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Rain poured down from the darkened sky, mingling with the metallic scent of blood. The forest echoed with the clash of ninjutsu and the cries of battle. Shadows darted between the trees as shouts tore through the storm, each one swallowed by the roar of wind and rain.
Two enemy ninjas lunged at once. Before the taller Sand ninja could even complete a hand sign, his body was slammed sideways, crashing against a thick tree trunk and rolling to the mud below. He struggled to rise, but a volley of kunai whistled toward him like falling rain.
An Earth Release wall rose just in time, saving him — for the moment. The kunai struck the barrier in a relentless clatter. But before the Sand ninja could breathe relief, a blur of motion burst through the downpour.
Hayashi had already closed the distance with a Body Flicker Technique.
The Sand ninja stumbled backward, retreating again and again — until his back met a tree. Hayashi's fist struck his throat in one sharp motion, silencing him instantly. The forest seemed to tremble with the impact, leaves scattering through the rain.
The efficiency of the kill sent ripples of fear through the surrounding Sand ninjas. They cursed under their breath, voices trembling with rage and dread. Seven of their Jōnin had already fallen — all to the same Uchiha.
Hayashi exhaled slowly. It was a small mercy that the elite Jōnin were still locked in combat at the main front. Those stationed here on the outskirts were only standard Jōnin, and against him, they were prey.
Two more appeared through the mist.
His own unit had already lost several comrades — seven Jōnin, many Chūnin, and Genin among them — but the battle wasn't over. Hayashi needed to lead whoever remained and pierce through the Sand's defense line.
There was no time to plan further. The next attack had already begun.
A new puppet emerged from the shadows — not the humanoid kind commonly used by Sand's puppet corps, but something beast-like. Sleek and agile, its limbs were lined with hidden blades. Hayashi hadn't encountered this design before. From its chakra flow, he could tell it prioritized speed and raw offense.
No matter. Puppets shattered easily under brute force.
The Super Strength Fist was a puppeteer's nightmare. Tsunade had proven that long ago, and Hayashi had mastered that lesson well.
Charging through the rain, Hayashi ignored the puppet's approach and sprinted toward its controller. Calling for backup would only slow him down. Judging by the number of chakra threads, the beast puppet demanded complex control — good. That meant its master couldn't focus on anything else.
The second Sand ninja, meanwhile, drew a kunai instead of a puppet scroll — a taijutsu type. Hayashi's eyes narrowed in relief. Two puppet masters would've been troublesome.
The moment the beast puppet lunged, Hayashi met it head-on. His fist collided with the puppet's chest, the Super Strength shattering it into splinters. Before the debris hit the ground, he was already trading blows with the kunai-wielding ninja.
Their blades clashed three times in an instant, sparks flying between them. Hayashi followed with a sweeping kick aimed at the man's ribs. His opponent smirked, easily parrying the move — a mistake.
With a soft snap of his fingers, Hayashi cast a genjutsu.
The Sand ninja froze mid-motion, eyes clouding over. His body still carried through with the counterattack, but slowed, dulled by confusion. Hayashi slipped past him with a smooth backflip, his kunai finding the man's skull on the descent.
"Eighth…" Hayashi murmured.
Before the body hit the ground, a spike of earth shot toward him. The surviving puppeteer had sacrificed his comrade, launching an Earth Release spear while Hayashi was airborne.
Chakra surged. Lightning gathered in Hayashi's hand.
[Chidori!]
The two attacks collided. The earth spear shattered in an explosion of mud and sparks. Hayashi didn't pause — he dashed forward, his speed exploding like lightning through the rain.
In an instant, he was beside the puppeteer. The Chidori in his right hand hummed violently, cutting through the storm as it pierced the man's neck. The Sand ninja's body froze, his chakra threads snapping one by one.
"Ninth," Hayashi whispered quietly, almost kindly.
Blood sprayed across the ground as the Chidori flickered out.
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