Misaki had been put through the wringer all day. The moment she got home, she saw her boyfriend surrounded by several elite Grass Ninja armed with sharp weapons. She was so startled that she immediately stepped in front of Kenichi, thinking that her reputation might be enough to get them to put down their kunai and talk things out.
But the next moment, all she got was a searing pain across her face and the helpless sensation of flying through the air before crashing hard to the ground.
"Misaki!"
By the time she came to her senses, Misaki was clutching her aching cheek, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared at the elite ninja.
"Did you really think you had any standing with us? You're nothing but a human medicine pill, a tool!"
"You thought we meant it when we thanked you? Even if you died one day, all we'd lose is a piece of medical equipment!"
The Grass Ninja's cruel words pierced Misaki's ears like needles. Her eyes could no longer hold back the tears, which streamed down her cheeks.
The Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out, and Uzushio Village had been reduced to rubble. She was the only survivor. Later, she had joined the Grass Ninja, and their leader had taken a special interest in her. The scene still felt vivid in her mind: "Your constitution is very useful to us, so for the sake of the village, why don't you join the medical corps?"
"So from the very beginning... I was never accepted..."
The cruel truth struck her heart hard. For a moment, she could barely get to her feet. Tears streamed down her face, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
"How dare you hurt Misaki! Unforgivable..."
Anger flared in his heart once more. But then he remembered that he couldn't change anything or protect anyone.
Kenichi sank into deep self-reproach again. But the next moment, his rage blazed hotter and hotter. The Dragon Talisman in his palm sank into his skin, the veins on his forehead bulging as he felt strength surge through him!
"Fine, we'll deal with the red-haired freak in a bit!"
"Now, why don't you hand over the Talisman like a good boy?"
A kunai was already pressed against his neck, but Kenichi no longer felt fear or self-reproach. He slowly raised his hand and opened his palm toward the elite ninja.
"Oh? Finally cooperating? If you'd handed it over earlier, none of this would've happened..."
But before he could finish, the tiny word "No" and a violent explosion drowned out everything inside the cottage.
--Rumble!
From outside, a golden-red blast of explosive energy shot into the sky, blowing the entire cottage to pieces. The Grass Ninja elite closest to it didn't even have time to dodge before he was completely vaporized.
"You madman?! Are you trying to betray the village?!"
The remaining elite ninja had reacted quickly enough to escape the blast, but they still suffered burns of varying severity.
"Ken... Kenichi?"
The brilliant flames drew Misaki's gaze upward. She looked at Kenichi, whose hair stood on end, whose rage had been magnified beyond measure, and whose Dragon Talisman's overflowing energy formed a golden coat around his body. She looked worried.
"Don't be afraid... Misaki. Now... I have the power to make you happy!"
"Chunin Kenichi has betrayed the village! Kill him on the spot!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Lightning Style: Earth Flash!"
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
At the lead Grass Ninja's command, all the Grass Ninja charged at once. The Grass Ninja were exceptionally skilled at studying—and stealing—other nations' jutsu, so along with the weapons filling the sky came all kinds of dazzling techniques.
But Kenichi didn't dodge. He slowly rose into the air, then walked on empty space. The Dragon Talisman fused into his palm gathered energy for a brief moment before unleashing a golden-red beam.
Dragon Blast was far more powerful than these half-baked jutsu. The instant it made contact, its radiance swallowed every attack. As one Grass Ninja cried, "This is bad! Everyone, form Hand Seals and use a defensive jutsu together!" the beam, which snaked like a dragon and destroyed everything along its path, was already right before them.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
But the Grass Ninja regretted it the moment he finished his Hand Seals. All his comrades had chosen to dodge, leaving him alone on one knee to cast a defensive Water Release.
"—Aaaah!"
The result was obvious. Dragon Blast pierced straight through the Water Formation Wall, blasting the Grass Ninja's body into pieces scattered everywhere.
The remaining Grass Ninja watched the brutal scene and immediately lost all desire to attack. Give them a break—they were the best-treated elite ninja in the village after the leader. They couldn't just die in a place like this.
In theory, "working together, they should have a chance to fight back," but none of them wanted to be the first to charge. If they were hit by Dragon Blast, wouldn't they just be paving the way for someone else to claim the credit?
But even if they wanted to run, there was no chance. Kenichi had never planned to spare the people who'd humiliated Misaki.
The elite Grass Ninja ran ahead, with Kenichi chasing after them and firing off beams every so often. After this had gone on for a while, they couldn't help wondering, "How does a Chunin have this much chakra?"
They couldn't have known that, with the Dragon Talisman supplying energy, Kenichi's chakra was inexhaustible.
At last... the elite ninja ran out of chakra, but Kenichi was still hot on their heels.
"Damn it! Kenichi's still chasing us!" They steeled themselves. If they couldn't run, they'd just have to fight him to the death!
Only when they had nowhere left to retreat did they find the courage to risk their lives in a desperate attempt to survive. But with their paltry skills and the little chakra they had left, they couldn't even touch Kenichi before they were completely melted away...
--Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kenichi's anger slowly subsided, and the Dragon Talisman's energy supply weakened with it. Just then, the Shadowkhan appeared once more out of the night.
"Who are you...?"
The Shadow Ninja didn't give Kenichi a chance to ask anything else or use the Dragon Talisman again. They appeared directly behind him, swiftly restraining him and forcibly pulling the Dragon Talisman out of his palm.
"Wait...! I'm the one who found it!"
Clearly, the Shadowkhan weren't the polite sort. They ignored Kenichi completely, grabbed the Talisman, and prepared to dive into the shadows and retreat.
--Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as the Shadowkhan were about to retreat, countless points of light suddenly appeared in the deep night sky. They lit up the ground, temporarily filling the shadows below with light.
"Are those... shooting stars?"
Misaki hurried over to check on her boyfriend, but the next moment, she too was drawn to the "shooting stars" growing larger and brighter in the sky.
"Sorry, sorry... those aren't shooting stars. They're my technique!"
A voice that sounded both lively and a little shrill reached them. Then they saw a golden figure amid the countless glowing projectiles.
"Sponge?"
They both rubbed their eyes, thinking they had to be dreaming. But the projectiles crashed to the ground, setting off one earth-shaking explosion after another, and made them realize this was really happening.
The newcomer's body was perfectly square and riddled with holes. He looked just like a sponge... No! More accurately, he was a sponge who had gained human form!
He wore a yellow-and-white striped suit, a purple tie, and a dark green shirt. Shiny black leather shoes covered his feet, and a cape bearing the two large characters "Justice" flowed behind him.
The Three Admirals of Bikini Bottom—the dazzling "Yellow Sponge"—made his grand entrance!