Naruto Card King

Kanbaru sensed the murderous intent and the whistling wind behind him. He let out a furious shout, leaping away while twisting his body to dodge. He wasn't sure if the attack was aimed directly at him, but he remained extremely cautious!

A head flew through the air, blood splattering in a crimson arc. The thick white mist swirled, disturbed by the violent slash of a blade. Haruto Saito's figure flickered within the fog, barely visible.

Because of the close distance, Kanbaru was able to catch sight of Haruto—but only vaguely.

"That brat..." Kanbaru immediately recognized him.

The same kid who had shamelessly declared himself a mere Genin at the riverbank, abandoning his teammates and fleeing in disgrace!

Kanbaru's thoughts raced like lightning. In an instant, he understood everything!

That brat's retreat was a tactic!

If he had really intended to escape, he would have been long gone by now. He wouldn't have returned—let alone killed someone!

He wasn't a Genin at all. His strength exceeded that of an average Elite Chunin—possibly even approaching that of a Special Jonin! Kanbaru couldn't believe it. He had never encountered such a shameless warrior—someone with formidable power who deliberately pretended to be weak!

"You're looking for death, you little bastard!" Kanbaru roared as he pushed off from a tree branch, launching himself toward Haruto with incredible speed. He flung more than ten kunai in quick succession!

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Haruto dodged with nimble movements. Kanbaru's reputation exceeded five thousand points, marking him as an exceptional Jonin. Haruto dared not underestimate him. This was his first time facing such an opponent head-on. Although he had assassinated an Elite Jonin before, that had been through trickery and ambush—completely different from direct combat.

Surrounded by thick mist, Haruto swiftly vanished into the fog.

Kanbaru's thrown weapons missed. Without hesitation, he clapped his hands together and formed a seal in mid-air.

"Wind Release: Coiling Dragon Break!"

Kanbaru arched his body backward and unleashed a terrifying gust of wind. The spiraling force expanded rapidly, twisting forward like a massive drill, tearing through everything in its path!

Whoosh! BOOM—

The hurricane-like blast not only dispersed the surrounding mist but also obliterated nearby trees. The ground itself was ripped apart—dirt, rocks, and splinters of wood shot into the air!

A B-rank Wind Release technique!

Kanbaru was clearly furious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have opened with such a powerful technique. For a Jonin of his level, unless they possessed unique abilities, mastering an A-rank technique was uncommon.

B-rank jutsu were likely his highest-tier offensive techniques!

The ground beneath Haruto crumbled. Activating his monstrous strength, he propelled himself sideways with explosive force, evading the attack at incredible speed. Still, the aftershock of Coiling Dragon Break forced him to adjust, his body retreating multiple steps before he could stabilize.

Fortunately, Wind Release techniques—despite their wide area of effect—didn't deal direct lethal damage unless one took the brunt of the impact. Unlike Fire Release, which burned everything in its path, Wind Release was more about forceful destruction.

Haruto had now completely distanced himself from Kanbaru.

Yet Kanbaru could still see him—the mist had been blown away in their immediate vicinity. Though the surrounding area remained cloaked in fog, their direct line of sight was now clear.

A distance of about thirty to forty meters separated them.

Haruto held his Heavy Mountain Blade in front of him, staring intently at Kanbaru. He didn't immediately charge in; something had just caught his attention—the system prompt from the Card Spirit!

"Spirit, what is the BOSS Card?" Haruto quickly asked in his mind.

He already understood what Magic Cards were since he had used one before, but the BOSS Card—this was the first time he had obtained one!

"Ding! Answering host's question! The BOSS Card is a special card that can only be used in battlefield environments. Upon activation, the card will—"

"Brat! You really don't know your place!" Kanbaru's cold voice cut through the air as he turned into a speeding shadow, hurtling toward Haruto.

Haruto had no choice but to refocus on the battle. He didn't even hear the rest of the Card Spirit's explanation. His eyes locked onto Kanbaru's approach. With a sudden burst of energy, he propelled himself forward as well!

Two figures streaked toward each other. In a single breath, they clashed!

Two flashes of steel arced through the air!

Haruto wielded the wide-bladed Heavy Mountain Blade, while Kanbaru brandished a scythe.

Steel met steel!

BOOM—

The sheer force of their clash sent shockwaves rippling outward. Kanbaru's body trembled violently, forcing him to retreat seven steps before he could stabilize himself. Haruto, too, felt the impact. Even with his monstrous strength and the Heavy Mountain Blade's amplified power, he could only push Kanbaru back—not overwhelm him.

A true Jonin!

"Damn it!" Haruto cursed under his breath. This was going to be troublesome. He couldn't afford to repeatedly unleash full-power swings—his enhanced strength consumed too much chakra. His reserves were already limited.

"A Taijutsu user?" Kanbaru's eyes flickered with surprise. Haruto's immense power had given him that impression. His gaze swept over Haruto's body, and suddenly, an eager expression crossed his face.

"You look about eleven or twelve… To be this strong at such a young age—you must be a prodigy from one of Konoha's noble clans!"

Haruto ignored the question.

Kanbaru, however, seemed increasingly thrilled. "Excellent! If I kill you and take your body back, I'll know exactly who you are! A major achievement!" Killing prodigies from enemy villages was always a great honor in any shinobi village.

Kanbaru's previous anger vanished in an instant.

His earlier frustration had stemmed from the loss of the two Elite Chunin who had been pursuing Haruto. The recent deaths of another two had further enraged him. But now, he saw things differently—if he could eliminate a Konoha prodigy, it would make up for everything!

"Spirit, what is the BOSS Card?" Haruto pressed again, still keeping his focus locked on Kanbaru.

"Ding! Answering host's question! The BOSS Card is a battlefield-exclusive special card. When activated, it will—"

Kanbaru suddenly sheathed his scythe and formed rapid hand seals—his fingers moving so fast they blurred.

"Wind Release: Shun Stab!"

Dozens of wind-formed spikes shot toward Haruto, spreading out in a curved formation to surround him!

Each was as fast as a bullet!

Haruto still hadn't heard the full explanation from the Card Spirit. Gritting his teeth, he bent his body low and leaped aside, dodging while simultaneously hurling kunai toward Kanbaru. Kanbaru twisted his body in a zigzag pattern, leaving behind afterimages as he evaded both the kunai and the direct gaze of Haruto.

The scythe came slashing down!

Haruto countered with a backhanded strike! But this time, he didn't activate his enhanced strength—he relied solely on the Heavy Mountain Blade's natural amplification. The two were evenly matched in this exchange. If he had used his full power, it would have only pushed Kanbaru back—wasting precious chakra.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal clashing rang through the night as Haruto and Kanbaru traded over a dozen blows, shifting positions constantly.

And then—

Kanbaru vanished.

Substitution Jutsu!

A split second later, he reappeared behind Haruto, scythe slashing down like the Grim Reaper's sickle!

Substitution Jutsu!

The Haruto he struck transformed into a log!

Kanbaru's face twisted in shock. Instinctively, he flung kunai behind him.

But Haruto wasn't there. He was standing ten meters ahead, completely unconcerned with ambushing Kanbaru.

"Spirit, what is the BOSS Card?!" Haruto demanded, nearly losing his mind.

"Ding! Answering host's question—"

Kanbaru suddenly lunged from above!

Haruto snapped.

"SCREW THIS!" He roared, tossing his blade aside and leaping straight at Kanbaru—embracing him mid-air.

At that instant, his Shikotsumyaku exploded to life!

"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis—Vine!"