A Crushingly One-Sided Battle

At a training ground somewhere!

"I didn't expect so many people to show up!"

"Being watched by everyone like this feels like I'm some monkey on display. It's really annoying!"

He really disliked this atmosphere.

Then, he looked at Ringo Ameyuri and the other two. "Which one of you is going first?"

He looked completely unconcerned, as if he did not take the three of them seriously at all.

"I'll go!"

Ringo Ameyuri stepped forward, gripping her twin blades tightly.

"Then let's begin!"

As soon as he spoke, he instantly rushed in front of Ringo Ameyuri. His eyes widened. "Illusion Technique: Binding!"

Ringo Ameyuri was hit without any ability to resist!

Then, Ye Liangnai's cold blade was pressed against Ringo Ameyuri's neck.

"You lost!"

Ye Liangnai released the illusion and looked at Ringo Ameyuri calmly.

"Damn it!!"

Ringo Ameyuri cursed bitterly under her breath. Has the gap between us already become this huge!

It had only been half a month since the graduation exam.

But half a month ago, Ye Liangnai would still have had to put in effort to restrain her.

Now, though, he did not struggle in the slightest.

Did Ye Liangnai grow stronger by the second?!

"Who's next?"

Ye Liangnai swept his gaze over Hozuki Suigetsu and Shima Isshin.

"I'll go! Don't think you can defeat me so easily!" Hozuki Suigetsu provoked.

Of course, he had the confidence to be this arrogant.

The Hozuki Clan's Water Transformation Technique was unparalleled in the shinobi world. Without a technique to counter it, it was difficult to even touch his physical body, let alone defeat him.

"Then, I'll begin!"

Once both of them were ready, Ye Liangnai glared at Hozuki Suigetsu.

He intended to use the same trick again.

Hozuki Suigetsu immediately closed his eyes and backed away smugly. "Don't think a move like that can work on me twice!"

But—

"When did I ever say I was going to win with an illusion?"

When the cold touch against his neck arrived alongside Ye Liangnai's voice,

Hozuki Suigetsu finally realized that he had fallen for Ye Liangnai's feint.

"You lost!" Ye Liangnai lowered his blade and grinned.

"Tch!"

Hozuki Suigetsu retreated with an awful expression.

He had talked so boldly just moments ago, only to get slapped in the face so hard. That was truly humiliating!

What made it worse was that he had been instantly defeated before he could even display any of his abilities. It was terribly frustrating.

The surrounding Mist Ninja also cheered at the sight.

He used an illusion to instantly defeat Ringo Ameyuri, then used strategy to instantly defeat Hozuki Suigetsu.

Among their peers, Ye Liangnai was probably the only one capable of doing something like that.

And he had done it so smoothly and effortlessly.

It was simply monstrous!

"Then, you're the only one left!"

Ye Liangnai's gaze fell on the last person—Shima Isshin.

"Please go easy on me!"

Shima Isshin politely bowed to Ye Liangnai before drawing his sword and taking a stance.

"You too!"

With that, Ye Liangnai's eyes sharpened, and he immediately charged toward him.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

Facing the charging Ye Liangnai, Shima Isshin rapidly formed Hand Seals and released a wall of water in front of himself.

He himself retreated at high speed and formed more Hand Seals. "Water Release...!"

But before he could release the ninjutsu, Ye Liangnai cleaved the Water Wall Technique apart with a single slash.

"Gasp!"

At that moment, it was not only Shima Isshin who was shocked. Even the surrounding Mist Ninja were likely horrified.

Cutting through ninjutsu with a sword—wasn't that a little too absurd?!

Facing an enemy like this made one feel inexplicably despairing.

"Water Release: Water Spear Technique!"

Shima Isshin barely saw Ye Liangnai form any Hand Seals before two incomparably fast water bullets shot toward him, forcing him to dodge away in a hurry.

"Puff! Puff!"

The tree behind him immediately exploded with two large holes, making him sigh in relief at how close it had been.

"Watch out!"

But at that moment, the alarmed cries of the Mist Ninja rang out beside his ears.

Shima Isshin was startled. Only then did he realize that Ye Liangnai's face was rapidly enlarging in his vision.

"Pfft!"

Before he could react at all, his chest took a heavy blow, sending him flying like a kite with its string cut.

By the time he had just gotten back to his feet, a white blade gleaming with Cold Light was already standing before him.

The same familiar words followed. "You lost!"

It was an absolute suppression in strength, without the slightest sense of effort.

The surrounding Mist Ninja could not help but begin discussing it.

"As expected of someone who has fought Kakashi Hatake. His strength has already far surpassed that of his peers!"

"Yeah, they're not even on the same level. The gap in strength between them is simply too great!"

"No wonder he's called the White Cold Light. He's so powerful that it makes it hard to breathe!"

Not only Ringo Ameyuri and the others, even Ye Liangnai's seniors felt immense pressure.

With such a monster chasing after them from behind, they truly did not dare stop moving forward.

After only a few days, his strength has risen by another huge margin. What an outrageous little brat!

Zabuza looked at Ye Liangnai and thought this to himself.

What incredibly fast Hand Seals! Even we would probably be thrown into a panic if we faced him.

Facing an enemy like that really makes one's heart uneasy!

Juzo Biwa narrowed his eyes and sighed inwardly.

The other Mist Ninja all had different thoughts as well, and then they all left.

From that day onward, Ye Liangnai's title as Kirigakure's strongest young shinobi was firmly established.

Even though Ye Liangnai himself was very uninterested in that title.

"The strongest among the young? Hehe, as expected of little Ye. You're really amazing!"

In prison, when Mei Terumi heard this news, she smiled happily.

Everything slowly returned to normal.

There was always so much work in the Anbu.

Even without missions, they still had the duty of patrolling and guarding the village.

Every day, they had to report in, receive unified assignments, and carry out all kinds of monitoring duties throughout the village.

They also received training in various Anbu skills, including first aid, finding food, tactical analysis, and more.

His days were quite fulfilling. Although he had no time to swing his sword and earn Enhancement Points, Ye Liangnai enjoyed it greatly.

His current strength was already decent enough. Delaying things for a while would not matter much!

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Mei Terumi was released from prison, and Ye Liangnai personally went to welcome her.

"How is it, sis? The air outside is fresher, isn't it?"

"The sky is so blue, and the grass is so green!"

Although Kirigakure was shrouded in mist and plagued by rain year-round, that did not mean it never had clear, sunny days.

"Even the heavens are welcoming my release, huh? Hehehe, what a wonderful day!"

Mei Terumi spoke with a comfortable expression. Although she had lived well enough during her month in prison, she still looked somewhat haggard.

No matter how good prison life was, it could never compare to being outside.