A severed head tumbled to the ground, its face twisted in pain and tinged with confusion—yet somehow, it seemed to wear a mocking sneer at the absurdity of it all…
To the enemy, this was a textbook case of a "ship sinking in the gutter." For a ninja so sure of his own strength, this kind of brutal reversal was bound to happen eventually. His death was simply one of the inevitable costs.
Shock came first, followed by rage. More shuriken came flying, fast and furious, toward "Yugami Genma"
But this was expected. The moment his feet touched the ground, he burst into motion with a chakra-fueled dash, diving behind a nearby tree to shield himself from the onslaught.
"Thud-thud-thud!"
The rain of shuriken drilled into the earth, chasing after his path, and eventually embedded themselves all over the outer bark of the tree.
One enemy ninja, who hadn't participated in the barrage, kept his eyes fixed on Genma's movement. His hands moved rapidly through seals. Then, with just a side-step or two, he repositioned himself—and just like that, Genma was once again exposed within his line of fire.
"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
A massive, high-speed sphere of water roared toward "Yugami Genma".
Faced with such a wide-range jutsu, Genma didn't panic. He'd been in the shinobi world for over a year now—not exactly battle-hardened, but certainly qualified by now as a true ninja.
His hands moved naturally, forming seals with practiced ease.
"Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet!"
A blazing orange-red fireball, over two meters in diameter, surged toward the approaching water bullet.
For clans that specialize in Fire Style, almost every family has its own version of this basic jutsu—same hand seals, same chakra flow, same results. Even the names are nearly identical: Grand Fireball, Big Fireball, Blazing Fireball, Flame Bullet, Great Flame Bullet… take your pick.
Fire met water. The flames hissed into steam. With a sharp *sssshh*, the two jutsu canceled each other out. Thick, hot steam erupted and surged through the dense forest, rapidly blanketing the area and severely limiting visibility.
There were no sensory-type enemies here, so the shifting terrain now favored **Yugami Genma**—the steam erased their numbers advantage, and Genma's specialty was ambush.
He pressed his back flat against a tree trunk, activating the Mayfly Technique again. Like a swimmer slipping beneath the surface, his body slowly merged into the wood.
Using only his memory, Genma moved quickly through the forest floor and trees until he located the ninja who had cast the Water Style jutsu.
Without a sound, he emerged behind the target—just as the man, unaware, backed up and pressed his back against a tree. Smart move; with such limited visibility, covering your back is one way to avoid sneak attacks.
But this time, it was a fatal mistake.
Genma silently emerged from the upper trunk behind him. Like a specter, his right arm snaked around the man's throat, locking it tight. His left arm swung forward, and like a mochi mallet, he began pounding into the man's chest—again and again—vicious, rapid blows, twenty or thirty times in a flash.
Mechanical. Brutal. Efficient. Each dull, wet impact echoed with cold indifference and a chilling intent to kill.
In a blink, the man's fate was sealed. His organs were mangled beyond recognition—fit only for stew.
**Yugami Genma** vanished once more.
The more he fought, the more he felt it—something in his body had changed. In the past, every time he used ninjutsu, it left him drained—his chakra pulled away, his spirit hollowed out. It was like part of his life force was peeled away each time.
He always felt weak, empty after using jutsu.
But this time was different. Now, as the battle progressed, he felt stronger—fuller. Every cell in his body felt like it was charging up, vibrating with vitality. If his old self was flat and dull, then now? He could feel a damn 36D.
That's when the realization hit him: maybe most people just aren't suited to being shinobi. Chakra depletes your life force, unless you're wired for it.
"Who was attacked? Report! What's the location?!" one of the enemies yelled.
Calling out in thick mist? Bad idea. **Yugami Genma** was already homing in on the sound.
*Three left,* he counted silently.
Just as he neared his next target and prepared for another silent kill, a faint hissing sound tickled his ears—*tssssss…*
"Crap, a trap!"
Out of Genma's line of sight, the enemy's lips curled into a cruel grin. He finished his last hand seal.
Genma retreated instantly, slipping into the tree trunk with the **Mayfly Technique**—he'd already guessed what was coming.
The enemy had used himself as bait, drawing Genma in. On his body, a stack of explosive tags had begun to burn.
Seven or eight tags, layered together, unleashed their combined fury.
A blinding white light exploded. The shockwave vaporized branches, trees, and dirt alike.
Several trees were sheared in half. With an agonizing *creaaak*, they came crashing down. From within one shattered trunk, **Yugami Genma's** body was violently forced out.
He wasn't yet fully adept at using the technique. Although he'd fled as fast as possible and dodged the main blast, the shockwave had still flushed him out.
The explosion swept away the surrounding steam. The once-veiled battlefield was now laid bare again.
This kind of death-defying gamble—so casual, so reckless—it defied belief.
The enemy didn't even know how Genma was executing his kills. He'd simply noticed the second ally was dead, guessed Genma's speed based on past positions… and decided to bet his life.
It wasn't courage. It was numbness. With no solid intel, he simply wagered everything. That's not tactics—that's suicide. Most likely, he was only going to blow up empty air.
Still, Genma had to admit—the guy nearly got him. Due to his own lack of experience, his movement path had been too straightforward. It almost worked. But his vigilance saved him.
In the end, the enemy's death was meaningless.
Life felt worthless.
And death…
Maybe death was the release.