Enemy's Humiliating Self-Destruction

In the Leaf Forest, at the base of a thick, sturdy tree, a Chunin named Kyuukawa Takuya was enduring the intense pain radiating from his thigh.

Fortunately, even though the agony was almost unbearable, he hadn't passed out. He just needed a moment to adjust to the pain. Once he did, even without his legs, he was determined to eliminate the brat who had subjected him to such endless humiliation. Hearing the other's clearly "brave words hiding fear," Kyuukawa Takuya immediately let out a sinister grin.

"Kid, you're finally out of options, aren't you? You're resorting to lies. I've already eradicated your potion from its roots; where would any side effects come from?"

"That's right, Zhou Duan. You've forced him to cut off his own legs..."

Nawaki watched Kyuukawa Takuya charging at them, his voice trembling slightly. While the guy wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, Nawaki knew that the rage of a ninja forced to sever his own legs was something he couldn't handle at his current level. "Do you have any other battle plans? I don't think he's lying. Look at his legs; they've already stopped bleeding... Holy crap!"

Nawaki's shock was understandable. As he looked, Kyuukawa Takuya's legs, which had been severed, were regrowing bone and flesh, exhibiting the effect of regenerating lost limbs!

The intense pain in his legs hadn't lessened; it had only worsened. Furthermore, due to the swelling of his newly grown legs, Kyuukawa Takuya was dragged down, falling to the ground once more in mid-air. He looked back and saw that in just a few seconds, his legs had swollen even more, reaching a terrifying thickness of three meters!

Feeling his legs regrowing, cold sweat broke out across Kyuukawa Takuya's back without him even noticing. He swallowed involuntarily and then, his gaze uncontrollably shifting towards Zhou Duan.

"I told you this potion had another side effect, didn't I, Nawaki? You've been on my team for so long, and you still doubt me... honestly..."

Zhou Duan glanced at the shocked gazes of the four people around him and waved his hand dismissively.

"Swiftness Potion's Despair Four Laws, Rule Four: Once the potion takes effect, no physical method can undo its effects. Conversely, after using a physical method, new lost body parts will grow, and they will grow faster and swell to a larger size. Physical methods include, but are not limited to, cutting, crushing, and tearing!"

After hearing Zhou Duan describe the potion's effects, the four present were silent for a long time. Nawaki, who had experience with tree pruning, trembled as he spoke, "Zhou Duan, are you a devil?"

"Ah, don't worry about the details. Potions aren't inherently good or bad. As long as your heart is just, nothing else matters. Besides..."

Zhou Duan looked at Kyuukawa Takuya opposite him. "Our opponent hasn't given up yet..."

BOOM!

Zhou Duan's words were cut short as a blinding red light suddenly flared from Kyuukawa Takuya's position. Then, a powerful explosion's shockwave impacted in all directions, sending countless rocks and broken branches flying. A fierce gust of wind swept Zhou Duan, Water Gate, Hundred Palms, and Nawaki away.

The explosion caused by a Chunin was too powerful. It only began to subside after five minutes. A crater five meters in diameter appeared where Kyuukawa Takuya had been standing. All trees within a sixty-meter radius were uprooted, revealing bare earth!

"That was quite something..."

Zhou Duan pushed aside a piece of broken wood pressing on him and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "I guess that's what you get from a Chunin. Even though he was in a sorry state, he managed to self-destruct without us noticing a single disturbance, while retaining most of his strength. What a fleeting ninja. I thought he'd last a few more times!"

"No, in this situation, I think self-destructing is more satisfying!"

Hundred Palms emerged from the dirt pit, his lips trembling. "I've heard of ninjas who cut off their legs to continue fighting, but a ninja who endlessly cuts off his own legs without achieving revenge... I don't think any ninja could do that. Although it was a self-destruction, and it was humiliating, this was his best and final effort!"

"Ding! Given that the researcher defeated the opponent using a potion, and the potion's effect accounted for over eighty percent, the system has issued a new mission!"

Before Zhou Duan could retort, the long-absent system voice sounded again.

"Sharp weapons and powerful ninja beasts are ultimately external forces; only one's own solid strength is the foundation for controlling everything. To test whether the researcher has been slacking off during this period, the system issues a mission: Forbidden Ninjutsu!

Forbidden Ninjutsu makes one powerful. A Chunin at the brink of weakness reached the level of a peak Chunin with the help of Forbidden Ninjutsu. However, this fundamentally destroys their foundation, causing them to lose their sanity and become monsters that only know how to kill.

To assess the researcher's strength, the system's mission requirements are:

1. Eliminate the Sand Ninja who used Forbidden Ninjutsu or render them incapable of fighting! 2. Ensure no team members die! 3. The researcher must account for over fifty percent of the damage dealt to the Sand Ninja; the higher the damage, the better the reward!

Additionally: The target is less than five hundred meters from the researcher!"

"There's something going on..."

The sudden mission objective from the system made Zhou Duan instantly vigilant. However, before he could speak, Hundred Palms, who had been using his Byakugan to scout during their post-battle rest, spoke up.

"A ninja is flying towards us from the northwest sky at extreme speed. His Chakra is incredibly violent and very dangerous. Everyone be alert!"

"Not good!"

Before Hundred Palms could finish, Zhou Duan's gaze had already shifted to the northwest. In just a few blinks, the opponent had rapidly closed the distance from a small black dot in the distance to fifty meters away. Moreover, this ferocious-looking individual, with bloodshot eyes, was staring at him with a bloodthirsty expression. His hands were constantly forming hand seals, clearly the prelude to releasing a jutsu!

With no time to think, Zhou Duan threw a kunai with an Explosive Tag attached straight towards the enemy's eyes. Then, he directly shouted, "Scatter!" and grabbed Nawaki by the collar, fleeing desperately into the distance.

BOOM!

Another explosion sounded, a roar no less powerful than Kyuukawa Takuya's self-destruction. Large chunks of broken wood and earth were blasted into the sky. The ground where Zhou Duan's team had just been was plowed again!

Perhaps blinded by Zhou Duan's attack, after releasing his ninjutsu, the enemy didn't continue to scout or stand still waiting. Instead, he continuously unleashed ninjutsu in all directions. And right under his nose, a small dirt mound suddenly cracked open!

"Seriously, do all ninjas love digging holes now? If you've got that kind of skill, go plow a field, you damn idiot!"

Zhou Duan grumbled as he sat up from the dirt, pushing Nawaki off him. "Hey, is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine!"

Hundred Palms crawled out from under a tree trunk. "A bit battered, but not injured!"

"I'm fine too!"

Water Gate flashed out from behind a rock:

"The aftershocks were blocked by the rocks!"

"That's good!"

Zhou Duan breathed a sigh of relief:

"That explosion was no small feat. It would have been troublesome if anything had happened to you!"

"Hey, Captain, they're fine, but I'm not!"

Nawaki, who Zhou Duan had used as a shield against the explosion, shakily stood up. His back was covered in small wounds from flying debris, and his clothes and pants were practically in tatters. Two sharper pieces of rock had pierced his buttocks, one on each side. As soon as they were pulled out, accompanied by a trickle of blood, Nawaki's eyes welled up with tears from the pain:

"Using me as a human shield, you're really not human!"