Jian, of course, had never had the slightest intention of sealing an alliance or offering any kind of truce. His entire previous attitude had been nothing more than a trick to lower Kisame's guard.
With superhuman agility, he lunged at Kisame in the blink of an eye. A kunai appeared in his hand, flashing briefly in the air as it headed straight for the Kirigakure ninja's neck.
Pfft
A jet of water burst out, and what Jian thought was Kisame's body—its neck severed—turned into a swirling liquid mass that crashed to the ground, splashing everything around it.
Jian skidded a few meters before stopping, scanning the surroundings with a cautious gaze.
There was no trace of Kisame.
"Well... using a water clone to confuse me was a good move," he muttered through clenched teeth, his voice brimming with rage. "You better not show up in the next three days…" His words turned cold. "If you cross my path again, I promise you something worse than death…"
Despite scrutinizing every shadow and corner of the forest, he found no trace of Kisame's presence.
At that moment, he understood everything: the shark had diverted his attention with that last Water Style attack, and while he had focused on blocking, Kisame had just enough time to replace himself with a clone and escape unseen.
Being deceived by someone several years younger wounded his pride to an extreme degree. A searing rage took hold of him, hardening the expression on his face.
He turned on his heels, ready to walk away and see if he could still track his opponent or, failing that, find another prey to sate his fury.
!
However, a sudden hunch made him stop dead in his tracks.
"Who's there?!" he roared, sharply turning his head to look toward a dense thicket.
In just a second, his expression turned deadly.
From the bushes, a figure began to emerge with an unsettling calm.
As soon as he caught a glimpse of the newcomer's face, he felt his pupils contract. His muscles tensed.
"Looks like I arrived late," the stranger remarked, his voice showing no hint of urgency. "From what I see, the other one left before you could finish him off."
It was Gen, who cast a relaxed glance around.
The area showed clear signs of a recent battle, but there wasn't a single body lying around. And the only person in sight—Jian—didn't seem to have suffered any serious injuries.
With so few clues, it was easy to deduce that the opponent had fled.
After surveying the surroundings, he fixed his gaze on Jian, recalling the data gathered about Iwagakure's candidates.
He recognized him immediately.
"Your killing intent is quite intense… Do you also want to kill me?" he asked with a slight smile, locking eyes with him.
From the moment he had appeared, Jian had been radiating a dark bloodlust, like a beast searching for its next victim.
"Gen Uchiha… Kakashi Hatake's replacement… Konoha's most outstanding talent at the moment…" Jian murmured gravely, keeping his gaze fixed on Gen. "If I eliminate you, I'll get rid of one of the biggest threats in this exam. I suppose you feel the same, don't you?"
Gen nodded as well.
"You're right. This exam isn't just a test; it's the prelude to a much larger conflict, where eliminating the enemy becomes inevitable. We'd better settle this as soon as possible—before the real war breaks out."
As he spoke, a kunai suddenly appeared between his fingers, as if it had materialized out of nowhere.
Jian clenched his teeth, expecting the Uchiha to lunge at him. However, Gen hurled the kunai toward a precise point, with the speed and accuracy of lightning slicing through the sky.
The kunai cleanly pierced the thick trunk of a tree, continuing its trajectory and tearing off splinters of wood in its path.
At that very moment, a figure that had remained hidden behind the tree jumped to the side to avoid being hit. Exposed by the surprise attack, he had no choice but to reveal himself.
With steady steps, he stepped into view of Jian and Gen, positioning himself in such a way that the three of them formed a triangle in the middle of the forest.
"Someone from Kumogakure?" Jian scoffed, frowning as he recognized the emblem on the newcomer's forehead protector.
Immediately, he adjusted his combat stance, keeping one eye on Gen and the other on the stranger, while a spark of distrust lit up his gaze.
He couldn't believe that someone had managed to sneak around without him noticing. Knowing that a third person had been witnessing the fight undetected filled him with deep unease.
He still felt rage boiling inside him, yet at the same time, caution sent a chill through his blood.
"Damn Uchiha, you found me out!" the new presence complained in such a peculiar tone that it almost sounded like he was rhyming. "But no matter! Let's settle this now with our final battle! I've been looking for you for so long, yo-yo…!"
There was no doubt: that unusual way of speaking could only belong to Killer B.
As he threw out his rhymes, he drew two long swords with a flashy flourish and pointed them straight at Gen without hesitation.
"So it was you…" Gen murmured, his gaze flashing with intensity. "Looks like this time, I'll have to get serious."
Thanks to his senses, he wasn't surprised to have detected someone else lurking nearby, but he hadn't expected it to be Killer B.
!
Just then, something unexpected happened: instead of attacking the newcomer, Gen suddenly lunged at Jian at full speed. At the same time, Killer B also charged toward the Iwagakure ninja.
In a three-way battle between fighters from different villages, the variables multiplied. And the decision of Gen and Killer B was to take out the third party first—the one who could complicate things for them.
Jian was ready to respond, but facing two such powerful opponents at the same time was overwhelming.
Swish
In the blink of an eye, Gen appeared in front of Jian. Concentrating his chakra into his fist, he struck from mid-range.
Jian saw it coming too late; he barely had time to raise his arm and channel chakra in an attempt to block.
Boom
Even though Jian's arm was reinforced, the punch landed with such force that it shattered his bone instantly, breaking through his improvised shield and crashing straight into his chest.
Jian's eyes widened in shock, and a jet of blood burst from his mouth as he was sent flying like a rag doll.
"Pfft…"
He didn't even have time to hit the ground.
Killer B appeared in midair, intercepting him. Holding one of his long swords, infused with Lightning Chakra, he delivered a swift and devastating slash.
Jian's body was cleaved in two, and his remains fell among the nearby trees, hitting branches and trunks before collapsing lifelessly onto the muddy ground.
________
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖