Jūjirō tossed down a small cloth bag: "This is your supply. I'll be back the day after tomorrow. By then, I'll collect your corpse."
"Ptui!"
A mouthful of spit came down from above, hitting Jūjirō right in the middle of his forehead.
"You little brat!!"
Jūjirō's eyes burned with fury as he yanked the ninja blade from his back.
Kairen formed a hand seal. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, more than 80 shadow clones appeared, surrounding him.
Over 80 pairs of eyes glared at Jūjirō like a pack of wolves.
Jūjirō sneered coldly.
"So what if you've mastered a forbidden jutsu? You've offended a great ninja clan — your fate can only end one way!"
Kairen swung his hand down. "Give his whole family my regards!"
"Your mother—"
At once, Kairen's followers launched their barrage. The filth that spewed from their mouths didn't repeat once, a full chorus of vicious insults.
Unable to outcurse more than 80 mouths, Jūjirō hurled a final threat before fleeing in disgrace.
Kairen's underlings all raised their middle fingers in contempt at his retreat.
...
That night, cold winds swept the small hill. Kairen lay beneath a large boulder, using it as a shield against the chill.
By the light of a traded candle, he silently flipped through Jiraiya's "Make-Out Paradise." His throat went dry, wishing he could fire a shot.
But the pistol was too small, the ammo stockpile too thin. Forcing it would only hurt both himself and others.
A cold, detached voice brushed past his ear.
"Is that book really that good?"
Kairen glanced at the forehead protector with a sand-hourglass emblem — a Sunagakure ninja, sneaking into his defenses while he was "studying knowledge."
"What would a sand-eater like you understand?"
Kairen ignored him, continuing to read, even as the Suna ninja placed a blade to his throat.
Moments later, his arms were severed, and the ninja dragged him away.
Four Sunagakure ninjas were already waiting, a fire crackling in front of them to fend off the night's chill.
Through his Byakugan, Kairen saw two were Elite Chūnin. One heavily wrapped figure was a Special Jōnin.
The one binding him was also a Special Jōnin.
The heavily wrapped Special Jōnin glanced at him. The voice was crisp, unmistakably a woman's.
"The defense here is… a child? What's Konoha thinking?"
A Chūnin beside her waved his hand dismissively.
"Maybe Konoha sent him here to die. Or maybe… he really has some special skill?"
The Chūnin looked at Kairen's severed arms, then shook his head.
"Looks like it's the first one."
Kairen scanned the group, disappointed. No Jōnin — only four under-leveled opponents.
He immediately cursed. "Sunagakure sent four pieces of trash like you here to die?"
"Courting death!"
The ninja carrying him flung him hard into a rock, shaking it with the impact.
Kairen stood, only for an Elite Chūnin to flash in and press a blade to his throat.
"Don't move. Say what you need to say, and I'll give you a swift end."
Kairen sneered. Why should I, Moku Kairen, follow your script? I'll move just to spite you!
He struggled violently. The Suna ninja's face hardened as he slashed. No blood spilled — instead, white smoke puffed from Kairen's neck.
"Ding!"
"You were killed by Chūnin Shirai's blade. EXP +30!"
Shirai stared, stunned, at Kairen, who was completely unscathed.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, the two by the fire stood up as well.
The ninja who had severed Kairen's arms earlier now noticed smoke curling from his hands — his arms had regrown.
A cocky grin crept across Kairen's lips, arrogant as ever.
"Crawlers will always be crawlers. But a hawk, no matter how young, still soars in the sky. Come, all you crawlers at once!"
He prepared to dance, but suddenly his limbs were bound by glowing blue strings.
"Chakra threads!"
Kairen turned toward the heavily wrapped ninja.
"A puppet master!"
The puppet master's voice was deep.
"You're coming with us. Sunagakure will uncover the truth behind your abnormality."
Kairen didn't flinch. Instead, he grinned.
"Back to the Suna camp again? You really don't learn. Forgotten how I blew you to pieces last time?"
"No way?!" Shirai's eyes widened.
"Ten days ago, when Sunagakure's camp was raided… that was you?"
Kairen erupted into mocking laughter.
"That's right! Sunagakure crawlers — you've caught the child of a hawk. But the wrath of raptors is more than crawlers like you can bear."
"Arrogant!"
The puppet master's tone was icy. Chakra threads tightened, dislocating Kairen's joints.
He clenched his teeth but smiled still. He'd long grown numb to pain — this was nothing but pinpricks.
"Do you know why a Genin like me could raid the Suna camp?"
"Why?" The puppet master, confident he controlled the situation, grew curious.
"Because I'm the undying shinobi!"
As his words fell, dozens of explosive tags ignited across his body.
"Detonate!"
"Retreat!" The ninja who had cut off his hands leapt back at once.
"BOOM—!"
The explosion thundered across the night, a massive ball of smoke and flame engulfing the hill.
Amid the thick smoke, Kairen slowly revived. He opened his eyes, staring at a corpse on the ground — its chest cavity blasted open, organs shredded.
It was Shirai. He hadn't escaped the explosion.
Kairen felt no pity. Just a Chūnin — even grinding him to death was worth only about 200 points.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Jutsu!"
A furious shout came from behind.
Kairen turned, arms spread wide, grinning as he welcomed the wind blade tearing through him.
In a blink, his bones shattered and his body scattered into pieces.
"Ding!"
"You were killed by Special Jōnin Hoefu with Wind Release. EXP +70!"
Smoke rose again. Kairen reformed, his mocking eyes locking onto Hoefu. "The death of a comrade hurts, doesn't it?"
"Damned brat!"
Hoefu drew his blade, closing in with a fierce slash at Kairen's head.
Kairen only smiled, unmoving.
Yeah! Just playing!
The blade fell, and his head rolled.
"Ding!"
"You were killed by Special Jōnin Hoefu with a ninja blade. EXP +50!"
Once again, there was no spray of blood — only white smoke cloaking the severed neck.
The smoke reformed. Hoefu quickly made hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
He tried to disperse the smoke with his wind, but it was useless — the haze was illusion itself.
When the winds died, Kairen stood once more. He hooked his pinky at Hoefu, taunting.
"Come on. I'll stand right here. Strike me all you want. If I move a step, I'll take your name!"
Hoefu's eyes blazed with fury. He began weaving seals again, but a sharp voice cut him off.
"Hoefu, calm down!"
Kairen turned. The other two Sunagakure ninjas had stepped forward. The puppet master's threads twitched as he collected Shirai's corpse.
"Don't let his words shake your judgment as a shinobi."
The puppet master moved into position, standing in tandem with Hoefu. His voice, low but steady, carried a rare calm.
...
The chapter for the review. Thank you so much