The endless night felt like a bottomless void, threatening to swallow Haseo whole. It pressed down on him like wave after suffocating wave from every direction.
Standing alone at the front of the group, Haseo didn't feel lonely—he felt tense.
Even though he was nervous, he hadn't lost his cool. Far from it—he refused to let panic taint his actions. If fear led to disorder, then disorder would lead straight to death.
What Haseo held firmly in his mind was the technique Sansho had just passed down to him. Right now, the only thing he could rely on was the knowledge Sansho had taught him. Trust was his only weapon, so he had no choice but to trust completely.
As the enemy stepped forward from the shadows of night, Haseo's hands shot into motion. He formed the first seal.
Even though his movements were rough, he kept going—one seal after another.
Normally, they should have confirmed whether the approaching figure was truly hostile before taking action. But Haseo couldn't afford that luxury. Deciding who or what this newcomer was—letting them know if they should hold off—that was the job for the people behind him. Unless someone shouted for him to stop, he wouldn't give up the chance to strike first.
True enough, the newcomer's actions soon proved Haseo right. Without hesitation or explanation, the enemy launched straight toward them with brutal speed.
Behind Haseo, unnoticed by his eyes, Sansho exchanged subtle glances with Kagami Uchiha and Homura Mitokado. With a nearly imperceptible nod from Sansho, the two immediately understood what to do next.
Kagami Uchiha's hand reached toward the ninja tool pouch at his waist, carefully watching both Haseo and the enemy closing in, ready to step in and save the young man at any moment.
But for Haseo himself, during this test, there was no certainty of help coming. He had absolutely no way of knowing, so all he could do was depend on himself.
By the time the enemy moved, Haseo was already halfway through forming seals. When the attacker closed to about thirty meters away, Haseo finished his seals. Then realization hit—a serious problem. This distance was likely beyond the effective range of the ninjutsu. No matter which technique he used, at this range, it wouldn't have much effect.
And sure enough, his fears were justified—but also irrelevant, because the technique didn't activate at all.
Had the jutsu failed?
Try again!
Gritting his teeth, Haseo reformed the seals—but still nothing happened.
By now, the lead enemy was already within ten meters.
The attacker's pounding footsteps struck like a rapid drumroll, growing faster and more intense. A terrifying killing intent surged forward, and in an instant, a pair of bloodthirsty eyes loomed dangerously close before Haseo.
As the enemy extended a kunai toward Haseo with just one hand, his movement didn't seem forced at all—but somehow left Haseo unable to dodge or retreat. It was obvious to anyone watching that Haseo wasn't even a real ninja—he could be killed with the simplest of moves. Therefore, the enemy had no intention of wasting time on him. He needed to rush straight into the Konoha ninja ranks and kill the most valuable target—the woman they were protecting at the very back.
When the cold tip of the kunai reached his neck and pierced his skin, Haseo felt time around him seemed to slow down. This sensation was familiar—he remembered hearing somewhere that human beings often experienced something similar in their final moments. Or perhaps it could be called a 'zoumadeng'—a life flashing before one's eyes. Countless scenes flickered through Haseo's mind. Ironically, none of them were happy memories. After those scattered fragments passed by, finally lingering in his mind was a scene from just a few days ago—when he last encountered a similar situation.
Back then, facing him and launching an attack was Tobirama Senju, The Second Hokage.
As this recollection surfaced, so did the feeling from when his shoulder was injured during that encounter. The surge of chakra flowing through his body was infinitely amplified within this frozen moment of delayed death.
"Ah, so this is Water Release Ninjutsu?" At this point, he finally understood the ninja technique Sansho had taught him moments ago. He grasped the prerequisite for successfully performing the technique—a massive amount of water-natured chakra. This Advanced Elemental Technique required huge amounts of chakra.
Haseo already had firsthand experience of what the strongest water-based chakra felt like. Could he "mimic" it?
Now standing merely one step away from death, Haseo's somewhat dazed and confused gaze suddenly sharpened incredibly. A powerful burst of chakra exploded beneath his feet, and instantly he shifted sideways exactly one inch from where he stood.
The sharp kunai scraped across his cheek, leaving behind a thin, elongated cut.
At this moment, instead of retreating, Haseo took a bold step forward. His right foot landed heavily as he lunged straight into the enemy's chest. With his frail shoulders, he slammed directly into the opponent.
This sudden action completely caught the enemy off guard. Surprised, he stumbled backward a step. Meanwhile, Haseo completed his third and final hand seal.
Tiny droplets of water condensed around him, quickly forming roaring torrents. It roared like an avalanche and twisted like a whirlwind, resembling a thick cavalry lance, striking precisely into the enemy.
So it was [Water Dragon Jutsu]… Immediately after the jutsu launched, without needing anyone else's explanation, Haseo himself figured out its name.
The roaring torrent erupted, instantly sending the enemy flying backward, crashing hard onto the ground more than ten meters away. Although not fatal, it would probably break about five or six ribs. Such a direct hit was more than enough to cripple a seasoned ninja for a long time.
Haseo barely escaped death, his heart surging with exhilaration. He felt the joy of releasing a ninjutsu for the very first time. At that moment, he felt as cool as a ninja riding the waves like Ponyo at sea.
Then... his foot slipped, and he fell flat onto the ground with a loud slap—more precisely, into the shallow water created by his [Water Release] technique.
What's going on? Didn't I win?
The sudden weakness throughout his body quickly gave Haseo his answer. The just-concluded jutsu had completely drained all his chakra.
Although one enemy had been defeated, the second, third, and fourth adversaries were now rushing toward the helpless Haseo, riding across the surface of the water. By now, he was already unable to resist.
However, in the next instant, a small figure rapidly dashed overhead, directly charging at those enemies who were much taller than him.
From the silhouette, Haseo figured out that this bold little charger was the youngest in their group. How strong could a kid like that really be? Charging headlong at enemies like this—wasn't that just throwing his life away pointlessly?
Just as Haseo entertained these doubts, a storm of silvery light came crashing down upon the advancing enemies. Moments later, torrents of blood sprayed everywhere, staining the ground crimson...
That was their blood — the enemies' blood.
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