King of Worlds'

The man with blood-red eyes was momentarily startled, but he quickly resumed his silent observation.

"I didn't expect you to take down Gorin so swiftly," The Sand Shinobi declared, stepping forward in response to the taunting words.

"You're not just anyone!"

Captain Ishi perched atop a tall tree, his gaze cold as he looked down.

Qin Yi looked up to see Captain Ishi, his face obscured by a mask, revealing only chilling eyes. A surge of killing intent washed over Qin Yi. Captain Ishi's brazen confrontation spoke volumes about his confidence in eliminating Qin Yi.

Suddenly, Captain Ishi leaped down, his hands moving in a blur as he formed hand seals.

"Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu)!"

Qin Yi's body swayed, and in an instant, he sank into the ground, leaving only his head exposed.

The Three Generals' expressions shifted dramatically at this sight.

However, Captain Ishi descended with incredible speed. With a flick of his right hand, he hurled kunai, forcing the Three Generals to scatter.

"Attack!"

With a loud command, Sazuri and the mysterious shinobi, who had been lurking on either side, charged forward, aiming straight for Qin Lin and the others.

In a heartbeat, they were upon the three, their kunai swinging to push them back, their cold eyes fixed on Qin Yi, who was partially buried in the ground.

"I'll take your head now!"

Captain Ishi landed heavily, and with a swift motion of his short blade, he severed Qin Yi's head in an instant.

"Your Majesty!"

Qin Lin and the others cried out in horror, their faces drained of color.

But in the next moment, the body of Qin Yi on the ground transformed into a puff of smoke.

At the same time, Qin Yi's low, menacing voice echoed.

"Shakuton: Gōka Giri (Scorch Release: Grand Fireball Slash)!"

Qin Yi unleashed a barrage of fireballs that quickly engulfed the area around the three, causing their expressions to shift dramatically.

Almost immediately, the fireballs detonated upon reaching them.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Sazuri, who was slightly slower to react, was caught directly by the fireballs. Captain Ishi attempted to grab her, but his expression changed, and he swiftly dodged.

"Wind Blades?!"

After the flames erupted, rapidly spinning wind blades shot out, covering a ten-meter radius and instantly eliminating Sazuri.

Even the mysterious shinobi with the black iron box hurriedly opened it, a layer of dark metal enveloping him to shield him against the incoming wind blades and explosive flames.

"What kind of ninjutsu is this kid using?!"

Captain Ishi's heart sank, and he was utterly taken aback. He realized just how troublesome his opponent was and became even more cautious.

By now, the Three Generals had also reacted, quickly charging toward the shinobi with the black iron box.

"Gorin and Sazuri were merely support. The true executors of this mission are me and Kurogane."

Captain Ishi glanced at the man carrying the iron box, his thoughts racing.

He gestured to the latter, then raised his hands and leaped toward Qin Yi.

As he ran, he swiftly formed hand seals.

"Doton: Doryū Taiga (Earth Release: Earth Flow River)"

With a loud shout, the ground before him transformed into a rushing river, barreling toward Qin Yi with tremendous force.

The scale of this technique was immense, its momentum earth-shattering, accompanied by a deep rumble.

Qin Yi narrowed his eyes, forming hand seals with both hands.

"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"

"Doton: Doryūdan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)!"

The two ninjutsu were unleashed almost simultaneously, leaving Captain Ishi in shock.

"Single-handed seals, and so fast!"

Captain Ishi's face reflected his astonishment.

The two techniques collided with his attack, instantly neutralizing each other and gradually dissipating.

Qin Yi leaped high, sprinting along the trees surrounding Captain Ishi.

"Shakuton: Karyūfū (Scorch Release, Fire Stream Wind!)!"

Flames surged like a fierce wind, engulfing Captain Ishi. The intense heat and slicing force struck him instantly.

As the other party vanished in a cloud of smoke within the flames, Qin Yi's eyes narrowed.

He quickly jumped onto a large tree, scanning his surroundings.

After a moment, he glanced down and saw the Three Generals locked in a fierce battle with the remaining shinobi, evenly matched. His eyes narrowed further.

"He's also a formidable opponent."

"Those clones... no, they don't seem to be clones!"

"They're puppets!"

With keen insight, Qin Yi recognized the identity of the silent man below—he was likely from the puppet lineage of the Land of Wind.

Just then, his body suddenly stiffened.

"The mission is complete, enemy leader."

"You're tough, but in the end, I've won."

A low voice reached Qin Yi's ears. He looked down to see a black kunai swiftly slicing toward his neck.

Captain Ishi didn't hesitate; he executed his mission without faltering.

But just as his kunai was about to cut through, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Poof!"

The figure before him erupted into a cloud of white smoke, and a piece of wood fell to the ground.

"A substitution?!"

Captain Ishi was taken aback and tried to turn around, but it was too late.

A tremendous force slammed into his back, causing him to stagger.

At that moment, he faintly heard a "buzzing" sound in his ears.

"Is that the Rasengan?!"

His heart sank, realizing the situation had turned dire.

"Boom!"

In the next instant, the Rasengan was forcefully pressed into his back.

His body began to spin uncontrollably. His clothes were torn apart, flesh split open, and blood sprayed as he crashed into a large tree ahead.

Qin Yi retracted his right hand and slowly approached.

"Wh-when did you...?"

With great effort, Captain Ishi turned around, lying in the hollow of the tree, disbelief etched across his face. He had executed his ambush perfectly, even employing a stealth technique to get close, without a moment's hesitation.

When had he been detected?

"My hand seals are fast."

"Faster than your blade."

Qin Yi locked eyes with him, speaking coolly.

Captain Ishi trembled, shock filling his gaze.

How could anyone's hand seals be faster than his blade? That was inconceivable!

"By conventional logic, it is indeed impossible."

"But what if I developed hand seals into a technique?"

Qin Yi spoke slowly, leaving Captain Ishi filled with doubt, his eyes widening.

"Hand seals... can be developed into a technique?"

"Yes, it's still in the early stages of development, but the results seem quite promising."

Qin Yi nodded, then unleashed his power as the King.

"Plunder!"

In an instant, the Jōnin's soul seemed to be drawn out. Qin Yi quickly examined it.

"This technique?!"

His eyes narrowed suddenly, and without hesitation, he plundered it.

But in the next moment, the Plunder skill appeared to destabilize, and his connection with Captain Ishi abruptly severed.

"Did the plunder fail?"

"Did I only gain one skill before it failed?"

Qin Yi's eyes widened in surprise as he raised his right hand, pressing against his slightly swollen temple.

This was the first time he had ever encountered a failed plunder!

(End of Chapter)

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