Ryun genuinely didn't think they would be able to stand against him, especially not these three new Genin, who looked only newly graduated.
While Kuita and Nao seemed a little more experienced than them, but he still couldn't believe he was being pushed back.
'Shall I just run, away?' he thought, understanding that he might have no other choice given their coordinated attacks.
While he was lost in thought, Nao was glaring intently at him.
Kaiji, Shin, and Sato came and stood behind Kuita and Nao, joining their seniors.
Nao looked at Kuita's injury. It was a little stable now, but he might still need to visit the hospital later.
She asked the three new Genin a question, her voice sounding urgent. "Do you three can use 'Wind Gale Jutsu'?!"
The three of them nodded.
This was just another D-rank Wind Ninjutsu taught at the Academy.
Shin spoke up, "I am not proficient at it, but I can use it."
"It would work," Nao said.
She instructed them, "Just when I use my Fire Release, you have to amplify it with Wind Gale, okay!"
In response, the three of them nodded in understanding.
Ryun, who had been momentarily distracted by his thoughts of running away, snapped out of it upon hearing their conversation and Nao's plan.
But before he could take any action, Nao had stood up.
She made hand signs rapidly and shouted,
"FIRE RELEASE: SCORCHING FLAME JUTSU!"
A wave of intense, visible flames was directed at Ryun.
Kaiji, Shin, and Sato weren't huffing from exhaustion, but they were low on Chakra after using some Ninjutsu against Ryun in the previous fight.
But they still supported Nao nonetheless.
They made hand signs, Rat—>Boar—>Tiger. They said in a low voice,
"Wind Style: Wind Gale!"
Kuita also made hand signs for the same Jutsu to support and amplify Nao's Fire Jutsu.
A small but strong enough gust of wind came from the four of them, aiming directly at Nao's Fire Jutsu.
Ryun's eyes widened in terror.
He watched as the flames directed at him became even larger and more intense, amplified by the support of the Wind Gale jutsu.
"SHIT!" He cursed loudly.
He himself started making hand signs quickly, Tiger—>Snake—>Rat—>Horse—>Tiger, and then placed his hand on the ground and Shouted,
"EARTH STYLE: EARTH WALL JUTSU!"
A section of the ground in front of him rapidly rose and shaped itself into a solid wall.
The wall stood to block the oncoming Scorching Flames towards him.
After the attacks met, a slight amount of smoke arose and was quickly swept away by the residual wind.
Kuita was shocked, "No wonder he was quite confident that he can kill us," he exclaimed. "He possesses a B-rank Earth Jutsu!"
Nao scoffed lightly and said her voice dismissive, "What's the point then, he has not enough Chakra to use it properly."
She said this while pointing towards Ryun, who was now kneeling, slightly burned from the Fire Jutsu and huffing from using a Jutsu that was clearly above his normal limits.
Kaiji, however, had his eyes shining brightly with interest.
'I need to get the scroll of this B-rank Earth Jutsu from him, without the team knowing.' He thought.
Kaiji knew that even if he got lucky and eventually managed to use Earth Release Jutsus, at most, he could use C-rank ones, and even that would need permission from the village.
But Earth Wall Jutsu was a B-rank technique.
If he could steal it sneakily, like he did with the swords, then that Jutsu's scroll, if Ryun possessed one, would be his and wouldn't be given to Sunagakure.
Ryun was huffing rapidly, struggling.
He was trying to stand with the support of his Sword in his hand.
Sato asked a question while looking at Ryun, "I thought Nao-san's Jutsu would be enough to eliminate him, but looks like he has a strong Jutsu on him as well."
Kuita, standing beside him, shook his head and said, "Well, it was obvious, the Jutsu used by Nao was C-rank. Even with our D-rank Wind Jutsu support, it could be boosted to Mid-level B-rank at most.
While the Jutsu used by Ryun is the strongest defensive B-rank Earth Style Jutsu, however..."
He paused for a moment. Sato and Shin looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
Kuita resumed, "...It also depends on the user's skill and chakra. A more powerful ninja can create a thicker, tougher and large wall, but Ryun can barely able to make it and still get hurt by Nao's Fire Jutsu."
They nodded, understanding the limitations.
Kaiji also heard this and thought, 'Wouldn't that be the same case for me if I also don't have enough Chakra to use it?'
He shook his head, dismissing the immediate concern.
'Well, at least having a scroll for Earth Wall Jutsu isn't bad,' he thought.
'Who knows when I would need it, and it's not like I am going to learn it just after the mission anyway.'
Kaiji knew that unless he got incredibly lucky, becoming able to use Jutsus of Earth Nature Transformation would take many months for him.
And at that time, his Chakra Reserves would also have grown significantly.
While they were chatting, Nao walked towards Ryun.
Ryun was now barely standing, supported by his Sword.
He gritted his teeth and cursed at Nao.
"YOU BIT—" he began, his voice filled with rage.
However, before he could complete the curse, Nao acted swiftly.
She kicked him hard and her target was the area between his legs—his balls.
A small crackling sound could be heard upon impact.
Ryun immediately knelt again, letting out a groan of immense pain.
Kuita, Kaiji, Shin, and Sato also made expressions of 'Aww', as if it wasn't Ryun who got kicked, but they themselves.
As men, they could instinctively feel and understands his pain.
Kaiji, in a low voice, asked Kuita, "Kuita-san," he inquired, now addressing her as 'Nao Onee-san'.
"Did Nao Onee-san always this violent?!"
Kuita looked at Kaiji with a surprised expression, noticing his change in address.
He found that Shin and Sato had the same surprised expressions as Kaiji.
He chuckled lightly and answered, "Not always, it's only because Ryun's attitude towards her."
He said this, which resulted in the three of them sighing in relief.
They thought that as long as they treated her well, no attack on their balls would ever happen to them.
Kaiji thought with pity while looking at the groaning Ryun on the ground.
'Well,' he reflected, 'this kind of attack would even be dangerous for Madara Uchiha as well.
Even Pain will say that this person's Pain is even greater than mine.'
***