In the middle of a stone forest on the plateau, where jagged earth and rock pillars pointed like daggers toward the sky, the paths were winding and treacherous. The ground was cracked in a thousand places, and the rising wind whistled through the eroded hollows of the pillars, sounding like a ghostly wail.
Even though the Sand forces held the numerical advantage, the memory of that terrifying flaming sword—and the sight of the boy standing tall like a lone wolf on a high ridge—had been etched into their souls.
It was becoming a living nightmare.
The Sand Commander let out a long breath, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. Earlier, the "special effects" of that flaming blade had nearly scared him to death. However, once they actually clashed, he realized the sword had shattered quite easily under the vacuum blades of their Combined Wind Style: Super Scythe Weasel.
The Commander's analytical mind quickly processed the data. He looked up at the temporarily silent battlefield, his eyes no longer holding a trace of contempt.
"It seems the brat can't use a move of that scale a second time in such a short window," he mused. "Even if he tries, we only need to divert four squads to neutralize it. The rest can handle that giant snake."
He exhaled in relief. "Thank heavens it's just a brat. If Orochimaru himself had shown up, we wouldn't have enough lives to satisfy him... Let's end this quickly."
Just as he was about to give the final order, a Sand Chunin stumbled through the rock pillars, his face pale as if he'd seen a ghost. He gasped for air like a fish out of water.
"Sir! It's bad! Very bad!"
The Commander's face stiffened. He'd just finished explaining why they were going to win. "What is it now?"
"T-That brat... he's not human!" the Chunin stammered, his finger shaking as he pointed behind him.
"Calm down! What do you mean 'not human'?"
The Chunin swallowed hard and turned back toward the field. "Just... look over there!"
Beneath the enchanting moonlight and the quiet spring breeze, the forest of rock pillars suddenly trembled. In an instant, the brilliance of multiple Ninjutsu lit up the area in a ghastly white!
A silhouette, moving at an unimaginable speed, took to the sky. He used wires to vault and swing through the air, curving in a moon-like arc that grazed the edges of incoming jutsu. He looked like he was gliding, like a bird of prey.
His crimson eyes reflected the moon, shining with a predatory light. As the boy spun through the air, an arc of moonlight followed his blade. Rubble, earth, wind blades, and desert thorns were all sent flying or sliced clean through by that sweeping arc of steel.
"AAAGHHH!"
"Ugh! Gack!"
"Help me!"
"Get away! Stay away, you demon!"
The screams of Sand ninjas tore through the silence, turning the quiet slaughter into a loud tragedy. The Commander's eyes bulged. "Why? Why can he fly?! He's like a bird in the sky!"
"Sir, make a decision!" the Chunin cried. "If we don't act, he's going to break through!"
The Commander broke into a cold sweat. Faced with a combat style he'd never seen, he felt panic rising. But as an elite, he recovered quickly. He barked orders to the elites beside him:
"Sakuta, Inaho, Takatsugu! Take your squads and intercept Manda. Don't let that snake enter our formation! If it breaks through, it's over!"
He then slammed his hands together, his gaze turning murderous. "The rest of us—the four elite squads and the entire main force—will stop this boy. We are going to kill him right here!"
On the other side, Ren Uchiha was sprinting through the jagged pillars. He gripped the Kusanagi sword in one hand while his other constantly manipulated Earth Grudge Fear threads, picking up discarded tools from the ground and hurling them back.
He pulled on the wires, leaping from the ground to high pillars, swinging into the shadows, and pouncing on Sand ninjas—some who reacted, many who didn't. He fought with a suicidal ferocity, trading blows to ensure the death of his targets.
His goal was singular: breach the Sand center and finish the decapitation.
As Ren cut through squad after squad, subtitles flickered across his vision:
[You valiantly countered a Sand Genin. Obtained random skill: Water Surface Walking.]
[Your proficiency in Water Surface Walking has increased.]
[You valiantly... Obtained random skill: Wind Style: Gale Palm.]
[You valiantly... Obtained random skill: Transformation Jutsu.]
Most of the outer ring were "cannon fodder" Genin. The skills Ren gained were mostly D or E-rank—things he might never use. However, duplicate skills increased his proficiency.
The most useful gain was [Basic Taijutsu]. Through constant combat and "clashing," this fundamental stat soared, breaking past the "Proficient" threshold and reaching "Expert."
His footwork became swifter. His blade strikes became more precise. His chaotic mix of Taijutsu and Kenjutsu began to melt together, forming the rough prototype of a higher-level combat style.
Suddenly, while charging his next target, the hair on the back of Ren's neck stood up. Alarm bells rang in his head. He skidded to a halt and lunged backward.
BOOM!
A violent sphere of wind slammed into his previous position.
[Combined Ninjutsu: Wind Style—Vacuum Great Sphere!]
The sphere exploded, sending out a dense spray of wind blades that tore up the ground. The shockwave sent Ren skidding three meters back, and six fresh gashes appeared on his body from the grazing wind blades.
He pulled a wire and vaulted to the top of a stone pillar, his Sharingan narrowing. In the Sand center, twelve elites—including the Commander—were staring at him coldly. They were weaving seals in perfect synchronization, more wind spheres forming in their hands.
The atmosphere changed. The "filler" Genin had been quietly pulled back. The ninjas surrounding him in the gloom now possessed a completely different aura.
Ren narrowed his eyes, a grin spreading across his face. He licked his lips and chuckled softly. "Now we're talking! Letting those small fry come to their deaths was getting boring."
He dropped into a crouch and lunged forward, his fingers pulling on wires as he soared toward the center. Immediately, ten Sand Chunin leaped from the shadows to surround him!
A kunai with a hissing explosive tag streaked toward his face. Ren lowered his center of gravity, a splash of water appearing beneath his feet—using Water Style: Water Surface Slice to eliminate friction. He yanked a wire, his speed surging as he intercepted the kunai with two fingers just before it blew. Without looking back, he flicked it over his shoulder.
BOOM!
The heat washed over the back of his head. Ignoring the scrolling subtitles, Ren vaulted into the heart of the encirclement.
He delivered a brutal kick, treading on a ninja's face to flip over them, then twisted mid-air to dodge a blade. His Sharingan flared, instantly hypnotizing a ninja; he palm-struck another's jaw, then ducked a horizontal slash while sweeping the legs of two more.
Using his momentum to handspring off the ground, Ren swung the Kusanagi sword in a heavy Karatake vertical strike, crushing a ninja. As four more swarmed him, he unleashed Cloud Style: Deception Slash, followed by a Cloud Style: Reverse Slash as they faltered. He ended the sequence with an Uchiha Style: Instant Void Slash, cutting down all four.
Moonlight shimmered off his blade. Enemies fell one by one. His Taijutsu was becoming more fluid with every second. Parries, counters, ambushes, and footwork—everything was amplified by his combat instincts.
From a distance, the Sand Commander's eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Sir, don't wait any longer!" a Chunin beside him cried. "He's too strong! Even if we sacrifice some of our own, we have to kill him now!"
The Sand Jonin gritted his teeth. He never imagined a mere brat could fight like this. Even ten elite Chunin squads couldn't pin him down or force him to reveal more of his deck.
"If that's how it is..."
The Commander's gaze turned ferocious. "All units, listen up! Saturate the area with combined Ninjutsu! Blow that entire zone to ash!"