In the desolate wilderness, a group of fierce Iwa shinobi surrounded four people.
Among them, a girl in a striking red robe stood out, like the only flower blooming in a vast field of grass.
She was slender, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her heterochromatic eyes, now fully visible without a blindfold, bore a cold, detached expression. The red robe, draped over her petite figure, was slightly oversized, yet it only enhanced her aura.
With a face as delicate as a porcelain doll and an emotionless gaze, she stared at the enemy before her, exuding an undeniable chill.
Despite her small frame, there was no sign of weakness. Instead, Ino felt…
This Sakiya is unbelievably cool.
"Attack!"
The Iwa shinobi commander gave the order.
Ino instinctively raised her kunai, but before she could move, Sakiya stepped in front of her with a single hand raised.
"Stand down. Leave them to me."
Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion—but somehow, it carried absolute authority.
Without realizing it, Ino complied.
Shikamaru and Choji exchanged glances.
This was the first time they had seen Sakiya like this.
"Kill her!"
A wave of Iwa shinobi roared as they charged from all directions.
Without shifting her gaze, Sakiya spoke once more.
"Don't move."
Then she vanished.
Before the enemy could react, she reappeared among them.
[How did she get there?!]
A single knife-hand strike disarmed the first Iwa shinobi, making him drop his kunai. In the same motion, she snatched it from the air and slit his throat.
It all happened in an instant.
Now armed, Sakiya moved like a shadow, weaving through the enemy ranks. Her petite figure twisted and turned, her kunai tracing elegant arcs—like a butterfly in flight.
Every slash marked the end of a life.
Not one of them lasted a second against her. Not even half a second.
Just as she had promised—
The others didn't need to lift a finger.
Sakiya cut through their enemies like a reaper, circling around Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.
The three of them stood frozen, wide-eyed.
[Is this really the Sakiya we know?]
[This flawless movement… This overwhelming skill…!]
Panic set in among the Iwa shinobi.
They finally understood—they had to restrain her at all costs.
As Sakiya effortlessly took down three more opponents, four Iwa shinobi launched a counterattack.
Three of them had already formed hand seals and slammed their palms into the ground.
"Earth Release: Quadruple Prison!"
Stone walls rose instantly, trapping Sakiya inside.
Above, a massive Iwa shinobi appeared, hoisting a boulder high over his head. He leaped toward the enclosed space.
"Earth Release: Mountain Crushing Rock!"
Still emotionless, Sakiya made no move to escape.
Instead, she raised her kunai, now crackling with lightning.
The electromagnetic field around her grew stronger, the energy intensifying.
The kunai in her hand began to melt from sheer power.
Then, with a mere flick of her wrist—
She hurled it straight at the descending boulder.
A sharp crackling filled the air as the kunai, now wrapped in lightning, shot forward like a bolt of energy.
In the horrified eyes of the Iwa shinobi—
The lightning-infused kunai struck the massive boulder midair.
Boom!
A blinding explosion shattered the rock into pieces, sending debris flying in all directions.
Seeing their plan fail, the three Iwa shinobi refused to back down. They each threw three kunai, each laced with explosive tags, against the surrounding walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted, thick smoke rising as the entire area collapsed into a ruined wasteland.
The Iwa shinobi stared at the wreckage, tension tightening their grips.
"Did we get her?"
Suddenly—
The ground beneath them churned.
A shadow burst from the rubble.
Sakiya shot up like a specter, her hand slicing forward—
Shhk!
The first Iwa shinobi let out a gurgled gasp as her knife-hand strike crushed his throat.
His body went limp instantly.
Using his falling body as leverage, Sakiya pivoted and drove a powerful kick into another Iwa shinobi, sending him flying.
The third one finally reacted, lunging toward her with a kunai in hand, panic in his eyes.
But Sakiya barely spared him a glance.
With a single, fluid motion, she pulled the first Iwa shinobi's body forward—
Stab!
The enemy's kunai sank deep into his own fallen comrade.
Before the last shinobi could recover, Sakiya gripped his wrist, her small hand starkly contrasting against his thick, muscular arm.
Yet—
She twisted.
With a sharp tug, she yanked him off balance and drove him over her shoulder.
Wham!
His body slammed into the ground with such force that a small crater formed beneath him.
His eyes rolled back, his limbs twitching.
Without hesitation, Sakiya wrenched the kunai from his weakened grasp and plunged it into his chest.
A weak gurgle—then silence.
Sakiya straightened up, dusting off her red robe. Her mismatched eyes swept across the remaining Iwa shinobi, now frozen in fear.
The oppressive silence stretched between them.
A bead of sweat dripped down one of the enemy's faces. He swallowed hard.
"W-What kind of monster is she?"
"Is this really just a girl?"
Her sheer, overwhelming power sent a chill through their ranks.
Even Asuma, locked in his own battle, had noticed.
With Sakiya cutting through enemies like a storm, his own fight had become noticeably easier.
Between heavy breaths, he grinned slightly.
"She really goes over the top every time, huh?"
But seeing her fight only reignited his own determination.
Asuma tightened his grip on his chakra blades.
"I can't fall behind now."
He dashed forward.
Clang! Clang!
Blades clashed as he held his ground.
Clang! Clang!
Again, he pushed forward.
Then he staggered back, exhaling sharply.
His chakra reserves were nearly drained.
"Dammit… I'm running low."
His eyes darted to Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji—who were standing comfortably, watching the fight unfold.
A twitch formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Seriously? Am I the one being protected here?"
He shook his head, forcing himself upright.
"No way. No way in hell am I letting a little girl outdo me!"
With renewed determination, he charged back into the fight.
"Let's go!"
The Iwa shinobi still standing hesitated, their morale shaken.
Their commanding jōnin scowled.
"Go! She doesn't have infinite chakra or stamina. We can still use those three as a breakthrough! Don't be afraid!"
Hearing this, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji tensed.
"That's right… This is just a clone of Sakiya," Shikamaru muttered. "It won't last forever."
But Sakiya—calm as ever—turned to them, her expression unreadable.
Ino understood instantly.
"You want us to trust you…"
She smiled.
"Then we'll leave it to you, cool Sakiya."
With that, she sat down cross-legged, resting as if she were about to enjoy a show.
Shikamaru and Chōji exchanged looks before sighing and following suit.
"...This really does feel like we're just watching a performance."
"That's because we are."
"...Fair point."
Meanwhile, the Iwa shinobi regrouped, forming a new strategy.
This time, they spread out, focusing on breaking through instead of engaging Sakiya head-on.
They had only one goal—get past her and eliminate the three behind her.
Sakiya didn't move.
She stood there, waiting leisurely as they charged toward her.
Then—
Her hands blurred through seals.
The moment the final seal was completed, lightning surged across her body.
Crackle!
Sakiya vanished.
A bolt of light streaked across the battlefield.
Wherever she moved, bodies fell.
Lightning flashed around Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji, forming an invisible barrier.
No Iwa shinobi could react fast enough to stop her.
Within moments, a line had been drawn a few meters from where Ino and the others sat.
Not a single enemy could cross it.
Beyond the line, bodies piled up.
A dead zone.
The remaining Iwa shinobi realized the truth.
If they didn't retreat now, they wouldn't even have a chance to exhaust her.
Their jōnin leader made the call.
"Fall back! Retreat—NOW!"
They ran.
At first, it was an orderly withdrawal.
Then it turned into a full-blown panic.
By the time they disappeared into the distance, only a quarter of their original numbers remained.
Sakiya didn't chase them.
She simply watched, confirming their retreat.
Only when the last of them were gone did she turn back to Ino and the others.
"You can move now."
The three of them blinked, then burst into laughter.
"Are you really Sakiya?" Ino teased.
Sakiya nodded blankly.
"I am."
"You don't act like it."
"Perhaps."
Ino thought for a moment.
Maybe… this is what Sakiya is really like, without her usual quirks.
A peerless genius.
A perfect combination of elegance, intelligence, and power.
Her eyes gleamed.
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around Sakiya.
Soft. Just like the real one.
Sakiya stiffened.
"Ino?"
Ino let go, grinning.
"So, what now?"
Sakiya was quiet for a moment before responding.
"I will seal myself away."
"...What?"
Ino's smile faltered.
She stared at Sakiya in disbelief.
Seal herself away?
For the first time, Sakiya didn't seem "cool" to her.
She seemed… lonely.
Without a word, Ino took her hand.
"No. Let's go back together like this."
Sakiya hesitated.
Then, glancing at Ino's determined expression, she finally nodded.
______
Support me on patreon
patreon.com/Silver757