Chunin Leilu

The bandits at the entrance were startled by the sudden arrival. They raised their weapons and warily eyed Asuma.

One of them shouted:

"An enemy! Call for help!"

A commotion soon broke out inside the hideout, and dozens of bandits rushed out, surrounding Asuma.

Asuma wasn't the least bit afraid. Instead, he grinned excitedly.

"Just what I wanted!"

Amada and Kurenai hid nearby, quickly scanning the crowd for signs of the two ninjas.

Amada whispered to Kurenai:

"Watch for anyone acting strangely, especially anyone using chakra."

Kurenai nodded.

Standing in front of the bandits' hideout, Asuma looked over the crowd pouring out of the entrance and frowned.

He knew that simply standing there by himself wouldn't be enough to draw out all the enemies.

If he wanted the ones hiding in the shadows to show themselves, he'd have to make a big enough commotion.

"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"

Asuma swiftly formed Hand Seals, took a deep breath, then suddenly exhaled.

A mass of searing black smoke billowed from his mouth, rolling toward the bandits like a dark cloud.

Scorching sparks flickered through the smoke, and the air instantly filled with the smell of burning.

The bandits' faces changed at once, and they hurriedly retreated.

One of them cried out in terror:

"It's a jutsu! He's a ninja! Call the boss!"

A flurry of hurried footsteps soon sounded inside the hideout, and even more bandits rushed out,

weapons waving in their hands, their faces filled with panic and anger.

But when they saw Asuma standing alone at the front, a kunai in his hand,

they couldn't help feeling a little afraid.

Just then, Leilu and Fengxi emerged from deeper inside the hideout.

Leilu looked Asuma over and frowned slightly.

"Only one brat? Are Konoha's ninjas so confident they dare attack us all by themselves?"

Fengxi sneered, his voice laced with contempt.

"Hmph. Looks like they're tired of living. Since their leader isn't here, let's deal with this brat first, then take care of the others."

Leilu nodded, a cruel glint in his eyes.

"Let's finish this quickly. Don't give him a chance to call for help."

The two quickly split up. Fengxi circled toward Asuma's flank, while Leilu approached from the front.

Their movements were swift and stealthy. Clearly, they meant to catch Asuma off guard and take him down in one stroke.

But they had no idea that Amada and Kurenai were already hiding nearby, silently watching everything unfold.

With Spectator's observation ability, Amada quickly picked out Leiya and Fengling.

He whispered to Kurenai:

"Found them. Those are the two. One of them is about to sneak up on Asuma from the side."

Kurenai nodded and swiftly formed Hand Seals, replying softly:

"I'll cover you. You take care of the one trying to sneak up on him."

Amada nodded, a cold glint in his eyes.

Leilu's Shuriken flew straight toward Asuma's back.

But at that moment, Amada appeared and threw a Shuriken with pinpoint accuracy.

With a sharp clang, Leilu's Shuriken was knocked away and sent flying to the side.

Leilu looked Amada over and sneered.

"So you finally came out. I knew there were still rats hiding in the shadows."

He swept his gaze around, then called out,

"What about the other one? Stop hiding and come out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kurenai emerged from the woods, walking slowly with a resolute expression.

Seeing her, Amada's mouth twitched, and he grumbled inwardly,

"He told you to come out, and you actually did? Come on, don't be so honest! You can't just do what the enemy says!"

Still, despite his grumbling, Amada's hands never stopped moving.

He quickly pulled a handful of Shuriken from his ninja pouch and flicked his wrist. They shot toward Leilu like lightning.

Leilu snorted and casually flicked his kunai, knocking the Shuriken aside with ease.

At the same time, Fengxi charged at Amada like a gust of wind, his kunai aimed at Amada's throat.

But before his attack could reach, Asuma had already stepped in front of Amada.

His Chakra Blade swung out sharply and clashed with Fengxi's kunai, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

"Your opponent is me!"

Asuma grinned, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.

Fengxi was forced back two steps. His brow furrowed, clearly surprised by Asuma's strength.

But he quickly composed himself and sneered.

"Don't get cocky, brat."

On the other side, Leilu looked at Amada and Kurenai, his sneer growing wider.

"Three Genin think they can take us on? You don't know your place. I'm a Chunin. Do you really think you can beat me with skills like these?"

Asuma and Kurenai's expressions changed at once when they heard Leilu call himself a Chunin.

They weren't equipped to handle a Chunin.

Amada, however, remained unusually calm, thinking to himself,

A Chunin, huh? Perfect. I can use him to test my strength.

He turned to Asuma and Kurenai.

"You two take care of that other ninja and the bandits. I'll hold off the Chunin."

Asuma stared at him, then frowned.

"Hey, Amada, don't be reckless! This isn't something to take lightly!"

Kurenai looked at Amada with concern and spoke softly.

"That's right. We'd have a better chance if we faced him together."

Amada shook his head.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Take care of the other enemies as quickly as you can."

Then he turned to Leilu, his voice carrying a hint of provocation.

"You're a Chunin, right? If you've got the guts, follow me."

Before he finished speaking, he shot off toward the nearby woods like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Leilu sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

"You're asking for it!"

He followed without hesitation, clearly not taking Amada seriously.

Asuma watched Amada and Leilu disappear into the distance, feeling both worried and frustrated.

He gritted his teeth and said quietly to Kurenai:

"We have to finish off the enemies here as quickly as possible, then go help Amada!"

Kurenai nodded, her expression focused once more.

They quickly readied themselves, fixing their eyes on Fengxi and the remaining bandits.

Fengxi watched Leilu leave and sneered.

"Looks like your friend's gone off to get himself killed."

Asuma didn't hesitate any longer. He fixed his gaze on Fengxi, then pushed off hard from the ground.

The Chakra Blade gleamed in his hand, its edge aimed straight at Fengxi's throat.

Fengxi sneered and nimbly retreated several steps.

His kunai swiftly swept out, clashing with Asuma's blade in a shower of sparks.

"Not bad, brat. You're quick."

Fengxi's tone was mocking, but his eyes had grown serious.

Asuma didn't respond. He simply gripped his Chakra Blade tighter, his attacks growing fiercer.

Meanwhile, Amada had already lured Leilu deep into a small wood.

He stopped and glanced around,

then without hesitation pulled a smoke bomb from his ninja pouch and slammed it against the ground.

With a soft pop,

thick smoke instantly spread, blanketing the entire grove in a white haze.

Leilu sneered and charged straight into the smoke without hesitation, supremely confident in his own strength.

As far as he was concerned, there was no need for tactics to deal with a Genin. He could simply crush him.