heavy kick to my stomach sent me flying backward. The air rushed out of my lungs, and my vision blurred, as if I were submerged in water.
I barely had time to recover my breath before he was already in front of me again, his kunai gleaming in a deadly strike.
It was then I heard the hum of shurikens slicing through the air, forcing Shuro to retreat. I glanced to the side and saw Natsu, her gaze serious, preparing more projectiles, her posture as firm as an animal ready to strike.
"I won't let you hurt Ken-kun!" Jimei yelled, appearing from the side, his flicker jabs trying to catch Shuro off guard.
Shuro just laughed as he dodged with almost irritating ease.
"You hit like an old man. Where's the fire, kid?" The provocation in the nukenin's voice seemed to infuriate Jimei.
Jimei grunted, his attacks becoming more frantic, but Shuro moved as if he were playing. Me and Natsu threw shurikens in the hope of hitting him, and for a moment, I even celebrated, realizing he wouldn't be able to dodge both Jimei's strikes and the shurikens coming from two different directions at the same time.
"You really think this is going to stop me?" Shuro asked with that damn mocking smile on his face.
With an even faster movement, the man kicked Jimei's calf, causing him to lose his balance momentarily. Shuro wasted no time and, with brutality, delivered a vicious knee to Jimei's chin.
Jimei fell to the ground with a horrible grunt. I froze for a second, my mind screaming at me to do something.
"JIMEI!" I shouted, panic gripping me.
Despite my worry for Jimei, I felt a brief moment of relief as I saw the shurikens almost reaching the man, but the next words that came from the Nukenin's mouth shattered all hope.
"Jigoku Kiba Tate (Hellfang Shield)!"
The Kunai, attached to the chain on Shuro's sleeve, was launched into the air before spinning down around his body, creating a defensive whirlwind that easily sliced through the shurikens we had thrown his way.
The user rapidly spun the kunai, wrapped in a spring-loaded wire, creating a defensive vortex against projectiles and close-range attacks. The whirring wire made a menacing hum and could, in extreme cases, cut through fragile throwing weapons.
"Going to attack me with toys again?" Shuro mocked.
My mind was in tatters. He was a jounin. No matter what we did, he was just playing with us. Before I could say anything, Natsu rushed forward toward the man.
"Oh, a Hyūga." His smile only grew. "Come, little slave, try to hit me."
I saw Natsu's shoulders tense, but she didn't back down. With determination, she advanced using the Jūken, her precise strikes aimed at Shuro's chakra points.
However, he dodged the attacks as if it were child's play, swinging the weapon in his hand like a kusarigama. Every time he dodged one of Natsu's attacks, he threw the kunai at her, cutting and scratching her skin.
"You'll never escape those invisible chains of your cursed clan." he laughed, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Just like I can't escape mine. Look, watch!"
He spun the chain, the kunai blade glinting threateningly in the air. Natsu didn't give up, trying to hit him from every angle. Her Byakugan was fixed on the opponent's body, but the situation only grew more hopeless.
Jimei crawled toward me, his face pale, blood at the corner of his mouth.
"This... isn't working, Ken..." he whispered, his voice faltering.
Frustration burned through my veins. Nothing we were doing was working. Shuro was enjoying our helplessness. I tried throwing more shurikens his way, but he blocked them with that damn weapon. Some even ricocheted back toward Natsu.
And then, in the next instant, everything dissolved into chaos.
"Maboroshi Yari Hikitori! (Phantom Spear Pull)" Shuro shouted, his voice slicing through the air with the intensity of a storm.
The kunai shot from the chain and violently embedded itself in Natsu's shoulder. Her scream made my blood freeze. Natsu writhed in pain as Shuro yanked the wire forcefully, pulling her toward him.
When she was just inches away, he slammed an elbow into her face, throwing her to the ground with a sharp impact that echoed in the silence of the battle.
"Ah, children. So easy to break." Shuro murmured, his lips curling into a cruel smile.
I glared at him, my eyes smoldering with hatred. My heart burned with rage. He was treating us like toys. And if we didn't do something now, we'd be dead before Dekai-sensei even finished his fight.
Clenching my fists, I felt adrenaline surge through every inch of my body.
"Jimei..." I whispered, never looking away from Shuro, my voice low and firm. "We need to change the strategy. Now."
He looked at me, hesitant.
"But what…" He started, visible doubt in his eyes.
"Trust me." Our eyes met for a brief moment, and something changed in Jimei. He swallowed hard, but nodded.
"Are we doing that crazy plan? Battle strategy 5?" He asked, hesitation still present, but with a spark of trust igniting in his eyes.
"Exactly that."
"Planning something, are we? Ah, children, I love watching you squirm before you die." Shuro commented, noticing our exchanged glance and laughing.
I took a deep breath.
Time to turn this damn game around. Or die trying.