"It's over!"
The Sunagakure leader's deafening roar rang out as his blade flashed, sharp and blinding, cutting off every avenue of escape for the two of them.
Uchiha Wind's pupils contracted, and his heart lurched. An icy sense of danger engulfed him. He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut and growled through gritted teeth, "We're done for! We can't dodge it!"
Yuhi Shinku's brow furrowed as he inwardly lamented their dire situation. Suspended in midair with nothing to push off against, he had no way to fully block this all-out slash. He could only force his chakra to gather around his body and brace for the blow. Even if it left him gravely wounded, he had to protect Uchiha Wind behind him.
But at that critical instant, just as the blade was about to reach them, a boy's calm, steady voice drifted unhurriedly from the shadows beside the inn. There was not a trace of panic in his tone, as though the deadly battle before him were nothing more than a trivial farce.
"Say, you lot have been making a racket for ages. Could you quiet down a little?" As the words fell, a slender, straight-backed boy slowly stepped out of the shadows at the corner of the wall.
He wore the standard dark blue uniform of a Konoha ninja. His frame was lean, his back straight, and his short black hair neat. His eyes were cool and clear, his features delicate and handsome. He radiated no fierce chakra whatsoever and looked utterly unremarkable, like an ordinary Konoha chunin or genin, without the slightest intimidating presence.
It was Kawaki Aoba, who had remained hidden for some time, watching the entire battle.
Kawaki Aoba walked slowly and calmly out of the shadows. His gaze swept over the Sunagakure ninja poised to attack,