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"Shin, carrying me is slowing you down. Put me down."
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Kushina, nestled in Shin''s arms, spoke up.
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"You weigh about as much as a rabbit. How am I slow?" Shin shot her a look.
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"Ugh, you jerk, comparing me to a rabbit!" Kushina lightly nipped his arm, then quieted down.
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"Hey, Shin, if they catch up, just ditch me and run. I''ll buy you some time. Just promise you''ll avenge me, okay?"
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Kushina''s voice was barely a whisper.
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"Don''t be ridiculous. You think those clowns can catch us?"
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Shin gave her another exasperated look.
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"We practically live in this forest. We know it way better than they do. Besides, Do you have any idea how fast i am? Don''t worry."
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Shin had copied the physique of the Taijutsu master, Uzumaki Hikaru. Combined with his already impressive physical abilities, he was more than a match for any Taijutsu specialist.
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He was outpacing his pursuers with ease. If only he knew the Body Flicker Jutsu, he could have vanished from their sight completely.
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Even now, he was leaving them in the dust.
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"Master, you have triggered a new mission: Eliminate the pursuing squad. Reward: One Advanced Replication Card. Accept?"
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"An Advanced Replication Card, huh?"
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Shin weighed his options. "System, what are their strengths?"
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He had taken out one of them with a single punch, but he didn''t know their actual skill levels.
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"The leader is a Jōnin. The remaining three are elite Chunin."
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Shin hadn''t expected the System to answer, but it did.
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Knowing their strengths, Shin accepted the mission without hesitation. If they had an elite Jōnin, he might have reconsidered.
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But a regular Jōnin? He could handle that.
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Shin stopped running.
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"Why are we stopping? Are you tired? I told you to put me down!"
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Kushina looked at him, panic rising in her voice.
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"Kushina, we don''t need to run anymore. I''m going to take them out."
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"Are you crazy, Shin?! They''re real ninjas! We don''t stand a chance!"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
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Kushina knew Shin was strong, but against actual ninjas? She didn''t have much faith.
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"Kushina, remember when I took out that guy back there?"
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Kushina was speechless. He had indeed killed one, but that was a surprise attack.
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"Kushina, you hide. Watch and learn. I''ll show you what I''m truly capable of."
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Shin punched a nearby tree. With a loud crack, the tree snapped in two.
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Kushina shook her head. "I''m staying with you."
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"Kushina, listen. I need you to hide and wait for an opportunity to ambush them. If I start losing, your surprise attack will give us a chance to escape."
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Persuaded by Shin''s reasoning, Kushina agreed. She found a hiding spot, clutching her Kunai and Shuriken, ready to strike.
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Shin glanced back. Ninjas were excellent trackers. They would find him soon, following the trail he''d left.
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An idea sparked in his mind. He leaned against a large tree, panting dramatically, feigning exhaustion.
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If he could lure them into a trap, he would.
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Less than a minute later, the ninjas arrived. With one down, there were four left.
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"Finally found the brat. Didn''t expect him to be so fast," one of the Chunin remarked.
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They were exhausted from the chase.
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"Captain, where''s the girl?"
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The Jonin leader scanned the area. Kushina had concealed herself well. In the darkness, the Jonin couldn''t find her.
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"She must have run off. Let''s deal with this kid first."
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The Jonin drew his sword, approaching Shin slowly. Shin had killed one of his men right in front of him; he would avenge this humiliation personally.
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Shin watched the Jonin approach, a glint in his eyes. He''d hoped to ambush a Chunin, but having the Jonin come to him was even better.
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"Little brat, out of steam, are you? Time to die."
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The Jonin grinned cruelly, his expression hidden behind his mask.
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As the Jonin lunged with his sword, Shin activated his [Sharingan] and sprang into action.
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He nimbly dodged the sword thrust and delivered a swift kick to the Jonin''s groin.
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With Shin''s speed and the close proximity, even an elite Jonin wouldn''t have been able to dodge.
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The Jonin had been careless. Even though Shin had killed one of his men, he was still just a child. The Jonin had underestimated him.
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The result was inevitable. With a sickening crack, the Jonin crumpled to the ground, a scream tearing from his throat.
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A shattered groin would bring even a Kage-level ninja to their knees. The Jonin was effectively out of the fight.
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Shinobi had a high pain tolerance, but this kind of pain was unbearable for any man.
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"You''ve gotta be the most pathetic Jonin to ever die," Shin remarked.
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He formed a [Rasengan] between his hands. He couldn''t create it with one hand yet, so he had to use both.
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He pressed the [Rasengan] into the incapacitated Jonin''s chest, the swirling sphere of Chakra tearing through his heart.
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"Took out a Jonin just like that? He was weaker than I thought." Shin blinked.
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It wasn''t that the Jonin was weak. Jonin were the backbone of any Hidden Village. In smaller villages, they were the peak of fighting power.
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But this Jonin hadn''t even had a chance to use his full strength. He''d been taken out before he could even react.
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This served as a reminder to Shin. In this dangerous world, he could never let his guard down.
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Otherwise, he might end up like this Jonin.
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He thought of Madara Uchiha, betrayed and used as a sacrifice for Kaguya ōtsutsuki''s revival.
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"Your boss is dead. Care to join him?"
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Shin''s eyes hardened as he glared at the remaining three Chunin.
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With the Jonin out of the way, dealing with these three would be a piece of cake.
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The Chunin were still in shock. They couldn''t believe their captain had been killed by a five-year-old.
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It was so absurd that they couldn''t process it.
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"You killed our captain with dirty tricks! We''ll avenge him!" one of the Chunin shouted, rage fueling his voice.