Tengen's taijutsu was naturally outmatched by the Suna-nin.
The biggest issue was the physical gap. Tengen was only eight, and his sole kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, didn't enhance his physical prowess. His taijutsu had limits.
The Suna-nin, in his thirties, was likely at the peak of chunin-level strength.
When the ninja held back, Tengen could keep up. But at full force, Tengen was forced into a defensive struggle.
Still, he refrained from using the Sharingan. Its existence had to stay secret, his current strength was too low to risk exposure.
If he were stronger, it might be different.
For now, he could handle the Suna-nin's taijutsu. To take down all three, two average chunin and one peak chunin, a strategy was required.
This wasn't a trivial lineup.
A jounin could end this fight swiftly. The gap between jounin and chunin was even wider than between chunin and genin.
Jounin were the backbone of the ninja world, its mainstay forces.
Bam!
Tengen was knocked back again. As the Suna-nin pressed forward, Tengen formed hand signs, his mouth opening slightly.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A scorching fireball erupted from his mouth, its intense heat warping the surrounding grass. The massive blaze, several meters wide, engulfed the Suna-nin.
Tengen didn't celebrate. If this ninja were that easy to defeat, he wouldn't have shown such strength earlier.
A chilling voice confirmed his suspicion, coming from behind.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A ferocious gust, sharp as blades, surged toward Tengen, enveloping him.
His body was shredded into fragments.
But no blood spilled, only chunks of wood.
"Body Replacement Jutsu." The Suna-nin muttered, his expression darkening. This kid's reactions were sharp; a split-second slower, and that fireball would've killed him.
"Sir, did he escape?" The two other Suna-nins asked, approaching.
"He's still here, nearby." The lead ninja said slowly. He wasn't a sensory type, but he'd have sensed if Tengen had fled.
Clearly, Tengen had hidden after the Body Replacement Jutsu.
"Hmph." The Suna-nin took a deep breath, trying to pinpoint the Konoha brat. A fight this intense could attract nearby Konoha-nins, which would be trouble.
They'd chosen this spot carefully, but there was no guaranteeing a Konoha team wouldn't pass by, perhaps returning from a mission and noticing the commotion.
If caught, escape would be impossible.
He was right, Tengen hadn't fled. He was perched on a nearby tree, certain the ninja wasn't a sensory type, buying him some time before detection.
"Use the Sharingan?" Tengen considered. The two-tomoe Sharingan would boost his strength, but not dramatically, and it risked letting the other two ninjas escape. If it were just the leader, he wouldn't hesitate.
But with three, his focus was on the strongest. If the subordinates saw their leader fall and flee, Tengen might kill one, but the other could easily get away.
Then the Sharingan secret would be out.
The Suna-nins didn't know his identity, but it was best to avoid any leaks.
"Let's check this standard video first." Tengen decided, hoping the newly received fragment could help.
"Hm, One Piece?" His expression shifted. One Piece had a vast world with supernatural powers like Devil Fruits. It likely held plenty of good rewards.
But a standard video wasn't a guarantee of quality, unlike ultra-clear or Blu-ray signals, which almost always delivered.
"Extract it." Tengen said. A ready boost would be ideal, but if not, he'd make do.
[Ding! Congratulations Host for obtaining Armament Haki.]
The mechanical voice announced, sparking a grin. This was perfect timing.
Armament Haki could turn the tide in this fight.
Meanwhile, the searching Suna-nin smirked coldly.
Even without sensory skills, he'd found the kid.
"Die, brat!" His hands formed familiar signs.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A whirlwind of chakra-infused wind blades enveloped the tree Tengen hid in.
Crack!
The tree was shredded, its fragments scattering as the ground churned.
"Impressive." The Suna-nin turned to where Tengen stood, kunai in hand, having dodged just in time.
"But how long can you keep this up?" The ninja charged, only for Tengen to hurl several kunai, fanning out to cover his approach.
Swish!
The Suna-nin's face tightened at the near-perfect throws. "Damn good kunai technique."
Clang!
He deflected them, advancing, but froze as Tengen vanished in a puff of smoke.
A scream rang out from his subordinate. Tengen had appeared before one, his kunai slicing through the ninja's throat.
The subordinate collapsed, dead.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu." The lead ninja growled, his face icy. "You're dead."
***
Every 5 reviews and 200 power stones, a bonus chapter will be dropped.
(5,10,15, 200, 400, 600, and so on then two bonus chapters will be dropped, 1 for 5 reviews and 1 for 200 power stones, so that's 2 bonus chapters!)
And if you want to read more than 50 chapters early, feel free to visit pat re on. com / Xelenea (remove space).