As Anya finished resting and prepared to enter the final stronghold, figures from Suna had already appeared above him. Two leading ninja stared coldly down at him, their powerful auras unmistakable—Jonin level.
Damn it, Anya slightly furrowed his brow. How did they get here? Was it coincidence, or did they discover my presence?
One of the Jonin seemed to sense Anya's thoughts and spoke out, "We have four squads. Every two hours, we make contact with each other. It's already been way too long now. Never thought Konoha would strike first, though."
So that's how it is, Anya thought without speaking. He solemnly raised the White Fang Blade, holding it across his chest. He knew the next moments would bring a tough battle.
The other Jonin saw the tanto in Anya's hand and his pupils immediately constricted. He snapped sharply, "That's the White Fang Blade! He never parts with the White Fang Blade. The White Fang himself must be close by. Let's go!"
And just like that, all twelve ninja turned tail and ran without even looking back.
"This…" Anya stood there stunned. Is White Fang's name really that terrifying?
They hadn't even seen the man—just the blade was enough to send them running like scared rabbits. But running away won't save you. My mission might fail, though. Time to chase down these cowards and show them what for.
Without a second thought, Anya chased after them.
In truth, the two Jonin had decided to retreat because they were certain the White Fang must be somewhere nearby. Otherwise, how could a mere child take down twenty-eight of their ninjas within such a short time—without letting off even one signal?
Naturally, Anya didn't know what was going through their heads. His speed was certainly no slow feat, having sparred with Minato for an entire year. Add to that, his tanto flashing like lightning, and within minutes, half of the twelve-man Suna squad was wiped out.
"No more running! First, eliminate this brat, or else we'll all die!"
The two Jonin came to their senses and charged headfirst toward Anya.
The White Fang Blade clashed head-on with kunai. In just one exchange, Anya was sent flying backward. But while retreating, the blade slipped from his grip, slicing forward along an arc of lightning straight toward their throats.
The two Jonin reacted incredibly fast, throwing their entire bodies backward. Several strands of hair were cleanly severed by the blade—only barely escaping death's shadow.
"What a brilliant kid! Could he be one of White Fang's students?"
At this moment, the two Jonin discarded any hint of contempt. A glint of killing intent flashed in their eyes. If just one White Fang was already a major headache for Suna, what more if another arose in the future? They had to crush him before that happened.
One dove straight down while the other leapt upward, forming hand seals midair. Taijutsu and Ninjutsu attacked simultaneously, completely cutting off Anya's escape route.
For a moment, Anya became trapped under heavy pressure. Wounds began to show across his body. One Suna ninja seized the chance and hurled a kunai directly into Anya's chest.
Die…
A glint of triumph flashed in the Suna ninja's eyes, but the stabbed Anya suddenly transformed into an electric flash and disappeared.
"What is this? Lightning Release: Shadow Clone? Could a clone hold us off for so long? Where is his real body?"
The Suna ninja's eyes were filled with disbelief.
Another Suna ninja suddenly realized what was happening. "Damn it, he's going to kill our remaining comrades!"
"Too late. They're already dead." After killing and chasing away the last four ninjas, Anya appeared under the moonlight, speaking slowly and clearly: "Just the two of you are left now."
The bright moonlight shone on his body, combined with his eerie swordsmanship and outstanding ninjutsu — this wasn't just another White Fang; this was practically the next First Hokage.
At this moment, the two Sand ninja were treating him as a major threat, a formidable enemy second only to the Legend of the White Fang.
As Anya advanced, boundless darkness surrounded him, step by step approaching the two ninja. Actually, darkness itself isn't terrifying; human lights, worldly noises, or sunlight can all dispel natural darkness, transforming it into beautiful night scenery people love. However, the darkness released by Anya was completely different — there was no sound, no life, no sky, just absolute silence and desolation.
Everyone here would feel utterly alone, sensing the world drifting far away, as if they'd been abandoned by the entire world, filled with infinite panic.
At this moment, negative emotions hidden deep within one's heart would continuously surge into the mind, dragging you toward a cold, hopeless abyss!
For humans, death isn't the most terrifying thing — it's despair, the kind where not even a sliver of hope exists, an eternal sinking into darkness.
Right now, Anya, brimming with murderous intent, didn't even realize himself that his chakra produced from mental power could develop the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique to such an overwhelming level. Although its range wasn't as wide as The Second's, its power and terror had already surpassed it. And as Anya's chakra grew stronger, the darkness inside would become even denser, even more terrifying...
"What is this? Is this genjutsu?"
The two Sand ninja simultaneously injected each other's chakra into their bodies, trying to break through this dark illusion, but it had absolutely no effect.
They were shocked: "How is this possible? What kind of genjutsu is this?"
[Infinite Darkness] — this is my battlefield. Die.
Anya sheathed his blade, recalling the attack launched by the White Fang half a year ago. Standing in the darkness, his body was still as a statue.
With a sharp metallic ring as the tanto left its sheath, there was only one word for it — speed. In a moment too fast for the human eye to follow, the short blade had already left its sheath, transforming into a long rainbow of lightning, slicing through endless dark emptiness. The surrounding air and life force seemed to vanish entirely under the force of this earth-shattering slash, leaving nothing but utter ruin — a scene drenched in death and icy slaughter...
The two jonin only felt a chill of death spreading throughout their entire bodies, simultaneously using various defensive ninjutsu to erect solid fortresses around themselves.
However, it was useless. The sword tip feinted, tracing a graceful arc through the empty space. Within the unbreakable fortress formed by the two men, Anya's form dashed past theirs. At the same time, the two Sunagakure Jonin collapsed to the ground like lifeless dogs, their eyes filled with terror and disbelief. They couldn't possibly comprehend how two seasoned warriors would die at the hands of a mere boy—without even a chance to resist.
It was over. From this moment on, all forty members of the Sunagakure squad were wiped out.
The darkness cleared as Anya hit the ground hard. A wave of indescribable agony surged through his entire body, pain that penetrated deep into his bones. It was ten times worse than what he endured during training. Right now, even a random child could kill him.
Gritting his teeth tightly, Anya endured the unbearable torment. He knew clearly his body had reached its limit—the move he had just used exceeded his physical capacity. Still, he felt a surge of joy. Being able to land that strike meant his swordsmanship was finally breaking free from White Fang's shadow. Given enough time, he'd carve out a sword style of his own...
At this moment, White Fang silently arrived before Anya, lifted him onto his back, and wordlessly headed toward Konoha.
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