A Sudden Shift in the Situation

"What are you doing?!"

Chiba frowned. He could sense the Chakra in the girl's palm. If that strike landed squarely, his face would probably bleed. No! Bleeding would be the least of it.

Repaying kindness with hostility! Anger rose in Chiba's heart.

"You insolent wretch!" With that sharp cry, the girl in his arms struck at his face again.

She was still attacking!

Chiba dodged again, but this time he was a little too slow. His right cheek burned with pain. He had probably been disfigured.

"You!"

Chiba was slightly angered, but before he could finish speaking, he felt the Gate of Life acupoint slowly close. Waves of exhaustion surged over him. His arms went limp, and the girl slipped from his grasp.

Gate of Life Mode deactivated.

His Chakra reserves also returned to their original level.

Although Eight Gates Mode reduced the burden the Eight Gates placed on his body, it still had its limits. Now, it seemed that limit was his stamina. He had merely gained control over the Eight Gates' Chakra; he had not changed the fundamental nature of the technique. If his stamina was insufficient to maintain the Gate of Life in an open state, Eight Gates Mode would still deactivate, just as the Eight Gates could not be maintained without stamina.

So that was how it worked! This mode still had room for improvement.

Though exhaustion washed over him, Chiba continued analyzing calmly and quietly let out a breath of relief.

He had thought this mode could only last for a short time. But judging by this, as long as he continued training his taijutsu and raised his stamina to the point where he could casually open the Seventh Gate like Might Guy, this mode could become a standard state. And as his stamina improved, he would be able to maintain Eight Gates Mode for longer.

Perhaps it could become a standard state even before he reached the Seventh Gate.

And now, merely opening the Third Gate gave him Chakra at the level of a Chunin. If he opened the Fourth Gate, would he not possess Chakra at the level of a Jonin?

The thought thrilled Chiba, even weakening the exhaustion in his body considerably.

What pleased him even more was that after Gate of Life Mode was released, he did not feel the slightest injury in his body. Even that fierce punch and its burst of Chakra had caused no damage.

In other words, Gate of Life Mode was completely safe! While Chiba was absorbed in analyzing Eight Gates Mode, the Hyuga Clan's Young Miss, who had slipped from his arms, rolled to the ground, flipped herself upright, and thrust a palm at him furiously.

Chiba suddenly realized what was happening. The Gate of Life was now closed, and his body was weak and limp. Even though he noticed the strike, he lacked the strength to evade it.

Seeing the Young Miss's fierce expression and the stance of her Gentle Fist, Chiba's mouth twitched.

If that palm strike landed solidly, could he withstand it in his current state? At a time like this, there was only one thing to do! Chiba narrowed his eyes and made up his mind.

The Young Miss's Gentle Fist palm was already upon him.

"Don't hit me! I'm one of your own!"

Hyuga Yukina's pretty face was frosty as her palm stopped before Chiba's chest. Veins bulged at the corners of her eyes, extending to her temples. A pupil shape emerged in her pale eyes as she stared at Chiba, who had raised both hands.

Then, through the Byakugan's three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision, she saw the ninja sprawled on the ground.

It was the ninja who had suddenly attacked her! In an instant, she sorted out what had happened.

This person had saved me? She looked at the meter-wide crater, then at Chiba, who was staring pale-faced at her palm. Her brows furrowed tightly.

There was no one else here, so he should have saved me, but... no matter how she looked at him, he did not seem capable of such strength!

That large crater had clearly been punched into the ground. What kind of power was that? Yet through the Byakugan, Hyuga Yukina could see the Chakra flowing inside Chiba's body. The amount was utterly ordinary, far less than her own. His muscles were strong, but it was absolutely impossible for him to throw such a punch!

Yet he was the only person here, and the facts were right before her.

"Um... Young Miss, look..." Chiba pointed at the slender hand before his chest, doing his best to show a smile that said, "I'm one of your own."

Hyuga Yukina frowned. This person? Was he really the one who had saved her? He did not look strong at all! He even looked very weak!

Seeing the suspicion in the Young Miss's eyes, Chiba could only smile bitterly.

He had saved her, yet she did not believe him. He felt rather helpless.

Still, having sorted through the situation, Hyuga Yukina withdrew her palm. The frostiness on her lovely face gradually faded.

"I misunderstood you. I'm sorry." She gave a slight bow. "And thank you for saving me."

Chiba let out a breath. Seeing Hyuga Yukina's sincere apology and thanks, the dissatisfaction in his heart at being misunderstood slowly faded as well.

Only then did Chiba have the chance to take a careful look at this Young Miss of the Hyuga Clan.

Her features were exquisite, fair as white jade, like a porcelain doll. Her glossy black hair fell all the way to her waist. She had a slight softness to her cheeks and wore a white outfit resembling a kimono, though it exposed both arms. The hem of her skirt reached one-third of the way down her thighs, slightly longer than the black leggings underneath. Fishnet stockings wrapped around her fair thighs, while wooden sandals rested on her jade-like ankles.

Only, because she had fallen to the ground earlier, she was dusted with a little dirt.

"Crack..."

At that moment, a faint sound suddenly came from the direction of the crater.

The two of them looked over warily.

What they saw shocked them both.

The ninja in the crater had turned the color of ochre, then transformed into a puddle of earth.

Earth Style Clone!

Chiba and Hyuga Yukina had the same thought at once.

"Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm!"

Just then, the ground behind them suddenly split open, a fissure racing toward them!

Almost simultaneously, the two leaped away in opposite directions, dodging just as the fissure was about to reach them.

"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Prison!"

Just as Hyuga Yukina landed after leaping aside, four slabs of rock suddenly rose around her, trapping her firmly inside.

Damn it!

Chiba glanced at Hyuga Yukina in midair and inwardly cried out in alarm.

It was that ninja! Chiba's body was weak and drained. The leap to evade Earth Splitting Palm had already taken all his strength, and when he landed, he nearly collapsed. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, though his legs trembled.

Chiba turned around, his expression darkening.

Behind him stood the ninja he had blasted with a single punch.

The situation was awful!

Chiba looked at Hyuga Yukina, imprisoned within four stone pillars some distance to his right, then looked at the ninja before him.

Gate of Life Mode had deactivated, his stamina was exhausted, the Young Miss was trapped... and this ninja had used two ninjutsu in succession. There was no doubt he was a Jonin! This truly was the worst possible situation!