Chapter 54: Repelling the Enemy
Rustle, rustle—
Within a forest along the border of the Land of Rivers, two figures moved swiftly through the trees, one chasing closely behind the other.
They were none other than Ryuya and the Sand shinobi leader pursuing him. The two had already been entangled in this chase for more than ten li.
Wind Release: Wind-Cutting Technique!
From behind, the Sand shinobi leader let out a sharp shout. Countless gales shot forward like blades, slicing straight through the trees along the way.
Sensing the incoming wind blades, Ryuya—who had been fleeing ahead—was forced to turn and stop.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Forming hand seals, he swiftly cast an Earth Release technique. A rising earthen wall blocked the oncoming wind blades.
Boom!
The moment the Wind Release attack ended, the Sand shinobi leader shattered the earth wall with a single kick and charged straight at Ryuya.
Ryuya had no time to defend. He could only cross his arms in front of his chest and take the blow head-on. Under the tremendous force, his body was sent flying more than ten meters before finally coming to a stop.
Pfft!
Struggling to his feet, Ryuya spat out a mouthful of blood. His aura weakened noticeably in an instant.
He was already at the end of his rope.
The Sand shinobi leader hunting Pakura was simply too strong—without question, someone with strength at least on the level of an elite jōnin.
During the prolonged skirmish just now, Ryuya had exhausted every method he had, yet still couldn't shake him off.
Along the way, if he hadn't decisively dispelled the two shadow clones he had left behind in the village to replenish his chakra, Ryuya wouldn't have lasted this long at all.
"You can't escape," the Sand shinobi leader said, not attacking immediately. Instead, he looked at Ryuya—whose presence had dropped sharply—with a trace of regret in his eyes, shaking his head.
"At your age, being able to last this long against me is already something to be proud of.
But unfortunately…"
He had to admit it—Konoha truly produced talents without end.
From their earlier exchange, this boy already possessed strength on the level of a special jōnin, more than enough to be called a genius.
Yet before today, the Sand shinobi leader had never even heard Ryuya's name.
That alone spoke volumes about the depth of Konoha's talent pool—far beyond what Sunagakure could compare to.
Ryuya fixed him with a dark gaze.
"Senior, today's incident was nothing more than a chance encounter. Konoha and Sunagakure are allies. I will never spread word of your village's affairs. Must you really kill me to silence me?"
The Sand shinobi leader replied coldly,
"Only the dead can truly keep secrets."
With that, he began forming hand seals once more.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
In an instant, a highly compressed sphere of wind formed in front of him, then shot toward Ryuya like a heavy cannon round.
This was a devastating B-rank offensive ninjutsu. The Sand shinobi leader intended to finish Ryuya with this single blow.
But Ryuya had no intention of waiting for death.
Boar – Dog – Rooster – Monkey – Goat!
As the Sand shinobi leader formed seals, Ryuya's hands moved just as fast. He slammed his palm against the ground.
He had no choice left—Ryuya could only use his final trump card.
Summoning Jutsu!
Bang!
As the seals completed, a massive cloud of white smoke erupted around Ryuya. Within it, an enormous silhouette appeared and disappeared.
At the very moment Ryuya summoned his partner, the Sand shinobi leader's Wind Release attack struck.
The powerful wind technique exploded like a cannonball in front of the newly emerged giant form, scattering countless razor-sharp wind blades in all directions. Sand, stone, and trees in the vicinity were shredded into dust.
When the smoke and wind blades finally dispersed, a gigantic green serpent stood where Ryuya had been—a massive body rising like a mountain of flesh, towering dozens of meters high.
At the very top of the serpent's head stood Ryuya, protected within the coils of its body.
The Sand shinobi leader's powerful Wind Release technique had failed to injure either Ryuya or Green Serpent in the slightest.
"Is that… Manda?"
Staring at the serpent's colossal form and feeling the overwhelming pressure it radiated, the Sand shinobi leader's expression froze. He muttered the name under his breath.
Throughout the shinobi world, the summoning beasts of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin were considered the strongest—Manda, Gamabunta, and Katsuyu all stood at the absolute pinnacle of summoning creatures.
It could even be said that the title of "Sannin" itself was inseparable from these three immensely powerful summons.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the Sand shinobi leader had personally witnessed Manda's terrifying might—a pure killing machine capable of crushing the vast majority of ordinary ninja. The impression it left on him was unforgettable.
Thus, the instant he saw the massive green serpent, the name Manda had flashed through his mind.
However, after a brief inspection, he quickly confirmed that this was not Orochimaru's summoning beast.
Whether in size or in sheer oppressive presence, this green serpent was still noticeably inferior to Manda.
Even so, the Sand shinobi leader did not dare lower his guard.
From the serpent's size alone—and the fact that it had taken his Wind Release attack head-on without a scratch—it was clear that this large summoning beast would not be easy to deal with.
As the Sand shinobi leader pondered his options, Ryuya's gaze swept lightly across Green Serpent's body.
After its earlier mutation, Green Serpent's size had expanded yet again, and the natural energy within it had grown even more abundant.
Through analysis by the biological chip, Ryuya had already confirmed that the unknown energy within Green Serpent was indeed natural energy.
Moreover, after several days of acclimation, Green Serpent had begun to barely control the Cursed Seal implanted within it.
Once it entered the Cursed Seal state, its strength would rise even further.
After testing this two days ago, Ryuya had been practically ecstatic.
"Do you still want to fight?"
With Green Serpent's vastly increased strength at his side, Ryuya's confidence surged. Standing atop the serpent's head, he looked down at the Sand shinobi leader and asked calmly.
The Sand shinobi leader fell silent.
He slowly raised his head, carefully examining both Green Serpent and Ryuya. Then, without saying a single word, he turned around and left.
Green Serpent's appearance made him realize that his attempt to kill Ryuya to silence him had already failed.
It wasn't that he doubted his own strength—but if Ryuya, with Green Serpent's support, chose to flee, there was no way he could stop or pursue him.
Since the task was impossible, why take unnecessary risks?
Fortunately, Pakura and that small squad of Konoha ninja had likely already been eliminated. With only Ryuya escaping, it wouldn't be a major issue.
Even if Ryuya revealed the truth, Sunagakure would never acknowledge it.
With that thought, the Sand shinobi leader quickly headed back the way he came.
Haa…
At last—the enemy had retreated.
Atop Green Serpent's head, watching the Sand shinobi leader disappear into the distance, Ryuya finally let out a long breath of relief. He sat down cross-legged to recover.
He had come frighteningly close to death several times just now.
Fighting someone of that caliber was truly exhausting—both mentally and physically.
There was no room for the slightest distraction.