"How's my combat awareness?"
That bastard…
Listening to his taunting words, Nara Suzaku almost ground his teeth to dust.
Rather than saying it was passable, it would be more accurate to say Neiki's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique was approaching the level of the Fourth Hokage.
Neiki had been slaughtering his way through the Kirigakure ranks. They couldn't see clearly, but evidently, one unlucky Kirigakure ninja had the Flying Thunder God seal placed on his arm during the battle with Neiki. Neiki then deliberately severed that arm, sending it flying towards the Konoha forces. At that ti, no one reacted in ti.
Even Suzaku, who had warned the others, and Hayate Shirakumo only noticed because Suzaku was ticulous enough to see the Flying Thunder God seal on the arm. Shirakumo, from a swordsmanship perspective, recognized that the naturally severed arm wouldn't have flown that far unless Neiki had done it deliberately.
Despite their awareness, it was still too late. The black sword pierced Akimichi Sidou's chest, and it seed Konoha was about to lose another Jonin following Inuzuka Tsu.
The island's weather was fickle. Monts ago, the sky was overcast, and now rain poured down in torrents. The raindrops, the size of beans, pattered against the leaves, sounding like war drums, imbued with a strange kind of motivational power.
Just as Suzaku was about to speak, his eyes flickered, and he hesitated before saying, "Yes, it's quite good…"
Neiki smiled slightly, about to respond when he suddenly felt himself lifted off the ground, his feet leaving the earth as if embraced by a bear.
Akimichi Sidou's large belly, despite being nearly disemboweled by Neiki's sword, held on with sheer willpower. His guts and fat, torn apart, did not imdiately incapacitate him.
He was gravely wounded, dood to die.
But not yet.
"Ahhh… Attack!!" Sidou, enduring the agony of his shredded innards, moved his feet quietly, even with Neiki's black sword impaling his hefty fra. He gritted his teeth and wrapped his arms tightly around Neiki.
"Hurry, attack!" he roared, blood and tears mingling on his face, contorted in extre pain.
Suzaku took a deep breath. This was a chance paid for with a comrade's life. It must not be wasted!
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
With the short distance between them, the shadow easily enveloped both Sidou and Neiki. This was Neiki's oversight and their only chance to capture him.
"Masao!" Suzaku shouted.
"Mind Transfer Technique!" Yamanaka Masao ford a heart shape with his hands and targeted Neiki. His head drooped, signaling success in infiltrating Neiki's mind.
As the final elent of the Ino-Shika-Cho combination, Sidou could no longer use his clan's secret techniques. Hence, the final strike was left to Hayate Shirakumo.
Suzaku glanced at him, and without hesitation, Shirakumo drew his blade, crouching low.
"Konohagakure Sword Technique: Air Slash!"
Splat!
Neiki's expression shifted from calm to pained, then stiffened as he looked at Shirakumo, clutching his neck in disbelief. "Shirakumo… senpai…"
"Sorry," Shirakumo murmured, sheathing his sword.
Neiki had brought too much pain to Konoha. Shirakumo couldn't stop, even if he wanted to spare Neiki's life. Without a sealing squad, Neiki, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, was too agile and would escape if they weren't careful.
The sound of a head hitting the ground signified the end of the man responsible for the Fourth Great Ninja War. Yet, the chaos he created would have lasting repercussions, and Konoha remained on the brink of survival.
Shirakumo didn't turn back. With Neiki gone, he had to deal with the remaining Kirigakure ninjas. Unlike the cunning Neiki, who exploited the ninjas' reluctance to harm comrades, Shirakumo preferred straightforward combat.
"We can continue now," Shirakumo said, standing tall and facing Sahada.
However, both Sahada and the other Kirigakure ninjas looked hesitant and frightened.
Sahada opened his mouth, saying sothing to Shirakumo, who frowned, hearing nothing but rain. Noticing this, Sahada pointed behind Shirakumo.
Then, he mouthed the words:
Turn around.
Shirakumo frowned.
Turn around?
What would he see if he turned around?
Finally realizing sothing was wrong, Shirakumo spun around abruptly.
And then.
His pupils contracted instantly.
What lay before him?
Yamanaka Masao lay unconscious on the ground.
Futasu Reido's head was pinned to a tree stump by a kunai.
Nara Suzaku and several other Konoha ninjas struggle under Neiki's sword.
Akimichi Sidou disemboweled but clinging to the murderer, holding on with his last strength… to whom?
Shirakumo finally recognized the face.
It was Shiranui Genma!!
He had mistaken Shiranui Genma for Neiki and killed him!!
No!
Not just him, but even Suzaku and the other Konoha ninjas had mistaken Genma for Neiki!
"…Shirakumo… senpai."
Shirakumo finally understood why the voice was so familiar and why he had addressed him that way.
"It was a genjutsu!"
"The sa genjutsu the Hokage ntioned during the review, the one that twisted reality and led to the Hyuga Clan's downfall!!"
Shirakumo looked around, seeing Suzaku fighting Neiki and the other hundred Konoha ninjas staring blankly at the Kirigakure forces. He realized they were likely under the sa genjutsu spell as he was.
"Genjutsu: Release!" Shirakumo quickly dispelled the genjutsu on a nearby Konoha ninja. Before they could react, he urgently commanded, "Quick, release the others from the genjutsu!" Then, he joined the fight against Neiki.
The situation was dire. Any further delay would an Suzaku's death.
Neiki was about to kill a Chunin when he paused and stepped back.
A sharp white light sliced past him.
Facing Shirakumo, who had suddenly appeared, Neiki smiled faintly, asking, "How does it feel to kill your comrades?"
"Shirakumo-senpai—"
"It wasn't your fault, Hayama. We were all under his genjutsu. If Masao hadn't noticed sothing was wrong while in Genma's body and taken the blow for , I might still be under the genjutsu!" Suzaku knew Neiki was trying to provoke Hayama and quickly reassured him.
"Yeah, I know…" Shirakumo took a deep breath, Genma and Masao's grueso deaths flashing before his eyes. He gripped his sword tightly.
"So, I'll correct my mistake and kill you again!!"
With that, he lunged at Neiki.
"You can try." Neiki smirked, like a refined scholar.
…
Watching the chaotic Konoha forces struggling to release the genjutsu, Sahada grew wary and said to Ao:
"…Do you think we might be under the sa strange genjutsu?"
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