Pulled up the killed Sunagakure (Suna) ninja and affixed two explosive tags to his body, then increased his strength and threw the Suna ninja's body towards the Sunagakure Chunin named Nanmu.
Nanmu, a skilled Sunagakure Chunin, was very vigilant. Even though he had just exited the smoke's range, when he saw the 'oversized projectile' thrown toward him, he quickly dodged to the side, not foolishly attempting to catch it, despite it being a body from his own village.
Boom!
The explosive tags detonated, and the unfortunate Suna ninja's body was blown to pieces by the explosion.
Unfortunately, Nanmu was not killed in the blast.
However, the user of the attack smirked slightly, feeling a sense of pride, but remained cautious.
There were still eleven Sunagakure ninjas on the field, at least half of whom were Jonin-level, putting Konoha at a disadvantage. Within moments, two more Konoha ninjas had fallen, and the situation was becoming increasingly dire for Konoha.
He glanced at Ueno. Ueno's condition was grim, his body covered in wounds, his movements sluggish, and his expression distressed—it seemed he had been poisoned.
Sunagakure's puppet masters were indeed troublesome opponents.
"Little brat, I'm going to kill you!" Nanmu glared at Chao Yanqian with hatred, forming hand seals as he advanced toward him.
Wind Release: Wind Cutter
As the ninjutsu activated, a sharp wind blade materialized in the air, cutting toward Chao Yanqian.
Chao Yanqian formed hand seals of his own.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall
An earth wall rose from the ground, blocking the wind blade. With his vision obscured, Chao Yanqian took the opportunity to escape underground, grabbing Nanmu's legs with both hands and pulling him into the earth, leaving only Nanmu's head exposed.
At the same time, Chao Yanqian surfaced.
Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique
In a battle between ninjas, it's unwise to use the same technique on the same opponent twice, unless the jutsu is overwhelmingly powerful. Once the enemy has seen your technique, they'll likely figure out a counter. Using it again might backfire.
Even in the original series, when Pain, despite his strength, had his techniques understood by Konoha, he struggled against Naruto once Naruto had learned Sage Mode.
Moreover, Double Suicide Decapitation Technique had already been countered the first time it was used.
After resurfacing, Chao Yanqian quickly retreated, not bothering with Nanmu, as he knew that his jutsu wouldn't be effective anymore.
"Die!"
Nanmu reappeared behind Chao Yanqian, thrusting his kunai towards him.
"Time to gamble!"
Gritting his teeth, Chao Yanqian activated his jutsu.
Substitution Jutsu
With a puff of smoke, Chao Yanqian transformed into a log before Nanmu's kunai could strike him. The kunai pierced the log, and despite feeling the phantom pain of the stab, Chao Yanqian managed to maintain his chakra concentration, preventing the jutsu from being canceled prematurely. If he had faltered, it could have been the end for him.
"Damn it, I'll be back for you next time," Chao Yanqian bitterly thought.
"Substitution Jutsu?" Nanmu frowned and remained on guard, wary of a potential sneak attack.
Splat!
Once the Substitution Jutsu had ended, Chao Yanqian moved swiftly, wielding his kunai with a glint of ruthlessness, slashing Nanmu's throat. Blood splattered across the ground.
"Aagh!"
Nanmu let out a brief scream before collapsing, his face frozen in shock and regret as life left his body.
"Good. Two down. That's enough for now."
Chao Yanqian felt a sense of accomplishment after taking down two Suna ninjas in quick succession. However, the continuous use of ninjutsu had drained his chakra, and he was still wounded. If the fight dragged on, he knew his chances of survival would diminish.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two more figures appeared before Chao Yanqian, one of them clearly a Jonin, with the intent to finish him off.
Luckily, four Konoha ninjas arrived to support him, ensuring Chao Yanqian wouldn't have to face the Suna ninjas alone.
"You really think highly of me, don't you?" Chao Yanqian scoffed, then quickly turned and fled.
Not only did the Sunagakure ninjas hesitate at his sudden retreat, but even the Konoha reinforcements were surprised.
What's going on? He just ran away?
Chao Yanqian didn't know if the two Sunagakure ninjas would chase him, but he knew he had to flee regardless.
Killing two Suna ninjas was a big deal. The enemy wouldn't let him go easily, and he needed to tend to the injuries inflicted by Nanmu.
"Chase him!"
The two Suna ninjas exchanged glances before making their decision to give chase.
They had initially wondered if this was some kind of trick to lure them in, especially with the four Konoha ninjas on the field. In a five-on-two situation, Konoha held the advantage, so it seemed odd for Chao Yanqian to flee.
However, seeing his injuries and the confused looks on the Konoha ninjas' faces, they quickly realized this was no trap. Otherwise, they would have been informed.
Even cannon fodder can