"So it was you Hidden Grass Village scum who ruined our plans!" The Hidden Sound Village captain's voice was shrill and piercing, filled with obvious fury.
The kunai in his hand pointed toward the three Hidden Grass Village ninjas, while the two teammates beside him raised their weapons as well.
Ninjutsu chakra surged through their bodies, ready to erupt at any moment.
The air trembled faintly under the turbulence of chakra. Fallen leaves beneath their feet were blown aside by the gusts, exposing the damp soil below.
"The airdropped supplies go to whoever is capable! Sneaking around like rats, and you think you deserve them?"
The Hidden Sound Village ninja retorted without yielding an inch, a mocking smile curling across his lips.
His gaze swept across the three Hidden Grass Village ninjas with undisguised contempt and disdain, lingering especially long on Hua Li.
That woman was probably their medical ninja. He had seen it clearly just now.
The two sides faced off, and the atmosphere tightened to the extreme. The air seemed to have frozen, and even their breathing was deliberately lowered to a minimum.
The entire forest was left with only the curling rise of red smoke and everyone's heavy breathing.
The Hidden Grass Village captain's eyes flickered as he quickly assessed both sides' strength.
He glanced at Hua Li behind him. Although she possessed immense chakra, her combat ability was truly lacking.
If this turned into a drawn-out battle, with her there, they could use her chakra to continuously heal their injuries and restore their stamina. They could wear their opponents to death if necessary.
But in a sudden encounter like this, there was simply no time for her to make use of her support advantages.
Her presence had instead become a burden to them.
His gaze shifted