Chapter 37: Strong Opponent

"Yes, we're still miles away from Konoha's base. Even if they send reinforcements, they won't come this far out. The most they'll do is patrol around the base within a ten-mile radius!"

The last tall and sturdy Yuyin Chunin nodded in agreement with the middle-aged Chunin's words.

"Besides, these ninjas from the great nations have no idea what it's like for us from a small country! These three brats are clearly the next generation of Konoha's talented ninjas. If we can eliminate them, it'll be a small payback for all the damage Konoha's caused in the Rain Country!"

The tall Yuyin Chunin couldn't help but recall Haruto's brilliant shuriken skills, endless ninjutsu, and his impressive swordsmanship from their previous encounter. His heart filled with envy.

Why do these ninjas from large nations get a stable environment to grow stronger, with so many powerful techniques to learn, while he had to scrape by in the chaos of the Rain Country, scavenging ninjutsu from wherever he could? Despite all his struggles, he was still only a Chunin at this age.

Why wasn't he born in a large nation, destined to be a ninja with a great future? With his abilities, if he were in a great nation, he might even become a Jonin by now.

"Hey! Look here!"

One of the Genin pointed to a leaf that had a faint drop of blood, washed away by the rain but still noticeable.

The middle-aged Rain Ninja came over, dipped his finger in the blood, and licked it.

"It's fresh. They're close. Let's move!"

---

In the dense forest, Hyuga Tetsumon's Byakugan flared, revealing all movements within his range.

"They're coming," he quietly warned the others.

Not far from Tetsumon, Haruto, his Sharingan activated, was ready. In front of him lay several rows of shuriken, neatly arranged on a piece of cloth he had torn from his clothing. These were most of the shuriken his team of six carried, and it was Haruto's job to initiate the battle.

Seeing the enemy enter his attack range, Haruto grabbed the edge of the cloth, tossing it upwards, causing the shuriken to rise into the air. With the Sharingan's heightened perception, the shuriken's trajectory was crystal clear.

"Uchiha Style: Shuriken Manipulation!"

Haruto's hands moved like a blur, guiding the shuriken with precision. The shuriken, released at different intervals but with perfect timing, rained down on the enemy all at once.

From the perspective of the Rain Ninjas, a long, twisting line of shuriken appeared out of nowhere, morphing into a cloud of deadly steel that fell toward them.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" the tall Rain Ninja and the previously injured one called out in unison, summoning a barrier of water to block the incoming projectiles. The middle-aged Rain Ninja guarded his three Genin teammates, ready to prevent any surprise attacks.

But the Genin weren't the primary targets of Haruto's team.

"Fang Over Fang!"

"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"

Inuzuka Rui and Hyuga Tetsumon darted forward, attacking the two Chunin who had just finished casting their water jutsu. Their mastery of close-quarters combat might not guarantee a quick victory, but it would definitely keep the Chunin occupied for a good amount of time.

Meanwhile, Haruto charged the middle-aged Rain Ninja, his blade in hand.

"Let's go help them!" one of the Yuyin Genin shouted, and the three of them prepared to assist. But before they could advance, a cloud of buzzing insects blocked their way, released by Furukawa.

"Don't panic! The insect girl isn't good at taijutsu, and she's injured. If we can get close, we have a chance!" one of the Genin shouted as they pressed forward.

"Ha! Don't underestimate us!"

Inuzuka Claw and Furukawa dashed out from the trees on either side, flanking the Rain Genin and forcing them to defend themselves.

"Damn! Weren't there supposed to be just three of them? And wasn't Konoha's backup too far to reach us?"

Fear gripped the Genin, but they had no choice but to engage in battle.

---

"Damn! This white-eyed brat's taijutsu is a real pain!" the tall Rain Ninja cursed, rubbing his shoulder where Hyuga Tetsumon's strike had landed. He spat on the ground in frustration.

Tetsumon remained poised, his left hand behind his back, his right extended forward, maintaining his stance for the Gentle Fist technique.

The Rain Ninja injured by Haruto earlier was locked in a defensive struggle with Inuzuka Rui. He knew his injury put him at a disadvantage, so he decided to focus on defense, waiting for the middle-aged Rain Ninja to defeat Haruto. Once that happened, they'd have the upper hand.

The middle-aged Rain Ninja, whom his team relied on, was indeed formidable—stronger than any Chunin Haruto had encountered before. The only opponent Haruto had faced who was stronger was Kato Dan, a Jonin.

"Uchiha Style: Flashing Cloud Mist!"

"Uchiha Style: Blazing Flame Sword!"

"Uchiha Style: Wind Gust Blade!"

One after another, Haruto unleashed a flurry of attacks, but each was parried by the middle-aged Rain Ninja, whose skill with his strange umbrella-sword weapon was formidable. The peculiar design of the weapon allowed it to be used in ways Haruto had never seen, keeping him on the defensive. If it weren't for his Sharingan's keen insight, Haruto might have already fallen to the hidden blades and senbon that the Rain Ninja's umbrella weapon launched with precision.

Even so, the Rain Ninja seized the upper hand, pushing Haruto back.

Dodging a few senbon, Haruto managed to block an incoming slash, ready to counterattack. But before he could make a move, the umbrella opened once again, revealing its deadly arc-shaped blades aimed straight at him.

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