CHAPTER 23

c23: Who is a Rookie

"Come on then. I hope you don't fall too quickly—I want at least a little challenge," Chiba said, eyes fixed on the masked ANBU operative standing across from him. His taunting gesture was deliberate, brimming with confidence bordering on arrogance.

"Big words for such a small fry. I'll beat you down so hard you'll remember the name Moonlight Neri," the masked operative snapped. His tiger mask concealed most of his features, but his tone was sharp, irritated.

"Save the talking. Let's get this over with," Chiba replied dismissively, folding his arms as if already bored.

Moonlight Neri snarled and launched himself forward, his speed impressive for someone at the Chūnin level, quick and smooth, though still lacking Kakashi's refined control.

As a member of the Moonlight clan, Neri specialized in kenjutsu and silent assassination. He wasn't heavily trained in ninjutsu, but his taijutsu and sword skills were polished. As he dashed forward, his body twisted in mid-air with acrobatic finesse, like a dancer mid-performance.

But to Chiba, this flashy movement was little more than wasted motion. He saw through the rhythm and the flourish instantly it created openings instead of hiding them.

And Chiba didn't hesitate.

With a subtle flex of his calves, he vanished from sight in a blur, using a high-level Shunshin no Jutsu. In the next instant, he was in front of Neri, fist driving directly into the operative's gut.

Thud!

Neri was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into a nearby tree. His blade was only halfway unsheathed he hadn't even had a chance to swing it. His groan echoed faintly as he slumped to the ground.

Chiba landed softly, his feet barely disturbing the grass. He didn't bother pursuing. He stood still, arms crossed again, unimpressed.

"This is all you've got? Way too weak," Chiba said flatly. His voice held no venom just cold, honest judgment. The proud smirk on his face said everything.

Around the clearing, the other ANBU members were stunned. Eyes widened behind their masks as they exchanged shocked glances.

Moonlight Neri wasn't just any operative he was mid-ranked among them. For Chiba to dismantle him so easily… it wasn't just a surprise. It was unsettling.

Uchiha Mina was the first to speak, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You really are something, Chiba. That's not a level of skill we usually see in someone so young." Her tone was warm, but her eyes sparkled like a shinobi recognizing a hidden treasure.

"Good job, Chiba. That's my brother," Kakashi said, his voice holding a rare tone of pride. He was used to excellence but even he hadn't expected Chiba to dominate so effortlessly.

"Tch… the kid's legit. Strong, despite the age," another operative murmured, reluctant but clearly impressed.

But Chiba wasn't done.

He turned his gaze slowly toward the branch where Kurama Tongzan sat upside down, mask glinting in the sunlight.

"Now then… how about you?" Chiba said. His tone was colder now, challenge unmistakable. "Since you had so much to say earlier… Let's see what you're really made of."

Tongzan straightened and leapt from the tree, landing gracefully. His pride stung, but he maintained a cocky air.

"Don't think beating Neri means you can handle me," he said sharply. "I'm not so easy to knock down."

Chiba smirked. "Won't know until we try, will we? But I'm betting you'll hit the ground just the same."

Tongzan's eyes narrowed behind the mask. The younger boy's arrogance was grating and now, with everyone watching, he had no choice but to respond.

He stepped forward and removed his mask slowly, revealing a sharply angular face, striking features, and an unmistakable air of superiority.

Kurama Tongzan looked directly at Chiba, expression calm but beneath the surface, chakra surged subtly. He didn't attack. Instead, his eyes locked with Chiba's intensely.

Chiba frowned, sensing something off. Why isn't he moving?

And then it hit him.

A flare of chakra warped the air around him, and flames suddenly erupted in every direction. The forest vanished. In its place rose a searing infernoa genjutsu.

Chiba stood alone in a field of fire, heat closing in, flames licking at his skin. The illusion was overwhelming real enough to burn his senses, to make his body believe he was about to be consumed alive.

"You're in my illusion now," Tongzan's voice echoed mockingly through the sea of fire. "Admit defeat before it gets worse."

Kurama illusions were legendary. Their clan was once spoken of alongside the Uchiha and Hyuga for kekkei genkai prowess. Though fading in history, the Kurama line's rare ability to manifest illusions so strong they could affect reality was feared.

Chiba gritted his teeth. The air felt thick, his lungs burning. But his focus didn't waver.

"Your technique is rare… but it's still not enough," he said, body tense, eyes flaring with heat of their own.

Tongzan laughed. "Still talking big? Then I'll show you real pain."

He raised a hand, and the flames responded, surging forward like a tsunami of fire.

But Chiba didn't flinch. Instead, his body ignited his flames burned brighter, hotter, more intense.

Drawing on the energy from the Hi no Ha jutsu he had secretly mastered, he unleashed a chakra-fueled fire release that exploded outward like a storm.

"Katon: Enshōdan! Fire Pillar Ring!"

A column of blue fire spiraled around him, blasting back Tongzan's illusionary blaze. The genjutsu struggled to hold Chiba's real flames were too strong, too real. They destabilized the illusion at its core.

Tongzan staggered back, sweat dotting his forehead. His chakra reserves were draining fast Kurama illusions required precision and enormous control. He couldn't maintain it.

The sea of fire vanished, flickering out like dying candlelight. The real forest returned untouched, serene. Only Chiba's flames remained, dancing around him like a living aura.

"You're not the only one who can manipulate fire," Chiba said quietly, walking forward, heat distorting the air around him.

Tongzan took a step back, shaken. He wasn't defeated outright but his jutsu had been broken. And that, among the ANBU, meant everything.

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