Chương 23: Is this the difference between us?

----Genma P. O. V. ---- Genma crouched behind a thick bush at the edge of the clearing, eyes narrowed as he studied the bandit camp. Their intel had been surprisingly wrong. The number of bandits was much higher than what the report had said. He counted at least fifty men moving around the makeshift camp. But what worried him most were the shinobi. He could see at least five of them. Each one looked like a genin or low-level rogue shinobi from Amegakure, judging by the worn headbands.

'They must also have a leader, at least a chunin, to make these shinobi act this coordinated,' Genma thought.

'I cannot see him right now, but he should be nearby. Still, the total number is at least fifty. Even with sensei here, we would easily be overwhelmed if we rush in without a plan.' Before he could start forming a strategy in his head, Shunsui spoke up quietly from beside him.

"I will thin out their numbers." Shunsui had already drawn his blades. The swords had changed shape. The black, heavily curved scimitars confirmed he had released what he called shikai. Without another word, Shunsui leapt forward. He did not try to hide or sneak. He simply jumped straight into the open space in front of the bandit camp. Every head in the camp turned toward him at once. The bandits spotted the Konoha headband tied to his right arm. Chaos erupted immediately.

"A Konoha shinobi!" some of the civilian bandits screamed in panic.

"Idiot, it is just a child," another bandit laughed loudly.

"I bet he still has his diapers on. Look at that stupid pink outfit. Did his mommy dress him?" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. One of the rogue genin stepped forward, hand on his weapon.

"Do not underestimate a Konoha shinobi no matter how young he is. Even a kid from that village can kill you civilians easily if you let your guard down." Another genin scanned the trees behind Shunsui.

"He is alone. Do you think he is with a jonin sensei?" A third genin shook his head.

"No jonin sensei would let his student just waltz into a bandit camp like that. Shinobi are meant to be sneaky after all. He might still have others hidden though, so be on guard. Do not get cocky." More curses flew through the air like kunai.

"Slap this brat silly and send him crying back to his village!" one bandit yelled.

"What kind of idiot wears pink to a fight? Come here, pretty boy, I will teach you what real men wear!" another shouted with crude laughter.

"Konoha must be desperate if they are sending babies now. I will take that fancy sword out of his hands and shove it up his—" The foul language continued, growing louder and uglier. The civilian bandits felt brave because of their numbers. They jeered and made rude gestures. Some picked up rocks or crude clubs, thinking the lone boy would be easy prey. The rogue shinobi stayed more cautious, but even they smirked at the sight of a single child standing openly in front of fifty armed men.

Shunsui stood calmly in the open. His straw hat shaded his eyes. The twin black scimitars rested lightly in his hands. He let out a soft, disappointed sigh.

"Yare yare, such foul language. Well... as expected from scum like you bandits." One of the Amegakure genin, however, had started sweating the moment he saw Shunsui. His face turned pale. His knees buckled and he fell forward, landing hard on the dirt. He began panicking, gasping for breath as if something heavy was pressing down on his chest.

"Oh, it looks like that one is sensitive to chakra and is a sensor," Choza said quietly from behind Genma. Genma wanted to ask what he meant, but Shunsui had already made his move. Shunsui spun himself and his swords in a smooth, rapid circle. Large wind blades fired outward from the spinning motion toward the bandit camp. Some bandits panicked and tried to run. Others dodged to the side. But more than a dozen were caught directly in the path.

The wind blades cut through them cleanly, slicing arms, legs, and bodies. Screams filled the clearing as men fell, blood spraying across the ground.

"Did he master nature transformation already?" Choza mumbled, clearly surprised. Genma, who heard the question, answered without taking his eyes off the fight.

"No, sensei. I think that is another of Shunsui's games. He rotated before delivering those wind blades. I think it is the spinning top game, also called Bushogama." Shunsui spun again. This time the wind blades merged into one large spinning circle of wind that looked like a miniature tornado. The tornado tore through the camp with terrifying force. It picked up more than a dozen bandits, including the genin. Men were flung into the air. Deep cuts formed across their skin as the sharp winds sliced them repeatedly.

Some slammed into trees with sickening thuds and slid to the ground, dead or unconscious. Others flew through the air before crashing hard. Blood sprayed in arcs. The tornado left a trail of destruction, tearing tents and the surroundings. Genma watched in amazement.

'Is this the difference between us?' he thought.

'I am pretty sure that casual swing of that sword of his that created a tornado has the power of a B-rank jutsu.' The remaining bandits were in chaos. Some tried to run. Others grabbed weapons and charged toward Shunsui. Genma and Guy decided it was time to move. They burst out from the trees and joined the fight.