Chapter 35: The Immortal's Servant
Back in the clearing, one of the Cloud jonins took a deep breath. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind blasted away the lingering steam, revealing only Akatsurugi's shadow clone, standing warily before them.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Leg!" The jonin who had been silent flickered with a body flicker, appearing beside the clone in an instant. His leg, wreathed in crackling electricity, swept out in a powerful kick.
Poof!
The shadow clone vanished in a puff of white smoke the moment the attack connected.
"A shadow clone! Damn it, he got away! After him!" one of the jonin yelled, and the three of them shot into the forest, following the direction the clone had been facing.
But after chasing for several minutes, they found nothing. No broken twigs, no footprints, no trace of chakra. It was as if their target had simply vanished into thin air.
"How did he disappear? Did he use Earth Style?" one of them muttered, frustrated. The idea of flight was so rare in the shinobi world that it didn't even cross their minds. Only Iwagakure was known for it, and Sunagakure had recently developed sand-based flight. No one else had that capability.
"It must be Earth Style. So, he uses Fire and Earth, and has the three-tomoe Sharingan. We don't know the rest yet, but we must get this information back," the lead jonin concluded. The other two nodded grimly, and they turned back toward their camp.
Akatsurugi, having found a hollow in a massive tree, was already deep inside, meditating to recover his chakra. He knew a shinobi's abilities were eventually exposed, but he wanted to delay that moment for as long as possible. Once he had further mastered the Flame-Flame Fruit and awakened Ryūjin Jakka, he wouldn't need to fear his intelligence being leaked.
Meanwhile, a dossier on "Akatsurugi" had already found its way onto the desk of the Third Raikage. Planting spies in rival villages was standard procedure, and the Cloud's intelligence network was efficient.
Uchiha Kagami's disciple. Successfully transplanted Kagami's Sharingan. Proficient in powerful Fire Release. Suspected Earth Release affinity. The Third Raikage, A, frowned as he read. He had personally hunted Uchiha Kagami. The fact that the man had escaped him at all, even if he later died of his wounds, spoke volumes about his power. He had seen the golden Susano'o himself and acknowledged its fearsome strength.
"So, he's here for revenge?" the Raikage muttered with a cold sneer. The deaths of Yoshino Kaze and Kujōgawa proved this Akatsurugi was a significant threat. Both had been top-tier masters in Kumo. To eliminate such a problem required an equally powerful solution. The Raikage's thoughts turned to one of his village's ultimate weapons.
"Send the order," he commanded to the Anbu kneeling in the room. "Dispatch Kokaki. Her mission is to find and eliminate this Akatsurugi."
The Anbu vanished to carry out the order. Akatsurugi, still meditating in his tree, was unaware that the Third Raikage had just sent a Jinchūriki after him.
Back in Konoha, a report on Akatsurugi's activities also landed on Danzō's desk. Reading it, the stern man gave a rare nod of approval. The elimination of elite shinobi like Kujōgawa and Yoshino Kaze was a significant strategic victory, removing major threats from the battlefield.
"Kagami, you taught your disciple well," Danzō murmured to the empty room before returning to his work, mobilizing forces to counter the Cloud's main offensive.
Had Akatsurugi known of Danzō's approval, he would have been indifferent. He knew the man's eventual descent into darkness, and his only concern was that Danzō left him alone.
For the next few days, Akatsurugi laid low in the Land of Hot Water. The Cloud camp was on high alert; attacking now would be suicidal and would only reveal more of his capabilities. He spent his time wandering the countryside, observing.
"Hurry up! Don't let him get away! The demon!"
The shouts broke the forest's peace. Akatsurugi silently leaped into the canopy, looking down to see a panicked young man fleeing from an angry mob armed with farming tools and sticks.
The mob quickly surrounded the youth. "Kill him! He worships an evil god! He's a curse upon us!" they screamed, beating him as he curled into a ball, using his arms to protect his head.
Akatsurugi's senses tingled. The young man had chakra—not a lot, but enough to easily dispatch these civilians. Yet, he refused to fight back.
Seeing the villagers' fury turning murderous, Akatsurugi dropped from the trees. His blade, Trenchant Fire, flashed out in a wide arc, not cutting flesh but cleanly slicing through every raised club and hoe.
"Get lost," he said, his voice low and utterly cold.
The sight of a fully-armed shinobi was enough. The mob's courage vanished, and they scrambled away in terror.
The young man slowly looked up, his face bruised but his eyes clear.
"Why didn't you fight back?" Akatsurugi asked. "You could have."
"They are my people," the young man said, getting to his feet. "I cannot harm them."
The answer was unexpected. Akatsurugi studied him more closely. "You've completed the ritual, haven't you? You've gained immortality."
The young man's eyes widened in shock. "H-how did you know?"
Akatsurugi allowed a small, knowing smile. This branch of ninjutsu was bizarre. Its users were often not overwhelmingly powerful, but their abilities were absolute. Feidan from his past memories was a prime example.
"I also know the ninjutsu you practice," Akatsurugi continued calmly. "It's called the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. It requires you to obtain your enemy's blood to kill them."
The young man stared, utterly stunned. His greatest secret, the core of his power, was laid bare in an instant.
This was a deliberate act of deterrence. I know everything about you, the message was clear, while you know nothing of me. Akatsurugi felt that keeping this strange, immortal youth close could lead to unexpectedly useful results.