Mist-Shrouded Seas, Land of Fire Border
"Don't panic! All together now!" a blond rogue ninja roared, his chakra pulsing with near-Special Jonin strength. "He's just one guy—no matter how tough, we've got numbers! Swarm him and cut him down!" He charged Ye Liangnai, his blade gleaming as he bellowed, "Die, kid!"
As he closed in, a ghostly whisper hissed from behind Ye Liangnai. "Got you!" A pale, wiry rogue ninja materialized, his kunai flashing toward Ye Liangnai's neck. The blond ninja attacked from the front, the two-pronged assault perfectly timed. No one could dodge both—not at this range.
"Yoshi! He's done!" a nearby rogue ninja crowed, anticipation lighting their faces. "Finish him!"
"Three-Talent Flash," Ye Liangnai intoned, his voice cold as the grave. A blinding arc of steel sliced through the mist, so swift it seemed to warp time itself. The blond ninja and his stealthy ally froze, their expressions petrifying mid-strike.
Boom! Ye Liangnai's kick sent both flying like ragdolls, their bodies crashing into the sea. The blond ninja was caught by his comrades, but his eyes were wide with horror. A thin red line across his throat widened, blood erupting in a crimson fountain, staining the mist and blinding the rogues who held him.
"How… so fast…" he choked, his head lolling as he sank beneath the waves, lifeless.
A collective gasp ripped through the rogue ninja, their bravado crumbling. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, hairs standing on end. No way. They turned and fled, panic overriding all else. He's untouchable!
The blond ninja had been their strongest, a match for Special Jonin, yet Ye Liangnai had dispatched him without breaking a sweat. For the remaining Chunin-level rogues, fighting was suicide. Run, or we're dead!
"Sorry, folks," Ye Liangnai's voice purred, chillingly close, "but leaving so soon? That's just rude." The rogues' hearts seized, their flight faltering as his presence loomed like a specter.
"Damn it, I'm not dying here!" one screamed, their legs pumping with desperate speed, fueled by raw survival instinct. "Faster—move!"
"Impressive speed," Ye Liangnai mused, his tone almost playful. "But not quite enough."
Shing! A chorus of screams pierced the fog, cut short by the sickening sound of steel through flesh. The mist fell silent, an eerie stillness settling over the sea.
"Who's next?" Ye Liangnai's voice echoed, a devil's taunt that sent shivers down spines. The fog, now tinged scarlet with blood, amplified his menace—a true slaughter god stalking his prey.
"Enough, you cocky brat!" a steady voice barked, rallying the rogues. "Everyone, together! I refuse to believe he can take us all!"
"Yeah, swarm him!" another joined, emboldened. "Show him our strength!"
"Together!"
"Die, punk!" The rogues' shouts united, their morale surging as they charged en masse, their killing intent a palpable wave.
Ye Liangnai's low chuckle reverberated through the mist. "Still don't get the gap between us, huh? Fine—let me show you what real assassination looks like." His voice dripped with confidence, the fog his domain. Using Hidden Mist Jutsu against me? Biggest mistake you could've made.
Clang! The battle erupted, a whirlwind of steel and chakra. But before Tian Xin's squad could move to support, chilling sounds filled the fog—flesh tearing, bones snapping, screams cut short.
Shing! Rip! Crack! The noises were relentless, punctuated by the thud of bodies hitting the water. Through the crimson haze, a phantom figure moved—untouchable, unstoppable, a god of death carving a path of carnage. Behind him, rogues fell like wheat before a scythe, the mist growing ever redder with their blood.
Tian Xin raised a hand, halting his team. "Hold position." His voice was low, awed. This is true Kirigakure assassination. His mind raced. Fighting him in Hidden Mist Jutsu is suicide—even I'd struggle. Ye Liangnai's dominance was absolute, a predator in his element.
The fog churned with panic. "Monster! He's a monster!" a rogue screamed, his voice breaking.
"Run! We can't win!" another wailed, their formation collapsing into chaos.
"Dispel the Hidden Mist—now!" a rogue pleaded, but his cry ended in a gurgle as Ye Liangnai's blade found him.
"Dispel it? That'd ruin the fun," Ye Liangnai said, his tone conversational, as if discussing the weather. "This mist—it's perfect for hunting, perfect for assassination."
His casual cruelty sent chills through friend and foe alike. Tian Xin's squad exchanged glances, their faces pale. Orui swallowed hard, his bravado gone. This isn't a fight—it's a massacre. They'd mocked Ye Liangnai's recklessness, ready to 'rescue' him from his solo charge. Now, the truth was undeniable: he wasn't arrogant—he was a force of nature.
Not a fight. A slaughter.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu—release!" a surviving rogue gasped, desperation driving him to dispel the fog. As the haze lifted, the sea came into view, and a collective shudder ran through the survivors.
The water was a crimson expanse, littered with floating corpses, the air heavy with the stench of blood and death. Of the eighty-plus rogues, only twelve remained—each near or at Special Jonin level, their strength the only reason they still drew breath.
"Slaughter… God…" one rogue stammered, staring at Ye Liangnai, his blood-soaked form a vision of terror.
Orui gulped, sweat beading on his brow, his eyes wide with shock. Slaughter God. Fits him perfectly. In two minutes, Ye Liangnai had culled a small army, his efficiency horrifying. This is what he's capable of?
Tian Xin remained silent, his mind calculating. Let him work. The mission wasn't over, but Ye Liangnai had already shifted the tide. The surviving rogues, shaken to their core, faced a predator who thrived where they faltered.