The Rogue Ninja's Strength

The Grass Ninja turned toward the fat ninja and complained, "I told you we should finish this quickly, but you insisted on using all these roundabout tricks."

The fat ninja retorted in annoyance, his eyes cold and full of murderous intent. "My trap was perfect. If she hadn't gotten lucky, we'd have collected the bounty by now."

"Get moving. I don't want to hear your excuses. If he finds out, neither of us will get off easy," the Grass Ninja said flatly, a trace of concern flashing through his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" The fat ninja was sick of arguing with him. He knew what failure would cost them, and his hands moved quickly.

The Grass Ninja snorted and began building up chakra. His hands formed seals rapidly as blue chakra spilled from his body, wrapping around him like a cloak.

Hui was just about to sneak away when she sensed chakra spreading out around her like a cage. She was trapped inside with it. She stared into the distance in disbelief. Something seemed about to burst from the earth, and the ground began to shake.

With a rumble, several towering walls burst from the ground. In the blink of an eye, they had surrounded her, completely blocking Hui Youling's way forward.

Hui Youling looked around in alarm, her eyes widening. Tall earthen walls sealed off the area. Under the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, she saw streams of chakra crisscrossing beneath her feet, quickly forming a network underground. She was like prey caught in a spiderweb, every move detected.

As she watched the chakra network take shape beneath her, her breathing quickened. What kind of people had she provoked, to wield ninjutsu of this caliber and such monstrous chakra control?

The chakra beneath her feet suddenly began to fluctuate, and the entire network trembled faintly. She sensed that her position had been exposed. Sure enough, the next instant, she heard the crash of something heavy flying toward her. The Meteor Hammer had caught up.

Hui Youling hurriedly dodged. The Meteor Hammer flew past her and slammed into a distant wall, leaving a deep crater and a web of cracks.

Staring at the spreading cracks, Hui froze for a moment as an idea came to her. She quickly gathered strength and leaped toward the spot where the Meteor Hammer had struck. If she could smash through the wall, she could break through the earthen barrier.

But when she reached the wall, she saw it repairing itself before her eyes. Her pupils widened, and her heart began pounding uncontrollably.

Then Hui Youling heard the clatter of chains. She turned to look at the Meteor Hammer embedded in the wall—and saw it swing back around, flying straight at her face.

She leaped high, planted a foot against the wall, and sprang onto a tree not far from the Grass Ninja.

Around him lay the twisted bodies of dead snakes, blackened and reeking of charred flesh. The fire in her direction still hadn't gone out. This battlefield was strangely spectacular.

Hui Youling steadied her breathing and fixed the Grass Ninja with a cold stare. The snake swarm hadn't even managed to hold him back, and he'd stayed behind to use this powerful technique against her. She had underestimated them.

The fat ninja reeled in the Meteor Hammer's chain, spinning it around as he waited for a chance to strike Hui Youling. The Grass Ninja's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Regretting it now, kid?"

Hui frowned at the two of them, her gaze darkening as something began to stir within her. She had never liked unexpected battles. When she was focused on fighting, Zhan could seize control of her body if she let her guard down. It seemed she had no choice but to take this seriously. She couldn't afford to underestimate these opponents.

"I wouldn't say I regret it. I just didn't expect you to target me—or to be this strong."

"Heh." The Grass Ninja sneered, a cold glint in his eyes. He shot forward and lunged for Hui Youling's throat.

Hui Youling didn't hesitate for an instant. She pulled a weapon from her pocket, gripped a Shuriken, and slashed at the Grass Ninja's throat.

The Grass Ninja narrowed his eyes slightly. She had reacted in time, even at his speed. But he was just as experienced. He dodged Hui Youling's attack, drew a Shuriken, and immediately counterattacked.

Hui Youling leaped back from the tree trunk and hurled her weapon, but the Grass Ninja dodged it without even turning around, then attacked her again.

As the Shuriken thrust toward her, she drew her own and blocked the Grass Ninja's attack. Sparks flew where the weapons clashed.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. The Grass Ninja hadn't expected the child to react so quickly, countering each of his attacks with speed and force to match. It was clear now that her true strength went far beyond what her appearance suggested.

Their weapons clashed again, but neither of them managed to wound the other. The Grass Ninja changed his approach, rapidly forming Hand Seals. "Earth Release: Earth Spike!"

Sharp stones erupted from the ground, thrusting toward Hui Youling. She leaped through the trees, but the spikes were hard enough to pierce tree trunks. Each time Hui drew close to the Grass Ninja, the spikes disrupted her footing, and several times they nearly caught her by surprise.

But Hui wasn't about to let the Grass Ninja off easily, either. Things had gone this far; if she backed down now, she wouldn't be Hui Youling. Her gaze grew colder, and a chilly smile curved her lips.

She formed Hand Seals rapidly, drawing the nearby snakes toward her. Rustling sounds came from the grass as the snakes swarmed out, filling the once-quiet forest with activity.

"Hiss!!!" Snakes of every size slithered over. Hui Youling stood in the distance against the moonlight, little snakes crawling all around her. One after another glided past her and, baring their fangs, bit at the Grass Ninja.

The Grass Ninja looked around gravely. The snakes had multiplied, and they seemed to be obeying Hui Youling, slowly surrounding him. Several little snakes coiled around his ankles, while a venomous snake nearby hissed and spat poison from its fangs.

The Grass Ninja hastily cut the snakes from his legs and barely dodged the venom. He looked at Hui Youling. As expected, the swarm didn't attack her at all. His eyes filled with astonishment. Just who was this kid?

The Grass Ninja's eyes grew bloodshot, and his gaze turned vicious. How could he let this kid push him so far? He was a famous bounty hunter, while she was just a little brat!

"You're asking for it, kid!" the Grass Ninja roared, rapidly forming Hand Seals. The ground suddenly split apart, and the snakes crawling toward him tumbled into the opening, writhing and biting at one another as they fell into the pit.

The ground beneath the Grass Ninja rose rapidly, keeping the writhing swarm at bay.

Chakra gathered beneath his feet before erupting. The ground beneath him cracked, and the Grass Ninja shot toward Hui Youling, his weapon aimed at her heart.

As the Shuriken shot toward her, Hui Youling's pupils contracted. She hurriedly bent backward into an arch, dodging his attack. The Grass Ninja sailed over her, astonishment filling his eyes.

Before Hui Youling had even straightened up, she directed the snakes around her to swarm the Grass Ninja. He had barely landed when little snakes latched onto him. As he struggled to free himself, Hui planted a hand on the ground, sprang to her feet, and seized the chance to attack him from behind, putting all her strength into the blow.