"There are many Konoha Ninja, so naturally, some of them have rather odd personalities..."
With two test subjects in hand and his spirits high, Kazeka kindly explained to Huangshi:
"So don't judge all of Konoha by the actions of a few individuals!"
"Men are just so damn ugly!"
Unlike Kazeka, Hinata, now possessed by the spirit of a delinquent heiress, looked at Kiba with utter disdain:
"Someone who does something so disgraceful, with a head full of filthy thoughts about dog girls, is beyond saving.
I'm actually considering whether I should put him out of his misery myself!"
"Hinata, quit sneering at me from the sidelines..."
Maybe the drug still hadn't worn off, or maybe Akamaru's behavior had gotten Kiba worked up.
For once, he talked back to Hinata:
"Ninja will do whatever it takes to win. Biting someone a few times is no big deal. As for Akamaru, I'm mainly worried that..."
Kiba stubbornly raised his chin:
"Akamaru's still so young. He shouldn't be doing anything that extreme. Of course..."
Halfway through, Kiba's expression suddenly turned lecherous:
"That dog girl Akamaru transformed into earlier was just too cute.
I really don't want him doing something that would sully himself!"
"Kazeka, can you keep Huangshi occupied on your own for now?"
Hinata looked even more annoyed:
"I want to get rid of this piece of trash right now!"
"Let's deal with that after we take Huangshi down..."
Kazeka tried to stop Hinata:
"Huangshi's more valuable for research. I'd still like to keep him in one piece if possible. Kiba..."
Kazeka looked over at Kiba, who was cuddling Akamaru and petting him nonstop:
"Quit fooling around and get over here to help.
Otherwise, I'll run another experiment on Akamaru and make sure he can never transform again!"
"Kazeka, you wouldn't dare!"
"Hm?"
"I'm coming to help!"
"Judging by the way you're acting, you seem to think you've already got me beat..."
Even in the middle of a fight, Kazeka and the others had time to joke around. Their easygoing manner made Huangshi's expression even darker:
"I only wasted so much time because I wanted to pull those two useless fools, Zhenyou and Guqi, out of trouble.
If they can't get their act together, then they can't blame me for leaving them behind..."
As he spoke, Huangshi took a hit each from Kazeka and Hinata, then put five or six meters between himself and them.
His hands flashed through Hand Seals. By the time the three of them closed in again, his legs had already begun sinking into the earth!
"This is the jutsu I'm most proud of: Earth Release: Earth Dragon's Journey.
It lets me move freely underground and makes me immune to most attacks. Even a Jonin won't be able to do much about me in a short time!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Huangshi disappeared completely into the ground. Hinata looked grim, while Kiba shouted furiously:
"Damn it, he got away! He's a Chunin, yet he has no fighting spirit at all!"
"I'm a Jonin backing you up here. Of course he'd run..."
Kurenai Yuhi, who'd been watching from the sidelines, jumped down from the tree:
"Well, little ones, that's what being a ninja is like.
You pressed your opponent at every turn with your Genin-level skills, but you failed to capture him. That means the mission failed.
Still, doing this well in your first real battle is impressive. I'll take it from here..."
Kurenai Yuhi rolled her wrists:
"A mere Chunin thinks he can escape right in front of me? What a joke..."
"Teacher, you don't need to step in just yet..."
Kazeka didn't look disappointed that the mission had failed. On the contrary, his face was full of scorn:
"He's a Chunin, yet he didn't notice me setting something up during the fight.
For someone like that to think he can escape is just wishful thinking!"
As he spoke, a mound of earth suddenly bulged up in the distance.
A moment later, Huangshi burst out of the ground and shouted at them:
"I am Huangshi! Retreating is a lifelong disgrace! I may be defeated, but I will never back down!"
"Whoa..."
Kiba stared at him in surprise:
"Something's off about him. Just now, he was so pleased with himself for escaping. Why is he suddenly acting so fired up?"
"He could've gotten away, but instead he came back to get himself beaten up. Huangshi's a loser, but he can't be that stupid..."
Hinata frowned and looked at Kazeka:
"What did you do to him?"
"It's a weakened version of a battlefield stimulant..."
Kazeka perked up immediately at the mention of his experiment:
"You've all heard of the battlefield stimulant I designed, which is already being used in the village.
It reignites the fighting spirit of ninja on the battlefield who've lost the will to fight. This potion is a failed product from one of my experiments.
It doesn't make a ninja any stronger, but it boosts their fighting spirit to an absurd degree.
It makes them ignore all danger. Even a Genin would charge headlong into battle against all Five Kage gathered together, or a Tailed Beast capable of laying waste to the world!"
"So basically, it makes people lose all sense of how outmatched they are, turning them into idiots who'd charge even the Five Kage?"
Kiba's eyes widened in astonishment:
"Kazeka, your potion really is something else!"
"And that's not even the strangest part..."
Kazeka continued:
"The effects come and go, so it has a major drawback.
We need to seize the chance and make sure this guy doesn't escape!"
"So you're Kazeka, huh? You really are a terrifying guy. I'll remember you. Next time we meet, I won't let you off so easily..."
Just how troublesome Kazeka was had taken Huangshi completely by surprise.
He couldn't understand how a Genin like Kazeka had managed to get the better of a Chunin like him.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He'd just emerged from the ground in front of Kazeka and the others, and the next moment, he turned and fled again.
But as soon as he sank beneath the earth, his mind suddenly went hazy. When he came to, he was back where he'd started.
Then, against his will, he shouted:
"The wound on a ninja's back is a disgrace; a warrior's grave should face the enemy!"
Huangshi: "...Σ(°△°|||)︴"
"Don't just stand there. Attack!"
Huangshi was still completely bewildered, but Kazeka, who'd been ready for this, struck without hesitation.
Five or six scalpels shot through the air, leaving three wounds on Huangshi as he scrambled to defend himself!
After taking attacks from Kiba and Hinata, Huangshi regained control of his body. He shouted a couple of threats and fled again.
Less than a minute later, Huangshi came bursting out of the ground in the same spot, shouting, "Better to die standing than live fleeing!"
Kiba and Hinata attacked Huangshi with strange looks on their faces. Under the effects of Kazeka's potion, Huangshi couldn't even manage the most basic counterattack!
Watching Huangshi get attacked again and again, run away, burst back out of the ground, and then get attacked all over again,
Kurenai Yuhi marveled at how powerful Kazeka's potion was, while murmuring to herself:
"This looks just like whack-a-mole at an arcade!"
Before you continue