The kunai infused with Natsuhiko's chakra slammed fiercely into the chest of one of the "Iwa ninja."
It tore straight through his torso, spraying crimson blood as it continued flying toward the person behind him!
"Damn it!"
One of the disguised ninja cursed and immediately raised his blade to block.
But his defense was meaningless before that azure kunai.
The moment his sword collided with it, cracks instantly spread across the blade.
Within a heartbeat—
The sword shattered.
If not for a nearby ninja reacting quickly and yanking him aside, that kunai would have pierced straight through his chest.
The middle-aged captain was momentarily stunned.
One second ago, he had been certain of death.
The next, the situation had completely reversed.
The whiplash was overwhelming.
But he was, after all, a qualified ninja—and still in the middle of battle.
Even though he was seriously injured, he couldn't simply lie there and watch.
He struggled to his feet and glanced at his subordinates.
He sighed.
They had originally been a standard four-man squad.
Now, one was dead.
The remaining two—including himself—were badly wounded.
"But at least… reinforcements have arrived."
The captain thought silently.
The next moment, two white-haired figures wearing black-and-white helmets and white animal masks appeared before him.
They looked young.
But the chakra fluctuations emanating from them made the captain inwardly gasp.
ANBU? These kids are on another level.
Natsuhiko had no idea what the captain was thinking.
He quickly assessed the situation, then drew his ninja blade.
Kakashi stood beside him, remaining alert.
He didn't move—clearly waiting for Natsuhiko's orders.
That made Natsuhiko nod inwardly in satisfaction.
Kakashi was a prideful brat; in the original timeline, he was notorious for ignoring his superiors in the ANBU. There were stories of him slaughtering enemies with Chidori even after being ordered to stand down.
The fact that he was waiting for orders now meant he truly trusted Natsuhiko.
"Leave one or two alive. Eliminate the rest." Natsuhiko commanded.
"Yes, Captain."
Kakashi replied coldly.
In the next instant, he transformed into a streak of lightning and lunged at the "Iwa ninja." Electric arcs flickered around his wrist.
Natsuhiko didn't hesitate either.
With a single Body Flicker Technique, he appeared beside one of the disguised ninja and swung his blade without mercy.
His speed was astonishing.
The boost from his foundational attribute fruits was unimaginable, and combined with his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique, he moved so fast his figure was nearly imperceptible.
Slash—
Steel flashed.
A spray of blood followed.
With a single strike, Natsuhiko cleanly severed his opponent's head from his body.
Before the others could react, he pivoted sharply.
His blade cut through the air again, slashing viciously toward another enemy.
This time, the "Iwa ninja" reacted.
They immediately launched counterattacks toward Natsuhiko—
But by then, he had already killed another.
His blade sliced cleanly across the man's throat—precise and controlled—cutting through the carotid artery.
Blood sprayed past the edge of Natsuhiko's mask.
Before it even touched the ground, he spun again, raising his blade to block a surprise attack from behind.
At the same moment, several kunai were hurled toward him.
Faced with the assault, Natsuhiko showed no panic.
The moment the kunai struck, his body dissolved into a cloud of white smoke, leaving a log to clatter onto the floor.
"Substitution jutsu! Watch out!"
One of the "Iwa ninja" immediately sensed something was wrong and shouted a warning.
But behind him, roaring chakra had already gathered.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"What? Using Water Release in a place without water?!"
Water chakra rapidly condensed into the shape of a massive dragon, which then crashed violently toward the "Iwa ninja" within the narrow confines of the surveillance post.
Boom!
The observation tower could no longer withstand the intensity of Natsuhiko's assault.
As the water dragon rampaged through it, the structure collapsed outright.
Reacting swiftly, Natsuhiko grabbed the middle-aged captain and one severely injured Konoha ninja.
As for the remaining survivor—whose injuries were lighter—Natsuhiko didn't bother with him.
Landing steadily on the ground, he quickly threw several kunai to prevent the enemy from charging immediately, then formed hand seals again.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion!"
As chakra surged, a massive whirlpool erupted from the ground.
Several "Iwa ninja," who had yet to regain their footing, were blasted into the air.
The vortex continued to rise, and more than ten meters above the ground, it converged into an enormous water dragon.
The dragon roared—
Then smashed down toward the earth!
Those who had been knocked down by the earlier vortex had no time to escape.
At least three of them were killed instantly by Natsuhiko.
The remaining two managed to evade the direct impact.
However, the shockwave of water from the dragon's crash spread outward, flooding the ground and surrounding them.
They were forced to stand atop the water's surface to continue fighting.
But clearly—
They were not comfortable fighting in such an environment.
"Not used to combat in water?"
Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow as he observed them.
Few people in the shinobi world were uncomfortable in such terrain—but they did exist.
For example, shinobi from the relatively arid Land of Earth.
Or the severely drought-stricken Land of Wind.
Natsuhiko had already roughly guessed where these men were truly from.
But two enemies were still one too many.
He only needed one alive.
Sure, he could bring back a head for examination if necessary.
But that would only reveal limited, static information.
Many flexible and dynamic intelligence details could only be extracted through interrogation.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, capturing a live prisoner was always preferable—for ANBU and even ordinary mission squads.
Unless there was absolutely no other choice.
His gaze swept over the two men, who now stood alert and wary.
Feeling the level of chakra within himself, Natsuhiko shook his head inwardly.
He was well-balanced and powerful in nearly every aspect.
But he had one clear weakness—
His chakra reserves truly weren't enough.
"Still… it doesn't matter."
Natsuhiko lowered his stance slightly, assuming an attacking posture.
At the same time, his left hand moved behind his back, quietly forming seals.
"Because it's over."
Water Release: Instant Water!
In the next instant, the remainder of his chakra surged violently.
His figure vanished without a trace.
When he reappeared—
He was already behind one of the "Iwa ninja."
The man hadn't even had time to react.
By the time he felt a sharp pain at his neck, his consciousness was already fading.
Only one thought echoed in his mind:
"So fast…"