Chapter 14: Calm Before the Inferno

The jonin's clones surrounded me, their weapons glinting in the flickering firelight. Behind them, the bandits grinned, pressing their blades closer to the throats of the hostages. The tension was thick, and I could feel the weight of every decision bearing down on me.

But I couldn't afford to hesitate.

The jonin smirked. "Get him."

In a blur of motion, they attacked. The bandits moved in sync with their leader's clones, bodies flickering in and out of sight, their movements unnaturally fast. [Body Flicker Jutsu], they were using it to overwhelm me, their speed making it hard to track them all.

My instincts kicked in as the first strike came toward my neck. I blocked with my katana, the impact sending vibrations down my arm. Another attack came from the side, and I barely managed to parry it. Each attack grew faster, the clones and bandits closing in on me from every angle, their strikes coordinated to push me back.

I gritted my teeth, trying to maintain control, but the sheer number of them was forcing me into a corner. I couldn't let them box me in. I needed space.

In a flash of chakra, I leaped backward, distancing myself from the horde of clones. My breath came in heavy pants, but my mind remained clear. The jonin, standing in the middle of the chaos, watched me with a mocking grin. He hadn't moved, clearly confident in his superiority.

"Running away, kid?" he taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. "You're good, but you're outnumbered. Face it, you're not walking away from this."

I sheathed my katana slowly, my eyes never leaving the jonin. The bandits and clones paused, confused by my sudden withdrawal. The jonin's grin widened as he folded his arms over his chest.

"What's this now? Giving up already?" he laughed. "You're talented, I'll give you that. You've got potential. But you're fighting on the wrong side. Work for me, and you'll have everything, women, money, power. Hell, you can even have your pick of the hostages." He gestured toward the civilians, their faces pale with fear.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, forcing myself into a state of absolute calm. The rage, the fury, the pain, they were still there, boiling beneath the surface. But I couldn't let them control me. Not anymore. I had to focus. I had to win.

The jonin's voice became background noise, his words fading into the distance as my mind centered on the fight. My body felt lighter, more precise. The world around me slowed, every detail sharpening. The bandits, the clones, the jonin, they were all in focus now, but they no longer intimidated me.

I opened my eyes, my voice cold, detached. "Do you have chicken?"

The jonin blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"I said," I repeated, my tone as flat as ice, "do you have chicken?"

The jonin's laughter rang out again, a cruel, mocking sound. "Chicken? You serious, kid? No, we don't have chicken!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a shadow appeared on his left. His eyes widened in shock as he instinctively brought up his kunai, blocking a sudden lethal strike aimed at his throat. It wasn't me. It was a clone. His smirk faltered.

"What-?!"

More clones appeared, twenty of them, materializing in the sky above the battlefield. The civilians gasped in awe, their eyes wide with shock as they looked up at the army of Darius clones, each one poised and ready.

Before the bandits could react, every clone inhaled deeply, their chests glowing with chakra. In unison, they unleashed streams of blazing fire, their mouths roaring with flame as [Fire Style: Flame Dragon Jutsu] erupted toward the ground.

The fire dragons were massive, their fiery bodies twisting through the air with terrifying precision. They honed in on the bandits, each flame roaring toward a specific target with pinpoint accuracy. The heat was intense, the sheer power behind the technique unlike anything the bandits had ever seen.

Panic broke out among the bandits. Screams filled the air as they scattered, desperately trying to flee the inferno that descended upon them. The fire dragons slammed into their ranks, consuming everything in their path. The bandits were no match. Those who weren't engulfed in flames were thrown off their feet by the shockwaves of the attack.

The hostages watched in awe and terror as the sky burned, but not a single flame touched them. The jutsu was controlled, precise.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the jonin struggled against the clone that relentlessly assaulted him. The clone moved with eerie calm, vanishing and reappearing in flashes, striking at the jonin from different angles. Each hit landed cleanly, the force of the strikes pummeling the man back, forcing him to defend with everything he had.

"How, how are you doing this?!" the jonin shouted, his voice filled with disbelief. His body flickered, trying to keep up with the clone's relentless assault, but it was no use. The clone was faster. Smarter. Every time the jonin flickered away, the clone was already waiting, landing another hit.

I watched from a distance, my eyes locked on the jonin. I had learned from him. I had watched how he used the Body Flicker Jutsu, how he manipulated chakra to move at blinding speeds. But I had taken it further. I had adapted it, refined it, turned it into something new.

[Flash Step.]

A technique that wasn't just about speed. It was about anticipation, about reading movements, about being faster than the thought of action itself.

The jonin's panic grew with every second. His movements were becoming sloppy, his breathing labored. And then, in the blink of an eye, I was behind him.

He didn't have time to react.

My hand pierced his chest, clean and precise, reaching for his heart. His eyes went wide, his breath hitching as he looked down at the blood now staining his robes.

"I just improved," I said coldly, my voice calm as I twisted my hand and ripped the heart from his chest.

The jonin gasped, his body convulsing as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. He stumbled forward, his hands trembling as they reached for his chest, but it was too late. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

I stepped back, the heart still in my hand, blood dripping down my arm. I stared at the body for a moment, my expression unreadable.

Around me, the last of the jonin's clones faded, disappearing into nothingness. The hostages were free. The remaining bandits, seeing their leader fall, dropped their weapons in surrender, their faces pale with fear.

I didn't acknowledge them. I had no time for them. My focus was on the village. I had become stronger in this battle, learned new techniques, improved my speed, my control. But I knew i still failed to protect how i wanted.

I turned, my sword gleaming in the moonlight, and walked toward Goro and Kenta, freeing them before directing myself to the other villagers.