Chapter 53: Two More Down
After finishing off the first enemy, Nan drew a kunai and swiftly ended the suffering of the Sand ninja who had been struck by his Fireball and was still clinging to life.
In just a single exchange, two of Sunagakure's chunin had fallen to him.
Glancing at the Sand shinobi he had sent flying more than ten meters away, Nan felt a surge of satisfaction. The technique he had just improvised had turned out even stronger than he expected.
By combining the acceleration of his Divine Speed ability with the destructive force of his Monster Strength, the punch's power was tremendous. Even in his still-growing body, the force behind it was probably not far off from Tsunade's own.
A wry smile tugged at his lips. A true genius… he mused, then christened the new move: Divine Speed Monster Fist.
Nan's plan was to eliminate the four chunin first, leaving the jōnin for later. With two already down, his eyes turned toward the remaining pair.
Sensing their chakra signatures, he locked onto them—they were currently being stalled by his shadow clone.
While a clone was capable of handling them, Nan wasn't willing to take the risk. Clones were unstable, limited in durability, and could vanish if injured, potentially exposing his strategy.
So he ordered the clone to keep them occupied until his real body arrived.
The clone, equipped with the same sensory ability, quickly realized that two chakra signatures had already disappeared—proof that the original had taken out two chunin. The two he was facing now were next.
Understanding his role, the clone deliberately slowed his movements, feigning exhaustion to lure the enemies in, making them believe his chakra reserves were fading.
Meanwhile, the real Nan, not far away, understood instantly what his clone was planning. As expected of my own clone. Always thinks exactly like me.
He locked onto the clone's chakra and prepared to use his still-clumsy Flying Thunder God technique, jumping straight to the marker left by his clone.
The two Sand ninjas, convinced they could finish Nan themselves and claim the biggest share of the bounty, closed in rapidly on the slowing figure.
But as they reached the "Nan" they had been chasing, he suddenly turned, wearing a mocking grin identical to the real one. Before they could react, the clone performed a hand seal and dispersed—revealing the original standing right behind them.
Using the Flying Thunder God, Nan had teleported to the marker left by his clone—right in the enemies' blind spot.
Still processing the fact that they had been chasing a clone, the two chunin felt only disappointment that the credit had slipped through their fingers. But that disappointment turned to horror too late.
Lightning crackled around Nan's body. In a flash, he unleashed his Divine Speed Monster Fist, slamming into one enemy's back. The man spewed blood mixed with fragments of viscera as he was hurled forward like a ragdoll.
His teammate, just ahead, barely registered the deafening impact before turning his head. But before he could even complete the motion, Nan had already closed the distance, his leg swinging in a brutal arc.
Heavenly Kick.
The strike crushed the man's skull instantly, propelling his body forward until it collided with his wounded comrade.
Two more, eliminated in the blink of an eye.
Nan's expression didn't waver in the slightest. If anything, he was pleased with the refinement of his techniques. Combining Divine Speed with the Heavenly Kick… he decided to name it Divine Speed Rocket Leg.
With all four chunin dispatched, only the two jōnin remained, each accompanied by a genin subordinate.
But Nan knew these next opponents wouldn't fall so easily. He steeled himself for the harder fight ahead.
Elsewhere, another of his shadow clones sensed the disappearance of more chakra signatures. That meant the original had finished off all the chunin. The only targets left were the jōnin.
He wasn't sure which of the two the original would move on first, but based on Nan's usual habits, he'd likely save the strongest for last.
Sensing the chakra of the jōnin pursuing him, the clone realized this one was slightly weaker than the other. That almost certainly made him the next target.
So, following the same strategy, the clone slowed his pace again, baiting his pursuers into overconfidence, preparing the stage for another coordinated strike with the original.
The two Sand ninjas, seeing Nan falter, thought just like their fallen comrades had. Eager for the reward, they surged forward in pursuit…
But among this squad of Sand shinobi, there was still a jōnin—an experienced one at that. The moment he noticed Nan slowing down, a sliver of suspicion stirred within him. He couldn't help but wonder if Nan was laying some kind of trap.
The clone turned and came to a halt. The two Sand ninja chasing him immediately launched their attacks.
Everything seemed to be unfolding exactly as Nan had planned. If his real body struck from behind at that very instant, neither of them would have time to react—they would be finished in a heartbeat.
Sensing the distance closing, Nan's true body activated the Flying Thunder God, materializing behind the two pursuers, poised to strike.
But the Sand jōnin had been wary from the start. He had never once let his guard drop, keeping part of his focus on his back at all times. So when Nan suddenly appeared, he was ready. The attack aimed at the clone ceased immediately.
He had no idea what technique Nan had just used. He'd never even heard of the Flying Thunder God. All he knew was that the boy's sudden movement was unbelievably fast—so fast that even he, a jōnin, had nearly failed to react.
Quickly, he called out to the genin at his side to ready himself. At this point, they were surrounded—caught between Nan's real body and his clone.
The failed ambush didn't bother Nan. If anything, it excited him. Then let's see how I fare head-on against a jōnin, he thought, sparks of lightning already dancing across his body. Against an opponent of this level, Divine Speed was essential.
The Sand jōnin, seeing the lightning envelop Nan, instantly understood. The boy intended to rely on his blistering speed to overwhelm him in close combat.
But taijutsu was not his specialty—ninjustu was. There was no way he would allow Nan to get close. Forming hand seals in rapid succession, he unleashed:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough of Sand and Dust!"
Unlike a standard Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, this technique was modeled after an ability once used by Shukaku's jinchūriki. Not only did it create a gale-force wind, it also whipped up vast clouds of sand, amplifying both its force and lethality.
Through his Sharingan, Nan could instantly gauge its power.
As expected of a jōnin. One strike and the difference from those chunin is night and day.
Realizing he couldn't take this lightly, Nan braced himself, focusing every ounce of attention on defense.
He countered with his strongest protective jutsu: Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall.
Yet his earth affinity was still undeveloped. Blocking such a powerful Wind Release head-on was pushing his limits.
The sand-laden gale tore through the earthen wall, shattering it into chunks and scattering mud and stone. But by then, the jōnin's attack had already lost most of its force.
The faint gusts and lingering dust that slipped through weren't nearly enough to threaten Nan. He didn't even bother dodging.
As Nan clashed with this jōnin, elsewhere, the other group of Sand shinobi pursuing another of his clones began to sense that something was off.
Their leader was the one with the strongest chakra signature Nan had detected—very likely the most powerful, and perhaps the highest-ranking, member of the entire Sand pursuit squad.