The endless night was like a black hole, ready to pull Hanyu into it. It was also like wave upon wave of water pressing in on him from every direction, threatening to suffocate him.
Standing alone at the very front of the group, Hanyu felt not lonely, but nervous.
But even though he was nervous, that didn't mean he'd lost his cool or composure. Quite the opposite: his movements from here on wouldn't show the slightest hint of panic... If nervousness led to panic, then there was no doubt that panic would lead to death.
The only thing Hanyu had firmly committed to memory, the only thing he could rely on, was the jutsu Sanshao had just taught him. At this moment, he had nothing to depend on except the knowledge she'd passed on. His only choice was to trust her, so trust her he would.
As the enemy in the darkness took a step forward, Hanyu's hands began to move. He formed the first seal.
His movements were a little clumsy and awkward, but he didn't rush. One seal, then the next.
Normally, they should first determine whether the approaching figures were enemies before deciding whether to attack. But Hanyu could never be that calm. Identifying the newcomers was the job of the people behind him. As long as they didn't call him off, he wouldn't give up the chance to strike first.
The newcomers' actions proved that he'd made the right call. They didn't stop or hesitate, and they offered no explanation. Instead, they charged straight at them with ferocious speed.
At that moment, behind Hanyu, Sanshao's gaze briefly met Kagami Uchiha's and Mitokado Homura's. Sanshao gave an almost imperceptible nod, and the other two understood what they needed to do next.
Kagami Uchiha reached for the ninja tools pouch at his waist, watching Hanyu and the approaching enemy intently, ready to step in at any moment and save the young man.
But could Hanyu really expect anyone to help him during a test like this? He couldn't be sure, so he could only rely on himself.
By the time the enemy started moving, Hanyu had formed half the seals. When they were about thirty meters away, he finished. And then he realized the problem... At this distance, they were probably already beyond the jutsu's effective range. Whatever jutsu he was about to use, it would be difficult to hit them from so far away.
As it turned out, his concern was entirely justified—but also somewhat unnecessary, because the jutsu hadn't worked at all.
Had the technique failed?
Again!
Hanyu gritted his teeth and started forming the seals over, but he still couldn't get it to work.
By then, the enemy at the very front was only ten meters away.
The pounding footsteps of the charging enemy were like a rapid drumbeat, their rhythm growing tighter and tighter. An indescribable bloodlust surged toward him, and in the blink of an eye, a pair of bloodthirsty eyes appeared right before Hanyu.
The man thrust a kunai at Hanyu with one hand. The movement wasn't deliberate, yet it left Hanyu no chance to dodge or evade... Anyone could tell at a glance that Hanyu wasn't even a proper beginner. The enemy could kill him with a casual strike, so he had no intention of stopping here. He needed to charge into the ranks of the Konoha Ninja and kill the most valuable target—the woman they were protecting at the rear.
As the chill of the kunai's point touched the skin of his neck, Hanyu felt time around him slow to a crawl. The sensation was vaguely familiar. It seemed that in the final moments of life, everyone experienced something similar.
You could call it a life flashing before your eyes, too. Countless scenes and memories swept through Hanyu's mind. Ironically, the memories weren't of any happy times. After a few scattered images passed, what remained in his mind was the memory of the last time he'd faced a similar situation.
That had only been a few days ago. Back then, the person attacking him had been the Second, Senju Tobirama.
As his memories returned to that moment, he could once again feel the pain in his injured shoulder. The sensation of chakra surging through his body, magnified endlessly in the suspended time of this life flashing before his eyes.
"So this is Water Release Ninjutsu?" Only now did he truly understand the technique Sanshao had just taught him, and the condition required to make it work... a huge amount of water-nature chakra. This high-level technique consumed an enormous amount of chakra.
Hanyu had experienced firsthand what the most intense water-nature chakra felt like. Could he "imitate" it?
Hanyu was only a step away from death, but his bewildered eyes suddenly sharpened. Fierce chakra burst from beneath his feet, and his body shifted an inch to the right without moving from its spot.
The sharp kunai sliced across his cheek, leaving a long, thin line of blood.
At that moment, Hanyu didn't retreat. He surged forward, driving his right foot ahead and lunging straight into the enemy's arms. His frail shoulder slammed into the man's chest.
The move caught the enemy completely by surprise. He staggered back a step, and at the same time, Hanyu finally completed the hand seals for the third time.
Fine water vapor condensed around him, then instantly transformed into a surging torrent. It barreled forward like an avalanche, twisting like a tornado, and slammed into the enemy like a massive jousting lance.
So it was Water Dragon Bullet... The moment he unleashed the jutsu, Hanyu knew its name without needing anyone to explain it.
The sudden torrent sent the enemy flying, then smashed him into the ground more than ten meters away... It wasn't fatal, but it would probably break five or six ribs. A direct hit like that was enough to keep a seasoned ninja out of action for quite some time.
Having escaped death, Hanyu was overcome with excitement. He felt the joy of using a jutsu for the first time. At that moment, he thought he looked as cool as Ponyo in the sea.
And then... his foot slipped, and he went smack onto the ground. More precisely, into the shallow water created by his Water Release.
What happened? Hadn't he won?
The weakness draining his body soon made Hanyu realize that the jutsu had just used up all his chakra.
Although one enemy had been taken down, the second, third, and fourth came charging through the waves toward Hanyu as he lay helpless on the ground. He could no longer fight back.
But then, a short figure swiftly leaped over Hanyu's head and charged straight at the enemies, who were far taller than he was.
From the figure, Hanyu realized that the one who'd rushed out was the smallest child in the group. How much strength could someone that age possibly have? Charging at the enemy so recklessly was practically throwing his life away, wasn't it?
Just as Hanyu was wondering about that, a storm of silver light descended upon the oncoming enemies. Then a great deal of blood spurted out, staining the ground red...
It was the enemies' blood.
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