บท 232: 231
Haruto charged through the dense trees, his breath coming in sharp bursts as he pursued Aika. She was fast, leaping from branch to branch with an unnerving grace, always just out of reach. Every time she glanced back at him with that smug, twisted smile, it only fueled his anger. He knew she was toying with him, trying to get him to lose his cool, but it didn't matter. The memory of what she had done to him, to Obaa-chan, burned too deeply. He would catch her and have his revenge.
She led him farther into the forest, the trees thinning as they approached a small clearing. Aika's movements slowed, just enough to make it seem like he was closing the distance. Haruto's heart pounded in his chest as he pushed forward, his muscles straining as he prepared to strike. Every instinct screamed that it was a trap, but he ignored it. All he wanted was to wipe that smile off her face.
Then it happened.
The ground beneath him erupted in a series of deafening explosions, explosive tags hidden around the clearing detonating all at once. Trees shattered, debris flew in every direction, and smoke filled the air. The blast was so violent, it seemed like the entire forest had been torn apart.
Aika stood at the edge of the destruction, her smile widening as she watched the chaos unfold. Too easy, she thought. Get them angry, and they make mistakes. Haruto had fallen for it, just like she had planned. Another ninja caught in his own emotions, another fool.
But as the smoke began to clear, something was wrong. There was no blood, no body, no sign of carnage. Just a puff of smoke where a shadow clone had once stood.
Aika's eyes widened in disbelief. He wasn't dead.
Haruto had anticipated her trap. His anger hadn't blinded him completely. When she had slowed down, giving him the illusion of victory, he had already made a shadow clone, knowing that she would lead him into something dangerous. His real self had stayed hidden, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Emerging from the shadows, Haruto stepped into view, his face cold, his eyes blazing with fury. He didn't say a word—there was no need for it. He wasn't going to let her escape again.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, his Thunder Scalpel crackling with energy. Aika barely had time to react, her hands flying through the signs for a substitution jutsu. The blade sliced clean through the log she left in her place, splintering it with a sharp crackle of electricity.
She reappeared a few feet away, breathing harder now, her playful demeanor slipping. "Not bad," she muttered, though her voice lacked the cockiness it had earlier.
Haruto wasn't listening. His movements were already faster, more deliberate, as he closed the gap between them. Aika, sensing the danger, activated her Wind Step Jutsu, small bursts of wind beneath her feet propelling her backward at high speeds. She darted from side to side, trying to stay out of his reach, but Haruto tracked her every movement with precision.
He wasn't going to let her escape.
His mind, sharpened by the cognitive upgrades he had earned, worked faster than hers. Every feint, every change in direction—he was already anticipating her next move. She wasn't fast enough.
Without warning, Haruto threw a directional explosive tag into the narrow space between them. Aika's eyes widened in confusion—why would he stay so close to an explosive tag? The tag exploded, the blast directed solely at her. She barely managed to avoid the brunt of the explosion, using her jutsu to propel herself out of range, but the shockwave still hit her hard, knocking her to the ground.
Before she could recover, Haruto was already forming seals for his next move. Thunder Ball Jutsu. With his heightened lightning affinity, the ball of crackling electricity hummed in his hand, its energy far more powerful than it should have been for a simple C-rank jutsu.
Aika tried to scramble to her feet, but it was too late. The lightning ball struck her side, the shock surging through her body, leaving her muscles twitching uncontrollably. She screamed as the pain coursed through her, her body convulsing before she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
And Haruto wasn't done.
He approached with deadly intent, his Thunder Scalpel glowing with electric energy. His eyes were focused, his steps purposeful. This wasn't just about beating her—it was about making her feel it.
Haruto had trained in several forms of taijutsu, but this one was different. It was built around delivering heavy, punishing blows designed to break down his opponent. The weighted seal training he'd undergone had made him stronger than most would expect for someone his age. His strikes carried more power than they should, and he knew how to use it.
Aika, still reeling from the electric shock, tried to dodge the incoming strikes. She knew the Thunder Scalpel would end her if it connected, so she threw herself out of its path, narrowly avoiding it time and time again. But her attempts to dodge left her open, and Haruto capitalized on it.
Each time she ducked or sidestepped the scalpel, she left herself exposed to the brutal force of his fists, knees, and elbows.
The first punch to her gut sent a wave of nausea through her, knocking the air from her lungs. She doubled over, gasping, but before she could regain her balance, Haruto drove his knee into her ribs with a sickening crack. Pain exploded through her chest as she stumbled back, only to be met with a crushing elbow to her jaw, snapping her head to the side.
Every blow felt like a hammer, shattering her defenses, leaving her body bruised and broken. She tried to regain her footing, but Haruto's strikes kept coming, relentless and precise. He wasn't just attacking—he was dismantling her piece by piece.
Her attempts to avoid the Thunder Scalpel meant nothing when his fists were slamming into her with the force of a sledgehammer. Every hit left her weaker, her bones aching under the pressure, her body screaming in agony.
Another punch sent her crashing to the ground, her vision spinning. Blood filled her mouth as she coughed, struggling to breathe through the pain that wracked her body. Haruto wasn't giving her time to recover. He pressed forward, his strikes heavy, every movement designed to hurt.
How is he this strong? Aika's thoughts were frantic as she tried to think of a way out. Every attempt to evade was met with another devastating blow, each hit landing with brutal efficiency. She could feel her strength draining with every strike, her body nearing its limit.
Haruto's foot slammed into her stomach, lifting her off the ground and sending her crashing into a nearby tree. The impact knocked the last bit of air from her lungs, leaving her gasping as she slumped to the ground, her body trembling from the pain.
If I survive this, she thought bitterly, her vision blurring as she looked up at him, I'm going to kill whoever wrote his dossier. They had no idea what he was capable of.
But as she met Haruto's cold, furious gaze, she realized something even more terrifying.
He wasn't going to let her survive this fight.
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