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Chapter 78: Healed, Back to Battle!
"Alex!" Konan's eyes flew open. The icy sensation from her chest grew stronger, and the fatal wound did not worsen. Strength gradually returned to her body. She knew this was Alex helping her. Alex was still alive!
"Hm?" Seeing Konan seem to regain some spirit, Obito's eyes filled with confusion. He immediately shook his head. "It's just a final burst of life. Your death is already set." The wooden spike extending from his right palm was less than a centimeter from Konan's temple. It was about to pierce her.
Swish! At this critical moment, another sudden change! Alex fully activated the Ice Release Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals! A piece of glittering ice crystal appeared on Konan's chest. With an incredible kaka sound, it expanded violently. In an instant, Konan's figure disappeared. In her place, a giant ice crystal structure covering a hundred-meter radius appeared. One after another, ice mirrors floated in mid-air, forming a perfect spherical barrier. Each ice mirror was about two meters high. Cold air swirled, emitting a chilling mist. The temperature of the battlefield plummeted, becoming bitingly cold.
"Impossible!! How do you know Ice Release?!!"
In the center of the barrier, Obito flew in mid-air, his right eye wide with disbelief as he looked at the surrounding ice mirrors. From the structure to the cold his body was feeling, it all told him clearly that this was Ice Release. Genuine Ice Release! But how was this possible? They had worked together in the Akatsuki for over ten years. How could he not know the White Tiger's chakra nature and ninjutsu? Wind, Earth, Water, plus the secret Paper Release. She had never once shown an Ice Release Kekkai Genkai. Obito scanned every ice mirror. On the surface of each one was a reflection of Konan, her face expressionless, looking at him coldly.
"Are you... a member of the Yuki clan?"
There was no response. Obito immediately dismissed the idea. "Impossible. You're just an orphan, with no connection to the Village Hidden in the Mist."
"Village Hidden in the Mist..." He paused, a bolt of lightning flashing through his mind. He suddenly remembered that Konan had just stolen the Ice Release and Shikotsumyaku bloodline samples from the Village Hidden in the Mist a few days ago. He couldn't help but say in disbelief, "You... you fused with the Ice Release Kekkai Genkai in just a few days?!!"
His tone was certain. He himself had gained Wood Release by transplanting Hashirama's cells. It wasn't strange for others to obtain a Kekkai Genkai in the same way. But... wasn't this speed a bit too fast? Just a few days, two or three days, and she could not only fuse with it but also use Ice Release so freely? It had taken him a very long time, enduring the bloodline rejection, to let his body adapt before he could finally use Wood Release. The Konan in each ice mirror remained silent, coldly looking down at Obito in the center.
Obito snorted coldly, his expression frighteningly dark. "You, traitor... you bring too many variables. You're too dangerous. I can't let you live!" At this moment, he didn't just want to kill the White Tiger for personal revenge. He was also worried that if she fused with a few more Kekkai Genkai, her power would eventually surpass his own. She would become the biggest variable and obstacle to the Eye of the Moon Plan. She had to be killed as soon as possible!
Obito flew to the bottom of the barrier, looking up at all the ice mirrors. The three pinwheel-shaped tomoe in his red pupil spun. The power of Kamui activated. He suddenly spat out a large, rotating mass of fire. He used Kamui to distort the surrounding space, creating a storm, and combined it with Fire Release to form a vortex-like fire tornado: Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance! It had an extremely wide range and an extremely high temperature. From the bottom of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, it swept upward, engulfing every ice surface. The extreme heat collided with the ice, and the hissing sound of melting was endless. Each ice mirror could be seen melting, emitting a large amount of white steam.
However, the image of Konan within the mirrors remained motionless, unconcerned. They were, after all, just phantoms.
...
Inside a certain ice mirror, Konan's real body lay on the ice floor. The large hole in her chest was clearly visible, a horrifying sight. She wasn't focused on her own injuries. Instead, she was looking worriedly at Alex, who was flying unsteadily. Only the outer ring of his paper body remained. The center was empty.
"Cough, cough..." Konan coughed up blood. "Alex... you... how are you... are you okay?" Her speech was halting. She was still in a near-death state.
A line of small words appeared on Alex's thin paper surface: [I'm fine for now. Konan, your injuries are very serious. Don't talk. I'll heal you right away.]
His current state was very bad. He was very sleepy. He needed to sleep to slowly repair his destroyed paper body. Fortunately, Sasuke's Susanoo arrow hadn't been any thicker, or his entire paper body would have been annihilated. If that had happened, he didn't know what his fate would have been. But it definitely wouldn't have been good. Alex sensed the rapidly rising temperature and the constantly melting ice surfaces, and his heart sank. He immediately output more Ice Release chakra to maintain the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. He needed to buy time to heal Konan.
Alex floated above the hole in Konan's chest. Her sternum was shattered, the flesh inside a mangled mess. Only a thin outer layer of her heart remained. But... it was still within his ability to heal! As long as her head wasn't destroyed, causing instant death, he could save her!
Countless white threads extended from Alex's four paper corners, reaching into the large hole in Konan's chest. They connected and wrapped around her blood vessels and bones. He immediately activated Dark Medical Ninjutsu. A large amount of medical chakra, rich with life force and healing properties, poured out and surged into Konan's body. A miracle happened. Inside the bloody hole, flesh wove together, and bones grew. A small ball of flesh visibly enlarged, filling her entire chest cavity.
Thump-thump!
In the next second, the ball of flesh pulsed. It had grown into a brand new heart, pumping new life and vitality into Konan. Blood began to flow, to circulate, bringing energy and nutrients to her organs. Konan took a deep breath. She had never felt that breathing was so wonderful. The heaviness and weakness in her body rapidly faded. The dizzying sensation of near-death vanished in an instant. She was alive, once again. When the familiar 'snow seeds' reappeared, their tips swaying gently, it signaled the end of the treatment. Konan was restored to her original state, without even a single scar left behind.
"Alex... you saved my life again." Konan sat up and gently hugged Alex, tears in her eyes.
[This isn't the time to relax. There are still two enemies outside.]
[I've already prepared clothes. Change and go back out to fight. This time, I will assist you with Ice Release.]
Since his Ice Release was already exposed, he no longer needed to hide his fused Kekkai Genkai. Konan nodded, changed her clothes, and wore Alex directly in her chest. The empty center of his paper body was a perfect fit to loop around her 'snow seed'.
Crack! Crack!! Just then, the entire Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals structure trembled violently. Many of the ice mirrors instantly shattered into pieces of slag. A purple light arrow swooshed past Konan's eyes, shattering the very ice mirror she was in. Following that, more purple light arrows shot over. The Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals were shaking and on the verge of destruction. Sasuke Uchiha was outside, using his Susanoo arrows to attack the barrier!