Scaring Off Zabuza

When Ino heard Lu Yu say that, her mind went blank, and all sorts of thoughts raced through her head.

Why had this guy suddenly said something like that? Could it be... he'd finally realized how I feel?

As it turned out, Ino was reading too much into it. Lu Yu, completely oblivious to romance, pulled out another packet of beef jerky and handed it to her with a cheerful grin.

"You seem to like beef jerky. Here, you can have this packet too."

Ino stared at the beef jerky in her hand, utterly dumbfounded.

In that instant, all her shyness and emotion vanished. All Ino could feel was an increasingly strong urge to beat Lu Yu to death.

There was a reason Lu Yu was still single. He was so dense that even if the god of marriage tied a red string between them, he'd somehow manage to snap it with sheer force.

Asuma gave Lu Yu an approving nod.

"That attack just now was incredible. I didn't expect you to be so strong."

Lu Yu took out a cup and had a sip of water before replying with a smile.

"I'm just about good enough to protect myself."

Everyone's mouths twitched at his words.

You call that just good enough? You sent the other guy flying in an instant. Your speed and strength were unbelievable—nothing like anything they'd ever seen or heard of.

But Lu Yu didn't seem inclined to say more, so no one pressed him.

After all, Lu Yu was one of their own. There was no harm in him being strong.

Asuma glanced at Tazuna. Seeing the man's pitiful expression, he could only sigh helplessly.

Tazuna had already explained things to Asuma along the way, but he'd glossed over the details and tried to guilt-trip him, leaving Asuma rather exasperated.

Still, people who became members of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi tended to have a strong sense of justice. After weighing it over, Asuma had agreed to help.

Before this, Asuma had figured they would be dealing with a bunch of thugs, Chunin at most.

Now, it seemed things were far more serious than he'd imagined. The first attacker had been a Chunin, which meant the next one would probably be a Jonin. Asuma turned to the four of them and said gravely,

"You all need to stay alert. If they come back, the enemy may be a Jonin."

At the mention of Jonin, everyone—including Tazuna—grew tense.

In the world of shinobi, the word "Jonin" carried a lot of weight. It meant the person had formidable strength.

Hearing this, Ino instinctively moved to Lu Yu's side, looking like a helpless little girl.

Perhaps Lu Yu had finally gotten a clue—or maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment impulse—but he put an arm around Ino's shoulders and spoke gently.

"Don't worry, Ino. I told you I'd protect you."

Ino met Lu Yu's gaze, and her heart started racing again. She stammered,

"R-really, Lu Yu...?"

Seeing that Asuma wasn't going to back out, Tazuna let out a sigh of relief.

As long as these Konoha shinobi protected him, his life was safe for now.

The group resumed their journey. They hadn't gone far when Asuma, who'd been carefully watching their surroundings, suddenly narrowed his eyes.

A pure white rabbit sat on the ground, without a single spot of color on its fur.

Asuma recognized it at once. Shinobi raised rabbits like this specifically to use with the Substitution Technique.

"Stop!"

Asuma waved his hand, his face grave.

Lu Yu glanced at the Snow Rabbit and couldn't help frowning.

If Zabuza showed up now, wouldn't beating him mean they'd be heading back to the village soon?

Absolutely not. He'd gone to all the trouble of leaving the village; he couldn't go back so soon.

Maybe he could beat Zabuza half to death, let him escape, then fight him again?

No. That would be way too much trouble for a salted fish.

How about...

Lu Yu quickly scanned the area and spotted Zabuza, his body radiating killing intent. The instant Zabuza was about to attack, Lu Yu's gaze suddenly turned razor-sharp.

Then a terrifying pressure crashed down on him.

Just as Zabuza was about to hurl the Kubikiribōchō at the group, an explosive rumble suddenly rang out in his mind. It rolled like thunder, as though a giant bell had been struck inside his skull.

Boom!

The echoing rumble shook Zabuza's body. As if struck by lightning, he tumbled from the branch, unable to move.

"What's going on?!"

"Why can't I move? Where is this terrifying feeling coming from?!"

Zabuza's face turned pale, his eyes full of shock. In all his decades as a shinobi, he'd never encountered anything so bizarre.

The terrifying pressure came from nowhere, bearing down on him like a mountain. Once it fell upon him, Zabuza could barely move a finger.

Nearby, Haku had been watching from hiding. The moment he noticed something strange with Zabuza, he rushed over.

Seeing the alarm in Zabuza's eyes, Haku didn't hesitate. He immediately took Zabuza and fled.

Lu Yu's lips curled slightly. No one knew that he'd silently scared Zabuza off.

Now that he'd finally made it out of the village, heading back without spending a few months sightseeing wouldn't suit the Salted Fish King at all.

Lu Yu had even planned out exactly how he'd time his return to coincide with the Chunin Ninja Exams...