Battle Against a Jonin

"Just in time... I've been wanting to see the strength of a jonin!"

Seeing the Kirigakure jonin use the Body Flicker Technique to charge toward him, Yu realized the man's target was indeed himself. A sharp glint flickered in Yu's amber eyes.

"Snap!"

With a light tap of his foot, Yu also vanished from his spot using the Body Flicker Technique.

When he reappeared a second later, he had already intercepted the Kirigakure jonin on the grass.

"Clang!!"

With a violent metallic clash, the figures of Yu and the Kirigakure jonin collided.

"String?!"

The katana he had swung with such ferocity was blocked dead by a transparent, invisible thread. The Kirigakure jonin's face showed a hint of surprise. "So that's it... is this a Kekkei Genkai?"

"Such immense strength. Is this the power of a jonin..."

Quickly manifesting a transparent, invisible thread to block the sharp katana, Yu felt the massive force surging from the Kirigakure jonin's hand and felt a chill in his heart. I must end this fight quickly!

Although his chakra reserves had been multiplied several times over by the Devil Law, he was, after all, only six years old. For his undeveloped body to clash head-on with an adult jonin was, in the end, still quite taxing.

"Are you kidding me... a brat this small actually?!"

Seeing that Yu, who looked only six or seven years old, had successfully withstood the power erupting from his hand, the expression on the Kirigakure jonin's face was one of pure disbelief.

But it soon twisted into a savage look. That the Land of Fire's Konoha had produced such a monster-like genius ninja only made the killing intent in the Kirigakure jonin's heart surge even more.

"But it's a pity..."

"A brat is still just a brat; you're still too green!"

As the words fell, the Kirigakure jonin standing opposite Yu suddenly turned into a puddle of water.

Water Clone Technique!!

Seeing this, Yu was startled and spun around, but it was too late.

"Go to hell, brat!"

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, the Kirigakure jonin appeared silently behind Yu, his sharp katana instantly slicing through Yu's body.

"Yu!!"

Noticing Yu being cut down by the Kirigakure jonin, Might Guy and Kurenai Yuhi, who were being besieged by a group of Mist Ninja, cried out in shock.

"The one who should go to hell is you..."

"Did you think you were the only one who could use the Water Clone Technique?"

However, the expression on the face of Yu, who had been sliced in half at the waist by the Kirigakure jonin, revealed a hint of mockery.

To the Kirigakure jonin's shock, his body also turned into a puddle of water!

What?!

Seeing that the Yu he had just killed was also a water clone, the Kirigakure jonin's eyes, visible outside his white bandages, widened abruptly as he felt a chilling killing intent surge from behind him.

"Five-Color String!!"

Just as the Kirigakure jonin spun around, Yu, who had appeared behind him, formed his hand into a claw and slashed through the air, sending five razor-sharp threads toward him.

"Damn it! Such fast movements..."

Seeing that Yu could launch such a fierce attack without even needing to weave hand signs, the Kirigakure jonin gritted his teeth and hurriedly swung his sword to defend.

"Clang!!"

The collision between his katana and the threads Yu had swung erupted with a sound like clashing metal.

Immediately after, the Kirigakure jonin felt a sharp pain in his body, and several bewitching flowers of blood bloomed across his torso.

"Damn it..."

Stumbling back a few steps, the Kirigakure jonin planted his katana into the ground. Looking at the deep, bone-exposed wounds on his body, he couldn't help but gnash his teeth.

As a dignified jonin of the Land of Water's Kirigakure, to be wounded in the blink of an eye while fighting a six-year-old brat from the Land of Fire's Konoha—it was a total loss of face!

"Tch... did he block it?"

Standing opposite the Kirigakure jonin, Yu saw that his opponent hadn't been severed by his Five-Color String and curled his lip, his expression showing a hint of regret.

Water Clone Technique—a C-rank ninjutsu that creates clones using water; its capabilities are relatively enhanced when used in water.

Although it was a technique favored by the Mist Ninja of the Land of Water, the Third Hokage's office also contained scrolls of Water Release ninjutsu left behind by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

Three months had been enough for Yu to record the vast majority of the Water Release ninjutsu there and learn to put them to use.

"That's amazing! Yu!"

At this moment, Might Guy and the others, who were fighting nearby, saw that Yu—the youngest among them—had actually suppressed a jonin of the Mist.

While marveling in their hearts, their morale surged, and they resisted and counterattacked against the surrounding group of Mist Ninja with even greater tenacity.

"I have to admit... I underestimated you just now, brat."

His gaze locked onto Yu, who stood motionless, the Kirigakure jonin pulled his sharp katana from the grass.

The constant, searing pain radiating through his body finally forced the Kirigakure jonin to take the six-year-old white-haired boy before him seriously.

"But from this moment on, I will make you understand the gap between you and a jonin!"

His eyes, exposed beyond the white bandages, were cold. As he spoke, the Kirigakure jonin's hands moved in a rapid blur of seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!!"

Once the powerful Water Release jutsu was activated, a massive surge of water welled up from thin air at the jonin's feet, rapidly forming a roaring water dragon that charged toward Yu with a deafening howl.

A B-rank Water Release, huh...

Facing the Water Release jutsu unleashed by the Kirigakure jonin, Yu's eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he surged forward, leaped high into the air, and delivered a fierce kick through the void toward the roaring water dragon!

Foot Shave String!!

Eight nearly transparent, thread-like wires erupted from the tip of Yu's foot as he kicked.

"Splash!!"

The grass beneath was sliced open along the path, and amidst a violent sound, water sprayed everywhere as the roaring water dragon was shattered by Yu's single kick from afar!

Although he had only possessed the powers of the String-String Fruit for a short time, through constant development and training, combined with his exquisite taijutsu, the power was already astonishing.

"It's over... brat."

However, just as the water dragon was dispersed by Yu and the splashing water had yet to fully settle, the Kirigakure jonin's figure followed right behind it, darting out from the falling spray to land a heavy kick squarely on Yu's chest.

The immense force brought by an adult jonin nearly made Yu cough up a mouthful of blood.

"Bang!!"

But to the Kirigakure jonin's astonishment, the Yu he had just kicked transformed directly into a log!

Body Replacement Technique?!

The Kirigakure jonin felt a jolt of shock, but he reacted instantly.

His rich combat experience triggered a conditioned reflex; he turned around and thrust his blade out—blood sprayed everywhere!

Sure enough—the Yu who appeared behind him a second later was run through by his blade.

"I told you... it's already over, brat!"

With his sharp katana piercing through Yu's body, a look of grim satisfaction finally appeared on the Kirigakure jonin's face.

"Rip!!"

But just as the words left his lips, the Kirigakure jonin shuddered, his eyes widening in disbelief.

A hand, crackling with violent electrical currents, had pierced through his heart from behind.