His gaze was calm, his black pupils reflecting the world around him.
Above his head, the tree trunk had been sliced cleanly through, leaving a smooth cross-section. It had missed his hair by barely a fraction.
Kazama Heitetsu gave a feral grin and leaped down.
"Quite the nerve. No wonder Shaquan died at your hands. Now go down and apologize to him!"
Gong Yi got to his feet and began rapidly forming Hand Seals.
"Apologize? He wasn't worthy of it, and neither are you!"
"Die, brat!"
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Gong Yi suddenly thrust his hands forward, unleashing a torrent of flames as bright as the sun.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
During the three years before he graduated, Gong Yi hadn't just used the Gravity Technique to train his body.
He had also been collecting, learning, and studying all kinds of Ninjutsu.
Even though he wasn't especially good at Fire Style, he had still learned the techniques he could.
And against a Wind Style ninja, Fire Style was the best counter!
The fire rode the wind, flaring up in an instant. Its blazing heat seemed capable of melting a person!
It worked!
Gong Yi was delighted, but the next instant, his brow furrowed.
The intense flames hadn't threatened his enemy. Instead, they had turned back and surged toward him.
"Kid, it's true that Fire Style counters Wind Style. But when the wind is too strong to resist, the flames will turn against you!"
Kazama Heitetsu emerged from the fire and reached Gong Yi in a flash.
Wind Style: Wind Cutter!
Bang!
A section of wood was sliced in two.
Substitution Technique!
Kazama Heitetsu had expected that. Chakra quickly gathered in his hand, then took the shape of a long sword.
It was an advanced Wind Style technique: Wind Blade, an A-rank jutsu.
Holding the sword, Kazama Heitetsu thrust it behind him.
It struck Gong Yi squarely, but Kazama Heitetsu shook his head. It was only a Clone Technique.
Poof! Gong Yi's clone vanished.
A mocking smile tugged at Kazama Heitetsu's lips. He glanced up at the sky and parted his lips.
A beam of light shot out and struck a figure in the sky without obstruction. Gong Yi crashed to the ground.
"You can't dodge this time!"
Kazama Heitetsu raced toward Gong Yi, thrusting the sword formed from Wind Blade at his chest.
Gong Yi clutched the wound on his chest, blood streaming from it.
That had been Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere. In his memories, only Danzo had ever used it.
But how could Sunagakure, the village most skilled in Wind Style, not know the technique?
In less than a minute, Kazama Heitetsu had displayed the full extent of his strength.
Vacuum Severing Dance had cleared the area, Great Breakthrough had overwhelmed the Great Fireball, Wind Cutter had forced Gong Yi to use Substitution Technique, and the Wind Blade sword had dispelled Gong Yi's clone and driven him into the sky. Finally, Vacuum Sphere had nearly killed him.
Three C-rank jutsu and two A-rank jutsu.
Kazama Heitetsu was intent on killing him!
If Gong Yi hadn't recovered to ninety percent of his strength, and if he hadn't anticipated that Konoha would fight Sunagakure first in the Third Shinobi World War and simulated fighting a Wind Style ninja, he would have been dead by now.
Even so, Gong Yi had been injured.
As Kazama Heitetsu charged at him, he spoke rapidly. "I have to admit, you're quick to adapt and you've got guts. But you're so weak. I have no idea what dirty trick you used to kill Shaquan."
Though he said that, he was still holding back a third of his strength.
It wasn't because he wanted to spare Gong Yi. He was simply being cautious.
Someone who had killed Shaquan and three Chunin, and whom Rasa had judged to be close to Jonin level, shouldn't be this weak!
Seeing Kazama Heitetsu's guarded approach, Gong Yi, who had been pretending to be weak all along, grinned.
"Then let me show you what I can really do!"
Earth Style: Underworld Swamp!
Kazama Heitetsu's rapid steps suddenly faltered. The soil beneath him had softened, forcing him to slow down.
Seven shuriken flew straight at him from tricky angles!
Kazama Heitetsu's eyes lit up. "Just what I wanted!"
Chakra coated the soles of his feet, keeping him from sinking into the swamp. He swung his sword and swiftly cut all seven shuriken in half.
But as the seven shuriken were cut apart, a black kunai suddenly appeared. It made an eerie turn in midair and shot straight toward the back of Kazama Heitetsu's head.
The sure hit stopped in midair, then was swiftly deflected. It fell to the ground, powerless.
Wind Style: Pressure Damage!
Kazama Heitetsu touched the back of his head, feeling a chill.
He stood quietly where he was, then suddenly smiled.
"Just as I thought. Shaquan died to this exact combo."
"I examined his corpse. His body was filled with chaotic chakra. There were marks around his ankles, his hands were shredded, the back of his head had been pierced through, and the wound had widened from the inside out. His chest and abdomen were riddled with holes."
"The marks around his ankles clearly show that he was restrained. I'd guess you know some kind of Earth Style binding jutsu. His hands were shredded by those seven shuriken. He didn't have my Wind Blade to cut them apart, so he could only catch them with his bare hands."
"Even though his chest and abdomen were riddled with holes, those weren't fatal wounds. The fatal blow was the one that pierced the back of his head. In other words, the shuriken were a feint. The hidden kunai was the real killing blow!"
Kazama Heitetsu paused. "A brilliant combo, especially at night. It would be almost impossible to stop! But now that I know everything about you, you're no threat to me!"
Gong Yi's pupils contracted. Intelligence!
The most powerful weapon in the Naruto world, from beginning to end!
Once an enemy knew everything about you, whether you were Pain or Nagato, one of the past Kage-level shinobi, or even Madara in Six Paths Mode, you were no longer quite so terrifying!
The chief guard under the Third Kazekage had managed to do just that.
Even facing an eight-year-old kid, he hadn't looked down on him at all. Instead, he had done everything he could to gather information.
If Gong Yi could do it over again, he would destroy Shaquan's body with a fireball.
But he had wanted Shaquan's mistaken judgment to mislead Kazama Heitetsu as well, making it seem as though an Earth Style ninja from Iwagakure had killed him. That was why he hadn't destroyed the body.
Unfortunately, it had all been in vain once Rasa ran into Iga Kawaji.
"So you've used all your tricks. Do you still have a trump card?"
The long sword in Kazama Heitetsu's hand slowly vanished, and his smile faded.
His entire demeanor turned cold and stern, like a block of ice.
Kazama Heitetsu leaped onto the same giant tree branch where he had stood at the start and abruptly brought his hands together.
Gong Yi wanted to flee, but tiny Wind Blades filled the area around him.
After only two steps, he had countless small cuts on his hands, legs, and even his face.
If he tried to charge through at full speed, he might be reduced to a bloody mess before he made it halfway.
So while this man had stood still and talked, he had secretly released a jutsu that would stop Gong Yi from escaping.
It was obvious, then, that Kazama Heitetsu was about to unleash his devastating blow.
Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!
Gong Yi looked up at the man. The morning sun climbed higher, blurring his vision.
The boy's lips curled into a faint smile. Are you really sure you've gathered all the information about me?
Before you continue