"Hehe, I didn't expect to run into such an interesting kid here," the female ninja with long, fluttering hair murmured, watching Lee as he fled into the dense forest. She smiled to herself, her red tongue flicking over her lips in a way that sent chills through anyone watching. Her entire aura was strange, more like that of a snake in human form than a person.
"For his age, he's surprisingly strong. Most Chūnin wouldn't be able to take him on," she noted, her tone both admiring and mocking. "But it's a shame—his physical aptitude limits him to only taijutsu. Otherwise, I might have…" She trailed off, her eyes gleaming with a predatory intent.
"Enough. I have other plans. My dear Sasuke is waiting for me," she whispered to herself, her figure slowly sinking into the ground, vanishing from sight.
...
Lee sprinted as fast as he could, not stopping until he was far into the forest. His shoulder throbbed with pain from the powerful hit she'd delivered. Her palm strike hadn't been intended to kill him, but even with her restraint, it had broken bones. Despite his inherited strength and experience, he had barely managed to escape. Now, leaning against a tree, Lee gritted his teeth, using his right hand to reset the bones in his injured shoulder.
Kage-level strength. She's truly a Kage-level ninja, he thought, his breathing ragged. She's far above the level of even elite Jōnin like Might Guy and Hatake Kakashi. I only got away because she let me. Lee could still feel the sting of her power, the fear that had settled deep in his bones.
Suddenly, the whistling sound of projectiles cut through the air, snapping him back to reality. Shuriken sped toward him from all directions, glinting in the dim forest light.
"Hmph," Lee grunted, diving behind a tree for cover.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!" The shuriken embedded themselves in the trunk, missing him by mere inches.
"Whoever's up there, get down here right now!" a deep, menacing voice yelled out. "We've got you cornered!"
Lee stepped out from behind the tree, facing his attackers calmly despite his injuries. He couldn't afford to show weakness, even in this condition.
"Look at this—he's all alone," sneered a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, his tone a mix of surprise and amusement. "Only someone overconfident or foolish would wander the Forest of Death alone."
"Wait...he's injured," another one said, noticing Lee's left shoulder. His eyes narrowed. "This is perfect. Give us the scroll, or we'll take it off your corpse."
"I don't have a scroll," Lee said coolly.
"Doesn't matter if he has one or not," snapped the only female ninja in the group. "We'll just eliminate him. His team will fail, and he'll be out of our way."
"Good point," said the man in the hat, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Spread out. Take him down quickly."
In an instant, the three assailants moved in from different angles, their faces set with ruthless determination. Their gazes betrayed their bloodlust; they had no hesitation about taking him down.
"You're done for!" The man in the hat struck first, lunging at Lee with a thin iron chain covered in barbs. He swung it toward Lee's neck with deadly accuracy, intending to ensnare and tear him apart.
"You want to fight?" Lee's gaze sharpened, cold fury in his eyes. He snatched a thick branch from the ground and, with a swift motion, swung it upward in a fierce arc toward the man's arm.
Lee's martial expertise, honed by Sion Mun's memories, showed in his movements. Using the branch as a weapon, he wielded it with the force and precision of a sword.
"Argh!" The man cried out as the branch smashed into his wrist. His hand went limp, and blood poured from the wound as he dropped the iron chain to the ground.
"You... you broke my hand!" he screamed, clutching his wrist.
The woman and the third attacker, horrified, tried to back away. But Lee, his spirit now ablaze with the warrior's fire, was relentless. In two quick strides, he was in front of the man in the hat, his gaze as cold as steel.
"Please, wait—" the man stammered, his eyes wide with terror.
But Lee showed no mercy. He lunged forward, stabbing the branch directly into the man's throat. Blood spurted from the wound as the man's lifeless body fell to the ground, his final scream cut short.
The female ninja gasped, stumbling backward as fear replaced her confidence. "You... you monster!" she shrieked, her voice shaking. The brutal and swift end of her teammate had shattered her nerve.
"You wanted to take me down, right?" Lee said, his voice low and calm. "In the Forest of Death, that means you should be ready to die."
The female ninja, her hands trembling, threw several kunai at him with all her might, desperation in her eyes. She had abandoned all strategy, her only focus now on surviving.
"It's pointless," Lee said, sidestepping her clumsy attack. Moving with calculated precision, he dodged the kunai effortlessly and closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
"Stay back!" she yelled, flinging more kunai. But Lee was already upon her. He moved past her in a blur, and with a quick, merciless swipe, he slashed her throat with the sharpened branch.
Her eyes widened in shock as she clutched at her neck, blood pouring through her fingers. She fell to the ground with a soft thud, her life ebbing away in seconds.
With her and her teammates eliminated, Lee took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to the blood on his hands. In his memories of Sion Mun, he had faced countless battles and emerged victorious in many, but now, each fight was a brutal reminder of how unforgiving the ninja world was.
Different world, same rules, he thought grimly. In the end, only the strong survive.