Intermediate Ninja Leilu

The bandits at the entrance were startled by this sudden arrival, raising their weapons in unison and eyeing Asuma with vigilance.

One of them shouted:

"Enemies! Call for backup!"

Soon, a commotion erupted within the stronghold, and dozens of bandits rushed out, surrounding Asuma completely.

Asuma showed no fear; instead, he wore an excited grin:

"Perfect!"

Amada and Kurenai hid in the shadows, their gazes sweeping rapidly across the crowd as they searched for the two ninjas.

Amada whispered to Kurenai:

"Watch for anyone moving abnormally, especially those using chakra."

Kurenai nodded.

Standing before the bandit stronghold, Asuma frowned as he watched the bandits swarming out from the entrance.

He knew that standing here alone was not enough to draw out all the enemies.

To force those hiding in the dark to reveal themselves, he had to make a scene.

"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"

Asuma quickly formed hand seals, took a deep breath, and exhaled violently.

A cloud of scorching black ash surged from his mouth, rolling forward like a dark storm toward the bandits.

The smoke was laced with burning sparks, and the air instantly filled with the stench of charred material.

Seeing this, the bandits' expressions shifted drastically as they scrambled backward.

One of them screamed in terror:

"It's ninjutsu! He's a ninja! Get the boss!"

Soon, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from within the stronghold, and more bandits poured out, brandishing their weapons with faces full of panic and rage.

However, when they saw Asuma standing alone ahead, holding a kunai, a flicker of fear took root in their hearts.

Just then, Leilu and Fengxi emerged from the depths of the stronghold.

Leilu scanned Asuma's figure, his brow furrowing slightly:

"Just one brat? Are Konoha ninjas so arrogant that they dare to storm our gates single-handedly?"

Fengxi sneered, his tone dripping with disdain:

"Hmph, looks like they're tired of living. Since the leader isn't here, let's finish off this brat first, then deal with the others."

Leilu nodded, a flash of cruelty in his eyes:

"Make it quick. Don't give him a chance to call for help."

The two split up instantly; Fengxi circled toward Asuma's flank, while Leilu closed in from the front.

Their movements were swift and stealthy, clearly intending to catch Asuma off guard and take him down in one strike.

However, they were unaware that Amada and Kurenai were already lurking in the shadows, quietly observing everything.

With the Spectator's keen perception, Amada quickly locked onto the figures of Leiya and Fengling.

He whispered to Kurenai:

"Found them. It's those two. One of them is planning to ambush Asuma from the side."

Kurenai nodded, her hands moving through seals as she replied softly:

"I'll cover you. You go take care of the one attempting the ambush."

Amada nodded, a cold glint in his eyes.

The shuriken Leilu threw flew straight toward Asuma's back.

However, at that exact moment, Amada appeared, his own shuriken thrown with pinpoint accuracy.

With a crisp clink, Leilu's shuriken was struck directly and sent spinning away.

Seeing this, Leilu scanned Amada and sneered:

"Finally showed yourself. I knew there were rats hiding in the dark."

He swept his gaze around the area and shouted loudly:

"Where's the other one? Stop hiding and come out!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kurenai stepped slowly out of the woods, her expression resolute.

Watching this, Amada's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"The guy tells you to come out, and you actually do it? Please, don't be so honest! You're really going to listen to the enemy?"

Complaints aside, Amada's hands did not falter for even a second.

He swiftly drew a shuriken from his ninja tool pouch, flicked his wrist, and sent it flying toward Leilu like a bolt of lightning.

Leilu let out a cold snort, his kunai sweeping out to deflect the shuriken with effortless ease.

At the same time, Fengxi charged toward Amada like a gale, his kunai aimed directly at his throat.

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

He swung his Chakra Blade with a fierce motion, colliding with Fengxi's kunai and sending a spray of sparks into the air.

"Your opponent is me!"

Asuma grinned, his eyes burning with the spirit of battle.

Fengxi was forced back two steps, his brow furrowing as he was clearly surprised by Asuma's strength.

But he quickly adjusted his stance and sneered:

"Don't get too cocky, brat."

On the other side, Leilu looked at Amada and Kurenai, his sneer deepening:

"Three genin, and you dare to raise a hand against us? You truly don't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth. I am a chunin; do you really think you can win with that level of strength?"

Asuma and Kurenai's expressions shifted the moment Leilu declared himself a chunin.

A chunin was not something they could handle at their current level.

Yet, Amada remained unusually calm, thinking to himself:

A chunin? Perfect for testing my own strength.

He turned to Asuma and Kurenai and said:

"Leave that genin and the bandits to you two. I'll hold off this chunin."

Asuma was stunned for a moment before frowning:

"Hey, Amada, don't try to be a hero! A chunin isn't someone to mess around with!"

Kurenai looked at Amada with concern and whispered:

"He's right. If we fight him together, our chances will be much better."

Amada shook his head:

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Just finish off those enemies as quickly as you can."

With that, he turned to look at Leilu, his tone laced with provocation:

"A chunin, is it? Follow me if you have the guts."

Before the words had even faded, his figure shot toward the nearby woods like an arrow released from a bow.

Seeing this, Leilu sneered, his eyes filled with disdain:

"Seeking death!"

He followed without hesitation, clearly not taking Amada seriously at all.

Watching the backs of Amada and Leilu as they disappeared, Asuma felt both worried and frustrated.

He gritted his teeth and whispered to Kurenai:

"We need to finish these enemies quickly and go help Amada!"

Kurenai nodded, her expression becoming focused once more.

The two quickly adjusted their state, locking their gazes onto Fengxi and the remaining bandits.

Seeing Leilu leave, Fengxi revealed a cold smirk:

"It seems your companion has decided to go throw his life away."

Asuma didn't hesitate any longer; he locked his eyes on Fengxi and pushed off the ground with a burst of force.

His Chakra Blade shimmered with a cold light, the edge aimed straight at Fengxi's throat.

Fengxi sneered at the sight, his body retreating with nimble steps.

He swung his kunai out in a flash, colliding with Asuma's blade and sending a shower of sparks flying.

"You're pretty fast for a brat."

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

Asuma didn't respond, only gripping his Chakra Blade tighter as his offensive grew increasingly fierce.

Meanwhile, Amada had led Leilu deep into the small forest.

He came to a halt, scanned his surroundings, and then pulled a smoke bomb from his ninja tool pouch without hesitation, slamming it into the ground.

"Bang!" With a soft pop, Dense smoke instantly billowed out, shrouding the entire forest in a thick, white haze.

Seeing this, Leilu sneered and charged into the smoke without a second thought, entirely confident in his own strength.

In his eyes, dealing with a genin required no tactics—he could simply crush him with raw power.