The black-robed man

Seeing him fall silent, the older Sand Ninja said earnestly, "Even if the village leader eventually discovers that we really never crossed the border, we'll already be dead."

"Do you think the village would fall out with Konoha over insignificant people like us?"

The Sunagakure Genin remained silent for a long time before saying, "Thank you for the advice, senior."

The older Sand Ninja gently patted his shoulder and reminded him, "Remember, staying alive is what matters most. Once you're dead, you have nothing."

Qianye Lan and the others were clearly much more relaxed, as though they were simply there on vacation.

After patrolling the border, they planned to return the way they had come.

But on the way back, Qianye Lan's ears twitched and he stopped, then fixed his gaze on a tree.

Seeing Qianye Lan stop, the others stopped as well.

Kushina asked in confusion, "Lan, what's wrong?"

Hatake Sakumo followed Qianye Lan's gaze, looking thoughtful.

Expressionless, Qianye Lan hurled three shuriken straight at the tree.

The shuriken sliced through the air with a whistle and struck the trunk. As the leaves shook, a black-robed man appeared in an instant and said quietly, "Sir, how about we stay out of each other's way?"

Qianye Lan sneered. "What exactly are you doing lurking here on the border of the Land of Fire, hiding yourself?"

The black-robed man inwardly lamented his luck. He had successfully evaded Sunagakure's pursuers and reached the Land of Fire.

Yet he had still run into a brat with such keen perception. It looked like he was in trouble today.

He scanned the four of them, trying to find an opening, but his pupils contracted slightly when he saw Hatake Sakumo.

The black-robed man gritted his teeth and tried to flee, only for a faint trace of killing intent to lock onto him completely.

He had a premonition that if he dared to run, his head would be severed the very next instant.

Hatake Sakumo said calmly, "Qianye Lan, Kushina, Mikoto, I'll leave this man to you."

At his words, the black-robed man's expression shifted uncertainly before he sneered, "Lord White Fang, are you treating me as a whetstone for your students?"

Hatake Sakumo ignored him.

Qianye Lan formed hand seals with both hands.

[Wind Release: Great Breakthrough]

Uchiha Mikoto also formed hand seals with both hands.

[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]

The wind fueled the fire, and the fire drew on the wind's power. Their two techniques combined to produce an effect greater than the sum of their parts.

Flames swept toward the black-robed man, filling the sky.

Even from a distance, the black-robed man could feel the scorching heat of the flames.

He leaped aside, dodging the immensely powerful Fire Release attack.

Watching Qianye Lan and Uchiha Mikoto work together to increase their techniques' power, Hatake Sakumo nodded in satisfaction. This was what he wanted to see.

Just as the black-robed man landed, Kushina charged up and drove a heavy punch at a vital point.

But the black-robed man used the Substitution Technique at the crucial moment.

A puff of white smoke dispersed, and Kushina's fist struck only a wooden log.

Worried that Kushina would be hurt, Qianye Lan left a Flying Thunder God Kunai where he stood, used the Body Flicker Technique to reach her side, wrapped an arm around her waist, and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to withdraw from the battlefield.

Sure enough, just after Qianye Lan brought Kushina back, several shuriken appeared where she had been standing.

The black-robed man also appeared to the trio's right. Having seen Qianye Lan's movements, he remarked, "What a fast Body Flicker Technique."

He could hardly be blamed for failing to recognize that Qianye Lan had used the Flying Thunder God Technique.

No one had used this ninjutsu since Konoha's Second Hokage died.

It was normal not to recognize it.

As the black-robed man marveled, Kushina looked at where she had just been standing, shaken by the close call, and said to Qianye Lan, "Thank you."

Qianye Lan merely reminded her, "Be careful next time," before focusing his attention entirely on the black-robed man.

So far, during their brief exchange, the black-robed man had only demonstrated a proficient Substitution Technique. They had yet to draw out his other abilities.

Qianye Lan said to Hatake Sakumo, "Uncle Sakumo, let me borrow White Fang."

Without hesitation, Hatake Sakumo tossed White Fang from behind his back to Qianye Lan.

Qianye Lan caught it firmly and drew White Fang, a cold gleam flashing from the blade.

The black-robed man also drew a kunai and watched him intently.

Both moved in an instant and clashed.

The longer the black-robed man fought Qianye Lan, the more alarmed he became. He was a battle-hardened member of Sunagakure's Anbu.

How could he be evenly matched with a brat who looked as though he had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy?

At that thought, he pushed off with both legs and retreated, forming hand seals as he did.

[Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere]

He attempted to stop Qianye Lan's pursuit.

After Qianye Lan easily dodged it, Uchiha Mikoto launched an attack as well.

[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]

Meanwhile, Qianye Lan and Kushina kept harassing him from the side with kunai and shuriken.

For a time, the black-robed man was driven into a wretched predicament.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kushina threw a kunai with an explosive tag attached.

The black-robed man barely dodged it, and his pupils contracted slightly when he noticed the explosive tag attached to the kunai.

A violent explosion rang out, destroying the man's black robe as well.

The face of an unremarkable middle-aged man was revealed to them.

Apart from the eye-catching scar on his face, his looks were the sort no one would notice in a crowd.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly having suffered a considerable injury from the explosive tag's attack.

They pressed their advantage and kept him firmly suppressed.

Qianye Lan used the Flying Thunder God Technique to engage him at close range, giving him no opportunity to use ninjutsu.

Uchiha Mikoto harassed him with ninjutsu from a distance.

Kushina also harassed him from the flank from time to time.

As time passed, the injury he had just suffered from the explosive tag grew increasingly severe.

His movements also grew slower and slower.

As Qianye Lan fought him, he also felt how troublesome this ninja was, unlike the wandering samurai he had killed instantly last time.

The man before him reacted very quickly. Many times, Qianye Lan had tried to launch a surprise attack with Flying Thunder God, only for the man to forcefully defend against it with moves that traded injury for injury.

After all, it's three against one. The advantage is mine. Qianye Lan did not want to pay too high a price in a battle whose outcome was already decided.

Finally, the middle-aged man could no longer bear being hounded by the three of them.

He took out three explosive tags, stuck them onto himself, and recklessly tried to grab Qianye Lan and take him down with him.

Trading someone like himself, whose strength had a clear ceiling, for a genius with limitless prospects would be no loss.

Looking expressionlessly at the enemy who had already gone mad, Qianye Lan wrapped an arm around Kushina and vanished from the spot.