Hanyu braced his elbow against the enemy's back, then gave him a slight shove forward. As he pulled his short sword back out, the enemy's unsupported body toppled face-first onto the ground.
See? It was that easy to die. Ninjas like the Second, who could still play a trick while being cremated, were few and far between.
At that moment, the first enemy charging at the front finally realized someone had gotten behind them. His gaze lagged far behind, chasing the fading streaks of lightning left by Hanyu's rapid movement. Then... he saw his comrade lying on the ground.
One glance was all it took to tell that his comrade was dead.
"Lightning Release user!"
The enemy's pupils contracted slightly. He didn't care about his comrade's sacrifice; their mission tonight had always been a matter of "success or death." What shocked him was how his comrade had died—killed before he could even react. Did that mean this Lightning Release user was that fast?
Then this young Konoha Ninja was not to be underestimated.
Powerful Lightning Release chakra coursed along Hanyu's palm and covered the short sword in his hand. This "lightsaber" stood out all the more in the darkness. The corpse on the ground showed what happened when someone took a slash from it, so the enemy still standing had no desire to be stabbed by such a deadly weapon.
Hanyu's eyes stayed fixed on the enemy. Though he had taken the first one out by attacking from behind, in the end, it had been a matter of catching him off guard. If Hanyu's guess was right, every Sand Village ninja involved in tonight's attack on the Konoha camp was a pillar of strength on the battlefield—at least an elite Chunin or stronger.
So Hanyu was extremely cautious.
The enemy was just as wary. He had instantly judged that Hanyu was far faster than him, and against a speed-type ninja, one second of carelessness could mean losing his head. The enemy was just as tense.
Yet for that very reason, when facing an opponent with the advantage in speed, he had to confront him head-on—and even strike first!
Their thought processes might have sounded complicated when described, but every judgment in battle was made in an instant. The enemy turned and spotted Hanyu, glanced at his fallen comrade, then abruptly stopped charging toward the hospital barrier and rushed toward Hanyu instead.
At the same time, his hands began forming Hand Seals.
Seeing the enemy's decisiveness, Hanyu didn't hesitate either. Almost simultaneously, he charged at his opponent with that same untrackable speed. In the blink of an eye, the distance between them shrank until they were practically "face-to-face."
By then, the enemy had finished his jutsu. A large-scale technique came rushing straight at Hanyu... Clearly, the enemy had planned this perfect timing and distance:
Wind Style: Thousand Blade Net.
A dense mesh of wind blades converged and descended over Hanyu.
The attack came so frequently and densely that even Hanyu's speed wouldn't be enough to keep him from being sliced to pieces.
Setting aside the range of the enemy's jutsu, using Wind Release to counter Lightning Release was certainly the most conventional and correct choice.
"Yeah, Wind Release counters Lightning Release. Who doesn't know that?"
Using Wind Release to counter Lightning Release was such an obvious response that Hanyu had no trouble predicting it... Unless the enemy couldn't use Wind Release, of course he would prioritize it in this situation.
So Hanyu's jutsu and the enemy's Wind Release were released at the same time.
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
A surging wave of heat met the countless wind blades head-on, a crimson trail streaking across the pitch-black night sky. The blades shattered the fire dragon into scattered sparks, while the dragon's heat and rising currents likewise nullified the wind blades' attack.
Hanyu didn't recognize this Wind Release jutsu, but unless his opponent was using Kekkei Mōra, he had no reason to hold back. As the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet suddenly expanded like exploding fireworks and the wind blades mixed with the hot air, Hanyu didn't slow his charge. On the contrary, the lightning-cloaked figure moved even faster.
And so, amid the red flames, streaks of another color appeared... If Hanyu could slip through the fire before it noticed him, he could pass straight through its center.
Hanyu's speed stirred the air around him. The pressure of the moving air drew the flames toward his path, while wild lightning coiled around his body and sparks dotted his wake. At that moment, the enemy was truly stunned.
Why?! Why did your ninjutsu come with special effects when we were both using ninjutsu?!
Oh, no, what he meant was, why could this ninja use both Lightning Release and Fire Release? Sage of Six Paths above, that made no sense!
Hanyu's lightning-bright short sword thrust toward the enemy's neck. But at the last moment, reflexes honed by years of battle saved his life. Though his eyes couldn't keep up with Hanyu's movements, his body shifted instinctively to one side. Like a hot knife through butter, Hanyu's short sword slid effortlessly into his shoulder.
He dodged?
Hanyu was a little surprised, but followed up with a knee to the enemy's abdomen, kicking him flying in an instant. The enemy's reflexes were commendable, but that was as far as they got, because... Hanyu wasn't fighting alone. More precisely, this was a two-on-two battle.
Knocked off guard and sent flying, the enemy had no way to adjust his body while airborne. And at that moment, Hatake Sakumo appeared behind him.
This man was far better with a blade than Hanyu... To be precise, the two weren't even on the same level when it came to swordsmanship.
Hatake Sakumo's short sword flashed up and down, severing the enemy's tendons in all four limbs in the blink of an eye. As the enemy hit the ground like a torn sack, Hatake pressed his short blade to the man's neck and asked coldly:
"How many of you are there? What's your objective? Who's your commander?"
Did he really expect to get anything out of an interrogation that simple? The enemy was just about to declare his resolve to die rather than submit when he felt the cold blade glide lightly across his neck. After that, he couldn't speak again.
Hanyu walked over in silence and pulled the short sword from the enemy's shoulder. He looked at Hatake Sakumo in surprise, wondering whether the man wanted to interrogate their opponent or not.
As if he understood Hanyu's look, Hatake scratched his head and said, "Konoha has rules. We're supposed to get information from the enemy if possible, so that's why I asked. But I figured he wouldn't say anything, so I went ahead and killed him."
That was impressive. Nobody could find fault with that approach.
However... Hanyu sheathed his short sword, then glanced at Hatake with an even stranger look.
At that moment, he couldn't help having two thoughts:
First, if you're that ruthless, why did you kill yourself?
Second, so you're a kill-stealer too.
Before you continue