When a Greenhorn Met an Old Hand, the Old Hand Had the Upper Hand

"Phew, this guy was really hard to deal with!" Tu Wu said with some effort. "Who knew where Rain Village found such a freak? His physique was practically inhuman. Luckily, I knew the Rock Clone technique and managed to outsmart him. But his strength was definitely more than just that. He might even have been Rain Ninja Village's secret weapon. Still, he was blown to pieces. That'll make the scene a little difficult to handle."

Meanwhile, Zi Quan held an account book and appeared to be checking the records, but her wandering gaze gave away the fact that her attention was not on it at all.

"Why isn't that brat back yet? How long has he been gone? Don't tell me that fugitive killed him? But with that brat's speed, even an ordinary chunin shouldn't be able to beat him. If he couldn't win, couldn't he just run? Was he really that stubborn? Did he actually go head-to-head with that guy? Damn, don't tell me he really did? Did he seriously think he could beat such an old hand?" In Zi Quan's heart, she had never believed Zhou Yang could defeat Tu Wu. She had only wanted Zhou Yang to see what the real Ninja World was like. With his speed, he could run whenever he wanted, so she had not worried too much.

Hanzo had roughly the same idea. As Zhou Yang's teacher, no matter how harsh he was with his disciple, he would never assign him a mission meant to send him to his death. Hanzo's main goal had been for Zhou Yang to gain Zi Quan's approval, not this hunting mission. Anyone would think it was a joke to give a B-rank mission to someone who was not even a ninja. Hanzo had naturally assumed Zhou Yang would understand that, given his intelligence. But Zhou Yang had not considered taking shortcuts at all. He believed it was only natural for a ninja to complete the missions assigned by their superior, and he had even thought this was a test Hanzo had set for him.

In Hanzo's eyes, as long as Zhou Yang gained Zi Quan's approval, his identity would at least be easier to explain to the daimyo. Moreover, although Zi Quan's father had passed away, there were still some genuinely loyal followers among the ninja. Therefore, gaining Zi Quan's consent was the best way—or perhaps a necessary hurdle—for Zhou Yang to take over his position in the future. As for this mission, if he asked Zi Quan for help when the time came, wouldn't it be easy?

Growing somewhat anxious, Zi Quan put down the account book, gave instructions to the other clerks in the shop, and headed outside.

After reaching a corner, she beckoned. A Rain ninja soon came before her.

"Where did the ninja who stayed here last night go?"

"Was he from our village?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Wasn't that short ninja only seen once yesterday?" Zi Quan's tone was no longer as calm as usual in her anxiety.

"Uh... This morning, we saw him chasing after an ordinary person." Clearly, this ninja did not know that the farmer-looking man was Tu Wu.

"Which direction?"

"That way, toward the farmland."

"All right, go back to your duties."

The ninja answered yes and left. The proprietress returned to her room and changed into traveling clothes. After all, what she was wearing was far too conspicuous.

"Brat, you'd better back down. Don't fight him head-on."

As the smoke gradually dispersed, Tu Wu, who had been considering how to fabricate the "crime scene," suddenly froze. He saw a figure within the thinning smoke.

"What the hell? No way! He was fine after that?" Tu Wu's first reaction was to run. If Explosive Tags could not kill him, how could Tu Wu possibly beat him?

Just as he expected the other party to rush out and chase him, the figure did not move at all.

"Huh? What's going on?" Perplexed, Tu Wu prepared to hide in the shadows and observe. At that moment, the smoke from the Explosive Tags finally cleared completely, revealing the figure.

He was not standing on his own. A tree trunk behind him supported his body. Looking closer, nearly half his body bore burn marks, most of them on his back. Blood continued to gush from his left arm and right leg. He did not move in the slightest, as though he had already become a corpse.

Seeing this, Tu Wu did not rush forward. Instead, he continued watching from the shadows. This seasoned old hand was extremely cautious, on an entirely different level from the rogue ninja Zhou Yang had encountered before.

About five minutes later, seeing that Zhou Yang still showed no response, Tu Wu finally stepped out.

"Heh heh, heaven really favors me. An Explosive Tag actually left an intact corpse behind. Now there's plenty I can do with this scene." Tu Wu slowly walked toward Zhou Yang. Along the way, he saw the blade Zhou Yang had held earlier. The explosion had snapped the blade, and its tip had been blown somewhere unknown. Seeing the weapon put Tu Wu even more at ease. Zhou Yang had clearly suffered tremendous damage to one arm and one leg. Even if he was not dead under such circumstances, he could no longer pose a threat. At the same time, Tu Wu thought of another idea, one that could maximize the value of Zhou Yang's corpse.

He only needed to leave behind part of Zhou Yang's body. The scene clearly looked like it had been caused by Explosive Tags, and it was perfectly normal for a corpse to be incomplete after such an explosion. He planned to sell the remaining parts on the black market. After all, people with physical strength like this were rare in the Ninja World. He believed quite a few countries would be willing to study it. He could make a huge profit and replenish his coffers. Looking at it that way, although today's battle had used up all his supplies, he had not lost out at all. He had even made a profit.

"Brother, you really are my lucky star," he could not help saying to Zhou Yang.

Yet even now, Tu Wu adhered to the belief that cowardice meant living longer. As he neared Zhou Yang's corpse, he still used Earth Release: Hardening Technique. This was a lesser version of the Petrification Technique, but it could still effectively increase his defense.

The closer he got to Zhou Yang, the more vigilant he became. When he was less than half a meter away, every muscle in his body tensed to the limit, and his focus sharpened to its peak. He was ready to react at any sign of movement.

At that moment, the tree trunk supporting Zhou Yang's back suddenly gave a crisp crack. The sound immediately made Tu Wu assume a defensive stance, but no further movement followed.

"Phew... Was I too nervous? That tree trunk was probably about to break under the strain." Tu Wu looked at the completely motionless corpse and exhaled. At the same time, he raised a hand to wipe away the fine sweat brought on by his earlier tension.

At that instant, Zhou Yang sprang up from the ground like lightning. Then, with a burst from his single leg, he shot straight at the Tu Wu who had just relaxed. This was the moment he had been waiting for!