Welcoming Your Eight-Clawed Octopus

BOOM!

Outside a town somewhere in the Land of Earth, Lin Cheng and Kimimaro had just prepared to enter when a sudden attack forced them back out.

As the two dodged, three young men with strange face paint came sprinting past, fleeing the town.

Coincidentally, as one of them passed by Lin Cheng, he dropped a scroll at Lin Cheng's feet.

Whether they hadn't noticed or were simply too preoccupied to care, the three of them vanished into the distance without a moment's pause.

"Hahaha! Ha! As expected, explosion is art! Those three were already scared off by my art!"

Just as Lin Cheng was picking up the seemingly harmless scroll to inspect it with a puzzled expression, an arrogant voice rang out.

Following that, a yellow-haired brat with a ponytail, looking no more than ten years old, came into Lin Cheng's view.

"Hm? It seems you two were the ones who dodged my attack just now! Are you ninjas?"

Glancing over casually, the yellow-haired brat froze for a moment, then looked down at them and asked in an arrogant tone.

"Does it have anything to do with you?"

Vaguely guessing who the brat in front of him was, Lin Cheng raised an eyebrow and said dismissively.

"Anything to do with me? Hmph! This is the Land of Earth! Since you aren't wearing Iwagakure headbands, I have reason to suspect you are spies! How about it? Should I take you in myself, or will you obediently come back to Iwagakure with me?"

"Just you?"

"Looking down on me? Brat! It seems I need to let you witness my art! C—uh—"

Before Deidara could finish his clay bomb, Lin Cheng, who had been on guard, used the Body Flicker Technique to appear directly in front of him.

He raised his left knee, striking Deidara hard in the abdomen.

Then came a solid, thorough beating!

Immediately afterward, Lin Cheng took Kimimaro by the hand and slipped away rapidly under the murderous glares of the Iwagakure ninjas arriving on the scene!

There was no helping it; if he actually killed Deidara now, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki would likely come out to hunt him down personally!

Therefore, after only a moment's thought, Lin Cheng made the decision to beat Deidara up and then make a clean getaway!

However, the pettiness—or perhaps the solidarity—of Iwagakure completely exceeded Lin Cheng's expectations!

In the days that followed, Lin Cheng and Kimimaro encountered a relentless, non-stop chain of pursuit from Iwagakure ninjas!

After dealing with yet another group of Iwagakure pursuers, Lin Cheng shook his head.

He made the decision to take Kimimaro and leave the borders of the Land of Earth!

But Lin Cheng had clearly thought things were too simple.

Lin Cheng had barely managed to breathe a sigh of relief after leaving the Land of Earth when he was flushed with anger by the pursuers who appeared right on his heels.

"Who are you people?"

His temples throbbing, Lin Cheng felt an urge to spew profanities!

"Us? We are naturally bounty hunters! Brat! Are you scared? Unfortunately, even if you are scared, it won't change the fact that you two brats are about to be finished off!"

"That's right! Everyone, attack! Whoever kills these two brats gets the lion's share of the bounty! Charge!"

A group of samurai with uneven skill levels lunged directly at Lin Cheng and Kimimaro, who were surrounded in the center.

Seeing that some of the older samurai had even lost their teeth, Lin Cheng, veins bulging on his forehead, was furious.

"Little Kimimaro! Remember to cripple them all! Don't kill them!"

"Mm. Understood, Brother Lin Cheng!"

Nodding obediently, Kimimaro and Lin Cheng moved at the same time.

"Single Leaf Welcome Blade Slash! Hey! Brat! Die!"

"Welcome your octopus legs! Get lost!!"

"Awoo!!"

"Ah!"

"Oh!"

A long while later, amidst a chorus of wails, Lin Cheng and Kimimaro reunited.

Pat! Pat!

Brushing the dust off his hands, the corners of Lin Cheng's mouth curled upward.

"Little Kimimaro! Let's go!"

"Mm. Understood, Brother Lin Cheng!"