Chapter 23: Fire Cremation Technique
Just as the steel wires were about to ensnare everyone, a colossal, blue humanoid skeleton erupted into existence—Uchiha Izuna's Susanoo.
A massive arm swung in a violent arc from left to right. The sheer force of the resulting energy fluctuation ripped the steel wires from their trajectory, sending the attached explosive tags fluttering away. The wires snapped taut and then broke. A moment later, the tags detonated in a series of scattered flashes, but the aftershocks failed to leave so much as a scratch on the Susanoo's ethereal armor.
Seeing this, Stelle's brow furrowed. Izuna was far too worried about them. To manifest a Susanoo for a simple trap of wires and explosive tags was a gross over-expenditure of chakra. If this battle dragged on, he would find his reserves dangerously low.
The initial ambush had failed, but the enemies hidden in the shadows showed no signs of panic. Instead, relying on their superior numbers, they immediately began a long-range assault.
From their positions on the hillside, shinobi began weaving hand seals. The slope trembled as they activated their Earth Release techniques, dislodging massive boulders that came rumbling down toward the group. Simultaneously, dense volleys of shuriken rained down from all directions, a clear and coordinated effort to drain Uchiha Izuna's chakra.
As for the rest of them, they were merely collateral damage in the enemy's eyes.
The Susanoo shielded them from the brunt of the assault. The few attacks that slipped past its defenses were well within the capabilities of Stelle and her two teammates to handle.
When the dense wave of attacks finally subsided, Uchiha Izuna found his opening. The massive Susanoo's knees bent, and with a surge of power, it launched itself into the sky. Its two enormous palms, descending like twin swords from the heavens, slammed violently into the crowd of ambushers below.
A chorus of screams tore through the air. Those who failed to dodge in time were sent flying, spitting blood as they crumpled to the ground.
Izuna landed on the hillside and allowed the Susanoo to dissipate, but his expression turned exceptionally grim. There were far too many of them, and that wasn't even counting the ones who remained hidden in the shadows, yet to reveal themselves. He couldn't afford to waste any more chakra.
His eyes swirled, the tomoe within them spinning into the familiar three-pronged pattern. As enemies rushed toward him, his Sharingan flared. A shinobi charging at the front of the pack suddenly froze, then spun around and drove his blade into the companion beside him.
"Everyone, don't look into his eyes!" a voice shouted from the enemy ranks.
Uchiha Izuna drew his own blade, his gaze sweeping across the enemies that were beginning to surround him. His eyes, however, eventually landed on a figure standing at the very back of the formation, one who had yet to make a move.
The person was draped in a black robe that covered their entire body, leaving not a single inch of skin exposed. On their face, they wore a mask patterned with purple flames.
It was an attire he had only seen once before, back when he was a child.
'A successor of Sōjin?' he wondered, his mind racing.
Back then, he had been utterly defeated by that black-robed man. After all these years, what level of strength would this person possess now?
No, they couldn't allow themselves to be trapped here. Although he was drawing the attention of most of the enemies, the remaining shinobi were still more than Kagami and the others could handle. He had to lead them in a breakthrough.
However, just as he prepared to fall back, the enemy ninja noticed his intent.
An Earth Release user stepped forward, unfurling a drawn map and placing it flat on the ground. He then slammed his palm down onto it with a sharp cry.
"Earth Release: Wheel of Fortune!"
It was a high-level ninjutsu, capable of altering the very terrain to match the schematics on a map.
Rumble!
Countless earthen walls erupted from the ground, rising high into the air. They formed a dense network of narrow passages, a labyrinth designed to completely confine Uchiha Izuna.
Back on the ground, the moment Izuna had moved from his original position, the ninja hidden within the lake finally made their move. Three Jonin and three Chunin were immediately set upon by Earth Release users who emerged from the surrounding rocks, drawing them into combat.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A dragon sculpted from churning water surged out of the lake and plunged into the crowd. Kagami's team, which had been maintaining a tight formation to cover one another, was forced to scatter to avoid the powerful jutsu.
As Stelle landed, two chains shot out from the lake, wrapping tightly around her. From either side, two Chunin pulled with all their might.
The expected, gruesome scene of a person being torn apart never occurred. Instead, the bound kunoichi's body suddenly dissolved into a torrent of purple flames, which flowed like liquid from the chains' grasp. In the next instant, she reappeared before her two assailants, a kunai in her hand flashing as it easily slit both their throats.
As one of them collapsed, he managed to utter a single, disbelieving phrase.
"Fi... Fire Cremation Technique!"
Stelle's expression darkened. 'You're the one getting cremated,'she thought irritably.'Your whole family is getting cremated! This is the Flame Transformation Technique.' To think they couldn't even give her high-end ninjutsu a decent name.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The lake water swelled, surging from its basin with tremendous force. This ninja, however, was no Kisame; when the Monster of the Hidden Mist used this technique against a Tailed Beast, it was a cataclysm that blotted out the sky. This was powerful, but it was a pale imitation. Of course, it couldn't be compared to Tobirama's mastery either.
Stelle initially planned to simply dodge, but then she glanced to the side.
Akimichi Torifu was still engaged with an Earth Release ninja, his Partial Multi-Size Technique active. On the other side, Uchiha Kagami was entangled with two Chunin, leaving neither of them with an opportunity to deal with such a wide-range ninjutsu. If they were hit and lost their footing, the situation could turn dire in an instant.
She flew through a series of hand seals and slapped her palm against the ground.
"Flame Release: Flame Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Flame Release: Flame Formation Wall!"
A spiraling dragon of purple fire roared to life, charging headlong into the great waterfall. Because she had deliberately controlled her output to a Chunin's chakra level, the flames didn't completely consume the water on impact. The remaining torrent was then blocked by the wall of fire she had erected, causing the Great Waterfall Technique to dissipate into harmless steam.
The Jonin who had launched the attack stared in surprise. He hadn't expected his ninjutsu to not only miss its target but to be completely neutralized. His eyes fixed on Stelle.
"Purple flames... a special Kekkei Genkai? Konoha truly produces many talents. It seems I must kill you."
He held his fingers high. "Hidden Mist Technique!"
A thick, cloying mist instantly enveloped the entire combat area, obscuring all vision. It felt as though they had been tightly wrapped in a damp, suffocating shroud.
Seeing the thick mist descend, Stelle smirked. 'Since you've been so kind as to block everyone's vision for me, I won't hold back anymore.'
Moving silently within the fog, she ended the lives of three ambushing Chunin, their bodies slumping to the ground without a sound. Her sensory abilities easily pinpointed the Jonin hiding in the distance. Just as she was about to move in and crack his head open, the system's voice suddenly rang out in her mind.
[Host, one-tenth of your life force is nearly depleted. Hurry and save the besieged Uchiha Kagami.]
Stelle extended her senses and found Uchiha Kagami and Akimichi Torifu surrounded by seven or eight Chunin. Neither of them had experienced a true life-or-death battle before, and their combat experience was still lacking. After the Water Dragon Bullet had separated them, they had managed to regroup and were now fighting back-to-back, their teamwork solid as they defended one another.
But now, with their vision obscured by the dense mist, the dynamic tracking of Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan was severely restricted. The weaknesses of the young duo were suddenly exposed.
Sensing a katana slashing toward Akimichi Torifu, Kagami shoved his teammate aside, saving him from the blow. He retaliated with a Great Fireball Technique to force the enemy back, but in doing so, he left himself wide open. A blade flashed through the mist, aimed straight for his throat.
"Holy crap!"
Stelle's entire body erupted in brilliant purple flames as she activated her Flame Release Chakra Mode. Her speed instantly skyrocketed, and she became a streak of violet light cutting through the thick fog.
Appearing before the two in a near-instant, she first slammed a fist into the head of the ninja attacking Kagami, the sound of cracking bone lost in the mist. Then, turning and weaving a new set of seals, she summoned a rain of purple fire from the sky. The flames crashed down in front of her, forcing back several other ninja who were rushing in and preventing Akimichi Torifu from being overwhelmed.
'These two can't die,'she thought frantically.'If they do, what happens to Uchiha Shisui and Akimichi Choji?'
She turned back to them, offering a reassuring smile that cut through the tension. "Leave the command to me from now on. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."
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