Trailing Fire (Part 2)

Hagane Zhen was forced out of his stealth state in a rather disheveled manner, finally exposed to the enemy's sight once more.

The enemy's self-detonation attack wasn't exactly a wrong choice; the only issue was that the timing wasn't quite accurate. In reality, the best way to deal with the Mayfly Technique was with area-of-effect ninjutsu. No matter how well you hid or how fast you moved, directly smashing you into the ground was the best strategy.

A kunai pierced through the mist, embedding itself in Hagane Zhen's shoulder with a "poof," and blood splattered instantly. Fortunately, the stinging pain in his shoulder instantly cleared his head, which had been muddled by the shockwave of the explosion.

A figure appeared in the mist, the cold glint flashing almost from Hagane Zhen's blind spot.

"Earth Style!"

As he launched his attack, he loudly warned his remaining comrades. In his understanding, Hagane Zhen used some kind of special Earth Style for hiding, movement, and assassination.

Clearly, this hasty judgment transmitted incorrect information to his comrades.

Hagane Zhen lunged forward with his left foot, stabilizing his body that was about to lose balance. At the same time, he engaged his back muscles, twisting and leaning back with his upper body. This allowed him to narrowly dodge the enemy's decapitating strike, but the sharp blade still left a gash on his upper arm.

The enemy flipped his wrist, instantly reversing his grip on the blade. Then, he quickly pulled his arm back. Hagane Zhen could only dodge sideways again, following the direction of the enemy's attack, and narrowly avoided this blow as well.

The cold, flashing blade stimulated Hagane Zhen's senses. His skin felt the chilling aura, which further heightened his focus, his breathing becoming calm and steady.

However, under the enemy's rapid offensive and defensive maneuvers, he ultimately lost his balance. His upper body fell backward, and he could only brace himself on the ground with one arm, thus preventing a fall.

The enemy suddenly kicked him in the abdomen. The immense force sent him flying backward, hunched over.

His back then slammed into a protruding boulder. The impact from behind made him gasp for breath, but he had no time to tend to his injuries and immediately rolled to the side.

Clang!

The short sword in the enemy's hand struck the spot where Hagane Zhen had just fallen. Such a swift follow-up gave him no opportunity to counterattack.

He continuously rolled forward, dodging the opponent's attacks while adjusting his body posture, finally regaining a face-to-face combat situation.

The enemy ninja's attack speed was very fast, and the short sword was sharp, with every strike aimed at the center of Hagane Zhen's torso.

It was clear that this was a ninja skilled in taijutsu, and his dense offensive was intended to separate Hagane Zhen's hands, preventing him from forming hand seals and casting jutsu.

A good idea, but perhaps underestimating him a bit too much. After all, Hagane Zhen wasn't known for his ninjutsu before; what allowed him to hold his ground on the battlefield and survive until now?

The enemy was only a Chunin, completely incapable of stealing another ninja's ability to cast jutsu.

Continuous fierce attacks couldn't maintain a deadly rhythm forever. When the opponent's breathing faltered slightly, Hagane Zhen dodged an attack to the side. Simultaneously, his right hand, hanging by his side, hooked a kunai from his nearby ninja tool pouch. As the enemy switched from slashing to thrusting and advanced again, he suddenly swung the kunai upwards.

Clang!

With a crisp metallic collision, Hagane Zhen used the tail ring of the kunai to hook the enemy's blade. Then, he sharply twisted his wrist, firmly jamming the short sword while pulling in the direction of the opponent's force.

The enemy's short sword flew out of his hand. Hagane Zhen simultaneously released the kunai. The strength of his arm pulled the opponent's body closer. Then, he gathered force in his right leg, raised his knee, and forcefully slammed it into the enemy's abdomen.

The knee strike, capable of causing internal bleeding, hit its mark directly. Blood flowed from the corner of the enemy's mouth, and his legs went weak uncontrollably, causing him to stumble back two steps.

The intense pain contorted the enemy's features. He subconsciously looked up at Hagane Zhen, only to see that his hands were already clasped together, completing the final hand seal:

Fire Style, Will-o'-the-Wisp Technique!

The heatwaves distorted the air. The orange-red flames appeared in irregular clumps of varying sizes, surging forward while trailing different wisps of flame. Although this was a fire technique, its form was more like lifting a basin of water and splashing it out forcefully.

The taijutsu ninja had no room to dodge. In fact, he didn't even react properly before being engulfed by the fan-shaped Will-o'-the-Wisp. Once the potent Fire Style clung to his body, it could no longer be extinguished.

A piercing scream rang out. The Will-o'-the-Wisp intensified its burn upon contact with the human body. In just twenty seconds, the enemy's screams ceased. His limbs still struggled symbolically, but soon, he became like a charred piece of wood, completely consumed by the flames.

Hagane Zhen no longer spared a glance at the eliminated threat and turned his attention to the last remaining enemy not far away.

It was clear that this enemy had intended to rush forward to help his comrade, but the screams and horrific state of his companion made him stop dead in his tracks.

In his eyes, Hagane Zhen's gaze held neither hatred nor anger, no joy or sorrow, only a calm, almost predatory indifference. This was not the look one gave an enemy, nor a friend, but the gaze one reserved for an inanimate object.

Watching his comrades being dealt with one after another in a very short period, and now becoming the target himself, he was just a Genin. He could no longer withstand the suffocating psychological pressure and turned to flee.

However...

Before he could run far, with a crisp "thwip" sound, a kunai pierced his heart from behind.

This ninja was even younger than Hagane Zhen. But... if you don't kill, they kill you.

"What... secret technique... killed the Captain?" Finally, the ninja couldn't help but ask.

It was obvious that the Captain's death marked the beginning of their misfortune. If the Captain's death hadn't been so useless to the battle, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

"Secret technique? No, I'm just using ordinary nin..." Hagane Zhen paused, then after a moment's thought, he changed his wording, "No secret technique. All I use are plain, unremarkable ninjutsu."

The steam generated by the Water Style and Fire Style gradually dissipated. Hagane Zhen's wet hair clung to his forehead, and his clothes were almost soaked through. The battle hadn't taken long, and the overall intensity was moderate, but it had still kept his mind stretched to its limit.

But no matter what, the mission objective was largely achieved. Hagane Zhen took a deep breath, letting the cool, damp air fill his heated lungs.

Next, he had to go support his other comrades.