Chapter 144: Ninjutsu Battle

"Hmph! A death-seeking Aryan." Standing upon a bough, a masked ninja stared with a solemn gaze at the short tantō radiating green vapor in her grasp, warning in a sharp tone, "Surround her and torment her slowly. Watch out for that blade of hers."

Several ninjas emerged from the surrounding shadows, each gripping a katana as they closed in. With a battle cry, the group lunged forward simultaneously to strike down the loli panther. Facing the encirclement, she retreated step by step while parrying and counterattacking with her weapon. Even under the onslaught of multiple adversaries, her prowess remained undiminished.

"Art of Disorientation."

A spectral afterimage of an ancient Buddha surged forth from the loli panther. Bathed in its radiance, the minds of the ninjas plunged into chaos. Mistaking their comrades for mortal enemies, they lashed out with frenzied slashes. Watching his subordinates fall one by one, the ninja leader grew uneasy. This ninjutsu was tantamount to a profound illusion.

The ninja leader swiftly formed hand seals, channeling a surge of energy into the remaining operatives. Just as they were about to slaughter one another, with a soft pop, they transformed into mere logs while their true bodies reappeared a hundred meters away, snapping back to clarity as the effects of the hallucination dissipated.

"Tch, Cicada Shell Technique." The loli panther dismissed her supernatural ability, her body instantly executing the Ghost Step technique to double her movement speed in a flash. Perceiving her approach, the ninjas chanted a mantra, each splitting into three phantoms. Among the twelve figures, only four were their true physical forms.

Sidestepping a lethal slash from one of the ninjas, the loli panther seized the opening to draw several kunai with her left hand and hurl them forward. The throwing blades pierced through the figures with lightning speed, causing them to shatter into fragments.

"Not a single real body hit." The loli panther accelerated once more, her silhouette tracing a prolonged arc under the cover of the nocturnal gloom. Her emerald eyes reflected twin beams of ethereal, crystalline light.

Carnage followed in her wake. The decoy clones tore apart like paper, and the four true bodies concealed among them perished without exception. "You thought a few low-ranking genin could finish me? You grossly underestimate me."

Witnessing the complete annihilation of his subordinates, the leader's eyes blazed with fury. Biting down hard on his steel teeth, he knew only the girl's death could appease his wrath. "Let me show you how a master handles your kind."

Leaping down from the tree branch, the leader vanished into the woodland with blinding swiftness. A strange, eerie wind kicked up, immediately followed by a barrage of flying darts. Sensing mortal peril, the loli panther realized the hidden weapons were aimed straight for her heart. She executed an immediate evasion roll. The missed darts struck the surrounding timber and detonated instantly, snapping a trunk as thick as an adult's torso and sending it crashing to the ground.

Taking in the situation, the loli panther recognized that her opponent possessed the strength of a jōnin—an absolute elite. While her own abilities ensured she was not easily defeated, time was pressing, and retreat was her only viable option. While the loli panther was momentarily distracted, the leader looped around behind her through the forest, drawing his kusarigama and lashing out with a spinning, centrifugal force.

Caught off guard, she gasped in shock, spinning around just in time to raise her blade in defense. The short sword collided with the chained sickle, producing a crisp, resonant chime. The tremendous momentum generated by the impact threw her off balance, sending her tumbling hard to the ground.

The leader's lips curled into a smirk. Retracting the kusarigama, he closed the distance with blistering speed and unleashed another vicious strike with his weapon. The loli panther threw herself into a desperate roll once more to dodge.

Alas, her reaction was a fraction too slow. A jagged gash tore across her back, crimson blood rapidly soaking through her purple shinobi shozoku. Seizing the advantage, the leader pressed the attack. Gritting her teeth, she swung her blade to parry, but the blood loss had sapped her strength, causing her defense to be brutally beaten aside. The sickle sank straight into her chest. With a soft pop, her entire body shattered into countless wooden splinters.

One hundred meters away, the loli panther materialized once more. Fortunately, she had employed the Cicada Shell Technique in the nick of time; otherwise, that blade through the heart would have meant instant death.

The leader extended his tongue to lick the blood staining his sickle. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared before the loli panther, channeling the entirety of his power into a vicious kick directed at her head. Struck by this devastating blow, she flew backward for dozens of meters, slamming into the earth and coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"Hehehe, time to send you to hell. How foolish of your master to place their hopes in you." The leader laughed heartily before letting his smile fade and slowly stepping closer.

A profound lethargy washed over the loli panther, her vision blurring at the edges. Such a demise was not the survival she fought for. Supporting her battered and bruised frame, she forced herself back up to her feet.

"Oh? Still refusing to die?"

She gripped her blade tightly as a verdant glow suffused the metal. "Poison Slash."

With a sweep of her arm, she unleashed a crescent moon of sword qi hurtling toward the leader. Unfazed, he stood his ground and waited. "Hmph! Mere parlor tricks."

The projectile did not strike him directly; instead, it detonated just before reaching him, billowing forth a massive cloud of black smoke. Rushing blindly out of the fog when he realized something was amiss, the leader found the loli panther entirely gone. In a rage, he slammed his fist into a tree trunk. "Tch, outwitted by a mere girl."

Having escaped through a smokescreen and utilizing several wood-style concealment techniques, the loli panther stumbled blindly down a quiet street. Drenched in blood and with her vision failing, she turned down every corner she encountered. Seeking sanctuary, she vaulted onto the balcony of a nearby residence, shattering the glass pane with her short sword. The moment she crossed the threshold into the living room, her limbs gave out entirely, and she collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness.

Along the tranquil highway, a Honda sedan cruised at a leisurely pace. Pulling into a parking space, a young man stepped out of the vehicle.

Dressed in a crisp grey suit with his hair neatly styled, the young man walked toward his residence with an air of elegance. Upon unlocking and opening his front door, a sudden gust of wind rushed to meet him. He distinctly remembered closing the windows before heading out for the night, so how could there be a breeze? Instantly, his expression turned guarded.

Scanning the room, he noticed the shattered glass littering the balcony. As he flicked on the lights, he discovered a girl dressed in a blood-soaked purple shinobi uniform sprawled across the living room floor. She appeared to be no more than eighteen years of age, yet someone so young was already caught in the crossfire of a violent world. The young man approached with cautious footsteps.

Noticing no movement from the intruder, his gaze drifted to the short tantō lying nearby. "A ninja... What on earth has happened here?"

Perceiving that her vital signs were fading, he initially considered dialing the emergency services, but a second thought checked his hand. Given that she was clearly being hunted, taking her to a hospital was out of the question. Abandoning further deliberation, he crouched down, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her into the bedroom, laying her gently upon the bed. Hesitation gripped him as he realized he needed to remove her garments. Time was running out. Ultimately, the young man reached out and began peeling away the blood-stained layers of her attire. The sight of the stunning beauty's bare skin brought a flush to his cheeks; though his intentions were purely medical, the awkwardness of stripping an unconscious young woman was inescapable.

Carefully inspecting the injuries, he grimaced upon finding the chest wound particularly troublesome. "Judging by the angle, this was inches away from piercing her heart. Just what kind of monster could be so merciless to a young girl?"

Without further delay, the young man set to work cleaning the wound and applying salves. Fortunately, he was well-versed in traditional herbal medicine, and the balcony garden provided ample healing botanicals. By the time he finished treating her injuries, dawn was already breaking. Exhausted, he slumped onto the living room sofa and fell into a deep sleep.