Ron realized that if this young man recognized Ponzu, it likely meant he was one of the survivors from Ponzu's village. With that thought, Ron immediately stopped attacking. Instead, he signaled Natsu and Uchiha Sasuke to restrict the young man's movements. Ron wanted some information from him.
"You know Ponzu? Are you from Ponzu's village? What exactly happened there?"
However, at the mention of Ponzu's name, the young man's expression twisted even more. He suddenly pressed both hands to his face.
As his emotions intensified, the vine-like plants covering his body began to grow madly. His wounds visibly mended at an astonishing speed, repaired by the rapidly expanding vines. At the same time, the young man's aura soared. Only moments earlier, his presence was at a B-level, but now it had jumped to A-level in a flash.
He dashed forward in a burst of speed so abrupt that even Natsu couldn't react in time. It helped that the young man wasn't heading for Ron but rather the wooden cabin. Natsu and Sasuke had focused on guarding Ron, never expecting him to go straight for Ponzu inside the cabin.
With a loud bang, the cabin door shattered from the impact as the young man burst inside. But to his disappointment, the room was empty—no sign of Ponzu, nor anyone else. He stood there, stunned.
Ron glanced at Natsu, who inhaled deeply and released a torrent of fire at the cabin.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Flames engulfed the wooden structure in an instant, and the building burned quickly. A figure sprinted out—none other than the young man himself. His clothes had been reduced to ash, but something secreted by the vines on his body formed a protective layer, preventing the flames from consuming him. Emerging from the blaze, he fixed his gaze on Ron.
"Who do you mean?" asked Ron.
"Ponzu! Where is she?"
"What do you want with Ponzu?"
"I want to kill her!"
"No reason. I just have to kill her!"
"In that case, I can't tell you where she is unless you explain why."
Ron's calm response darkened the young man's expression. "If you won't tell me, you die!"
His killing intent suddenly surged. He charged Ron, and before he even reached him, the vines extended straight toward Ron's position. Natsu clapped his hands, and in the next second, Ron and Natsu swapped places. The vines slammed into Natsu instead, who retaliated with a wave of flame, reducing them to ash. Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke appeared behind the young man.
Even though the young man was formidable, facing two A-level Nen Beasts simultaneously put him at an immediate disadvantage. The flames were a particular problem for him; both Natsu and Uchiha Sasuke could wield fire—Natsu with his dragon fire and Sasuke with Fire Release techniques.
Ron stepped back to observe from a distance. He could sense that something was off about the young man's mental state. Initially, he'd acted more or less rational, as though he had a specific goal. But the moment Ponzu's name was mentioned, his demeanor changed drastically. Even after suffering severe injuries, he fixated on finding Ponzu, driven by what appeared to be hatred.
Yet Ponzu wouldn't stand much chance against someone of his strength, so why was he so hell-bent on killing her? And after discovering the cabin empty, he seemed to lose even more composure. By now, he looked barely human; the vines wound all around him, leaving only his eyes exposed.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun into focus, causing the young man to freeze for a moment. The Uchiha clan excelled at illusions, and while Sasuke might not have as much talent in genjutsu as Itachi or Shisui, it was enough to exploit the instability of this young man's mind.
In that brief instant of inaction, Natsu surged forward.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Flames ignited around Natsu's fist as it smashed into the young man's chin. A harsh cracking sound signaled a fractured jaw. The blow lifted him off his feet, leaving him suspended in midair. Vines attempted to crawl from his body toward Natsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke unleashed a massive fireball, incinerating the vines while leaving Natsu unharmed, as flames couldn't hurt him.
With a heavy crash, the young man collapsed to the ground, and Natsu planted his foot on the man's chest. Ron's voice echoed across the space.
"Are you calm now? Will you tell me why you're after Ponzu and why you want to kill her?"
For a moment, the young man seemed more subdued from the impact. But the instant he heard Ponzu's name again, he flew into another frenzy, roaring like a wild beast. The vines continued to grow at breakneck speed.
Ron's face tightened. "Chii!"
Chii appeared at once, using its levitation ability to lift Ron into the air. Glancing down, Ron saw the vines spreading across the entire area, ensnaring both Natsu and Sasuke.
"You won't tell me? Then you have to die!" bellowed the young man. His voice was much deeper now, echoing ominously.
Ron let out a sigh. "It seems you won't talk unless I force you to submit. There are plenty of A-level fighters around here, and you're just someone who temporarily boosted your own strength."
Fire blazed around Natsu, forcing the vines to recoil. He crouched and sprang skyward with a loud thud, rising into the air to overlook the writhing mass of plants below. Flames gathered in both of his hands.
"Left-hand fire and right-hand fire—combine!"
The red flames merged and turned gold in an instant.
"Fire Dragon's Radiant Blaze!"
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