Smiled...
The Third Raikage's already clenched fist loosened ever so slightly. His eyes were filled entirely with the image of the swaying boy standing before him, and the savage smile on the boy's face occupied his entire field of vision.
That savage smile sent chills down his spine.
He could still smile in a situation like this?
As the chill ran through him again and again, that thought flashed through the Third Raikage's mind.
As the thought passed, his gaze shifted from the corner of the bloodied, battered boy's mouth to the sunken left side of his face, to the dent left by a fist.
It was clear that half of Taki Chiba's face had been smashed in. Just looking at him, one could tell he was enduring excruciating pain. And from the way he swayed, one, his body was likely weakened by some Forbidden Jutsu or Secret Technique, leaving him unable to stand steadily; two, the violent blow to his head had probably affected his sense of balance, making it impossible for him to remain upright.
In other words, his physical condition was no longer fit for battle.
He was suffering unbearable pain. Let alone fight, he could not even stand steadily. This was already a dying struggle. And the opponent he faced was someone he could not defeat, while his companions were still in mortal danger... everything had already become an irreparable dead end.
But why? Why could he still smile?
In such circumstances, he could actually still smile? This brat...
Had he gone mad? Or...
After that glance, several traces of uncontrollable shock and suspicion surfaced on the Third Raikage's face, which could no longer maintain its usual composed, imposing calm.
This brat...
Did he not feel despair at all? With the Third Raikage's discernment, he could