Mochizuki Hui observed the ninja in front of him. The man looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, standing about 175 cm tall and weighing around 60 kilograms.
Judging by his attire, he was from Iwagakure, and the disheveled, dirt-caked state of his clothing indicated that he had been on the run for some time.
Based on their brief exchange earlier, Hui had already pieced together several details about his opponent.
He appeared to be an elite chunin, with average taijutsu, normal strength, speed, and reaction time. His genjutsu capabilities were unknown, but given that he was from Iwagakure, there was a 90% chance he was proficient in Earth Style ninjutsu.
As for his temperament, the man seemed irritable, arrogant, and overly confident.
In a matter of seconds, Hui's mind had analyzed and categorized the information he had gathered.
"Underestimate you? You give yourself far too much credit. I haven't taken you brats seriously from the start," Kawaji sneered coldly. "Kids like you should be at home sucking on bottles. The world of ninjas isn't some playground."
His eyes shifted toward the white-haired boy, hoping to see the taunt take effect. But to his disappointment, both of the kids remained unnervingly calm, completely unfazed by his provocations.
They weren't simple children after all.
Fine. If that's the case, I'll finish this quickly.
Kawaji's hands moved into a sequence of hand signs, preparing to unleash a jutsu.
However, Hui wasn't going to give him the chance. He swiftly threw a volley of kunai, forcing Kawaji to stop his hand signs and dodge.
Meanwhile, the white-haired boy charged forward, wielding a short, white-bladed sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as the white-haired boy and Kawaji exchanged rapid blows. However, it was clear that the boy was at a disadvantage, defending more than attacking.
Despite this, he remained composed, knowing that his partner wouldn't just stand idly by.
Sure enough, as the white-haired boy engaged Kawaji, Hui leaped into the fray, sword in hand, joining the fight.
If it had been just one of them, either the white-haired boy or Hui, facing Kawaji alone, they would have surely been outmatched. But together, they managed to hold their ground, matching Kawaji blow for blow.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of clashing steel echoed as the battle raged on. Kawaji's attacks grew faster and more ferocious, his eyes turning bloodshot with madness. His strikes came in a furious flurry, relentless and overwhelming.
He knew the longer this dragged on, the more dangerous it would become for him. He needed to eliminate these two brats quickly.
Realizing that the opportunity to use ninjutsu wasn't presenting itself, Kawaji abandoned the idea entirely, opting for brute force instead.
He would rely on sheer speed and relentless attacks to overwhelm them in close combat.
He fought like a madman, throwing caution to the wind. His tactic was simple: outpace them with a relentless barrage of strikes, even if it meant taking a few hits in return.
This was the best way to deal with the two kids.
As an elite chunin with extensive combat experience, Kawaji knew how to adapt. The two brats were relying on technique to bridge the gap between their abilities and his own. In a normal fight, it would take him a long time to wear them down.
But why fight them on equal terms?
He was a grown man, and they were just children. There was no need to play fair. These kids were relying on skill to make up for their lack of strength, so he would exploit his advantage in stamina and experience.
After all, a child's endurance was no match for an adult's.
"Die, you little brats!" Kawaji roared, his attacks growing more frenzied. He could feel the two kids' breathing becoming heavier. Their stamina was depleting fast.
Both Hui and the white-haired boy quickly realized what Kawaji was trying to do.
"He's trying to wear us down!" the white-haired boy said, his face growing tense.
The Iwagakure ninja wasn't particularly strong, and with the two of them working together, they could have held him off long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
But his fighting style was too reckless—he was fighting as if he didn't care about his own life.
Because of the difference in physical strength, Hui and the white-haired boy couldn't afford to engage him the same way.
While they could only inflict minor wounds on him, a single hit from him could seriously injure them.
As a result, they had to not only fight at a high intensity but also stay completely focused on defense.
Things were starting to look bad.
"I know, we just have to hold on. Reinforcements will be here soon," Hui responded, his breath quickening, and his strikes slowing just a fraction.
It wasn't that Hui's stamina was failing—after all, his endurance was practically a cheat code, allowing him to keep fighting with hardly any loss of energy.
No, this was all part of an act.
From their exchanges so far, Hui had analyzed Kawaji's mentality. The man was impatient and overconfident, traits that could easily be exploited.
If Kawaji's goal was to wear them down, Hui would let him believe he was succeeding.
So, when the white-haired boy hinted at retreat, Hui pretended not to understand, stubbornly continuing to hold his ground.
Seeing this, the white-haired boy grew more anxious. "I'm almost out of stamina!" he shouted, trying to reinforce his hint.
"Hahaha, there's no point in pretending anymore, kids! You really think you can escape me? You're underestimating me!" Kawaji laughed maniacally, his grin growing more savage.
He believed he had the situation completely under control.