"Yui, will this really work?"
Looking at the pot Yui had created with Earth Release, Nai Hyuga could not help asking.
"I have no choice. I don't carry cooking utensils around, so I'll just have to give this a try."
With that, Yui formed hand seals and finally unleashed Fire Release, steadily roasting the frozen red ants.
The ice soon melted and slowly evaporated. The red ants woke amid waves of heat, fluttering their wings and trying to fly away.
But Yui was not about to give them that chance. She increased the output of her Fire Release, forcing the red ants back down before they could escape.
Sensing trouble, the red ants emitted a pale blue glow that enveloped their bodies.
"Something's wrong..." Nai Hyuga's face, lit by the flames, grew increasingly grave. With her Byakugan activated, she stared intently at the red ants in the fire.
"Yui, these red ants don't seem to fear Fire Release..."
A flicker of shock and uncertainty crossed Yui's face. Naturally, she had noticed it too. These red ants had actually survived such prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Through the Byakugan, she could see that although the red ants were struggling, they showed no sign of dying.
Nai Hyuga moved closer again and carefully examined their condition. The scorching Fire Release seemed to have only a limited effect on them, but it was not completely ineffective.
That eased much of her anxiety. Yui had realized the same thing and kept roasting them with Fire Release until wisps of smoke rose from their bodies, accompanied by a burnt smell. Only then did she stop.
"Phew..." Yui took a deep breath. Releasing Fire Release continuously had left her a little short of oxygen. After taking quite a while to recover, she stepped forward to inspect