Inn, Sed Floor, Hallway
The Land of Fire mert walked toward his room, a scowl on his face. His attendants and samurai led the way and surrounded him from behind, keeping him and Nara Ensui protected in the ter.
In the chaotid of Rivers, it wouldn’t be surprising if someoried to assassinate a wealthy mert.
“Boss, I guess we’ve officially pleted a B-rank mission!” Iris seemed much more rexed now that the au had ended. He followed alongside Link with a cheerful smile.
Ami also couldn’t help but smile. A B-rank mission! It had been just over six months since she graduated, and now she had participated in and pleted a B-rank mission.
Her first majoal in life—to gain experience, bee a i year, and transition to being a mediin—was now solidly underway.
She felt as though she had taken a crucial first step.
“Stay vigint,” Link said sternly, p cold water on their enthusiasm. His expression was serious, with no hint of joking.
Why stay on guard? Even Ensui-sensei said the fighting was over... Iris wondered, but before he could finish the thought, his body was yanked backward. He watched in shock as fire burst forth from the hallway ahead, and a powerful explosion tore through the walls.
"Boom!"
The deafening noise left his ears ringing. Smoke filled the air, and broken, mangled corpses tumbled to the floor beside him.
“Explosive tags…”
Link released his grip on his two teammates and quickly formed seals, releasing—
Shadow e Teique + Transformation Teique.
Rec from the shock, Iris scrambled to his feet, drew a kunai, aered a bat stance, his face teh nerves.
Ami stood back-to-back with Link, staring down the hallway where several Amegakure shinobi were approag. “Boss, we’re surrouhey’re from Amegakure.”
“So, Konoha brats, your luck has run out.”
The scarred man who had taunted Link on the rainy night stepped out of the smoke. His tone was full of disdain.
[Ensui-sensei should be fine. I saw him flicker the Land of Fire mert out of danger. He’s likely being held up elsewhere. Fag strong enemies while proteg a civilian is always tricky...]
Link quickly analyzed the situation, tightening his grip on his kunai. “Finish this quickly. Then we’ll assist Ensui-sensei.”
They not only o survive but also had to plete their mission.
“Tch, brat, don’t—” The scarred man’s words were cut short as he heard a noise below him. His expression darkened, and he narrowly twisted his body with chakra to dodge. Only then did he see a pitch-bck figure rise from the floor, its hand reag toward a rather… sensitive area.
Too underhanded!
"Shing!" Several shurikehrough the air toward him.
Oher side, Ami, who had been specially trained, unleashed a rge fireball, f the Amegakure shinobi in the rear to retreat. She and Iris then charged forward, engaging the attackers in close bat.
"Whoosh!"
Link followed closely behind his shuriken, kunai in hand, aiming directly for the scarred man.
The man raised his forearm, defleg the shuriken with his armguard before pulling out a kunai for close-quarters bat.
"g!"
As their kunai cshed, the scarred ma fident. The Konoha brat might be arrogant, but his strength barely exceeded that of an average Genin. He was no matbsp;
Suddenly, Link’s free arm transformed mid-motion into a long bde that pierced the man’s nebsp;
"Spsh!"
But instead of blood, the body dissolved into a puddle of water.
[A water e.]
Link realized, just as a powerful kick struck his back, sending him flying into the rubble. Dust billowed around him as he hit the ground.
The scarred man stood fidently, smirking as he g the shadow on the ground. “Surrender, brat.”
[Surrender…?]
Link had been expeg tinuous attacks and repared to use shadow es to mislead the enemy before terattag. His shadow was already positioned on the ground, but instead, he was met with this strange proposal.
Would the Akatsuki even accept surrenders? He hesitated briefly, but his body moved instinctively.
Turning to face his enemy, Link adopted a bat stahe scarred man sneered.
The teique that transformed his arm into a bde might have been unusual, but their earlier csh proved that the brat was just a slightly strohan-average Genin. As long as he avoided straricks, victory was assured.
However, what happened stunned him—
The shadow stood up, and Link casually detached his legs, throwing them to the shadow. The shadow grabbed the legs, transf them into two gleaming longswords and positioning itself in the hallway.
Meanwhile, the real Link sat calmly in the rubble, f hand seals.
[What am I looking at…?]
The scarred man’s face twisted into a mix of disbelief and disfort. No matter how hardened a shinobi was, such a bizarre se could still shake their nerves.
Despite his unease, he acted decisively. He knew enough about Link’s teiques to uand that letting him plete his jutsu would lead to trouble. He unched an attabsp;
[The first stand—]
Before the scarred man could close the distance, Link pleted his summoning.
"Lulululu~"
tless small, silver-white creatures emerged from Link’s body, their writhing forms emitting eerie, unintelligible he creatures resembled beans, with small holes suggesting eyes, mouths, and heir mouths revealed rows of tiny, jagged teeth as they emitted their strange calls.
[Stand: Metallica.]
[Lucky!]
Link had expected to summon a weaker stand and spend time clearing out the lesser enemies before joining the main fight. Instead, he hit the jackpot on his first try.
"g!"
The shadow’s twin swords created an imperable wall, defleg a barrage of shuriken and kunai aimed to disrupt Link’s focus. Just as the scarred man prepared to ehe shadow suddenly dissolved, returning to the ground.
“Giving up already?”
The scarred man smirked, his voice dripping with mockery as Link stepped forward.
But as he drew closer, the scarred man’s fidence shattered.
At such a she, Link’s Staallica maniputed the iron in the man’s body, f tless bdes that tore through his throat, chest, and abdomen from the i.
The bdes cttered to the floor as the man colpsed, his flesh and ans falling in ks.
His vision darkened. [How could this…?]
