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[NTU] [ARC-18] Chapter : 223
🕑 Added 2024-12-08 12:55:54 +0000 UTCSwish, swish, swish!
A series of rapid, sharp sounds echoed through the dense forest, cutting through the still night. Then, silence fell—long and heavy.
Beneath the cold glow of the moon, the primeval forest appeared frozen in time, like a scene from a still painting.
Scattered across the ground, perched on outstretched branches, resting atop moss-covered stones, and even balanced on treetops, more than thirty elite Mist Ninjas stood vigil.
They encircled a strikingly handsome young man with slightly upturned, slanted eyes. Their gazes shifted between one another and the figure before them, betraying a mix of fear, bloodthirsty intent, and hesitant resolve.
In the young man's hand, he wielded a short blade, no longer than a foot. Under the pale moonlight, his lone figure appeared tall and unwavering. Despite being surrounded, his eyes shone with a calm yet resolute determination.
The slight upward curve at the corners of his eyes accentuated his already striking features, making him almost mesmerizing. But it was the deep scarlet in his gaze that commanded awe and unease among the surrounding Mist Ninjas.
Some in the crowd were poised to strike, their eyes fierce and predatory, like cheetahs waiting for the perfect moment. Others stood on higher ground, using the advantage of the terrain to look down on the young man. Their gazes carried a trace of disdain, though it was overshadowed by an undeniable fear.
Hidden in the shadows, a few figures watched intently, their faces obscured but their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty hunger. The flickering of their gazes hinted at both caution and a desire for violence.
Beneath the faint glow of the watery moonlight, their expressions appeared especially cold and menacing. Each pair of eyes was sharp, like a blade, silently attempting to pierce through the young man’s composed and determined demeanor.
“So, this is Shunshin no Shisui,” someone murmured. “He certainly lives up to his reputation.”
Mangetsu, who had yet to make a move, studied the target carefully. A glint of excitement sparkled in his narrowed eyes as he spoke, his tone tinged with anticipation.
As the saying goes, an expert can gauge their opponent’s strength with a single move. Just moments ago, when he stood at the front of the team, Mangetsu only needed a quick glance to realize he had encountered a formidable adversary this time.
That bizarre teleportation technique—it was enough to send shivers down his spine at the mere thought of it.
“Mangetsu, don’t act recklessly!” Mei Terumi cautioned, her tone grave. “This guy is too fast. If you’re not careful, you might not even get the chance to use your abilities!”
Even with the Hozuki clan’s bloodline limit, which could negate physical damage, it required the successful activation of the Water Transformation Technique to be effective.
The opponent’s blade was lightning-fast, capable of striking before the ability could even be deployed.
“And that’s not all!” Ao, who had already tended to his wounds, chimed in urgently. “Watch out for his illusions. One of our comrades just fell victim to it!”
“Mangetsu, Kaito, each of you will lead your elite clansmen to engage the enemy directly. The rest of you will support from the periphery with ninjutsu,” Mei Terumi commanded, her tone steady but avoiding direct eye contact with Shisui. She continued without hesitation:
“Ao, stay close to me and monitor everyone’s condition. If anything goes wrong, give an immediate warning!”
Only after successfully surrounding Shisui did Mei Terumi feel a measure of relief. When she first received this assignment, doubts crept into her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if the Fourth Mizukage intended to use Konoha as a means to deplete the bloodline clans under his rule.
It was Elder Genji’s remark about “internal strife” that eventually quelled her unease. Yet, it left her reflecting on a harsh truth—wherever there was an organization, factions would form, and internal conflict was inevitable.
Even Konoha was no exception.
“A Byakugan ninja, huh?” Shisui said, casting a calm glance at Ao. “Perhaps I should’ve dealt with you properly the last time we met.”
Shisui had encountered the Byakugan wielder before and had the chance to capture or eliminate him outright. However, mindful of the Hokage's mission objectives and the delicate relationship with the Mist Ninjas, he chose to let him go.
'I don’t want to regret that decision after tonight.'
Among the entire Mist Ninja team, this Byakugan user posed the greatest threat to him, even with his mastery of Genjutsu and his unparalleled teleportation technique.
“Why are you following the negotiation team?”
Shisui’s scarlet Sharingan darted back and forth, carefully observing the Mist Ninjas surrounding him. His tone carried a trace of curiosity and suspicion as he questioned:
“Your peace delegation is stationed just behind me. Why, then, have so many elite troops infiltrated the Land of Fire?
Do you intend to sabotage the peace between Konoha and Kirigakure?”
“Negotiation?” Mangetsu chuckled lightly, his tone laced with amusement as he looked at Shisui. “It seems this guy hasn’t realized he’s been betrayed by his own village.”
Facing such a dangerous opponent, Mangetsu knew that a few well-placed words might weaken Shisui’s resolve, potentially minimizing casualties on their side.
“Shunshin no Shisui—a name renowned across the ninja world. Do you know how that fame came to be? You, of all people, must understand it better than anyone,” Mangetsu said, his voice mocking yet measured.
“The so-called peace talks? The condition for them is your life!!!”
“What did you just say?” Shisui’s expression shifted, his disbelief evident.
“There’s no way the Hokage would agree to something like that!”
Shisui, who had always held the Third Hokage in the highest regard, dismissed the claim as a ploy to rattle him. To him, these were nothing more than petty tricks meant to undermine his resolve.
“Now’s my chance!”
Though Shisui adamantly denied that the Third Hokage would ever make such a decision, a flicker of doubt crept into his heart. That momentary hesitation did not go unnoticed by Mangetsu, who stood across from him, eyes sharp and calculating.
“Hiramekarei: Release!”
Without a second's hesitation, Mangetsu capitalized on Shisui’s lapse and launched a sudden attack.
Bang!
As chakra surged through the twin blades in his hands, they underwent a dramatic transformation. The white bandages wrapped around the weapons unraveled and fell away, revealing two enormous, oddly-shaped constructs that resembled a hybrid of hammers and cones.
With immense force, the weapons hurtled toward Shisui, aiming to crush him in one decisive blow.
“Fuck!”
Watching Shisui’s momentary shock at the suggestion of betrayal by his own village, Mangetsu snorted in disdain.
'I can’t believe the legendary Shunshin Shisui would show a weakness over something as trivial as this. How naïve.'
If the same betrayal had happened to the Mist Ninjas—especially those from the bloodline clans—they wouldn’t hesitate. They’d explode into fury right then and there.
“Isn’t this... too easy?” Mangetsu muttered under his breath, gripping Hiramekarei tightly as he swung it with devastating force, aiming to crush Shisui completely.
The satisfying impact should have been the end of it. On Mangetsu’s face, excitement from the apparent carnage mingled with a flicker of confusion.
But then, the figure he had smashed into a pulp dissolved into a flurry of black crows.
The birds scattered with a cacophony of harsh “caw, caw” sounds before transforming into more than a dozen clones, circling ominously around Mangetsu.
“Another clone?”
Mangetsu swung Hiramekarei once more, shattering another target into a flurry of crows. He didn’t pause, his movements fluid as he locked onto another figure that appeared to falter—a clone that, perhaps, concealed the real body.
'This must be it.'
Under the pitch-black night sky, three crimson fireballs began to rise, trailing long, fiery tails. Their glow was impossible to ignore, visible for dozens of kilometers in every direction.
“An emergency!”
After seeing Shisui leaving the camp, Ryofui had kept himself concealed in the treetops, his eyes sharp and vigilant. He scanned the area, alert to the faintest movement among the surrounding trees.
When the three red flares lit up the sky, his initial confusion quickly gave way to alarm.
In an instant, one of the team leaders, Ishii, returned to the resting place of his companions, his voice loud and urgent as he roused them.
“Ryofui! What happened?”
Comments
Jose Miranda
Thanks for the chapter
