Women Are Such a Hassle

"You've already made your move, yet you're still hiding in the woods, preparing for a sneak attack?"

"Gentlemen and lady of Kumogakure."

In his black-and-white vision, two chakra silhouettes behind a tree trunk in the distance were clearly visible.

"A sturdy black man and a beautiful lady."

"Is this how you people from Kumogakure say hello?"

"..."

The only response was dead silence.

There was no movement in the woods; even the chirping of birds and insects had vanished.

Playing the expert by staying silent, are we?

Hyuga Qinglan narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the soreness radiating from every part of his body.

The time was still too short; his body simply couldn't handle it.

But fortunately, it was just one chunin, one chunin whose chakra approached the jonin level, and a woman who barely reached the jonin tier.

He would leave the woman to the Ino-Shika-Cho, and the rest could be handled with the Gentle Fist...

Thinking of this, Hyuga Qinglan pulled out a kunai and, leaving behind a single sentence, charged forward.

"Luyan, protect the Son of the Daimyo."

"Understood."

Although Nara Luyan was somewhat amazed by Qinglan's speed, he knew the urgency of the situation. He exchanged a glance with the other two; years of coordination meant they didn't need words to understand each other's intentions.

The three shifted their feet, quietly shielding the Son of the Daimyo in the center to form a triangular defensive formation.

"Why is it another black man..."

There was still a tremor in the voice of the Son of the Daimyo. His gaze swept over the guards who lay dead or wounded everywhere, then landed on the black man not far away whom Hyuga Qinglan had kicked into a pit.

It was the same last time.

A black man claiming to be a bandit from the Land of Fire had brought a group of lackeys to rob him.

It happened again this time, and they were even more brazen than the last.

They had tried to grab him right from the start.

Thinking of this, the fear in the heart of the Son of the Daimyo was suppressed by a surge of anger.

"Luyan, are you confident? It would be best if you could capture them alive..."

"..."

The corner of Nara Luyan's mouth twitched, and he almost lost his composure.

This isn't like the black man from last time, Your Highness.

That was a bandit, but these are genuine Kumogakure ninjas.

He complained silently in his heart, but his expression remained calm and indifferent.

"We will do our best..."

"No problem, good luck!"

The Son of the Daimyo quickly ducked back into the sedan chair and ordered the remaining guards to tighten their defensive line.

"What a drag..." Nara Luyan muttered under his breath, but his eyes remained fixed, not daring to relax for a second.

"Timon, watch out!"

Yamanaka Santian suddenly opened his eyes wide, his pupils constricting as a roar shattered the silence.

"On the right!"

"Swish!"

A cold light flashed suddenly.

The sharp whistle of a blade tearing through the air arrived almost simultaneously with the sound, as a blade wrapped in Lightning Release chakra aimed directly for Akimichi Timon's neck.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique."

Akimichi Timon's reaction was not slow at all.

His right hand swelled several times in an instant, and he raised his forearm guard, forcibly blocking the katana wrapped in lightning.

"Zzzzt--"

The burnt smell of flesh being scorched by electric arcs instantly filled the air, and white smoke rose from the point of contact.

But before Timon could do anything, the woman's figure suddenly transformed into lightning, channeling the electricity along the blade and into Timon's stout body.

"Ahhh..."

Timon was caught off guard by the shock.

But it wasn't over yet; the real Shaziyi appeared from the side, wielding her blade with both hands, and slashed toward the exposed side of Akimichi Timon's neck.

Before the blade even arrived, the sharp pressure of the strike had already carved a shallow groove into the ground.

At the critical moment.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu."

Nara Luyan formed the Rat seal with his hands, sweat beads rolling down his cheeks.

"Success."

"Squelch!"

The dull sound of a blade slicing through skin was jarringly loud in the silent forest.

The moment blood sprayed from the wound, it was cauterized and sealed by the high-temperature Lightning Release chakra.

Charred black scabs and bright red blood mingled together, a shocking sight to behold.

"I thought you weren't going to care about your companion?"

Hyuga Qinglan sheathed his blood-stained kunai, calmly assumed the starting stance of the Eight Trigrams Palm, and looked placidly at the two dark-skinned ninjas opposite him.

"Before saying that, you should take a look at your own companions!"

The dark-skinned ninja in better condition sneered, his gaze sweeping coldly toward the Ino-Shika-Cho trio behind Hyuga Qinglan, who were being suppressed by Shaziyi.

He reached out to steady his companion, whose breathing was slightly ragged.

"Druid, can you still fight?"

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, their Lightning Release chakra faintly resonating between them.

"Dekai, I can still fight."

Druid gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain of the Lightning Release chakra burning at his wound.

"Although I don't know why you possess Lightning Release Armor, what I do know is that not only will you die here, but your companions will die too!"

As the words fell, both men erupted with chakra simultaneously.

Blue lightning surged forth from their bodies once more.

In the next instant, the two moved like bolts of lightning, attacking from the left and right.

Hyuga Qinglan activated his Byakugan, carefully observing the direction of their assault.

Unlike the broad and powerful Nintaijutsu of Cloud Village, his movements were light, almost ethereal.

Every time the Cloud Village brothers were about to strike him, he would drift like a falling leaf in the wind; it looked perilous, but he was actually in complete control.

"Is this guy using us to practice his moves?"

Shock appeared once again on Dekai's dark face.

If being able to use Lightning Release Armor could be considered luck, then remaining calm and composed while under the pincer attack of two brothers—and even having the spare capacity to practice—wasn't just a matter of luck.

It could only mean that Konoha had produced another... genius!

"He must be nipped in the bud!"

Dekai gritted his teeth, a flash of determination crossing his eyes.

"Even if it means dying here!"

His chakra surged again, the blue lightning almost engulfing him entirely, his hair standing nearly on end.

Even though his body could only barely maintain the initial stage of Lightning Release Armor.

For the sake of ensuring Konoha wouldn't produce another Namikaze Minato.

For the sake of his boss being able to restore the glory of Cloud Village...

Even if it meant death, he would not hesitate!

"Lariat Elbow Strike!"

The two brothers unleashed their ultimate technique almost simultaneously, carrying the momentum of a thunderbolt as they struck down at Hyuga Qinglan from two directions.

"Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation."

Purple chakra suddenly erupted, forming a rapidly spinning circle of absolute defense around his body.

The moment the brothers' ultimate techniques collided with it, it was as if they had struck a wall of solid bronze; an irresistible force sent them flying backward.

Rotation?!

He even knows this?!

Dekai was sent flying into mid-air by the chakra, his body tumbling; the pain in his body was nothing compared to the turbulent waves in his heart.

His pupils constricted sharply as he watched Hyuga Qinglan strike out with a palm.

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm."

A purple shockwave of chakra whistled through the air, flying straight toward Druid.

"Druid!"

The moment the words fell, Druid was sent flying by a single palm strike, his already severely wounded body suffering another fatal blow.

Fresh blood traced an arc through midair.

Bang!

He finally collapsed limply to the ground, silent and motionless.

"You're next."