I'm Just Here to Snatch Kills

In a dilapidated small town on the edge of the Land of Fire, two Jonin were locked in a desperate life-and-death struggle. Everyone on the street had hidden inside their homes, not daring to show their faces. At this moment, however, a child of about five years old walked over as if taking a leisurely stroll, appearing undeniably conspicuous.

Whether it was Chiba Tengfei or the Blood Ninja, both could not help but glance at Shin, their hearts sinking. When two people are fighting for their lives, the appearance of a third party is the greatest taboo.

However, upon seeing that the other party was only a Special Jonin, their hearts settled. A mere Special Jonin posed little threat; after finishing off their opponent, it would take no time at all to deal with him.

Furthermore, both were already at a point of no return and had no time to spare for Shin. To say nothing of the Blood Ninja, Chiba Tengfei alone had already used a clan forbidden technique that could only be maintained for one hour. If he failed to kill his opponent within that hour, his new and old injuries would erupt simultaneously, and even if he were lucky enough to survive, he would be left severely wounded and unable to move.

"Blood Ninja, prepare to die!"

Chiba Tengfei let out a roar, his hands flying as he completed the hand seals in an instant. "Chiba Secret Technique: Thousand Flame Kill!"

His long hair snapped off instantly. Stimulated by chakra, it became sharper than steel needles. With a boom, all the hair ignited, shooting toward the Blood Ninja in a dense swarm like flaming steel needles.

"You're courting death!"

The Blood Ninja gritted his teeth, completing his own hand seals at the same time as his opponent. "Blood Secret Technique: Triple Blood Evil!"

Swoosh!

A blood-colored palm was thrust out by him. The air was pierced through by the blood palm, creating ripples as it surged forward, instantly transforming into a triple-layered strike in mid-air to meet the attack head-on.

The two formidable A-rank secret techniques collided violently in the sky.

Rumble!

Large cracks split the buildings on both sides of the street. The chakra shockwave, powerful enough to kill a tiger, radiated in all directions. Some commoners who were secretly watching through door cracks didn't have time to close them; they were swept by the aftermath, their doors shattered, and they fell to the ground, wailing incessantly.

When the shockwave reached Shin, it seemed to encounter an invisible air barrier and parted naturally, merely blowing his clothes upward without causing any substantial harm.

The two combatants each retreated three steps, then instantly charged at each other again, engaging in close-quarters combat.

Both parties simultaneously reached back to draw their Kunai, clashing with a flurry of sparks. Jonin of the Warring States period still focused primarily on taijutsu. Instantly, the two figures on the street turned into two black shadows, with only the sound of clashing Kunai echoing out.

The sounds of fists, feet, and ninja tools were incessant, figures blurred, and the crackling of exploding chakra never ceased. The two fought from the east side to the west, then up to the roof of a restaurant; every location became a battlefield for them.

Shin stared fixedly at their figures, the Three Tomoe in his eyes already activated, taking in every movement of both sides.

"Are they from the Chiba clan?" Shin whispered softly. He had already seen a leaf emblem drawn on the chest of the youth in green. If he wasn't mistaken, it should be the mark of the Chiba clan.

Shin didn't know much about the Chiba clan, as they hadn't appeared in the original story. He only knew their territory was located south of the Uchiha clan. It was said their clan's strength was not weak; apparently, over twenty years ago, they had ambushed the Uchiha while they were at war with the Senju. After being defeated, they had been recuperating ever since and rarely moved about in the ninja world.

"Is this a new generation that has grown up and been sent out for training?"

Shin thought to himself, not intending to interfere in their struggle. Could he not see that the two were in the heat of the moment? If he rashly joined in, he might be besieged, which wouldn't be worth it. He would just treat it as watching a live-action Naruto, and a front-row version at that.

Not long after, one figure suddenly stumbled backward, landing on a residential house.

It was the Blood Ninja!

"Don't think about stalling for time, die!" Chiba Tengfei shouted, his hands moving so fast they left afterimages. His forbidden technique only had an hour; naturally, he wanted a quick resolution. If he couldn't kill his opponent in a short time, he would become a sitting duck.

"Secret Technique: Chiba Explosive Flame Blast!"

As the seals were completed, intense chakra condensed in front of him. One could feel that this strike was definitely extraordinary, possessing power approaching an S-rank ninjutsu.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Ocean!"

The Blood Ninja sneered, completing his seals before his opponent. He pressed his hands downward, and the ground beneath his opponent's feet instantly turned into a mud swamp.

Chiba Tengfei slipped, falling into it. His just-completed secret technique boomed as it veered off course, heading toward the sky; after a dazzling flash of light, it vanished into the horizon.

"You actually know Earth Release!" Chiba Tengfei exclaimed in disbelief.

Shin also looked at the Blood Ninja in surprise. There were not many who knew Earth Release in the Land of Fire, but it wasn't exactly rare either. For a long-established Jonin like the Blood Ninja, if he knew Earth Release, there was no reason for it to be missing from the intelligence reports, unless he had learned it recently.

"Kid, sometimes intelligence can get you killed. Blood Secret Technique: Blood Evil Sword!"

The Blood Ninja grinned hideously. With a wave of his hands, blood-colored chakra condensed into two long swords in the air, instantly stabbing toward Chiba Tengfei in the mud pit.

"Damn it." Chiba Tengfei struggled twice, and seeing he couldn't break free from the mud, he ignored the strain on his body and used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge the two swords, reappearing not far away.

"I was just waiting for you to come out. Earth Release Barrier: Earth Prison Dome!"

A circle of earth walls rose up where Chiba Tengfei landed, forming a dome to trap him inside. Sounds of attacks came from within, clearly the opponent striking the walls, but unfortunately, the other side was saturated with chakra; even if slightly breached, it would immediately recover. Chiba Tengfei could not escape at all.

"Too naive!" The Blood Ninja sneered. He had calculated that the opponent would use the Body Flicker Technique to dodge, so he had prepared the Earth Release to trap him. In any case, once the time limit passed, the opponent would become a cripple, left for him to slaughter.

After the Chiba clan kid was trapped, he glanced at Shin on the street. He had intended to take the opportunity to finish off this Special Jonin, but when he saw the Three Tomoe in his eyes and the fan crest on his back, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

An Uchiha clan brat. Seeing that he's just watching our fight without interfering, he's probably just passing through. If he doesn't make a move on me, there's no need to bother with him. Those lunatics from the Uchiha clan are better left alone if possible. The Blood Ninja thought to himself, never imagining that Shin had also accepted a mission to kill him. After all, a Special Jonin daring to hunt him down was a joke, no different from seeking death.

Counting the time silently, an hour had passed since Chiba Tengfei used his forbidden technique. No more sounds came from inside. The Blood Ninja withdrew the earth wall, and sure enough, he saw the opponent lying on the ground motionless, with only shallow breathing proving he was still alive.

"Kid, you won't escape this time. Blood Sword!" The Blood Ninja performed a simple seal, and a short chakra sword condensed, stabbing straight at the Chiba Tengfei below. Now that he was unable to move, a smile already hung on the Blood Ninja's lips.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Suddenly, a massive fireball appeared across the sky, shattering the Blood Sword in front of Chiba Tengfei. A child of about five years old walked calmly up to Chiba Tengfei.

"Kid, you're courting death!" The Blood Ninja gritted his teeth, thinking to himself that he had been kind enough to spare his life, yet the brat dared to intervene blindly. Did he really think he wouldn't dare to kill him?

"Th... thank you!" Chiba Tengfei was completely powerless, his body in total disarray. He had thought he was doomed, but he had been saved by the child who had been watching all along. He couldn't help but feel moved and forced out a word of thanks.

Swoosh!

In Chiba Tengfei's shocked gaze, his own heart was pierced by a Kunai. He couldn't understand what was going on at all. Wasn't this child here to save him? If not, why go to such trouble? What difference did it make whether he died at the hands of the Blood Ninja or at his hands?

"No need to thank me, I'm just here to steal the kill."

"Ding! Killed a Chiba clan Jonin, rewarded with 5000 points!"