This was...
The Iwa Ninja's face turned pale with shock. He remained frozen in the posture of stepping out with one foot and launching forward in a bow stance, his right hand gripping the girl loosening slightly as his eyes slowly widened.
Taki Chiba! Reflected in his eyes was a youth with the hair over his forehead fluttering, his ragged clothes whipping up and down, chest thrust out and fist clenched. By his ears came the sound of air currents generated by high-speed movement rushing through the holes in his clothing.
It was Konoha's Little Monster, Taki Chiba!
He looked exactly like the portrait Lord Kitsuchi had distributed to everyone back then. The only difference was that the youth before him had an almost overflowing murderous intent on his cold face. That killing intent was like solid stone, making his heart pound wildly and sending chills down his spine.
This killing intent...
It was as though he were facing an S-rank ninja! In that instant, the first thought that flashed through his mind was not This is bad! or An ambush! but the murderous intent of the youth before him.
But even more frightening was his method of concealing and controlling that killing intent. He had attacked precisely at this moment, which meant he had certainly discovered me and might have tracked me for some time, waiting until I emerged from this primeval forest—when the change in lighting would inevitably distract me somewhat—to strike.
This was definitely premeditated! If he had merely happened to run into me as I came out, his attack could never have come so quickly. Even if he still attacked in the end, it would not have been this fast! He had discovered me earlier, deliberately followed me for a while, and only then chosen the