Helplessness

Seeing that face, the trembling in Hui's eyes suddenly stilled. An inexpressible emotion welled up from within, threatening to swallow and permeate her entire being. It felt like grievance, like confusion, even filled with hatred and destruction, yet she could only suppress it.

She looked at him with a cold sneer, the words seemingly squeezed through her teeth, "What a pity... I truly didn't expect... that the black market where I earn my keep would also have someone targeting me. It really is karma coming full circle."

Although her speech was fragmented due to her injuries, Hui Youling refused to concede in spirit. Every time she recalled the despair and helplessness of that moment, her heart felt as if it were being scorched by searing flames. She absolutely, absolutely did not want to be left with such memories again.

The man chuckled, "Heh, truly a naive child. Daring to go to the black market without knowing a thing—today will be a lesson you won't forget."

Hui only showed regret, sighing as she said, "I really should thank you for the lesson, but it's a pity you won't have the chance..."

He narrowed his eyes, saying with a hint of admiration, "Still, seeing your strength, it's no wonder you could make those two suffer and remain at large until now." He paused here, slowly curling his lips into a mocking smile, "However, you won't be running away now!"

The man finished speaking and pulled an object from his bag, walking slowly toward Hui Youling. The smile on his lips remained arrogant, filled with contempt for the weak, yet now there was a glimmer of greedy excitement in his eyes.

Hui Youling watched him approach, holding something that looked like a sealing tag. He pressed the tag against her forehead, and black characters began to emerge, slowly crawling across her entire body.

Hui Youling could feel her chakra being sealed away, inch by inch. Without the chakra to heal her, the pain in her body was magnified. She gritted her teeth, cold sweat streaming down her head. Her vision flickered between clear and blurry, and her eyelids twitched; she was struggling to endure the agony.

Hui Youling forced herself to bear the pain, asking intermittently, "I... I am truly curious... how... did you... appear..."

Having fought rogue ninjas for so long, she hadn't felt this guy monitoring her at all. When she visited his shop last time, she hadn't even sensed any chakra from him.

He mocked her, the light in his eyes flickering, "Heh, that is not something you need to know. Just obediently come back to the black market with me."

As the black curse marks covered Hui Youling's entire body, she couldn't mobilize even a sliver of chakra. She could barely hear the man's words; her mind was filled with chaotic noise, like hundreds of people talking at once.

Kill him.

Kill him.

Kill him, Hui Youling!

Hehehe... hehehe...

A low, deep laugh echoed, and like a contagion, all the voices stopped and began to laugh along with that sound.

Hehehe... hehehe...

They were all mocking her, as if watching a joke. The voices grew louder, gradually surrounding her, threatening to swallow and drown her. She desperately wanted to shake them off, but it was useless.

Just as she felt completely helpless, an ethereal and distant voice drifted in, "Why are you always so weak?"

It was a soft, gentle, and warm sound, like salvation in a dark space, calming her chaotic mind. It felt like the very tenderness she had been desperately seeking, dispelling the darkness surrounding her—yet, it spoke the most stinging words imaginable.

Her body stiffened, as if something had suddenly shattered.

"Hehehe... is... that so..." Hui suddenly laughed coldly. Her eyes turned dull and lusterless, the irises darkening like thick black ink, spreading out and making her look eerie and insane.

Blue chakra erupted from her body, surrounding her like blue flames. The sealing tag slid from her forehead, and the black runes on her skin dissipated instantly. The next moment, she raised her sleeve.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Many small snakes with sharp fangs lunged from her sleeves, viciously biting at the man. He had never imagined Hui Youling could break free from the seal. Shocked, he scrambled backward, the exceptionally dangerous attack forcing him back several meters.

Dodging the swarm of snakes, he looked at Hui Youling with lingering fear, his internal alarm bells ringing. He didn't dare to rush forward now; remembering her previous fight with his subordinates, she was always capable of unexpected counterattacks. He would have to be careful of her strikes.

Hui Youling arched her body forward to exert force, struggling desperately to pull herself from the wall. She didn't let out a single cry of pain, though the veins on her forehead bulged from the effort. Finally, she pulled out the shuriken embedded in the wall.

Due to the momentum, she stumbled forward a few steps, her knees buckling as she struggled to stand. Her arms hung limp at her sides, her back arched forward. The shuriken had pierced her shoulder, and as it moved, more blood spilled from the wound, sliding down her fingers and leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

She kept her head low, like a phantom crawling from the depths of the earth. Swaying unsteadily from lack of strength, she didn't launch an attack, but instead picked up a scroll that had fallen to the ground.

A bad premonition rose in the man's heart. He wanted to step forward to stop Hui Youling, but she was too fast. She had already pressed her bloody hand onto the scroll. The character for "Seal" on the scroll expanded rapidly, as if something were about to emerge. He retreated in a hurry, his heart racing, his eyes filled with vigilance and gravity.

Hui Youling had completely run out of strength. Her lips were pale, her eyelids drooping, and she collapsed to the ground. The wound on her forehead, which had begun to clot, started bleeding again, the blood trailing down the bridge of her nose and dripping onto the ground.

With a puff of smoke, a figure appeared in the haze. She squinted, looking at the person who had been summoned.

"Orochimaru... teacher..." she called out weakly, only then realizing her voice was hoarse. To be seen by him in such a state again—why did it always end up like this...

Orochimaru turned to look at her, taking in her wretched state. His lips curled up, and his raspy voice mocked, "How rare, to be injured to such a degree. You have grown lax, Hui."

Hui Youling had no strength to retort; she only lowered her gaze, staring blankly at the ground, her heart feeling like a stagnant pool of water.

Receiving no answer from Hui Youling, Orochimaru chuckled softly and slowly turned to face the opposite side, finally deigning to look at the man.

Upon seeing Orochimaru, the man's previously cold and disdainful eyes were left with only deep terror. When Orochimaru turned his gaze toward him, he confirmed that the person before him was that legendary powerhouse. His lips trembled as he said, "You... you are Orochimaru of Konoha!"

Orochimaru laughed eerily. He didn't answer the question, but instead began to size the man up. "Your strength is not bad, but you are merely an ant."

Hearing this, Hui Youling felt a surge of intense resentment. Her eyes trembled slightly, but she couldn't vent her emotions. Finally, she slowly closed her eyes, though the slight twitching of her eyelashes betrayed her.

The man's eyes widened suddenly, the fear within them threatening to overflow. Looking at the smile on Orochimaru's lips, he felt as if he were witnessing the arrival of the Grim Reaper.

Just as Orochimaru finished speaking, a giant snake emerged from the side and swallowed the man in one gulp. Hui opened her eyes wide. Through her blurred vision, she only saw something slither past, its belly bulging. Just like that, the man was killed by Orochimaru...

Orochimaru retracted his summoning, turned to observe the surroundings, and looked at the person who had already fainted on the other side. He wore a rare, playful smile. "Found an interesting experimental material."

Hui struggled to move her eyes, following his gaze to see that it was the Grass Ninja. She truly had no strength left; unable to hold on any longer, she slipped into unconsciousness.