Swiftness Potion

"We'd better pick up the pace! I successfully used a Swiftness Potion on the Sand Shinobi. Their movement speed has increased by at least twenty percent!"

In a forest in Konoha, Zhou Duan was fleeing alongside three teammates. He warned them, and even though the three trusted him deeply, they still stumbled when they heard what he'd done. Nawaki, the most hotheaded of them, couldn't hold back and shouted, "Zhou Duan, have you lost your mind? If you're desperate to turn the tables, shouldn't you have used the Swiftness Potion that boosts speed on us?"

"Don't panic. When have I ever been stupid enough to boost an enemy's strength for nothing? This potion has a side effect!"

Zhou Duan glanced over his shoulder. The smile at the corner of his mouth reminded Water Gate, Hundred Palms, and Nawaki of the Hormone Potion he'd used on their enemies not long ago.

"Water Gate, Hundred Palms, Nawaki, keep an eye on what's happening behind us. As soon as you hear the Sand Shinobi scream, turn around and each pick a genin to kill as quickly as possible. I'll hold off their chunin. Once you're done, come help me. Nawaki, use the second plan I specifically told you about!"

"Understood!"

They were curious about what kind of potion could make their enemies scream, but Zhou Duan's Hormone Potion had been so effective that they'd gained a general idea of his style. Seeing the same expression he'd worn when using it, the three obeyed without hesitation.

And Zhou Duan didn't disappoint Water Gate, Hundred Palms, and Nawaki. Just five seconds after they answered, three screams and a muffled groan—clearly suppressed, but filled with pain—rang out behind them.

"Time to turn the tables! You Land of Wind Sand Shinobi punks, I've been putting up with you for—holy crap!"

Hearing the expected screams, Water Gate and Hundred Palms immediately turned and charged into battle. Nawaki charged back with his kunai, yelling at the top of his lungs. But when he saw what was behind them, the usually impetuous Nawaki was the first to shout "Holy crap!" in admiration of Zhou Duan.

Water Gate and Hundred Palms weren't as stunned as Nawaki, but they were still aghast. It wasn't their fault—the sight behind them was simply too bizarre. The four Land of Wind Sand Shinobi had stopped chasing them and were struggling to stand on one leg. To ease the pain, they'd each dropped the weapon in one hand and were rubbing their left legs, which had swollen to a meter in diameter!

"Leaf Weapon Secret Technique—Riot Feast!"

Though Water Gate was shocked by the enemies' condition, the opening wouldn't last. He was stunned for less than a second before sweeping his arm out. More than ten Shuriken flew from his hand in every direction, not only blocking every escape route for the opposing genin but also sending five straight toward vital points on the Sand Shinobi's bodies!

Water Gate followed close behind, charging with a Kunai in hand. Like an antelope leaping across the moon, leaving no trace, and like quicksilver pouring across the ground, finding every gap, he darted through the spaces between the Shuriken, becoming a streak of shadow that flashed along the Sand Shinobi's body!

In a single exchange, Water Gate had inflicted several deep, bone-revealing wounds on the Sand Shinobi, who was wracked with pain and unable to move freely. He paid special attention to the man's unwieldy left leg, opening several long gashes in the unnaturally swollen thigh. The leg, already agonizing from Zhou Duan's potion, was injured again. Even the Sand Shinobi's formidable will couldn't keep him from crying out.

Yet Water Gate showed no mercy. A bloodthirsty smile surfaced as he stamped hard on the Sand Shinobi's crotch to prevent him from making a desperate counterattack. The Sand Shinobi let out a despairing howl. While the man was too overcome with pain to fight back, Water Gate gripped his Kunai and struck the final blow, plunging it deep into his heart!

"Damn brat, die!"

Compared with Water Gate's decisive response, Hundred Palms was clearly a step slower, and his opponent was a little stronger than Water Gate's. The Sand Shinobi dropped his long sword, endured the pain, and moved both hands in a blur. A storm of Kunai, Shuriken, and Explosive Tags came hurtling toward Hyuga Hyakusho!

"Eight Trigrams Defense Method—Rotation!"

Though he hadn't yet learned Rotation, the powerful defensive ninjutsu, even its lesser version was enough against projectiles thrown by a Sand Shinobi of genin rank. After batting away the last Shuriken, Hundred Palms took a long look at his opponent clutching his crotch in pain. Once he was sure the man could barely move, Hundred Palms began forming Hand Seals from a distance.

"Water Release—Water Bullet!"

A large amount of Chakra gathered in his chest, then Hundred Palms spat it out all at once. Countless fist-sized water balls hurtled toward his opponent with a sharp whoosh. In an instant, the spot where the Sand Shinobi had taken cover was pitted with countless basin-sized craters!

"Argh!!!"

As a member of the Sand Shinobi's harassment squad, the genin certainly had good evasive instincts. Just as Hundred Palms' attack reached him, he instinctively leaped hard to the right. But he focused only on dodging Hundred Palms' attack, forgetting in the crisis that his left leg had become a liability. His futile dodge failed and wasted the last moment he had to defend himself. In the end, the Sand Shinobi did his utmost to avoid a fatal blow, but Hundred Palms' Water Bullets still smashed four or five gruesome wounds into his body!

"An opening!"

The agony wracking the Sand Shinobi not only left him in terrible pain but also greatly weakened his defenses. Hundred Palms didn't let the opportunity pass. He directed the remaining Water Bullets at the man and followed close behind, hands spread into palms, Chakra gathering on them. With a single dash, he was right in front of the Sand Shinobi!

"Gentle Fist Style: Exploding Heart Palm Style!"

In a flash, Hundred Palms' hand struck the Sand Shinobi in the chest. Unlike the usual method of sending Chakra into an enemy's body to damage their meridians, this technique was brutally direct. It paid no attention to the fine flow of Chakra or the positions of the enemy's meridians. It simply slammed a large amount of Chakra into the opponent's chest and detonated it inside!

"Thump!"

The low, muffled sound was the impact of Hundred Palms' Chakra exploding at the Sand Shinobi's heart. It not only stopped the man, who still clutched a Kunai and tried to counterattack through the pain, but also blasted a fist-sized hole through his back, spraying a cloud of blood!