Naruto: Martial God Art

Rain Shinobi Village was a small village caught between the powerful nations of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Constant rain poured over it throughout the year, giving it its name.

Located at the intersection of these major powers, Rain Village often became a battlefield during wars, which kept it in a cycle of chaos. But because of this, Rain's ninjas had grown strong and experienced, enduring many battles. They were masters of Water Style techniques and skilled assassins, often taking on dangerous missions for other countries. In the past, a legendary ninja named Hanzō of the Salamander, known as a "demigod," had led Rain Village. He was as respected as Konoha's Third Hokage. Though Hanzō had since fallen, his legacy made Rain Village one of the most respected forces outside the five major nations.

The three Genin from Rain Village that Lee was quietly following were older than the rookies from Konoha by a couple of years, and they looked much more experienced.

"Are they… also targeting the rookies from Konoha?" Lee wondered, staying hidden as he observed them. Soon, he saw who the Rain ninjas were trailing—Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyūga Hinata, three of Konoha's newest Genin.

"These Rain ninjas don't know what they're getting into," Lee thought with a slight smirk. Among the nine new Genin from Konoha, Lee saw real potential in a few of them, especially in Hyuga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke, and Shino. Even though he hadn't fought Shino directly, he had a feeling Shino's abilities might be on par with or even above Neji's and Sasuke's.

Hinata was also no easy target; she had inherited the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, and while she was quiet and shy, her ability to see chakra points made her dangerous in a fight. Kiba, with his dog Akamaru, was a talented tracker and fighter, able to pick up on enemies quickly. The Rain Genin thought they had the advantage, but they might be walking into a trap.

For now, Lee chose to keep watching. Observing the techniques and strategies of different ninjas would be valuable, especially since he was interested in studying the abilities and jutsu used by other villages.

"All in all, everyone's goal is to reach the central tower," Kiba said, sniffing the air as they moved. "We should set up some traps nearby, just in case." His heightened sense of smell told him that someone was close, though he didn't let on. Speaking aloud, he kept his tone casual to make any enemies believe they hadn't been detected.

"Yes… that's a good idea," Hinata murmured softly. Her voice was barely audible, her usual shyness making it sound almost like a whisper.

"So, she's the Hyuga clan's heiress," Lee thought, shaking his head slightly. Compared to Neji, Hinata's personality was gentle and reserved, which held her back from being as powerful as she could be. Where Neji was confident and driven, Hinata seemed uncertain and timid.

"The Hyuga family must have a lot on their hands," he thought to himself.

…

"Look at these kids. They're standing right out in the open—are they trying to be bait?" one of the Rain Genin muttered, sneering as he watched the Konoha rookies.

"They know we're here," another one replied. "But it doesn't seem like they know exactly where we are."

"Hey, what's wrong with you? You look terrible," the third one said, noticing his teammate's face had turned pale.

"I… I…" The Genin's face twisted with fear as he struggled to speak.

"What's that on your back?" the other pointed, noticing something strange.

A small, slimy creature the size of a fist was clinging to the first Genin's back, drawing blood.

"Plop! Plop!" Suddenly, a rain of these creatures fell from above, swarming the three Rain ninjas in seconds.

"Those are…" Lee felt a chill and quickly retreated, using his quick reflexes to avoid the area.

These creatures were Konoha's blood-sucking leeches, able to sense body heat and sweat. Once they latched on, they wouldn't stop until their victim was drained of blood.

"Konoha's blood-sucking leeches will sense sweat and heat. They'll latch on and suck your blood till you're dead," Shino explained coldly, his voice carrying through the clearing.

The Rain Genin screamed as the leeches covered them, their yells echoing through the eerie silence of the forest. Within minutes, they were silenced.

"Well, that takes care of one group," Shino said calmly, glancing over at his teammates.

Lee watched from his hiding spot, impressed. He was now sure of Shino's unique ability to control insects and saw that the blood-sucking leeches had been part of his ambush. The three Rain ninjas had likely hoped to rely on their battlefield experience to overwhelm the Konoha rookies, but they hadn't anticipated facing Shino, who could defeat them without needing a direct fight.

"I hope they have the Heaven Scroll," Hinata said softly as she moved to check on the fallen Rain ninjas.

"Hold on, Hinata," Kiba said in a low voice, making her stop in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Kiba?" Hinata asked, confused.

"There's someone watching us," Kiba replied, turning his gaze toward where Lee was hiding.

Lee was impressed. Kiba's heightened senses had caught him, though he'd been careful to stay out of sight.

"Heh, so that's the Inuzuka clan's nose for you," Lee said, stepping out from his hiding place. He leaped up onto a nearby tree branch, looking down at the trio.

"That's thanks to Akamaru here," Kiba replied, petting the small dog on his head with pride. "If I remember right, you're Rock Lee, from Konoha too."

"What are you doing here?" Shino asked, his tone serious. "Are you here to take our scroll?"

Lee nodded with a smile. "I was, but after watching you three, I'd rather test my skills against you instead. You're an interesting team."