Ma Jia's kunai supply was running low. Even when throwing them, he had to be conservative, which made things slightly uncomfortable.
However, the enemy wasn't particularly strong, so Ma Jia was still able to handle them effectively.
Using Kunai with precise strikes, Ma Jia eliminated one of the four Chunin while injuring the remaining three.
Harnessing the wind chakra in his palm, Ma Jia closed in on another opponent, delivering a forceful palm strike that sent them flying.
After over a dozen exchanges, Ma Jia swiftly dispatched the three wounded Chunin, retrieving his kunai in the process.
His combat performance impressed Gui Hekong. With such skills, Ma Jia was more than qualified to join their team.
However, the top priority now was completing the mission and making it back alive.
After dealing with the four Chunin, Ma Jia still had 300 chakra cards left. He popped a military ration pill into his mouth.
Konoha's military ration pill technology was the most advanced, while Sunagakure's was slightly inferior—more expensive and significantly worse in taste.
Luckily, Ma Jia's shadow clone only needed to control bodily functions and didn't transmit sensory experiences, so the pill's unpleasant taste wasn't an issue.
But to the others, Ma Jia's actions appeared different.
Especially to Gui and Hekong.
"He's ruthless…"
That was the shared thought in their minds.
They had only heard of ninja eating ration pills mid-battle, but never witnessed it firsthand.
Of course, it wasn't unheard of—some ninja had to do it when pushing themselves beyond their limits in life-or-death situations.
Ma Jia was unaware of this perception. He simply assumed Gui and Hekong admired his composure in battle.
As he refined his chakra, Ma Jia approached an elite Chunin and launched a Gale Palm.
Under the suppression of Hekong's puppet, the elite Chunin had no choice but to engage in close combat with Ma Jia, severely restricting their movements. They were quickly overwhelmed.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Ma Jia leaped several meters away, while Hekong's puppet cornered the enemy, creating an opening for Ma Jia to weave his hand seals.
A violent gust erupted. The puppet's mechanisms fired arrows and senbon, enhanced by the wind's force, striking with increased speed and precision. The elite Chunin, caught in the storm, suffered multiple lacerations.
After a few exchanges, Ma Jia successfully eliminated his target, then repeated the tactic to take down another elite Chunin.
Now, only two Special Jōnin remained as their opponents.
Ma Jia took a moment to recover, while Hekong redirected his puppet to assist Gui, easing his burden.
Although Gui had been holding his ground against the two Special Jōnin with intermittent support from Hekong, he was still at a disadvantage. The pressure mounted when Ma Jia and Hekong began eliminating enemies.
After all, Gui was fighting well above his rank—against two stronger opponents.
Now, with Hekong's assistance, the tide of battle began to stabilize.
Ma Jia recuperated for ten minutes and prepared to rejoin the fight.
Suddenly, a powerful chakra signature rapidly approached from the distance.
"No… One of the three Jōnin is coming!"
Ma Jia's face displayed anxiety, but inwardly, he was thrilled.
He had been looking for an opportunity—and the Jōnin had arrived at the perfect moment.
Making a quick decision, Ma Jia shouted to Gui and Hekong:
"I'll draw them away! Hurry and finish up—I won't last long."
Before either of them could respond, Ma Jia acted.
He surged chakra through his body, enhancing his speed, and sprinted away.
Luring the Jōnin with a Great Breakthrough, Ma Jia turned and bolted.
The Jōnin immediately saw through his intentions but wasn't concerned.
Gui and Hekong weren't serious threats to the remaining Konoha Special Jōnin—even with Ma Jia leading one away.
Ma Jia knew he couldn't match a Jōnin's speed, especially without the Body Flicker Technique. He would be caught before long unless he had a plan.
Turning around, Ma Jia unleashed another Great Breakthrough, amplifying its power.
This time, he prioritized raw wind force over cutting sharpness.
The fierce wind slowed the Jōnin's pursuit while propelling Ma Jia forward, widening the gap between them.
Now that he had some breathing room, Ma Jia quickly assessed his opponent.
"This Jōnin has to be taken out… Otherwise, they'll be too much of a threat."
Recognizing the clan emblem, Ma Jia identified them as a member of the Koharu Utatane's clan.
Not a particularly famous lineage, but still politically influential.
The Utatane clan had been allied with the Shimura and Sarutobi families since the Warring States Period, with the Sarutobi taking the lead. Though they lacked bloodline limits or secret techniques, they had endured through generations.
Koharu Utatane herself was now a Konoha Elder. Though not always in the spotlight, no major decision passed without the approval of the Hokage and the Elders.
Along with Danzo and Hiruzen, Koharu had been under the Second Hokage's tutelage and played a critical role in Konoha's leadership.
Unlike Danzo, who was infamous as the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," Koharu wielded power discreetly.
But unlike Danzo, she contributed little to Konoha's military strength.
Ma Jia didn't have much direct conflict with her back in Konoha, but he despised how she and her clan benefited from the village while doing so little for it.
"They probably got this mission through connections…"
That thought became more certain as the chase dragged on.
This Jōnin was… lacking.
"They're weak…"
Ma Jia smirked.
"So if I kill them, it won't be a big deal? I can just say they were unqualified for the battlefield."
It was a perfect excuse.
After another ten minutes of pursuit, Ma Jia confirmed his suspicion—this Jōnin was unremarkable.
"Pathetic…"
He turned and fired another Great Breakthrough—but this time, mixed in some saliva.
The Jōnin flinched in disgust, momentarily breaking their focus.
"That reaction… Yep, they're not a frontline fighter."
A true warrior wouldn't hesitate over something so trivial.
This person had clearly been stationed away from the real war for too long. Now that the battle was nearing its conclusion, they were here to claim easy merits.
"Disgusting."
Ma Jia's expression hardened.
"Alright then. Time to erase you."
Weaving seals—
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
As the Jōnin closed in, Ma Jia compressed wind chakra into his palm.
The intense concentration slowed his movement slightly, but once he reached twenty meters, Ma Jia abruptly halted and lunged forward.
The Gale Palm detonated—sending the unprepared Jōnin airborne.
Capitalizing on the opening, Ma Jia hurled three kunai from different angles, using lingering wind chakra to adjust their trajectories.
The sluggish Jōnin was struck by all three, failing to dodge even one.
Even so, they survived—though heavily wounded.
In the ensuing close-quarters fight, Ma Jia methodically overwhelmed and killed them.
Strategically, Ma Jia had guided their battle far from the main conflict.
"The Sand Shinobi are still engaged… Reinforcements won't come anytime soon."
No one would find the body for a while.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ma Jia consumed three more ration pills and focused on chakra restoration.
After quickly bandaging his wounds, he contemplated his next move.
He initially wanted to wipe out all nearby enemies, but there were too many puppet masters present.
More importantly, he couldn't afford unnecessary exposure.
If both Konoha and Suna caught wind of an unknown ninja interfering, it would attract too much attention.
"Fine… I'll settle for taking the spoils."
A shadow clone materialized and vanished underground.
Silently, it looted corpses, puppets, and weapons—burying them deep, 200 meters below the surface.
With all evidence erased, Ma Jia smirked.
"Perfect."
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