I’M A MIST SHINOBI IN NARUTO

"Tch. What a weak little brat—soft skin, delicate hands. Probably never suffered a day in his life."

The Mist shinobi facing Yuhi Kurenai grinned cruelly. He licked the blade of his kunai with a sickening gleam in his eyes.

"Should I cut your pretty face first, or slice off one of your hands?"

With that, the man flicked his wrist, sending a barrage of kunai toward her.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Kurenai swiftly dodged, the kunai embedding themselves into the ground. But just as she steadied herself—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A chain of explosive tags detonated, creating a fiery eruption. The shockwave slammed into Kurenai, sending her hurtling through the air.

"Die!!"

Seizing the opportunity, the Mist shinobi lunged forward, kunai flashing as he prepared to finish her off.

SPLURT!

His movements halted. His throat burst open, a spray of blood splattering across his face.

"Ha… Hahaha!" The man coughed and grinned despite the blood bubbling from his lips. "A kid's a kid… just another trick up their sleeve before dying."

He licked the blood on his cheek.

Then the trees came.

CRACK!

Out of nowhere, thick branches erupted from the ground, twisting like living serpents. Before he could react, they wrapped around his limbs, constricting him tightly.

His grin vanished.

"W-What the hell is this?!" He thrashed, but the bindings only grew tighter.

A voice, calm and merciless, answered:

"This is war. Even children are dangerous."

Kurenai stepped forward, completely unharmed.

"You… you're supposed to be dead!"

The Mist shinobi's eyes widened in shock.

"Just a Genjutsu Reflection," Kurenai said coolly. "Now, pay for your arrogance."

A flurry of kunai shot forward.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The Mist shinobi's body jerked violently, his chest, arms, and legs punctured by over a dozen blades. Blood poured from his wounds as he slumped over—lifeless.

Asuma's Hidden Plan

"Impressive as always, Kurenai!"

A familiar voice rang out as Sarutobi Asuma landed beside her. He grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.

But beneath his confident smile, a flicker of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

His plan had failed.

"Asuma? You're okay!" Kurenai exclaimed in relief. In the chaos of battle, she had lost track of him.

"I ran into a squad of Mist shinobi earlier," Asuma said casually. "Took them out. Then I saw you and figured I'd—"

"Liar."

A cold voice cut him off.

Both turned toward the sound.

Yuto.

The young Mist shinobi walked forward slowly, his golden eyes locked onto Asuma.

"You're the guy always following Terumi Mei around." Asuma narrowed his eyes.

Yuto chuckled. "You're shameless, Sarutobi Asuma."

Asuma's eyebrow twitched. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Yuto sneered. "You were hiding the whole time, waiting for the perfect moment to play the hero."

Kurenai frowned. "What do you mean?"

Yuto crossed his arms. "You were hoping Kurenai would lose. That way, you could swoop in, defeat her enemy, and impress her."

"You bastard!" Asuma's face reddened.

He glared at Yuto furiously. "You're just trying to turn Kurenai against me!"

Kurenai hesitated, glancing at Yuto, then at Asuma.

"Asuma?" she asked, her voice unsure.

Asuma quickly spoke up. "Red, don't listen to this Mist shinobi's lies. He's trying to divide us!"

Yuto scoffed. "Divide? Oh, please. I'm just pointing out the obvious."

He turned to Kurenai. "You tell me—where was Asuma while you were fighting for your life?"

Kurenai's lips parted slightly, but no words came.

A Duel Begins

"Enough talking. Let's fight."

Asuma suddenly unsheathed his Chakra Blades, their edges glowing with a fierce azure light. The Wind Release chakra sharpened them to the point where they could slice through solid steel.

"I'll take care of this guy, Kurenai."

Yuto chuckled. "You want a one-on-one fight? Where do you get this confidence?"

Asuma smirked. "If you're scared, I'll let you call for backup. Maybe Terumi Mei can help?"

Yuto's eyes gleamed with amusement.

"I underestimated you, Asuma. You're dumber than I thought."

Asuma scowled. "Shut up and fight."

Yuto exhaled through his nose, slipping one hand into his pocket. With his other hand, he gestured for Asuma to attack.

"Come on, then. I'll fight you with one hand."

A vein popped on Asuma's forehead. "Arrogant brat! DIE!!"

FWOOSH!

In a flash of movement, Asuma lunged forward, his blades gleaming in the sunlight.

CLANG!

Yuto blocked effortlessly, his single kunai deflecting the attack.

"Idiot. You're finished."

A gust of wind exploded from Asuma's mouth, his Wind Release technique ready to strike.

But Yuto was already gone.