The Mystic Bird Stab

After reaching a decision, the three immediately spread out in different directions, all targeting Yamashiro Aoba, who was standing atop a large tree.

"Not bad."

Yamashiro Aoba said with a smile. He had seen and heard their discussion just moments ago. The area around them was filled with his Summoning Beast crows, which served as his eyes and ears.

For a team that had only just been formed, it was unreasonable to expect too much. In this situation, it was best to first learn about each teammate's abilities and then decide on a strategy.

"But this kind of attack is too weak." Yamashiro Aoba spoke softly. He raised a hand, and a Kunai appeared in it. With a quick slash, he cut an arrow in half.

Bows, a weapon favored by ordinary samurai, weren't very useful against shinobi. In a shinobi battle, arrows simply flew too slowly.

With a Kunai, Yamashiro Aoba casually knocked aside four arrows without even moving his feet.

From four hundred meters away, Fujiwara Chima could accurately hit Yamashiro Aoba with her bow. Among ordinary samurai, she was already a master marksman. Still, there was no denying that her arrows weren't powerful enough to threaten a shinobi.

Sai was hiding beside the roots of a large tree. Although he was currently posing as a newly graduated Genin, he had actually become a Chunin long ago. His records had simply been altered.

Sai was a year older than Yu. By the time he was ten, he had already reached Chunin level, making him something of a prodigy.

Sai was only joining Team 99 because Danzo had ordered him to. For Root shinobi who had been trained from childhood like Sai, Danzo's orders were heaven—the most important thing of all. Even if they were sent on a mission certain to end in death, they wouldn't hesitate.

Besides, Sai's mission was simply to join Team 99 and monitor Yuyou Uchiha.

Sai hadn't made a move yet. He was watching Yu.

At the moment, however, Sai was trying to locate Yu. He had seen Yu run off to his front right just moments earlier, but in the blink of an eye, Yu had vanished.

Of the three, only Fujiwara Chima was making an effort to attack. The other two were crouched in the grass without landing a single basic hit.

"Breathe... in... out..."

Fujiwara Chima took a deep breath and began using her family's inherited secret art, Ninja Arrow Flow. It used Chakra to increase the power of arrows.

The reason Konoha had recruited Fujiwara Chima was Ninja Arrow Flow. Although it wasn't quite a forbidden technique, it was still a formidable combat art. Konoha needed all kinds of people and abilities.

Fujiwara Chima drew her bowstring. Chakra flowed from her body into her hands, then wound around the arrow according to a special method. A visible white glow appeared around it.

"Ninja Arrow Flow—Mystic Bird Stab!"

When Fujiwara Chima released the bowstring, the glowing arrow shot forward at tremendous speed.

"Caw...!"

The arrow made a birdlike cry as it cut through the air. Its shape seemed to blur, transforming into a white mystic bird streaking through the sky.

This arrow attack was more than ten times stronger than the previous ones. Even Yamashiro Aoba couldn't casually knock it aside with a Kunai as he had before.

Of course, Yamashiro Aoba had anticipated all of this. He already knew Fujiwara Chima's abilities very well.

He chose to dodge the Mystic Bird Stab. Though its power had increased more than tenfold, it still posed no threat to a Special Jonin like him. He evaded it with ease.

Just as Yamashiro Aoba regained his footing, the arrow that had lodged in the tree trunk suddenly exploded. It shattered into more than a dozen streaks of white light that shot in every direction, with the force of small-caliber bullets.

This seemed to catch Yamashiro Aoba off guard. As he dodged, an opening inevitably appeared in his stance.

Far away, Fujiwara Chima drew her bowstring again and fired another Mystic Bird Stab at Yamashiro Aoba.

Although Yamashiro Aoba hadn't expected the arrow to explode, he was a Special Jonin with plenty of combat experience. He handled the unexpected situation flawlessly.

He easily dodged the arrow fragments, and evaded Fujiwara Chima's second Mystic Bird Stab as well.

But the second Mystic Bird Stab was different from the first. This time, Fujiwara Chima used a specially made arrow, with a smaller arrow attached to it.

Yamashiro Aoba didn't try to dodge. Instead, he flung a Kunai directly at the arrow.

"Bang!"

A muffled explosion rang out as the Kunai collided with the arrow in midair.

But just then, another streak of white light shot out from the explosion: an arrow about the size of a Senbon, aimed at the bell at Yamashiro Aoba's waist.

"Jingle..."

The bell was fastened with nothing more than an ordinary thin cord, which the arrow easily sliced through. The bell fell away from Yamashiro Aoba and dropped toward the ground.

Sai, who had been watching from nearby, saw what happened. His mission was to monitor Yu, so he naturally had to remain on Team 99. He was also eager to pass Yamashiro Aoba's test.

Seeing an opportunity, Sai didn't hesitate. He showed off his impressive Taijutsu skills and sprang toward the falling bell.

Yamashiro Aoba's face tightened when he saw this. He quickly pivoted and lunged for the bell as well.

But Fujiwara Chima didn't stop attacking. She drew her bow repeatedly and fired three more Mystic Bird Stabs.

After firing those three arrows, Fujiwara Chima's face had turned noticeably pale, and her breathing grew ragged. Using the Mystic Bird Stab four times in succession took a heavy toll on her.

By now, Yamashiro Aoba had left himself completely exposed as he tried to reclaim the bell. Two Mystic Bird Stabs sped toward him, aimed at his head and chest. Even as a Special Jonin, he was still human; an arrow through the head or chest would be fatal.

Under normal circumstances, Yamashiro Aoba should have dodged or blocked the Mystic Bird Stabs. Instead, he ignored them and snatched the bell before Sai could reach it.

But the Mystic Bird Stabs caught up with him.

"Thud, thud!"

The two arrows pierced Yamashiro Aoba's head and chest. Bright red blood burst from his wounds, creating a horrifying scene.

Far away, Fujiwara Chima stared in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Sai, however, wasn't very shaken. He knew the scene before him wasn't real. And even if it had been, it wouldn't have surprised him much. He had seen more than enough death already.

"I'm under a Genjutsu!"

That was Sai's first thought.

But by then, it was too late. Another Yamashiro Aoba appeared behind Sai, a sharp Kunai pressed against his neck.

"Thud!"

Without hesitation, Yamashiro Aoba plunged the Kunai into Sai's neck.

But no bloody scene appeared. A puff of smoke rose, and Sai, who had been standing beside Yamashiro Aoba, vanished. All that remained was a piece of broken wood.

"A Clone Technique? Not bad. He recognized the Genjutsu quickly and noticed the danger, too," Yamashiro Aoba thought.