Hozuki Zangetsu's goal was simple: to "die" here, with no body left to find. That was why he didn't flee.
The enemy lineup—two Jonin and six Chunin—was strong. Zangetsu wasn't confident he could kill them all. In fact, he was in great danger himself; one mistake and he could be the one to fall. So, he wasn't planning on a reckless fight to the death. He was looking for an opportunity. If things went wrong, he would run. While he might not win a direct fight, he was confident in his ability to escape.
His Hydrification Technique made him immune to physical attacks, allowing him to dodge fatal blows at critical moments. Plus, there was a river running through the forest nearby. If he could reach the water, his survival was guaranteed.
"You bastard!!"
Kyaku scrambled up from the ground, roaring with fury. He couldn't believe Kiri had deliberately knocked him down, essentially sentencing him to death.
"Quick, help me get out of here!" he yelled desperately at Zangetsu's water clone.
Zangetsu's clone acted as if it had just snapped out of a daze, moving to support Kyaku as if to escape.
But it was too late.
"Trying to run? Not a chance!"
Four of the Konoha ninja surrounded them, while the other four completely ignored them, chasing after the fleeing Kiri. Without a doubt, Kiri, as a Jonin, was the more valuable target.
"Just what you'd expect from the Hidden Mist. To betray a comrade so decisively… you truly are a bunch of despicable trash!" the middle-aged Konoha Jonin sneered. Kiri's actions had genuinely surprised him. In Konoha, such behavior would be condemned by everyone, and the village would demand an accounting.
"Damn it…" Kyaku saw the four ninja surrounding him and Zangetsu, and his heart sank into complete despair. Even if he were uninjured, he would be no match for them, let alone in his current heavily wounded state. It seemed he was truly going to die here today.
A fierce look entered Kyaku's eyes. He pushed Zangetsu away, gripped his kunai, and glared at the Konoha ninja. "If you want my life, let's see if you have what it takes!" he roared, about to charge the enemy Jonin.
Zangetsu's water clone, seeing this, also acted as if it had regained its senses and was about to charge forward in a frenzy.
Thud, thud, thud! Shink!!!
In just a few moments, before the water clone could even move, Kyaku was kicked back, crashing into it. The trap Hiru had triggered had injured Kyaku's internal organs, cutting his combat power in half. Against a Jonin, he was defeated in seconds.
"Don't come over here! Stay away!" Zangetsu's water clone held Kyaku with one hand and pointed a trembling kunai with the other, his voice a panicked growl, perfectly acting the part of someone scared out of his wits.
This brought scornful smiles to the faces of the four Konoha ninja. They seemed especially pleased seeing such fear on Zangetsu's handsome face.
"It's over. Surrender quietly, and maybe you'll get to die a little later," the Jonin said, stepping closer. In his eyes, the dying Kyaku was no threat, and Zangetsu was just a pretty boy, utterly harmless.
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" the water clone kept repeating, trembling even more violently. It supported Kyaku as it backed away, until its back hit a tree.
"Nowhere left to run. It looks like your life ends here," the Konoha Jonin said. "Remember this for your next life: don't make an enemy of Konoha!"
With that, he burst forward, appearing in front of the water clone in an instant. He raised his kunai to slit its throat.
Shink!!!
The kunai sliced cleanly through the clone's neck, but the Jonin's expression changed drastically.
"A clone?!" he gasped. He then smelled something, his pupils widened, and his body instinctively leaped back.
BOOM!!!
Another massive explosion roared. The body of Kyaku, which Zangetsu's clone had covered in numerous paper bombs, detonated.
The Konoha Jonin, Oishi, who had been right next to him, was caught in the blast. Though he had jumped back at the last second, he was still thrown into the air just like Kyaku had been, crashing heavily to the ground. He was in even worse shape; half of his body was a bloody mess.
"Captain Oishi!"
The three other Konoha ninja, who had been watching the show, were stunned by the sudden turn of events. They quickly rushed to the side of the dying captain.
"Be… careful!" Oishi managed to force out through the pain, but it was too late.
Zangetsu had already used a Body Flicker Technique to appear beside them. The moment he landed, he charged.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Shink! Shink! Shink!!!
The three were only Chunin. Against an Elite Jonin like Zangetsu, they were cut down like vegetables, with no chance to even fight back.
"Kawa, Inu, Sasaki!" Captain Oishi watched in horror as his three subordinates were killed before his eyes. He tried to get up to avenge them, but the intense pain forced him back down.
"What a shame. It's over," Zangetsu said, preparing to throw his kunai and end Oishi's life. He wasn't the type to waste time talking to his enemies. He understood better than anyone the old saying: the villain dies from talking too much.
Shink!!
The kunai flew true, embedding itself in Oishi's heart.
"STOP!!!"
An angry shout came from the distance. It was a woman's voice, and it didn't sound very old.
Zangetsu turned to look. Not far away, four Konoha ninja were rapidly approaching. The one in the lead was a female ninja; the voice had come from her. Their speed was impressive; their skills were clearly not simple.
Without a second thought, Zangetsu prepared to leave. He didn't know their strength, and he didn't want to take any risks.
But just as he was about to flee, a voice sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Romance Target Uchiha Mikoto has been detected."
The voice made Zangetsu freeze in his tracks.
Uchiha Mikoto?!?!
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