"Come, let me see your limits."
The Cursed Seal Sound Ninja stepped into the spear's range, but his short blade changed direction midway, slicing along the shaft toward the scroll Akizuki held before his chest.
Asuma cut in from the side. Flying Swallow blocked the short blade, its extended wind edge grazing the Sound Ninja's neck and leaving a shallow cut across the black curse markings.
"You keep shouting about looking for Chiba, but your feet are heading for the scroll. Do you Hidden Sound people have to lie even when you fight?"
"The mission only requires the scroll. It makes no difference who we kill."
The short blade flipped over Flying Swallow. Sound waves burst from its hilt, pushing the air around Asuma's ear outward in a ring and splitting his collar by half an inch.
"Chiba, switch with me."
"You just told me to handle the Cursed Seal."
"A squad leader jonin has the authority to change the arrangement. The remaining two are yours. Don't let them touch Akizuki again."
The lanky Sound Ninja pressed his ten fingers together. The metal rings sent different tones toward Chiba, and the fine roots emerging from the soil split with several cracks before they had even risen half an inch.
"Wood Release fears vibrations. So does your spear."
Chiba drew his right hand back, leveling the Metal-Wood Spear along his waist. Roots from the spear's butt clasped into his sleeve.
"Try it."
The third Sound Ninja hiding behind a tree moved first. Two perforated kunai flew in from either side, and as the holes caught the wind, shrill screeches shot straight into their ears.
The spear tip flicked upward, knocking the first kunai into the canopy. Then the butt swept sideways, smashing the second into the mud.
"Metal-Wood Spear Art, Backwash."