The Second Wave of Ninjas

"If you two disappear, what level of ninja will be sent to find you?" Yin Xiang asked the Chunin.

"The situation is... complicated. If we two rogue ninjas disappear while on a mission, the village will send people to find us within a day."

"One day... faster than expected." Yin Xiang nodded, lowering his head in thought. If it weren't for two rogue ninjas, it would take at least three days for someone to come looking, but if they were sent, it was likely to test their loyalty.

If they had simply fled the moment they left the village, they would certainly have been hunted down.

"We'll take turns keeping watch tonight. There might be a tail following them," Shikaku said, nodding as well.

"Then I'll take the first watch," Rock Lee volunteered.

"Good." Yin Xiang nodded, then walked over to tie the Chunin up tightly and toss him to the side, taking the opportunity to stick an Explosive Tag to his back. "Don't move around, or you'll lose your life." Yin Xiang patted the Chunin on the shoulder after saying this.

"Don't... don't do that... what if..." The Chunin was terrified by Yin Xiang.

"Eh, there are no 'what ifs.' As long as you don't move, nothing will happen." Yin Xiang smiled and walked back to his spot, leaving the Chunin curled up on the ground in terror.

Afterward, the others went to sleep, though Yamashin remained awake, troubled by thoughts of his father.

Rock Lee was followed by Neji, then Guy, and finally Yin Xiang. By the time it was Yin Xiang's turn to keep watch, it was already early morning, and the sky was beginning to brighten.

Yin Xiang stretched at the cave entrance, loosened his joints, and sighed. Performing missions meant never getting a good night's sleep.

He couldn't stay outside the cave for too long, so Yin Xiang quickly returned, leaning against the corner of the entrance and quietly watching the outside until it was almost time for the shift change, when movement finally appeared.

"Why am I so unlucky? Every time someone comes, it's my shift." Yin Xiang looked out; a ninja wearing a dark yellow flak jacket was standing at the cave entrance, preparing to peek inside. He didn't look old, perhaps around twenty.

"A Jonin?" Yin Xiang initially suspected he was a Jonin, but then shook his head. Yamashin had said his father had also defected, and a Jonin would likely be around forty, though he couldn't rule out the possibility.

But if there were two of them, and he killed this one now, only for someone else to see it, his entire plan would be ruined.

After thinking it over, Yin Xiang drew a Kunai and leaned against the wall, waiting for the ninja to walk in. He had to wait for him to enter, take him out quietly, and then see if anyone else was following.

"Hoo..." Yin Xiang exhaled softly, closing his eyes and listening intently to the footsteps. They grew closer, and the moment the ninja turned the corner, Yin Xiang grabbed his head and drove the Kunai directly into his throat, preventing him from making a sound.

The strike killed the ninja instantly. Yin Xiang dragged him into the darkness; he hadn't made a single noise before he died.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..." Yin Xiang breathed heavily. Having killed the man, he didn't feel as panicked as he had expected. After a few deep breaths, he calmed down.

Once composed, Yin Xiang returned to the corner and quietly watched the outside to see if anyone else was coming. After a long wait, someone finally jumped down from a tree.

"As expected. It seems these two were also Chunin, likely original ninjas from the Land of Filling." A smile tugged at the corner of Yin Xiang's mouth. He walked out, ready to face this Chunin head-on; he couldn't rely on sneak attacks forever.

With that thought, Yin Xiang stepped out of the cave. The ninja saw the headband at Yin Xiang's waist. "A Konoha ninja..." He understood everything the moment he saw it.

"Yeah." Yin Xiang nodded. "Are there only the two of you?"

"A little brat, and you've got quite the mouth on you." Seeing how young Yin Xiang was, the Chunin grew bold, drawing his Kunai to engage.

"Shadow Secret Technique." Yin Xiang performed the hand signs, and his shadow crawled out from the ground, lunging toward the ninja. The ninja's eyes widened; though he had never seen this technique, he raised his Kunai to block.

The shadow threw a punch.

Clang!

The shadow and Yin Xiang swapped positions. Yin Xiang brought his Kunai down, and the shadow appeared behind the ninja, throwing a punch at his waist.

The ninja reacted quickly, using the momentum to push off Yin Xiang's Kunai and retreat, narrowly dodging the shadow.

"Lightning Style: Earth Flash." Yin Xiang performed rapid hand signs, and as the ninja landed, a bolt of lightning surged across the ground toward him. "Earth Style: Earth Wall!" The ninja used an Earth Wall to block the attack.

"Rasengan!" Yin Xiang's voice came from behind him. The ninja turned, and a Rasengan slammed directly into his back, sending him flying into his own Earth Wall. While Yin Xiang had been using Earth Flash, his shadow had already moved behind him.

They swapped places again, catching the ninja off guard. He slammed into the wall and immediately lost consciousness.

"As expected, the strength of ninjas from small countries is lacking. No wonder they're small countries." Yin Xiang muttered to himself, retracted his shadow, and dragged the man into the cave. He took a rope from his pack, tied the ninja up, threw him next to the previous one, and added an Explosive Tag for good measure.

"Did someone come?" Shikaku woke up and looked at Yin Xiang. "Yeah, two more Chunin. One dead, one captured." Yin Xiang nodded.

"Everyone's waking up now. Go get some sleep and catch up on your rest," Shikaku said, standing up.

"Forget it, I won't sleep. They've lost two more Chunin now; the next ones to come will be Jonin. I'll see if I can take a Jonin out when they arrive." Yin Xiang shook his head, indicating he wouldn't sleep; it was already dawn, so there was no point.

"Taking out a Jonin will be quite difficult."

"I've tested them. The strength of these Chunin is barely that of a Genin. Even if my eyes can keep up, my reactions can't. I suspect a Jonin's strength won't be much different."

"Don't be careless. If the Jonin's strength exceeds your expectations, you could be finished in a single exchange," Shikaku warned.

"Right, I understand..." Yin Xiang nodded.