Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three dark figures streaked through the forest like swift skylarks.
After splitting from Night Crow, the trio immediately entered combat mode.
Even Eagle—usually lively and carefree—was fully focused now.
Her sensory technique remained active at all times, wary of ambush.
Suddenly—
Eagle's eyelid twitched.
"There's chakra fluctuation ahead!"
Ayane responded calmly, "How many?"
Her steady tone soothed Eagle's nerves.
After another careful scan, Eagle replied firmly, "Four. One jonin-level—probably a Special Jonin—and three chunin. The jonin doesn't feel especially strong."
Understood.
Ayane exchanged a silent glance with Woodpecker.
He nodded.
He'd take the Special Jonin.
Ayane made the call.
"Same plan. Woodpecker and I attack. Eagle, rear support. Move!"
Nomura was a Konoha veteran.
Born in the First Hokage's era, second graduating class of the Academy—roughly half a generation apart from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He had completed missions for nearly thirty years.
Due to limited talent, he stagnated at Special Jonin.
Promotion was hopeless.
So he consoled himself by throwing his seniority around at juniors, savoring their forced respect.
A few days ago—
He'd been drafted into this covert assault on the Land of Rain.
Nomura wasn't fooled by "Will of Fire" rhetoric.
He knew missions like this meant low survival rates.
So his already twisted nature had grown worse.
Like now.
Inside a Rain outpost—
Bodies lay everywhere.
Blood soaked the ground.
Nomura spat at the only surviving captive.
"You Rain brats aren't much besides poison."
He crouched, mocking the trembling girl before him.
"Didn't your teachers explain how to identify clones? You wasted all your explosive tags on my shadow clone. Pathetic."
The girl was drenched in blood. Flesh torn open. Bone visible.
She was beyond terror—mute, shaking.
"Boring."
Nomura sighed, eyes gleaming cruelly.
"I thought about cutting your tongue out. But I haven't yet. Why're you already mute?"
He stabbed a kunai into her finger.
She screamed.
He lifted the bloodied blade near her eye.
"Talk. Where are the other recon points—"
She fainted.
One teammate frowned.
"Did you even train in interrogation? Feels like you're just enjoying this."
A ninja hound barked beside him.
Nomura shrugged.
"It works best on fresh graduates. A few more rounds and she'll talk."
The Inuzuka ninja muttered quietly.
Another teammate spoke bluntly.
"Or maybe you just enjoy tormenting the weak. How typical, Nomura."
The speaker bore the Uchiha crest.
Nomura stiffened.
He dared not retort.
In the corner, the fourth ninja—high collar, dark glasses—finally spoke.
"My insects sense someone approaching."
All froze.
"Direction?" Nomura demanded.
Aburame closed his eyes.
"Three o'clock. Ten meters. Eight…"
His head snapped upward.
"No. Above us!"
Crash!
A water sphere smashed down from overhead—
Exploding into mist.
Through drifting vapor—
Ayane descended lightly.
She surveyed the carnage, paused briefly at the tortured girl.
Then I greeted them coolly.
"Four Konoha scum. Hello."
Her answer—
It was a massive fireball.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Heat surged.
But Ayane was calm.
Though reacting second, her seals flowed smoother and faster—
Thanks to her blue trait: [Intermediate Ninjutsu Mastery].
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
A torrent burst from her mouth, colliding with fire.
Steam engulfed the area.
Visibility dropped to near zero.
"Our turn, Brownmaru!"
The Inuzuka ninja grinned, excited.
His hound's nose made visibility irrelevant.
"Fang Over Fang!"
The dog spun violently toward Ayane's position—
But the Aburame sensed something wrong.
"My insects are confused… she's not in the mist—"
"Then where do you think I am?"
A whisper behind him.
His heart stopped.
He attempted Insect Clone substitution—
Too slow.
Ayane's blade pierced through him like tofu.
"Your Body Flickers… too fast…"
She did not answer.
Instead—
"Detonate."
Boom!
Explosive tags she had planted earlier ignited within the mist.
The spinning hound was obliterated.
A faint scent of roasted dog drifted outward.
[Chunin killed!]
Achievement Points +94
[Chunin Ninja Hound killed!]
Achievement Points +81
"Brownmaru!!!"
The Inuzuka ninja howled in grief.
Ayane deflected a kunai without turning.
"Don't cry. I'll send you to reunite."
Enraged, he unleashed a barrage of weapons—
Then lunged ferally.
Inuzuka clan taijutsu.
Powerful.
But not enough.
Ayane's blade glowed with lightning—
"Lightning Style: Shockwave!"
One slash—
His arm flew.
He collapsed unconscious.
Ayane ignored him.
Her gaze shifted to the Uchiha.
"Now it's just you."
The black-haired youth sneered.
"So young and already ANBU. A Rain prodigy?"
Ayane listened briefly—
Woodpecker's battle raged nearby.
She tightened her grip.
"Prodigy or not. Killing you is enough."
She shot forward.
Uchiha laughed.
"Genius is merely the entry requirement for Uchiha!"
Scarlet tomoe spun in his eyes.
"Witness the Sharingan!"
Her strikes slowed—
Time itself bends.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He blocked with precise kunai parries.
"I see your flaws!"
Ayane admitted silently—
Sharingan was impressive.
But—
Did he think this was all she had?
While clashing blades—
Her left hand loosened slightly.
Silent one-handed seals.
"What are you—"
Too late.
"Water Style: Water Bullet!"
The scattered droplets from her earlier entrance—
Now they have converged.
Razor-sharp bullets surged upward from the ground.
Even Sharingan couldn't find safe space amid that barrage.
Panic flickered in crimson eyes.
He attempted Body Flicker—
Interrupted mid-cast.
The water bullets staggered him—
Ayane stepped in.
One clean cut.
Throat severed.
[Uchiha Chunin killed!]
Achievement Points +144