Kill!

Screech...

A silver gleam flashed through the pitch-black night sky.

A sharp shriek rang through the air as it was sliced through at extreme speed. The middle-aged ninja, who had abruptly ducked to evade it, revealed a look of horror.

"So fast!"

Supporting himself with one hand, he swiftly pulled back and regarded Samu Kokaze's small body with wary caution.

The strength Samu Kokaze had displayed just now was already enough to pose a threat to him, especially when this body was merely a clone.

His true body was still fighting that Anbu. Although he was stronger than the Anbu by a fair margin, the man had focused entirely on stalling, making it impossible to kill him in a short time.

And if this clone was destroyed now, he could only flee Konoha immediately. Otherwise, once these brats went out and told someone, Konoha would learn of it, and he would definitely not survive. As for what would happen if he were captured, he did not even want to think about it.

"Did he dodge it?"

A chill flashed through Samu Kokaze's eyes as he gripped the carving knife. He frowned slightly at the figure opposite him. Even a sneak attack had failed to finish the man in one blow, and the time he could maintain his current state was even more limited. With that in mind—

"No choice. I'll try it first!" Gritting his teeth, he watched the figure across from him make slight movements with both hands, preparing to form hand seals. He softly said, "Combat Assistance System, activate."

As his words fell, Samu Kokaze's face instantly turned icy, as though every human emotion had completely vanished.

Various slightly illusory data appeared in his silver-glinting eyes. Based on the movements of the opponent's muscles, it calculated every possible movement the figure before him might make over the next several seconds.

Taking a deep breath, he dug his toes into the ground and kicked off fiercely. The hard earth caved in and shattered beneath him as his figure vanished from its spot. His right hand, holding the carving knife, viciously stabbed toward the man's eye.

The attacked middle-aged ninja sharply turned his head, trying to evade the strike. But Samu Kokaze had long calculated the movements he might make. The arm that had thrust forward suddenly pulled down and slashed again toward the man's throat.

"Not good!"

Seeing the attack follow the direction of his dodge, the middle-aged ninja's pupils abruptly shrank. He threw himself backward onto the ground, rolled several times, then sprang to his feet and stared over in shock.

"Can someone tell me how the hell this is supposed to be an ordinary child?!"

Looking at Samu Kokaze's cold expression and emotionless eyes, the middle-aged ninja could not help cursing the client who had provided the intelligence.

How was this anything like an ordinary child? Every strike targeted his vital points, and that icy gaze held no emotion whatsoever. If ordinary children were all this strong, what was the point of ninjas like them? They might as well all go home and farm!

But it was too late for regret. Since he had accepted the mission and killed Konoha's Anbu, he could only follow this path to the bitter end. If he completed the mission, he might still survive under the client's protection. Otherwise, in Konoha, he would undoubtedly die without a burial ground.

"Gulp..."

Watching Samu Kokaze display such overwhelming might ahead of them, the others behind him kept swallowing.

"Is... is that really Kokaze?" Naruto could not help asking those beside him as he watched the two fight at speeds he could not follow.

"Probably...?" Shikamaru answered uncertainly as he watched the rapidly flickering figures ahead.

"I knew it, I knew Kokaze would definitely have a way!" Looking at Samu Kokaze, who was beating the opponent senseless a hundred meters away, stars practically appeared in Ino's eyes. Ever since she had met Samu Kokaze, he had never disappointed her. This time was no different.

"Kokaze! Go!" Ino's face flushed as she shouted loudly from behind.

"Damn it!"

The middle-aged ninja cursed after dodging another of Samu Kokaze's attacks. He was clearly much stronger than this brat, but because he was a clone and would disperse if struck, he was being restrained at every turn. Seeing the opponent's attacks, each willing to trade injury for injury, he felt utterly stifled. Then, hearing the cheers ringing in his ears, he suddenly gave a sinister laugh.

"Haha! Brat! Let's see if you can ignore your friends being killed!"

The middle-aged ninja shouted, forced Samu Kokaze back, then abruptly charged toward Ino and the others.

Seeing the middle-aged ninja rush toward Ino, Samu Kokaze's eyes flashed coldly. He stomped down, producing even an explosive crack in the air, then hurled the carving knife at extreme speed. It shot toward the middle-aged ninja's back.

"Hmph!"

Sensing the urgent sound of air being torn apart behind him, the middle-aged ninja snorted and shifted slightly, instantly dodging the attack from behind. However, his speed dropped slightly as a result, allowing Samu Kokaze to close in.

The group that had been standing there cheering for Samu Kokaze watched the enemy rush toward them at high speed, and their faces immediately tightened with fear. Naruto, at the back, suddenly shouted and yanked Ino and Sakura behind him. Clenching his fists, he stared nervously at the incoming attack.

"Naruto!" The two girls who had been suddenly pulled away cried out.

"Heh!" Naruto turned and grinned. "Kokaze said before that I should protect you. Before I die, none of you are allowed to die!"

Seeing Naruto step forward despite trembling so badly his legs shook, Shikamaru clenched his teeth. Cold sweat covered his body, but he also took two steps forward and came to Naruto's side.

"I can't let you be the only hero!"

"Yeah!" Choji, his fat jiggling all over, had somehow also come forward.

"You little brats think this is some kind of game? Then all of you can die!"

Looking at the children before him, the middle-aged ninja's eyes flashed with cruelty as he swung his arm and rushed toward them.

"Not good!"

Samu Kokaze, pursuing from behind, saw the middle-aged ninja attack ahead, and a ripple passed through his icy eyes.

With absolute control over his body, he concentrated all his strength into his feet. In an instant, immense force poured into them. His shoes exploded apart, veins bulged across his feet, and faint blood mist even sprayed from his pores. His already incredible speed increased by more than thirty percent, and he abruptly appeared in front of Naruto and the others just as they were about to be struck.

Seeing the brat suddenly appear before him, the middle-aged ninja's lips curled into a smile instead. He swung even faster, and a black kunai without the slightest reflection instantly pierced Samu Kokaze's left chest.

Screech...

The sharp kunai sank in without any resistance. The middle-aged ninja burst into laughter.

"Kokaze!" Everyone cried out behind him. Naruto grabbed a rock and charged forward, madness written across his face.

"My friend! How could my friend die here?! How could he die here?!"

Perhaps drawn out by Naruto's emotions reaching their peak, faint red chakra emerged from his body. His pupils contracted, resembling a fox's pupils upon closer inspection, while an incomparably dangerous aura radiated from him.

Just as the middle-aged ninja laughed wildly, Samu Kokaze—whose heart had been pierced and who should have had no ability left to resist—suddenly moved his right hand. A silver-white spike abruptly extended from his palm and stabbed violently forward.

"You—"

Looking at the wound on his body, the middle-aged ninja's dark face was filled with shock. He only had time to utter a single word before his figure instantly turned into a cloud of smoke and dispersed.

"Looks like... I... won... the bet!"

Watching the figure vanish into smoke, the coldness on Samu Kokaze's face instantly disappeared, replaced by a smile. Coughing blood, he spoke in broken fragments.

"Kokaze!" The moment Ino saw Samu Kokaze block the attack and get stabbed in the chest, she had rushed forward without a thought for herself. Seeing him stagger as he was about to collapse, she hurriedly supported him. Her cute face was now filled with tears and remorse. Touching the wound in his chest, which continued to seep blood, tears streamed down her face.

"It's gone?" Naruto, who had run up intending to attack, cried out in surprise when he saw the figure disappear. As his emotions calmed, the red chakra around him slowly faded, and all the strange features on his body vanished as well.