Whoosh!
Shien's left hand suddenly flicked forward.
The Mist-nin charging at him saw the motion but didn't bother to dodge—it looked like a ameaningless gesture.
He didn't expect, but that a cloud of white mist would suddenly burst outward, engulfing him completely.
"Ahhh!"
The Mist-nin screamed, clutching at his eyes.
Before he could recover from the burning pain—
Pfft!
A kunai pierced through his throat.
Instant kill!
Such was the reality of battle between ninjas—often decided in a single heartbeat.
"Hmph! To die under my Flame Mist Technique—consider yourself fortunate."
Shien said coldly, his voice calm and steady.
But of course… that "Flame Mist Technique" was nothing of the sort.
It was lime powder.
Ever since he'd stumbled across lime back in the village, he'd realized just how potent it could be in combat—a true battlefield artifact.
Ninjas relied so heavily on chakra and flashy ninjutsu that they would never expect something so mundane.
Now, it had become one of Shien's signature tricks.
Calling it a "Flame Mist Technique" was just for show.
If the enemy assumed it was ninjutsu, they'd watch for hand seals and chakra flow… and never suspect that it was merely a handful of lime dust.
At least he wasn't using chili powder—that would've been too cruel.
In a world where ninjas had no sense of sportsmanship, he figured any method that worked was fair game.
Not far away, Taiyi, clearly irritated after seeing Shien finish his opponent, let out a croaking roar.
Guah!
Flames flared from his talons as he stomped the ground heavily.
Boom!
A fan-shaped eruption of fire burst from the ground before him, tearing up the earth and setting everything ablaze.
"Ahhh!"
Two Mist-nin, caught completely off guard, were incinerated instantly.
It had to be said—
As Taiyi's body grew larger, his strength increased geometrically.
If he'd been this size during the previous evaluation, Kakashi would've never survived that match.
Such was the terrifying advantage of a summoned beast—their growth defied logic.
Thud!
At that moment, Kakashi was sent flying backward by a vicious kick.
"Die, brat!"
The enraged Mist Chunin hurled a kunai at him, fury twisting his features.
A mere trio of freshly graduated Leaf genin had killed five of his subordinates—how could he possibly stomach that humiliation?
Lying on the ground, Kakashi stared blankly as the spinning kunai grew larger in his vision.
Maybe this isn't such a bad way to go, he thought faintly.
The darkness closing in felt… peaceful.
Ever since taking on Danzo's secret order to assassinate Shien, he'd been walking the edge of self-destruction.
He closed his eyes, waiting for the end.
But several seconds passed—no pain.
When he opened his eyes again, a dark-golden wing filled his vision like a curtain.
Taiyi had shielded him.
What a shame I don't have a camera, Shien thought with a smirk as he walked up. I could blackmail Kakashi with this photo for life.
"Now's not the time for a nap, Kakashi!" he teased.
"Hmph."
Kakashi snorted coldly and pushed himself to his feet.
It was clear—he was the strongest individual in Team Three, but the team's actual combat power lay with Taiyi.
Yes, it sounded like cheating.
But considering that Naruto in the future started his career with Gamabunta backing him—straight up brawling with Shukaku—it wasn't that exaggerated.
Whoosh!
Kakashi lunged forward again, darting out from Taiyi's flank.
Despite being the youngest, his combat instincts were razor-sharp. If Shien didn't rely on Taiyi's help, he'd be completely outmatched.
Taiyi stayed put, guarding Shien's front.
As a summoning-type beast, he wasn't suited for close-quarters combat. And if he used ninjutsu recklessly, Kakashi could get caught in the blast.
So his role was clear—protect Shien while he cast.
With Kakashi engaging the enemy and Taiyi defending him, Shien could focus on doing what he did best: firepower.
The artillery route—that was his path.
Close combat? No thanks. That was suicide.
That was the realm of Kakashi, Namikaze Minato, and other main-character types.
For everyone else, charging in meant dying on schedule.
He'd pass.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Shien's fingers blurred through seals.
A wheel-sized fireball burst from his mouth, streaking toward the Mist Chunin whom Kakashi had just driven back with his short blade.
Boom!
The explosion and flames swallowed the enemy whole.
But before Shien could exhale in relief—
A dark figure flashed behind him, kunai stabbing straight for his back.
"Got you!"
It was the Mist Chunin—alive!
He'd used the Substitution Jutsu to evade the Flame Bullet.
Basic or not, with preparation it was perfect for dodging that kind of attack.
Unfortunately for him—
Puff!
The kunai pierced into smoke and a chunk of wood fell to the ground.
Shien had used Substitution Jutsu as well.
"Damn it!" the Mist Chunin cursed, realizing too late.
Before he could retreat—
Pfft!
A kunai drove clean through his heart from behind.
Kakashi again.
He didn't hesitate, twisting the blade immediately to shred the heart—leaving no chance for a dying counterattack.
Cold. Efficient. Wolfish.
Inexperience got ninjas killed—hesitation even more so.
"That was close," Shien muttered as he emerged from the side, brushing off dust.
Thankfully, he'd caught up on his Three Basic Jutsu recently, and it was already paying off.
Kakashi shot him a frosty glare but said nothing.
So cautious. So afraid of death.
The killing blow that should've been Shien's had, once again, fallen to him.
Not that Shien cared—if he'd known what Kakashi was thinking, he would've shrugged and said:
What, risk my life for ten thousand ryō? Not a chance!
After the mission fees were divided—village cut, Jonin cut—the three of them would be left with just over ten thousand each.
Barely enough for a fancy dinner.
No way was he dying for pocket change.
"Alright," Shien said, breaking the silence.
"Let's regroup with Koji."
Kakashi didn't respond, but followed.
The danger wasn't over yet.
Namikaze Minato hadn't returned—meaning he was still engaged elsewhere.
But Shien wasn't too worried.
This was Namikaze Minato, after all—the genius at the pinnacle of Hokage-tier combat power.
Unless it was "plot armor" itself, nothing could kill him.
If anything, he felt sorry for the enemy.
Just as they stepped out of the cave—
Whoosh!
A streak of golden light flashed past, and their sensei appeared before them.
Seeing both students safe and sound, Minato's expression softened with relief.
"Looks like you've handled your part," he said with a smile.
"Good work."
He'd only just finished his own battle.
"Minato-sensei!"
Yamanaka Koji emerged from the shadows soon after. Most of the bandits had already been wiped out by Taiyi earlier; the rest hadn't escaped Koji's pursuit.
With that, the mission was complete.
Now came the post-operation cleanup.
But Shien couldn't help wondering—
How would Namikaze Minato handle this…?
Because the deeper they looked, the murkier the water became.
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