Growth, New Ninjutsu

An oasis, like a seed of life bestowed by the heavens, takes root and sprouts in the desolate desert, nurturing new life.

Splash, splash!

Splash, splash!!

Tōka removed his fox mask and splashed water from the river onto his face.

What water tastes best? Undoubtedly, the clear spring water in the desert!

"The oasis isn't large, only a little over a thousand square units. It hasn't been completely submerged by sandstorms thanks to this underground spring," Sakumo Hatake said as he filled his canteen, analyzing the situation.

"Who cares? Are we resting here tonight?" Tōka patted his slightly full stomach and reclined on the grass.

He looked lazy. The fox mask could block wind and sand, but Tōka didn't particularly like it.

Especially covering his face so completely; the mask affected his vision.

"No, we'll travel through the night and aim to reach this location before dawn." Sakumo Hatake held an intelligence map, pointing a finger at a Sunagakure outpost.

"This outpost? You think there's stored food here?" Tōka asked, confused.

"No, I want to let the Sand Ninja know our location," Sakumo Hatake said calmly.

"Huh?" Tōka looked utterly bewildered. Informing the enemy of their position?

"Don't worry, I don't take the Sand Ninja lightly," Sakumo Hatake said confidently.

Tōka didn't understand Sakumo Hatake's intentions, so he chose to remain silent. However, he added in his heart, They don't take me lightly either.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

A series of kunai, accompanied by the smell of burning, shot from all directions.

Their discussion ended without resolution, and they immediately chose to evade.

Sakumo Hatake used the Body Flicker Technique to teleport to a distance, while Tōka used the Substitution Technique to leap onto a large tree.

The small oasis was instantly blown apart by more than ten explosive tags.

"Sand Ninja?" Tōka's gaze swept over the figures that darted out from the shadows. The forehead protectors clearly bore the emblem of Sunagakure!

"This is your own territory. Is it really okay to destroy it so carelessly?"

"Hmph, compared to that, your destruction would be far greater."

A somewhat impatient Puppet Master manipulated a mechanical monster to attack Sakumo Hatake.

Seeing this, Tōka secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the Puppet Master wasn't targeting him, everything was fine.

As for Sakumo Hatake? Tōka felt that unless Chiyo herself appeared, other Puppet Masters would just be fodder for Sakumo Hatake.

Besides, Tōka didn't have the luxury of worrying about others.

A standard squad of four Sand Ninja surrounded him.

A regular four-person squad consists of one Chunin and three Genin; a standard four-person squad is one Jonin and three Genin; an elite four-person squad is one Jonin and three Chunin.

And now, Tōka was facing one Jonin and three Genin.

"Even though he's just a kid, don't let your guard down!" the Jonin commanded sternly. After all, he was someone who could operate alongside Konoha's White Fang.

They couldn't simply treat him as a child!

"Teacher Miyano, you're overreacting!" a female ninja carrying a large fan said dismissively.

"He's just a six or seven-year-old kid. The three of us working together have taken down a Chunin before!" another male ninja, with two stripes painted on his face, chimed in.

While they were talking, Tōka subtly observed and adjusted his physical state.

The Jonin appeared to be around thirty years old, very likely a survivor of the Second Shinobi World War, powerful and difficult to deal with. He couldn't tell what his specialty was yet.

As for the three Genin, they were all twelve or thirteen-year-old kids.

The female ninja carried a large fan and was a Wind Release user, her weapon being the Three-Star Fan commonly used by Sand Ninja.

The male ninja wielded a meteor hammer and had several scrolls on his pants; he was the type skilled in ninja tools.

As for the last one, a brown-haired kid who remained at the back of the group, he hadn't revealed his weapon yet...

"A Medical Ninja?" Tōka frowned slightly. The poison techniques of Sand Ninja's medical ninjas were definitely superior to their medical skills.

Whether it was Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, or Medical Ninjutsu, Tōka's development was relatively comprehensive, with no single area being particularly outstanding.

Because of this, the Sand Ninja's poison techniques posed the greatest threat to him.

I should have prepared some common antidotes! Tōka put his fox mask back on, his mind already made up.

The primary target was clear: the shifty-looking guy hiding at the back of the Sand Ninja squad!

Whoosh!!

Amidst the Sand Ninja squad's noisy chatter, Tōka's body flickered, and he suddenly charged out.

At the same time, he raised his hand and unleashed a volley of bone bullets towards Jonin Miyano.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

The whistling sound of the wind as the projectiles flew through the air completely interrupted their bickering.

The female ninja bared her teeth in a mocking grin. Zheng! She shook her arm, slamming the Three-Star Fan heavily onto the ground, revealing the first star.

"Wind Release: Gale Slash!"

The female ninja swung her Three-Star Fan fiercely. A violent gust of wind transformed into a razor-thin blade of air, capable of instantly severing flesh and bone.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!!

The bone bullets were effortlessly blown away.

Tōka narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. "He's not just talking big; these guys are strong! They're top-tier among Genin."

If they were in Konoha, they would have graduated with top scores in the elite classes.

However, his target wasn't the Jonin Miyano, but the one hiding behind him!

"Baki, be careful, he's targeting you!" Jonin Miyano's perception was as sharp as his strength.

Seeing Tōka abandon his offensive and charge towards the rear, Jonin Miyano immediately realized the previous projectiles were merely a feint to push him back!

"Hmph, he's coming for me? Underestimating me?" Baki looked only thirteen or fourteen, but his body was incredibly strong, almost twice the size of Tōka.

"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"

Wooo!!

A rapidly spinning wind sword formed on Baki's palm, its edge sharp and menacing.

Even from ten paces away, Tōka felt a chilling aura.

"He's in range now!" Baki sneered, crouching low, ready to charge.

Tōka chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. "Indeed, he's in range now!"

"All-Killing Ash Bones: Earth Spear Pierce!"

Puh!!

Beneath Baki's feet, the ground trembled as an ash bone as thick as an arm burst from the earth.

The ash bone shot diagonally towards Baki. He leaned forward, unable to retract his momentum to dodge.

Just as the ash bone was about to pierce his chest, a female voice suddenly rang out.

"Wind Release: Sandstorm!"

Wooooo~~~

The female ninja swung her massive Three-Star Fan, whipping up a fierce, sand-laden wind that lifted Baki, along with a chunk of earth, into the air.

At this moment, two stars on her Three-Star Fan were clearly visible.

After unleashing two Ninjutsu in quick succession, a trace of fatigue appeared on the female ninja's face.

Even as an elite among Genin, she was still only a Genin. It was understandable that she couldn't sustain continuous Ninjutsu usage.

Tōka glanced at Baki, who had been blown away, crashed through a large tree, and was spitting blood. He decided not to press the attack.

Swoosh, swoosh!!

Jonin Miyano and the male ninja suddenly appeared, blocking Tōka's path.

The female ninja rushed to Baki's side, tending to his wounds.

"Baki specializes in Wind Release and Taijutsu; he doesn't use poison, and he's heavily injured, so he's not a major threat," Tōka thought to himself, shifting his gaze to the two in front of him.

The female ninja had used two Wind Release Ninjutsu and wouldn't be a problem for now.

Jonin Miyano and the male ninja – who would Tōka choose as his target?

There was no need to think...

Always pick on the weaker opponent!

"Teacher Miyano, Baki is alright, but for the upcoming battle..." the female ninja's voice carried over.

"No problem, you take care of Baki, leave the rest to me!" Jonin Miyano said sternly.

The male ninja beside him, having witnessed his comrade nearly being instantly killed, immediately shed his dismissive attitude towards Tōka.

This kid, who was a head shorter than him, was actually this strong!

If not for Teacher Miyano's presence, the three of them together might not have been a match for him.

They had even boasted earlier that the three of them combined could take down a Chunin.

It was then that the male ninja noticed the mask on the kid's face.

That was a special mask worn by Konoha Anbu. Only the most exceptional ninjas in the village could become Anbu, and the Konoha Anbu were the elite forces of the Five Great Nations.

Compared to the fierce intensity of Tōka's battlefield, the confrontation between Sakumo Hatake and the four Sand Ninja Jonin seemed eerily quiet.

Quiet to the point of being bizarre, terrifying, and chilling.

Occasionally, two figures would flash across the sky, followed by a ding, the sound of clashing weapons.

The four Sand Ninja Jonin were not fighting with their full strength; they even maintained a distance from Sakumo Hatake.

Seemingly intentionally or unintentionally delaying the time...

"He's coming!"

"I'll support you, Teacher!"

With a whoosh, Upper Ninja Miyano charged out swiftly, kunai in hand, closing the distance. He didn't intend to waste too much chakra on Tōka.

The simplest way to kill was Taijutsu combined with a sharp blade!

"Eh? You want to get close?" Tōka's small face under the fox mask twitched his eyebrows, a hint of joy showing in his voice.

It seemed his intel hadn't leaked. Otherwise, the Sand Ninja would have sent a Ninjutsu squad.

Keeping distance and bombarding him was the correct choice, even a squad of Puppet Masters with poison would have been a better option.

Slash!!

Upper Ninja Miyano swung his arm, his kunai aimed at Tōka's throat.

With a rip, Tōka slightly threw his head back to dodge, but a large gash appeared on the front of his clothes.

Buzz buzz buzz!!

As Tōka leaped back, still in mid-air, he heard a rapid gust of wind by his ears.

He instinctively turned his head to look and saw a meteor hammer hurtling towards him.

Seeing the meteor hammer smash fiercely into Tōka's face, everyone rejoiced, but before they could celebrate.

Poof! A puff of white smoke rose, and Tōka's body was smashed to "nothing"!

"Not good, it's a clone!" Upper Ninja Miyano's pupils constricted sharply. He instinctively turned his head, looking towards the injured Baki and the female ninja.

However, Tōka's target wasn't those two.

"Brat, when adults are fighting, you should just sleep soundly!" Tōka's body moved like a phantom, appearing out of nowhere.

His words seemed to possess a magical charm, and the male ninja felt his eyelids growing heavier.

Thump! The two male ninjas collapsed and fell asleep.

"Damn it! You can use Genjutsu too?!" Upper Ninja Miyano's face darkened, his heart filled with anxiety.

He rapidly formed hand seals, moving faster than his usual limit.

"I must... catch up!!"

"Earth Release: Earth River Flow!"

Upper Ninja Miyano roared, a surge of immense chakra erupting.

Beneath Tōka's feet, a large patch of land turned liquid, rushing forward like a mudslide.

Poof!

Another puff of white smoke rose...

"Damn it, it's a clone technique again?!" Upper Ninja Miyano's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, gritting his teeth and cursing.

"Tsk tsk tsk... This time it's a Shadow Clone Technique!~" Tōka's voice floated lightly by his ear. "A mere clone can't use Genjutsu, you know."

He had wasted half his chakra dealing with the male ninja providing long-range support.

Now, it was a one-on-one situation!

"So fast! When did you appear!" A chill shot up Upper Ninja Miyano's spine to the back of his head, almost making him bite his tongue!

Tōka extended a pinky finger, pointing at Upper Ninja Miyano's cheek.

Chakra surged, gathering at his fingertip.

Crack crack crack...

His finger twitched like a noodle, bones growing and breaking through the skin, revealing a corner.

"All-Killing Ash Bones: Bone Bullet!"

"Wind Release: Sandstorm!"

The instant Tōka fired the ash bones, a terrifying storm erupted from the ground.

Tōka felt his body was no longer his own, as if an invisible giant hand lifted him into the sky.

Seeing this, Upper Ninja Miyano used Body Flicker to dodge.

Child-Tiger-Dog-Ox-Hare-Tiger

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Upper Ninja Miyano spat out several small fireballs in succession, simultaneously flipping his palm to reveal a stack of shuriken.

He spun his body abruptly, throwing the shuriken in his hand.

The small fireballs and shuriken combined, resembling dancing little phoenixes.

Under the enhancement of Wind Release, the flames on the shuriken intensified.

Puff puff puff!!

Tōka's body was in mid-air with nowhere to brace himself. He could only shield his vital areas with his hands.

Sharp shuriken and scorching Phoenix Immortal Fire landed all over him.

Bang!!

Tōka's body plummeted into the water like a crashed plane, emitting a puff of black smoke.

"Is he dead?" Miyano, the Jonin, wiped a bead of sweat from his temple. Fighting against a mere Genin had actually made him nervous.

Beneath the water, Tōka was burned like charcoal, in immense pain and in a sorry state.

However, it wasn't fatal, as his Secret Technique was unlike any other, allowing him to form a protective membrane of ash bones beneath his skin.

"Hiss~~, but that really hurt!" Tōka channeled Chakra into his hands, and the burns he brushed with the Mystical Palm Technique quickly healed, growing new flesh.

Tōka held his breath, thinking in the water, "My Chakra is running low!"

He had continuously used the All-Killing Ash Bones, plus the Mystical Palm Technique to heal his injuries.

Tōka, whose Chakra was already only at the Genin level, found the situation a bit tricky.

"Then I'll end this fight with one final blow!"

The thought flashed through his mind, and Tōka's gaze sharpened slightly, his decision made.

Puff!!

A black shadow broke through the water. Tōka stood on the surface, channeling Chakra into the soles of his feet.

"Attacking Ash Bones..."

"Bone Rain Scatter!"

Tōka straightened his arm, palm facing the sky, and the bones in his arm extended with a creaking sound.

Whoosh whoosh!!

Four sections of bone shot through the air, rising into the sky.

The gray bones suddenly shattered, breaking apart into ash bones the size of rice grains... (To be continued)