The Ruthless Fear the Reckless, and the Reckless Fear Those Who Risk Their Lives

In the dim forest, light struggled to penetrate, making it impossible to see figures more than ten steps away.

A black shadow suddenly flashed past, and with a thwip, a blade entered flesh.

"First one down, easy!"

The bones in Tōka's palm snapped with a crack, and he shoved the corpse in front of him away.

However, Tōka in the darkness didn't notice that the "corpse's" wound wasn't disintegrating into scraps of paper.

Crack, crack, crack!!

The sound of mechanical joints moving reached him, and Tōka's senses screamed danger. He quickly used a Substitution Technique to dodge.

With a snap, the substitute log was instantly cut into two pieces.

"Puppet Master?!" Tōka felt his whole body go cold. Puppeteers were exactly who he least wanted to deal with!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

Two other Jonin immediately dropped down, forming a triangle with the humanoid puppet to trap Tōka in the middle.

"Brat, that strange Ninjutsu you used earlier, was that your ability?" the headscarf-wearing Jonin stared at Tōka with icy eyes, asking in a low voice.

"Something like that." Tōka's eyes darted around, searching for a way to break through their encirclement.

"Enough talk, just kill him!" the scarred Jonin growled.

The Puppet Master hiding in the shadows couldn't wait any longer and struck first.

"Puppet Technique: Poison Rain Needles!"

Click!

The humanoid puppet's mouth opened, revealing a finger-thick mechanism. The dark opening, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, shot a barrage of needles towards Tōka.

Countless senbon turned into a rainstorm, shing, shing, shing, flying towards Tōka.

Each senbon was coated in a deadly poison, potent enough to kill!

Sand Ninja Puppet Masters considered poison techniques a mandatory subject alongside Puppet Techniques; a Puppet Master who couldn't make poison wasn't a qualified one.

The Poison Rain Needles attacked, covering everything, an indiscriminate assault.

"Scatter!" the headscarf Jonin's face changed, and he quickly shouted.

The scarred Jonin moved simultaneously, his figure flickering as he vanished from his spot.

The senbon rained down like needles, completely engulfing the space within ten meters, their rapid whistling piercing the eardrums.

Tōka's body tensed, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Chakra gathered in his palms, and two sections of bone shot out from them.

His hands moved rapidly, a blur of motion that blocked all the senbon.

For Tōka, who diligently practiced Taijutsu, blocking the rain of senbon wasn't difficult.

"We're not done yet, brat!" the headscarf Jonin's gaze turned cold. He took a deep breath, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

The headscarf Jonin exhaled the compressed air in his chest, forming a whirlwind that surged towards Tōka.

Although Great Breakthrough was a C-rank Ninjutsu, its power was not to be underestimated when used by a Sand Ninja Jonin.

Let alone a single person, it could even blow away a giant boulder.

"One after another, this is getting troublesome!" Feeling the powerful wind pressure approaching, Tōka's expression darkened. It was too late to use a Substitution Technique.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough wasn't strong in terms of attack power, but it was incredibly fast.

In the span of a thought, the whirlwind appeared before Tōka.

"In that case, I'll go all out!" Tōka gritted his teeth, glancing at the Slug in his arms. This young master has Tsunade, the great healer, to patch him up, what am I afraid of?!

Thump!

Tōka stomped his foot down forcefully, Chakra surging madly towards his right leg.

"All-Killing Ash Bones: Earth Spear Stab!"

With a thwip, an arm-thick bone erupted from the ground, directly in front of the headscarf Jonin's diagonal path.

The headscarf Jonin, thinking Tōka would be swept away by the whirlwind, was about to pursue when he ran directly into the bone erupting from the earth.

"Careful, you absolutely cannot touch that thing!" the scarred Jonin quickly warned.

It wasn't just Ebizo's repeated warnings to the Sand Ninja; the scene at the camp just now still echoed in the minds of the three.

The terrifying sight of a hundred-meter radius bone forest, devoid of any life, made their scalps tingle.

The headscarf Jonin naturally knew this too. Gritting his teeth, he used all his might to twist his body and fall to the side.

Suddenly!

"Tsk, ganging up on one feels good, huh?"

A mocking voice came from above the headscarf Jonin's head. He looked up in terror, only to see Tōka, who should have been ten steps away, suddenly appear right in front of him.

"How..."

Thwip!

The Ash Bones sank in, and life was extinguished.

Tōka sneered, "You don't even know the Shadow Clone Technique? I really don't know how you became a Sand Ninja Jonin."

Tōka didn't have much Chakra, and he didn't usually use Shadow Clones, but that didn't mean he couldn't.

As the number one cheat technique in the ninja world, it was also the first advanced Ninjutsu Tōka learned.

"This brat is so strange! No wonder Lord Ebizo repeatedly warned me to eliminate him while he's still in the cradle!" A cold sweat trickled down the scarred Jonin's forehead.

Feeling the terrifying aura of the All-Killing Ash Bones again, the scarred Jonin's heart was filled with the urge to turn around and run.

He would rather face two Konoha Jonin than fight Tōka!

Kala kala!~~

The humanoid puppet had fewer concerns and flew straight towards Tōka.

Buzz!!

A pair of deep, pitch-black pupils suddenly appeared behind the Puppet Master, the infinitely expanding pupils exuding an incredibly evil aura.

"Gulp..." The Puppet Master, hiding in the shadows, swallowed nervously.

He knew he had fallen into a Genjutsu! He just didn't know when it had happened!

The black pupils became clearer and clearer, and the surrounding outlines gradually formed Tōka's appearance.

"Release!" The Puppet Master quickly formed hand seals, wanting to break the Genjutsu. In his opinion, he was just a seven-year-old kid, so his Genjutsu couldn't be that powerful!

However...

After the technique, there was no change.

Those pitch-black pupils still lingered deep in his mind.

"What? Can't break it?" Tōka flashed behind the Puppet Master and sneered, "I hate Puppet Masters so much, how could I not put in some effort?"

This was a Genjutsu Tōka specifically developed to deal with Puppet Masters!

Although the Puppet Master's true body was hidden in the shadows, as long as he wanted to attack Tōka, his gaze would not leave Tōka's body.

"Genjutsu: Bone-Grasping Technique!"

Falling for it was simple. It was based on the principle of Genjutsu Traps. As long as the Puppet Master saw Tōka perform the Genjutsu, it would trigger.

However, this was a Genjutsu specifically targeting Puppet Masters. Others who saw Tōka's Genjutsu movements would not fall for it.

"Actually, breaking the Genjutsu is also extremely simple..."

Tōka's voice grew colder, his hand already pressing on the Puppet Master's carotid artery.

"Unfortunately, I won't tell you!"

Puff!

The Ash Bones sank into the carotid artery. No blood flowed out. The Puppet Jonin's vision darkened, and he lost his life force. His body turned into paper scraps and scattered on the ground.

In just one encounter, only one of the three Sand Ninja Jonin who pursued Tōka remained!

"Hoo!~~" Tōka let out a long breath, a deep weariness showing on his small face.

"Slug, you should have visual sharing, right? I was being chased by three Jonin, and you didn't call for help?" Tōka hid in the shadow of a large tree and poked the Slug in his arms unhappily.

It was soft and sticky.

A slug, as expected...

So disgusting...

"Young Master Tōka, Lady Tsunade said she believes in you," the Slug said, looking up at Tōka.

It had a very cute voice, but it was a slug.

Tōka's mouth twitched, and he turned away, no longer looking at it. And Tsunade actually said she believed him!

Could such a thing be accomplished with just belief?

The opponents were three Jonin, not three heads of cabbage!

After complaining unhappily for a bit, Tōka calmed down and focused his attention back on the scarred Jonin.

Among the three Sand Ninja Jonin, only this one was a true Jonin.

The other two were only at the Special Jonin level. Otherwise, they wouldn't have fallen for it so easily.

"Although the Genjutsu and the All-Killing Ash Bones didn't consume much Chakra, that Shadow Clone used up half of my Chakra!"

Thinking about it made Tōka's heart ache.

If he had used half his Chakra for Bone Bullet rapid fire, it would have been like wielding two Gatling guns and sweeping for three minutes!

Even steel plates would have been pierced!

Just as Tōka was contemplating his strategy, a strong gust of wind suddenly attacked from behind.

"Found you, brat!" The scarred Jonin, despite not wanting to face Tōka, had to kill this brat! Even if it cost him his life!

Boom!

A heavy punch, no fancy moves.

The fist was wrapped in powerful wind-style Chakra.

The fist cut through the air, visibly creating wind blades.

"Nature transformation?!" Tōka jolted, flipping backward. At the same time, he shot out three bone bullets, not aiming to hit, but to force a retreat!

Who would have thought...

This time, Tōka miscalculated!

A ruthless expression appeared on the scarred Jonin's face, his eyes filled with absolute determination.

"Don't underestimate me! Brat!"

From the moment his comrade was instantly killed, the scarred Jonin had made up his mind. He would kill this brat, even if it cost him his life!

WHOOSH!!

An even more ferocious Chakra erupted. The scarred Jonin squeezed power from every part of his body, concentrating all his strength into the heavy punch of his right hand.

THWACK THWACK THWACK!!

The three bone bullets hit the scarred Jonin's body precisely.

At the same moment, that terrifying heavy punch unreservedly smashed into Tōka.

BANG!!!

Tōka felt a terrifying force surge through his chest, as if he'd been crushed by an armored tank. Four of his ribs snapped instantly.

His bones pressed against his heart, and he opened his mouth, coughing up a mouthful of blood mixed with shredded flesh.

"Tōka-kun!" the Slug cried out in alarm, quickly activating a healing jutsu. Fluorescent light emanated from its body as it rapidly began to mend Tōka's injuries...

Tōka's body arced through the air like a blood-red streak, spraying blood across the ground.

Then, with a crash, he slammed into the trunk of a large tree, his body twisting unnaturally before snapping back and falling to the ground.

"Cough! Cough..." Tōka's face turned a deep purple. He saw the scarred Jonin's eyes in his final moments.

Calm, content, without a trace of fear of death.

This guy... was a true ninja!

And a true lunatic!

"Tōka-kun, don't move around!" the Slug said, seeing Tōka try to struggle to his feet. "I'll set your ribs first."

With his All-Killing Ash Bones, Tōka's physical defense was almost unmatched.

Despite his delicate appearance and slender build, he was an incredibly strong tank.

Otherwise, Tōka wouldn't have been Kai's sparring partner.

However, facing the desperate final attack of a Jonin empowered with wind-style nature transformation Chakra, Tōka's chest was instantly caved in.

"They're all lunatics!" Tōka cursed inwardly, but he didn't dare move again. Even the slightest movement sent him gasping in pain.

Fortunately, the injuries, though severe, were not fatal, thanks in no small part to the Slug.

However, this forest was no longer safe. Tōka could almost hear the clashing of Kunai nearby.

"Tōka-kun, don't worry. Lady Tsunade already knows about your situation and is sending an elite squad." The Slug seemed to sense Tōka's concern.

Tōka blinked, indicating he understood.

But he didn't really trust any so-called elite squad. Who knew how long they would take to arrive.

Life was safest when held in one's own hands.

Tōka's eyes darted around, warily scanning their surroundings.

"How long until I can move?" Feeling the pressure on his chest lessen and his breathing become smoother, Tōka asked.

"Tōka-kun, don't rush. The injuries are very serious. It will take at least ten more minutes." The Slug never lied, and it was giving him the fastest estimate.

Hearing this, Tōka's expression darkened.

Ten minutes?

He'd died countless times on the battlefield in that amount of time!

And that was just to be able to move, not to be ready for combat!

"No, ten minutes is too long. We could be discovered by Sand Ninja at any moment." Tōka shook his head. It would be fine under normal circumstances, but this was a battlefield!

"Slug, heal my ribs first, then stop the pain."

Tōka wanted to be able to move as soon as possible. He could also use the Mystical Palm Technique with the Slug to heal his internal injuries.

Because of his broken ribs, Tōka dared not move recklessly, fearing the bones might pierce his internal organs. Even moving his fingers sent cold sweat pouring down his face.

At the very least, he could place his hands on his chest and use the Mystical Palm Technique in conjunction with the Slug's healing, which would be much faster.

"Tōka-kun plans to heal himself?" The Slug, as Tsunade's summon, naturally knew Tōka's basic information.

"Yes." Tōka nodded.

"Alright, I'll be as quick as I can..." As the Slug finished speaking, the bioluminescence all over its body intensified.

Tōka suddenly felt a warm sensation spread through his chest...

Rustle rustle...

A sound of wind blowing through leaves echoed through the forest, the leaves rubbing together to create that unique rustling noise.

Suddenly!!

The Slug, which was in the process of mending Tōka's ribs, became alert. Its entire body swelled up, expanding by a whole circle like a balloon.

"Who's there?!" Tōka glared sharply, but saw four dark figures streaking through the forest directly towards them.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!

The four dark figures landed, encircling Tōka.

"Don't worry, we're here to protect you!" one of the bearded ninjas said with a harmless expression.

A flicker of doubt crossed Tōka's eyes. Since when did Konoha ninjas have this kind of efficiency?

Hadn't Tsunade just dispatched an elite team?

The bearded ninja approached with a smile as he spoke.

However, the Slug clinging to Tōka's ribs suddenly struck, spraying a stream of highly corrosive acid from its mouth directly at the bearded ninja.

"Tōka-kun, they weren't sent by Lady Tsunade!" (To be continued)