Shira walked alone on the road.
Time was ticking away, and the agreed-upon time to meet up with teammates was drawing near.
As Shira crossed a relatively wide street lined with a few simple shops on both sides, his gaze suddenly locked onto an inconspicuous food stall.
A man was sitting at a greasy little table with his back to the street, eating with his head down.
He was dressed in ordinary gray travel clothes, but Shira's gaze instantly focused on the pair of metal wristbands he casually placed on the corner of the table—on which was an extremely fine, almost worn-down, iconic pattern of Sunagakure.
More importantly, on the man's exposed forearm, there was a hideous, centipede-like dark purple scar—which perfectly matched the description of the missing-nin " Fang " in the mission scroll.
He was skilled in using potent poisons, and this scar is said to be a result of a poison experiment that went wrong.
The other party must be Fang!
Shira's heart skipped a beat. He didn't stop, didn't do anything that might alert the other party, and didn't even change the frequency of his breathing.
He was like the most experienced hunter who had spotted his prey, suppressing all his excitement beneath his small, unassuming appearance.
He maintained his pace, walking naturally Earth Flow the food stall, and used the corner of his eye to confirm the profile of Fang—his sinister eyes, his gaunt face, everything matched the intelligence.
After walking a dozen meters, he slowly turned into a deserted narrow alley, pressed his body against the wall, and his brain worked at a rapid pace.
We can't let him out of our sight! But we can't alert him either! We must notify the captain!
He immediately recalled the emergency communication method that I Fūgetsu had explained before he set off—a one-way telepathic connection based on Genjutsu magic.
I Fūgetsu left a very faint mental imprint on each of them. When an emergency call was needed, they only needed to tap their temples three times in a specific rhythm, and I Fūgetsu could roughly sense the caller's location and the emergency signal.
Without hesitation, Shira raised her finger and gently tapped her right temple three times with a rhythmic and measured touch.
Knock... knock... knock...
The signal has been given. All he can do now is wait for his companions while keeping an eye on Fang.
He moved silently to the shadowy corner of the alley, choosing an angle that allowed him to observe the food stalls while remaining extremely concealed. He lay prone like a stone statue, his aura completely suppressed, his gaze fixed like the most precise ruler, firmly locked onto the figure who was engrossed in eating.
Fang seemed oblivious, continuing to eat at its leisurely pace, occasionally glancing warily at the street, perhaps unaware of the pair of cold eyes lurking in the shadows in the distance.
Every second felt incredibly long. Shira's nerves were on edge as she calculated the speed at which Fang ate and estimated the time it would take for her teammates to arrive.
He must ensure that the target does not leave before his teammates arrive.
Fortunately, Fang didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave. After finishing a bowl of noodles, he leisurely ordered a pot of cheap tea, sipped it slowly, and occasionally glanced at the other end of the street, as if waiting for something.
Was he waiting for an accomplice? Or for a trading partner? Shira wondered, which only added to the complexity and urgency of the situation.
Finally, after what felt like half a century, Shira sensed an extremely subtle Chakra fluctuation that was almost completely integrated with the environment.
He didn't turn around, but he could sense that several silent figures had appeared in the shadows behind him.
I Fūgetsu appeared beside him like a ghost, her eyes sweeping across the street before instantly locking onto Fang. Her gaze was cold, showing no surprise or astonishment.
Arai and Tetsuo occupied the best blocking positions on either side of the alley entrance, their weapons silently drawn, their aura like that of venomous snakes before they hunt.
Aoi silently slid to the other side of the street, apparently to scout out the contact or escape route that Fang might be waiting for.
"Target confirmed, Fang." I Fūgetsu's voice was so low it was almost a whisper. "Well done, Shira. Maintain surveillance, Arai provide support, Tetsuo prepares to Earth Release to block the street exits. Wait for Aoi's signal."
The command was concise and clear. An invisible net had already quietly tightened around him.
However, they were unaware that Fang, seemingly unguarded and leisurely sipping his tea, was secretly curving a cold and mocking smile behind the rim of his bowl.
"Hmph, these hyenas, they really did follow the scent. A little faster than expected. Was it that new brat who found them? Interesting."
Fang's mind raced, but on the surface, he maintained a relaxed demeanor, even deliberately yawning as if he was getting impatient.
"What a pity, what a pity. You think you're hunters?" he sneered inwardly. "Little do you know, you've already stepped into the arena I've prepared for you. Nighthawk should have gotten what he wanted by now. It's time for me to close the net."
He had long anticipated that the village would not let the matter rest. Sitting alone in such a conspicuous position was itself a carefully laid trap.
What he was waiting for was the appearance of the pursuers!
His fingers, holding the teacup, tapped very lightly and rhythmically on the rough ceramic cup a few times—a pre-arranged, extremely subtle signal to begin.
The instant the signal was sent--
"Huh?" Aoi, who had been maintaining her omnipresence, suddenly changed her expression and whispered urgently, "Captain, something's wrong. There's a sudden surge of Chakra activity coming from the alleyways and rooftops on both sides, rapidly closing in. There are ten people! Eight Genin- level and two Chunin- level! They're Grass Ninja!"
Almost at the same time!
"Whoosh whoosh--!"
A sharp sound rang out as more than a dozen Shuriken and Kunai shot out from the rooftops and alleyways on both sides, covering the area where I Fūgetsu's team was hiding and the open street between them and Fang with a piercing shriek.
At the same time, ten figures wearing Kusagakure vests leaped out from various hiding spots, wielding various weapons, their faces showing a mixture of greed and ferocity. They quickly occupied advantageous positions around them, blocking the alley exit and several evacuation points on the street!
Their objective was clear—to stop I Fūgetsu's squad and protect Fang!
"Damn it, there's an ambush!" Tetsuo roared, instantly Hand Seals: " Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
Boom! A low earthen wall rose up, deflecting some of the Shuriken aimed at them.
Taking advantage of the brief chaos, Fang suddenly kicked over the table in front of him, using the momentum to retreat rapidly while simultaneously raising both hands!
Restaurant owner: How could you be so selfish! Bah!
"Secret Technique: Poison Mist Spray!"
puff!
A thick cloud of purple smoke, with a pungent, sweet, and fishy smell, instantly billowed out from his sleeve and quickly spread out, not only obscuring visibility but also making I Fūgetsu's team hesitant to pursue him immediately due to the clearly poisonous fumes.
Fortunately, they had intelligence about the Fang and put on gas masks in time.
Even so, Fang had already created some distance, and the Kusagakure were gradually closing in on I Fūgetsu and the others.
The situation reversed in an instant; the roles of hunter and prey were switched in a flash.
"Kill them!" The leader, a Kusagakure Chunin and waved his hand, and ten Grass Ninja immediately launched an attack.
Although the individual strength of these Kusagakure was far inferior to that of the I Fūgetsu team, they used their numerical advantage and the terrain to unleash a barrage of low-level Ninjutsu and ninja tools, tightly binding the four members of the I Fūgetsu.
At this moment, Fang sneered and retreated to the rear of the Grass Ninja, clearly intending to take advantage of the chaos to escape the battlefield!
"We can't let him get away!" I Fūgetsu's eyes were icy, but her voice remained steady. "Kui, report the possible direction of Nighthawk! Arai, Tetsuo, clear a path! Shira— "
His gaze instantly locked onto Shira: "Ignore the minions! Use your speed to entangle Fang. Don't let him out of sight. We'll finish off these Grass Ninja and then follow immediately!"
This was the most correct but also the most dangerous order! Shira was the only one who wasn't directly confronted by the Grass Ninja and possessed extreme speed.
He is the only one who could break through the harassment instantly and pinpoint the real target, all thanks to his Seven Heavens Breathing Method!
"Clear!"
Without any hesitation, Shira moved the instant I Fūgetsu gave the order.
" Seven Heavens Breathing Method - First Activation - Open! Second Activation - Open!"
boom!
A burst of scorching steam erupted! Shira's figure instantly transformed into a blurry yellow streak of light, deflecting the scattered Shuriken coming from both sides. In an almost straight line, she forcefully broke through the not-yet-fully-closed encirclement of the Grass Ninja and rushed straight towards the retreating Fang.
"What?!" Fang was clearly surprised that the opposing team had a character capable of such astonishing speed, and his expression changed slightly.
"You brat! Get out of my way!" A Kusagakure Chunin blocking the path Chunin and swung his sword at Shira.
This guy is really brave (꒪ᗜ꒪ ‧̣̥̇)
"Gui!" Shira's eyes widened in anger. Without dodging or avoiding, she delivered a powerful front kick at high speed, without any fancy moves, but with all her strength concentrated in it. She arrived first despite being behind!
Bang!
The Chunin felt a terrifying force emanating from the blade, his hand split open, the sword flew out of his grasp, and he was kicked backward, crashing heavily into a nearby shop, becoming a speed bump in Shira's pursuit. His fate was unknown.
Shira's speed did not decrease at all; like an arrow cutting through the waves, it instantly covered a distance of more than ten meters and caught up with Fang!
"Damn brat!" Fang was forced to stop and turned to face Shira, a flash of shock, anger, and killing intent in his eyes.
He hadn't expected this seemingly young brat to be so troublesome! When did Sunagakure produce such Taijutsu prodigy?
Meanwhile, I Fūgetsu, Arai, Tetsuo, and Aoi were tightly entangled by the remaining nine Grass Ninja, and a battle broke out instantly.
Although they have the advantage in strength, it will take time to quickly deal with these local bullies.
The street instantly transformed into two fierce battlefields.
One scene depicts a chaotic battle between I Fūgetsu and her three companions against nine Grass Ninja.
Elsewhere, Shira, having activated her Second Activation, single-handedly and ruthlessly intercepted the rogue Jonin — Fang.
A fierce battle of unequal strength suddenly broke out.