Chapter 7: Is This the Will of Stone

A tense silence sets in, as I try to remain as ghostly quiet as I can.

Hey maybe if I stay still and hold my breath, they'll pass by me thinking it was all a part of their imagination.

*Ssslash*

Then I felt it

A shallow cut graces the side of my eye, with a small trickle of blood falling to stain my Kimono.

Then I scream, no I think the better word is I wail. Like only a small child could do. Like peter Griffen when he stubs his toe. Okay I know this isn't the time for jokes, but damn-it I need something to distract me from the pain.

"Hehehe~"

I followed the sound of chuckling. There I could see the ninjas on top of the tree branches as I stepped out to the side of my hiding place.

A slightly older boy pats the shoulder of his companion. "Man, you're as lousy of a shot as ever Akatsuchi."

"Oh, shut up Kozuchi! You only hit two more targets on the kunai test than me, that's not much better.

On the top of the fatter boy's head, named Akatsuchi, wrapped up in the style of a bandana with the symbol of two boulders adorned on his head.

The fuckers are ignoring me like I don't exist, like throwing a kunai at a child is an everyday occurrence.

"Will you guys hurry up? My feet are killing me." 

Calm your tits, Suzu we're still about 125 kilometers from the Barracks.

Growl ~ "But I'm hungry" 

"Well once we report back to Ishika-sensei on the success of our mission we'll be able to rest."

Yea, these fuckers are ignoring me like I'm some mob character. Like I'm some cow at the slaughterhouse. Treating me like they could kill me on a whim. Well at least they're distracted, I take a step to the right.

* Thump*

Before I could react, a Kunai was embedded in the tree to the right of me. Out of fear I stumble on my butt.

"Hey short stack who said you could leave." The boy said in a playful but deadly cold tone.

Even though he's just a kid I feel the heavy pressure he exudes. It's like my entire body is paralyzed and pushed down by an invisible force. Is this chakra, or maybe what they call killing intent. For the first time I got a good look at the Genin in front of me. He was a short boy with fair skin, black spiky hair with bangs and a giant widow's peak on his face, and dark blue eyes. Wearing a red shirt and gray vest with pants straight out of kingdom hearts. Honestly the fact he looks like Iwa's version of Boruto helps me calm down.

"Kozuchi! What do you think you're doing; he's just a kid." Coming from the squeaky voiced female of the group.

"Idiot, don't you remember what Ishika-sensei said? He assigned us a covert mission to find the swamp where the Demi-God Hanzo's salamander lives. With knowing its location, we could reduce the power of a Kage by half. Meaning we could beat Amegakure in one fell swoop when Lord Tsuchikage arrives. 

"Have you forgotten how many of our comrades we had to watch die so we didn't reveal our location." 

"They gave their lives for this information because they trusted us."

Kozuchi continues "Remember guys it was practically a .01% chance of succeeding on the mission. Practically a suicide mission for normal Chunin's let alone fresh out of the academy Genin who have mud in their ears."

He grips his fist with a face full of determination.

"But we did it!" 

He shouts "We can end this war! 

"Once we report this information back to the council, they could intimidate Hanzo into siding with Iwa. Securing our victory in this war against Konohagure. We'd be heroes!" 

Looking at his two teammates he says, "Heck, they'll promote us straight to Jonin if not Chunin."

Akatsuchi interrupts with stars in his eyes. "Yea we can make them pay up by handing over their territory, all their yummy food, and get some of their bloodline limits."

"Like bro did you see the size of those tits on that Hyūga broad back in Tonaka village, fucking Kami-sama." Making squeezing gestures with his hands.

"Exactly Akatsuchi and all we gotta do is kill one little kid, go home, and kill those damn tree huggers. Are you with me!" He shouts.

I'll follow you anywhere

-_-

Did this bastard just give a victory speech as if he's the protagonist? Like whom does he think he is, Hiruzen?

Looks like I'm not leaving here without putting up a fight. Thankfully I already organized Jaden's memories of this boy. So, I can emulate the motions he's memorized during training. As I begin to circulate my chakra the boy speaks again.

Kozuchi's eyes narrowed as he looked onto me. As he wasn't mistaken, he could feel a great amount of chakra in the kid's body.

Kid this world is cruel, it's better to die quickly than suffer. Now just sit still and die already.

But he could see it this kid's eye. They say that the eyes are the window to a person's soul. He'd already seen it a couple times before on this battlefield before. Of course he'd recognize this look. The timid, fearful, hesitant look that says I'm a virgin when it comes to killing.

But there's also something about them that worries him, right around the pupils he can see it.

Those Dilated trauma filled eyes that say I've seen my own personal hell before, and I had to push through it to survive. The reason he can remember these eyes so well. Is because they were the same for his first kill.

He instinctively grips the Kunai in his hand harder and is ready to reach for two more.

*Whoosh* ~ *Whoosh* ~ *Whoosh*

Three Kunai flew out.

One aimed in the middle of Jaden's forehead, one to the left of it, and one to the right. A straight line blocking his path to run away.

The attack was fast for a Genin but with all the training Jaden received from his mother he could easily detect it in time. "So why can't I move."

Fear

Move damn it ~ Move~ I HAVE TO MOVEE!

Jaden manages to dodge fast enough to the right but made a rookie mistake of hesitating and allowing his left shoulder to be punctured by the cold metal. But the rookie Genin wasn't done as he lunged at me. In an instant he was on my left side, landing a cross punch to my left temple.

Damnit that's the third attack that's landed on my left side.

I could feel the difference between academy students and Genin fully at that moment. As the attack sent me sliding across the mud. I plunge the kunai I kept hidden inside my kimono into the dirt to halt my movement and get back up. He dashes at me again for another punch, but I dodge this time.

I managed to slash this time at his abdomen, but it crumbled into mud the next second. Leaving a pool of mud on the floor. Revealing itself to be a clone replacement." Earth Release: Mud Doll" Kozuchi yells. 

Hmm so people really do call out the names to their attacks. That's stupid but gives me a hint to their attack and gives me time to think. With the same motion I threw the kunai I was holding at his face with him only being 5 meters away. I can tell by his that he's surprised as it was closer to hitting the mark than it looked. Kozuchi decides to rush at me, deciding to engage in Taijutsu.

He charges, kicking off on his right leg, sending all his momentum for a right-handed punch. This causes his punch to be unbalanced, and I take advantage of this. I block it but angle my body to where he's about to fall face first to the ground.

The boy's instincts kick in and Kozuzhi does a half body handstand and manages to send a kick to my nose. Luckily, I manage to shield myself by pulling both of my arms up to block. My arms begin to shake. We both get back up and engage in another round of cat and mouse Taijutsu.

It's clear that I'm much faster and somehow have a better reaction time. While the much older boy is stronger and has a longer reach.

Every so often I'd look at the boy's teammates to check their reaction. Akatsuchi, the chubby boy with a nose the size of a boulder is sitting down and has his arms crossed. Occasionally raising an eyebrow to show his genuine surprise, probably because a first-year academy student is keeping up with one of his teammates. While the green haired girl looks concerned? Is that for me? If you're so concerned, then how about calling off this mutt from attacking me.

Keeping up the onslaught I feel my body start to get into a comfortable rhythm. Block, spin my body around, then land a punch to the gut, evade a kick and get some distance. But I can't keep this up, even if they're treating this like a game. I can't afford to, there are still hostile enemies I must defeat. Luckily, I missed calculated my body being naturally aligned to Taijutsu. I guess I can thank my Kekkei Genkai for my high amount of Yang Release Chakra.

Still, I need to end this and preserve my Chakra.

I turn my body and step back. I yell out "String Light Formation"