In the world of Ninja, a ten-year-old Ninja cannot be called a child, because he is already a Ninja.
A Ninja's spirit and state of mind are not comparable to ordinary people; killing and arson at the age of ten are commonplace.
Inoyue was only eight years old, but she was already a Ninja. However, the Kunai that she couldn't thrust indicated that her state of mind was not up to par, and she was not a qualified Ninja at all, even though her soul was already that of an adult in her twenties.
"Thank you, little sister! The young female Ninja of Konoha always has a kind heart."
The ten-year-old Sand Ninja, who had been frightened on the ground, suddenly changed his demeanor. A sneer appeared on his face as he hooked his lips, and as he spoke, the Kunai in his hand had already stabbed Inoyue in the chest.
Inoyue snapped back to reality. On the battlefield, being stunned almost means death.
Inoyue, coming to her senses, instinctively retreated to dodge, but it was too late. At this point, the Kunai had already pierced through her clothes, and her skin could feel the chilling sensation of impending penetration.
A popping sound, actually it should have been two, but they occurred simultaneously.
A Kunai pierced through the Sand Ninja's right wrist, directly pulling his body to the right. At the same time, a white shadow flashed, and a short blade, at the same moment the Kunai pierced the Sand Ninja's wrist, stabbed into the Sand Ninja's back.
The process was short and fast. Inoyue didn't react, and the Sand Ninja reacted even less, falling directly to the ground and dying.
The flying Kunai was thrown by Uchiha Suien, while the flashing white shadow and short blade belonged to Kakashi.
Since she was stunned, Inoyue's condition had been very poor, unable to overcome the moral hurdle in her heart. If Uchiha Suien and Kakashi had not acted simultaneously, Inoyue might have already died.
Suien's Kunai prevented the Sand Ninja's assassination attempt; Kakashi's fatal strike was enough to stop the Sand Ninja's next move. This was because the Sand Ninja also had a Kunai in his left hand, intended for a two-hit combo to ensure success.
"You are not a qualified Ninja!" Kakashi said softly, drew his short blade, and left.
He still looked as cool and arrogant as ever, but Inoyue was still immersed in the recent danger and forgot to retort to Kakashi's words.
...
What is the essence of Ninja combat?
It is deception!
Inoyue, who hadn't even seen through this point, was indeed somewhat unqualified.
Her chest hurt a lot. In that critical moment, the Kunai still pierced her skin. As the Sand Ninja's wrist was deflected by Suien's Kunai, it also left a shallow cut on Inoyue's chest.
"Are you okay!" Rin Nohara quickly ran over, turned the still-stunned Inoyue around, immediately tore open Inoyue's chest, and prepared to bandage it.
At the same time, the nearby boys turned away to avoid looking, and stood guard. Senior sister Kurenai Yuhi came over at the same time and immediately held up a rain gear to block the heavy rain.
Inoyue is a Chunin, and her strength is quite good among this group of young foundation Ninja. But even with such strength, she almost died at the hands of an ordinary Sand Ninja, which immediately drew the attention of her companions.
"Thank you!" Inoyue looked at Rin Nohara, who was bandaging her, and said softly.
Rin Nohara smiled back: "What happened to you just now?"
"I couldn't bring myself to do it!" Inoyue gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Rin Nohara was stunned for a moment, looking at the bitter smile on Inoyue's face, she didn't answer, and continued to bandage her.
Kurenai Yuhi was the same. Hearing that self-deprecating remark, she bit her lip with her pearly teeth, and a strange pain stirred in her heart.
They themselves had been like this in the past. This was a process, like a single-plank bridge, and Inoyue was in the middle of this bridge, facing an inner choice. So, facing the current Inoyue, although they wanted to offer comfort, they didn't know what to say.
Anything they said seemed wrong; all they could do now was try their best to take care of her.
Uchiha Suien didn't come over after saving Inoyue, but looked at her from a distance: "You are too kind. You haven't changed since you first awakened your Mind's Eye."
Inoyue had killed children, ordinary children, but that was when her Mind's Eye had just awakened and she was unconscious.
Later, Inoyue also killed people, but those people were not young, at least not children, but real enemies.
Inoyue could bring herself to kill enemies, but killing an enemy who was still a child, Inoyue truly couldn't. It was like soldiers during the War of Resistance; killing Japanese devils meant shedding blood and sacrificing their lives, which they did without hesitation.
However, killing Japanese civilians and children, that was truly something they couldn't bring themselves to do, even if the child was holding a weapon.
There's a good example to explain this: In the movie "Operation Mekong," Guo Xu was almost beaten to death by a child with a gun. Inoyue at this moment should be similar to Guo Xu at that time, right?
...
"Her problem is quite serious!"
Minato Namikaze noticed the abnormality here and then learned about the dangerous scene that had just occurred. He said this to Shinku Yuhi.
"Indeed, it's quite serious. She's no longer suitable for the battlefield. If something like this happens again, she might lose her life."
Shinku Yuhi's expression was somewhat solemn. He knew that Inoyue had a problem with her cultivation, making her mind easily wander, but he didn't expect it to be this serious. It seemed he had to solve her problem as soon as possible.
The night raid on the Sand Ninja was very successful, and the Sand Ninja suffered heavy losses. After this battle, the Sand Ninja's strength was greatly reduced and they could no longer contend with Konoha.
However, this raid was a little too smooth. Rasa, Karura, and Chiyo, the three previously very active Kage-level figures, did not appear this time.
Perhaps they had already left! The Sand Ninja elites left here were like the Uchiha Clan being eliminated by Konoha. They should all have been opponents of Rasa taking over as the Fourth Kazekage.
The difference is that Konoha eliminated the Uchiha with its own hands, while the Hidden Sand Village eliminated its political enemies by borrowing Konoha's hands. In some respects, the Hidden Sand Village removed its cancerous elements, and opinions were unified. If it recuperated for five to ten years, its overall strength would still rank among the top, on par with the other four villages.
Inoyue saw it very clearly. Knowing the future, with just a little analysis, these conclusions could be drawn.
...
"Let's go!" Shinku Yuhi called out to the somewhat dazed Inoyue.
The battle had long ended. On the morning of the next day, the weather was excellent, and the sun was rising high. Shinku Yuhi was preparing to take Inoyue to the training grounds.
"Master, isn't Senior Sister coming?" Inoyue looked at the solitary Shinku Yuhi and couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, her? She just needs to wait another year." Shinku Yuhi was quite confident in his daughter.
With her travel bag on her back, Inoyue obediently followed behind Shinku Yuhi.
Many people had already gathered at the entrance of the main camp, including Uchiha Suien, Kakashi, Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Obito, and others. They were all there to see her off.
Inoyue bid farewell to each of them. The young foundation Ninja were still very friendly to Inoyue, after all, she was the youngest among this group.
Most of the girls chose to hug Inoyue, while most of the boys offered blessings for her safety.
Kakashi rolled his Byakugan, perhaps still annoyed with Inoyue about last night's events. Uchiha Suien said, "Be careful, I'll wait for you to come back." Obito was carefree, somewhat like Naruto: "When you come back, I'll definitely be stronger than you."
Walking out of the main camp, Inoyue looked back at everyone, her face filled with worry, making everyone think she was reluctant to leave and overly emotional.
However, what she was thinking about was something else entirely.
"The battle with the Sand Ninja has come to an end. Next up are the Stone Ninja. The plot is about to begin, Obito will be manipulated by Madara, and Rin Nohara will be forced to become a Jinchuriki."
"Can I make it back in time?"
"Can I change this future when I return?"
"I want to change this future!"
Inoyue clenched her hands tightly, and a significant resolve immediately formed in her heart.