A Lecherous Scoundrel

"Kill them." The Anbu ninja leading the group spoke suddenly.

Gekko Hayate's smile froze instantly, and the same went for Uzuki Yugao, who stood behind him.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of air being torn apart rang out, and two Root ninjas moved in an instant.

With a flicker of their figures, they appeared directly before Gekko Hayate.

In their eyes, dealing with a pair of mediocre Chunin was nothing more than a trivial task.

The sudden eruption of violence left Gekko Hayate's expression rigid.

Watching the two short blades rapidly enlarge within his pupils, he committed a fatal error on the battlefield.

He had lost focus!

Deep within the eyes of the two attacking Root ninjas, a hint of amusement flickered.

Half a day ago, they had been stationed at a secret Root stronghold dozens of miles away.

Upon receiving the order from Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune to execute all Konoha ninjas, they had rushed over in haste.

They hadn't even reached the mountain pass outpost before stumbling upon these two rookies.

They would never pass up the pleasure of bullying novices.

"Konoha Style Swordplay: Crescent Moon Dance!"

A crisp, feminine shout rang out as a graceful figure suddenly flashed forward, launching an attack from behind Gekko Hayate to seize the initiative.

The ninja blade in her hand shimmered with faint chakra fluctuations.

In the next moment, it split into three, striking head-on toward the two Anbu.

The sudden outburst left the two Anbu clearly caught off guard.

They had, of course, heard of the Konoha Style Swordplay possessed by Gekko Kuro Yoru within Konoha.

Facing an attack that blended illusions with hidden killing intent, they had no time to think and immediately pulled back, temporarily widening the distance.

Seeing this, Uzuki Yugao pulled Gekko Hayate behind her while simultaneously throwing several shuriken with a backhand motion.

"Hayate, if you get the chance, run first. Only if you reach the pass outpost to call for help will we have a chance to survive."

"I run alone?"

Gekko Hayate was stunned, saying, "How could I leave you behind to go alone?"

"If we die, we die together!"

Uzuki Yugao's expression shifted slightly as she looked at the resolute Gekko Hayate, a touch of emotion stirring in her heart.

It could be said that in such a life-or-death situation, someone who could still say such things was truly a companion in adversity.

However, just as this thought crossed her mind, a large hand suddenly emerged from the ground.

"Hayate, watch your feet!" Uzuki Yugao shrieked, leaping into the air.

Only at this moment did she realize that the attack from the two Anbu ninjas earlier had been a feint; the leading squad captain had long since found his opening, lurking underground to launch a sneak attack.

Yet, to Uzuki Yugao's dismay, Gekko Hayate remained standing in place, stunned and at a loss.

Gekko Hayate hadn't detected the enemy's presence to begin with, and even with Uzuki Yugao's warning, he was a beat too slow.

Now, standing there like a wooden chicken, he clearly couldn't escape.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu."

The Anbu ninja grabbed Gekko Hayate's ankles.

The surrounding ground churned rapidly like flowing water.

Gekko Hayate snapped to his senses, but as he tried to break free, he found himself dragged into the earthen flow.

A moment later, as the chakra dissipated, only his head remained protruding from the ground.

The sudden turn of events caused Uzuki Yugao's face to change drastically.

She had never imagined that Gekko Hayate would be captured in a single exchange on the battlefield.

With seven opponents and only herself left, the only way to save Gekko Hayate was to flee to the outpost for reinforcements.

"Little girl, now is not the time to be dazed." A mocking voice rang out suddenly.

Two ninjas flicked their wrists, sending two shuriken flying toward her in a curved trajectory.

Attached to the kunai were specially crafted ropes; one slight misstep and she would likely be bound instantly.

However, suspended in mid-air, Uzuki Yugao had no way to dodge.

With other Anbu ninjas watching like tigers eyeing their prey, any opening would surely invite a fatal blow.

Watching the rapidly approaching ropes, a trace of inexplicable bitterness surfaced on Uzuki Yugao's face.

As she glanced toward the nearby pass and offered a wry smile, a shuriken suddenly shot out from the shadows.

Clang!

Sparks flew as two kunai were knocked away in an instant.

The sudden turn of events caused the expressions of everyone present to change drastically.

"What exquisite shurikenjutsu; to deflect two kunai with just a single shuriken."

The Anbu squad leader, lurking within the earth, exclaimed in shock.

With no time to overthink, he hurriedly scanned his surroundings while issuing orders.

"Search for the enemy immediately! Kill them on sight the moment they are found."

The captain had expected his subordinates to spring into action the moment his stern command was uttered.

However, upon seeing the terror in their eyes, his nerves tightened violently.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

A playful voice rang out from behind him, causing the Anbu captain's expression to shift wildly as he scrambled to perform Earth Submersion, intending to escape.

Yet, the moment he burrowed into the soil, a chilling aura of death instantly engulfed his entire body.

"I found you!"

As the words fell, a fist wreathed in lightning, resembling a battle-axe and accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, slammed directly into the ground.

BOOM!

A roar like a thunderclap in a drought exploded.

The moment the fist struck the earth, the solid ground shattered violently.

Cracks like spiderwebs spread rapidly in all directions.

The Anbu squad leader, who had just dived into the soil, had his head explode like a watermelon.

The spray of scalding blood was like brilliant fireworks, yet it left a truly shocking impression.

"Run! We have to run!"

The remaining six Anbu ninjas panicked instantly.

With a flicker of their bodies, they prepared to flee.

However, throughout this process, they kept a close eye on Qin Yu.

But the moment they moved, that figure who struck terror into their hearts vanished into thin air.

"Lightning Storm Blade!"

Qin Yu transformed his right hand into a hand-blade, erupting with subsonic speed fueled by Lightning Release chakra, and instantly appeared before the first fleeing Anbu ninja.

Without a shred of flair, he swung his right hand violently toward the man's neck, and blood sprayed out.

Before the look of terror could even fade from his face, his massive head was sent flying into mid-air.

The sudden outburst of violence shook everyone to their core.

Unfortunately, facing Qin Yu, who had transformed into the very embodiment of the Grim Reaper, all defenses appeared pale and powerless.

Five flashes; they only had time to see the blue lightning.

By the time they reacted, it was already too late.

The only thing that could flash through their minds was a figure wreathed in lightning before their own heads were sent flying amidst a spray of blood.

By the time Qin Yu came to a halt, the six heads had only just hit the ground.

Like rain hitting banana leaves, they splashed out large pools of scalding blood.

Uzuki Yugao, who had just regained her footing, couldn't help but take half a step back as she looked at Qin Yu, who stood bathed in lightning with a warm, neighborly smile on his face.

"Now it's your turn." Qin Yu chuckled playfully.

"You girl have a decent look; why not let this master have some fun?"

The soft voice caused both Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate to freeze.

They had never imagined that the person before them was not a savior, but a lecherous scoundrel.