Splurt!
The Sand ninja's eyes went wide, but Natsume Yō didn't give him even a breath for a last stand. His blade drove home, then he flickered away in an instant—two kunai already spinning through the air. They struck true, pinning into the man's eyes and snuffing out his life completely.
This tactic? Only Yō would think to pull it off.It wasn't just improvisation—it was straight out of Shippuden: Naruto and Sasuke's tag-team reversal against Zabuza, adapted into his own style. Every move he'd made so far had been setting up for this single killing strike.
"What?!"
The surrounding Sand ANBU froze in disbelief, eyes locked on Yō. None of them had imagined a kid barely ten years old could take down one of their own.
True, their unit wasn't on the exact level of Konoha's ANBU, but each member was at least as strong as an elite chūnin. And yet—just like that, one of them had fallen to Yō.
They had to admit it. His tactics were brilliant. The way he wove Transformation and Water Clone together was sharp enough to fool even hardened veterans.
"Well done! Regroup!" Shiyō's voice rang out, urging Yō to fall back immediately. In the middle of Sunagakure, every second spent lingering was a gamble with death.
"Wind Body Flicker!"
Yō's form blurred and vanished—only to reappear right behind another Sand ANBU, hands already flashing through seals.
"Careful—behind you!" the ANBU captain barked.
Too slow. The targeted operative had faster reflexes. He inhaled sharply, spewing out a raging gust that smashed into Yō head-on.
BOOM!
Yō was blasted away, his eyes flashing with shock and fury—only for his body to explode into a puff of splinters.
Substitution.
The ANBU stiffened. A killing aura screamed from behind him—
"Wind Sword Style!"
Agony ripped through his chest as Yō's blade pierced clean through. His eyes bulged, bloodshot veins bursting as he snarled, "You bastard—!"
He reached out, desperate to drag Yō down with him. But Yō gave him no chance, flickering back just out of reach.
And then—slash! Another ANBU appeared in front of him, blade crashing down.
But Yō was ready. His body blurred with another Wind Flicker, twisting behind the man. His hands blurred through a rapid set of seals, and water surged down his arm. His right arm transformed into a massive torrent, muscles wrapped in liquid power, thrumming with raw chakra.
"Water Release: Great Water Arm!"
He lunged. The titanic water-wrapped arm smashed forward.
The ANBU turned, blade raised—but the instant they connected, his face twisted in horror.
Crack!
The bone-splitting impact echoed. Blood burst from his lips as he was hurled like a cannonball into his own squad, shattering their formation in an instant.
"Captain—run!"
Seeing the opening, Yō roared at Shiyō, sprinting toward him.
"Beautifully done!" Shiyō shouted back, eyes gleaming as he led the team toward the village gate.
Breaking free of Sunagakure meant braving the bottleneck gorge—the infamous "Heaven's Line." But if they could just reach the gate, they had a chance.
Because once outside, Shiyō's contract beast—a mighty hawk—would seize the skies, granting them the escape route they needed.
"You think you'll just walk out? Leave them here—now!"
The ANBU captain's face was a mask of rage. His voice thundered as he ordered his squad to move in, his own hands flying into seals faster than lightning.