Helpless

The moment she saw his face, Hui's trembling eyes suddenly grew calm. An indescribable emotion welled up inside her, threatening to swallow and consume her. It was a mix of grievance and confusion, even hatred and a desire for destruction. She could only suppress it.

She looked at him with a cold laugh, as if squeezing the words through her teeth. "What a shame... I really didn't expect that even the black market that helped me make money would have someone set their sights on me. I suppose what goes around comes around."

Though her injuries made her speech falter, Hui Youling didn't want to lose her nerve. Whenever she recalled the despair and helplessness she'd felt back then, it was as if a blazing fire scorched her heart. She absolutely, absolutely couldn't let herself be left with those memories again.

The man chuckled. "Heh, you really are a naive child. You went to the black market without knowing the first thing about it. Today, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget."

Hui's face held nothing but regret. She sighed. "I really should thank you for the lesson. What a shame I won't get the chance..."

He narrowed his eyes and spoke as if in praise. "But judging by how you managed to give both of them trouble, it's no wonder you've been able to roam free until now." He paused, then slowly curled his lips into a mocking smile. "But now, you can't get away!"

After he finished speaking, the man took something out of his bag and slowly approached Hui Youling. The smile on his lips was still so arrogant, full of contempt for the weak, but now a greedy excitement gleamed in his eyes.

Hui Youling watched him approach, a piece of paper that looked like a sealing talisman in his hand. He pressed it to her forehead. Black characters began to emerge from it, crawling slowly over her body.

Hui Youling could feel her chakra being sealed away inch by inch. Without chakra to heal her, the pain in her body only intensified. She clenched her teeth, cold sweat streaming down her forehead. Her vision kept shifting between clear and blurry, and her eyelids seemed to twitch. She was struggling to endure the pain.

Hui Youling forced herself to bear it and asked haltingly, "I... really want to know... how... you... showed up..."

She had been fighting the rogue ninja for so long, yet she hadn't sensed this guy watching her from the sidelines at all. The last time she'd gone to his shop, she hadn't even sensed that he had any chakra.

He scoffed, a glint flickering in his eyes. "Heh heh, that's not something you need to know. Just come quietly with me to the black market."

As the black curses covered Hui Youling's entire body, she couldn't muster even a trace of chakra. She could barely make out the man's words. Her head was filled with a jumble of voices, as if a hundred people were talking all at once.

Kill him.

Kill him.

Kill him, Hui Youling!

Heh heh heh... heh heh heh...

A low laugh rang out. As if infected by it, all the voices fell silent, then began laughing along.

Heh heh heh... heh heh heh...

They were all laughing at her, as if watching her make a fool of herself. The voices grew louder and louder, gradually closing in around her, ready to swallow and consume her. She desperately tried to drive them away, but it was no use.

Just as she felt utterly helpless, a voice, ethereal and distant, rang out. "Why are you always so weak?"

Like a soft, redemptive note in a dark space, it was gentle and warm, soothing the turmoil in her heart. It seemed to be the tenderness she had sought for so long, dispelling the darkness that clung to her. And yet it spoke the words that hurt her most.

Her body stiffened, as if something had suddenly shattered.

"Heh heh heh... Is... that so..." Hui suddenly laughed coldly. Her gaze darkened, her eyes as black as thick ink, its spreading stain making her seem eerie and crazed.

Blue chakra burst from her body, surrounding her like blue flames. The sealing talisman slid from her forehead, and the black runes on her body vanished in an instant. The next moment, she raised her sleeve.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Numerous little snakes darted from her sleeve, fangs bared, and lunged viciously at the man. He had never imagined Hui Youling could break free of the seal. Startled, he hurriedly retreated, barely escaping the unusually dangerous attack, which forced him back several meters.

After dodging the swarm of snakes, he looked at Hui Youling with lingering fear, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He didn't dare approach her right away. Remembering how she had fought his subordinates, always managing to meet their attacks with unexpected moves, he decided to be wary of a sudden strike.

Hui Youling bent forward and strained with all her might to wrench herself from the wall, not making a sound despite the pain. The blood vessels in her forehead bulged from the effort. At last, she pulled the shuriken free from the wall.

Her momentum sent her stumbling forward a few steps. She bent her knees to steady herself, swaying, her hands hanging limply at her sides and her back arched forward. The shuriken still pierced her shoulder, tugging at the wound. More blood seeped from it, slid down her fingers, and left a trail on the ground.

Her head hung low, like a specter crawling out of the earth. She swayed, barely able to support herself. She didn't attack. Instead, she picked up a scroll that had fallen to the ground.

A bad feeling rose in the man's chest. He tried to stop Hui Youling, but she moved quickly and had already pressed her bloody hand against it. The character "Seal" on the scroll rapidly swelled, as if something were about to emerge. He hurriedly retreated, his heartbeat quickening, his eyes full of wariness and apprehension.

Hui Youling had no strength left. Her lips were pale, her eyelids drooped, and she collapsed to the ground. Blood began to seep from the wound on her forehead, which had already clotted, trickling down the bridge of her nose and dripping onto the ground.

Amid a cloud of smoke, a figure appeared through the haze. She watched the person who had been summoned before her through half-lidded eyes.

"Orochimaru... sensei..." she called weakly, only then realizing her voice was hoarse. He'd seen her like this again. Why did it always end this way...

Orochimaru turned to look at her and took in her battered state. The corners of his mouth lifted, and he spoke in a hoarse, mocking voice. "How unusual. You've actually been hurt this badly. You've been slacking, Hui."

Hui Youling was too weak to argue. She merely lowered her eyes, her vacant gaze fixed on the ground. Her heart felt like a pool of dead water.

Orochimaru didn't hear a reply from Hui Youling. He chuckled, then slowly turned to face the other man, his eyes finally settling on him.

The moment that person saw Orochimaru, the cold disdain in his eyes gave way to deep fear. When Orochimaru turned to look at him, he was certain the person before him was that powerful shinobi. His lips trembled as he said, "Y-you're Orochimaru of Konoha!"

Orochimaru gave a quiet laugh but didn't answer. Instead, he began sizing the man up. "You're not bad, but you're still just an ant."

Hearing this, Hui Youling's eyes flashed with deep resentment. Her pupils trembled, but she couldn't release her feelings. At last, she slowly closed her eyes. Yet the slight tremor of her lashes betrayed her.

The man's eyes widened. Fear seemed ready to spill from them. Watching the smile at the corners of Orochimaru's mouth, he felt as if he were witnessing the arrival of the Grim Reaper.

As soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, a giant snake emerged from the side and swallowed the man whole. Hui's eyes flew open. Through her blurred vision, she could only make out something passing by. Its belly bulged, and just like that, the man had been killed by Orochimaru...

Orochimaru recalled his summoned beast and turned to survey the area. Looking at the other person who had already fainted, he wore an amused smile for once. "I've found an interesting test subject."

Hui struggled to move her eyes and followed his gaze. It was the Grass Ninja man. She truly had no strength left and could no longer hold on. She passed out.