Chapter 97: He Just Has to Die, Doesn't He?
"What do we do? That kenjutsu user is too powerful; we're no match for him at all!"
"Call for reinforcements! Keep calling for reinforcements!"
"Has the message reached Lord Shamon?"
"If only Lord Kazekage were here… His Excellency would definitely be able to defeat him."
The Sand ninjas in the pursuit team were completely oblivious. One by one, their familiar comrades had been pulled from the line for "reinforcement duty" or other contrived reasons, their spots quietly filled by Shamon's loyalists.
After breaking through the encirclement yet again, Hyuga Gen, who had long since reached his physical limit, stared back at the relentless pursuers, a grim determination hardening his gaze.
"Lord Sakumo, please go on ahead," he rasped, his breath ragged. "I'll stay behind to cover our retreat. Their target is my Byakugan. I will destroy these eyes before I allow them to be captured."
If Sakumo Hatake were the kind of man who could abandon a comrade to save himself, he would never have aborted a critical mission to save a teammate's life in the first place—an act of compassion that would later see him hounded to suicide by whispers and scorn.
He bit down hard on a soldier pill, the bitter stimulants flooding his system. "Let's go," he said through gritted teeth. "I've already sent a signal back. The Anbu will come for us."
Just then, a faint blue light flickered in the distance. At first glance, it seemed impossibly far away, like a lone firefly winking in the vast, dark desert night.
But in the blink of an eye, it was upon them.
Faster than a bolt of lightning.
No, that wasn't a firefly. It was the distinct shimmer of chakra being channeled into metal.
Sakumo raised his blade in a near-instantaneous blur, parrying toward the encroaching blue light.
CLANG!
The white gleam of his tanto and the azure glow of the enemy's sword collided violently. The intense clash of chakra kicked up a massive, swirling cloud of sand and dust, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.
When the Sand ninjas saw the figure who had just appeared, they erupted in cheers.
"Excellent! Lady Kazushi is here!"
Sakumo Hatake's expression grew heavy. During his recent intelligence-gathering mission in the Hidden Sand, he had heard more than a few legends about this woman.
In the swirling darkness, a ninja blade and a ninja sword clashed again and again. They were like two chasing streaks of light, their brief, explosive collisions sending showers of sparks flying in every direction. The immense force transferred through the steel made Sakumo's fingers go numb.
After another furious exchange, the two combatants broke apart, retreating to a safe distance.
Kazushi offered a wry smile. "You're quite impressive. Why don't I give you a nickname? How about… 'Konoha's White Fang'? Now, let me see more of what you can do."
A razor-sharp blue edge condensed along her sword once more—a nature transformation of Wind Release chakra.
"Wind Style: Instantaneous Step!"
In the next second, her sword tore through the air again. The white light on Sakumo's blade had dimmed slightly from the previous exchange, but it flared brightly once more in the blink of an eye.
Just as her sword was about to meet his blade, it suddenly snapped in two, unable to withstand the sheer power of the chakra being forced through it.
'A weapon swap… so this was a trap set for me,'Kazushi thought with a flash of annoyance.'Shamon is so damn underhanded. I'll have to give him a proper "thank you" later.'
Sakumo himself was momentarily taken aback by his opponent's blade shattering, but his movements never faltered. His slash continued its arc, striking Kazushi hard on the shoulder.
At that exact moment, a sphere of chakra containing immense, terrifying energy smashed down from above, aimed squarely at the two of them, still suspended in mid-air. The condensed power whipped up gale-force winds, and the air itself seemed to split with a piercing shriek.
It was fast. Far too fast.
The attack materialized without warning, striking from a blind spot high above. Caught in mid-air, they were little more than sitting ducks.
Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!
"Lord Sakumo, watch out!" Hyuga Gen roared from the ground.
At the same time, the surrounding Sand ninjas didn't even bother to keep up the charade.
In an instant, the two were completely enveloped by the Jinchuriki's devastating attack.
When the vortex of chakra, as terrifying as a Tailed Beast Bomb, finally dissipated, both Kazushi and Sakumo were in a sorry state. They had clearly managed to dodge the direct impact, but the shockwave from the Drilling Air Bullet had still caught them.
Sakumo shot a sideways glance at Kazushi. She had actually dodged his last slash; her speed was astonishing. Aside from Lord Hokage himself, this "Kazushi" was the second ninja he had ever encountered who could move that fast. She was only a fraction slower than the Third.
Realizing how badly this had gone, Sakumo prepared to slip away the moment his feet touched the ground. Getting caught in the crossfire of another village's internal power struggle was a surefire way to get killed.
Unfortunately, he wasn't given the chance. Countless puppets swarmed from all directions, completely surrounding them. A storm of hidden weapons and traps rained down on them, thrown with the reckless abandon of an army that had no concern for cost.
Sakumo's mind reeled. 'What in the world does your village's internal strife have to do with me, a Konoha ninja?''They just have to kill me to liven things up, don't they?' Kazushi mused sardonically.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Gen, who was standing on the periphery, found himself targeted by several Sand ninjas. They merely surrounded him, however, making no move to attack—he was the very picture of a weak, pitiful, and helpless bystander.
"Wind Style: Great Wind Blade!"
With a sharp cry from Kazushi, countless blades of wind condensed around her once more, shooting out in every direction like an inescapable net of sharpened air. The resulting currents swept away the volley of hidden weapons, and the wind blades, their power undiminished, sliced clean through the metal-and-wood puppets, disrupting their formation.
Seizing the momentary pause, Kazushi and Sakumo leaped in perfect sync, bolting toward the edge of the encirclement.
Another Drilling Air Bullet materialized in mid-air, its sheer force driving them back to their original positions.
A new round of hidden weapons shot from all directions, this time interspersed with clouds of various poisonous gases.
It was clear that Shamon was simply stalling for time.
"Half each?" Kazushi suddenly asked, her voice even.
Sakumo knew exactly what she meant. "Fine," he replied, his breath unsteady. "Half each."
The two of them attacked instantly. One leaped into the air, his short blade flashing countless times, each strike a streak of pure white light. The blade glows arced with impossible precision, bypassing the puppets to strike the puppet masters hiding behind them. In a single, devastating moment, most of the surrounding Sand ninjas collapsed.
On the other side, Kazushi was heard shouting, "Wind Blade!" again. Countless blades of wind appeared around her, forming a giant, churning sphere that rolled forward with her at its center. The sphere of wind was like a monstrous harvester, crashing into the puppet brigade. It shredded any ninja in its way and crushed any puppet that dared to block its path.
The sphere of destruction didn't come to a stop until it crashed to a halt right before Chiyo and Ebizo.
Kazushi looked at the two elders, her tone laced with deep disappointment. "I never expected the two of you to be involved in this as well."
Chiyo and Ebizo stood frozen, muttering to themselves, wanting to explain but not knowing where to begin. The chakra threads connected to their fingers twitched, but in the end, they couldn't bring themselves to attack.
"Lady Kazushi, we..."
"I'll settle the score with you later."
Kazushi deactivated her ninjutsu and began to walk toward Shamon.
She had only taken two steps when—whoosh—her vision began to blur. Her legs grew weak, and her chakra seemed to drain away in an instant, leaving her unable to even stand. She collapsed powerlessly, barely managing to catch herself on one knee.
Shamon, who had been hiding beside the Jinchuriki the entire time, finally dared to move.
He spoke with an air of absolute triumph. "After using such large-scale ninjutsu, the poison has already reached your internal organs. In ten minutes, at most, you'll be dead. It won't matter how powerful you are."
He didn't even dare to approach her. Kazushi's strength was too monstrous, and he wasn't willing to take even the slightest risk.
"Princess Kazushi, wouldn't it have been better to just obediently remain a puppet daimyo? This game of ninjas isn't something you can play just because you have money. You also need a brain." He sneered. "If you lose, you lose your life."
He postured with all the bravado of a man who felt no burden for instigating a civil war.
Kazushi didn't speak. She just gasped for breath, as if every ounce of her strength was being used simply to keep from falling over completely.
Sakumo Hatake internally cursed the woman and her ridiculous rotating wind sphere. He gave Hyuga Gen a subtle hand signal, and while no one was paying attention, the two of them began to slowly back away from the battlefield.
One should never get involved in another village's internal strife. You really could die a miserable death.
Just then, Shamon turned his gaze upon them. He raised his voice, ensuring everyone could hear his proclamation. "While in pursuit of Konoha's White Fang, Jonin Kazushi was tragically killed by the combined efforts of the Leaf ninja and his Hyuga accomplice! Both sides have perished!"
Clang.
A mountain of blame came crashing down hard onto Sakumo Hatake's back, making his head spin.
'So, I just have to die here today, is that it?'
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