Aoki had originally been a ninja from Konohagakure in the Land of Fire, but he was now a rogue ninja.
Ever since defecting from Konoha three years ago, he had been living a life on the run, never knowing whether he would see the next day.
Aoki believed his talent was second to none among Konoha's geniuses, yet the Konoha High Command had never taken him seriously.
He had repeatedly asked Konoha's leaders to let him exchange his contributions for ninjutsu, but they had always rejected his requests, claiming he hadn't contributed enough.
Though Aoki hadn't dared to steal the Scroll of Sealing, he'd had no qualms about stealing other Konoha techniques. While Konoha was negotiating with Kumogakure, he stole the techniques he wanted and defected from the village.
As Aoki walked along the road, he thought about the past. Whenever he remembered those days, resentment welled up inside him.
"Are you Aoki, the rogue ninja from Konoha?" a voice called from behind him.
Startled by the voice, Aoki quickly turned around. A young man with a samurai sword hanging at his waist stood behind him.
"Who are you?"
Aoki eyed the young man, who wore no Forehead Protector, and asked warily, "Are you a wandering samurai or a bounty hunter?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm the one hunting you," the young man replied.
The young man carrying the samurai sword was Hyuuga Nen. This was a new identity he had adopted after arriving in the Land of Tea.
Hearing Hyuuga Nen's words, Aoki burst out laughing. "Who do you think you are? Anbu from Konoha? I've lost count of how many people like you I've killed."
"Why not find out?" Hyuuga Nen replied coolly, then charged at Aoki.
Clang, clang, clang! Hyuuga Nen struck again and again, and Aoki drew a kunai to block his blows.
Feeling his arms go slightly numb, Aoki's expression darkened. "His speed and strength are both greater than mine."
"Getting distracted in a fight is never a good idea." Seizing Aoki's opening, Hyuuga Nen kicked him in the stomach.
With a bang, Aoki's body vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only a log behind.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Aoki's voice came from behind Hyuuga Nen.
Sensing the wave of heat at his back, Hyuuga Nen pushed off hard with both feet and dove forward. He reached out with one hand, braced himself against the ground, flipped through the air, and landed steadily on his feet.
Seeing that Hyuuga Nen had dodged his attack, Aoki continued using ninjutsu.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!"
"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Aoki unleashed four techniques in succession, launching one attack after another at Hyuuga Nen.
Pleased with his own techniques, Aoki panted and laughed. "Well? Seen what I can do? I was born with all five chakra natures. I'm an undisputed genius. You can still run while you have the chance."
After dodging Aoki's attacks, Hyuuga Nen stood at a distance and assessed him.
When he had first learned that Aoki possessed all five chakra natures, Hyuuga Nen had thought he might be troublesome. But after seeing him use ninjutsu, he realized his concerns had been unnecessary.
"Slow." That was the impression Aoki's ninjutsu had left on him.
Hyuuga Nen had initially found it strange. Someone with Aoki's talent should have been valued by Konoha, and it was hard to imagine why he would defect.
But after fighting him, Hyuuga Nen realized that both Aoki's chakra reserves and his chakra control were remarkably mediocre.
"Talent that can't be put to use isn't real talent. No wonder Konoha didn't value him. And his personality is a problem, too," Hyuuga Nen added silently.
Looking at Aoki, who was panting, Hyuuga Nen mocked him. "If you're such a genius, how did you end up a rogue ninja?"
"What would you know? Konoha's leaders are blind! They've become corrupt!" Aoki gritted out.
"Were you putting on a circus just now? All flash and no substance. Your techniques look impressive, but you haven't hit me once," Hyuuga Nen continued to taunt him.
"Damn you! What gives you the right to mock me? I haven't seen you use a single technique!" Aoki glared at Hyuuga Nen in fury.
"Then I'll show you what real ninjutsu looks like." Hyuuga Nen began forming Hand Seals at an unhurried pace.
"What's this? I thought you were a samurai. But you're way too slow with those Hand Seals. I'll show you my secret technique!"
As soon as Hyuuga Nen began forming Hand Seals, Aoki did the same. First, he created a Shadow Clone, then he and his clone began forming different seals at the same time.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough! Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Aoki combined Wind Style and Fire Style, letting the wind fan the flames. His long stream of fire grew fiercer, surging toward Hyuuga Nen with tremendous force.
As the combined technique bore down on him, Hyuuga Nen remained calm and continued forming Hand Seals at the same pace.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Hyuuga Nen spat out an enormous fireball.
The fireball collided with the flames in midair, rumbling loudly as the two techniques seemed evenly matched.
Aoki's eyes widened in surprise. He hurriedly increased his chakra output. As he watched the fireball gradually get pushed back by the flaming dragon, a smug look spread across his face.
"This is his limit." Hyuuga Nen watched the fireball being forced back and increased his own chakra output.
Fueled by Hyuuga Nen's chakra, the fireball grew larger and larger. To Aoki, it seemed to blot out the sky. He watched in horror as his combined technique was overwhelmed and the fireball came rushing straight at him.
Since he was in the middle of performing a technique, Aoki couldn't dodge. The fireball exploded right in front of him. Amid the tremendous blast, he let out a scream and was hurled into the air, then crashed heavily to the ground.
Hyuuga Nen had deliberately controlled the fireball so it wouldn't hit Aoki directly. He still needed to collect the bounty for him. But the violent shock wave and intense heat together were enough to kill Aoki.
Hyuuga Nen walked over to Aoki and frowned at the sight of him. His hair had been completely burned away, his skin was bright red, and his face was nearly unrecognizable.
"Will I still get the bounty for him like this? I should've known better than to use Fire Style."
Hyuuga Nen muttered the words, but he still began gathering up Aoki's body.
"Fire Style can kill people, too."
Hyuuga Nen reached that conclusion, thought it to himself, and then headed toward the Bounty Exchange.
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