"Surprised?" Uvogin's face was full of smug satisfaction. "Once I knew you were heading to Yanshui, I just had to get here before you. The local thugs became my eyes and ears."
Even if Uvogin hadn't explained, Ronin could have guessed.
Since Uvogin gave him the answer, Ronin simply raised his hand and made a pinch gesture with his fingers. "Yeah, a little bit. You're smarter than I thought. I assumed you were just a gorilla who liked to bark."
What truly surprised Ronin was Uvogin's patience. To lie in wait like this...
Simple-minded guys really hold grudges. He hates overnight vendettas just as much as I do!
"Sharp tongue. Once I rip it out, let's see what you have to say!"
Uvogin's aura flared into Ren.
Believing in striking first, Ronin's hands flew through a sequence of seals the moment Uvogin moved.
Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger.
He completed the six seals in an instant. Ronin inhaled deeply, leaned back, and then snapped forward, blowing out a massive breath.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
Scorching flames formed a massive sphere, rolling forward with a roar, shattering the glass windows as it surged toward Uvogin.
Uvogin, charging forward, was ready.
Seeing Ronin's eyes change and his hands form signs, he knew an ability was coming.
But seeing the boy literally breathe fire shocked him.
Even a Transmuter specializing in fire shouldn't be able to unleash this so easily!
Trapped in the narrow corridor, dodging was impossible.
Uvogin stopped, planted his feet in a horse stance, and focused a massive amount of Nen into his fist.
As the flames washed over him, Uvogin exhaled and punched straight into the fire.
Big Bang Impact.
This was his Hatsu—a simple, unadorned straight punch amplified by his immense physical strength and Enhancement Nen.
BOOM!
The sonic boom exploded after the punch was thrown. The intense shockwave collided with the incoming firestorm.
The front of the fireball caved in, and a split second later, it was pierced through.
The blast wind whipped Uvogin's long hair wildly, but the fire could no longer threaten him.
However, looking through the hole he had punched in the flames, he couldn't see Ronin at the other end of the corridor.
Ran away again?
Or is he planning another ambush?
But where can you run on an airship? Uvogin grinned. If the boy wanted to leave on this ship, he would turn it into a flying coffin.
Ronin was indeed no longer in the corridor.
He hadn't run toward the cabins. Instead, utilizing the broken window caused by the Fireball Jutsu, he had climbed onto the exterior of the airship.
Uvogin isn't as strong as he was in the manga.
Even though Uvogin had punched through the Fireball, Ronin felt it.
He wasn't completely helpless against this version of Uvogin.
Two factors were at play. First, this was Uvogin three years before the main story; his Nen development hadn't peaked. Even in Yorknew, he likely hadn't reached his absolute prime.
Second, the evolved Sharingan gave Ronin confidence. The boost in Chakra and the visual acuity meant Uvogin's movements didn't look fast to him. He could keep up.
However, keeping up and winning were different things. Ronin knew he needed an external advantage to win.
Breaking Uvogin's defense was the problem.
And maintaining the Sharingan cost more energy than Uvogin's Ren. A battle of attrition was a guaranteed loss.
Ambush is best. Or maybe... Ronin scanned the outer hull.
Commotion erupted inside the corridor. People had noticed the disturbance.
The shattered window was sucking wind into the ship.
Ronin pressed himself flat against the hull, not daring to move. He knew how sharp an Enhancer's senses were.
Any friction sound on the hull would alert Uvogin.
He was also wary of En. At this distance, if Uvogin expanded his aura, he would be spotted instantly.
Inside, Uvogin's expression was ugly.
Crew members flooded the corridor, swarming him with questions and trying to escort him away from the "danger."
Uvogin's keen ears picked up a crew member radioing the captain, ordering the ship to return to port for repairs.
That's his real goal!
If the airship landed, Ronin would have more room to escape.
Uvogin turned toward the cockpit. He couldn't let the ship land.
The sky was the best cage for this little rat.
"Sir..."
A crew member tried to speak, but the annoyed Uvogin simply raised his hand and grabbed the man's head like a basketball.
SPLAT!
The skull offered no resistance. Uvogin crushed the man's head like a watermelon.
Panic erupted among the crew and passengers.
But Uvogin ignored the chaos. He stopped walking and turned his head toward the window.
Only a few seconds had passed between the fire breath and the punch.
Then the crew arrived. If Ronin had run down the corridor, someone would have seen him.
"Did anyone leave the corridor before you entered?" Uvogin asked, his Nen expanding outward as he spoke.
He wasn't an expert at En, but he wasn't useless like Nobunaga, whose En only reached four meters.
Twelve meters.
That was Uvogin's current range.
As long as Ronin was within that sphere, he couldn't hide. The boy entered Zetsu in combat but reverted to Ten afterward. A novice couldn't perfectly suppress their presence while moving.
Uvogin didn't get an answer from the terrified crew.
He didn't need one.
His En had just pinged a signal. Someone was hiding outside the ship.
"Found you!"
Uvogin leaped up, his massive hand clawing directly at the side wall!
The steel plating tore like tofu under his grip. Uvogin's hand punched through the hull to the outside.
But he grabbed nothing but air.