Slaying a Chunin

Kurenai Yuhi said nothing, merely rolling her big, doll-like eyes at Chihane.

They soon finished eating and put out the campfire, then sat shoulder to shoulder, watching the sun slowly sink toward the horizon in the evening glow.

Just then, Chihane froze and turned to look at the woods to one side.

Rustle! Rustle!

He could faintly hear something coming from the woods.

It sounded as though someone was moving between the trees.

Hardly anyone visited the mountain behind the village even during the day, let alone now that it was getting dark. Chihane was here with Kurenai, and someone showing up at this hour couldn't be good, no matter how he looked at it.

Chihane frowned slightly, his expression growing wary.

He didn't know who it was, but he had no desire to meet them. Judging by the sounds, however, they were heading this way and would probably pass nearby.

Estimating the stranger's position, Chihane led Kurenai behind a large boulder, hoping to avoid them.

The footsteps from the woods swept past with a few swishes and gradually faded into the distance. Whoever it was seemed to have hurried by without noticing them.

But just as Chihane relaxed and prepared to lead Kurenai Yuhi out to continue enjoying the sunset...

Almost the instant those footsteps vanished completely, several silver flashes appeared in front of Chihane, accompanied by sharp whistles cutting through the air.

Seven or eight shuriken flew toward Chihane and Kurenai Yuhi's hiding place. Their trajectories blocked almost every direction Chihane could dodge. If he had been alone, he could simply have stepped back a few paces, but Kurenai Yuhi was a target too!

"Shit!"

Chihane cursed under his breath, drew his wooden sword, and flicked it several times in a reverse grip, knocking away the shuriken ahead of him. At the same time, he leaped onto the boulder and looked toward where they had been thrown.

A figure stood clearly visible there. In the evening sunlight, Chihane could make out his appearance. Although he wore a Konoha forehead protector, he didn't look like a Konoha shinobi. His weather-beaten face had the ruddy cheeks characteristic of coastal fishermen, a natural redness that came only from years of exposure to sea winds.

And he had thrown shuriken inside Konoha without the slightest hesitation. Those weren't the practice props used at the Ninja Academy, either. They were real, sharpened weapons.

That meant this man certainly wasn't a Konoha shinobi. He was most likely a Mist Ninja, since Kirigakure was on the coast.

Matsuhito Tōichirō stared at Chihane, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. The next instant, he charged, drawing a short sword and slashing at him.

He was a scout from Kirigakure, a sensory-type Chunin. He had gone to great lengths to infiltrate the Land of Fire, intending to enter Konoha and steal intelligence. He hadn't expected to sense Chihane and Kurenai before he had even infiltrated the village.

At first, he had been startled. But when he saw that they were two children and sensed that neither had much chakra, he made a split-second decision. He used a clone to create footsteps as a distraction, then launched a surprise attack on Chihane and Kurenai.

After all, everyone in the Shinobi World knew Konoha was a death trap. Of every ten scouts sent to steal intelligence, fewer than three returned. Seeing Chihane and Kurenai, however, gave him an excuse to report back: he could claim that he had been ambushed and that the resulting battle might have alerted Konoha.

But first, he had to kill these two brats and bring back their heads. Otherwise, his superior wouldn't readily believe him.

Chihane blocking his attack had startled him, but what was there to fear from an eight- or nine-year-old brat? He refused to believe that a full-fledged Chunin like him couldn't beat two children.

I have to be quick!

They were already very close to Konoha. If the fighting got too loud or lasted too long, it could attract Konoha shinobi. Konoha's Anbu were monsters; staying here too long would be dangerous.

I have to finish these two brats quickly and retreat! "Even the area around the village isn't safe anymore!"

"Looks like I can't come to the mountain behind the village to train anymore."

Watching Matsuhito Tōichirō, who clearly had no intention of talking and had shown killing intent from the outset, Chihane let the thought flash through his mind, then drew his wooden sword and met him head-on.

Swish!

The instant their weapons clashed, one of Chihane's wooden swords snapped. It was only wood, after all, and he hadn't learned Armament Haki yet. In the end, it simply couldn't withstand the blow.

"Gate of Healing, open!"

Faced with Matsuhito Tōichirō's vicious swordplay, Chihane could only dodge for the moment, unable to strike back. He retreated rapidly while activating the Eight Gates of Death.

Matsuhito Tōichirō saw the green aura around Chihane and sensed his chakra suddenly surge. His experience told him at once that Chihane had used a forbidden technique. In his mind, suffering even a minor injury while fighting a child was beneath a Chunin like him.

He immediately put distance between himself and Chihane, flicking six shuriken at him as he retreated.

Without a weapon in my hand, a few more slashes from him could kill me.

Watching Matsuhito Tōichirō retreat at speed, Chihane let out a long breath. The thought flashed through his mind as he pulled Wado Ichimonji from the system space and knocked the shuriken away.

I knew that sudden burst of power was meant to lure me in. Good thing I was cautious.

Seeing Chihane draw a long sword from who knew where, Matsuhito Tōichirō wore an expression that said his suspicions had been confirmed.

"Our fight is only really starting now. All I want is to cut you down-or slash you to death!"

Chihane spoke as he took an iai stance.

"Hmph. Such big talk from a mere brat. Let me show you real ninjutsu."

"Water Release: Water Bullet Barrage Technique!"

As he spoke, he formed hand seals, then fired a stream of small water bullets from his hands toward Chihane.

Seeing the dense volley of small water bullets fly from Matsuhito Tōichirō's hands, Chihane advanced instead of retreating. With his physique, taking a couple of hits would be no big deal, but Matsuhito Tōichirō would definitely die if Chihane landed two sword strikes.

Seeing Chihane struck repeatedly by the water bullets Matsuhito Tōichirō fired, Kurenai Yuhi, who had been standing helplessly to the side, rushed forward, intending to shield Chihane with her body.

Chihane saw Kurenai Yuhi charging toward him and hardly needed to think to know what she intended.

Hah, women! They really do slow down my sword draw!

As soon as she lunged over, he hurriedly pulled her behind him. Unable to dodge in the process, he took several more water bullets, each hit stinging painfully.

Matsuhito Tōichirō watched Chihane take several of his water bullets without suffering any serious harm. Too much time had already passed, and fearing the Anbu Ninja might arrive, he was beginning to consider retreating.

"You're lucky today, brat. I'll let you two off for now!"

With that, Matsuhito Tōichirō started to withdraw, only to hear a low shout.

"One-Sword Style: Iai-Lion's Song!"

Seeing that Matsuhito Tōichirō's water bullets had run out, Chihane seized the opening, darted forward, and struck with a single slash.

"What a fast blade, so fast..."

Before Matsuhito Tōichirō could finish, his body had already been cleaved in two.