Kushina, full of indignation, walked straight ahead with her head down, not even looking where she was going. She unexpectedly bumped into a doorframe, cried out, and fell backward, her small bottom landing squarely on the ground.
"Ouch, that hurts."
Kushina covered her forehead with one hand and her little bottom with the other, tears welling up in her eyes, looking as if she was about to cry.
Rakawa slowly walked over, looking down at the disheveled Kushina. "You're so clumsy even when walking. I don't know how you've survived these past few years."
"You idiot, it's all because of you!"
Kushina felt wronged. She was already hurting and wanted to cry, yet this guy was still making fun of her? He was so inconsiderate.
However, things always take an unexpected turn.
Rakawa bent down, one hand passing under her armpit, the other under her knees, and simply picked her up.
Kushina, who had been picked up, was momentarily stunned, but quickly came to her senses and struggled violently.
"Ahhh! Let go of me, you idiot, pervert, creepy man!"
"Alright."
Rakawa did as she said, letting go instantly, and Kushina's body plummeted downward.
This frightened Kushina so much that her face turned pale. She flailed her arms wildly, but couldn't grab onto his body.
Despair, utter despair. If she fell like this, not only would her bones shatter, but if she hit her head, wouldn't she become an idiot?
However, just as she was about to hit the ground, Rakawa suddenly squatted down and caught her again.
Kushina instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, looking flustered and terrified that he would let go again.
"Do you still want me to let go now?"
"N-no, not anymore."
Kushina's voice trembled slightly, her face pale. She was clearly terrified and dared not act out again.
Only then did Rakawa carry her outside, walking at an unhurried pace. Kushina's body was very light; he felt no weight at all, like holding a doll.
They walked in silence. Kushina didn't speak either, only stealing glances at him from time to time before quickly looking away.
'What a strange guy. Hmph, to scare me like that, I'll teach him a lesson later.'
After secretly gritting her teeth for a bit, Kushina felt much better. Her mind relaxed, and her eyelids suddenly felt incredibly heavy. She yawned involuntarily, feeling drowsy.
Before long, Kushina had fallen asleep in his arms. Rakawa's steps slowed slightly, and he walked much more steadily.
Only after arriving at Kushina's residence did Rakawa gently shake the sleeping Kushina. "You should get down now."
"Hmm?"
Kushina half-opened her eyes, blurry with sleep, her spirit appearing very tired.
Rakawa put her down. Her body swayed and she almost fell, but she managed to steady herself, and her mind recovered a little.
It was then that she remembered what had happened. Apparently, she had slept in his arms the entire way. If she looked closely, she could even see a small wet stain on the front of his shirt, her glorious achievement.
Her small face involuntarily blushed, and Kushina turned her head. "Thank you for bringing me back."
"Oh, no problem," Rakawa said with a faint smile. Tonight had been quite interesting.
Upon hearing this, Kushina immediately turned and walked into her house. "Hmph, I'm not thanking you at all."
Rakawa smiled nonchalantly, his eyes sweeping to a certain spot before he turned and left.
...
On the somewhat lonely street, only a few small lamps flickered in the wind, occasionally flashing.
Rakawa stopped. "Show yourself. You've been following me this whole way, aren't you going to make your move?"
Without any warning, Rakawa's Byakugan had already activated. The flow of Chakra around him was under the observation of his Byakugan.
Whoosh!
A ninja wearing a ninja vest and a mask appeared before him. There was no forehead protector symbol on his head, making it difficult to determine which faction he belonged to.
"When did you discover me?"
The ninja's voice sounded like a mechanical synthesis, making it hard to determine his age. In the ninja's eyes, besides calmness, there was a hint of surprise.
Could a child actually detect his tail? That seemed impossible, didn't it?
But upon seeing the activated Byakugan, he suddenly understood. In front of those eyes, close-range tailing was no different from brazenly walking in front of the target.
"I noticed you the moment I left the Ninja Academy."
Rakawa's words caused the ninja's eyes to shift. He noticed him when he left the Ninja Academy? At that time, this child hadn't even activated his Byakugan, so how could he have noticed?
"How did you discover me without your Byakugan activated?"
"You talk too much."
Rakawa didn't answer his question. He reached behind him, and two Kunai fell into his hands.
The ninja didn't get angry. He pulled out a Kunai and charged forward without another word.
Whoosh!
As he charged, Rakawa flicked a Kunai from his hand, following up immediately. With a shake of his hand, another Kunai appeared in his empty grasp.
Clang!
The thrown Kunai posed no threat to the ninja. He easily deflected it, and it embedded itself in the nearby wall.
Then, both of them leaped simultaneously, their figures intertwining. They landed on the ground and quickly turned, neither launching another attack, but instead searching for the other's weakness.
It was a brief exchange, with no casualties, seeming somewhat evenly matched.
However, Rakawa's heart was filled with extreme vigilance. This ninja was not simple; he was not like the Chunin he had encountered before, but a genuine Elite Ninja.
Facing an Elite Ninja head-on for the first time, his heart held a mix of anticipation and caution.
He had absolute confidence in his own strength, but he absolutely could not underestimate any enemy.
The Elite Ninja also found it hard to hide his shock. This child's reaction speed was so fast? He could actually evade his attack so quickly?
'A not-so-simple kid, an interesting kid.'
Whoosh!
The Elite Ninja launched the first attack, flicking his left hand, sending several shuriken flying.
Rakawa did not meet them head-on, but instead used Body Flicker Technique to evade the shuriken attack.
Seeing this, the Elite Ninja's forward momentum abruptly stopped. He quickly turned, thrusting his Kunai forward.
Clang!