第19章 谁让你自己不戴标识?

"That sounds reasonable." The leader twitched the corner of his mouth, his smile somewhat chilling. "In this line of work, age truly doesn't matter..."

"Earth Style: Earth Flow River!" Hibari let out a low shout.

The ground surged in response, and in the blink of an eye, a river of mud erupted, rumbling as it charged toward his opponent.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

The leader struck at almost the same moment. A massive volume of water surged from thin air, crashing down to disperse the mudflow. Its momentum remained undiminished; instead, it gathered and piled up, forming a towering curtain of water suspended in mid-air, roaring with a terrifying presence.

Talk about bad luck, Hibari thought, curling his lip. Running into someone who plays with water is one thing, but he's specifically picking the techniques that annoy me the most... Judging by his style, he's nine times out of ten from Kirigakure.

Thoughts aside, his hands never stopped moving. Precisely because he loathed techniques like the Great Waterfall that could turn a battlefield into a bathhouse, he had specifically trained in ways to counter them.

"Earth Style: Earth Style Wall!"

The seals were formed, and the technique was cast. The very moment the torrential flood bore down, a thick rock wall erupted from beneath Hibari's feet, lifting him and the wall high into the air like a fortress.

Earth counters water—that principle held true anywhere. The intimidating flood slammed into the wall but failed to break through, forced to sullenly divert and drain away from both sides.

This series of fluid responses made the leader mutter to himself.

This brat... where does he get so many tricks? The more he watched, the more alarmed he became. His technique is seasoned, as if he's used to dealing with Water Style ninjas, and he knows my style inside out.

The most bizarre thing is his chakra reserves. For a kid this age, no matter how much of a genius he is, how can he handle such a drain?

With that thought, he looked up and shouted at Hibari on the wall: "Hey, kid! Which path are you from? State your name!"

Hibari felt relieved upon hearing this. The fact that the opponent was asking meant he was being taken seriously.

He raised the corner of his mouth and answered crisply: "Hidden Leaf Village, Senju Hibari."

"Not surprised it's the Leaf..." the leader muttered, but his expression changed noticeably when he heard the second half. "Senju? You're from the Senju Clan?"

"The genuine article," Hibari replied candidly, carrying the unique arrogance of a clan descendant.

The leader was silent for a moment before speaking slowly: "No wonder... A seed of the Senju family, it makes sense that you'd have innate talent, and that absurd amount of chakra has an origin."

His tone shifted abruptly, turning icy: "It's a pity. The more of a genius you are, the sooner you must be crushed to put my mind at ease."

Before the words had faded, his hands flew, weaving seals once more.

Hibari, atop the wall, moved almost simultaneously. His eyes were locked on the opponent's gestures, his mind calculating rapidly while his own hands formed seals.

This sequence... it looks like the Water Dragon Bullet, but it's not quite right... Before Hibari could figure it out, the opponent's technique was complete.

"Water Style: Twin Water Dragon Bullet!"

With a deep shout, the water below exploded. Two thick water dragons broke through the waves and soared into the air, claws bared as they lunged toward the heights.

Good grief, two at once? Hibari's heart tightened, his final seal clicking into place just in time.

"Earth Style: Earth Rock Dragon!"

The rock wall trembled as a ferocious earth dragon rose, head held high, crashing into the twin dragons without a hint of fear.

A dragon head erupted from the Earth Style Wall, and the entire earth-rock dragon lunged out, colliding head-on with one of the water dragons. Since earth counters water, that water dragon was shattered on impact.

However, the second water dragon didn't hesitate, its momentum undiminished as it lunged straight for Hibari on the wall.

"You've got some kick..." Hibari muttered, his hands simplifying the seals into three quick motions.

As the water dragon was about to hit his face, he curled his lip and let out a low shout: "Earth Style: Earth Core!"

The wall beneath his feet shook violently, and the already towering wall shot upward by another section. The water dragon miscalculated the height and slammed into the rock face, exploding into a massive spray of water.

"Senju Hibari," the ninja standing on the pool of water chuckled, "you seem... quite afraid of water, don't you?"

Hibari furrowed his brows. This guy had a sharp eye; he'd figured out the trick after just a few exchanges, and the techniques he used were no ordinary ones. Hibari felt these few moves would be enough to give a Jonin a headache, yet his opponent handled them with such ease.

Throughout the fight, he had mostly been on the defensive, while his opponent remained composed. If this guy really was from Kirigakure, he was no ordinary operative.

It was a pity that his impression of the powerful figures of this era was hazy; he couldn't guess the man's background at all.

But then again, knowing the Leaf was involved and that even Sarutobi Sasuke was present, for this man to still dare bring three companions to stir up trouble in the Insect King Valley—without real skill and confidence, how could he dare to play such a game?

In the distance, Sarutobi Sasuke and Sarutobi Hiruzen were also exchanging views in low voices.

Logically, Sarutobi Sasuke should have had some impression of a ninja of this caliber, but the man's face was completely unfamiliar.

After pondering for a moment, Sarutobi Sasuke said: "Not a standard path; he's likely used a disguise. They are clean, without a single mark on them, so that's highly probable."

"His strength is indeed extraordinary," Sarutobi Hiruzen added. "When trading blows with Hibari, he was always distracted, keeping an eye on his surroundings."

"To deal with a mere Earth Flow River, he used the Great Waterfall Technique to alter the environment... I fear it wasn't just for defense, but to guard against potential reinforcements. And after releasing so many Water Style techniques, he shows no signs of fatigue. His chakra reserves must still be quite abundant."

"Judging by his previous performance, his experience is also seasoned. This kind of ninja is definitely not a wandering mercenary," Sarutobi Sasuke mused. "Based on current judgment, there is a high probability he is from Kirigakure."

He paused, his tone sinking: "That brat Hibari looks like he can hold his own for now, but in terms of combat experience and raw power, he's still a cut below this man. Plus, he's inherently countered by Water Style, so his chances of winning aren't high."

"The opponent is likely testing him now, while also guarding against us... Hiruzen, don't just watch. Go provide support and find an opportunity to finish him."

Although the Five Great Nations were currently at peace, friction had never ceased; it was simply kept within certain limits.

Moreover, this man was hiding his identity, carrying no markings, which meant the forces behind him didn't want their identity exposed either. Even if Sarutobi Sasuke was ninety percent certain he was from Kirigakure, without hard evidence from the ninjutsu alone, there was no way to hold Kirigakure accountable.

But this also had an advantage—even if they killed him here, Kirigakure would have to swallow the insult. Who told you not to wear your markings? If he was treated as a rogue ninja or a wandering mercenary, who could say otherwise?

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded: "Understood, Father."

Before the words had finished, he had already vanished from his spot.

On the other side, since the ninja had figured out that Hibari feared water, he wasn't idle. He raised both hands, and a new round of seals began to flow between his fingers.

The ninja crouched down, pressed his hands into the water, and let out a low shout: "Secret Technique: Water Manipulation - Great Tsunami!"

As the words fell, the water surface churned, and water surged from thin air, gathering into a high wall before rushing toward Hibari on the Earth Style Wall like a tsunami.

Hibari spat, his hands never stopping their seals: "He even pulled out a secret technique; this bastard is definitely no pushover!"

He cursed, but he wasn't panicked. Seeing the tsunami bearing down, he instead snorted: "You think only you have secret techniques?"

Hibari shouted: "Earth Style Secret Technique: Great Collapse Technique!"

Suddenly, the entire battlefield shook, and even the roaring tsunami wavered. Hibari had always hated Water Style, especially techniques like the Great Waterfall, so he had been prepared, learning this move from the Senju family scrolls to counter it.

Once the technique was cast, the surrounding ground collapsed violently, revealing a deep pit. The water rushed down and was swallowed up, leaving only piles of scattered rocks.

However, after using this technique, Hibari's condition immediately plummeted. His chakra was bottoming out, and he knelt on one knee on the wall, gasping for air.

Hibari thought while panting: Other protagonists get to bully the weak in their debut, but me? I get to face a big shot right off the bat?

The ninja's technique had been broken, but he nimbly jumped onto a rock pillar. Seeing Hibari's disheveled state, the corner of his mouth curled up.

But halfway through his smile, his expression froze. He hurriedly ducked, and a wind blade grazed his waist, cutting the rock pillar in front of him clean in half.

Having dodged the attack, he turned to look at the source and whispered: "As expected, there are reinforcements..."

He had anticipated this. Intelligence indicated Sarutobi Sasuke was present, and Hibari was a Senju genius, so someone was bound to be looking out for him. His timing for the sneak attack had been precise, and the water area warning had failed, but fortunately, his reaction was fast.

Seeing the newcomer clearly, he frowned: "Sarutobi Hiruzen..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was no rookie; he was Sarutobi Sasuke's son, a man of outstanding talent with a reputation in the ninja world. However, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't waste words. He formed the Tiger seal with both hands, his chakra surging.

Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth and spat: "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

The ninja wasn't slow either, spitting out a water ball: "Water Style: Water Gun Bullet!" The water ball extinguished the flame bullet in mid-air.

Water and fire collided, exploding into a massive amount of mist that instantly obscured both their lines of sight.

Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's stance for the seals, the ninja's heart skipped a beat. His feet didn't stay idle; he darted away, hurriedly changing to another rock pillar for a foothold.

He calculated clearly: trying to force a ninjutsu battle with this fast-sealing expert would likely lead to a loss. Putting some distance between them was never a bad idea.

He had just dodged when the spot he had previously occupied was smashed to pieces by a blast of wind pressure from within the mist.

Before he could catch his breath, Sarutobi Hiruzen's figure broke through the mist and arrived right in front of him, lifting his leg to kick him in the face.

Trying to engage in taijutsu? The mysterious ninja's thought flashed, but his movements were faster. He blocked with his arms, successfully taking the kick. Immediately after, he reached for his waist, a cold light flashed, and a kunai stabbed straight at Sarutobi Hiruzen's stomach!

But whether it was because Sarutobi Hiruzen was out of practice or something else, he was half a beat slow in the face of this vicious stab, as if he hadn't reacted in time, neither dodging nor defending.

Got him! Joy flashed in the mysterious ninja's eyes, feeling that this was a sure hit.

However, the sensation of the kunai stabbing in was wrong—it was hard, like stabbing into a piece of iron, and it wouldn't go in at all.

Before he could figure out what was happening, Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands had clamped onto his shoulders like iron pincers. His heart sank, and he realized something was wrong.

In the blink of an eye, Hibari's figure appeared behind him like a ghost.

Hibari pressed one hand against his sword hilt. The next second, a cold blade light flashed brilliantly. The long sword left its sheath, and taking advantage of the moment the man was pinned, he swung without a hint of hesitation, slicing across the man's neck in a single stroke!

A head flew into the air, clean and decisive.

Hibari landed lightly on another rock pillar, sheathed his sword, and grinned: "How about that, Hiruzen? My follow-up, the timing was decent, right?"

Just as he finished speaking, another person walked out of the mist—it was the real Sarutobi Hiruzen. And the "Sarutobi Hiruzen" who had been holding the mysterious ninja tightly exploded into a puff of white smoke, revealing the true form of Monkey King Enma.

It turned out that from the moment Sarutobi Hiruzen spat out that "Flame Bullet," the trap had already been set. Otherwise, knowing his opponent was skilled in Water Style, why would he insist on using a Fire Style technique that was countered? The goal was the dense mist created by the collision of water and fire!