Chunin

The night was misty with a gentle rain.

Huff, inside the camp tent, Beichen Haotian let out a soft breath, using a clean piece of cloth to wipe away the bloodstains remaining on his Tang Saber.

"Today's battle was truly perilous. If that Jonin hadn't misjudged my close-combat abilities and suppressed himself, using Ninjutsu, I would have had no choice but to flee. If I fled, the rest of Konoha would have been annihilated."

"Ultimately, it's still a matter of insufficient strength. Fortunately, after this long period of training, my Chakra has reached the limit for a Genin, and I'm not far from becoming a Chunin. Once my Chakra greatly increases, my strength can barely be considered that of a Special Jonin. I'll dedicate this rest day to refining my Chakra and preparing for promotion to Chunin."

After murmuring for a bit, Beichen Haotian focused his mind and began to diligently refine his Chakra.

In the blink of an eye, it was the evening of the next day. Apart from eating, Beichen Haotian spent all his time refining Chakra. His Chakra finally accumulated to the Genin limit; he only needed a catalyst for it to break through to the Chunin level.

Zhao Qingcang intended to create this catalyst himself.

After informing the Jonin of the Anbu that he planned to train nearby, he departed. This area was all occupied territory belonging to Konoha. Unless it was a Rain Ninja of Elite Jonin level or higher, infiltration was almost impossible, so the Anbu Jonin readily agreed.

Searching around, Beichen Haotian easily found the place he wanted in the mountains.

A waterfall, with a drop of about thirty meters. He took off his shirt and, holding his saber, jumped into the pool beneath the waterfall.

The pool wasn't deep, at most about five meters. He submerged to the deepest part, holding his saber, and began practicing the Blood Battle Breaking Army Saber Technique at the bottom of the water.

At the bottom of the five-meter-deep pool, practicing the saber technique while controlling his breathing doubled the difficulty. The saber technique, originally swift as the wind, became incredibly slow, churning up streams of water and slowly releasing bubbles.

He held his breath for four to five minutes, Beichen Haotian's face turning red from the strain, desperately needing air. But Beichen Haotian persisted. Under this physiological limit, his Observation Haki sensed his physical body gradually strengthening, and his cells' efficiency in utilizing oxygen increasing.

Finally, after enduring for six minutes, Beichen Haotian felt it – the Chakra within him surged. He stomped on the bottom of the pool and began to swim rapidly towards the surface. As soon as he reached the surface, Beichen Haotian started to gasp for air, using both his mouth and nose. His flushed face began to return to normal.

After recovering, Beichen Haotian stood on the water's surface, feeling the surge of Chakra within him, a smile appearing on his face. While this amount of Chakra might not compare to those with special physiques, nor to a Jinchuriki, it was more than double that of an ordinary Chunin.

Although Chakra quantity is important, it's not absolute. Chakra is like ammunition. No matter how much ammunition you have, if you use a handgun while I use a cannon. It's like the Uchiha with the Mangekyo facing Tailed Beasts; despite the huge difference in Chakra, the Tailed Beasts were like infants before the Mangekyo Sharingan, easily defeated.

After the breakthrough, Beichen Haotian returned to the camp and applied to the responsible Anbu Jonin for permission to operate independently and hunt down lone Rain Ninjas.

Originally, the Anbu Jonin would not have agreed, but sensing a different aura from Beichen Haotian than before, coupled with his excellent performance last time, they finally reluctantly agreed.

After a good night's rest, early the next morning, Beichen Haotian, carrying his Ninja Sword on his back, re-entered the area where remnants of the Rain Ninja were entrenched. Beichen Haotian understood that only through combat could he recover his strength the fastest.

Beichen Haotian cautiously infiltrated and scouted in a mountainous forest. The positions of hunter and prey were not fixed. Konoha was hunting Rain Ninjas, and in this desperate situation, the Rain Ninjas also wished to retaliate against Konoha.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... As Beichen Haotian's foot landed on a patch of grass, dozens of Kunai and Shuriken flew towards him from almost every angle.

Beichen Haotian's expression remained unchanged. In dangerous territory, he always kept his Observation Haki active. The moment he stepped on the trap, Beichen Haotian used Soru, a speed that surpassed the limits of the naked eye, to escape the range of the Shuriken and Kunai attack.

Water Release, Water Severing Wave.

Wind Release, Gale Palm.

A surging stream of water and a condensed ball of compressed air blasted towards Beichen Haotian.

Water Release, Water Formation Wall.

A blue water wall rose before Beichen Haotian, blocking the water stream and air ball completely.

Raising his hand, Beichen Haotian grabbed the Tang Saber stuck in the ground and swiftly deflected two Kunai with explosive tags attached to their tails. Boom, boom! Two trees, as thick as an adult's calf, were blown apart.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Beichen Haotian raised his left hand, and three Shuriken flew towards the two Chunin Rain Ninjas opposite him.

Clang, clang, clang! The three Shuriken were deflected by the two Rain Ninjas, who then charged towards Beichen Haotian. Beichen Haotian naturally wasn't afraid and charged back at them with even greater speed.

After charging a few meters, Beichen Haotian frowned and stopped. He fluidly sheathed his saber and formed hand seals with both hands.

Lightning Release, Earth Run.

Several solidified bolts of lightning coiled around the charging two Rain Ninjas like lightning snakes. The two Rain Ninjas' bodies immediately stiffened, then turned into two puddles of water, with two explosive tags burning within the water.

Boom, boom! The explosion, comparable to a grenade's power, scattered water everywhere.

"Water Clone? Did they use it while I was casting the Water Formation Wall? How cunning. An ordinary Chunin could easily fall for this."

"Two rats, hiding your heads and showing your tails. I'll drag you out one by one." Beichen Haotian shouted coldly, his Observation Haki fully activated. The slightest rustle of wind and grass within a radius of several hundred meters entered his mind.

"Found you. If you don't come out now, don't blame me for being impolite." Beichen Haotian looked towards the north side of a small hill. However, upon hearing Beichen Haotian's words, there was still no movement.

Lightning Release, Swift Thunder.

A stream of high-voltage blue electricity sprayed from Beichen Haotian's mouth, instantly striking a tree several meters away beside the small hill.

With a sharp scream, a Rain Ninja, completely black, revealed itself. It tried to point its finger at Beichen Haotian, but ultimately failed, falling powerlessly under the tree.

"Hmph, trying to deceive me with ordinary transformation and concealment jutsu? You don't believe me even after I've found you? Too naive. Isn't there one left who hasn't come out yet?" Beichen Haotian's sharp gaze swept towards a bush.

Wind Release, Great Breakthrough.

Six Shuriken shot out from the bush, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, increasing the speed and power of the Shuriken by another third.

A large amount of Chakra gathered beneath Beichen Haotian's feet, generating a powerful suction that resisted the incoming wind. The Tang Saber in his hand was covered in blue arcs of electricity, dyeing it blue. He swung it rapidly, and six crisscrossing blue blade lights flashed in the air, not only deflecting the Shuriken but also cutting them in half.

After the strong wind subsided, Beichen Haotian charged towards the bush. The remaining Rain Ninja, its expression slightly anxious, began forming hand seals.

"This person is very strong. I've been defeated today. My Chakra is running low. I'll cast one more Ninjutsu to block his pursuit and then leave. Once I find my companions, I'll get my revenge with greater confidence," the Rain Ninja thought behind the bush.

Just as the Rain Ninja was two hand seals away from casting its Ninjutsu, a faint blue blade light mixed with crimson appeared in the Rain Ninja's pupils.

The Rain Ninja was utterly horrified and hastily stopped its Ninjutsu, attempting to escape. Unfortunately, the blade light was too fast, and coupled with the backlash from its Ninjutsu, it couldn't dodge. A fountain of blood shot into the sky, and the Rain Ninja's body collapsed.

The rain, which had paused, began to fall again. A mist started to form in the forest, a perfect time for slaughter in the hazy, misty rain. After a short rest to recover his stamina and Chakra, Beichen Haotian's slightly short and stern figure, carrying the cold, sharp Tang Saber, melted into the mist, disappearing without a trace.

For a full week, Beichen Haotian acted alone. In that week, he killed fifteen Rain Ninjas. These included Genin, Chunin, and even Elite Chunin. As for Jonin, he didn't encounter any. Even if he had, Beichen Haotian wouldn't have wanted to hunt them, as the risk was too great; it was hard to say who would be the prey then.

Beichen Haotian loved the way of the saber, loved to fight, and also loved adventure. Beichen Haotian always only took risks he could control, unless he couldn't avoid them. Those who can't clearly understand themselves often don't live long.

Beichen Haotian didn't consider himself like Naruto Uzumaki or Sasuke Uchiha, bathed in protagonist's halo, where greater levels could be achieved successfully. Jonin, in all aspects, were not comparable to Genin or Chunin; they were definitely considered masters. Beichen Haotian would only face Jonin without fear once his Chakra increased further and he mastered more techniques. At that time, he would have some confidence in taking such a risk.

After a week of being hunted by Konoha and completely covered by sensory ninja, the remaining Rain Ninja had all been eliminated.

With nothing to do, Beichen Haotian could only continue his training. He didn't know how many days passed, but finally, unable to bear the boredom, Beichen Haotian wanted to apply to go to the front lines. Unfortunately, his request was denied. As one of the top geniuses of Konoha this generation, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never allow him to participate in a brutal war.

Beichen Haotian was very frustrated. This was such a great opportunity; the battlefield was the place that honed people the most, but he couldn't go.

There was no choice but to use training to pass the time. He was still at the waterfall where he was trying to break through to Chunin. During the day, he practiced saber techniques under the waterfall, then in the deep pool beneath it. At night, he studied Lightning Release and Water Release Ninjutsu and refined his Chakra.