Shen Ye silently released Chakra Perception, but still couldn't find Jiraiya anywhere.
"So you want to leave me here as bait. That's quite a clever plan."
Though Shen Ye scoffed at the idea, he stayed perfectly still on the tree trunk.
The sounds around them grew louder, gradually drawing closer to Ye Xuan.
Suddenly, two Shuriken flew out from between the leaves, heading straight for Shen Ye's face.
Shen Ye snorted and twisted his body slightly. The Shuriken tore through the air with a gust of wind, grazing his face.
"That really stings. Just how much force did that guy put into them?"
Rubbing his slightly flushed cheek, Shen Ye fixed his gaze on a spot in the woods. He could tell the guy was hiding behind something there.
"Come out, you sneaky coward who only knows how to pull dirty tricks."
"So you found me? What a shame the other guy got away. Otherwise, I could've taken down two Konoha shinobi in a row and gone back to report my success."
A burly man slowly emerged, a Forehead Protector bearing the symbol of Amegakure on his brow.
Shen Ye furrowed his brows. Kumogakure shinobi had been appearing one after another lately. Could a war between the two villages be brewing?
But judging from what he knew of the original story, this was the time when all the ninja villages were preparing for war. No one wanted to be the first to break the peace.
"The other guy's right here. Letting you get away would be the real shame."
Jiraiya leaped down behind the man, trapping the Kumogakure shinobi between them.
"We just need to hold him off for a while. I've already sent word, and reinforcements from the village will be here soon."
Shen Ye nodded. He knew Jiraiya had only said that to fool the Kumogakure shinobi.
Out here in the middle of nowhere, Jiraiya didn't have the ability to send a message over such a distance.
The Kumogakure shinobi curled his lip, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
He knew Jiraiya's identity, and that the Sannin was incredibly powerful.
But he was confident in himself, too. Even if he couldn't beat Jiraiya, he could escape unscathed. As for Shen Ye, he didn't consider the boy a threat at all.
"Out of respect for a fellow shinobi, I'd like to know your name."
"Me? I'm Bu Liuye, a Chunin of Kumogakure. My name hasn't changed, and I haven't changed my surname."
Shen Ye gave the man a strange look. Bu Liuye's name meant nothing to him; the original story had never mentioned him.
He was just an ordinary Chunin, yet he acted even more arrogantly than someone at Kage Level.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
Bu Liuye quickly moved to the side, forming Hand Seals as he gathered chakra in his mouth.
Before he could finish the Hand Seals, Shen Ye sprang toward him and punched him in the stomach.
Bu Liuye's movement and the Hand Seals he was forming left him unable to dodge in time. Shen Ye's fist slammed into him squarely.
Bu Liuye had thought Shen Ye's punch would be harmless, but then a sudden Strength of a Hundred struck him.
A mouthful of bitter fluid surged up in Bu Liuye's throat, and the impact sent him flying a long way.
"Nice work, Shen Ye! Finish him off with your next attack."
"Heh. I really did underestimate you two. Even a kid from Konoha can be this fierce."
Bu Liuye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly rose, bracing himself against a nearby tree. A trace of madness glinted in his eyes.
Shen Ye frowned. That punch had unleashed all the power he could muster, yet it hadn't hurt Bu Liuye.
"Shen Ye, take a breather. I'll handle things from here."
Jiraiya dropped down onto the tree trunk, two Shuriken appearing in his hands as he sent them straight toward Bu Liuye's head.
Bu Liuye slapped one hand against the ground and sprang upright in an extremely awkward stance.
"You think you can sneak up on me with skills like that? Go back to your village and train for a few more years! Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
The jutsu Bu Liuye hadn't finished earlier came rushing out of his mouth. A column of water shot into the sky, right where Jiraiya was passing.
"How is that guy so fast?"
Stunned, Jiraiya hurriedly adjusted his body. The water column grazed his shoulder, piercing straight through his clothes.
Shen Ye, who had been watching the fight, flashed over and appeared behind Jiraiya.
"Strength of a Hundred!"
His palm struck Jiraiya, propelling him toward Bu Liuye at even greater speed.
With a clang, the Shuriken collided. Somehow, Bu Liuye had a long sword in his hand, and sparks flew everywhere.
Shen Ye shook his head helplessly. It looked like they wouldn't be able to take the guy down right away. They'd need a little help.
"Jiraiya, I'll help you!"
Shen Ye slipped out of Bu Liuye's sight and lightly placed a hand on him, silently thinking, Steal Skill.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully stolen Bu Liuye's skill: Water Release: Water Bullet Technique! Skill cooldown: 3 hours."
"Finally, I have an attack jutsu that's worth something. Let's see how you defend against your own jutsu now."
The instant he learned the Water Release Ninjutsu, Shen Ye had already mastered its highest form. Even his Hand Seals were much faster.
He brought his hands together, and a water dragon rose into the air behind him, roaring as it charged toward Bu Liuye.
Bu Liuye froze in shock. He had trained in Water Release for more than ten years, yet he was nowhere near as good as the child before him.
In all his years in the ninja world, he had never seen a jutsu of this caliber.
"How is this possible? You're just a kid. How can you use a jutsu like that?"
"There's a lot you haven't seen. From now on, you can spend your time thinking about that in a Konoha prison cell."
While Bu Liuye was stunned, Shen Ye and Jiraiya charged at him almost simultaneously, hurling two ropes that tightly bound him.
Bu Liuye came to his senses too late. He tried to move the chakra inside him, only to find it had no effect.
The ropes around his body seemed to possess some strange power, blocking the connections between his chakra points and preventing him from forming chakra.
Shen Ye clapped his hands and nodded to Jiraiya.
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