The explosive tags more than justify their price; even a Jonin would meet a swift end if hit at close range without defenses.
That end? Death.
If a Jonin can be taken out like this, a Chunin stands no chance.
So, the Rock Village Chunin ambushed by Hattori didn't even have time to scream before the explosive tags blasted him, ending his life instantly.
A clean kill in one move.
From the terror frozen on his face, Hattori guessed he died wondering why his supposedly dead teammate had suddenly come back to life.
But all of that no longer mattered now.
**[You have successfully killed a level-17 ninja. EXP +0]**
Looking at the purple notification and the mangled bodies in front of him, Hattori couldn't help but gag.
"Ugh… Such a gory scene, and no censorship? Minus points for that!"
Fighting back the urge to vomit, he reached out to grab the orb floating above the body.
**[Earth Orb (Common): Used to synthesize Earth-based puppets for levels 1–19. Currently unusable.]**
Just like before, Hattori didn't gain any experience from the kill, only an unusable puppet material orb.
After taking the orb, he quickly retreated; the sound of the explosion had already drawn a few nearby Rock Ninja his way.
Seeing Hattori flee, the Rock Ninja pursued without hesitation.
Among them was a Jonin from the Rock Village. His skills and speed far surpassed the others, allowing him to close in on Hattori within a few breaths, leaving his comrades behind.
Then, Hattori suddenly turned around, grinning, showing a row of eerily white teeth.
"Heh, I've got good news for you, buddy. Your pals? They're gone!"
"Huh?"
Hearing this, the Jonin froze in confusion.
Before he could react, a huge explosion erupted just behind him!
**Boom!**
Hearing the blast, he stopped in his tracks and turned toward the source of the sound.
As he looked, he saw the bodies of fallen Rock Ninja suddenly spring up, latching onto other Rock Ninja passing by before detonating themselves!
**Boom, boom, boom…**
With several explosions, the Rock Village Chunins who had followed were left as dismembered, unrecognizable corpses.
At that moment, Hattori's voice rang out again.
"This move is called the Corpse Explosion Technique, specially prepared for scum like you who slaughter civilians. Satisfied?"
"You!"
The Rock Jonin's eyes burned with fury, and he made a quick hand sign, slamming his hands into the ground while pouring his chakra into it.
**"Earth Style: Earth Mountain Technique!"**
With a roar, Hattori felt the ground beneath him shake violently, nearly causing him to lose his balance.
As he steadied himself, two enormous hemispherical mountains erupted from the earth on either side of him, quickly closing in to trap him.
If he stayed put or continued running, he would be crushed between the earth walls, leaving him with only one choice: to turn back!
"Well played, cutting off my escape route!"
Hattori praised his opponent, quickly pivoting back to face the Jonin and throwing a punch in his direction.
"Then I'll take you down as you wish!"
If the late Wotu had seen this punch, he would have dodged without hesitation, knowing well the strength of Hattori's punches.
But Wotu was already dead, and this Jonin didn't know any better.
Consumed by the loss of his comrades and the defilement of their corpses, his anger demanded release!
"Die! Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!"
With a roar, his right hand transformed into a massive rock fist and shot towards Hattori.
As he swung, he could already envision Hattori's body bursting from the impact, his eyes glinting with cruelty.
But when Hattori's fist met the rock fist, his expression changed.
The moment their fists connected, an overwhelming force surged from Hattori's punch, coursing through the Jonin's arm.
**NANI!**
The thought flashed through his mind, but it was too late to pull back.
He could only watch as Hattori's punch shattered his rock fist, breaking his arm and slamming into his chest.
**Thud…**
With a resounding impact, the Jonin's body flew backward like a kicked soccer ball, crashing into a wall and collapsing it.
He lay there with a caved-in chest, coughing up blood until he finally die.
**[You have successfully killed a level-41 ninja. EXP +410]**
**[Level +1]**
Seeing these two purple notifications, Hattori let out a relieved sigh.
"Finally, it's over!"
He stepped forward to the Jonin's body, retrieving the orb floating above it.
**[Earth Orb (Superior): Used to synthesize Earth-based puppets for levels 40–59. Currently unusable.]**
Looking at his new acquisition, Hattori grinned.
"Seems pretty useful; hope it comes in handy later!"
Tucking the orb into his pocket, he sat down next to the Jonin's body.
Although the battle had seemed effortless, it had actually been anything but.
Setting traps, using puppetry to manipulate corpses for surprise attacks, and landing the finishing blow—all of it had drained his mental and physical strength.
And a lot of MP.
His MP was nearly depleted, and once it ran out completely, unconsciousness would be inevitable.
Given the current state of Sand Village, if he passed out here, it was uncertain whether he'd ever wake up again.
Left with no choice, he pulled out another soldier pill.
"No other option. It's uncomfortable, but it beats an untimely death!"
With that, he prepared to swallow the pill.
Just then, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Ha… Hattori! Are you okay?!"
"Huh?"
Turning his head, Hattori saw Karura running toward him with her three-star fan, followed closely by Baki and Yashamaru.
Seeing them, he finally felt at ease.
"With Baki and Yashamaru back, Rasa and the others must be back too. Finally, I can get some real sleep!"
As his fatigue swept over him, Hattori's eyes grew heavy, and he allowed them to close.
Before he drifted off completely, he faintly heard Karura's voice, thick with tears.
"Hattori!!!"
*(End of Chapter)*