In a forest of the Land of Birds.
Tian Yuan intercepted one of the Rock Ninja who had broken away to chase Anko and Juken. Here, he intended to kill them. He would not let these three leave—neither for Anko's sake nor his own.
"I didn't expect you to have Chunin-level strength," one Rock Ninja snarled, baring his teeth. "Had you abandoned your two companions and fled alone, you might have survived. Yet you stayed behind to face us—you have my respect… and my pity for your foolishness."
"Is that so? I stayed for more than just my friends." Tian Yuan drew a kunai from his belt.
"What is that?" the Rock Ninja hesitated.
"To kill all three of you." With that, Tian Yuan vanished from sight.
"Not good." The Rock Ninja and his two comrades drew their own kunai.
"Bang." One Rock Ninja's kunai clashed against Tian Yuan's—but to his shock, he could not match the boy's taijutsu.
"How is this possible?"
"Nothing's impossible." Tian Yuan's kunai struck his foe's blade aside, then in a single sweeping motion severed the ninja's head. The fallen Rock Ninja's body collapsed into a mound of dirt.
"Earth Release: Mud Clone."
Impressed, the nearby Rock Ninja whimpered, "Incredible—your taijutsu is top among Chunin."
"But ninjutsu isn't only about taijutsu." The Rock Ninja formed hand seals, and his two allies circled in, sealing Tian Yuan's escape.
"Earth Release: Mud Dragon Bomb."
A dragon-shaped lump of earth formed before them, opening its maw to launch countless mud spheres at Tian Yuan. The spheres exploded outward like arrows, encasing him.
"More ninjutsu?" Tian Yuan's eyes glinted. He charged straight at the Rock Ninja he had first dispatched.
"You think brute force can counter ninjutsu?" the Rock Ninja snarled. "Die!"
"Why not?" Tian Yuan's pace quickened as he plunged into the barrage.
"Armament Haki."
A black aura of Haki coated his arms. Empowered by his Chunin state, Tian Yuan's taijutsu and Haki had grown formidable.
"Boom, boom." The mud spheres engulfed him in an ochre cloud—the Rock Ninja smirked, certain the boy was dead.
"Not so fast." From the dust, Tian Yuan emerged behind the Rock Ninja. His speed left the ninja startled.
"You dodged, but it won't help." The Rock Ninja sneered—if he blocked this strike, his allies would arrive to save him. He had learned that in one-on-one combat, he outmatched Tian Yuan.
"But slaying a genius is always delightful." He lunged with his kunai.
"Armament Haki: Hardening." Unseen, Tian Yuan's arm blackened as he prepared his own attack.
"Chirr." The kunai crackled with sharp intent.
"Bang." Tian Yuan's blade struck down the Rock Ninja's, then his blow sliced through the man's skull. Blood sprayed as the veteran ninja's body twitched before crumpling. This time, the kill was real.
"How impossible." The remaining two Rock Ninja stared in horror—the fall of their comrade by such a brutal beheading was inconceivable.
"You die," they snarled, rushing Tian Yuan together.
"Earth Release: Cracking Palm." One Rock Ninja struck the ground with both hands, and the earth beneath Tian Yuan split in great fissures. He leapt upward to avoid them.
"Been waiting for you." The other Rock Ninja smirked, having finished his ninjutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth Piercing Needles."
Countless ochre spears sprouted from the ground like a thousand needles, each gleaming with deadly sharpness. Tian Yuan could not dodge them all.
"Chir, chir." The needles hurled toward him in a lethal storm.
Tian Yuan's pupils narrowed. He formed seals at lightning speed, hands at his mouth—summoning a familiar technique.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu."
An immense fireball erupted, consuming the needles in searing heat and reducing them to ash.
"Amazing speed." One Rock Ninja's eyes widened—Tian Yuan's ninjutsu was so fast that his needles had been obliterated before they could strike.
"It's pointless." The other Rock Ninja unleashed his next jutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spear."
As Tian Yuan landed, a colossal earth spear rose like a trebuchet bolt and shot toward him.
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