Special Ninjas

Only two special Genin stood before Yang Xing, but even that number gave him a headache.

The Earth Style technique could clearly strengthen the body, making it as hard as rock. Even their fists looked partly stone-like when they raised them. Yang Xing still wasn't familiar with his own chakra, so he didn't dare meet those fists head-on. He could only keep dodging with the Substitution Technique.

He had to admit, this enhanced version of the Substitution Technique was really useful.

"Water Clone Technique!"

"Damn, that brat's fast! How many times can he use that Substitution Technique? Damn it, it feels like he can keep doing it forever." The Land of Earth Genin was furious when his punch hit nothing but a ball of water.

Yang Xing used the Substitution Technique repeatedly, with less than a second between each use. Each time he reappeared, he was more than ten meters away. Sometimes he even appeared behind them, leaving them no time to guard themselves.

"Water Clone Technique." He picked the right moment, using the technique to appear behind the two as they turned their backs on him. The perfect opening left him no time to hesitate. He formed a hand seal and immediately prepared to launch a ninjutsu. "Fire Style: Great—"

"Ah, Kakashi!"

The cry made Yang Xing turn around. Rin Nohara had already woken up and was shouting in alarm.

Something had happened over there. Kakashi had been kicked flying.

The special Chunin were clearly too strong. Even against just two of them, Kakashi couldn't fight back.

Kakashi got to his feet and saw Yang Xing turn around. Still stubborn as ever, he said, "Don't worry about me. Save Rin first. I can hold them off for a while."

"What a cocky brat. He actually thinks he can fight both of us."

"Don't waste time. Let's just finish him off."

"Yeah."

One of the two Chunin focused and charged forward.

His fist turned to stone, hardening into a massive boulder.

Kakashi could only leap away as fast as he could. His Substitution Technique couldn't move him that far. The huge stone fist grazed past him, but even after dodging it, he couldn't avoid the other man's ninjutsu.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow River."

The instant Kakashi landed, he was startled. His legs sank into the ground, and he immediately realized something was wrong. "Damn it, I can't pull my legs out!"

The rushing current sent him sliding back toward the ninja with the enormous stone fist raised nearby. As a special Chunin, the man clearly had plenty of combat experience. If that punch connected, Kakashi would be gravely injured, if not killed.

At such a critical moment, even Rin's eyes trembled with fear. She almost couldn't bear to look.

Obito couldn't get there in time.

Kakashi could only grit his teeth and brace himself, trying to protect his vital areas.

He had been prepared to take the hit. The fist was only a few centimeters from his body when a voice—not especially loud—sent a huge wave of force through the small battlefield.

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

Feeling chakra surge out of him, Yang Xing opened his mouth and blasted out a stream of water. It shot forward as fast as a meteor.

Squeak! Boom!

Sensing an astonishing surge of chakra behind them, the two ninjas instinctively leaped away.

As they jumped, the water slammed into a tree and sliced clean through its trunk. It didn't stop there. The current struck a second tree, then even a third. With one Water Wave, it had cut through three massive trunks.

"What happened?"

"What kind of ninjutsu is that?" One of the special Chunin stared at the wreckage ahead, his face pale. "That was the C-rank Water Wave, wasn't it? That's impossible!"

The three trees slowly toppled. Their severed trunks were smooth, so unnaturally smooth that both special Chunin stared in stunned disbelief, their scalps tingling.

It was obvious now that they were wary of the person behind them.

Though he didn't understand how Yang Xing had unleashed such a powerful ninjutsu, Kakashi panicked when he saw the two Chunin turn their attention toward him.

"Don't just stand there! These two are strong, and they have plenty of combat experience. Move!"

He had meant to tell Yang Xing to get away, but Yang Xing cut him off. "Kakashi, take Obito and Rin Nohara and get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi gritted his teeth. He didn't believe Yang Xing could handle them alone. After all, Yang Xing could only maintain the Clone Technique for ten seconds.

But Yang Xing merely frowned at his expression. "Minato-sensei said to leave them to me."

Yang Xing's grave expression, along with the memory of the look Minato Namikaze had given him when he caught up, made Kakashi's face change after several seconds of silence.

He gritted his teeth and looked deeply at Yang Xing before finally nodding. "I understand."

Kakashi climbed out of the earth, disheveled but unimpeded. It was obvious that the Land of Earth ninjas were afraid of Yang Xing's ninjutsu. Until they knew what kind of powerful moves this brat could use, they stood perfectly still.

Kakashi got back to his feet, pushed off the ground, and sprinted toward Yang Xing at incredible speed.

As he passed Yang Xing, he left him with a quiet reminder. "Don't die. Hold them off for ten minutes. I'll be back soon."

"Die? Impossible. How could I possibly die?" Yang Xing glanced at the Undying Body status effect and smirked.

"We can't let those brats get away! Stop him!" When the ninjas saw Kakashi charge toward Rin Nohara, who was still tied up, they sprang into action. But as they moved, a faint sound made them freeze.

"Water Style, Water..." After forming a simple hand seal, Yang Xing raised one hand to his mouth.

The two ninjas about to charge forward hesitated, then quickly darted to either side. But to their surprise, the brat in front of them showed no sign of using a ninjutsu. Instead, he grinned at them mockingly. "I was just tricking you."

By then, Kakashi had cut the ropes binding Rin Nohara. No one knew what he said to her, but he and Obito quickly helped her away. Along the way, all three looked back once, then turned around in perfect unison and hurried off.

"Gaaah, you little brat!" Seeing them escape, one of the Land of Earth Chunin flew into a rage. As his anger flared, he used the Earth Style: Hardening Technique, turning himself into a meteor as he charged.

Yang Xing had already prepared for this. "Water Style: Water Clone Technique."

Pop!

The hardened body only smashed through a ball of water in midair.

Then another. And a third.

"Chain Water Substitution Technique!"

Pop! Pop! Pop!