Accepting Your Proposal

Huoguang looked coldly at Urabe Daisuke and the others.

This time, they had accepted a B-rank commission. He, a Jonin, had led three elite Chunin and six Genin. According to the intelligence they had received, the other side was being escorted by only two ninja—a Konoha Chunin and a Genin.

They had an absolute advantage in combat strength and crushing superiority in intelligence, so there was naturally no need for an ambush. They only needed to wait along the route mentioned in the intelligence for the other side to come to them.

"..."

Huoguang took out a kunai and walked toward Urabe Daisuke.

Other than the two Konoha ninja, everyone else was an ordinary person and not worth worrying about. However, they had been asked to capture one person alive. To avoid any accidents, he would handle it personally.

However.

Just as he took a few steps forward and prepared to dart over and wipe out Urabe Daisuke and the others, his gaze suddenly froze.

He abruptly turned to look to the right.

There!

For some reason, the three ninja who had previously attacked Feng Ye had suddenly frozen around him. They remained motionless, clutching their kunai as though they had been turned to stone!

At some point, a white short blade had appeared in Feng Ye's hand, its edge emanating a pale white glow.

"It seems you didn't hear what I said."

Feng Ye spoke blandly to Urabe Daisuke. "You concealed important intelligence, and a situation beyond the scope of the commission has arisen. The commission fee must now be increased, and the commission rank raised. Otherwise, this commission will be considered void."

Thud! Thud! Thud!!

As Feng Ye's words fell, the three Stone Shinobi frozen around him toppled over one after another like wooden stakes.

A closer look revealed an extremely clear line of blood between each of their brows, stretching all the way to the tops of their foreheads!

"..."

Huoguang's pupils contracted sharply.

They were dead!

All three were dead, in just an instant!

How could this be?!

Among the three who had attacked Feng Ye were two Genin and an elite Chunin. Even he would find it difficult to kill all three in a single instant!

Just as Huoguang's expression changed, a series of bangs came from the other side.

When he glanced over, he saw Might Duy in his green bodysuit, his entire body enveloped in green light as powerful, surging Chakra fluctuations radiated from him.

The three people who had attacked Might Duy were all sent flying backward, blood spraying from their mouths. Cracking sounds even came from inside one of their bodies, and it was impossible to tell how many bones had broken.

"This..."

Urabe Daisuke was stunned.

The three ninja attacking Feng Ye had died in an instant, while the three attacking Might Duy had been blasted away and defeated on the spot within moments. Faced with a situation completely beyond his expectations, his mind went blank for a moment.

Only when Feng Ye's somewhat cold gaze pierced him did he suddenly snap awake. After his initial shock, he finally reacted, and a flicker of delight appeared in his eyes.

Strong!

Very strong!!

These two Konoha ninja, whom he had thought were nothing special, were unexpectedly absurdly powerful!

Once he recovered, he did not hesitate. In an extremely tense voice, he immediately replied to Feng Ye, "C-change the commission requirements! Raise the commission rank to A-Class, and increase the commission fee to five hundred thousand ryo! Protect all of us!!"

"...Understood."

Feng Ye slowly withdrew his gaze and held the White Fang horizontally before him. Looking coldly at Huoguang, the Iwagakure Jonin, he said, "I accept your proposal for a temporary change to the commission."

Huoguang stared at Feng Ye and said coldly, "Genjutsu? You really fooled me. I never expected a Konoha brat like you to possess such strength... But now that I know your methods, it will be impossible for you to catch me with them again."

To kill his three team members instantly without giving them any chance to resist was most likely a small-scale genjutsu, one that had been prepared for a long time before being unleashed in a lethal strike.

He had initially thought there were only two Konoha ninja and that there was no need to take them too seriously. They had not even made a deliberate ambush or surprise attack, instead charging out head-on as soon as they were discovered.

The current situation was a grave mistake on his part.

Three ninja were dead and three more seriously injured. The strategic failure would ultimately fall on him, the Jonin leading the team, and he would be punished upon returning to the village. To make up for his error, he had to kill the two Konoha Genin before him and complete the commission without a hitch!

Clap!

The next instant.

Huoguang brought his hands together before him and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Earth Style! Earth Spear!!"

Rumble!!

In an instant, the ground shook as though an earthquake had struck. More than ten earthen spikes pierced upward from below, targeting the area directly in front of Huoguang and attacking Feng Ye and Might Duy.

"Senior Duy, protect them."

With the White Fang in hand, Feng Ye leaped through the gaps to evade the earthen spikes and charged at Huoguang, the Iwagakure Jonin, while speaking to Might Duy.

Bathed in green Chakra light, Might Duy's hair stood straight up, veins bulging at his temples. He replied with an imposing tone, "Leave it to me!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

The next instant, Might Duy's figure flashed. He appeared beside Urabe Daisuke, grabbed two people, and threw them across the river, avoiding the Earth Spear attack.

Seeing Feng Ye charge at him head-on, a cold gleam flashed through Huoguang's eyes.

He could not even read the situation in circumstances like these, yet he still dared to charge at him alone. Sure enough, no matter how extraordinary his strength was, he was still just a brat.

In Huoguang's view, Feng Ye had to be dealt with first. Might Duy was clearly a Taijutsu specialist, and he did not want to fend off Might Duy's Taijutsu while enduring Feng Ye's "genjutsu" interference. Feng Ye charging at him now was practically handing him an opportunity.

Without any hesitation, Huoguang gave a low shout, and the hand seals changed again.

"Earth Style! Earth River!"

As he formed the seals, he opened his mouth and spat out a river like a mud swamp that surged toward Feng Ye, intending to completely restrict his movements.

Feng Ye was currently in midair after evading the Earth Spear. Just as it seemed he had nowhere to gain leverage and was about to fall into the mudflow, he remained utterly calm and formed hand seals with one hand.

Shadow Clone Technique!

Poof!

A Shadow Clone instantly appeared beneath him, supporting the feet of his original body with both hands before forcefully pushing him upward. The clone itself fell into the mudflow below and dispersed into smoke.

Using the Shadow Clone for an aerial assist, Feng Ye's figure became a phantom that traced an arc through the air. He descended in front of Huoguang, bringing the White Fang in his hand down in a slash.

Slash!

Huoguang's body was split in two in an instant, but no blood spilled out. Instead, it crumbled into brown earth.

It was a Stone Clone!

"I'm an Iwagakure Jonin... brat!"

Huoguang's voice came from behind Feng Ye. His figure emerged from underground, two Sleeve Blades extending from his sleeves and flashing with chilling light as they suddenly slashed toward Feng Ye's back!