Big Sister, Can You Give Me First Blood?

The fog seemed to grow even thicker—where before one could make out hazy silhouettes dozens of steps away, now only outlines ten steps distant were visible.

"Asuma, wait. Something's wrong!" Ibiki leaped in front of Asuma, stretching out an arm to stop him from charging in.

Even the fence-sitting Mizuki fell silent, eyes darting warily around.

Tōka narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within. Wasn't this scene identical to the Kirigakure Ninja's Hidden Mist Technique?

But the scale was so vast, it didn't quite seem...

Tōka would sooner die than believe that dozens of Kirigakure Ninja had gathered here to cast the Hidden Mist Technique together.

"Don't hold me back!" Asuma suddenly shouted.

"Asuma, you—" Ibiki had never seen Asuma so reckless with the bigger picture. His face darkened, ready to scold him.

"I won't do anything rash," Asuma said first.

The mist grew denser, the visibility hazier.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound approached from afar, growing closer.

Everyone tensed, gripping their Kunai tightly.

"Here it comes!"

Swoosh!!

A black shadow swung a massive blade in a horizontal slash, the sharp edge covering all four of them.

"Scatter!" Ibiki barked.

The four split apart, dodging in four different directions.

Hiss-hiss!~

The shadow licked its tongue and let out a strange laugh. "Ooh, three tasty little boys, don't run away!~"

"A ninja?!" Tōka's pupils contracted sharply. That old bastard Furuya Daisuke had never mentioned the enemy included ninja!

And a rogue ninja from Kirigakure—at least Chunin rank!

Asuma, Ibiki, and Mizuki all changed expressions as well.

Was this level of combat really their Genin graduation exam?

"Oh, this little one is so cute!~" The female ninja grinned eerily, staring hard at Tōka, saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth as if she saw him as prey.

"Making me the first target, huh?" Tōka bared his teeth in a cruel smile.

Swoosh!!

A gust of wind rose as the female ninja shot high into the air, both arms raising her massive blade before bringing it down with force.

Bam!

The blade fell, tearing through the hazy mist and slamming heavily into the ground.

Dark cracks as wide as an arm spiderwebbed outward, and at the center where the blade struck, a crater the size of a pot was gouged out.

"Big sis, how about giving me first blood?" Tōka's figure appeared eerily behind the female ninja.

With a flick of his palm, a sharp Kunai materialized in his hand.

Pfft! A flash of cold light, and the sharp Kunai sliced off a lock of the female ninja's hair.

Tōka's gaze turned icy as he pushed his hand forward, aiming to pierce her throat.

Suddenly!

Bam!

A puff of white smoke rose. When he looked again, the female ninja's body had been replaced by a chunk of rotten wood.

"Substitution Technique?!"

Tōka's pupils shrank, his expression shifting, but his mind remained eerily calm.

As expected of a real ninja—their ability to adapt on the fly was impressive.

Tōka didn't dare stay where he was. He dropped into a quick roll, moving several steps away.

Swish-swish-swish!!

A series of sharp whistles rang out as five Shuriken tore through the air.

Thud-thud-thud!!

They struck exactly where Tōka had been standing, embedding themselves in a neat row.

"Tōka, get over here!" Ibiki shouted loudly.

Asuma gritted his teeth but ultimately said nothing. He'd only wanted to teach Tōka a lesson, after all.

They were from the same village—Asuma wouldn't let Tōka be killed!

"Kid, come here! I'll cover you!" Asuma said, his hands forming hand signs rapidly before he took a deep breath.

Wind Dust Technique!!

Whoosh!

A whirlwind burst from Asuma's mouth, and the thick fog around them suddenly cleared.

For an instant, their vision sharpened.

Good—that guy wasn't nearby!

Seeing this, Tōka didn't hesitate. He flickered closer.

"What now? The enemy's strong—should we retreat?" Ibiki muttered.

They had the numbers, but they were just four greenhorns from the Ninja Academy who'd never seen blood.

And their opponent was clearly a Kirigakure Chunin, initially judged to be a rogue ninja.

Wielding a massive blade and using the Hidden Mist Technique, she belonged to the Kirigakure's Silent Killing Technique school.

"The enemy's skilled, but we're not completely without a chance." Amid the silence, Tōka suddenly spoke up.

The Silent Killing Technique was called that because it made almost no sound.

The quieter the sound—the closer to "silence"—the more proficient the user was at this move.

"Why do you say that?" Asuma frowned. If they could take down a Chunin, even as a team of four, it would be something to be proud of!

"Because she makes noise when she attacks," Tōka said with a cold smirk. "Like this!"

Pfft!!

Tōka's left hand, gripping a Kunai, stabbed out sharply—straight at Asuma.

Everyone's pupils shrank. Shock painted their faces.

They wanted to block it, but Tōka and Asuma were too close!

Clang!!

The situation flipped in an instant. A massive blade swung out of the white mist, meeting Tōka's Kunai head-on.

But Tōka wasn't as strong as the female ninja. After barely holding for a second, Tōka kicked out hard, sending Asuma flying away.

Only then did the others realize—Tōka hadn't struck to kill Asuma, but to save him.

"Bastard, don't underestimate us!" Ibiki's face darkened. Being ignored again and again, he was thoroughly enraged.

Shing, shing, shing...

Ibiki's hands blurred through hand signs, a cold light flashing between his palms.

"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"

Zzzzzt~~~

Mizuki joined in too, six Shuriken fanning out from his hand, sealing off all the female ninja's escape routes.

"Hehe, you little brats sure have energy!" The female ninja curled her lips in a cold grin. She didn't dodge or retreat—just raised her massive blade horizontally in front of her.

Clink, clatter, clang...

All six of Mizuki's Shuriken were blocked.

Then the female ninja leaped high, dodging Ibiki's Lightning Release, and swung her arms in a flurry.

The enormous blade cut through the thick fog, bearing down on both Ibiki and Mizuki.

Right then, a ghostly figure drifted like a specter behind the female ninja.

"I told you..." Tōka raised his sword fingers, a small bone the size of a pinky extending from his fingertip.

"Big sis, your first blood is mine!"

Transcending time and space, scattering in flight—rot with these bones!

All-Killing Ash Bones!!

"How—!" The female ninja's pupils shrank violently. She hadn't noticed Tōka appearing at all.

Pfft!!

Once the Ash Bone entered the body, even a god couldn't save her.

Before the horrified eyes of the group, the female ninja's body crumbled into flaking, decayed scraps and scattered into the air.

Tōka flipped midair, landing as lightly as a swallow.

He glanced at the ground—only five Shuriken were stuck there. A grin spread across his face.

Mizuki's throwing skill was pretty decent...

Tōka had used the Transformation Technique to turn into a Shuriken, blending in with Mizuki's attack.

The female ninja thought she'd dodged the Shuriken, but never expected the real killing move was Tōka hidden among them!

Without absolute power, strategy is indispensable.

One-on-one, the female ninja could crush any of them. Even in a group fight, she held the overwhelming advantage.

However, she was too confident and underestimated these brats.

"Gulp..." Asuma swallowed hard, staring in horror at the female ninja now reduced to a pile of debris.

"What a hassle. Now there's no evidence left." Tōka shook his head helplessly, but the others recoiled two frantic steps back as if they'd seen a ghost.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

Their scattered footsteps echoed unnaturally loud through the empty valley.

"Tch, my secret technique's exposed. Should I take these guys out?" Tōka stared expressionlessly at the three, thinking to himself.

No, there's someone else in the shadows!

Suddenly, Tōka's expression shifted as he suppressed the killing intent rising in his heart.

With a whoosh, he leaped up and vanished into the hazy mist.

The rogue Kirigakure ninja was dead, so the Hidden Mist Technique should have been dispelled, yet the surrounding fog remained thick.

That meant the massive Hidden Mist Technique earlier wasn't the female ninja's ability—most of it came from the valley's natural mist.

Realizing this, Tōka breathed a sigh of relief.

This band of outlaws likely came from the Land of Water, with that Chunin as their leader.

There might be a few Genin, but they were no longer a concern.

Moreover, Tōka noticed several faint presences of strong individuals deep within the mist.

Especially near Asuma, he constantly felt multiple auras locking onto him.

"Good thing I didn't act rashly..." Tōka licked his dry lips. Of course Konoha's new generation would be heavily guarded.

The brief battle lasted less than three minutes but drained most of Tōka's energy.

Truly, he was still too weak!!

This mission's intelligence gathering was sufficient. The enemy's strongest was a Chunin—though it was just a judgment, Tōka trusted his own assessment.

The exact number of enemies didn't need confirmation. Once Tōka knew someone was protecting them from the shadows, none of that mattered anymore.

What remained...

Was only a baptism of blood!

In a hidden corner of the valley behind Low Rock, Kurenai and Gai waited anxiously.

Though the agreed time hadn't arrived, an uneasy feeling stirred in both their hearts.

"How about we go out and check together?" Kurenai suggested.

"No, we should trust Tōka." Gai, though worried for Tōka too, rejected Kurenai's proposal.

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity shot through Kurenai's mind.

A genjutsu trap had been triggered!

She shot Gai a cautious glance, and as they prepared to investigate, a dark figure landed lightly.

"It's me!" Tōka's voice rang out, freezing their movements.

Gai's Konoha Strong Gale was mere inches from Tōka's head.

Meanwhile, Kurenai's hands were already forming seals, her genjutsu ready to go.

"Tōka, are you alright?" Kurenai asked, concern written on her face.

"I'm fine. Everyone, get ready to fight." Tōka shook his head slightly. What could happen to him?

He then relayed all the intelligence and deductions he'd gathered to the two.

"Since we're exposed, we have no choice but to fight!" Kurenai tightened her small face, as if mustering all her courage.

"Youth is about improving yourself through battle!!" Gai's expression was completely different—downright excited!

"Then let's move."

Tōka was the first to leave Low Rock, vanishing into the misty valley with a flash.

At the valley entrance, Furuya Daisuke and an Anbu wearing a fox mask stood watching.

Though every squad had an Anbu tailing them, Furuya Daisuke still worried.

He usually acted strict, but only because he wanted his students to gain true strength.

"Tomohito, can you check on the brats for me?" Furuya Daisuke said with a stiff face, pretending not to care at all.

But his tightly clenched hands gave him away.

Yamanaka Tomohito silently glanced at him. In less than thirty minutes, this was the eighth time Furuya Daisuke had asked him to contact the Anbu members.

Still, Yamanaka Tomohito didn't refuse.

He changed his hand seal, and a strange power spread outward.

Yamanaka Tomohito's mind directly connected with everyone...

Furuya Daisuke stared straight at the valley, but the corner of his eye kept fixed on Yamanaka Tomohito, even though he knew he could see nothing from that fox mask.

Yet his body couldn't help doing so.

After a moment, Yamanaka Tomohito finished contacting all seventeen Anbu members and let out a light breath of turbid air.

Clearly, repeatedly activating his secret technique had worn even him, an elite jonin, down a bit.

"Relax, the brats are all safe." Yamanaka Tomohito's voice rang out, and Furuya Daisuke immediately sighed in relief.

Exams and such didn't matter, as long as everyone was fine...

Furuya Daisuke thought silently in his heart.

"However, there was a little incident." Yamanaka Tomohito's voice cut in abruptly, and Furuya Daisuke's expression shifted slightly.

He instinctively lifted his leg, ready to charge into the valley.

But he stopped because of Yamanaka Tomohito's next words.

"The problem's already been solved. What an incredible little brat!" Yamanaka Tomohito's tone carried a hint of admiration.

Furuya Daisuke frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "What exactly happened?"

Despite the huge gap in their strength, Furuya Daisuke seemed completely unafraid of Yamanaka Tomohito.

His fixed pupils stared intently at the fox mask.

Their gazes clashed invisibly in the air.

"Don't be so tense. You're an elite who survived the Second War, after all." Yamanaka Tomohito chose to back down, actively looking away.

"Just tell me quickly." Furuya Daisuke said coldly.

"Well, it's nothing major." Yamanaka Tomohito shrugged, speaking in a casual tone. "Just a few rogue ninja from Kirigakure mixed in with the bandits."

"What?!" Furuya Daisuke was shocked. Only six words remained in his mind—rogue ninja among the bandits!

"What's going on? What exactly is going on?"

"Weren't they just a bunch of ordinary bandits?"

"Why are there rogue ninja? Is anyone hurt?"

Furuya Daisuke was already incoherent. These brats were in danger even against a group of vicious bandits.

That's why Anbu had been sent to secretly protect them, let alone facing rogue ninja from Kirigakure.

"Calm down. The brats are all fine, and besides..." Yamanaka Tomohito chuckled lightly, his tone full of ease.

Furuya Daisuke glared at Yamanaka Tomohito with reddened eyes, his expression saying he wouldn't let it go until he got a clear explanation.

"Asuma and a few other brats, working with a brat named Tōka, took down that Kirigakure rogue chunin."

"The rest were just a few genin and some ordinary bandits."

"What?!" This time, Furuya Daisuke wasn't angry—he was stunned.

A bunch of kids who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy took down a rogue ninja from Kirigakure? And a chunin at that?

Furuya Daisuke shouted urgently.

"Quick, tell me the details!"

"Here's what happened..." (To be continued)