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Chen Xing's gaze hardened.
He stared coldly at the masked Kirigakure kunoichi.
"Then try me," he said, his voice like steel.
"Tch…" The woman tilted her head as if troubled, then her hands began to blur through seals.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)
Whoosh!
A massive ten-meter-long water dragon erupted into existence above her, its fanged maw glinting in the light as it dove toward Chen Xing.
"Katon: Karyū Endan!" (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)
Seeing the incoming torrent, Chen Xing's fingers danced through a rapid sequence of seals. A roaring fire dragon erupted from his mouth and shot upward to meet the watery beast head-on.
BOOM!!!
The dragons collided with an explosive hiss, steam bursting outward in a searing wave that rolled through the forest. The air quickly thickened into dense mist.
Chen Xing shot forward through the steam like lightning, aiming a fierce side kick at the kunoichi.
"Oh my, you really don't know how to go easy on a lady, do you, little brother?"
She stepped lightly aside, her movements fluid and graceful, narrowly avoiding his strike.
"Hmph!"
Chen Xing pressed the attack, his body twisting mid-air as he launched a flurry of rapid kicks.
Clash! Clash!
The mysterious woman intercepted each strike with minimal effort, retreating with a playful smile.
Who is she? Chen Xing thought, frowning. I've never met a female shinobi who could match me in pure taijutsu like this — especially from Kirigakure.
Leaping onto a thick branch, Chen Xing's eyes narrowed. He exploded forward in a burst of speed, his right hand sparking violently as he shaped lightning chakra into a piercing point.
The kunoichi's eyes widened. "Is that… Hatake Kakashi's Raikiri?"
"Suiton: Suijinheki!" (Water Release: Water Formation Wall)
A thick wall of water surged upward in front of her.
CRACK!
Chen Xing's lightning-infused hand tore through it instantly, scattering droplets into the air. But instead of piercing flesh, his strike passed through a body that dissolved into water.
A Mizu Bunshin…!
From behind a tree, the real kunoichi emerged with a mock-sad expression.
"Honestly, you're so heartless, little brother. You nearly made your sister cry."
When did she make the clone…? Chen Xing's thoughts sharpened. Her timing was flawless.
She smiled sweetly. "I'll ask one more time. Please give me Takada's body."
"Not a chance," Chen Xing replied flatly. "That's my trophy."
Her eyes curved into crescents. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to reward you… with a kiss."
Chen Xing's instincts screamed danger. Before he could speak, her hands blurred into seals.
"Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu!" (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique)
A wave of white vapor burst from her mouth, racing toward the surrounding forest.
Chen Xing's expression hardened. He flared his chakra, and a pair of vivid, violet, feather-like energy wings burst from his back with a sharp crackle. He shot upward, leaving the acidic mist churning below.
Shhhhhh!
Where the mist touched, tree trunks, branches, and even stone hissed and corroded, melting away in seconds.
Below, the kunoichi looked up in genuine surprise. "You can fly? Now that's unexpected."
Hovering above her, Chen Xing exhaled slowly. "If I hadn't recognized that technique in time, I'd have been in serious trouble…"
He knew Boil Release's acidic vapor could eat through nearly anything in seconds. Even his Peacock Chakra Wings might not hold up for long if caught in it.
From the air, he studied her carefully. She's not just strong — she's skilled enough to counter my taijutsu and ninjutsu. But what's someone like her doing here instead of in Kirigakure?
The truth was more complicated. Under the bloody reign of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, Kirigakure had become infamous for its brutality. Even a beauty of her caliber, connected to influential families, couldn't escape the political mire. The ANBU watched every move of potential rivals.
Months ago, Yagura was freed from the Three-Tails' control and killed shortly after losing the beast. The village had been without a Mizukage since, and multiple factions were vying for the title of Fifth Mizukage. Her own faction's elder — who happened to be the grandfather of Takada — had made his support conditional: bring him Takada's killer.
Tracking Takada's movements through the underground network eventually led her to Chen Xing — purely by chance, as he had also marked Takada as his next target.
Now, however, she was in a bind. Without the body, she'd lose the elder's support.
She called up to him. "Little brother, how about I buy Takada's body from you? Name your price."
Chen Xing raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected her to offer money. "The bounty on Takada was posted by Kirigakure, wasn't it? Why would you need to buy it from me unless…" His tone sharpened. "…you're trying to trick me and then take it by force."
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