Slaughtering Chunin

After a brief rest, the team hurried onward and arrived in the Land of Rivers.

Unlike the Land of Fire, this place felt far more relaxed. Especially the people passing by—none of them wore ninja attire, making the four of them seem somewhat out of place.

"Looks like the Sand Village people haven't arrived yet. Let's wait here for a while."

Their appointed time was this afternoon, and Orochimaru had arrived early.

"Then can we go soak in the hot springs?"

Nawaki had heard of the famous tourist attractions in Hot Springs Village, which drew many visitors. It was his first time here, and he was ready to enjoy himself.

"Soak in the hot springs?"

Hearing the suggestion, Orochimaru nodded lightly in agreement. A little proper relaxation was good for both body and mind.

"Great!"

Following behind the others, Uchiha Yū observed the situation in Hot Springs Village. Its continued survival in the ninja world was largely thanks to its neutrality and lack of any real threat. Otherwise, this idyllic haven could never have existed.

Only after entering the hot springs did they discover that the bath was mixed-gender, leaving the previously excited Nawaki at a loss. Hyuga Reiko, meanwhile, hid in a corner with a flushed face. Fortunately, the steam around them concealed their embarrassment.

"Hmm?"

Uchiha Yū was enjoying his time relaxing when he saw Orochimaru suddenly leave, as if he had noticed something.

Instinctively, he reached toward his side, forgetting that he had not brought a kunai.

"Bathing really is deadly for a ninja."

You hid his body within the mist, then immediately went ashore and dressed.

"As expected, Teacher Orochimaru noticed something wrong. He must have gone to deal with the bigger problem."

The empty corridor was eerily quiet. Uchiha Yū heard footsteps, and at the corner stood a scar-faced ninja with a vicious grin.

"Found a little brat all alone!"

The other man made no effort to conceal his killing intent. He was coming for him!

"Running into me is your misfortune!"

The kunai in the man's hand identified him as a ninja, but Uchiha Yū was not worried.

He guessed that Teacher Orochimaru had gone to handle the major threat—the enemy's strong fighter. The rest had been left to him. Was this some kind of test?

"Idiot."

With a quiet remark, Uchiha Yū charged straight at him.

Matsushita Ida had not expected his opponent to rush him. He looked like a brat who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy. Shouldn't he run at the sight of a real ninja?

"Die!"

Bang!

Their bodies collided, and Matsushita Ida was sent flying by a single punch. Even if You was not yet proficient with monstrous strength, his opponent was not made of stone.

As Tsunade's signature technique, it was truly overkill against such cannon fodder.

"What just happened?"

Matsushita Ida was dumbfounded as he flew backward. His arm throbbed with pain, and he could not believe that a dignified chunin had been knocked away by a brat!

"Ninja Art! Rain Sprinkler Thousand Needles!"

The umbrella rising behind him suddenly snapped open, firing a massive barrage of hidden weapons in an instant.

"Rain ninja?"

Uchiha Yū was surprised that they were Rain ninja. Why had they appeared in Hot Springs Village? Why was he their target? Had this mission been leaked, or was it because of the Sand Village?

He calmed his mind. The priority was to kill his opponent.

"Fire Release! Great Fireball Jutsu!"

The scorching flames struck the incoming barrage, turning the needles into molten iron the moment they touched the fire.

You did not stop moving. His figure followed directly behind the Fire Release, launching an attack together with it.

"I called you an idiot, yet you still don't believe it."

The Great Fireball's impact did not vanish just because the enemy dodged. Instead, it slammed straight into the wall behind him along the corridor.

The buildings in Hot Springs Village were all made of wood. In an instant, surging flames tore through the wall, and the entire room became a sea of fire.

"Brat..."

Matsushita Ida swallowed hard, his eyelids twitching as he looked at the scene behind him. The intense heat around him gave him no chance to rest, and his hands rapidly formed seals.

"Water Release! Water Formation Wall!"

He used Water Release to extinguish the surrounding flames, but Matsushita Ida felt that something was wrong with his body.

Though the flames had been put out, the radioactive elements within them had not disappeared. Under Uchiha Yū's deliberate control, they only grew more intense.

Pathological changes had already begun in his body. When he tried to release another jutsu, he found himself unexpectedly exhausted.

"Damn it, what did you do to me?!"

Large patches of red burns appeared across his body. The intense pain drove him further into madness, and he wanted to fight Uchiha Yū to the death. Unfortunately, in his current condition, he was no match for You at all.

The favorable terrain also played a role. In the narrow corridor, radiation could gather quickly. Otherwise, killing him would have taken more effort.

"The moment I released those flames, you had already lost."

Uchiha Yū walked up to him. Matsushita Ida was now lying on the ground, completely powerless. A faint green glow appeared over his body as the concentrated radiation directly killed him.

After finishing this, Uchiha Yū began withdrawing the radioactive elements around him. Besides, he had been attacked; the enemy had actively come looking for him.

"You two idiots, stop soaking in the hot springs. I hope I'm not too late."

After dealing with his opponent, he rushed back as quickly as possible.

Just as he had expected, two more ninja had arrived at the bathhouse.

Nawaki had already been forced into a corner, and the situation looked grim. When he saw Uchiha Yū rush in, Nawaki shouted loudly.

"You! Don't worry about us—go find Teacher Orochimaru first!"

The strength of two chunin was absolutely not something people like them, who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy, could handle.

Hyuga Reiko had also hidden underwater, waiting for an opportunity. If their lives could hold back two ninja and allow You to find Teacher Orochimaru, then it would all be worth it.

"Good thing I dealt with my opponent quickly. If I'd been one step later, both of them would've been dead."

Naturally, You did not listen to Nawaki's instructions. Instead, he stepped into the center of the hot spring.

Chakra covered the soles of his feet as he stood atop the water, looking proudly at the two Rain Village ninja.

"What did he do? Why didn't he kill this brat?"

"Ida probably failed to find him and let him slip back. Now we have to clean up his mess."

The two ninja had never imagined that Matsushita Ida had died at Uchiha Yū's hands.

Judging by their ages, they had only just graduated from the Ninja Academy. Sending three chunin to kill them should have made success certain.

"You seem awfully sure you've got me."

Against two chunin, he could not use jutsu containing radioactive elements here. After all, Uchiha Yū did not want to accidentally injure his teammates. Radioactive elements did not distinguish between friend and foe when harming the human body.

The instant he opened his eyes, they had turned into single-tomoe Sharingan.