Karura opened her mouth, but only spoke after a long while. "Is that really all right?"
"What?"
"Can someone as weak as me really say something like-I'm proud?"
"You're not weak."
Xue Ge was simply telling the truth. Karura's strength was indeed no match for first-tier contenders like Xue Ge and Kakashi, but she still ranked among the best of the Genin.
After all, plenty of Genin only knew the Three Body Technique, with one or two more Ninjutsu at most. Karura, meanwhile, was already researching a Kekkei Genkai.
She simply lacked confidence so badly that her timid mindset had affected her performance.
Xue Ge was about to say more when Black Pine suddenly cried out overhead and flew down beside him.
"Did you find something?"
Xue Ge swung himself onto Black Pine's back, then held out a hand to Karura. "Let's go."
After a moment of silence, Karura took Xue Ge's hand.
Xue Ge pulled her up onto Black Pine.
"Sorry for the trouble, Black Pine."
"Chirp!"
A giant snake struggled and thrashed within a cloud of "black mist."
On the ground, a man wearing sunglasses held out both hands, his brows tightly knitted as he strained to maintain control. More "black mist" poured endlessly from his cuffs.
Aburame Ryoma was doing everything he could to restrain the giant snake.
Baki and Motoi charged from different directions, plunging into the swarm of insects and hacking hard at the giant snake's hide.
Baki could at least break its scales, but Motoi fell far short. His blade struck the snake over and over without leaving a mark.
"This is bad. The sun's about to set-"
Seeing that the giant snake was still full of life, all three began to grow anxious.
A snake's vision would hardly diminish at night. But for