Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!
Itsuki was too lazy to listen to their nonsense and quickly formed a series of seals.
In an instant, a massive curtain of water erupted from the center of the ward.
The impact was overwhelming and the distance was too close. Even if some reacted quickly, in this narrow space they were helpless.
"Oh no! Get out of here!"
"Who the hell is this guy, using such a powerful Water Style technique in a place without water?"
"Shit! His target is the human-shaped pill. We can't let him succeed!"
Screams echoed as chaos filled the ward.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Itsuki picked up Karin and raced across the water toward the room where her mother was kept.
Boom!!
Itsuki hardened his fist with Earth Style chakra and smashed a hole through the outer wall.
He carried Karin's mother on his back, scooped Karin into his arms, and leapt out.
But speed alone wasn't enough—this was enemy territory. The noise and shouts from the Kusagakure ninja inside had already drawn reinforcements.
The red hair of Karin and her mother was too striking. The moment Itsuki emerged, he was spotted.
"Asshole, who are you?!"
"You dare steal our human-shaped pill—you're looking for death!"
"It must be a spy from a neighboring country! Kill him!"
The human-shaped pill was of immense strategic value to Kusagakure, so they couldn't allow Karin to be taken.
Ninjas rushed to attack.
"Quite a fast response," Itsuki muttered, eyes narrowing.
But with Karin and her mother in his arms, he couldn't free his hands to form seals.
No-seal ninjutsu, one-handed seals, those fancy techniques where you shout a move and it magically works—he hadn't mastered them yet.
For now, he had to fight without hand seals.
"Am I a burden to you?" Karin asked, panic in her voice.
The joy of being rescued was being drowned by fear.
Would Itsuki abandon her? Or abandon her mother?
In this situation, they were nothing but weight.
"Don't worry, I won't abandon you," Itsuki reassured with a small smile. "Even against these rabble, I won't be helpless."
He just thought using ninjutsu would be easier—he still had other ways.
"Then let me show you how powerful we are! Lightning Release: Lightning Slash!"
A Kusagakure ninja flickered in front of Itsuki, his long sword crackling with lightning as it slashed toward his chest.
"Earth Style: Hardening."
A thin layer of rock coated Itsuki's body.
The Kusagakure ninja sneered. "Idiot, don't you know lightning beats earth? Don't blame me for your death!"
But before his blade connected, Itsuki had already slipped behind him and drew his own short knife across the man's throat.
"You…" The ninja clutched at his bleeding neck, eyes wide with disbelief.
"I'm not stupid enough to need your reminder," Itsuki said flatly. "That Earth Style was just a distraction, idiot."
The Kusagakure ninja collapsed in a pool of blood, unwilling eyes still staring.
"Fire Style: Ghost Lantern!"
Two Kusagakure Anbu appeared, keeping their distance.
Several fireballs with distorted ghost faces shot toward Itsuki, controlled directly by their will.
Weak, but annoying.
Itsuki wrapped himself, Karin, and her mother in Water chakra. Without even dodging, he plowed straight through, the fireballs being snuffed out on impact.
The Anbu exchanged a glance. That didn't work.
"Fire Style: Exploding Flame!"
The two combined their chakra, spewing a sea of fire that engulfed the street.
"You… be careful!" Karin cried, clinging to him.
"Heh, no big deal," Itsuki smirked.
Water chakra surged, condensing around his blade.
Water Style: Hard Vortex Water Blade!
A spiraling torrent of water formed around his short sword, compressing into a drill-like spear.
The flames were pulled into the vortex and extinguished instantly, leaving a gap. Itsuki dashed through, leapt high, and drove the blade forward.
Puff!
The water blade tore through one of the Anbu's chest. With one caster dead, the joint jutsu collapsed.
The second Anbu retreated in terror, but Itsuki didn't even glance at him. He broke through the encirclement with ease.
"Surround him! Don't let him get away!"
"Everyone together—we can't lose the human-shaped pill!"
Dozens of Kusagakure shinobi shouted and pursued.
But Itsuki's speed and strength were overwhelming. Every time someone blocked him, he either killed them outright or cut them down in one strike.
If not for Karin and her mother, he could have wiped them all out with ease.
Still, Kusagakure was small—disturbances were quickly noticed.
Team Guy had just finished delivering the invitation to the Chunin Exams and were still speaking with Kusagakure's leader when they heard the chaos.
The ground shook with ninjutsu explosions, followed by the shouting of dozens of shinobi.
They froze.
The village was already at war with a neighbor. Had the enemy invaded?
"Oh no, Chief!" A Kusagakure Anbu rushed in, panicked. "Someone is trying to steal our human-shaped pills. He's strong—we might not be able to stop him!"
The Kusagakure leader's face darkened instantly.