The Chakra of the three intertwined tightly. Sai keenly noticed that the small blades of grass on the ground were suddenly uprooted by an invisible force, accompanied by a strong whirlwind that swept them into the air.
Countless slender grass blades danced in the air, intertwining with each other to form an intricate green network.
Finally, to Chizhao's astonishment, they condensed into a terrifying, emerald-green giant snake.
The grass snake was four stories high, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light, and its fangs, which had seemed soft, were now hard as iron, sending shivers down one's spine.
That's too big!
Just as Chizhao was hesitating whether to absorb it, the grass snake, controlled by the others, lunged at her with astonishing speed.
Chizhao, agile in movement, quickly dodged, but the grass snake was equally nimble, opening its massive maw and turning to swallow her.
"Azure Bird!"
Seeing Chizhao swallowed by the snake's mouth, Sai involuntarily shouted her codename.
For some reason, his usually calm emotions suddenly fluctuated violently at this moment.
He quickly grabbed his brush and, using the Chakra he had just recovered a little, swiftly sketched on his scroll.
"Ninja Art: Super Beast Imitation Drawing!"
Three lions leaped from the scroll and pounced on the grass snake. One of them bit and tore off a piece of the grass snake's body.
But it was quickly replenished by other fresh blades of grass from the ground, restoring it to its original state.
"Hmph! Overestimating yourselves!"
Takada controlled the great snake's tail, sweeping it to easily shatter the lions, which dissolved into specks of ink in the air.
Just as Sai was about to be taken into the snake's mouth, the grass snake unnaturally coiled its body, and the grass vines all over its body began to faintly emit a red light.
A furious roar came from the grass snake's belly.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"What!"
Immediately after, several scorching fireballs erupted, tearing apart the grass snake's body. It writhed on the ground, and the dazzling flames quickly spread throughout its body, instantly burning it to ashes.
A figure leaped to the ground, and with a wave of her right hand, fireballs blazing with intense flames rushed towards the group of Grass Ninja again.
Several Grass Ninja were caught off guard and hit by the fireballs, screaming repeatedly and falling to the ground.
Although Takada barely avoided most of the attacks, he was still hit by a fireball, spitting blood and suffering serious injuries.
Chizhao felt her legs go soft and she knelt on the ground, the stinging pain in her hands and feet making her break out in a cold sweat.
"No way! Poison again?"
Her heart was filled with both shock and horror, and a strong sense of nausea rose in her throat, forcing her to spit out a large amount of saliva.
"How are you?"
Sai, looking slightly worried, wanted to go and check on Chizhao, but he was also exhausted and unable to stand up.
The weak Takada gasped and lifted his head, seeing Chizhao vomiting, he couldn't help but laugh excitedly.
"Ah hahaha! How about that! The grass snake is covered with a layer of neurotoxin. As long as you touch it, your limbs will start to ache like needle pricks, and you might even vomit, until finally, your nerves are paralyzed and you suffocate to death! This is the end for you!"
However, just as he was about to end the battle, his stamina was completely depleted, and his injuries were further worsening.
Damn it! Has it really come to this?
At this moment, his gaze fell on a nearby dilapidated hut, and a smile suddenly spread across his lips.
That woman's child should be inside.
He stumbled towards the old hut, effortlessly punching open the door.
Inside the house, a red-haired, glasses-wearing girl was trembling and cowering in a dark corner, tears continuously streaming from her red eyes like broken pearls.
She saw the man, covered in scars, slowly approaching her with an evil smile, and the fear in her heart surged like a tide, engulfing her tightly.
"Don't come any closer!"
She shrieked in terror, her voice filled with despair, and then she rushed out of the door, desperate to escape this terrifying nightmare.
"Catch her!"
With a command, a red figure suddenly rushed out of the broken house. The injured Grass Ninja quickly grabbed her red hair and brutally threw her to the ground.
The girl's terrified scream attracted Chizhao's gaze.
She lay on the ground and looked up, only to see the vibrant red hair reflected in her eyes like flames.
Her mouth opened and closed, and she murmured with a hint of surprise:
"Karin...?"
Facing the approaching Ninja, Karin retreated helplessly.
But those Ninja were like a pack of thirsty beasts, their wide eyes radiating greedy desire as they reached out to grab her.
"Get out of the way! Let me go first!"
Takada roughly pushed the other Ninja aside, violently tore open Karin's clothes, exposing the pale skin of her neck, and then bit down fiercely like a beast.
"Ah ah ah!!!" Karin's scream pierced the air.
Chizhao's pupils suddenly contracted.
She saw those Ninja grabbing Karin's limbs and biting down without a care. Karin struggled and screamed in pain, but they ignored her, continuing their atrocities.
Tears streamed down Karin's face. Her small body was buried in shadows, and her painful whimpers gradually grew faint.
Blood continuously flowed from all over her body, while the Ninja who bit her ravenously sucked it up.
Their wounds were recovering at a visible speed, their eyes filled with endless malice and greed.
Her heart felt as if something was clutching it, and painful scenes from Chizhao's deep memory gradually overlapped before her eyes.
The world began to blur and spin, everything around became silent, only a buzzing in her ears and her own rapid breathing echoed.
Karin's tears had dried, and her red pupils became empty and lifeless. She seemed to have given up struggling, allowing those filthy teeth to gnaw at her body.
She looked at the gradually brightening sky, helplessly closed her eyes. Tears rolled down onto the grass, silently seeping into the soil, but no one noticed.
God.....
Please save me.....
Suddenly, a splash of blood bloomed before Karin's eyes, followed by a dazzling white light that streaked past her.
The pain in her body had disappeared at some point.
In her red pupils, she only saw a blade engraved with "sōran" flash before her eyes.
She thought it had severed her head, but she never expected it to sever her pain.
Takada's throat was seized by a powerful force, and he was brutally slammed to the ground.
The piercing pain in his chest made him spit out a mouthful of blood, staining the white fox mask before his eyes.
He stared wide-eyed, terrified, at the glowing, fierce green eyes, and with difficulty, squeezed out a few words from his throat:
"Wh-why...."
Why could she still move after being poisoned?
This is impossible!
Behind the white fox mask, the glowing green eyes were filled with deep killing intent, and a cold voice came from behind the mask, almost gnashing each word through clenched teeth.
"Girls are not for defiling, you scum!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the short blade plunged into Takada's chest was violently pulled out, and blood gushed out like a fountain, drenching the green leaves on the ground.
The sunlight from the horizon pierced through the clouds and shone on the earth, making the surrounding blood appear even more crimson and dazzling.
Karin stared blankly at the blood-stained Ninja. She seemed to be enveloped in a layer of golden light, and in this chilling scene, she felt an unprecedented purity and sacredness.
Is it God?
No.... Who...
Who is she...
She walked out of the light, covered in blood, shielding the twisted darkness behind her seemingly slender back.
She slowly knelt before her, casting a gentle and safe shadow.
"You must be very scared... It's... alright now....."
She comforted her softly with a tired voice.
Through the slit in the mask, Karin saw the starlight twinkling in those glowing green eyes.
That was hope, salvation, empathy.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and a certain emotion was suppressed in her throat, preventing her from making any sound.
In her hazy red eyes, the Ninja before her seemed to have run out of strength, collapsing in front of her and completely passing out.