A Dangerous Situation

In Konoha year 29, Ye Zi was discovered by Orochimaru in an abandoned village in the Land of Water and brought back to Konohagakure. That same year, Ye Zi entered Konoha's Ninja Academy.

In Konoha year 32, Ye Zi graduated from the Ninja Academy and became Orochimaru's student.

In Konoha year 33, tonight, Ye Zi, who had accompanied Orochimaru on multiple B-rank missions, encountered the most powerful enemy he had ever faced. Life was distant, death was near.

The night was deep and silent, the hooting of owls growing closer, like a woman's mournful cry that tugged at the heartstrings.

Bathed in moonlight, the forest was dim, yet bright enough to see a wisp of sharpness descending from the sky, appearing and disappearing in an instant.

Clang!

The sharp sound of metal echoed through the forest.

Sparks flew, reflecting a glint in Ye Zi's dark eyes. His hand, tightly gripping a kunai, trembled slightly but remained unyielding, like a rock. To retreat would mean the gleaming blade would mercilessly slice his throat.

"You can see my blade, that's good, but it's not enough."

Deep within Jiu Xiao's eyes lay an unknown apprehension, yet he seemed enthralled by the thrill of killing a genius. Under constant suppression, after Ye Zi blocked his blade, he would always utter a few words, a stark contrast to his usual indifferent demeanor.

Ye Zi remained silent to Jiu Xiao's every word, or rather, he lacked the energy to speak. As Jiu Xiao said, he could see the lightning-fast movements of his blade and its trajectory from the sky. However, despite years of arduous training that had made his physical condition far superior to others his age, he was no match for a burly adult who also relied on physical prowess.

Therefore, even though Ye Zi could see Jiu Xiao's attacks, his body couldn't support a counterattack. He could only struggle to resist under Jiu Xiao's immense strength and thunderous speed.

He thought he had a chance, albeit a slim one.

However, from the moment their fight began, he realized how naive he had been.

His pride in his physical condition was crushed by the opponent, his boasted chakra control was useless. Facing the enemy's relentless assault, he couldn't even use ninjutsu, only relying on his kunai to block the blade again and again. It was his eyes, which he had never paid much attention to, that became the key to his survival at this moment.

Clang, clang, clang...

Sparks occasionally flashed in the dimly lit forest.

"This brat!"

Seeing his cunning and vicious attacks being deflected time and again by Ye Zi, the apprehension deep in Jiu Xiao's eyes surfaced. Although he considered Ye Zi a rare genius, given the disparity in their strength, he had underestimated Ye Zi slightly. Thus, he hadn't used his full power from the start. While he could still make Ye Zi suffer immensely, he couldn't effectively harm him.

After another clash of close combat, Jiu Xiao, having suppressed Ye Zi with his relentless strength, stared intently at him, his brow furrowed. He said coldly, "I still underestimated you."

Suddenly, to Ye Zi's astonishment, threads of lightning danced and leaped all over Jiu Xiao's body.

He sheathed his blade, then swung!

Lightning flickered, the sharpness imbued with a chilling killing intent.

Ye Zi's pupils contracted sharply; he instantly sensed a significant increase in Jiu Xiao's speed.

"Die, brat!"

A short blade, also flickering with threads of lightning, pierced through the kunai's block and lunged towards Ye Zi's throat.

In his vision, it was as if only the dancing lightning existed. A familiar feeling, etched into his very soul, surged through his entire body.

When had he ever encountered such an unbearable sensation?

Time seemed to stop. The only time he had experienced such a feeling was the one time he had tasted death.

"No!!!"

His kunai was too slow to block the suddenly faster blade, but his body was still a short distance away from the attack, enough time to react.

Slash!

At the last moment, Ye Zi shifted slightly to the right. Jiu Xiao's sure-kill strike only pierced Ye Zi's collarbone.

Enduring the pain, Ye Zi threw his kunai at Jiu Xiao while simultaneously kicking him in the abdomen.

Unexpectedly, Ye Zi had reacted at the critical moment and dodged the fatal blow. Jiu Xiao had no time to be surprised before seeing the kunai flying towards his face. He didn't choose to withdraw his blade; knowing how sharp it was, he intended to twist the hilt, break the bone, and then sever Ye Zi's head. So, he dodged the kunai by turning his head, simultaneously twisting his wrist, preparing to decapitate Ye Zi. But before he could execute it, he felt a force strike his abdomen.

Bang!

Jiu Xiao was kicked flying by Ye Zi, sent backward with the blade still embedded in his collarbone.

Ye Zi clutched his profusely bleeding wound, his eyes becoming terrifyingly fierce at that moment, like a starved lone wolf spotting a long-awaited meal.

"Lightning, Lightning Release...!"

Jiu Xiao, lying on the ground but still crackling with threads of lightning, was reflected in Ye Zi's cold, sharp eyes.

"Can it be used like this...?"

With a low murmur, Ye Zi slowly lowered his head. As a thought arose, it felt as if he could meticulously sense the leaping of every cell in his body.

"So, it can be used like this..."

Jiu Xiao, who had quickly gotten up from the ground, had a cold expression. Although he hadn't landed a killing blow, with his collarbone pierced, he certainly wouldn't be able to withstand his next wave of attacks.

Thinking this, a killing intent flashed in Jiu Xiao's eyes. He looked at Ye Zi, who was lowering his head, and his face, filled with coldness, suddenly stiffened.

"Wh-what?!?!"

He saw an unbelievable sight.

Lightning was now enveloping the brat he had just stabbed!

Screech, screech, screech...

The barely audible sound now exploded in his ears like spring thunder.

"How is this possible!"

He managed to utter this sentence with difficulty, disbelief etched on his face.