Malphegor
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YTS: Ch. 120
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 17:26:49 +0000 UTC"I was waiting for the poisonous mist to seal off all your escape routes. And what were you waiting for?" Hanzō's piercing gaze bore down on Kei, who had yet to launch another attack.
Even with the interference of the Mist Rain, nearly a full minute of standoff was more than enough for him to command Ibuse to spread its toxic mist and seal off every street and hidden exit in the surrounding area.
"Three... two... one!" Under his heavy gaze, Kei began a countdown.
Poof!
The moment the countdown ended, a sudden burst of chakra smoke erupted at Hanzō's feet.
Ibuse, which had been silently accumulating more poison in the background, unexpectedly vanished without warning, having dispelled its summoning.
"Damn it! You have an accomplice!" Hanzō instantly realized it was a lure-and-divert strategy.
He raised his voice and shouted orders to the nearby Ame ninjas. "Team Three, head to the Poison Pool immediately! Team Five and Team Six, reinforce the Tower of Rain! Everyone else, send the signal and lock down all village entrances and exits!"
"Yes!" Echoing responses rang out rapidly. Several signal flares marked with special insignias exploded in the sky.
With Hanzō's unparalleled authority, even the mentally unstable Ame ninjas swiftly sprang into action.
When he turned his gaze back to Kei, the killing intent in his eyes had almost taken solid form. His sickle swept forward in a horizontal slash, hurtling toward his enemy like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
Although he had implanted a poison sac within his own body, he lacked Ibuse's ability to generate vast amounts of deadly poison in a short time. If anything happened to Ibuse, his capacity for large-scale ninja extermination would be significantly diminished.
Without this deterrence, given the current state of the shinobi world, Ame could easily be plunged back into endless war.
"You better pray that Ibuse is unharmed, or you'll regret ever being born into this world!"
Hanzō slashed open the poison sac at his waist, his sickle aiming directly for Kei's throat. He knew just how crucial Ibuse was. But from their brief skirmish earlier, he had also recognized the devastating threat posed by this Hōzuki clan assassin, who specialized in Water Release.
If left unchecked, this enemy could inflict massive casualties on his forces. He had to end this quickly and find Ibuse!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Vacuum-like sword slashes shot forth, colliding against Hanzō's sickle and weight.
Compared to Madara's combination of a war fan and scythe, Hanzō's weapons were smaller—allowing for faster, sharper attacks, but lacking the ability to fully block or forcefully break through enemy strikes.
As Kei strategically retreated while launching Vacuum Sword attacks, Hanzō's advance was momentarily hindered.
Squelch!
Blood splattered from Hanzō's foot. The suddenly triggered [Invisible Execution Slash] had severed his left big toe at the root. His brow furrowed. At first, he thought complacency from years of dominance had dulled his combat instincts, causing him to miss a hidden attack.
But with sheer willpower, he suppressed the searing pain radiating from his wounded foot. Chakra erupted beneath him as he formed a one-handed seal, executing Water Body Flicker Technique to accelerate his approach.
From his perspective, given the intensity of the venom now leaking from his waist, close-quarters combat was inevitable. Coupled with the lingering Ibuse poison in the air, this double-layered toxic environment would incapacitate his enemy in less than a minute.
If the battle dragged on with ninjutsu exchanges, however, the fight could last exponentially longer—something he couldn't afford. Moreover, the Vacuum Sword wasn't an uncommon technique.
Using it repeatedly would undoubtedly strain the body. Just a few more breaths, and his opponent's offense would start to slow!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Effortlessly deflecting the incoming strikes with precise force, he charged forward, narrowing the distance to mere meters.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Gripping his sickle tightly in his right hand, he crouched low, preparing to strike. His left hand swung his weight to intercept an incoming slash.
Squelch!
The chilling sound of a blade slicing through flesh rang out.
Blood splattered from his hip. Though he didn't glance down, the searing warmth of the blood trickling from his inner thigh told him exactly where he had been wounded.
"Ahh!" Hanzō roared in fury, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
With his adrenaline surging to the limit, he unleashed a charged slash infused with pure rage—its power surpassing even his peak condition!
His figure became a blur as he lunged straight for his opponent's throat!
"If I said it wasn't intentional, would you believe me?" Kei glanced at Hanzō's blood-soaked groin area, his eye twitching slightly.
Damn it!
The worst-case scenario had actually happened!
Good thing this was an enemy. Otherwise, no matter how strong their bond was, this kind of injury would turn even the best of friends into mortal enemies!
"Die!" Hanzō's bloodshot eyes showed no hint of rationality—he didn't even register what his opponent had just said.
His sickle, laced with deadly poison, was already slicing toward Kei's throat in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to [Zero-Frame Start], Kei had already predicted Hanzō's attack trajectory before he even made his move.
Whoosh~
Flying Thunder God Technique—activated!
Hanzō's target vanished from sight. The only thing left behind was Samehada. His powerful slash struck nothing but air, leaving him momentarily stunned.
This wasn't Body Flicker, nor was it a clone or an illusion. And he himself was not under genjutsu!
That movement technique just now… could it be…?
Before he could fully grasp the enemy's jutsu, his combat instincts took over. He instinctively slapped the poison sac at his waist, releasing a massive cloud of toxic gas to shield himself from any potential sneak attacks.
As he prepared to twist his body and search for his opponent, a flash of movement appeared in the corner of his eye!
The enemy had reappeared in an instant—right next to the abandoned Samehada! Reacting swiftly, Hanzō swung his sickle backward to protect his rear from a potential ambush.
But in that brief moment when his attention was diverted, two hands emerged from the ground beneath him, grabbing his ankles!
A powerful binding force locked him in place for an instant.
This technique…
The Mind Body Switch Technique!
Squelch!
Blood erupted from his now headless neck, spraying outward in all directions.
As Hanzō's severed head spun through the air, he caught sight of three solid shadow clones standing around his body.
In that instant, a realization struck him, the technique that had been used against him just now…
The Flying Thunder God Technique!
The legendary space-time ninjutsu created by the Second Hokage, once hailed as the fastest ninja in history!
Thud!
Hanzō's head tumbled onto the ground.
One of Kei's shadow clones swiftly stepped forward, catching the sealing scroll thrown by the real body, and sealed the head inside.
"If only you'd left a few subordinates nearby, maybe you'd have been a little more cautious during the fight," Kei muttered under his breath, half-jokingly, as he took the sealing scroll and tucked it into his ninja pouch.
Even after death, an enemy's head still contained a a lot of valuable information.
Retrieving it was essential.
---
[Important supporting character killed.]
[Slight interference with the timeline detected.]
[Obtained:
- 1 trait extraction
- 1 trait removal
- 1 gifting opportunity]
---
From Hanzō's corpse, a massive surge of fate energy began to dissipate. A portion of it, influenced by [Fate Weaver], quickly transformed into luck energy and merged into Kei's body.
Noticing the energy shifting toward an advanced state—on the verge of leveling up—alongside the system reward granting him a trait removal chance, he clenched his fist slightly.
This trip was worth it!
Taking the massive Salamander Summoning Contract Scroll handed to him by one of his shadow clones, he watched as the other two clones dispelled themselves.
Their memories and experiences instantly transferred into his mind.
The three members of the Jashin cult, along with the White Zetsu attached to them, had all been captured and relocated outside of Ame. As for the Salamander clan, including Ibuse and the other five large salamanders, they were already being transported toward the Land of Fire under the escort of another shadow clone.
"Time to retreat."
Adjusting the Kiri ANBU mask on his face, he slung the scroll across his waist, picked up Samehada, and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In the next instant, he disappeared from Ame without a trace.
