My Techniques are a bit off

Inside the Inn

[There's fighting upstairs—]

Nara Ensui gripped a kunai as he heard the commotion. However, he refrained from moving and soon noticed Baki subtly blocking the hallway leading upstairs.

[A test for Link?]

It was a blatant move, one that showed no attempt at subtlety. With the Chūnin Exams as an established platform for competition, why resort to such petty tricks during a mission?

Ensui fixed his gaze on Baki. The last time they encountered each other in the Land of Rivers, tensions nearly escalated into a fight. If not for Baki's caution toward Link's unique techniques, Baki might have killed them all.

Alliance or not, violence among shinobi was not uncommon. After all, ninja operated in the shadows, bound to their missions rather than honor. Even the Chūnin Exams, attended by allied villages, often saw fatal outcomes without repercussions.

[A cautious, traditional shinobi...]

Ensui analyzed Baki's behavior. Traditionalists prioritized one-strike kills, relying on intelligence and planning to avoid prolonged combat. They would risk sacrifices to create opportunities for decisive attacks.

"Crash!"

The sound of shattering glass broke his train of thought.

[Is Ami fighting that kunoichi?]

Ensui grew concerned. He wasn't fully aware of his team's progress over the past months, but judging by standard growth rates, Ami would likely struggle to hold her own for long.

With two of his team engaged, he suspected Iris downstairs wouldn't be an exception. Even if Link exceeded expectations, limiting his techniques to avoid large-scale destruction would make a three-on-one scenario difficult.

Unfortunately, as the team leader, Ensui couldn't afford to abandon his post.

…

"Rustle!"

After connecting its kick, the shadow dissolved into sand.

[Sand Clone...]

"Crack!"

The sand clenched tightly, shattering most of the shadow's form. Its broken pieces scattered across the ground, reverting to a two-dimensional state. A fragmented black line raced back to Link's feet.

High above, the gourd-carrying boy stood on a platform of sand, his hand outstretched toward Link.

"Swish!"

The scattered sand on the ground converged, surging toward Link in an attempt to ensnare him.

In the next moment, the boy's elongated shadow, stretched by the moonlight, recoiled and transformed into a humanoid figure. It delivered a vicious kick, sending the boy tumbling from his sand platform.

"Crash!"

The sand around Link trembled, then crumbled harmlessly to the ground.

The abrupt loss of chakra was unsettling for Gaara. With his fragile psyche prone to violent outbursts at the sight of blood, the unexpected betrayal of his own shadow disrupted his focus.

Link, meanwhile, had a contingency plan. If his shadow clone couldn't interrupt the sand's grip, he was prepared to physically break through it, use Body Flicker to escape, or even decapitate himself and reassemble elsewhere.

With his vastly improved physique, he had plenty of options.

To him, a ninjutsu specialist like Gaara was one of the easier opponents to handle.

He had chosen the shadow clone specifically to control the flow of information. Letting Gaara deduce he could manipulate shadows—even his opponent's—was preferable to exposing other techniques.

"Gulp."

Link swallowed a soldier pill. The temporary loss of half his strength wasn't debilitating, especially with his enhanced recovery speed. With proper preparation, expending a shadow clone pre-fight wouldn't impact him much.

Below, Gaara continued grappling with his shadow, unable to return to the rooftop.

Familiarity with their own movements often made a target's shadow a formidable opponent. Without specialized techniques for close-range dismemberment, even experienced shinobi struggled against shadows, requiring kunai or shuriken for effective damage.

For chakra-abundant jinchūriki like Gaara, their shadows could repeatedly repair themselves, making them an even greater nuisance.

"Thud!"

Looking disheveled, Ami leaped back onto the rooftop. Opposite her, Temari landed with her fan in hand.

"Rustle!"

Covered in cracks along his face and neck, Gaara reappeared via Sand Body Flicker, his expression twisted in rage as he began weaving seals.

"Swoosh!"

Baki materialized behind him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Gaara," Baki said sternly.

Large-scale techniques were off-limits; the merchant downstairs had to be protected.

A minor skirmish between Genin and Chūnin was acceptable as long as no one died. However, unleashing destructive ninjutsu within the Inn would severely tarnish Sunagakure's reputation.

A weakened Sunagakure could not afford to alienate the Land of Fire by harming its merchant guest.

Gaara's chest heaved as he glared at Link. Slowly, his hands dropped, abandoning his seals.

Though prone to erratic behavior, Gaara wasn't entirely unhinged. Years of training had instilled enough discipline for him to hold back when uninjured.

"Swoosh!"

Ensui arrived, carrying an unconscious Iris. After scanning his unharmed subordinates, he silently turned to Baki.

The next move was Sunagakure's to make.

Given that Kankurō hadn't even shown himself, it was clear he had no chance against Ensui. The balance had tipped after the skirmish on the rooftop.

An escalation here would be disastrous for Sunagakure.

Baki locked eyes with Link, who stood unscathed, and silently committed the young Konoha Chūnin's face to memory. Without a word, he signaled his team to withdraw.

Retreat was the only viable option.

As the Sunagakure ninja departed, the blue-white chakra flames dancing across Link's fingertips—each representing one of the five elements—flickered out.

Expressionless, he caught Iris as Ensui handed him over.

"Are you okay?" he asked Ami.

She nodded, but her concern shifted to Iris. "What about him...?"

Link's sensory scan revealed stable chakra and vitals, confirming that Iris was merely unconscious. He shook his head. "He's fine."

"Thud!"

A sharp flick to the forehead jolted Iris awake.

"Ow!" Iris groaned, clutching his head.

Ami let out a relieved sigh.

~~~

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