Talent System In The Naruto Universe

"What's the situation on your side?" Cod asked as he glanced at Scallop.

"It's just a kid from the Hidden Leaf," Scallop replied with a shake of his head. "But it's only a clone—I couldn't find the real body."

"A kid?" Terumi Mei couldn't help but ask, "How old?"

"About your age," Scallop answered.

"There's no way he's alone," Terumi Mei thought aloud. "Scallop-senpai, continue pursuing the escapee. Cod-senpai, search the area for other ninja."

"Looks like that kid's in trouble now that our little genius has her sights set on him," Cod chuckled.

Terumi Mei didn't bother responding.

Strong-willed by nature, she always paid back any losses she suffered.

"Let's move."

Scallop sprinted across the ground, following the trail of the injured Leaf agent.

"Be careful," Cod cautioned before vanishing.

Terumi Mei's expression turned serious. She formed hand seals and activated her sensory ninjutsu.

Over there!

She let out a soft hum and darted into the forest.

---

Split Strategies

Using his enhanced vision, Hanekawa observed their actions.

"They're splitting up?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, Hanekawa decided to withdraw.

In most cases, except for prodigies, anyone joining the Anbu was at least an elite chunin or higher.

He knew he couldn't defeat them and resolved to leave this to Tsunade.

As Terumi Mei approached his position, Hanekawa prepared two kunai in his hands before making them vanish from sight.

Water Release: Water Formation Wall!

Terumi Mei reacted swiftly, summoning a water wall from the ground.

The kunai struck the water wall, creating two deep craters.

Terumi Mei's pupils shrank.

"How can these kunai have so much power?" she thought, momentarily stunned.

In that brief distraction, two more kunai flew toward her, colliding with the first two.

Boom!

The water wall shattered.

Terumi Mei instinctively drew a kunai. While dodging, she swung at the closest incoming kunai.

The force of the impact sent a powerful shockwave through her hand.

Her face paled as she immediately released the kunai and rolled away to increase the distance.

Before she could catch her breath, she heard a noise above her.

She looked up to see a crescent arc of blade light descending toward her.

Impossible!

"He was over there just now! How did he—? Am I going to die here?"

The next moment, a dragon's roar echoed from her left.

A water dragon materialized and surged toward Hanekawa, roaring in fury.

It was Cod's intervention.

While searching for other possible Konoha ninja, Cod had kept a close eye on Terumi Mei.

As a genius highly regarded by Elder Genji, her safety was paramount. If something happened to her, none of them could bear the consequences.

What Cod didn't expect was how quickly she'd been cornered.

Though still young, Terumi Mei's exceptional talent in water release jutsu far exceeded that of an average chunin, making her a formidable opponent.

---

Hanekawa frowned slightly.

Wasting no time, he executed his most advantageous move.

Sheathing his blade mid-air, he launched a powerful kick, landing it squarely on Terumi Mei.

Her mask shattered instantly as she was sent flying.

Mid-spin, Hanekawa pivoted sharply and unleashed a wind-chakra-infused slash at the water dragon.

The blade's cutting edge cleaved the dragon in two.

"D-Damn it!"

Terumi Mei's cheek was swollen, but she didn't dare waste time. She wiped the blood from her mouth and stumbled to her feet.

"You okay?" Cod appeared next to her in an instant.

"Just a scratch," Terumi Mei replied through gritted teeth. "We can't let him get away!"

Cod nodded slightly, but as he turned to look, he realized Hanekawa had already vanished.

"He won't escape," Terumi Mei declared.

She quickly formed seals again, activating her sensory ninjutsu.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As she turned, three shuriken whizzed toward her.

Cod had been prepared long before. He used the Body Flicker Technique to follow the shuriken.

With three sharp clangs, Hanekawa blocked all the shuriken with his katana.

But his vision blurred, and suddenly, Cod appeared right in front of him.

"Kid, this is the end!"

Cod sneered coldly, convinced he had already won and eager to see the fear in Hanekawa's eyes.

A genius? So what? Cod specialized in killing geniuses.

Without hesitation, he raised his blade.

Blood splattered.

"Cod-senpai!"

Terumi Mei's eyes widened in shock, instinctively shouting.

What she saw, however, was Cod striking a tree.

An illusion!

Terumi Mei quickly formed hand seals.

Water Release: Water Whip!

A whip formed from water coiled in her hand and lashed out fiercely.

Body Flicker Technique!

Hanekawa kicked off a tree trunk, propelling himself like an arrow straight at Terumi Mei.

Despite her young age, this was a battle, and mercy had no place here.

Smack!

Terumi Mei flicked her wrist, causing the water whip to recoil, but her speed was just a fraction too slow.

Hanekawa ignored the whip behind him and slashed at Terumi Mei.

The strike hit, but her body dispersed into water.

A Water Clone.

Hanekawa froze for a split second, realizing the trap. He instinctively turned.

A water dragon surged toward him with a deafening roar.

Hanekawa sprinted as he formed hand seals. Just as the dragon was about to strike, he activated the Body Flicker Technique, leaving an afterimage behind.

Terumi Mei's face paled.

Even that didn't work?

Prideful by nature, she was beginning to feel deeply frustrated.

In the Hidden Mist Village, not even Zabuza Momochi, infamous for slaughtering his classmates, could defeat her.

As the undisputed genius of her generation, she found herself at a loss against a mere boy from the Hidden Leaf.

Hanekawa exhaled in relief.

His C-rank ability "Swift as the Wind", which doubled his movement speed, along with the Body Flicker Technique, had saved him.

Looking at Terumi Mei, Hanekawa started piecing things together.

That reddish-brown hair, mastery of water release at this age... This must be the future Fifth Mizukage.

---

"Damn you!"

Cod finally broke free of the genjutsu, his face twisted in anger as he charged at Hanekawa.

The humiliation of being trapped in an eight-year-old's illusion burned deeply.

Hanekawa had anticipated this.

He knew the genjutsu wouldn't hold an elite jonin for long.

Casually, he hurled three kunai.

"Kunai won't do a thing to me—what the—?!"

Cod's expression changed drastically.

The three kunai were wrapped in thick layers of explosive tags.

By his estimate, there were at least nine tags in total—equivalent to a full-power fire release attack from a jonin.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Cod yelled as he bolted back at top speed.

Terumi Mei's instincts screamed danger, and without hesitation, she leapt away.

Boom!

A massive explosion tore through the area, flames engulfing the forest and leaving nearby trees scorched and blackened.

"Good thing I'm rich," Hanekawa muttered as he leapt onto a tree branch.

Knowing Terumi Mei's sensory abilities, he didn't dare linger.

Body Flicker Technique!

Using the light of the fire as cover, Hanekawa darted through the forest.

Cod had barely regained his footing when he heard the sound of something slicing through the air at high speed.

Instinctively, he tried to dodge—but it was too late.

Blood spurted out as a deep gash opened on his right arm.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Cod rolled to the ground to escape.

Hanekawa stopped pursuing him and turned his gaze to Terumi Mei.

Despite his delicate and handsome features, his blood-splattered appearance gave him a menacing aura.

Terumi Mei's heart pounded, and she instinctively took two steps back, her confidence visibly shaken.

-

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