Arai, who was still running at full speed, suddenly sensed something was wrong. The enemy had actually caught up far faster than he expected.
"Only two…" he murmured.
He glanced back and saw two figures rapidly approaching them from behind.
However, his eyes quickly narrowed as he realized something important. Neither of these two was the one who had locked onto them earlier using sensory abilities.
"The enemy squad must have split up," Arai said immediately to Yuji and Sasori without slowing down. "They sent their two strongest members ahead to intercept us first, and there must be other enemies trailing behind."
Yuji glanced back after hearing this, and his heart tightened. In just that brief moment, the two Konoha Jonin had already caught up and were running side by side with their squad, one on the left and one on the right. At first glance, it almost looked as if the five of them belonged to the same team, but the two men's uniforms and headbands clearly marked them as enemies.
"It's you… Arai."
One of the Jonin, a man with a long scar across his cheek, stared at him and spoke with a sneer.
Arai's expression remained calm and indifferent.
"Ryosuke," he replied flatly.
Ryosuke's lips curled into a dangerous smile as his gaze shifted toward Yuji and Sasori.
"Instead of staying beside the Kazekage, you came all the way out here to protect these two brats. Are they the rising stars your Hidden Sand Village is investing, or the descendants of some important figure in your Village?"
His eyes gleamed coldly as he examined them.
"New faces," the other Jonin added deliberately. "I didn't see these two during our previous battles. They look young. Did they just graduate from the Ninja Academy?"
Arai did not respond to their provocation. He only looked at Yuji and Sasori and said quietly,
"You two go first."
His intention was clear. He planned to stay behind and hold off the enemy so that Yuji and Sasori could escape.
However, Ryosuke had already anticipated this.
"Don't think about running," he said coldly.
In the next instant, he leaped forward and blocked their path.
His hands moved rapidly through hand seals before he slammed his palms onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Cracking Earth Palm!"
The ground beneath Yuji and Sasori instantly split apart, and a massive fissure spread rapidly beneath their feet. Rocks and soil burst upward as the crack widened, resembling the gaping mouth of an abyss attempting to swallow them.
The power of the technique was overwhelming. When performed by a Jonin, the same ninjutsu carried far greater destructive force and control than when used by weaker ninja. It was not simply a matter of chakra quantity, but also precision and mastery.
Yuji and Sasori felt as if they were facing the wrath of nature itself.
They immediately jumped into the air to avoid the collapsing ground.
However, the moment they did, two kunai with explosive tags attached flew directly toward them.
The timing was perfect.
The enemy had predicted their evasion.
Before the kunai could reach them, Arai moved.
With two precise strikes, he deflected both weapons, sending them flying away before they could detonate nearby.
Immediately afterward, Arai formed hand seals and unleashed a powerful Wind Release technique. A fierce gust erupted outward, sweeping away the dust and debris that filled the air.
He then grabbed Yuji and Sasori as they fell and landed safely with them in a clear area.
After setting them down, he faced the two Konoha Jonin.
Ryosuke looked at his companion and said calmly,
"I'll keep Arai busy. You deal with those two brats. He clearly cares about their safety."
Their intentions were obvious. They did not plan to kill Yuji and Sasori immediately, but instead intended to use them to restrict Arai's movements and weaken his combat effectiveness.
Yuji's expression turned cold as he quickly analyzed the situation.
During the prolonged pursuit, both he and Sasori had already consumed a significant amount of stamina. Their physical condition was far from optimal.
More importantly, Arai's presence, which should have been their greatest protection, had now become a limitation on his own combat ability. As long as the enemy threatened Yuji and Sasori, Arai would be forced to divide his attention, reducing his effectiveness in battle.
Yuji understood clearly that in this situation, their chances of escaping were extremely low.
What troubled him even more was that his System's data observation ability was far less effective against opponents at the Jonin level, making it much harder for him to accurately predict and respond to their movements.
In less than a minute, from the moment the enemies appeared to when they launched their attack, Yuji had already attempted to establish data through his System. However, both targets remained blank. Their templates could not be formed, and even the physical functions and attributes they displayed externally were vague and impossible to evaluate. It was as if his ability could not properly perceive them at all.
Beside him, Sasori calmly rotated a scroll in his hand. With a swift motion, he unsealed it and immediately assumed a combat stance. Chakra threads extended from his fingertips, connecting to several puppets that emerged and took their positions around him, ready for battle.
Ryosuke saw this and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "A Puppeteer… heh."
Without wasting another word, he accelerated and charged straight toward Arai.
The battle erupted instantly.
Arai did not hesitate and moved forward to meet him head-on, deliberately distancing himself from Yuji and Sasori. He clearly understood the same reality Yuji had already realized. If he stayed close and tried to protect them, he would only be restrained by the enemy and gradually forced into a disadvantage. The best option was to focus entirely on defeating one opponent as quickly as possible, even if it meant temporarily abandoning Yuji and Sasori to fend for themselves.
Although this decision placed the two boys in extreme danger, it was the only way to break the situation. If he allowed himself to be tied down by their protection, the entire squad could be wiped out.
As for Yuji and Sasori, they could now rely only on their own strength. Their task was simple and cruel: survive long enough for Arai to finish his fight.
What concerned Arai even more was not just the two Jonin before them, but the unknown reinforcements chasing from behind. If the battle dragged on and more enemies arrived, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The sound of violent clashes echoed across the field as Arai and Ryosuke engaged in close combat. Their movements were so fast that they left afterimages in the air, their strikes colliding with explosive force.
At the same time, the other Konoha Jonin, Otani, vanished from sight.
In the next instant, he appeared behind Yuji.
Yuji's eyelid twitched violently.
It was the Body Flicker Technique.
This was not ninjutsu in the conventional sense, but an explosive high-speed movement achieved by enhancing physical ability with chakra. Its speed was terrifying.
Yuji understood immediately.
This was the true gap between them.
Against a Jonin, ordinary Genin and even most Chunin were no different from prey waiting to be slaughtered.
A cold killing intent pressed against his back. He could already feel the invisible blade about to pierce into him.
Otani's eyes narrowed slightly. He had already determined that this strike would kill the boy. From his perspective, Yuji had no ability to react.
And yet, something surprised him.
Yuji did not panic.
Even as death descended upon him, his expression remained calm.
His body could not fully keep up with the attack, but his mind had already moved.
He twisted his torso slightly and crossed his arms behind him, pulling sharply on the threads connected to his fingers.
At the same moment, a puppet lunged in from the side.
It had a wooden human-like head with three eerie eyes embedded in its face and multiple arms extending outward. Its mouth opened wide, and a barrage of poisoned spikes shot out toward Otani.
Otani's heart tightened.
Although the two boys' reactions were slightly slower than his own, they had still managed to respond within the rhythm of the battle.
At their age, being able to do this was already astonishing.
Their talent was undeniable.
These were not ordinary children, they were geniuses.
And precisely because of that…
They had to die here.
Otani's eyes grew cold with killing intent.
...
Support me on P@reon and read upto 15 chapters ahead @Keepsmiling 818 p@reon