A Bitter Chill-Frost Sky Cold Dragon Torrent!

As the saying went, "The squeaky bird gets the bug." Nawaki's aggrieved little voice and resentful eyes did draw Zhou Duan's gaze. After glancing at Nawaki, who looked "pitiful, wronged, and helpless," Zhou Duan said:

"Since everyone's fine now, let's get ready to fight!"

Nawaki: "..."

"Don't push it!"

Nawaki flew into a rage.

"Zhou Duan, are you seriously not going to say anything?"

"Shut up, Nawaki!"

Hundred Palms sighed from nearby.

"I saw what happened just now. When Zhou Duan shouted for us to scatter, you were still standing there like an idiot. If Zhou Duan hadn't yanked you away, you'd have been blown to pieces. Anyway, Captain..."

Hundred Palms looked at Zhou Duan.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

It was no wonder Hundred Palms had asked. Zhou Duan looked absolutely wretched. His desperate sprint and the shock of the explosion had reopened the wounds beneath his bandages. Nawaki had shielded him from the secondary impact with a layer of wood and dirt, but that hadn't been enough to stop the bleeding. And Zhou Duan had been covered in wounds after his fierce one-on-one fight with Kyuukawa Takuya. He looked like a walking bloodbath.

"I'm fine. Remember, I'm a Medical Ninja. I know my injuries inside and out. These are minor wounds—they won't even leave scars. The real problem is that guy above us!"

Zhou Duan pointed overhead. Water Gate, Hundred Palms, and Nawaki looked up, their expressions turning grave.

The ninja hovering above them was of average build. The damaged Forehead Protector hanging at his waist marked him as one of the Sunagakure ninja who had been pursuing the supply team. The strange thing was the pair of hand-shaped wings protruding through the back of his clothes. They were keeping him airborne.

Even more horrifying, through his torn clothing they could make out three extra mouths on his body: one on each shoulder, and a third on his chest.

The three mouths opened and closed without pause, unleashing ninjutsu of different natures one after another.

"This is troublesome. He must have used a Forbidden Ninjutsu!"

Water Gate furrowed his brow.

"Those mouths can unleash ninjutsu of different natures: Fire Release, Wind Release, Lightning Release, and Water Release. That alone isn't frightening. What is frightening is that, even though he seems berserk and mindless, sometimes two mouths use the same technique. He doesn't seem capable of deliberately combining them, but sooner or later they'll end up doing it by chance, and the result will be powerful. Worse, I've watched him unleash ninjutsu like a madman for ages, and he's shown no sign of running out of Chakra!"

"That's true, but it's not hopeless..."

Zhou Duan narrowed his eyes.

"I injured his eyes with my Explosive Tags. And we've been here for a while without him noticing us, so his hearing must be damaged too. Either I injured it in the explosion, or his own ninjutsu damaged it. Besides, if he's gained something, he must have paid a price. With Chakra reserves that seemingly endless, his body may well have a weakness. Water Gate, it's up to you..."

Zhou Duan glanced at Water Gate. Water Gate immediately understood. With a flick of his hands, he gripped four Kunai in each. His eyes narrowed, and the eight Kunai traced different paths through the air, colliding in what seemed like a haphazard jumble. But they bounced apart and shot toward various vital points on the Sand ninja.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Eight crisp metallic impacts rang out. Water Gate's Kunai struck the Sand ninja, but every one of them bounced off. He might have been an ordinary chunin, but after using the Forbidden Ninjutsu, not only was his Chakra abundant—his body had become as hard as metal!

"This is getting troublesome!"

Zhou Duan watched the Sand ninja look down at them in response to Water Gate's attack and narrowed his eyes. Things weren't as they'd first seemed. The Sand ninja hadn't been attacking blindly because his eyes were injured. Zhou Duan's Explosive Tags had obstructed his vision, and when the blast ended, the smoke had hidden Zhou Duan and the others from him. His mind in disarray, the Sand ninja had started attacking aimlessly. Now the smoke had cleared, and Zhou Duan had exposed their position to him. Even with his thoughts utterly jumbled, the Sand ninja's bloodlust could still tell him what to do!

"Water Gate, Hundred Palms, Nawaki—ordinary attacks won't work. Use the fourth strategy..."

Zhou Duan downed a vial of medicine. The bleeding from his wounds stopped at once, and his spirits lifted a little.

"Hundred Palms, provide support. This time, I'll be at the center!"

"Understood!"

"Got it!"

"Right!"

As soon as he spoke, Zhou Duan, Water Gate, and Nawaki began forming Hand Seals. By the time the Sand ninja, mind in chaos and reason gone, reacted, the three of them had finished.

"Combined Ninjutsu: Dragon Flame—Sage Art: Goemon!"

Thanks to Zhou Duan's relentless training of Nawaki, and to Zhou Duan and Water Gate deliberately slowing their Hand Seals, the three of them finally unleashed their ninjutsu in sync!

Nawaki's Hand Seals were slow, but his attack was nothing to sneeze at. He spat out clump after clump of earth, each like a cannonball, straight at the Sand ninja in the air.

The Fire Release from Zhou Duan's mouth coated the earth projectiles almost the instant Nawaki launched them, searing them red-hot and multiplying their power.

Water Gate's Wind Release followed right behind. In the blink of an eye, it swept over the fire-wreathed earth projectiles. Rather than extinguishing the flames, the wind intensified them and sped up the projectiles' momentum!

"Boom!"

A blinding red flash and a deafening roar followed. The Sand ninja's clothes burned to ash. Though he was still airborne, the heat clinging to his body and the tiny burns covering him made him howl in agony!

On the road transporting supplies, Zhou Duan and the others had only practiced a small-scale Combined Ninjutsu to avoid exposing the cargo. They'd only discussed the powerful version in theory. But judging by what they were seeing, there was no question that both their coordination and the technique's power were impressive.

"Roar!"

The pain from Zhou Duan and the others' attack drove the Sand ninja into a frenzy. After taking a ninjutsu hit without warning, he finally reacted. All four mouths opened at once, each beginning to gather an attack of a different nature!

Fire Release and Wind Release came first. The second Fire Release and the Water Release came a moment later, canceling each other out. But the first Fire Release and Wind Release combined into a ninjutsu, and a huge, searing tornado of fire came crashing down on the four of them!

"Nawaki and Hundred Palms, take the lead! Get ready to use ninjutsu!"

"Right!"

Water Gate, Hundred Palms, and Nawaki answered in unison. Nawaki frantically formed Hand Seals at lightning speed. By the time the Sand ninja unleashed his attack, all four of them had finished their ninjutsu.

Thousand Miles of Cold Water—cold enough to take lives. The four of them unleashed a river brimming with countless icicles, surging upward with overwhelming force to meet the fiery tornado!

"A Bitter Chill—Frost Sky Cold Dragon Torrent!"