You Explode, I Explode

"To be able to defeat Sumoshi at such a young age, and with seemingly little effort at that... Konoha's geniuses are not to be underestimated."

"However, it's a shame, you've reached your limit!"

The Explosion Release Ninja, Gari, let out a cold laugh.

Falling into his hands, this brat can't really be considered wronged.

"Who needs to talk to you!"

Qingye didn't waste any words. The Tachi in his hand flashed with lightning, and he charged forward with a fierce slash.

It was still the Uchiha Style: Lightning Sword.

"This is, Sharingan?!"

Gari was about to counterattack when he suddenly caught a glimpse of the scarlet glow in Qingye's eyes. His heart tightened, and he immediately averted his gaze.

At the same time, his Explosion Release Chakra concentrated on his right arm, and a fierce ball of chakra was unleashed directly.

"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"

Gari shouted, not daring to look directly at Qingye's Sharingan. He didn't dodge the incoming Tachi and instead threw a terrifying punch directly at it.

BOOM!

The punch missed, and the Explosion Release strike detonated in mid-air.

This is troublesome!

After Qingye narrowly dodged that attack, his heart sank.

The Explosion Release Ninja Gari truly lives up to his reputation as a renowned elite Jonin of the ninja world. Even at my full charging speed, he was able to react instantly.

Not only did he avert his gaze to dodge my Sharingan Genjutsu, but he also counterattacked with Explosion Release simultaneously, forcing me to abandon my previous slash.

If I had landed that blow, it's uncertain if I could have killed Gari, but I would have definitely been severely injured by the explosion.

The Iwagakure Ninja from the nearby outpost could arrive at any moment. If I were heavily injured here, I wouldn't be able to escape.

"So, you're a genius from the Uchiha clan."

Gari chuckled, licking his lips, his gaze towards Qingye filled with covetousness. "And a three tomoe Sharingan at that. Selling you to the bounty exchange would fetch at least twenty million Ryo!"

Twenty million Ryo!

Even for him, that was the reward for at least a dozen S-rank missions.

"Heh!"

Qingye couldn't help but laugh.

This guy is actually thinking of selling me.

Twenty million Ryo?

Not even one Ichi, who is he underestimating!

Qingye began forming hand seals with a swish-swish-swish. "Your fifty million, I'm taking it today!"

"?"

Gari on the other side was stunned.

Fifty million?

Isn't that my bounty at the underground exchange?

This Uchiha brat actually knows... Could he also be a regular at the underground exchange?

While he was lost in thought, Qingye finished his Ninjutsu, and a large net shimmering with blue arcs of electricity lunged towards him.

"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"

Gari still didn't dodge, repeating his previous move. A powerful explosive punch met the lightning net head-on, shattering it.

"Explosion Release: Earth Tremor Fist!"

Explosion Release Chakra surged into his arms. He slammed both fists into the ground beneath his feet, and continuous explosions spread towards Qingye.

Qingye swiftly retreated, forming hand seals as he moved. His chest puffed up, and scorching Fire Release Chakra spewed out, forming a fire dragon over ten meters long that lunged towards Gari.

Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

This was also Qingye's strongest Fire Style Ninjutsu he had mastered so far.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"

Gari's reaction speed was equally swift. He cast Earth Style: Earth Wall to temporarily block the fierce fire dragon.

Seeing the fire dragon about to break through the earth wall, Gari followed up with an Explosion Release punch, blasting apart the earth wall in front of him. The terrifying explosion, along with the shattered earth, scattered the fire dragon behind it!

"..."

Qingye panted slightly. This time, I'm really in trouble.

Facing Gari, a ninja with Explosion Release abilities on the level of an elite Jonin, the opponent's combat experience, reaction speed, and adaptability were not at all inferior to his own.

Even if he had a slight advantage in speed, the opponent simply refused to engage in close combat!

Furthermore, the Explosion Release Ninjutsu the opponent specialized in was a Kekkei Genkai fusing Fire and Earth Release. His own Lightning Release's counter effect was greatly weakened!

"Qingye, the enemy's reinforcements are arriving soon!"

Hyuga Himon, who was also engaged in a fierce battle on the other side, suddenly shouted. Abruptly, a trickle of cold sweat slid down his forehead. "What a terrifying Chakra reaction! That person... it's Kitsuchi!"

Kitsuchi, the highest commander on the Iwagakure battlefield, had actually come in person!

"Kitsuchi?!"

Qingye's expression changed.

This was definitely not an opponent he could handle with his current strength!

If he was delayed until Kitsuchi arrived, he wouldn't be able to escape then!

Gari, upon hearing the news, looked regretful. "So Kitsuchi is coming. What a shame, I was planning to hide your corpse and sell it to the underground exchange for some cash."

That twenty million Ryo was now gone.

However, this troublesome Uchiha brat was truly difficult to deal with.

After a few rapid exchanges, he still couldn't do anything to the opponent!

"Die for me, Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Qingye let out a roar, forming hand seals rapidly.

Gari sneered, thinking what use a mere Great Fireball could be. He prepared to clash head-on with Explosion Release: Landmine Fist, but then he saw that after Qingye finished his hand seals, he didn't cast any Ninjutsu at all.

Instead, he pulled out a stack of Explosive Tags, nearly an inch thick, from his ninja pouch!

Seeing the stack of Explosive Tags thrown over all at once, Gari's expression immediately changed. Was this kid crazy? Explosive Tags aren't meant to be used like that!

That stack must have had nearly a hundred tags?!

"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"

His full-power attack forcefully blocked the earth-shattering explosion of the Explosive Tags. Gari was also shaken by the shockwave, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"It's not over yet!"

Qingye pulled out a scroll from his ninja pouch and unsealed it.

Bang!

A full ten stacks of Explosive Tags!

Explosion Release, huh? Explosions, huh?

If you explode, I explode too. You use Explosion Release to blast me, and I'll blast you to pieces with a sea of Explosive Tags!

Gari's face turned green!

Seeing Qingye toss stacks of Explosive Tags one after another as if they were free, Gari completed his Ninjutsu release at the fastest speed of his life.

"Earth Style: Multiple Earth Style Wall!"

Earth walls rose one after another. Almost simultaneously, the Explosive Tags, in units of a hundred, detonated!

The thick earth walls trembled violently. Gari could only brace himself with his hands on the ground, constantly replenishing layer after layer of earth walls.

Suddenly!

With a crack, the earth wall in front of him split open!

A lightning spear directly pierced through the Multiple Earth Style Wall. The dazzling blue light reflected on Gari's astonished face as the lightning spear went straight through his body.

"This, this is..." Gari coughed up blood violently, his eyes wide.

This damn brat actually mastered Lightning Release Ninjutsu of this caliber, piercing through his Multiple Earth Style Wall in a single blow?!

"Lightning Release: Shadow Clone, my strongest Lightning Release Ninjutsu right now." Qingye rushed from behind and stabbed Gari through the heart with his sword.

Watching Gari close his eyes with unwillingness, Qingye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It cost him five hundred Explosive Tags, but these fifty million Ryo were finally his.

Immediately after, Qingye didn't dare to delay for a second. He rushed to the other side and quickly finished off the remaining Iwagakure ninja, shouting instructions, "Kurenai, you go blow up the stronghold. Himon, confirm the enemy's locations and prepare to retreat!"

"Understood!" Yūhi Kurenai sprinted towards the stronghold on the mountaintop.

"Yes!"

Veins bulged in Hyuga Himon's eyes as he utilized the far-seeing ability of his Byakugan to its fullest.

"Enemy reinforcements are coming from both sides!"

"Huh, wait, who's that over there too?"

Hyuga Himon looked towards a certain spot in the southwest. "Who is that? Their movement direction is opposite to ours. They've gone underground, is it Earth Style... wait, where did they go?!"

The Chakra reaction from the south that was receding, after the person's body submerged underground, the Chakra reaction had simply vanished into thin air!