Chiba stared at the enemy ninja ahead. Although the man was half-kneeling on the ground, one hand clutching a deep wound—his white bandages completely soaked red—his labored breathing and ragged appearance showed he was heavily injured and low on stamina.
But without a doubt, he still had the power to kill.
Chiba understood this all too clearly. His own condition wasn't much better.
At the same time, Iwamoku Shin's mind raced. The situation was far from favorable. That explosion earlier would surely attract Konoha's pursuit team—they could arrive any moment.
His immediate priority was simple: kill the brat in front of him, then eliminate the Hyuga heiress.
Yes—eliminate.
With his body severely wounded, chakra points sealed, and the two jutsu he'd just used consuming what little chakra he had left, capturing the Hyuga girl would take too much effort. She had already wounded him once during his initial ambush. One of his sealed chakra points—her doing.
But killing her? That would take far less effort.
Capturing someone alive was always harder than killing.
And if it was the Byakugan they were after, even a corpse could yield valuable intel. Better to take back a body than nothing at all.
If he could kill her and complete the mission, the sacrifice of his nine comrades wouldn't have been in vain.
As for the kid standing in front of him—clearly specialized in taijutsu—he was still baffled that a mere seven-year-old could punch a crater into solid ground. Not even seasoned taijutsu specialists could pull that off.
The only comparable person he could think of was one of the Three Legendary Sannin—Tsunade—with her unmatched Monster Strength.
Could this kid be her disciple?
His talent was terrifying. He couldn't be allowed to grow.
The killing intent surged stronger within Iwamoku Shin, but he remained composed, quietly drawing in chakra bit by bit. With his chakra points sealed, refining chakra was painstakingly slow—but he still had to do it. Once he dealt with this kid, the Hyuga girl would be next.
He noticed Chiba hesitating. The boy hadn't made a move—likely because he was already spent, barely standing. Or maybe afraid.
Good. That meant time to gather chakra.
A cruel grin crept onto Iwamoku Shin's face.
Chiba felt a chill—that killing intent was suffocating. So this... was the pressure of a jōnin?
Terrifying.
Suddenly—
"Bang!"
A muffled sound echoed from inside the stone pillar prison—it sounded like someone striking the stone walls. Clearly, Hyuga Yukina was trying to break free.
I can't do this alone!
The sound broke Chiba from his trance. He steadied his breath, forcing himself to analyze.
His chakra reserves were nearly empty—he couldn't even perform the Three Basic Techniques in full, maybe only one or two at most. He had no weapons on him, and his taijutsu was rendered ineffective by exhaustion.
I have to free the Hyuga girl.
That was the only viable plan.
But how?
He glanced at the stone pillars—solid and thick. There was no way he could break them by force.
Any ideas…?
Then he noticed something by his feet—a charred piece of wood, half-blackened and broken from the explosion earlier.
An idea struck him like lightning. Chiba's lips curled into a smile.
Got it.
He quickly bent down, picked up the charred stick, and—gathering all the strength his years of physical training had granted him—hurled it toward the stone prison.
It soared high—higher than the pillars themselves.
What's he doing?
Iwamoku Shin's gaze followed the flying object, his brow twitching.
Throwing a stick? Trying to break stone with that weak toss? Has this kid gone stupid?
But the stick wouldn't even hit the stone. It soared above it.
"Now! Miss Yukina, look up—Substitution Technique!" Chiba shouted.
Substitution?!
Iwamoku Shin's eyes widened.
Inside the stone prison, Hyuga Yukina instinctively looked up at Chiba's cry. She saw the charred stick suspended midair.
And immediately understood.
He's using the stick as a Substitution anchor!
In an instant, she formed a hand seal.
"Poof!"
Her body vanished into a puff of smoke. In her place fell the piece of charred wood.
Hyuga Yukina reappeared in midair, outside the prison, exactly where the wood had been a moment before.
She escaped!
Success! The Three Basic Techniques were part of every academy student's training—there was no way the heiress of the Hyuga clan didn't know them.
Chiba clenched his fists.
"What?!" Iwamoku Shin exclaimed. "Used a Substitution Technique... with that?!"
This kid… quick thinker.
I can't wait any longer.
"Miss Yukina! Your ninja pouch!" Chiba shouted as Yukina landed outside the prison.
He had spotted Iwamoku Shin beginning to weave hand seals.
Without a second thought, Hyuga Yukina flung the pouch at him.
Chiba caught it, quickly checking the contents. "Miss Yukina! Get over here!"
Perfect—smoke bombs.
Every ninja carried them—he'd been counting on it.
He tossed her a kunai, and at the same time, grabbed a smoke bomb. As Yukina rushed over, he slammed the bomb to the ground.
"Bang!"
A thick white cloud instantly spread, obscuring both of them from sight.
"Damn it!" Iwamoku Shin had just completed his seals—he had lost his targets.
Perfect timing. That smoke bomb ruined his shot.
"Now, Miss Yukina!" Chiba's voice rang from within the cloud.
Then—"whizz!" A kunai shot out from the smoke, aimed directly at Iwamoku Shin's head.
Foolish! he sneered.
A single kunai? You think that can kill me? Naive.
He tilted his head slightly and the blade zipped past.
You should've used this moment to escape. Now I know where you are.
He pressed his palms to the ground—
Earth Release: Earth Lance!
The ground in front of him rose sharply, forming a hardened spear of rock. It pierced through the smoke—skewering a seven-year-old boy.
Chiba.
"Die!" Iwamoku Shin spat with a cold laugh—
Only to freeze a second later.
"Poof!"
The body on the rock spear exploded into a cloud of smoke.
A clone.
And behind him—
"Poof!"
The second sound came.
The kunai.
His eyes widened in horror. Realization, fear, regret, and panic surged through him all at once, twisting his expression into something monstrous.
A voice came from behind:
"No... you die."
Chiba's whisper was cold.
Kunai in hand, he summoned every last ounce of strength—and stabbed straight into Iwamoku Shin's back.
"Shhk!"
Blood spurted out in a jet.
"B-Bastard… I… got taken out by a brat…!"
Iwamoku Shin's eyes bulged as he fell face-first to the ground—dead.
The white smoke cleared.
Hyuga Yukina, arm still extended from throwing her kunai, stood frozen. Her eyes widened as she saw Iwamoku Shin lying dead—and Chiba, standing behind him, trembling.
Her eyes flickered with a strange light.
He left a clone. Transformed into the kunai. Let me throw him. He knew the enemy would dodge it—and assumed the kunai I threw was the same one he handed me.
He tricked him. Played him completely. All in the span of seconds.
She looked at Chiba—his body barely holding itself upright.
He thought up that plan... all in an instant?
Amazing.