First Setback

The three of them silently disappeared into the darkness.

With Tianyi's Byakugan, every trap was quickly found and dismantled.

Before long, they had snuck into the bushes less than fifty meters from the sentry post.

Tianyi made a hand signal, and the three immediately spread out according to their predetermined positions, forming a triangular encirclement.

Tianyi lay deepest in concealment, his Byakugan firmly locked onto the Hidden Rain Village Genin atop the platform.

He glanced at Nawaki and Moonlight Kaede. Both had reached their designated attack positions.

He took a deep breath and made a signal toward Moonlight Kaede to act.

Moonlight Kaede understood. He picked up a small stone from the ground and flicked his wrist.

The stone landed precisely in the grass more than ten meters east of the sentry post, making a faint sound.

The Rain ninja on the platform jolted and instantly turned his head toward the east.

His back was completely exposed to Tianyi.

Now!

Chakra burst beneath Tianyi's feet, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, crossing ten meters in an instant!

Just as the Rain ninja heard the whoosh behind him and turned around in terror.

Tianyi's fingers had already struck several critical chakra points on his back!

Gentle Fist: Acupoint Strike!

The Rain ninja's body stiffened, the light in his eyes quickly fading. Without making a sound, he went limp and collapsed.

Tianyi gently caught him and slowly lowered him to the ground without making any loud noise.

Clean and efficient!

In the distance, Nawaki's face flushed with excitement at the sight, his fists clenched tightly.

It was his first time taking part in an infiltration and assassination mission. It was nerve-racking and thrilling.

An indescribable exhilaration also filled his chest.

With the exposed sentry dealt with and the greatest obstacle removed, the three followed the plan.

They swiftly closed in beneath the sentry post's wooden walls, each taking a favorable position.

Tianyi and Moonlight Kaede immediately concealed themselves in the shadows.

Nawaki took a deep breath, his eyes brimming with excitement.

He stepped out from hiding and rapidly formed hand seals!

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

His chest swelled as a powerful whirlwind burst from his mouth.

It howled as it slammed into the wooden-and-stone walls of the sentry post!

Boom—!

The already crude sentry post shook violently under the force of the Wind Release.

A huge crack appeared in the front wall. Half the structure collapsed with a crash, and dust billowed everywhere!

"Enemy attack!!" A roar came from the rubble.

Immediately afterward, three figures scrambled out of the dust and ruins in a rather bedraggled state.

Two of them had weaker chakra signatures. They were the two Genin.

The man in the center, however, had sharp eyes. He quickly locked onto Nawaki, who had exposed his position by using ninjutsu head-on.

He then took out a pill and swallowed it.

The first half of the plan had been executed perfectly.

Tianyi and Moonlight Kaede exchanged a glance and burst out from their hiding places at the same time.

Each of them attacked one of the Hidden Rain Village Genin!

Moonlight Kaede's blade glinted coldly in the moonlight as it went straight for one Genin's throat!

However, just as his blade was about to touch its target.

That Hidden Rain Village Chunin moved like a ghost, striking after him yet arriving first with speed far beyond that of a Chunin!

Using the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared beside Moonlight Kaede.

He twisted his body and kicked Moonlight Kaede hard in the ribs!

"What?!" Moonlight Kaede's pupils contracted sharply.

Bang!

With a muffled impact, Moonlight Kaede felt an immense force strike his ribs.

It felt as though his internal organs had all shifted out of place.

His body flew backward out of control and crashed heavily onto the ground, a sweetness rising in his throat.

He could not hold back a mouthful of blood, and his short blade flew from his grip.

"Kaede!" Tianyi caught sight of it from the corner of his eye, and his heart lurched.

This Chunin's speed and strength were absolutely abnormal!

After seeing Kaede's condition, Tianyi did not close in with a Kunai.

Instead, he used Gentle Fist: Empty Palm directly on the nearby Genin.

An invisible yet solid chakra shockwave blasted through the air.

It struck the Hidden Rain Village Genin squarely in the back!

"Pwah—!" The Genin screamed as he was sent flying, finally crashing into a tree.

His spine was visibly deformed. After landing, he twitched twice and then stopped moving, his fate unknown.

After taking care of that Genin, Tianyi felt no joy at all.

Because after kicking Moonlight Kaede away, that abnormally powerful Hidden Rain Village Chunin.

Had already finished forming hand seals, his gaze firmly locked onto Tianyi!

Water Release: Black Rain Technique!

Dense black droplets rained down on Tianyi like a downpour!

Tianyi did not know the exact effects of the black liquid.

But his instincts told him he absolutely could not let it touch him! He immediately abandoned his charge, kicked off the ground, and retreated rapidly to the side and rear.

However, the black rain covered a wide area. Despite Tianyi's swift reaction.

Quite a bit still splashed onto his arms and body.

A cruel gleam flashed through the Hidden Rain Village Chunin's eyes. Without pausing, he had already completed his second set of hand seals:

Fire Release: Fire Run Technique!

He crouched down and pressed one hand to the ground. A scorching line of fire, like a venomous snake with a life of its own.

Raced across the ground toward Tianyi! Wherever the fireline passed, the scattered black liquid.

Boom!

It was like igniting fuel. The black rain on Tianyi's arm instantly caught fire!

Raging flames surged up, engulfing his arm and chest!

"Aah!!" The scorching heat and searing pain forced a scream from Tianyi.

His vision was instantly filled with leaping flames, while his skin felt as though it were being terribly scorched!

Substitution Technique!

"Tianyi?!" Nawaki shouted in shock, his whole body trembling as he saw Tianyi engulfed in flames.

The Hidden Rain Village Chunin did not stop moving. Chakra exploded beneath his feet, and his figure instantly vanished from where he stood.

The next moment, he appeared at Nawaki's side!

Nawaki did not even see his movement clearly. His vision merely blurred.

A Kunai was already stabbing toward his chest! Overwhelming fear made him instinctively raise his left arm to block.

Pshk!

The Kunai pierced straight through Nawaki's forearm without resistance, and blood instantly sprayed out!

"Aah—!!!" The tearing pain made Nawaki let out a shrill scream.

Having grown up pampered and protected, when had he ever suffered such a severe penetrating wound?

The intense pain and gushing blood nearly made him collapse.

The Rain Chunin's gaze remained cold. After landing the strike, he showed no mercy.

He drove a heavy kick into Nawaki's abdomen, sending him flying seven or eight meters before he hit the ground and curled up in agony.

At this moment, the other Hidden Rain Village Genin had also joined the Chunin.

He stared viciously at Nawaki in the distance.

The Hidden Rain Village Chunin began panting heavily, then checked his chakra consumption.

Just as he was about to make his move.

Boom!!!

An explosion sounded in the distance.

He turned to look, then glanced at the three of them again.

He quickly said to his companion in a hoarse voice:

"I don't know what happened in that direction.

Finish this quickly. My medicine's effect won't last long."

Medicine's effect?

Tianyi, in the distance, endured the pain and the churning blood in his chest.

When he heard those words, his heart abruptly tightened.

He activated his Byakugan again and carefully looked at the Rain ninja.

Sure enough! Within the man's chakra flow.

He saw an unusual strand of energy intertwined with it.

It was extremely unstable.

And the chakra intensity was rapidly declining!

He must have taken some kind of enhancement drug!

His strength had been greatly increased for a short time!

No wonder his speed and strength were so abnormal!

Orochimaru... was this what you called evenly matched?

Was this your so-called trial?

The situation just now had been far too dangerous. He had nearly been burned to death himself.

Tianyi's heart sank to the bottom as the plan was completely thrown into disarray.

His Byakugan swept over Nawaki and Kaede.

Nawaki's arm had been pierced through, leaving him with less than half his combat strength.

Kaede had suffered several broken ribs from a single blow, but he had already gotten to his feet.

He came to Tianyi's side.

Facing a drug-enhanced Chunin and a fully capable Genin.

Things did not look good...