Malphegor
patreon
GSiN: Ch. 61
🕑 Added 2025-04-10 15:37:49 +0000 UTC---Third POV---
That earlier genjutsu was just a distraction to catch my attention… Was the real attack coming from an enemy hidden in my Byakugan's blind spot? Just as Ao had suspected, Ryouma indeed followed Heiji's advice and launched his attack from the blind spot.
If it were a normal Hyūga with both eyes, he would have easily spotted it, but with only one eye, the exploitable area was much larger.
"Aa—" A sharp bird cry rang out as Shiori appeared, her hand crackling with lightning shaped like a sharp bird. In a flash, she pierced through the back of a Kiri ninja who had bandages wrapped around his head.
He reacted quickly. Realizing he didn't have time to turn and block, he blindly thrust a kunai backward, attempting a mutual strike.
Shiori twisted her body sharply. Even while moving at high speed, she maintained impressive agility. With a flick of her left hand, several projectiles formed from lightning chakra shot out, piercing the bandaged Kiri ninja's body.
The surge of electricity instantly paralyzed him in place. Facing such an immobilized enemy, she showed no mercy.
A swift flash of blue lightning zipped through the air, she cleanly and efficiently eliminated her target.
---
Elsewhere, Heiji had engaged another Kiri ninja. Unlike Shiori, he wasn't as fast, but he used Gentle Fist to pin his opponent down in a drawn-out fight.
"Vrrrm~"
A Rasenshuriken flew across the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, it closed in on the Kiri ninja fighting Heiji.
Seeing their comrade in danger, Ao and another Kiri ninja with rows of shark-like teeth prepared to rush in for a rescue.
But Shisui had already flash-stepped into position beside them. Suddenly, multiple images of him surrounded them. These weren't standard shadow clones but his signature move, the Body Flicker: Shisui Version.
Unlike other jonin's body flicker techniques, Shisui's allowed him to leave a phantom-like afterimage behind, giving the illusion of a clone. The illusion couldn't attack, but if the enemy ignored it, he could instantly overlap with the afterimage, swapping into its position and delivering a fatal blow before the enemy even noticed.
Just like now, although the illusions had no offensive power, Ao and the shark-toothed Kiri ninja didn't dare lower their guard.
Kiri ninjas who had once underestimated these illusions were now corpses under the name "Shisui of the Body Flicker."
Without backup, the Rasenshuriken Ryouma controlled easily sliced the Kiri ninja fighting Heiji in half at the waist, and flew back to him like a swallow returning to its nest, floating obediently by his side.
Shukaku, however, was growing irritated and shouted at Ryouma, "Why don't you use that jutsu from yesterday?! This one's so noisy!"
Ryouma also disliked the current move. The Rasenshuriken was too loud. Back during his time in Suna, he had no choice, but now that he'd mastered the Flaming Annihilation Arrow, things were different.
He originally planned to use it, but then remembered his nickname was "Leaf's Gale." Since Shiori and Shisui had already used their signature techniques, how could he not join in? It was partly for the show, but more importantly, for his reputation. After all, letting future enemies think they knew his techniques would only make them lower their guard.
So, he pretended not to hear Shukaku's complaint. "Huh? What was that? Wind's too strong, can't hear you!"
Shukaku ignored him and covered his ears with his paws, diving into Ryouma's shirt to hide.
He had already decided to stay hidden there until the battle ended.
Ryouma shrugged, then body-flickered next to one of Shisui's illusions surrounding Ao and the shark-toothed Kiri ninja.
Shisui tensed up when Ryouma suddenly appeared beside the illusion covering his real body. Recognizing his ally, he eased.
"You sure are a pain to catch."
Ao clenched his fists.
He knew that to Konoha, they were blatant invaders. If the same thing happened in the Land of Water, he wouldn't have shown any kindness either. But in his heart, he figured, today might be his last.
The enemy lineup was insane.
Usually, even spotting just one of them from afar would be his cue to retreat. And now, he was up against all three.
While Ao kept silent, the shark-toothed Kiri ninja was not so composed. He immediately snarled:
"Survival of the fittest! That's the rule of the ninja world, brat! Only you tree huggers believe in fake bonds like that!"
His voice dripped with sarcasm and disdain, clearly scoffing at the idea of "bonds." His eyes glinted with cruelty and coldness.
At that moment, Shiori and Heiji walked over. Hearing the Kiri ninja's words, both of them frowned.
Shiori looked at the Kiri ninja. She narrowed her eyes, lips curling into a cold smile, and said softly, "Heh~ And this pathetic look of yours… isn't that exactly the kind of 'weak trash' you were just talking about?"
Her voice was sharp and cold, like a blade to the heart. Her crimson eyes were as piercing as daggers, locking onto the Kiri ninja with icy contempt, making his blood run cold.
"What?!" The shark-toothed Kiri ninja was instantly enraged. His face flushed bright red and veins bulged on his forehead.
His eyes locked onto her with murderous intent, no longer caring about Shisui. He began forming hand seals rapidly.
Seeing this, Shisui didn't hesitate even a fraction of a second. He instantly appeared behind one of the illusions and swung his sword downward. To his surprise, though, the blade didn't meet flesh, it was like slicing through water.
Hydrification Technique?
By then, the Kiri ninja had completed his jutsu.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
He puffed out his chest and spat out a massive amount of water from his mouth, instantly flooding the surrounding area and washing away all the mist clone illusions.
Seeing this, Ryouma's thoughts moved quickly. He directed the Rasenshuriken that had been buzzing noisily at his side toward the shark-toothed Kiri ninja. As it approached him, it exploded with a thunderous boom.
The enormous blue wind-blade storm completely engulfed the shark-toothed Kiri ninja.
However, that Kiri ninja maintained his liquified form. Thanks to the small body of water created by the Exploding Water Colliding Wave, he narrowly escaped the explosion radius of the Rasenshuriken.
---
The sudden deluge swept away Shisui's afterimages like cobwebs in a storm. Ao's stolen Byakugan frantically scanned through the water, searching for an escape route. There, a gap in their formation!
He launched himself through the chaos, channeling chakra to his feet to propel himself forward with desperate speed. Behind him, he heard his teammate's voice cut through the roar of water.
"Go, I'll hold them!"
The shark-toothed ninja whirled to face their pursuers, his body shifting between solid and liquid states as he prepared for his last stand. His hands flew through a rapid sequence of seals.
Massive water bubbles erupted from the flood, launching toward the Konoha team like cannonballs. Shisui flickered between them, but the momentary distraction was all Ao needed.
He sprinted across the surface of a newly formed pond, his lungs burning with exertion. The trees ahead promised cover, if he could just reach them. A lightning bolt sizzled past his ear, forcing him to dive and roll.
"He's getting away!" Shiori shouted, preparing another lightning attack.
The shark-toothed ninja suddenly appeared in her path, his arm transformed into a massive water hammer.
"Your fight is with me, girl!" He swung the liquid appendage with surprising force, forcing Shiori to leap backward.
Heiji moved to assist, but the Kiri ninja melted into the flood, reappearing behind him with a water sword already slashing toward his neck.
"Heiji, duck!" Shisui called out, flinging a kunai that passed through the enemy's liquefied neck.
The distraction bought precious seconds for Ao. He reached the treeline, casting a final glance at his comrade, who caught his eye and gave him a sharp-toothed grin before turning back to face the three Konoha ninjas.
Forgive me, Ao thought as he plunged deeper into the forest, his Byakugan guiding him through the densest brush where pursuit would be most difficult.
A sudden flash of red caught the corner of his Byakugan's vision. Sharingan! He formed a quick seal, disrupting his chakra flow. "Kai!"
The genjutsu shattered around him just as Shisui's blade sliced through the space where his neck had been. Ao dropped low, sweeping his leg in a desperate counter that Shisui easily avoided.
"You've earned your reputation," Shisui acknowledged, readying another strike.
"As have you," Ao grunted, hands already forming seals. "Hiding in Mist Technique!"
Thick fog erupted from the ground, concealing everything within twenty meters. Even the Sharingan couldn't see through this specialized technique from Kiri.
He slipped away, suppressing his chakra to near-civilian levels. His Byakugan gave him the advantage in zero visibility, allowing him to navigate while tracking Shisui's movements. The Uchiha prodigy stood perfectly still, sensing rather than seeing.
I need more distance.
A shadow passed above, Shiori, using lightning to propel herself over the mist. Ao pressed himself against a tree trunk, holding his breath as she landed nearby.
"Anything?" she called to Shisui.
"Nothing. He's good at this," Shisui replied.
"We still have his partner."
Their voices faded as Ao carefully retreated deeper into the forest. By nightfall, he'd crossed into "neutral" territory, his chakra dangerously depleted but his prize, the Byakugan, still secure in his head.
Three days later, worn and haggard, he passed through Kiri's outer security perimeter. The guards recognized him immediately.
"Ao! You're alive!"
"Barely," he muttered. "I need to see the Mizukage immediately."
Inside the Mizukage's office, Ao knelt formally despite his exhaustion. "Mizukage-sama, I bring mixed news. The intelligence mission to Land of Fire succeeded, but we encountered elite Konoha forces. My team... did not survive."
The Third Mizukage studied him with cold, calculating eyes. "Yet you return with the Byakugan intact. That alone makes the mission worthwhile."
Ao looked up, surprised.
"The Byakugan is vital to our village's future. Your survival ensures its secrets remain ours." The Mizukage rose from his seat. "Rest and recover. You'll be briefed on your new assignment when you're fit for duty."
As Ao left the chamber, his old mentor caught up with him in the corridor. "You did well," the older man said quietly. "The Mizukage doesn't show it, but he values your service highly."
Ao nodded, too tired to respond properly. He'd survived an encounter with three of Konoha's most dangerous ninjas. For now, that would have to be victory enough.
But why would he be rewarded for a failed mission? This was not "Bloody Mist"-like at all.
Oh well, never mind. Wasn't this great anyway? After a lifetime of fighting for Kiri, shouldn't he finally get to enjoy some peace?
---
In reality, Ryouma and the others stood on the surface of the water.
Looking at Ao, who was grinning like a fool after falling into the genjutsu, Ryouma couldn't help but ask curiously, "Shisui, what kind of illusion did you hit him with? He looks so damn happy."
Shisui scratched his head, "I'm not entirely sure either. The genjutsu I used is called Drunken Dream. It traps the target in an endless beautiful dream they can't wake from."
This was a powerful family technique of the Uchiha clan, very difficult to master. It was said to have been developed by an Uchiha ancestor who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and used its special abilities to create this illusion.
After listening to Shisui's explanation, Ryouma understood. Ao had to be one of those stiff, serious types who was actually a closet dreamer, otherwise, who laughed out loud during a dream?
But Shisui wasn't really focused on Ao. What concerned him more was the other ninja who had vanished into the water, the one from the Hōzuki clan.
So he quickly warned, "That Hōzuki clan ninja seems to be trying to escape."
Sure enough, just as he said, the Kiri ninja had begun swimming away under the cover of the water after using the Exploding Water Colliding Wave.
No way he was sticking around. Talking big was one thing, but expecting him to fight those three monsters alone? That was basically suicide. All he could hope now was that those three were in a hurry. If they got what they came for by capturing Ao, maybe, they'd let him go.
After all, trying to locate a liquified Hōzuki clan member inside a huge body of water wasn't exactly easy.
His analysis wasn't wrong. But unfortunately, he was up against Ryouma.
Hearing Shisui's warning, Ryouma calmly raised one finger.
"Relax. He's not getting away."
Shisui didn't fully understand, but since Ryouma was both his squad leader, he just followed orders without question.
Ryouma began forming a spindle-shaped sphere of lightning chakra on his fingertip. It was the lightning variant of the Rasengan: the Flying Finger Gun.
The Hōzuki clan's Hydrification Technique could neutralize most physical attacks, just like how the Rasenshuriken had failed earlier. But even the best jutsu has weaknesses.
Lightning techniques, which use electric current, wer the perfect counter to Hydrification. Even the weakest lightning jutsu could cause a liquified Hōzuki ninja to go completely numb.
He squinted one eye, aimed slightly, and fired in one smooth motion.
Psss... sh!
The Kiri ninja swimming away in the water suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. His body went numb, and he involuntarily de-liquified.
How did he find me?!
The entire body of water was made using his chakra. After liquifying and merging with it, even a Byakugan shouldn't have been able to find him that fast, right?
His reasoning made sense, but sadly, some people just don't play by the rules. He thought he was well hidden in his own jutsu's water field. But under the Rikugan, it was no different than being completely exposed.
Ryouma casually finished him off with another Flying Finger Gun, and the group quickly cleaned up the battlefield.
To avoid any unexpected developments, he motioned for Shisui to hand Ao over.
Without hesitation, Ryouma directly dug out Ao's Byakugan and placed it into a special nutrient-preservation container he'd prepared beforehand.
Whether to praise Ao for being a tough guy or Shisui for using such a powerful genjutsu, it was hard to say. Even after getting his eye removed, Ao didn't wake up. He just shivered slightly from the pain while remaining trapped in his sweet dream.
"Are we not killing him?" Shiori tilted her head in confusion.
Ryouma gave her a strange look. "You're a bit too extreme."
Shiori rolled her eyes. Really? Coming from the guy who had probably killed more than any other graduate this year?
Shisui explained, "He holds a high position in Kiri. If we interrogate him under genjutsu, we could extract a lot of valuable intel."
Ryouma sealed the container and casually tossed it to Heiji, who hurried to catch it with both hands, staring at the precious Byakugan in disbelief. "This... you're really giving it to me?"
Ryouma responded matter-of-factly, "Of course. Isn't this your brother's Byakugan? Besides, with this eye, it'll be easier for you to negotiate with the Hyūga main house, help your sister take your place as heir."
"But what about the mission...?"
"No 'buts'." Ryouma waved dismissively.
"This mission was issued by me. I only required Ao to be captured alive. Everything else is beyond the mission scope. In fact, as the issuer, I suppose I should be giving you all a reward."
Heiji quickly declined, feeling that he'd already received far too much help from Ryouma. Asking for more would just make him feel like an ungrateful jerk.
But Shiori was curious. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? So, what kind of reward do you have in mind?"
"Hmm, let me think." Ryouma squatted down and cleaned the blood off his fingers in the remaining water, actually taking time to seriously consider the rewards.
Shisui helpfully added, "Normally on the front lines, missions assigned by higher-ups are just recorded into ninja files and settled after the war. Immediate rewards are rare."
Ryouma nodded, "In that case, considering the difficulty and strategic importance of recovering a Byakugan… I'll report one S-rank mission completed for each of you when we return. Sound good?"
