"Mm... He won't get far in such a short time... But better safe than sorry... Let's say about five hundred meters. That's the sensing limit for someone at Kage Level. Sorry for the trouble..." Uchiha Chiba looked toward a certain spot. After a long while, he moved, his figure gradually disappearing over the horizon as he slipped into the forest.
In the forest
"Even poisoned, he hasn't forgotten to cover his tracks. His organization must be very disciplined—at least, they take completing their missions seriously." Uchiha Chiba crouched and pinched up some black soil. The ground was usually dark because it stayed damp from the year-round rain.
But...
Sharingan! Open!
His crimson eyes stared fixedly at the faintly glowing bloodstain on the ground.
"You can cover your footprints, but what about the toxin? My chakra's been tempered by Salamander Toxin, so I'm very sensitive to it... Well, the hunt is on." Uchiha Chiba smiled.
Meanwhile...
In the shadows...
"The hunt is on? That's what I should be saying. Heh heh heh, the fish has taken the bait." Hannya gave a bizarre laugh. He hadn't gone far at all. From the start, he'd intended to kill Uchiha Chiba.
However...
He was worried that Hanzo the Salamander might be following Uchiha Chiba, so he'd used his own methods to scout the area and see whether the Demigod of the Ninja World was still with the kid. After sensing for him again and again, he confirmed that Hanzo the Salamander wasn't following the boy. That meant he could kill him.
Then...
Uchiha Chiba suddenly stopped.
"The blood trail ends here. Is he nearby?" Uchiha Chiba stood still and used his chakra to sense the surrounding area.
Normally...
A Special Chunin couldn't sense someone at Kage Level. But Salamander Toxin was a remarkable substance. Ordinary Salamander Toxin might have gone undetected, but this guy had been poisoned with the purest, most terrifying strain. The frightening thing about the toxin was that even the victim himself couldn't tell whether his body was still functioning properly—unless he was exceptionally skilled in Medical Ninjutsu... which was impossible.
"Salamander Toxin can paralyze the nerves, but it can't guarantee he'll die. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chased after him." The Kusarigama in Uchiha Chiba's hands clattered. He stuck an Explosive Tag to the handle of the sickle.
The next second...
As if he could no longer hold back his bloodlust...
Hannya's eyes turned cold.
"I should finish the mission as soon as possible. You fell for it, kid. Die!"
As a ferocious voice rang out from above...
Uchiha Chiba simply braced the Kusarigama with both hands.
The short blade scraped against the sickle, throwing off sparks.
The tremendous force split the earth beneath Uchiha Chiba's feet. The crushing pressure gradually forced Chiba down, and the sharp pain in his palms reminded him once again:
He didn't have a system.
He couldn't casually use some technique to take down a Kage Level powerhouse like the protagonists in other novels.
"Die, brat!" Apparently losing his senses to the poison, Hannya suddenly eased up on the pressure from his short blade, then thrust it toward Uchiha Chiba's heart.
The short blade was oddly shaped, like a sinister snake.
Bang!!!!
Uchiha Chiba lowered the sickle and leaped backward.
The Explosive Tag was primed.
Boom!!!!
The smoke cleared.
"An Explosive Tag... Where'd you get it, kid...?" Hannya clutched his forehead. Everything seemed to be changing strangely before his eyes.
Uchiha Chiba looked at Hannya.
The toxin had already begun to disrupt his mind.
Still...
Even with Salamander Toxin weakening him, this guy's strength was still terrifying. As expected, only overpowered protagonists and cheaters could easily kill enemies above their level.
Drip!
What was that sound?
Uchiha Chiba looked down.
"When did that happen?"
The serpentine short blade in Hannya's hand had somehow lodged itself in Uchiha Chiba's abdomen. Should he be grateful that Hannya was poisoned? Otherwise, with his skill, that strike would have shattered Uchiha Chiba's heart.
"Damn it... Poison. Hanzo the Salamander's poison... So that's why you dared to chase me, kid. What, you think you're some chosen one? If the toxin hadn't affected my senses, you'd already be dead." Hannya acted at once, slicing his palm. A little color returned to his pale face.
The next second...
Uchiha Chiba dropped to one knee.
This wasn't a genjutsu.
He'd really been stabbed.
As Hannya rushed toward him, Chiba suddenly smiled. "You really thought I was just an arrogant kid? I wouldn't have chased you if I weren't sure I could kill you. You're one of the Root operatives under that old dog Danzo, aren't you? Sending someone at Kage Level... That map on me must be pretty important."
Uchiha Chiba's voice was quiet.
The next second...
A muffled sound of breathing came from beneath a mask.
"I admit, you've made me reconsider. Did Lord Hanzo really see so far ahead when he chose you as his personal disciple?" In an instant, a man who looked remarkably like Hanzo the Salamander appeared in front of Uchiha Chiba, easily blocking Hannya's attack.
It was Hanzo's Right Hand.
Pfft!!!!
A mouthful of black blood gushed from Hannya's mouth.
"So this is your backup? Someone at Kage Level? Hahahaha!" Hannya narrowed his eyes. His right eye was already bloodshot. Salamander Toxin had paralyzed it.
Uchiha Chiba: You're the legendary poison-resistance king, huh? You still haven't gone down? You deserve a medal!
"You've got impressive poison resistance. That sinister feeling... You must be one of the Twelve Maniacs of the Root, as the rumors say." Hanzo's Right Hand formed Hand Seals with one hand. Several water clones surrounded Uchiha Chiba, protecting him immediately. No one knew whether this lunatic would lash out in desperation.
Fire Style: Searing Migraine!
Hannya opened his mouth wide, unleashing a terrifying blaze that surged forward with waves of scorching heat!
Water Style: Water Tornado!
Hanzo's Right Hand formed Hand Seals calmly. A terrifying tornado drew in the surrounding rainwater and became a blue water dragon. Its fearsome head crashed violently into the flames. Mist billowed, and visibility in the surrounding forest dropped at once.
Amid the mist...
Hanzo's Right Hand warily sensed the flow of chakra around him.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!
A water dragon shot out from behind Hanzo's Right Hand, lunging toward a spot nearby!
Boom!!!!!
"By the way, Mr. Youzo, what are the Twelve Maniacs?" Uchiha Chiba clutched his abdomen. Pulling the blade out carelessly would tear him open further, so it was better to wait and have it treated later. After all, the Rain Ninja had medical ninjas.
"Don't talk. Does it not hurt enough already? The shape of that blade means it would only take a tiny adjustment to tear open your stomach. Save your strength and keep quiet. He hasn't disappeared. He's still in the mist." Hanzo's Right Hand looked around. That man's chakra had vanished...
Before you continue