Wits Against the Rain Ninja II

The grenade exploded, its fragments and shockwave completely covering the area.

The two Chunin did not even have time to scream before they collapsed in the blast, their fate unknown.

The Jonin's figure, meanwhile, blurred and reappeared over ten meters away.

He dropped to one knee. After bandaging his right arm, he pressed down hard on the wound in his left shoulder.

He tried to stop the bleeding, but blood still flowed continuously through his fingers.

He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes barely opening to slits.

His blurred gaze locked onto Tianyi's direction, the resentment and killing intent in his eyes nearly tangible.

"You little brat... I'll tear you to pieces!!!"

With a roar, the Jonin activated the Body Flicker Technique again!

Though his severed arm had left him badly wounded and greatly weakened, the speed he unleashed in his rage was still astonishing.

In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, the Kunai in his right hand stabbing straight for Tianyi's throat!

Tianyi's pupils contracted. So fast.

He could not let himself get tangled up in close combat. The man was a Jonin, even if severely wounded.

His combat experience and taijutsu foundation were far beyond Tianyi's.

Thinking quickly, he crouched and formed hand seals with both hands, shouting:

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Jonin, who had been preparing to force his way into close combat, instinctively paused at the words!

Though Fire Release was restrained by the rainy conditions, the Great Fireball Technique covered a wide area.

Taking it head-on with poor visibility would not be wise.

In his heavily wounded state, he became even more cautious and activated the Body Flicker Technique again, darting sharply to the side and rear!

Yet the expected blazing fireball never appeared.

There was nothing before Tianyi but falling rain.

"Damn it! I've been tricked!" The Jonin instantly realized that Tianyi could not use Fire Release at all.

He was merely putting on a show! And in the instant his evasive movement caused him to stall—

Tianyi had already taken the chance to rapidly retreat, trying to widen the distance again.

"You cunning little brat!" The Jonin was so furious he nearly spat blood. A Genin had toyed with him like this.

The pain of his severed arm and the humiliation completely drove him into a frenzy.

"You won't escape!"

He activated the Body Flicker Technique once more, closing in at incredible speed as the Kunai in his right hand stabbed at Tianyi's vital points.

Tianyi was forced to fight and block.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Just as Tianyi had expected, even with a severed arm and severe injuries, the Jonin's taijutsu, strength, and grasp of combat opportunities still vastly surpassed his own.

After only a few exchanges, Tianyi felt immense pressure, his arms numbed by the impacts.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Several more Kunai flew in from afar at tricky angles.

Tianyi had no choice but to divide his attention to block them.

The Jonin seized that fleeting opening and viciously kicked Tianyi in the abdomen!

"Pff—!" Tianyi felt as though he had been struck by a hammer. His body bent like a shrimp as he flew backward.

He crashed heavily into the muddy water, unable to stop himself from coughing up blood.

A piercing pain shot through his ribs. At least two of them were broken.

"Cough, cough... As expected of a Jonin..." Tianyi struggled to rise.

If not for the man's severed arm preventing him from forming hand seals and using powerful ninjutsu, Tianyi would likely have been dead already.

The Jonin pressed his advantage without mercy, using the Body Flicker Technique to rush in again without giving Tianyi any chance to catch his breath or widen the distance.

Every strike of his Kunai was lethal. Tianyi could only barely fend them off, but his injuries made his movements increasingly sluggish.

"Clang!" With a sharp ring, the Kunai in Tianyi's hand was knocked from his grasp.

A vicious glint flashed in the Jonin's eyes as the Kunai in his right hand stabbed straight for Tianyi's heart!

"Pfft!"

The tip of the Kunai struck Tianyi's chest, but it made a dull impact.

It was as if it had hit tough leather and could not pierce deeper!

"What?!" The Jonin froze.

This was exactly the chance Tianyi had been waiting for!

Enduring the agony, he suddenly pulled the last flashbang from the tactical pouch at his waist with his left hand.

He bit out the safety pin with his teeth and detonated it between himself and the Jonin without hesitation!

"Bang—!!!"

At such close range, the effects of the blinding light and deafening blast were amplified to the extreme!

"Aaaahhh—!!!" Both men screamed in agony at the same time!

Tianyi felt as though red-hot needles had pierced his eyes, while a constant buzzing filled his ears.

His head felt ready to explode as intense dizziness and nausea struck. Clutching his head, he curled up on the ground in pain.

This was the first time he had taken the full force of a flashbang at such close range.

At last, he personally understood the pain his enemies had suffered.

So... this was how much it hurt...

The Jonin facing him was in even worse shape! He had been blinded by intense light twice in rapid succession.

This time, especially, the explosion had gone off almost at point-blank range, dealing a devastating blow to his vision and sense of balance.

He staggered backward, dropping his Kunai as both hands frantically rubbed at his eyes.

But all he could see was spinning whiteness and flickering black spots.

He could hear nothing but a piercing ringing in his ears.

"You Hyuga bastard! What kind of cursed ninja tool is this?! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!!"

The Jonin wildly swung his remaining right arm, slashing blindly at the air around him.

His voice was utterly distorted by pain and fury.

Several dozen seconds later, Tianyi's vision slowly began to return, though it remained blurred.

But at least he could barely make out the figure not far away.

Gritting his teeth, he endured the searing pain from his broken ribs and the weakness throughout his body, slowly forcing himself upright.

He had barely any chakra left, and his body was at its limit.

It was over!

He stared at the blurred figure, his trembling hands beginning to form seals.

"Water Release: Waterline Slash."

A line of water cut through the curtain of rain and passed through the Jonin, who was still half-blind and utterly unaware.

The waterline swept past, and the roar abruptly stopped.

The Jonin staggered two steps forward from momentum, a thin red line appearing across his neck.

Then blood sprayed out. He opened his mouth futilely, as if he still wanted to say something.

The madness in his eyes gradually gave way to confusion. Then he crashed to the ground, splashing up muddy water.

Tianyi was nearly out of strength as well. He dropped to both knees, gasping heavily, every breath tugging at the agony in his ribs.

He looked into the distance. That Little Sansho Fish seemed somewhat unsettled by its caster's death.

"It... isn't over yet..."

His hand trembling, he reached into his pouch and took out every Explosive Tag inside.

He tied them to a Kunai and, using the last of his strength, threw this final attack at the Little Sansho Fish.

"Boom—!!!"

"Boom—!!!"

"Boom—!!!"

Several explosions erupted in towering flames! The Little Sansho Fish let out an incomparably shrill wail.

Its huge body was blasted into a bloody mess before it toppled heavily onto its side, and the poisonous mist stopped.

It struggled twice, then vanished amid a burst of thick white smoke.

Tianyi could no longer hold on and collapsed flat on his back into the cold muddy water.

Rain struck his face, mixing with the blood.

His vision began to blur, and all that remained by his ears was the patter of rain and his own heavy heartbeat.

He had won!