Learning (Part 2)

The endless night was like a black hole, threatening to pull Hanyu in, or perhaps like layers of surging tides pressing in from all sides, suffocating him.

Standing alone at the very front of the formation, what Hanyu felt was not loneliness, but tension.

Yet, even though he was tense, it did not mean he lacked composure or calm; on the contrary, his subsequent actions would not contain a shred of panic... if tension led to panic, then without a doubt, panic would lead to death.

What Hanyu firmly remembered and could grasp was the jutsu Sanshao had just taught him. At this moment, he had no other reliance but the knowledge she had imparted; his only choice was to trust, and therefore, he could only choose to trust.

When the enemy in the night took their first step, Hanyu's hands began to move, forming the first seal.

Although his movements were somewhat clumsy and stiff, he was neither hurried nor slow, one seal after another.

Normally, they should have first determined whether the intruders were truly enemies before deciding whether to strike, but Hanyu would never be that composed. Determining the identity of the arrivals was the job of those behind him; as long as they did not call for a halt, he would not abandon the chance to strike first.

The subsequent actions of the intruders proved his approach correct, for they did not pause or offer any verbal explanation, but instead charged toward this position with ferocious momentum.

At this moment, behind Hanyu where he could not notice, the gazes of Sanshao, Kagami Uchiha, and Mitokado Homura met briefly. Sanshao gave an imperceptible nod, and the latter two understood what needed to be done next.

Kagami Uchiha reached his right hand toward the ninja tool pouch at his waist, watching Hanyu and the enemy's movements intently, ready to intervene at any moment to save the young man.

But for Hanyu, in such a trial, could he possibly receive help? He had no way of knowing, so he could only choose to rely on himself.

When the enemy began to move, Hanyu was halfway through his seals. By the time the enemy closed to within thirty meters, he had finished. Yet at this moment, Hanyu realized the problem... at this distance, it was highly likely that he had exceeded the optimal lethal range of the ninjutsu; no matter what technique he was about to use, it would be difficult to achieve a lethal effect from so far away.

Facts proved his worry was quite correct, yet somewhat redundant, because the jutsu failed to manifest entirely.

The technique failed?

Again!

Hanyu gritted his teeth and formed the seals once more, but he still did not succeed.

By now, the leading enemy was only ten meters away from him.

The sound of the enemy's charging footsteps was like a dense drumbeat, the rhythm growing increasingly tight. An indescribable killing intent surged forward, and in the blink of an eye, a pair of bloodthirsty eyes appeared within arm's reach of Hanyu.

The opponent thrust a kunai toward Hanyu with one hand. The movement was not deliberate, yet it left Hanyu with nowhere to dodge and nowhere to hide... anyone could tell at a glance that Hanyu was not even a novice ninja; a casual strike would be enough to kill him. Therefore, the enemy did not want to stop here; he needed to charge into the Konoha ninja formation to kill the most valuable target—the woman they were protecting at the very back.

When the chill from the tip of the kunai touched the skin of his neck, Hanyu felt as if time around him had slowed. He was somewhat familiar with this sensation; it seemed that in the final moments of life, humans would experience something similar.

Or one could call it a "revolving lantern" of memories. Countless scenes and recollections flashed through Hanyu's mind, and with great irony, what he recalled were never happy times. After a few scattered fragments passed, what remained in his mind was the memory of the last time he had encountered a similar situation.

That was only a few days ago, when the person attacking him was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

As his memory reached that point, the sensation in his injured shoulder from that time was awakened. The feeling of the torrent of chakra passing through his body was infinitely magnified within this slowed-down, life-flashing moment.

So, this is what Water Style ninjutsu is? At this moment, he truly understood the ninjutsu Sanshao had just taught him, and he understood the prerequisite for a successful execution... it required a massive amount of water-attribute chakra; this high-level technique consumed a vast quantity of energy.

Hanyu had already felt firsthand what the most intense water-attribute chakra was like; could he "imitate" it?

Hanyu was only one step away from death, but his previously bewildered eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp. Violent chakra erupted from beneath his feet, and his body shifted an inch to the right from its original position.

The sharp kunai left a thin, bloody scratch across his cheek.

At this moment, Hanyu did not retreat but advanced instead. He slammed his right foot forward, lunging into the enemy's embrace, and rammed his thin shoulder directly into the opponent's chest.

This move was completely unexpected by the enemy. Caught off guard, the attacker stumbled back a step, and at the same time, Hanyu finally completed the third set of seals.

Dense water vapor condensed around him, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a surging torrent. It was as powerful as an avalanche and shaped like a tornado, striking the enemy squarely like a massive lance.

So it is Water Dragon Bullet... Once the technique was unleashed, there was no need for anyone else to explain; Hanyu knew its name himself.

The suddenly erupting torrent instantly sent the enemy flying, slamming him into the ground more than ten meters away... though not fatal, breaking five or six ribs was a certainty. Such a direct hit was enough to render a seasoned ninja incapable of combat for a considerable length of time.

Having escaped death, Hanyu could not help but feel agitated. He felt the joy of releasing a ninjutsu for the first time; in this moment, he felt he was as cool as Ponyo in the sea.

Then... his feet gave way, and he flopped onto the ground. To be precise, he fell into the shallow water created by his own Water Style.

What was going on? Hadn't he won?

The feeling of exhaustion spreading through his body quickly made Hanyu realize that the previous ninjutsu had drained all the chakra from his body.

Although one enemy had been knocked down, the second, third, and fourth enemies were charging toward the collapsed Hanyu, stepping through the water. By now, he had no strength left to resist.

But then, a small figure flew rapidly over Hanyu's head, charging straight toward the enemies who were far larger than him.

From the figure, Hanyu realized that this person who had rushed out was the youngest child in their group. Given the child's age, how much strength could they possibly have? Charging at the enemies so blindly—wasn't that just throwing their life away?

Just as Hanyu was doubting this, a sky full of silver light shrouded the incoming enemies. Following that, a large amount of blood sprayed out, staining the ground red...

That was the blood of the enemies.