Fierce Battle on a Rainy Night

Accompanied by the dense sound of mechanical triggers, black wires laden with kunai and Explosive Tag flew in from all directions, coiling toward the group.

"Whoosh—" "Click-clack—"

Dazzling black shadows whistled and flickered incessantly through the air.

Judging by the density, this premeditated attack had calculated every possible escape angle, leaving them absolutely no room to dodge.

Tiger - Snake - Dragon - Dog. Chiba and Konan rapidly shifted their hands, forming the seals for an Earth Style jutsu simultaneously.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Two semi-circular earthen walls erupted from the ground, merging into a circle to shield the group.

Meanwhile, Nagato and Yahiko instinctively unleashed their own ninjutsu toward the only opening above.

"Boom!"

Amidst the shockwaves generated by the detonation of several Explosive Tag, the group was completely engulfed by a sudden, rising mist of water.

A moment later, the mist dissipated, revealing the group, completely unscathed.

Breathing heavily, Chiba and the others were stunned that this guy could pull off such a move.

If not for their quick reactions, they would have...

Before they could even recover from the relief of surviving that onslaught, the ground suddenly showed signs of disturbance again.

Another series of dense mechanical clicks echoed, and more black wires surged toward Chiba's party.

In terms of sheer volume, it was even denser than before, and what made it particularly lethal was that this wave of attacks came from point-blank range.

Chiba and the others stared in shock; having just expended their ninjutsu, they had no time to mount a defense again.

Watching the slight panic on the faces of the brats before him, Jing Jiu smiled with satisfaction. There was no way they could defend against an attack like this.

Yet, thinking of the price he had paid, Jing Jiu's expression soured.

For those from great clans, the Explosive Tag and small pills he had just used might be nothing—perhaps just consumables wasted during a casual practice session—but for a commoner ninja like him, they represented his savings over a long period.

Although he had stolen some supplies before defecting, his long flight had already drained him significantly; this time, he had practically emptied his final reserves.

It was no exaggeration to say that the money spent on this battle already exceeded the bounty on his own head.

The fact that he had nowhere to replenish these supplies made his heart ache all the more.

Thinking of the exorbitant prices in the black market, Jing Jiu's face grew increasingly grim.

However, just as he was certain that these brats had been finished off, he was stunned to find that his attack didn't seem to have achieved its effect.

The water mist cleared, revealing the figures of Chiba and his companions.

Nagato was panting violently; at the final moment, he had used his bloodline ability to shield the others, unleashing a protective barrier that kept them safe.

It was clear, however, that Nagato had not yet fully developed his bloodline ability. Even with his massive chakra reserves, this strike was incredibly taxing. Coupled with the previous consumption of the other four, his chakra was actually nearing exhaustion.

Jing Jiu's expression was now exceptionally ugly. He never imagined these brats could survive an attack of that scale.

Even he wouldn't have had a chance to survive if he had fallen into such a trap, yet these still-green children had defended against it unscathed—and twice at that.

If possible, Jing Jiu would have fled immediately, but thinking of his own dwindling chakra and the seemingly bottomless reserves of the children before him, he decisively abandoned that thought.

If he fought to the death now, there might be a sliver of hope, but running away would likely only lead to being hunted down and killed.

On the other side, Chiba and the others were also looking grave.

Even though Chiba had guessed before the battle that this fight might be difficult, the reality was far tougher than he had imagined.

The guy in front of them didn't have any fearsome abilities or powerful ninjutsu, but even with just simple calculations and traps, he had repeatedly forced them into a passive position.

Especially that last move; if not for Nagato's unique ability, they would have failed long ago.

Compared to a combat-hardened ninja who had crawled out of piles of corpses, even Chiba could perceive the obvious gap between them.

Rainwater dripped incessantly down the faces of Chiba's group and Jing Jiu opposite them.

Both sides stared at each other in silence, locked in a brief, tense standoff filled with murderous intent.

A moment later, both sides charged forward with a roar.

At this point, neither side had any reason to retreat.

"Screech—"

Accompanied by the harsh sound of kunai clashing, the two sides collided violently.

It had to be said that this guy was indeed experienced. He kept changing his position while fighting, never giving Chiba and the others a chance to surround him.

Not only that, but the sharp kunai he threw often came from tricky angles, leaving the group feeling constantly constrained.

"Boom!"

Just as the kunai in Chiba's hand collided with the man's once more, Jing Jiu suddenly made a shocking move.

He completely abandoned his defense and thrust straight toward Chiba's chest.

For a moment, Chiba was slightly stunned; if he were to thrust forward like this, he could kill him, but he would also be killed in return.

Looking at the fierce and malevolent gaze of Jing Jiu, Chiba instinctively flinched and dodged.

Because of this hesitation, Chiba instantly exposed a flaw and was struck directly in the shoulder by Jing Jiu's attack.

"Chiba, are you alright!"

Clutching the wound on his shoulder, Chiba shook his head slightly: "It's nothing."

At this moment, having emerged from the crisis, Chiba felt a tinge of vexation.

Thinking back now, he clearly had better ways to respond, yet he had chosen the most foolish one.

It had to be said that at such a critical moment, he had indeed been affected by the opponent's fearless, death-defying momentum.

Tightening his sleeve slightly to bind the wound, Chiba quickly threw himself back into the fray.

This time, Chiba did not blindly rush in to press the attack; having calmed down, he began to observe his opponent's movements while simultaneously trying to coordinate with his teammates.

Although Chiba was slightly injured, the group's offensive actually began to turn sharp and fierce.

Yet, facing the impeccable defense of Jing Jiu, the situation on the field remained deadlocked.

It had to be said that in terms of taijutsu alone, Jing Jiu held a certain advantage.

Although according to Jiraiya, each of their strengths should be comparable to this guy—and Nagato might even exceed him—there was no doubt that Chiba and the others leaned toward ninjutsu, and their taijutsu prowess was limited by their age.

With their chakra nearly exhausted, the opponent naturally held the upper hand.

Especially with his long reach and experience, it left Chiba and the others feeling quite helpless.

Silently observing the guy's movement patterns, Chiba began to attempt to predict his positioning.

In this rainy weather, that technique should be difficult for him to detect.

Thinking this, Chiba secretly used Nagato's body as cover to weave a hand seal, silently chanting:

"Earth Style: Mud Swamp Technique."

With the help of the torrential rain, the muddy puddles on the ground, and the dark night, Chiba's technique was executed almost soundlessly.

Jing Jiu, currently in the heat of battle, was naturally completely unaware of all this.

In Chiba's focused gaze, Jing Jiu, who was maneuvering while fighting, stepped right into Chiba's mud pit without the slightest suspicion.

"Snap—"