Kill

Chiba looked at the ninja ahead. Though the man was kneeling on one knee with a hand pressed over his wound, the snow-white bandages had been completely stained bright red. His injuries were serious, and judging by his labored breathing, he probably did not have much strength left.

But without a doubt, this ninja still had the ability to kill him!

Chiba understood that clearly, and he was not in good condition himself.

Meanwhile, Iwaki Shin was rapidly thinking of a solution. The situation was not looking good for him either. The explosion just now would certainly have drawn the attention of the pursuing forces, and they would likely arrive soon.

What he needed to do now was kill this brat first, then kill the Hyuga Clan bloodline! Yes! Kill her! He was badly wounded, the chakra points in his body had been sealed, and the two ninjutsu he had just used had consumed a considerable amount of Chakra. Refining Chakra was extremely difficult now. Capturing that little Hyuga girl alive would take even more effort. After all, he had already suffered at her hands during his sneak attack. One of the four sealed chakra points was thanks to that little girl! But if he simply killed her, it would not take much effort.

Capturing someone alive was always harder than killing them! Besides, if it was the secret of the Byakugan he wanted, a corpse could still provide plenty of useful information.

Rather than fail to capture her alive, he might as well kill her and bring back the body.

Then the deaths of his other nine comrades would not have been in vain! The mission would count as complete! This brat before him was probably a taijutsu specialist. Honestly, Iwaki Shin was astonished. A seven-year-old child had punched a crater that large. Even taijutsu ninja could not manage that.

The only person he could think of was Tsunade, one of Konoha's Sannin. Only her peerless Monster Strength could achieve something like that.

Could this brat be Tsunade's disciple?

His talent was excellent! He could not be allowed to grow up! Otherwise, he would become an enemy of the village in the future...

As Iwaki Shin thought this, his killing intent intensified. Yet he calmly continued refining Chakra. With his chakra points sealed, Chakra refinement was slow, but it would still accumulate bit by bit.

Judging from the brat's behavior, he had not attacked for so long. Either he was at the end of his strength and merely forcing himself to hold on, or he was hesitant to approach. In that case, there was no need to rush. He would gather a little more Chakra first. He still had to deal with that little Hyuga girl afterward.

A faint, vicious smile appeared at the corner of Iwaki Shin's mouth.

Feeling Iwaki Shin's killing intent, Chiba unconsciously swallowed.

This is the killing intent of a Jonin! Terrifying! That was Chiba's only thought.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a dull thud came from within the Rock Pillar Prison, like someone striking stone. Clearly, Hyuga Yukina was already searching for a way out.

I can't rely on myself alone!

Hearing the sound, Chiba shook off the intimidation of Iwaki Shin's killing intent and began analyzing the situation calmly.

The amount of Chakra in his body was extremely limited. He could not even perform all Three Body Techniques, at most two of them. Moreover, he had no weapons in hand.

As for taijutsu, his body was too weak at the moment to make use of it.

I have to rescue the Young Miss of the Hyuga Clan!

Chiba came to a conclusion.

But how could he get her out? He glanced at the four rocks. They looked incredibly thick and heavy, and could not possibly be pushed aside.

What can I do? Chiba looked at Iwaki Shin. The man's eyes were fixed tightly on him, killing intent surging from him as though he would charge over and kill him the very next moment. Just that glance made Chiba's heart tremble.

He was staying still because he was surely gathering Chakra! Once he had accumulated enough, he would definitely launch a killing blow. When that happened, Chiba would be doomed!

Chiba made his judgment, lowered his head slightly, and looked away.

Suddenly, Chiba saw a section of wooden log at his feet. Half of it had been charred black. It was a fragment of a tree blown apart by the earlier explosion.

An idea flashed through Chiba's mind, and a smile curled across his lips.

I've got it!

He quickly picked up the charred wood from the ground and hurled it toward the Rock Pillar Prison. Though his body was weak, years of taijutsu training gave him enough strength to send the burnt log soaring into the air.

What is he doing? Iwaki Shin's eyes flickered as he watched the charred wood fly toward the Rock Pillar Prison.

Throwing a piece of wood? Is he trying to smash the rock wall? Has this brat gone stupid? With that kind of force? Yet the charred wood would not strike the rock wall. It was flying higher than the wall.

"Now, Young Miss! Look up—Substitution Technique!" Chiba shouted.

Substitution Technique? Iwaki Shin froze.

Hyuga Yukina, anxiously trapped within the Rock Pillar Prison, was also startled by Chiba's shout. Almost instinctively, she raised her head as he instructed and saw the charred wood hanging in the air outside the rock wall.

Hyuga Yukina reacted quickly as well. She instantly understood Chiba's plan and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Bang!"

Her entire body turned into a cloud of white smoke. The smoke quickly dispersed, and a charred log fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Yukina appeared where the charred wood had originally been, suspended in the air close to the rock wall.

Hyuga Yukina had escaped! It worked! The Three Body Techniques were basic skills taught at the Ninja Academy. There was no way the Young Miss would not know them! Chiba quietly clenched his fist.

"What?!" Iwaki Shin cried out. She had used the Substitution Technique to switch places with the charred wood? This brat! He thought fast! No, he could not delay any longer! "Young Miss, your Ninja Tool Pouch!"

Hyuga Yukina was descending from the air now, landing lightly on the ground. Chiba hurriedly shouted because he had already seen Iwaki Shin forming hand seals.

Hyuga Yukina had no time to think. She casually threw the Ninja Tool Pouch from her waist.

Chiba caught it and checked its contents while shouting, "Young Miss, get over here!"

Good, there are Smoke Bombs! They're standard equipment, so of course she'd have them! Chiba swiftly pulled out a Kunai and tossed it to the approaching Hyuga Yukina. At the same time, he took out a Smoke Bomb. Once Yukina had come close enough, he smashed it hard against the ground.

"Bang!"

A cloud of white smoke immediately spread out, concealing the two of them.

"Damn it!" Iwaki Shin had just completed his final hand seal and was about to unleash ninjutsu, but now that he had lost his targets, he had nowhere to direct it. The Smoke Bomb had been thrown at precisely the right moment.

"This is the moment, Young Miss!" Chiba's voice rang out once more from within the white smoke.

Then came a sharp whoosh as a Kunai shot out of the smoke, streaking toward Iwaki Shin's head.

Watching the rapidly approaching Kunai, Iwaki Shin gave a cold laugh.

How naive!

You think one Kunai can kill me!

Ambition beyond your strength! He merely tilted his head slightly and dodged the Kunai. At the same time, he pressed both hands down.

If you had fled while you had the chance, things might have turned out differently. Yet you actually dared to try killing me? Brat, you're too green! That shout already exposed your position!

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

The earth before Iwaki Shin suddenly rose, forming an Earth Cone that shot forward and pierced through the white smoke. When it thrust out, a seven-year-old boy was already impaled upon it.

It was Chiba! "Die!" Iwaki Shin sneered, but his smile froze in the very next second.

The Chiba impaled on the Earth Cone turned into a cloud of white smoke with a "Bang!"

A clone!

Then another "Bang!" sounded behind him.

That Kunai!

His eyes slowly widened. In an instant, terror, regret, and unwillingness surged through him, twisting his face.

Chiba's voice sounded from behind him. "You're the one... who should die."

With a cold smile on his lips, Chiba gripped the Kunai in his hand and gathered all his remaining strength, driving it into Iwaki Shin's back.

"Shhk!"

Blood spurted out.

"Damn... it! I was actually beaten by a brat..."

Iwaki Shin's eyes widened in unwillingness as he collapsed onto the ground.

The white smoke dispersed. Hyuga Yukina remained in the posture of having flung out a Kunai. As she watched Iwaki Shin fall and reveal Chiba behind him, a strange light flickered in her eyes.

He left behind a clone, transformed himself into the Kunai, and then had me throw it. He had predicted that ninja would dodge it. And the reason he tossed the Kunai to me in front of that ninja was to confuse him—to make him think the Kunai I threw from within the smoke was the same one Chiba had thrown to me! Hyuga Yukina watched Chiba sway unsteadily.

Did he come up with that strategy in that single instant?

Amazing!