Just as the three weapons were about to pierce Sen, his body went "poof" and shattered into more than a dozen cawing crows that scattered in every direction.
"What kind of jutsu is this?! Stay alert!" The three men were horrified and hurriedly stood back-to-back in a defensive formation.
A moment later, several crows gathered again in the distance and turned back into Sen.
He casually waved a hand, and several more crows flew lazily toward the three men.
"Careful. Don't let the crows block your view. He's very fast!" the Sand ninja warned.
"You can't even tell that this is an Illusion Technique, and you still don't run?" Sen said leisurely, a hint of pity in his voice. "Truly, the young are fearless."
"Hmph! Don't underestimate Sunagakure. Even if you're a Jonin, we still have five Chunin here..."
The ninja's words abruptly cut off. His eyes widened!
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Three muffled thuds sounded as three shuriken struck their targets with deadly precision.
Until the very last moment of their lives, they couldn't understand how those crows, flying toward them so lazily, had turned into sharp, deadly shuriken the instant they got close.
The two remaining Sand ninja stared at their three fallen comrades, paralyzed with fear.
A Jonin could barely handle four Chunin under normal circumstances, yet their opponent had just wiped out two of their squads in a row!
Run!
The thought flashed through both men's minds at once. But Sen was faster.
Within a few breaths, he caught up with the puppeteer and cleaved him and his puppet in half with a short blade wreathed in lightning.
Hearing the scream behind him, the last Sand ninja looked back in terror.
The instant he turned, he saw Sen's cold eyes—and Sen's right hand, clamped around his throat