Struggle Intensifies!

Struggle Intensifies!

Although it wasn't a genuine Desert Eagle, a kunai fired from such close range still had tremendous penetrating power.

If Uchiha Han hadn't instinctively raised his hand to block it, Aoba was confident that the attack would have pierced straight through his head instead of merely blinding one of his eyes!

After firing the kunai provided by the system, Aoba immediately gritted his teeth and climbed to his feet. Then he staggered toward the three kunai Uchiha Han had thrown onto the ground at the start.

In a head-on confrontation, there was no way he could defeat a genuine Chunin in his current state.

Uchiha Han had suffered such severe injuries partly because he had been too careless, and partly because he hadn't expected Aoba to be hiding such a weapon.

He had only suffered such a huge loss because he had been caught off guard!

Once he recovered from the pain and brought out his true strength, Aoba would have little chance of surviving.

So, in order to keep himself alive, Aoba had no choice but to ask him to die!

Three meters, two meters, one meter...

Almost there!

Aoba desperately reached for the kunai stuck in the ground. As long as he could reload, he would have the means to launch another counterattack.

But at that moment, a shadow instantly enveloped him.

Aoba's heart tightened and alarm bells rang in his mind. He abandoned the seemingly within-reach kunai and leaped desperately to the side.

The very next second after he jumped away, a figure descended from above and slammed a fist into the ground!

It was Uchiha Han, who had recovered somewhat from the intense pain!

If Aoba hadn't dodged in time, that punch would have been enough to beat him to death!

Clearly, after suffering an injury and losing an eye, Uchiha Han's hatred for Aoba had completely clouded his mind.

What Hokage? What clan leader's orders? He had thrown them all to the back of his mind!

There was only one thought in his heart now: he wanted the other man's life!

Seeing Aoba dodge his attack yet again, Uchiha Han, already enraged and humiliated, began forming hand seals without a second thought.

Snake—Horse—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger...

Although the injury to one hand had greatly slowed his hand seals, his intense anger and hatred still drove him to complete them bit by bit.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

In his fury, Uchiha Han not only used a ninjutsu—he unleashed it with all his might.

A huge fireball roared toward Aoba!

To be honest, whenever Aoba had watched someone use this technique in anime in his previous life, he had always felt that it was slow, easy to dodge, and only moderately powerful.

But now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he was horrified to discover that the technique he had once thought was "slow and easy to dodge" was something he truly couldn't evade, because it covered far too large an area!

This C-rank ninjutsu—the level that Chunins could learn—was indeed not powerful enough to lay waste to the heavens and earth, but he could genuinely feel the threat of death!

If I'm hit head-on... I'll die!

This thought suddenly surfaced in Aoba's mind.

He desperately ran backward. If he could only make it into the house, perhaps he could rely on Inferior Self-Healing Body and Hardening to narrowly survive.

Yes, even in such a desperate situation, he hadn't given up hope of living.

Besides, such a huge commotion had erupted in the residential district, and even a C-rank ninjutsu had appeared. If he could stall for a little longer, someone would surely come to investigate.

As long as he held out until then, even the Uchiha Clan would surely not dare attack him again.

I can do this!

Aoba encouraged himself as he leaped toward the window, his face twisted with strain.

He could already feel the intense heat behind him. There was even a faint smell of something burning.

At this life-or-death moment, an angry shout suddenly rang out!

"Water Style: Water Colliding Wave!"

Water gushed out like a waterfall and instantly surged toward the enormous fireball. Both were C-rank ninjutsu with opposing natures, so the only factors determining their strength were the users' abilities and the amount of chakra they possessed!

Clearly, the newcomer was far stronger than Uchiha Han!

The Water Style: Water Colliding Wave, unleashed later but arriving first, almost instantly drowned Uchiha Han's Great Fireball. Vast amounts of steam billowed in all directions!

By then, Aoba had already rushed into the house. Only after seeing that someone had saved him did he finally relax the tightly wound string in his mind, collapsing weakly onto the floor.

If no one had come by then, he would really have begun doubting Konoha's response time.

"Who are you?! The Uchiha Clan is handling business—how dare you interfere?!"

Seeing the attack he had been certain would succeed blocked by someone else, Uchiha Han began howling arrogantly under the banner of the Uchiha Clan, as if he had lost his mind!

Perhaps the Uchiha name really could frighten many people away, but it certainly didn't frighten the newcomer.

"Hah! The Uchiha? What an impressive tone! A mere Chunin dares openly attack a civilian, and a child at that. Even if your Uchiha clan leader were here, I'd still dare arrest you on the spot!"

The newcomer was none other than Jonin Mikawa, who had sensed the disturbance from nearby and rushed over immediately!

What he hadn't expected was to arrive just in time to see someone from the Uchiha Clan trying to kill Aoba, even using ninjutsu!

Although he was only a Special Jonin, although he was merely Aoba's guardian in name, and although he was also a civilian shinobi, he still wasn't afraid of the Uchiha Clan's influence!

"Good, very good. Now even any random nobody dares bare their teeth at my Uchiha Clan. I want to see what you think you can do to me!"

But just as he finished speaking, four or five more figures landed nearby. Among them were ordinary shinobi as well as Uchiha who had come to investigate the situation. After all, the Uchiha Clan also shouldered the duties of the police force, and matters involving public order generally fell under their jurisdiction.

"What happened? Your eye... Who did this?!"

Seeing members of his clan arrive to investigate, Uchiha Han's confidence grew a little stronger.

But when asked about his blinded eye, Uchiha Han's face twitched several times. He couldn't bring himself to explain what had really happened. Otherwise, these clansmen might not necessarily help him, since he had acted on his own.

Thinking of this, he no longer wanted to make the matter any bigger. However, his arrogant nature made it impossible for him to admit defeat or soften his tone. He could only stare straight at Mikawa and ask coldly, pretending to be "tough," "So, what now? Do you still want to keep fighting?"

Mikawa merely snorted. Without wasting words, he immediately began forming hand seals, answering with his actions: Did the other side think this matter could end just like that?

No chance!

Seeing that the other side was preparing to fight at the slightest disagreement, the Uchiha who had arrived later naturally refused to back down. They certainly weren't going to abandon their clansman, either. Without another word, they drew their shuriken, while some began forming hand seals as well.

Just as this internal conflict within the village was about to reach its climax, two figures wearing animal masks suddenly appeared between the two sides. Each blocked one side and shouted, "Lord Hokage has ordered both sides to stop immediately! Everyone is to be taken back!"

P.S. It's a new day, everyone has more votes in hand again. How about sending some my way to show your support? Also, my signing status has been successfully changed. Old Faceless shamelessly wants to ask for some tips. Wait, Old Faceless seems to have no face...

Ahem, none of that is important!

What Old Faceless wants to say is that there are so many great authors on the new-book rankings. How about we go and blow up the great authors' rankings together? How about it? How about it? How about it?

Finally, thanks to Tan Shen6 for the 1,000-reward tip, MiSS Flower Car for the 500-reward tip, and book friend 20171022184630497 for the tip.