Oh, this extra even added lines for himself!
Promising! I like it! Five-star review for you!
Kyosuke gripped his short sword tightly, holding it upright in a defensive guard. His body trembled slightly, and he gritted his teeth, perfectly projecting the image of a terrified but resolute youth.
His tone was firm and loud enough for everyone to hear. "Konoha Ninja, Uesugi Kyosuke! I won't allow you to harm my comrades!"
"Hmph! Naive!"
The Sand Jōnin used the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing instantly to appear directly behind Kyosuke. He thrust a kunai aimed straight for the boy's vitals.
"What?! Such speed!" Kyosuke shouted in mock terror.
Despite his panic, he turned and swung his blade with flawless precision, successfully parrying the lethal strike.
This kid has some skill! The Sand Ninja's eyes narrowed. He brandished kunai in both hands, launching a relentless barrage of attacks. His movements were so fast they left blurring afterimages.
However, the fierce offensive failed to inflict any real damage.
Kyosuke's short sword danced left and right, always managing to deflect the kunai at the very last second. Although the scene looked incredibly desperate, Kyosuke carefully ensured he had "no chance" to counterattack.
Does this brat specialize in Kenjutsu? I must finish him quickly; I need to support the other sectors! Seeing that close combat was dragging on, the Sand Jōnin took a step back. He formed a rapid hand seal, opened his mouth, and exhaled violently.
"Wind Release: Blowing Sands!"
It was a simple jutsu, whipping up dust and grit from the battlefield. Its sole purpose was to obscure the enemy's vision and create a fatal opening.
Of course, in the hands of a veteran, even a simple jutsu could kill. War forced shinobi to be frugal with their chakra, reserving their devastating techniques for absolute necessities.
The blinding sandstorm swept over Kyosuke. Holding his sword in his right hand, he shielded his eyes with his left arm, continuously retreating.
As expected of a Jōnin from a Great Shinobi Village, Kyosuke marveled internally. His strength and grasp of timing are excellent. I haven't even had a chance to fake a Ninjutsu cast.
Unless I go all out, I'm genuinely no match for him!
Through the swirling dust, Kyosuke caught the glint of a row of shuriken flying straight at him. He threw himself backward to dodge.
But the moment his feet touched the ground, three identical enemies materialized through the sand, attacking simultaneously from the left, center, and right.
It was a classic, ruthless tactic. Use continuous pressure to break the enemy's spirit, then use clones for the final, inescapable blow. Kyosuke himself was quite fond of it.
If he were just an ordinary Chūnin, he would have guessed wrong and died on the spot.
"I'm not ordinary, though! Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Kyosuke rapidly wove hand seals and spat out a massive sphere of roaring flames, instantly engulfing all three attackers.
Poof. Poof. Poof. All three turned into clumps of useless sand.
Suddenly, the sharp whistle of wind came from directly behind him. There was no time to turn and defend.
Kyosuke flipped his wrist, reversing his grip on his short sword, and thrust it backward blindly along his side.
Riiip! The fabric on Kyosuke's left shoulder tore, and a kunai bit deeply into his shoulder blade.
Spinning around, he saw the real Jōnin standing a few paces away. A fresh tear had appeared across the enemy's abdominal armor from Kyosuke's blind thrust, but the man was uninjured.
The Sand Ninja glanced down at his torn clothes and let out a cold laugh. "As expected, I'll have to take you seriously."
Kyosuke dropped into a low stance. Where the hell is Minato Namikaze?! Save me! Save me!
This guy is getting serious. If I don't use my full strength now, I'm actually going to die!
By this point, the battle had raged for hours. Both sides had suffered massive casualties, spreading the surviving combatants across a much wider area. Around Kyosuke, there were no Konoha ninja close enough to offer support.
Asuma and the others were long gone. I hope they aren't dead. Otherwise, who's going to spread the tale of my heroic deeds today?!
"Sand Clone Technique!"
The enemy split off two more clones. Kyosuke prepared to use a Shadow Clone in response, but a sharp, paralyzing pain shot through his left shoulder.
"Your left arm is crippled! You can't form hand seals!" the Sand Jōnin sneered.
The three enemies rushed him. Kyosuke barely blocked a kunai with his sword before a heavy boot slammed directly into his stomach.
The force sent him flying, his abdomen cramping in agonizing pain.
"Die!"
Kyosuke desperately propped himself up with his sword. The moment he rose, the Jōnin was already there, a kunai aimed straight for his face.
Dammit! I refuse to die here!
A terrifying, bloodthirsty light flashed in Kyosuke's eyes. He reached deep inside, preparing to unleash Shukaku's monstrous chakra and slaughter the man.
But just as he pulled on that power—a brilliant yellow flash suddenly erupted in his peripheral vision.
"Rasengan!"
Minato Namikaze materialized directly above the Sand Jōnin, slamming the swirling sphere of spiraling chakra into his back. The enemy crashed down with bone-shattering force, his body sinking deep into the cratered earth.
The final scene! I have to act this out perfectly!
Countless corpses lay around them, blood staining the earth. Plumes of thick smoke obscured the sky, and vultures circled ominously overhead.
Kyosuke's fierce eyes immediately softened into a weak, glassy stare. He collapsed onto one knee, his injured left arm hanging limply. His hair was a mess, and his face was a tragic mix of sweat, dirt, and blood.
Tragic! Truly, heartbreakingly tragic!
"Teacher..." Kyosuke coughed weakly. "Have you... have you seen Asuma and the others? Are they safe?"
What a good child. Still caring about his comrades, even at death's door. Minato was deeply moved. He reached out, gently wrapping an arm around Kyosuke to support his weight. "Don't worry, they're fine. I'll take you to the medical camp right now."
Kyosuke leaned into his teacher, thinking to himself, With my exquisite acting skills, when you finally retire, you simply have to pass the Hokage hat to me.
His vision intentionally blurred, and by the time Kyosuke "woke up," he was already safe in the Konoha camp.
"Get some rest," Minato said softly, handing him over to a Medical Ninja before vanishing back to the frontlines in a flash of yellow.
"What happened to you guys? Where is Uncle Kosuke?"
Asuma and Shizune were sitting right next to Kyosuke's cot. After his wounds were bandaged, Kyosuke noticed they were completely silent and dejected. Looking around and not seeing the veteran Genin, a bad premonition washed over him.
Shizune sniffled, wiping her eyes. "To buy us time to escape, Uncle Kosuke's left leg was seriously injured. He's in surgery right now... but they said he'll likely be left with a permanent disability."
Oh. Well, as long as he's not dead.
Based on Kyosuke's battlefield observations, at least five or six hundred Konoha ninja had died today alone. Factoring in the severely wounded, the casualty rate was staggering.
At this pace, neither Konoha nor Suna would be able to sustain the meat grinder for much longer. The war would inevitably enter a stalemate.
Don't be too sad for Kosuke, Kyosuke thought dryly. In a few days, you kids might end up disabled too.
Swallowing his blunt, cynical thoughts, Kyosuke offered a comforting smile instead. "Don't worry. Uncle Kosuke is tough. He'll surely pull through."
One after another, Konoha Ninja kept returning to the camp.
Some even carried back the corpses of their comrades. Their tearful appearance didn't look much like ninjas.
But at this time, no one would mock him, let alone stop him. They only felt the same pain.
By evening, the Hokage, Orochimaru, and others also returned to the camp, each carrying injuries of varying severity.
"What? Shukaku has been sealed, and you can't use Shukaku's power anymore? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
In the dream, Kyosuke looked at Chisuke and said crossly.
He was on the battlefield today; if he couldn't use the power of a Tailed Beast, he wouldn't have dared to perform like that.
Chisuke felt innocent: "It's not my fault. I was unconscious! By the time I woke up, it was almost midnight, and I couldn't find you at all."
But Kyosuke said: "That's not right. I could clearly feel that I could use Shukaku's Chakra and abilities."
Hearing this news, Kiichiro was very happy.
"Hahaha, it's just as we suspected. What we share is each other's strongest state. That's a good thing."
Ooka Shin also said with a smile: "In the past, when you were injured, I wasn't. Now, even if Chisuke can't use the Tailed Beast's power, we can. It's perfectly reasonable."
Mishu, however, spoke of other matters: "I am a Rogue Ninja now. If any of you have someone you dislike but find it inconvenient to act against, I can help you eliminate them."
Kiichiro nodded: "It's wartime now, and the situation is so chaotic. A few deaths won't even be noticed."