When the smoke cleared after six seconds, the Sand shinobi caught inside were already corpses.
"The enemy's a Konoha jōnin — stay alert!"
The surviving Rock and Sand ninjas were taken aback. Lock had appeared from nowhere, killed two instantly, and within moments, several more were down. Their formation broke into confusion.
The Konoha squad that had been surrounded shouted in relief.
"Reinforcements! Konoha's here — let's fight back!"
They had started with over forty people, but after being intercepted, only a dozen remained. If Lock hadn't arrived, they'd have been wiped out already. His sudden strike turned despair into hope.
The Iwa–Suna coalition fell into chaos, and Konoha's morale surged.
Among the enemy were four jōnin — two from Iwagakure, two from Sunagakure. The two Sand shinobi glanced at each other, then barked to their Rock counterparts:
"Hold off the others. We'll take care of that Konoha jōnin."
Lock readied himself, but before he could move, a violent gust of wind rushed toward him. He leapt aside, eyes narrowing.
"Two Sand jōnin?"
Their chakra was dense and refined — far above the ordinary. While Lock took stock of the situation, he saw the Konoha squad holding their own against. Satisfied, he focused fully on the pair before him.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The two Sand shinobi attacked in unison, combining Wind Style and Fire Style — a joint technique that ignited into a roaring wall of flame.
Lock's hands blurred through seals. His water dragon surged forward, crashing headlong into the firestorm. Steam exploded across the forest. Though his timing was perfect, their combined power was immense, forcing him to dodge as the remaining flames tore through the ground.
He shot forward through the haze. Lock's strength lay in close combat — he had to close the distance.
The two Sand jōnin didn't back down. Confident in their numbers, they charged to meet him.
The instant they clashed, Lock dropped another smoke bomb and moved. His blade gleamed — a feint to his left, then a slash. One of the Sand ninjas faltered, his movements slowing as Lock's blade technique disrupted his chakra flow.
Lock spun behind him, hands forming seals mid-motion.
"Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!"
The blow struck the Sand ninja squarely on the skull. The impact cracked like thunder, and the man collapsed instantly.
"Shin! You okay?!" the other cried, grabbing his comrade — only to find blood pouring from his mouth and ears. The hit had crushed his head from behind; he was gone before he hit the ground.
"Damn you!"
In a flash of rage, the surviving Sand ninja lashed out, twisting his body and driving a kick at Lock's head.
Lock raised his arm — the kick slammed into his forearm, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Bark splintered around him.
But before the Sand ninja could move again, his fallen comrade stirred weakly, eyes widening. "Get… back!" he rasped — and shoved his partner away.
A boulder crashed down from above, crushing him where he lay.
The surviving Sand ninja froze, his face contorting in anguish.
"Shin!"
He trembled with fury, chakra flaring wildly.
"I'll kill you!"
Lock straightened, dust and smoke swirling around him. His expression was calm.
"Losing your composure in battle… that's the difference between a shinobi and a fool."
He flickered forward. The air rippled — and in that heartbeat, his kunai pierced the Sand ninja's chest.
"—?!"
The body dissolved into smoke. A shadow clone.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter Formation!"
From behind, a gale erupted — countless blades of wind slicing through the air, tearing up the forest floor. Sand and debris whirled violently, swallowing Lock's position.
The enemy smirked, certain of victory—
—but Lock's presence vanished from the storm.
He reappeared behind the Sand ninja. The kunai gleamed once more, silent and merciless.
Shhhk—
A spray of crimson cut through the wind. The Sand ninja's eyes went wide before he collapsed, lifeless.
Two Sand jōnin down — and Lock hadn't even broken rhythm. His calm precision made the difference.
The nearby Rock and Sand troops froze in disbelief.
Their two commanding officers — both jōnin — had been slaughtered in moments.
The Rock ninjas exchanged shocked glances. They knew the strength of their Sand allies; those two weren't weak.
Could it be… a Kage-level from Konoha? One of the Sannin?
The thought alone sent a chill through them.
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