The "Passionate" Animals

"Kid, stop running and surrender obediently, and we'll at least leave your body intact!"

"Kid, there are four teams of us. If you surrender now, I can make sure you suffer less before you die!"

Deep within the dense forest, Zhou Duan and Nawaki, along with two others, fled frantically. Behind them, a hail of kunai and shuriken, accompanied by words that chilled the heart, rained down. It wasn't that the pursuing ninjas were being reckless; in such a chase, words could indeed be a form of attack!

"Zhou Duan!"

Nawaki, the first to lose his temper, spoke up:

"Aren't we going to fight yet? Your potions aren't working, did they fail?"

"Captain!"

Hyuga Hyakusho also grew anxious:

"This can't go on. Of the four of us, my talent is the worst. I'll cover your retreat!"

"The situation hasn't reached its worst yet. I won't abandon my teammates unless it's absolutely necessary! And besides..."

Unlike the anxious Nawaki and Hyakusho, the smile on Zhou Duan's lips hadn't wavered since the beginning:

"My potions have already taken effect. Look, the helpers are here!"

"What helpers?"

Water Gate subconsciously asked. It wasn't Water Gate's fault for asking such an ignorant question. Facing a seemingly certain death situation on their first mission, anyone would panic. However, before Zhou Duan could answer, upon seeing what was rapidly rushing towards them, Water Gate almost froze in place, muttering:

"Holy crap!"

What could make the usually calm and collected Water Gate exclaim "Holy crap!" was certainly no ordinary thing. In an instant, a sky-covering swarm of all sorts of animals charged madly towards the Sand Ninjas behind them.

These animals varied in size, from large carnivorous tigers to small insect-catching birds. Almost every creature that could be named in the forest had rushed forward. They differed in species and habits, but the one thing they had in common was the rod-like object held high between their hind legs!

Their eyes were blood-red, their breathing heavy. Even though Water Gate hadn't experienced it himself, he clearly understood—this was a primal desire deeply ingrained in the bones of all animals, passed down through the ages, for one party to go wild on another!

Mitada Kōchū had never been so angry before. Four teams of ninjas were hunting down a single team of Genin, and that team even included four Chunin. What was supposed to be an easy pursuit had turned into a frustrating chase. The opposing brats were like slippery loaches; he had already cast Earth Release ninjutsu to speed up his teams, yet they were still just a little bit short!

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. Given the circumstances, the opposing brats would soon be unable to hold on and be eliminated. However, after the youngest brat on the opposing side released a puff of smoke, everything changed!

A large number of animals, for some unknown reason, went berserk and began attacking their team. The density was so extreme that there was no place to stand!

Faced with this situation, Mitada Kōchū had also cast area-of-effect ninjutsu. However, after casting it, his body seemed to react strangely. The damned animals not only weren't afraid but became even more frenzied!

The other three teams of ninjas had already retreated immediately upon encountering this situation. Their original mission was to destroy supplies; pursuing Leaf ninjas was merely secondary. Wasting so much time chasing a single team of ninjas was simply not worth it!

Mitada Kōchū had also intended to withdraw with the other three teams, letting the brats live. However, after carelessly being attacked by a damned squirrel on his face, Mitada Kōchū could no longer stand it!

Who knows why he let a squirrel climb onto his face, and who the hell knows why a squirrel could attack so quickly? Before Mitada Kōchū could react, the damned squirrel left his face with a look of utter satisfaction!

Searching for a fist-sized squirrel amidst the dense mass of animals to vent his anger, Mitada Kōchū no longer held out hope. He could only wipe his face, grit his teeth, and issue a death order to his subordinates:

"Eliminate the opponents at all costs!"

"My god! Are these guys crazy?"

Nawaki, still fleeing, watched the Sand Ninjas, their eyes red, relentlessly pursuing them even while trapped amidst the overwhelming swarm of animals. He was momentarily awestruck by their ferocity and couldn't help but exclaim:

"It doesn't seem like they need to chase us this desperately, right? After all, the other three teams of Sand Ninjas have already withdrawn. What kind of grudge is this!"

"What grudge? Heh, it's a huge grudge!"

Unlike Nawaki, who was unaware of the reason, Hyuga Hyakusho, who had his Byakugan activated the entire time, had been monitoring the pursuing Sand Ninjas. Seeing their frenzied state, the twitching corner of Hyuga Hyakusho's mouth never stopped. Although he was the one being chased, deep down, Hyuga Hyakusho couldn't help but feel a trace of sympathy for the opponent:

"It must feel terrible to be aggressively attacked by hundreds of animals of different species. Not to mention he was ridden by a squirrel. Not everyone can endure such forbidden love!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nawaki and Water Gate, who instantly understood the meaning of his words, looked at Zhou Duan with entirely different eyes. Water Gate even said seriously to Nawaki:

"Nawaki, be careful when you mess around in front of Zhou Duan from now on, or you won't even die peacefully!"

Nawaki nodded in agreement, but before he could say anything, Zhou Duan interrupted him.

Watching his Sand Ninjas, blinded by rage and choosing to continue the pursuit, Zhou Duan silently made a gesture to Water Gate and the other two. His voice reached everyone's ears:

"Their vision is obstructed, their movements are hindered, and they're agitated. Facing this situation, only one team dares to be so arrogant. It seems it's time to teach them a lesson. Nawaki, Water Gate, Hyakusho, each of you take on one Genin. After you finish, help me deal with that Chunin!"

"Yes!"

This was a combat order, and everyone's eyes became serious. Hyuga Hyakusho, who had been relentlessly training Nawaki for days and was now brimming with fighting spirit, was the first to charge out. Utilizing the advantage of his Byakugan, his senbon, shot through the gaps between the animals, were hurled relentlessly towards the opponent's vital points. Surrounded by such a massive number of animals, the opponent could only be like a stationary target, shot to death!

However, they were Sand Ninjas who had been disrupting supplies and pursuing their team. Even as Genin, they still had some trump cards. Enduring the two senbon that hit his back and left shoulder, the Sand Ninja finally unleashed a C-rank ninjutsu:

"Earth Release—Earthly Death Scene Jutsu!"

A square-shaped earthen house rapidly formed, instantly trapping him and Hyuga Hyakusho together. The Sand Ninja's expression was sinister, wielding a kunai in each hand. While blocking out most of the animals, he and Hyuga Hyakusho were plunged into darkness:

"You brat who only throws hidden weapons from the rear, feel despair in this pitch-black chamber!"

"Even though my talent is poor!"

Hyuga Hyakusho looked at the rapidly darkening surroundings, unfazed:

"But under these Byakugan, nothing of yours will be hidden!"

In response to the requests of many readers, we are now offering a VIP ad-free feature.

Click to view