The Final Battle (3)

Imai Kenta's journey had gone fairly smoothly. With Uchiha Kei and Namikaze Minato keeping the enemy occupied, his own advance had been relatively easy.

Aside from the many traps that had been laid along the way, everything else had gone fairly well.

After spending some time dealing with the traps, Imai Kenta continued onward. Though clearing them had cost him time, that was still far better than getting blown to pieces for no apparent reason.

Listening to the vibrations around him, Imai Kenta knew that both of his captains, Uchiha Kei and Namikaze Minato, had engaged the enemy. He could only rely on himself now.

Even if they weren't fighting, Uchiha Kei probably wouldn't come help me anyway, would he?

Imai Kenta thought to himself. The harmless, perfectly ordinary smile he usually wore was gone from his face.

That smile was a disguise. He had long since grown used to wearing it at all times, but right now, he genuinely couldn't bring himself to smile.

He knew how dangerous this mission was, but there was no way he could avoid it. He was quite sure Namikaze Minato had already placed a Flying Thunder God Formula on him.

Even so, Imai Kenta preferred Namikaze Minato. Minato's strength was terrifying, but he was someone worth trusting.

His teammate and current captain, Uchiha Kei, on the other hand, was so cold-blooded that even Imai Kenta frowned at him.

Uchiha Kei gave him a deeply unsettling feeling. Though Kei hadn't done anything out of line so far, Imai Kenta sensed another side of him hidden beneath that calm exterior.

It was an emotion much like his own—perhaps even more frightening and resolute. And Kei's intelligence left Imai Kenta astonished.

Having someone like that as a teammate could only be called unfortunate. Every plan and action Kei took seemed to have a clear purpose. Whether he appeared to be doing good or looking out for the team, his ultimate goal was always himself!

Cold, clever, and composed—he was difficult to trust under any circumstances. And now that he had awakened his Sharingan, he had grown even stronger.

"Uchiha Kei... What a frightening guy." Imai Kenta thought to himself. "Hyuga Aya isn't simple either. She's a woman full of schemes and ambition. Why did I have to end up with those two as teammates this time?"

Complaining wouldn't help. Imai Kenta felt the vibrations growing stronger and knew he had to hurry.

He didn't care whether Konoha won, but he did care whether he could make it back safely. If they completed this mission, they could return to Konoha without trouble. Otherwise, he might really have to leave Konoha Village.

Imai Kenta carried a great many burdens, all of them heavy. There was too much he couldn't talk about, and some things he didn't even want to bear.

He pressed onward, and before long he reached Kannabi Bridge. After carefully checking the area, he disarmed a few traps and then leaped down.

But Imai Kenta didn't dare let his guard down. Namikaze Minato had made it clear earlier: he had detected two enemies in the open, but who knew whether there were any others waiting for them beneath the bridge?

So Imai Kenta remained on high alert. Even as the vibrations around him grew fainter, he still didn't relax.

"Is there really no one here?" After climbing down, Imai Kenta didn't immediately set the Explosive Tags. He frowned and surveyed his surroundings for a while.

Only after spending nearly a minute checking the area did his brow gradually relax. It seemed he had confirmed there were no enemies nearby.

Imai Kenta quickly took Explosive Tags from his ninja tool pouch. Every ninja carried at least a few of these commonly used tools.

But he didn't have many Explosive Tags. Uchiha Kei had given him his own, but unfortunately, Kei hadn't had many to begin with.

Imai Kenta had to plan carefully where to place the Explosive Tags to ensure the bridge would collapse properly.

After calculating and considering the options, Imai Kenta chose where to place the Explosive Tags and began setting them in position.

Just then, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out behind him. Without warning, Imai Kenta's eyes widened, and he slowly fell to the ground.

"An Imp is just an Imp." A voice sounded behind Imai Kenta, dripping with disdain. "Is Konoha out of people? Why would they send a kid like you?"

A figure slowly appeared: an Iwa Ninja who looked to be in his twenties or thirties, dressed in a red combat uniform. Clearly, he had also mastered the Secret Technique: Camouflage.

But he was a defensive Ninja, after all. After glancing over Imai Kenta's corpse, he immediately sensed something was wrong. Then another familiar whoosh sounded behind him, and he realized he was under attack too!

"Clang!"

The Iwa Ninja reacted with lightning speed. He spun around and precisely raised his Kunai to block Imai Kenta's Ninja Sword. With his formidable strength, he even managed to shove Imai Kenta back!

Imai Kenta landed on the ground, holding his sword in both hands as he stared coldly at the Iwa Ninja. At the Iwa Ninja's feet, the "corpse" of Imai Kenta revealed its true form: an Earth Clone, now reduced to a puddle of mud.

"Not bad." The Iwa Ninja grinned viciously. "How did you find me?"

"I've encountered someone like you once before on the way here," Imai Kenta said calmly. "I spotted you as soon as I climbed down. It's a shame I failed to catch you by surprise. Looks like I'll have to work for it."

It was hard to say who was the hunter and who was the prey. At least in the eyes of Imai Kenta and the damned Iwa Ninja, each of them was the hunter, and the other was the prey.

The two fell silent. Verbal attacks could indeed provoke a Ninja, but against one as cold and steadfast as either of them, they were just a waste of breath.

Not everyone had the knack for taunting someone into losing control. Imai Kenta didn't, and Uchiha Kei wasn't particularly good at it either.

"Die."

The silence was brief. The Iwa Ninja had always considered himself the hunter, and he certainly didn't think he could lose to a kid who looked fourteen or fifteen.

Gripping his Kunai, the Iwa Ninja suddenly surged forward at terrifying speed, slashing toward Imai Kenta with lethal force.

Imai Kenta snorted in disdain. A layer of azure chakra rose over the Ninja Sword in his hand.

Imai Kenta moved at incredible speed. Just as they were about to clash, he suddenly ducked and narrowly avoided the attack. Only a few stray locks of hair were cut, drifting through the air.

But his Ninja Sword never stopped moving. With a quick swing, he forced the Iwa Ninja to dodge.

They crossed paths and pulled apart. Imai Kenta felt his right hand go numb and knew that he couldn't match the man's strength head-on.

"Looks like I can't afford to hold back anymore."