Chapter 17

"I do not detect the presence anymore." Rock lee said as he and his team closed in on the location.

"The group are in attacking stances, we need to hurry," Neji said.

Team 3 continued their trek, getting close to the other team.

***

The three shinobi dived at Miyamoto with their kunai drawn, once they were close, they could feel something was off as uncertainty filled their stomach, but they still committed to the attack.

'All in the twist of the waist.' Miyamoto whispered in his head.

In a blur, two of the three shinobi felt their legs become weightless as Miyamoto dodged their attack.

"Dammit!" One of the shinobi exclaimed, as he turned around, he fell onto his face.

"Huh?" The other shinobi said, looking down as his torso slid off his waist.

Then the pain hit them as they felt the cool breeze creep into their bodies.

"AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!" The two shinobi screamed out in agony.

"So noisy," Miyamoto said, his words getting drowned out by the screams. Miyamoto then threw two kunai at each of their heads, silencing their screams.

"What the!" The last shinobi went to raise their kunai but it had disappeared.

"Where?" The shinobi backed up in surprise as he looked at Miyamoto flipping a kunai in his hands.

"You shinobi don't hold onto your weapons very well," Miyamoto said with a smile forming on his face as he saw another three shinobi in the trees.

'I didn't see him attack, I didn't even see or feel him take the kunai from me! Who the hell is this guy?' The shinobi began to panic.

Miyamoto started to walk over to the shinobi, his presence began to shift once more, swaying, mixing, bending to his will.

The shinobi snapped a glance at his comrades' corpses.

'They said that killing would be allowed, but I didn't think anyone would this early, in such a way either, this fight was completely one-sided, I need to run!' The shinobi was overcome with fear, his clothes began to darken as his cold sweat seeped into them, and his legs began to shake before he turned to run away.

"Never show your back in a fight!" Miyamoto grumbled as he threw the kunai with ease into the shinobi's back.

"Damn!" The shinobi said as the force of the throw launched him into the tree. The kunai pinned him against the tree, he couldn't feel his body or move it.

"What did- WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!!!" The shinobi shouted as he felt tears welling up in his eyes. Now that he couldn't see Miyamoto scared him, the anticipation, the thought of what he would do we're too much.

"JUST KILL ME!!! KILL ME!!!" The shinobi shouted in fear and his tears began to flow.

Miyamoto watched the display of weakness with disgust, though his face didn't show it. Miyamoto the kunai out of the shinobi corpses' heads, throwing one into the pinned shinobi's head.

Miyamoto then looked up at the trees and saw the eyes of a shinobi with eyes like the moon. His smile curled up his face.

***

"I feel the presence again, it's a lot stronger now," Lee said.

"I feel it," Neji confirmed

"Same here." Tenten also said, already looking nervous.

Lee was the first to see Miyamoto and the two halves of the shinobi bleeding out on the ground. Lee stopped to observe.

Neji and Tenten stopped, crouching behind some leaves.

As Tenten laid her eyes upon the scene, she was about to scream, but thanks to Neji's quick acting, he was able to cover her mouth before she could let out a peep.

Rock Lee, looked away at the scene but tried to keep a brave face.

"KILL ME!!!" These were the final words of the nameless shinobi before his death.

While Tenten and Lee closed and turned away from the scene, Neji looked at the man.

'This pressure, I've only felt something similar when I saw Guy sensei get mad, but for this man to do it so casually. What is he?' Neji stopped his thoughts when he saw the man make eye contact with him, a smile curled up his face and Neji knew that he saw him.

"We gotta go, now!" Tenten was the first to leave, and Lee followed after.

Neji went to jump, but as he moved forward his hair got caught. Neji snapped his eyes over to rip his hair off the branch, but he found a kunai.

"Dammit!" Neji cursed.

"Neji!" Tenten shouted as she turned around.

Lee looked back to see Neji pinned to the tree and the approaching man, acting fast out of fear, Lee ran back.

Miyamoto dashed forward to the trunk of the tree like a blur, before twisting his body for maximum power and swung his sword.

The tree bounced, shaking Neji and Lee, making them stumble before they got their footing back.

"Why. Isn't. It. Coming. Out!" Rock lee said, using all his strength to try and remove the kunai.

Miyamoto followed up his sword swing with a solid kick that took out a chunk in the tree.

Neji and Lee felt the tree begin to fall and they had made no leeway on the kunai yet.

"IM COMING LITTLE SHINOBI!!!" Miyamoto shouted.

Rock Lee tightened his jaw as fear started to seep in, Miyamoto's voice rumbling through his ear and sending chills down his spine.

"Tenten?" Neji grunted as Tenten slapped on an explosive tag to the tree, almost exploding instantly.

Tenten powered through her pounding head, being so close to the explosion made her dizzy and get a headache.

"Let's go!" Tenten said.

"Where do you think you're running off too!!!"

Tenten looked up as she saw a blade descend upon her.