Mosquitoes and bats flew around in the mist.
Very quickly, they had taken blood.
One by one they returned, from their rear ends dripping blood into Hidan's mouth.
Hidan, utterly bored, pulled out a knife and skillfully slit his throat, and the sound of thump, thump of bodies falling to the ground rang out again and again.
Standing within the Evil God formation, Hidan was very dissatisfied with this kind of battle style.
'Is this even called a battle?'
He was practically like a worker on the assembly line of a factory.
There was not the slightest bit of joy of dealing death, of sending people to die.
Just as Hidan was thinking that once he went back, he'd dismiss these summoned beasts and just work alone, the shouts of samurai and ninjas came,
"People are dead! What move did the enemy use!"
"Careful, the enemy can silently slit throats, protect your necks!"
Hearing the terrified voices of his allies, Hidan suddenly became excited. Meeting is fate, he was about to stab a few more times, but Kakuzu grabbed his arm.
"It's the mist."
Kakuzu recalled the intelligence given to him by the corporate faction, on her way to Kyoto, Terumi Mei had obtained the "Clam."
"Mosquitoes and bats already are summoned beasts with extremely small brain capacity, though that matches you well, Hidan, inside the mist, with just a little guidance, they'll go attack their own allies."
Fortunately, Terumi Mei hadn't had the Clam long, and hadn't yet developed all its abilities.
Otherwise, if she truly displayed power like the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, Kakuzu and Hidan would have no choice but to admit defeat, and while Ryosuke hadn't yet arrived, quickly flee for their lives.
But now...
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
The Earth Grudge Fear's Wind Mask Monster released a high-pressure wind ball from its mouth.
The wind ball rushed forward, stirring the mist, then with a boom formed whirlpool-like storms, exploding in a wide range, dispersing the mist, exposing Terumi Mei and her group hidden within.
Terumi Mei and the others had been waiting for this moment.
Borrowing the cover of the mist, she had already completed her ninjutsu, and with the mist dispersed, Kakuzu, Hidan, along with the hundreds of ninja and samurai behind, all discovered a vast shadow covering their heads.
Looking up, they saw a massive, crimson, boiling-hot liquid blotting out the sky, filling their entire vision.
"Lava Release: Melting Monster Technique!"
Terumi Mei's strongest attack, super-sticky, highly corrosive acid. In the original story, it could even melt Susano'o.
Kakuzu didn't dare delay, and quickly performed ninjutsu, forcibly tearing open a gap, charging out of the lava release's encirclement.
Hidan's way was much simpler, swing his scythe, dodge if he could, and if he couldn't… enjoy it.
Although enjoying himself in the middle of a mission might seem disrespectful to his employer, bringing one's hobbies into work is, after all, a way to ignite passion for the work.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Behind Hidan, Zabuza's figure suddenly appeared.
Taking advantage of the earlier dispersal of mist, he had used the Mist Instant Movement Technique, silently arriving behind Hidan, a kunai piercing precisely into Hidan's heart.
At the same time, Hidan's scythe, half-melted by acid, swung once more, cleaving straight through Zabuza's body.
BOOM!
Zabuza's body dissolved into water.
A water clone.
The scattered water wrapped around Hidan's body, forming a man-sized water prison. From the other side of the still-fading mist, Zabuza appeared again, thrusting one hand into the water prison, sealing the technique.
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"
Caught, Hidan only grinned wide.
Centered on him, black, murky spots appeared in the water.
This was Hidan's Death Curse. As soon as these black dots touched Zabuza's hand, he would die, Hidan's grin froze.
Because he saw in Zabuza's hand inside the water prison, there was now a small jar plastered with an explosive tag.
Zabuza's cold gaze lowered, "Did you really think, on a chaotic one-against-many battlefield like this, I'd keep up a Water Prison Technique for you, standing still, waiting to die?"
He released his hand, abruptly leaping back, the Water Prison dissolving, and from the small jar, oil had already spilled out in large amounts, mixing with the water…
"Explode!"
Flames roared up over Hidan's body.
Whether or not he would burn to death, in any case, before the flames went out, Hidan wouldn't be able to swallow a single drop of blood. Any blood would evaporate before it reached his mouth.
Zabuza retreated backwards. Terumi Mei and Kakuzu were still bombarding each other with wide-range ninjutsu.
The battle between these two was like two whole ninjutsu squads bombarding one another. Just casting a Water Dragon Bullet Technique took half the time, Zabuza couldn't possibly intervene.
'Wait!'
Zabuza sensed something off.
He stared closely at Kakuzu.
'Where's his right hand?'
'Had it been melted away just now in the Lava Release?'
The moment this thought rose, the ground behind shattered, and an arm, its end covered with countless black threads, drilled out from underground, seizing Oda Ieyasu and hurling him fiercely towards Kakuzu.
"It's over."
The Earth Grudge Fear's Lightning Mask Monster turned its direction, aiming at Ieyasu midair.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
A sharp lightning spear shot out, directly at the target.
"You bastard! Truly fucking despicable!"
Kamihara Hayato cursed loudly.
Terumi Mei had no time to weave seals. Planting her feet, she leapt into the air, about to use her own body to block this strike.
Suddenly, Oda Ieyasu flicked his long sleeves, two scrolls falling into his hands.
The corporations had money. Did a daimyo have none?
How could Oda Ieyasu possibly not carry two life-saving items on his person?
With force, he opened one scroll, within which was written "Seal." Meeting the lightning spear head-on, he forcibly sealed away this fatal attack.
From the other scroll burst a treasured sword.
Oda Ieyasu had been skilled in both pen and sword since childhood. Drawing the sword, borrowing the momentum of his fall, he slashed down in one stroke, killing the samurai who held Hideyoshi, and caught his unconscious son.
Zabuza rushed in time, shielding Oda Ieyasu once again.
Terumi Mei exhaled in relief.
That was far too close. If the daimyo had actually died under their protection, they wouldn't even have been able to stall for time until Ryosuke arrived for support. She truly wouldn't have had the face to meet Ryosuke.
Now, with the daimyo's son reclaimed, after three or four minutes of fighting, if the other side had any sense, they should be retreating…
As Terumi Mei pondered, she saw that in Oda Ieyasu's arms, little Hideyoshi had opened his eyes.
In his hand was a sharp kunai.
Terumi Mei's hair stood on end.
"Careful!"
Too late.
The kunai stabbed into Oda Ieyasu's abdomen.
Yamanaka Inoichi stared coldly at the wound.
He had used the "Mind-Transfer Puppet Curse Seal Technique," sealing Hideyoshi's soul into a straw doll, and placing his own soul into Hideyoshi's body.
"I didn't want to leave you in pain, but this body is too small, and it only just had a heart transplant surgery. I can't stab too deep. I can't one-shot kill you."
"But, don't overthink it, you'll still die. I've coated my kunai with poison."
"Who are you!"
Oda Ieyasu gripped his treasured sword, about to slash down, but at the very last moment, the blade stopped.
"Dad… Dad…"
Hideyoshi's eyes turned clear again.
The plan had succeeded. Yamanaka Inoichi released the "Mind-Transfer Puppet Curse Seal Technique," switching Hideyoshi's soul back into his body.
Little Hideyoshi, terrified, looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, looked at the sword in his father's hand, tears welling at the corners of his eyes, his small body trembling.
"Don't… don't be afraid, Daddy's okay."
Oda Ieyasu dropped the sword. On his pale face he forced a smile, hugging his son, but when he saw the stitches on Hideyoshi's chest, his eyes instantly turned blood-red.
"You… dug out my son's heart?!"
Terumi Mei pulled out an antidote vial and injected it into Oda Ieyasu's body.
But this kind of universal antidote was not very effective against many special poisons. They would have to quickly find a professional doctor.
Terumi Mei and Zabuza's expressions grew grim.
If earlier it was battle, it was killing, then from here on out, it was laying down their lives, fighting with every last ounce, regardless of cost,
Not for some daimyo, but for Ryosuke's trust.
Hidan slapped at the flames on his body as he walked over, earnestly saying, "Brother Daimyo, don't blame us. Work is work. Besides, returning sooner to the embrace of Lord Evil God isn't so bad. Trust me, give it a try, just die once."
Oda Ieyasu picked up the sword from the ground, pushed away Zabuza's supporting hand, stood up, and glared dead at the two before him.
"F*ck your mother."
"…Huh?"
Everyone on the battlefield was stunned.
No one expected such crude words to come out of Oda Ieyasu's mouth, a man always known for being refined, a gentleman.
"Didn't hear me clearly?"
Oda Ieyasu gripped the sword with both hands, anger blasting through all his reason.
"I said, f*ck your mothers!!!"
What etiquette, what bigger picture.
The only thought in his mind was to take this group of bastards before him, whoever they were, and chop them all to death.
Just as Oda Ieyasu was about to charge, a hand fell on his shoulder.
"I'll go first."
The battlefield went silent.
Only the rolling thunder and golden burning clouds, slowly arriving from the distance, seared into the eyes and ears of all present.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/XenosX
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰