Chapter 45

Nagato's voice carried over, tinged with amusement. "I thought you wouldn't dare come."

Lu Chen did not respond and simply walked over.

The crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

Nagato looked him up and down, his gaze scrutinizing. "I thought you'd at least bring a few people. I didn't expect you to really come alone."

"One person is enough to deal with you."

Lu Chen said it casually, as if he were merely commenting on the nice weather.

Nagato's mouth twitched, and his smile turned colder. "Kid, do you know that talking like that will get you killed very quickly?"

"I know."

Lu Chen raised his head and looked at him. "But the one who dies definitely won't be me."

The training platform fell silent in an instant.

Everyone stared at Lu Chen, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Was this kid insane?

He dared speak to the young master of the Nagato family like that?

Nagato was silent for two seconds before suddenly laughing. "Good. Very good."

He clapped his hands. "I was going to let you live a few more days, but since you're looking to die, don't blame me."

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura changed sharply.

A terrifying pressure erupted from his body, forcing even the spectators below the platform to retreat.

Lu Chen stood where he was, completely unmoved. "Power of the Ultimate Path... interesting."

He licked his lips, battle intent blazing in his eyes.

Nagato raised his right hand.

A mass of black light gathered between his fingers, endlessly twisting and contracting.

The fluctuations of that power made the surrounding space tremble faintly.

The faces of those below the platform turned pale. "This is the Power of the Ultimate Path?"

"Just its aura is making it hard for me to breathe..."

"That kid is dead for sure."

The crowd whispered among themselves, looking at Lu Chen as though he were already dead.

But Nagato was in no rush to attack.

He looked down at Lu Chen from above, his tone carrying the air of charity.

"If you kneel and beg for mercy now, I can consider sparing your life."

Lu Chen dug at his ear. "What did you say? The wind's too loud, I didn't hear you clearly."

Nagato's expression darkened. "You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

He thrust his palm forward, and the black light shot out.

It was unbelievably fast, reaching Lu Chen in almost an instant.

Lu Chen did not dodge.

He merely raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and—

Threw a punch.

His fist collided with the black light in a deafening explosion.

The shockwave burst outward, ripping crack after crack across the ground.

Everyone thought Lu Chen would be blasted away.

Some had even closed their eyes.

But when the smoke and dust cleared—

Lu Chen was still standing where he was.

Golden light on his fist intertwined with the black light, the two forces steadily canceling each other out.

Crack, crack, crack—

Sounds of shattering rang out continuously from where the two powers collided.

Nagato's pupils suddenly shrank. "How is that possible...?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Lu Chen grinned. "Is that all your Power of the Ultimate Path amounts to?"

As he spoke, he suddenly exerted force.

The golden light surged, directly blasting the black light apart.

Nagato's face changed drastically, and he tried to retreat.

But it was already too late.

Lu Chen suddenly appeared before him.

His fist tore through the air and smashed viciously into his stomach. "Urgh—"

Nagato's eyes bulged as his body bent like a shrimp.

His feet left the ground, and he was sent flying.

Boom—

He crashed into a pillar at the edge of the training platform, snapping it in two on impact.

Rubble fell and half-buried Nagato beneath it.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Everyone stood with their mouths open, unable to say a word.

That Nagato...

Had been sent flying with one punch?

Lu Chen walked over and looked down at Nagato, who was struggling to crawl out. "And you were going on about the Power of the Ultimate Path."

He shook his head, a trace of disappointment in his eyes. "That's it?"

Nagato gritted his teeth and forced himself upright. "You... don't get cocky..."

"Cocky?"

Lu Chen tilted his head. "I haven't even put in any effort, and you're already down."

"Someone like you thinks you're worthy of being called a genius?"

"You're not even qualified to be my target practice."

Nagato's face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead.

He abruptly drove the power in his body, intending to make one final desperate stand.

But before he could attack, Lu Chen kicked him in the chest again.

Crack—

The sound of bones breaking was clear and sharp.

Nagato screamed as he flew backward, smashing through the railing of the training platform and falling below. "Cough... cough, cough..."

He lay sprawled on the ground, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth, utterly miserable.

Lu Chen stood at the edge of the platform and looked down at him. "Remember this. Don't ever mention the Power of the Ultimate Path in front of me again."

"Otherwise, next time it won't just be a few broken bones."

With that, he turned around and leaped down from the platform.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

Everyone watched his departing figure, their eyes full of awe.

On the streets of a small town at the border of the Rain Country, there were barely any people in sight.

A black-haired youth walked through the puddles, his clothes stained with mud and his whole body looking dusty and grimy.

He stopped in front of a bun shop and took out a few coins. "Boss, two meat buns."

"Coming right up!"

The middle-aged woman at the shop swiftly wrapped them in oiled paper and handed them over.

The youth took them and bit into one, casually sweeping his gaze toward the street corner.

Several shinobi crouched on the rooftops, wearing worn-out Rain shinobi forehead protectors, their eyes fixed firmly on him. "Again?"

He sighed, stuffed the buns into his mouth in a few bites, then turned into an alley.

Those Rain shinobi immediately chased after him. "Kid! Who are you? Why are you wandering around the Rain Country?"

The lead shinobi held a kunai in his hand, his tone hostile.

The youth wiped his mouth and lazily turned around. "I'm just passing through. Do you really need to be this nervous?"

"Cut the nonsense! Something major happened over in Hidden Mist recently, and the Rain Country doesn't want any trouble! An unfamiliar face like you must be taken back for questioning!"

The youth shrugged and did not explain further.

With both hands in his pockets, he turned and walked away. "Stop!"

The lead shinobi lunged directly at him, his kunai stabbing toward the youth's back.

Without even looking back, the youth shifted slightly and effortlessly evaded the strike.

The shinobi missed and staggered two steps. The others attacked at the same time, hurling kunai and shuriken at him.

The youth darted left and right through the narrow alley, narrowly avoiding every attack. "You're pretty fast." The lead shinobi sneered. "But what good is dodging?"

He suddenly formed hand seals and spat out a ball of water.

A flash of golden light passed through the youth's eyes.

He lightly raised a finger.

The water ball seemed to hit some invisible barrier in midair and exploded, spraying water everywhere. "Y-you... who are you?"

The smile on the lead shinobi's face froze.

The youth ignored him and continued walking forward.

The Rain shinobi wanted to pursue him, but their legs suddenly went weak. They fell to the ground, their entire bodies convulsing, unable even to hold their kunai. "Your chakra... isn't right..."

Gritting his teeth, the lead shinobi desperately tried to stand, but his body would not obey him at all.

The youth walked out of the alley, sunlight falling across his face.

He stopped and looked back. "It rains nonstop in this dump of yours. The world really ought to feel a little warmth."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished.

The Rain shinobi lay on the ground, their faces full of terror, not daring to even breathe loudly.

After a long while, the lead shinobi barely managed to crawl to his feet, his entire body still trembling. "Quick... report to the leader! A monster has entered the Rain Country!"

The youth passed through the curtain of rain and arrived before a ruined temple.

Several candles burned inside, casting dim light.

A woman sat in a corner, her entire body wrapped in bandages, with only one eye exposed.

When she saw the youth, her expression visibly changed. "Who are you?"

The youth walked over, crouched in front of her, and calmly looked at her. "You don't need to know who I am. I'm only here to find something."

The woman warily drew back. "What?"

"The cat inside your body."

The woman's pupils contracted sharply.

She wanted to attack, only to discover that an invisible force had suppressed her body. She could not even move a finger. "Don't struggle. I won't hurt you." The youth's tone was calm. "That thing will only make you suffer inside your body. Taking it away will be good for you too."

The woman bit her lip and stared at him with a complicated look. "Who... are you?"

The youth stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes. "Just passing through."

He extended a hand, his five fingers slightly spread.

The Tailed Beast Chakra within the woman's body began to churn violently, as though something were forcibly pulling it out.

She groaned, veins bulging on her forehead.

The youth frowned and slowed his movements slightly. "Bear with it. It'll be over soon."

A moment later, a mass of pale blue chakra was extracted from the woman's body. It rolled through the air a few times before finally settling into the youth's palm.

He glanced at it, then casually pressed it into his own body.

The woman collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily, but her eyes held a little more light than before.

She raised her head and asked in a hoarse voice, "You... why did you save me?"

With his back to her, the youth waved a hand. "I told you, I only came to collect Tailed Beast Chakra. I didn't come looking for women."

He walked out of the ruined temple. The rain was still falling.

Yet the woman's lips curved into a faint smile, one that was rare for her.

Three days later, in a small inn on the border of the Land of Fire.

The youth sat by the window. Before him was a steaming bowl of ramen, with a flask of sake beside it.

He ate with great relish, his mouth stuffed full.

A red-haired woman in a kimono pushed open the door and walked in.

She was tall and slender with delicate features. Her red eyes carried a lazy air, and she held a small bundle in one hand.

The innkeeper's gaze shifted slightly when he saw how she was dressed. "Miss, are you here to eat or stay the night?"

The red-haired woman ignored him, her gaze falling directly on the youth by the window.

She walked over in wooden sandals and sat opposite him. "Found you."

The youth looked up, swallowed the noodles in his mouth, and scratched his head. "Why are you here?"

"You took the Tailed Beast out of Xiao Xi's body, so she asked me to come check on you." Resting her chin on one hand, the red-haired woman smiled at him. "Xiao Xi said you're an interesting person."

The youth curled his lip. "What's interesting about me? I'm just a nobody."

"A nobody couldn't have saved her life." The red-haired woman pointed at his bowl. "Get me a bowl too."

The youth glanced at her, then called out to the innkeeper. "Another bowl of ramen!"

The red-haired woman nodded in satisfaction.

She leaned back in her chair, her gaze sweeping over the boy. "You carry the scent of several Tailed Beasts. Just what are you?"

The boy did not even raise his head. "Collecting chakra."

"What are you collecting it for?"

"It's useful."

"What use?"