Chapter 41: The Hidden Blade
After searching for a while longer, Uchiha Akira stopped.
He had broken apart several more of the large, charred masses—some nearly ten meters across—but found no further fragments of the Gedo Statue's body within. They were all just ordinary wood, transformed into lightning-struck charcoal by the cataclysmic force.
How many years has this 'lightning-struck wood' been around? The idle thought crossed his mind as he looked at the scattered black lumps.
Suddenly, his expression shifted minutely. He glanced calmly in a specific direction, then quickly let his face pale dramatically. His entire demeanor slumped, as if he had suffered a severe internal blow.
Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. Two figures rushed quickly toward his position from a distance.
It was Hyuga Kaoru and Aburame Shiigo.
As soon as she arrived, Kaoru focused her Byakugan on Akira. "Captain! Are you alright?"
The scale of his earlier Lightning Release had been so vast it exceeded the maximum observational range of her Byakugan. She had no idea what the final outcome on the battlefield had been.
"I'm fine. Just some minor injuries," Akira shook his head weakly. He looked at the two of them, his gaze searching. "Where is Yamanaka Shigeyoshi?"
"Shigeyoshi... has fallen," Hyuga Kaoru lowered her head slightly, her voice subdued.
"I see," Akira nodded, allowing a hint of genuine regret to show on his face.
"Captain, were the enemies eliminated?" Aburame Shiigo asked, his head turning as he scanned the surroundings vigilantly.
"Only repelled, for now. We cannot let our guard down," Akira replied, shaking his head.
"An attack of that magnitude... and it didn't kill them?" Aburame Shiigo's eyes narrowed behind his dark sunglasses, a flicker of disbelief passing through them.
Hyuga Kaoru's pretty face also registered surprise. She genuinely couldn't conceive of any ninjutsu that could withstand the kind of lightning storm they had just witnessed. In her estimation, even the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen—reputed as the strongest of the Hokage—would have been reduced to ashes.
"What kind of enemy was that...?" she murmured, her gaze shifting back to Akira with open curiosity. "Captain, how can someone with those eyes... the Rinnegan... be so powerful?"
Hearing her question, Aburame Shiigo also turned his attention fully to Akira.
"The wielder of the Rinnegan is indeed formidable," Akira confirmed, his tone grave. "I could sense he is not yet fully proficient with its power. His usage was still somewhat raw and unfamiliar. It is foreseeable that his strength will improve significantly in the future."
"It can become... even stronger?" For the first time, a slight twitch disturbed Aburame Shiigo's usually expressionless face.
Akira glanced at him and nodded. "Of course. The one we fought appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen. He clearly has considerable room for growth."
He then shifted to a more reassuring tone. "However, you need not worry excessively. My Lightning Release inflicted serious injury. He will not recover for at least ten days to half a month." His voice turned authoritative. "For now, you two focus on securing the area and cleaning the battlefield."
"Yes, Captain," Aburame Shiigo and Hyuga Kaoru replied in unison.
As the two began their tasks, Akira walked over to a pile of rubble. He sat, placed his hands over his abdomen, and allowed a soft green glow—the visible sign of medical ninjutsu—to emanate from them. He was pretending to heal internal injuries.
According to my deduction, he thought, there is almost certainly a spy planted by Danzo within this team. It's either Aburame Shiigo or it was Yamanaka Shigeyoshi.
He had no intention of letting such a mole return to Konoha alive. His current display of weakness was precisely to lure the spy into making the first move, giving Akira a justifiable reason to eliminate the threat. If no one acted, he planned to find an opportunity to use a genjutsu to extract the truth directly and then deal with the situation.
On the other side, Aburame Shiigo appeared to be diligently combing the battlefield. In reality, half his focus was locked onto Uchiha Akira.
His condition seems worse than the 'minor injuries' he claims... Behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses, a cold light flickered in Shiigo's eyes.
As a member of Danzo's Root, he had received a direct order from the organization's supreme leader before departure: assist Lord Danzo's objectives. During this mission, if the opportunity presented itself, he was to ensure Uchiha Akira did not return alive.
That was his true mission.
He is indeed severely injured. My chance will come soon, Shiigo concluded, his heart rate ticking up slightly. From the corner of his eye, he caught Akira subtly coughing, a faint spray of blood-flecked sputum barely visible in the rain. The power of the Rinnegan is truly terrifying. Upon returning to Konoha, I must urgently advise Lord Danzo to prioritize intelligence on those eyes.
A soft, rustling sound came from beneath his coat as his insects continued their work, gnawing at and examining the charcoal debris.
Suddenly, his movements stilled. His insects at one particular location—a lump of charcoal about half a person's height—were transmitting waves of intense fear and submission back to him.
What exactly was struck by that lightning? Why are my insects reacting this way?
He carefully pried the charcoal lump apart. Inside, he found a piece of petrified, dead-looking wood several dozen centimeters long.
"A... branch?" Shiigo was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected to find wood.
Perhaps this is an opportunity.
His gaze flicked toward Uchiha Akira, who still seemed engrossed in his healing trance. A plan formed instantly in his mind. As a Root operative, decisiveness was ingrained.
"Captain!" he called out, raising a hand. "We've found something over here!"
Akira, still pretending to heal, opened his eyes and looked toward the sound. "What did you find?" he called back.
"We found a piece of dead wood inside one of the charcoal masses. Captain, you should come take a look," Shiigo reported.
"I'll be right there," Akira's reply came.
Hearing the exchange, the ever-alert Hyuga Kaoru couldn't help but turn her Byakugan toward Aburame Shiigo's position. Earlier, she had noticed her vision couldn't fully penetrate some of the larger charcoal pieces on the field. It concerned her, but she had kept it to herself; revealing a potential limitation of the Byakugan, especially as a branch family member, was unwise. She had no desire to experience the agony of the Caged Bird Seal activating again.
Seeing Uchiha Akira begin to approach, Aburame Shiigo showed no outward sign of his intent. He stood calmly by the discovery, waiting.
"Captain, this is what I found within the charcoal," Shiigo said, pointing to the partially exposed, grayish-yellow dead wood.
Akira walked closer, studying the waterlogged fragment. "What on earth is this? Could the enemy use Wood Release?" Shiigo asked, feigning confusion.
"It's not Wood Release. It's part of a summon used by the enemy. I'm not certain what it is," Akira explained as he took a few steps forward and bent down for a closer inspection.
Seeing Akira's focused posture, a cold glint flashed in Aburame Shiigo's eyes behind the dark glass. He moved casually to stand beside Akira, also leaning in as if to examine the object.
"Captain, at that time, did the enemy..." As he spoke, his hand moved with practiced smoothness. A kunai, cold steel glinting, materialized in his grip. With a sudden, vicious thrust—SCHLICK—he drove it deep into Uchiha Akira's abdomen.
Got him! The familiar resistance of flesh and organ met the blade. A smug smile began to twist Aburame Shiigo's lips.
The smile died instantly.
HISS-ZZZT!
With a sharp, electric sizzle, the form of Uchiha Akira that had been impaled dissolved into a blinding ball of concentrated lightning. The crackling energy enveloped Aburame Shiigo completely.
(End of Chapter)
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