Plink... plink...

Blood dripped down on top of the bamboo leaves and made a sound.

The smell of the blood gradually overwhelmed the scent of decay in the bamboo forest.

Jack hunched over while his right hand pressed tightly against his left shoulder.

But blood continued to seep out between his fingers, running down his arms and dripping onto the ground.

Iga TobiRyuu slowly withdrew his Katana. He looked at Jack with astonishment.

"You're... one of the few who survived my laido Slash..."

His voice was deep. As he tried to suppress the shock of what just happened. And yet, he couldn't help but praise Jack, "If it weren't for the mission, I, Zhuge TobiRyuu would like to befriend you." It was hard to convince someone.

It was even harder to subdue an opponent who wanted to take your life.

However, at that moment, the Iga Ninja Lord, Iga TobiRyuu praised Jack from the bottom of his heart.

His voice fell on Jack's ears.

Jack, however, stretched the corner of his mouth and smiled, "If I had reacted slower, that slash would have split me in half."

The moment when the lethality approached, Jack swung the bamboo. At the same time, he used all of his strength to sidestep, breaking through the lock on from Iga TobiRyuu's killing blow.

To be exact.

The swinging of the bamboo was only a momentary delay. Jack's real aim was to sidestep so that he could break through the lock on from Iga TobiRyuu's killing blow.

He never had thought that using bamboo was able to parry the lethality. He was thinking about how to survive the lethality, while retaining most of his strength.

And obviously, he had done it!

"I've never seen such skills in my entire life."

Iga TobiRyuu said in a deep voice. The way he looked at Jack became gradually colder, "But I know that you're just trying to delay. So that your guards can catch up to you. So, I want to have a duel with you in a proper manner!"

What?!

Jack looked aghast.

With a flash in his eyes, he saw a short blade flown towards him with a swoosh.

It was from Iga TobiRyuu who drew his samurai shuriken from his waist and threw it to him.

Whap!

Jack raised his hand and caught the samurai shuriken and swung it in the air. It immediately made a gust of wind from the swing.

"Great blade!"

Jack could not help but praise the craftsmanship of the samurai shuriken. And then, he looked at Iga TobiRyuu with an odd expression, "Are you sure you want to duel with me properly?" "Didn't you want to talk about Bushido?"

Iga TobiRyuu slowly stood up and took a step back on his right foot. While inserting his Katana back into its sheath, he looked straight at Jack like a hawk. His gaze was stern, "In the heart of a ninja, there's no Bushido. There's only the mission and the will to become stronger!"

"Are you trying to make me your grindstone for your samurai shuriken?

It was clear for Jack as he shook his head and laughed lightly.

"You have the strength to be qualified as one. Your strength is no weaker than an Iga Ninja Lord!"

Iga TobiRyuu replied in a deep voice.

Suddenly.

Wham! Wham!

At that very moment, two loud thuds were being heard in the bamboo forest.

Hidden by the thick bamboo forest, two Ninja Lords leaped out from it by jumping on top of intertwined bamboos.

When they landed, the two Ninja Lords were in much disarray as they could be.

The ninja outfits were torn and tattered by bamboo branches. Their skins were exposed by each gaping hole which still bore blood.

Even with the protection of the mask, parts of their face were exposed and were dripping with blood.

Although there were cuts and bruises everywhere, they weren't fatal.

But with this wretched appearance was the greatest humiliation to the two Ninja Lord!

"TobiRyuu-kun, you're going to duel him?"

When one of them saw the samurai shuriken in Jack's hand, anger rose in his eyes, "TobiRyuu-kun, we're on a mission. This is not a child's play!"

"He survived from my laido Slash, and this gave me the will to duel with him!"

Without looking back, Iga TobiRyuu responded to the scolding Ninja Lord. Rumble!

The two Ninja Lords felt like they were struck by lightning.

With terrified eyes, they looked at Jack, who was standing across them.

They knew the power of Iga TobiRyuu's laido Slash, and even the two of them couldn't even take it on without injuring themselves.

Yet Jack... had already taken it with just an arm injury. Which was indeed amazing!

"With the three of us Ninja Lords here. Even if his reinforcement arrived, couldn't we three be able to kill him instantly?"

The questioning voice of Iga Tobi Ryuu was heard once again.

The two Ninja Lords with the wretched appearance looked at each other and gave a simultaneous nod.

But no more words were spoken.

It was apparent that they approved of the duel between Jack and Iga TobiRyuu.

"Then I will reluctantly accept your challenge!"

Jack gripped his samurai shuriken tightly in his right hand and no longer bothered with his left arm, which was bleeding. He slowly bowed down and took a fighting stance. Facing the three Ninja Lords, he had no chance of winning in a fight. He could only try to stall for time by any means possible.

But if he were to fight only Iga TobiRyuu, he'd have the confidence to win it!

"Phew..."

Jack slowly exhaled, and as the breath exhaled, his mind gradually calmed down. He was as still as calm water. His gaze was like a torch.

In the bamboo forest.

The surroundings returned to dead silence.

The atmosphere was filled with killing intent as sharp as a sword.

Even the duel had not begun. The killing intent between Jack and Iga TobiRyuu had already collided.

In a flash.

Bam!

Jack was the first to strike. He brazenly split bamboo and kicked it towards Iga TobiRyuu with the samurai shuriken in his hand.

"Baka!"

Without dodging, Iga TobiRyuu held his Katana with both hands and charged head-on.

"Splat!"

With the bursting sound from the Katana breaking through the bamboo. After destroying it, he approached Jack with breakneck speed.

But.

Jack mustn't let him come too close.

Jack immediately drew himself back and retreated.

At the same time.

Split-splat...

He swung the samurai shuriken in flurry streaks, slicing the bamboo along the way with lightning-fast speed as he fell back.

It's a familiar scene.

It made Iga TobiRyuu's pupils contract.

The two Ninja Lords trembled with anger as if their anger was about to spill out from their eyes.

Was he going to do what he just did?

Did he really think that Iga TobiRyuu was as stupid as pigs?

Jack's just plain stupid!

"Jack, you're too young, too simple. I, Iga TobiRyu, will never fall into your tricks again!"

Splat!

With a crunching sound, Iga TobiRyuu sliced through a long bamboo completely.

Like lightning, he rushed towards Jack at great speed.

But Jack, however, looked cold, completely ignoring Iga TobiRyuu's words. owns this text.

As he fell back, his samurai shuriken struck the bamboo along the way in rapid succession.

Split-splat...

It was like the sound of firecrackers exploding for a long time.

And as their distance drew closer.

Iga TobiRyuu heard a murmuring countdown from Jack's mouth.

"Five metres."

"Four metres."

Three metres."

Iga TobiRyuu was a little disappointed, as the same trick was used. When a trick was used for the first time, Ninja Lords might get caught off guard.

But using the same trick twice was an utterly foolish move!

When he heard 'three meters', Jack swung his samurai shuriken and split a bamboo in one slice. The bamboo flew up in the air. With his thick leg, he kicked the bamboo at Iga TobiRyuu with a loud bang. Every single detail was the same as before.

Iga TobiRyuu, who was very confident, didn't swing his Katana at the oncoming bamboo as what the two Ninja Lords had done earlier.

Instead, using the momentum of his forwards lunge, he leaned back with his head and his back almost touching the ground. He dodged underneath bamboo that was heading towards him. As he continued to chase Jack.

However.

At that very moment.

The two spectating Ninja Lords' expression changed abruptly.

In unison, they exclaimed.

"Look out!"