"It really is Uncle Sōma. Can you help him?" Kushina looked at Kenji with a pleading face.
"Are you close with him?"
"Uncle Sōma is my neighbor. He treats me very well. He... is my only friend."
Kenji looked toward the battlefield and shook his head. "No. Protecting myself is already a problem right now. I don't have the ability to invite trouble."
"You can do it. Uncle Sōma is only slightly at a disadvantage. You are so powerful; if you join, it will be enough to turn the tide."
Kenji said speechlessly, "Do you think I'm a robot? I consumed more than half of my stamina killing those two Genin earlier. After that, I ran around with you without a moment's rest. I only have enough strength left to stand. I can't fight at all."
It wasn't that Kenji was cold-hearted, but his current condition was truly poor.
His mission was to protect Kushina. As for other matters, he wanted to avoid as many complications as possible.
Although Sōma was also a member of the Uzumaki Clan, he had no relation to Kenji.
"Let's go. We need to leave here immediately."
"No! If you won't save him, I will." Kushina broke free from Kenji's hand and tried to rush forward.
However, standing on the high roof, Kushina didn't have the ability to jump down safely. She froze, stunned.
"You can't even jump off the roof, yet you want to save someone?" Kenji rolled his eyes.
"Brother Kenji, please save Uncle Sōma. I know you can do it." Kushina changed her attitude completely, actually acting coquettishly toward Kenji, even calling him "Brother."
Kenji got goosebumps all over. Kushina's sugary voice really made him uncomfortable.
"Alright, alright, I can't stand you. Just stay here obediently. When I'm saving him, I won't have time to protect you."
"Mm-hmm! Brother Kenji, that's great!" Kushina gazed at Kenji gratefully, her eyes revealing a strange light. Her impression of Kenji seemed to have changed significantly.
Kenji leaped down. Sode no Shirayuki appeared in his hand again. Around him, countless ice flowers condensed, appearing as if they could freeze space itself.
"So beautiful!"
Kushina watched in a daze. Kenji, holding Sode no Shirayuki and leaping through the air, looked simply like a prince from a dream—messily handsome.
"First Dance, Tsukishiro!" (White Moon)
With a sudden shout, a massive pillar of ice rose from the ground out of thin air in the middle of the field, instantly freezing one of the ninja.
Crack.
The ice pillar shattered, and that ninja was instantly reduced to nothing, not even bones remaining.
Uzumaki Sōma, who had been besieged by four people and retreating in defeat, was originally near despair.
However, Kenji's sudden appearance and instant killing of one enemy immediately turned the tide.
"Many thanks!" Uzumaki Sōma was grateful.
Kenji nodded and said, "Let's deal with the enemies first!"
"Right!"
Uzumaki Sōma and Kenji joined forces to deal with the remaining three Genin.
Although both Uzumaki Sōma and Kenji were somewhat exhausted, the three opponents appeared even more timid, having completely lost the courage to fight.
However, just as victory was in sight, a sudden change occurred.
A black shadow darted out from the side with a speed that made it impossible to react.
Bang!
With a powerful side kick, Uzumaki Sōma took a hit to the chest. As if struck by lightning, he was blasted away.
Pfft!
Spewing a large mouthful of blood, Uzumaki Sōma instantly lost consciousness and lay on the ground motionless.
"Elite Chunin!"
Even Kenji couldn't help but feel his eyelids twitch at this moment.
This strength was definitely that of an Elite Chunin. He was countless times more powerful than the two Sand ninja who had infiltrated the Hidden Leaf to steal the scroll last time.
A ninja of this level was lurking in the dark?
"I thought I wouldn't need to act, but I didn't expect to hook a small fish!"
The Elite Chunin looked down at Kenji from a high vantage point, his eyes filled with contempt. "Kid, you would have been fine, but you sought your own death!"
Kenji cursed his bad luck silently.
The reason he helped Uzumaki Sōma was naturally because he was confident he could deal with four Genin.
Otherwise, no matter how much Kushina begged, he wouldn't have risked his life.
He just hadn't expected that, in addition to the four Genin, there was an Elite Chunin hiding in the dark.
"What a miscalculation!"
Kenji gripped Sode no Shirayuki tightly, forcing himself to calm down.
In this situation, the slightest carelessness would likely lead to eternal damnation.
"Still resisting?" The Elite Chunin sneered and waved his hand. "Kill him!"
With their leader anchoring the formation, the confidence of the three Genin multiplied. Holding kunai, they surrounded him together.
Although Kenji could still fight one or two of them, because he had to keep an eye on the predatory Elite Chunin, he couldn't concentrate. This caused his already low stamina to drain rapidly, reaching its limit.
At the moment he hit his limit, the Elite Chunin saw the opportunity and attacked boldly.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Dance Jutsu!"
A massive ball of flame, dancing in the air like a phoenix, charged toward Kenji.
"Sode no Shirayuki!"
Kenji tried his best to resist with Sode no Shirayuki.
Bang!
Although the ice power of Sode no Shirayuki canceled out the fire dance, Kenji was still blasted away by the massive impact force.
"Your sword seems to possess some kind of mysterious power, but this ends here."
Amidst his sneer, the Elite Chunin casually threw a kunai to shoot Kenji dead.
"Brother Kenji, no..."
Hiding on the roof, Kushina could no longer hold back and shouted hysterically.
At this moment, she was filled with extreme regret.
If it weren't for her, how could Kenji have fallen into such a desperate situation?
"Hmm?" The Elite Chunin turned his head to look in Kushina's direction, and the corner of his mouth suddenly hooked up. "So there was another member of the Uzumaki Clan."
Leaping up, the Elite Chunin suddenly rushed toward Kushina, his eyes carrying unconcealed killing intent.
However, at that moment, a wicked black shadow appeared out of thin air, blocking his path.
"..."
The Elite Chunin's pupils contracted, revealing a look of disbelief.
Although he had noticed Kushina, he hadn't paid much attention to Kenji's body.
But he was exhausted; he shouldn't have been able to dodge that kunai. Why did he appear here?
Also, why had his stamina recovered, and why was his speed faster than before?
Even more terrifying was that smile—it gave him a hair-raising feeling.
"Is it hard to understand?"
Kenji gave a wicked smile. His entire person emitted an aura completely different from before, faintly exuding a trace of evil nature.
"I should actually thank you for pushing me to my limit. The Hōgyoku understood my will and helped me break through the limit."
"...You broke through to Chunin?" The Elite Chunin widened his eyes in horror.
He had never seen anyone break through when on the verge of a desperate situation. Was this kid a monster?
"This time, it is truly over."
Kenji held Sode no Shirayuki. Ice power, several times stronger than before, condensed around him and blasted out with a boom.
"Next Dance, Hakuren!" (White Ripple)