c30: Pursuit
"Chiba, your strength is incredible. You took down a tokubetsu jōnin like it was nothing." Uchiha Mina approached, her voice tinged with awe.
She had initially believed that while Chiba was undoubtedly a prodigy with remarkable potential, actual combat experience would still be a weakness for him. Yet what she had just witnessed made her question that assumption.
"I didn't expect you to be this strong... you're already beyond the genin level."
"It's still a long road ahead," Chiba replied, offering a faint smile. His eyes gleamed with confidence.
"Moonlight Neri and Kiba Daisuke are both pinned down near the opposite ridge. Their side's under pressure. We should split and assist them," Mina said as she glanced toward the other battlefield.
Even though Chiba didn't have a particularly close relationship with Moonlight Neri or Kiba Daisuke, they were all part of the same team leaf shinobi. Loyalty to the village had to come before personal feelings.
"Alright. You help Neri. I'll head over to Kiba's side," Chiba agreed, his voice neutral, not letting past friction with Kiba cloud his decision.
They didn't waste time both darted in opposite directions, heading to the next engagement zones.
Despite being only eight years old, Kakashi had already reached jōnin-level skill. His Sharingan wasn't yet awakened, but his mastery over chakra control, tactical thinking, and elemental ninjutsu let him hold his own. Surrounded by two chūnin and a rogue-nin, he remained composed, counterattacked precisely, and had already taken down two enemies.
Moonlight Neri was fending off four rogue-nin. Though not as skilled as Kakashi, her kenjutsu and evasive abilities helped her stay in the fight. With Uchiha Mina joining, they'd be able to push back decisively.
Meanwhile, Chiba reached Kiba Daisuke's battle zone. He didn't intervene right away. Instead, he stood silently atop a stump nearby, watching the ongoing clash.
Victory in this mission was inevitable. There was no need to rush in.
Chiba harbored no fondness for Kiba. Now was the perfect chance to let him struggle a little perhaps humble him.
Seeing Kiba Daisuke getting thrashed by his opponents lifted Chiba's mood.
"What's wrong, Daisuke? Weren't you the 'prodigy' of your clan?" Chiba called out, voice laced with mockery. "Can't handle even one chūnin?"
Kiba was clearly losing ground. He'd taken on a chūnin and five rogue-nin, and it showed. His breathing was ragged, his flak jacket torn, and blood oozed from a cut on his shoulder. He was barely holding on.
Seeing Chiba standing there mocking instead of helping stoked a fire of resentment within him. But despite his anger, Kiba couldn't refute the reality: he was overwhelmed.
"I don't need your help. I can handle this!" Kiba snapped, gritting his teeth.
"Then by all means, keep going. Don't mind me," Chiba replied coolly, leaning casually on the stump.
The chūnin who had been fighting Kiba glanced at Chiba. His expression shifted mirroring the fear others had shown earlier. He scanned the battlefield and quickly realized the tide had turned. Chiba had eliminated a tokubetsu jōnin. His comrades had fallen. There was no victory left to claim.
Panic overtook him.
He turned sharply and began to retreat, abandoning the fight. He knew it was over.
Kiba blinked, confused for a second, then exhaled in relief. The danger had passed.
With the chūnin gone, only the five rogue-nin remained. Realizing they were now exposed, fear took hold. Their morale shattered.
They weren't loyal soldiers they were mercenaries. Self-preservation was their instinct.
Kiba recognized the shift. His eyes narrowed, lips curling into a sneer. The pressure that had been on him flipped. He now had the chance to strike back.
With newfound aggression, Kiba launched himself at the remaining rogues.
The rogue-nin hesitated, clearly panicking. One shouted, "Retreat! We're outmatched!"
Kiba chased them, determined to land a blow.
"You really think you can still escape?" Kiba growled, eyes flashing.
From his perch, Chiba narrowed his gaze, the air around him growing colder.
"They came to fight... but now want to run?" he murmured. "Too late."
In a blur, Chiba vanished from the stump, using Shunshin no Jutsu—his speed nearly untraceable.
One of the fleeing rogue-nin felt a chill crawl up his spine. The air thickened with killing intent. A sense of impending death wrapped around him like a suffocating blanket.
He glanced back.
Chiba was there small in stature, but with eyes like a beast. A demon. Merciless and focused.
The rogue's blood ran cold. He tried to push harder, moving through the thick brush and leaping through the trees—but Chiba closed the distance effortlessly.
He didn't want to fight this monster. He just wanted to live.
But even his desperation couldn't save him.
Chiba launched another shave step, cutting through the terrain like a kunai through parchment. He appeared directly in front of the rogue, forcing him to skid to a stop.
"There's nowhere left to run," Chiba said, voice like ice.
The rogue swallowed, trembling. His fear was almost tangible now.
"Don't push me! If you force my hand, I'll fight you!" the man shouted, though his voice betrayed how broken his will was.
"You're not qualified to challenge me," Chiba replied coldly. As he spoke, flickering flames spiraled around his limbs, a chakra-enhanced blaze coating his skin like armor.
He looked otherworldly like a cursed spirit born from fire and vengeance.
Suddenly, the rogue-nin roared and formed a rapid string of hand seals.
"Katon: Kaze Hi no Tate!" (Fire Release: Wind-Fueled Flame Wall!)
A burst of fire erupted from his mouth, and he added a secondary wind chakra stream to amplify the blaze, forming a massive, flaming wall that roared toward Chiba, threatening to engulf him completely.
Chiba's eyes narrowed. He didn't flinch.
The real battle had just begun.
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