The Distressed Chunin

Perhaps it was the sudden onslaught of animals that caught the Sand Ninja off guard, or perhaps the animals' "mad" behavior drove this Sand Ninja insane. As a fellow Genin, to try and fight a Hyuga ninja in close combat within a confined dark space, one could only say this Sand Ninja was thinking far too much!

"Eight Trigrams Gentle Fist!"

"Eight Trigrams Two Palms, Four Palms, Eight Palms, Sixteen Palms!"

The sudden darkness did not cause Hyuga Hyakusho to panic. The Byakugan's unique trait allowed him to clearly pinpoint the enemy's location even in the deepest darkness. Close-quarters combat was Hyuga Hyakusho's specialty. Moreover, the numerous beatings he had inflicted on Nawaki these past few days had boosted his confidence to its peak. In essence, the enemy Genin had completely played into Hyuga Hyakusho's strengths!

Accompanied by a fierce battle cry, the Sand Ninja had barely adopted a fighting stance before Hyuga Hyakusho landed all his attacks squarely on the Sand Ninja!

As the final palm strike landed, the earthen structure, lacking further Chakra support, crumbled. It revealed a slightly breathless Hyuga Hyakusho and the enemy Sand Ninja, who had already breathed his last.

"Wind Style—Body Flicker Technique!"

"Wind Style—Piercing Wind!"

Unlike Hyuga Hyakusho, who was thrust into combat passively, Namikaze Minato had already cast two ninjutsu on himself from the moment he engaged the Sand Ninja. Combined with his agile footwork and the constant harassment from the animals, he launched a swift surprise attack on the Sand Ninja. Minato's attacks were straight, wielding a kunai, he would strike and retreat with each slash, never giving the opponent any chance to counter!

Minato's relentless assault instantly covered the Sand Ninja's body with countless wounds. As blood rapidly drained, the Sand Ninja inevitably experienced a moment of dizziness. It was precisely this moment that Namikaze Minato accurately seized!

"Leaf Hurricane—Five-Point Slash!"

With a low shout, Namikaze Minato spun five times around the Sand Ninja, each rotation delivering a fierce slash. His left arm, right leg, chest, lower back, and the final blow was a deep cut across the Sand Ninja's throat!

The Sand Ninja's corpse fell from the tree to the ground. Minato took a few short breaths. Though the battle seemed complex, it hadn't lasted very long. Minato steadied his breathing and exchanged a glance with Hyuga Hyakusho, who had just finished his own fight nearby. They nodded in unison.

Compared to their own relatively easy battles, Zhou Duan was tying down the enemy's strongest Chunin. In this world, the gap between a Chunin and a Genin was almost a chasm. Facing them, even if not an instant kill, was not far off!

Even with the animals causing chaos, a single misstep could lead to certain death. He had to hurry and help!

The Chunin's strength was overwhelming; standing and fighting head-on was suicidal. Even Zhou Duan, acknowledged as the strongest in their squad, had to resort to a hit-and-run, kiting tactic. Fortunately, the commotion caused by the animals chasing Zhou Duan was immense. The tracks left behind were obvious to anyone with eyes!

Namikaze Minato and Hyuga Hyakusho hurried towards their target. Upon arrival, they were met with a scene that left them dumbfounded!

"Tsk, tsk. To think that as a human, you'd incite animals to do such beastly things. Truly a disgrace to humanity!"

"Hmph. Sand Ninja opposite, if you casually found a female to do such dirty deeds, I might let it slide. But you actually seduced a whole pack of male animals? Do you have any dignity as a male?"

"Oh my, I didn't expect this. As a pursuing Chunin, you should be considered someone of importance. To resort to venting your frustrations on animals, how unpopular must you be with human women!"

"Sand Ninja of the Land of Wind, don't listen to them. At least I admire your courage. Love that transcends gender, and across all species within the Leaf Village's domain. You'll practically go down in the annals of the ninja world!"

Deep within the dense forest, a once somewhat open grassy area was now occupied by a large number of animals. The mid-level Sand Ninja from the Land of Wind stood in the center of the clearing, desperately defending against the "enthusiastic" welcome from all directions. He occasionally unleashed wide-range ninjutsu to buy himself a moment's respite. Surrounding him were five Ninja Turtles, each with a diameter of five to six meters and prominently domed shells, forming a tight blockade. And those crude remarks, severely testing the mid-level Sand Ninja's nerves and pushing him to the brink of collapse, were precisely coming from these five lewd-looking Ninja Turtles with vulgar expressions!

"I think I'm seeing a fake Chunin!"

Perched on the branch of a large tree, Hyakusho stared blankly at the enraged Chunin in the center of the field. He turned to Minato, who was equally stunned, and said:

"Minato, are even Chunin struggling this much now? He's a Chunin, for goodness sake. He should have dozens of ways to escape this situation!"

"Escape? How can he escape? Don't you notice?"

Minato, whose mental fortitude was considerably stronger than Hyakusho's, observed carefully and finally discovered the root of the problem. He pointed to the Chunin in combat:

"He has a massive wound on his right leg. His entire right leg is incapacitated. And judging by the blood flowing from the wound, it's not red but greenish, meaning he's been poisoned. And it's a potent poison. It's already impressive that he can stand on the ground right now, let alone move. What I'm truly puzzled about is how Zhou Duan managed to injure a Chunin this badly. Even with the obstruction of a group of creatures, he shouldn't have been hit so easily?"

"No, this guy gets hit easily!"

Zhou Duan, who had been observing and harassing from the sidelines, approached them. He pulled out a Ninja Turtle with a mouth full of sharp teeth:

"I was the one fleeing, so it was incredibly simple to summon a dozen Ninja Turtles and place them along the escape route!

With so many animals surrounding him, if I had attacked directly, he would have retaliated instantly. But encountering Ninja Turtles, which are also animals... he fell for it easily!"

Hyakusho and Minato nodded, accepting this seemingly absurd but, upon reflection, quite plausible explanation. Then, Hyuga Hyakusho asked the question that had been troubling him:

"Zhou Duan, what kind of potion are you using? Why haven't I ever heard of it? Why are the animals chasing these Sand Ninjas like they're on an overdose? And why are the three squads of Sand Ninjas who retreated unaffected?"

"Of course, you haven't heard of it!"

Zhou Duan smiled with satisfaction:

"You see, this is a potion I developed myself. Although it's the product of a failed experiment and has severe limitations, its powerful effects cannot be denied. Furthermore, I've even summarized its detailed pharmacological characteristics. I call it..."

Zhou Duan looked at the scene unfolding in the field, a result of his potion, and a twisted smile of a mad scientist spread across his face:

"The Hormone Potion Golden Three Laws!"