Chapter 87 (Patreon)

Deep within the dense forest, Mei Terumi unfolded the map in her hands and pointed toward the trees ahead.

“If we continue in this direction, we should reach the Yuki clan’s settlement in about a day.”

After saying that, she quietly began moving toward the forest on their right.

Yujiro was discussing something with Shisui and showed no sign of paying attention to her. Seeing an opportunity, Mei cautiously increased the distance between them.

Yujiro had already released the chakra seal placed on her body. As far as she knew, there was nothing stopping her from escaping now.

“If you want to run, go ahead.”

Yujiro’s calm voice reached her from behind.

Mei froze.

“But the moment you do, I’ll consider the agreement between Kirigakure and me broken,” Yujiro continued. “After that, I can’t promise that Konoha won’t invade the Hidden Mist.”

“You—!”

Mei spun around, grinding her teeth in frustration. After stamping her foot against the ground, she blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

“I... I need to use the bathroom!”

“Then go.”

Yujiro waved a hand dismissively.

“You don’t need my permission for something like that.”

“Do you think I wanted to ask you?!”

Mei’s face flushed with anger.

“Then why are you still standing there?” Yujiro glanced at her. “Do you need someone to keep watch?”

He took a step toward her.

“I suppose I could come with you.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Mei shouted before vanishing into the forest with a Body Flicker.

Once she was gone, Kakashi approached Yujiro with a trace of concern in his visible eye.

“Yujiro, are you sure it’s safe to let Mei Terumi wander off alone? What if she tries to escape?”

“There’s no need to worry.”

Yujiro’s expression remained perfectly calm.

“I placed a Cursed Seal on her. The moment she moves more than five hundred meters away from me, it will activate.”

Kakashi stared at him.

“And what happens when it activates?”

“She’ll explode,” Yujiro answered casually. “There won’t be enough left of her to recover a body.”

Kakashi drew in a sharp breath.

Meanwhile, thirty meters away, Mei was crouched on the branch of a large tree, secretly listening to their conversation.

The instant she heard Yujiro’s explanation, all the colour drained from her face.

That man... He really is a demon!

She pressed a hand against her chest, grateful that she had decided to eavesdrop before attempting to flee.

Had she run without knowing about the Cursed Seal, she would not only have died—she might also have given Konoha an excuse to attack Kirigakure.

Dying was one thing.

But what would happen to the Hidden Mist because of her?

Below, Kakashi continued questioning Yujiro.

“What happens if Mei Terumi really does die? Once Kirigakure learns what happened, won’t they fight Konoha to the bitter end?”

“If she dies, she dies.”

A faint smile appeared on Yujiro’s face.

“Have you forgotten my Wood Release transformation?”

Kakashi’s eye narrowed slightly.

“The imitation is so precise that no one would be able to distinguish it from the real person,” Yujiro continued. “I could create another Mei Terumi, use her to strike Kirigakure from within, and then take the village in a single attack.”

Up in the tree, Mei’s face grew even paler.

This man really is a demon!

I should stay close to him...

She wore a bitter expression as she finally understood that Yujiro had already cornered her completely.

No wonder he had allowed her to leave so easily.

Two minutes later, Mei returned to the group.

Yujiro glanced at her strained expression, and the corner of his mouth rose slightly.

He had been aware of Mei hiding in the tree from the very beginning.

The Cursed Seal that activated beyond five hundred meters did not exist. He had invented the entire story.

Had he warned Mei directly, she would never have believed him.

However, information she believed she had secretly overheard was another matter entirely.

She would accept every word without question.

“Let’s hurry.”

Mei muttered the words before turning to lead them onward.

“Wait.”

Yujiro suddenly rose to his feet and closed his eyes.

In the next instant, his perception spread throughout the surrounding forest. Every movement within a radius of ten kilometres appeared clearly within his mind.

“Eight kilometres ahead, slightly to the left,” he said slowly. “There are thirty-six ANBU from Kirigakure.”

“What?”

Kakashi and Shisui’s expressions immediately sharpened.

Itachi had already drawn the short sword from his back.

“Yujiro-san,” Itachi said quietly, “could they be an interception unit sent by the Hidden Mist?”

Yujiro turned his gaze toward Mei.

She instinctively took two steps back.

“That’s impossible!”

Mei hurriedly defended herself.

“Mizukage-sama understands the situation we’re in. If Kirigakure intended to attack you, they would have done it while all our forces were gathered earlier. There would be no reason to wait until now!”

Yujiro remained silent, his expression giving nothing away.

Seeing that, Mei became increasingly anxious.

“They weren’t sent to intercept us,” Yujiro finally said. “However, their mission is connected to Kirigakure’s senior officials.”

A faint smile crossed his face.

“Let’s see what they’re doing.”

Without waiting for a response, Yujiro launched himself through the trees. Shisui, Kakashi, and Itachi immediately followed.

Mei watched them rapidly disappear into the distance.

Then she remembered the terrifying Cursed Seal that would supposedly activate if she moved more than five hundred meters away.

“Yujiro! Wait for me!”

She hurried after them.

At that moment, in another part of the forest, Pakura crouched on one knee among the grass, struggling to catch her breath.

After the relentless pursuit and fighting, she had managed to kill three of Kirigakure’s ANBU.

However, very little chakra remained in her body.

She had come to the Hidden Mist on what was supposed to be a simple mission to exchange information. Never had she imagined that she would be ambushed by the very people she had been told were her village’s allies.

Had she not remained cautious from the beginning, she would already have been a corpse.

“Pakura! Hand over the intelligence scroll!”

The remaining thirty-three ANBU had surrounded her from every direction.

Pakura glared at them, anger burning in her eyes as her hands rapidly formed a sequence of seals.

“Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!”

Several blazing spheres appeared around her.

The temperature of the surrounding forest rose sharply. Leaves curled from the heat, and moisture hissed as it evaporated from the air.

Three scorching spheres shot toward the Kirigakure shinobi standing before her.

“Scatter!”

At the squad captain’s command, the ANBU immediately leapt back.

Most of them escaped the attack, but one was struck directly.

The moisture in his body evaporated almost instantly. His skin withered, and his lifeless, desiccated body collapsed onto the ground.

However, using the technique had consumed nearly all of Pakura’s remaining chakra.

Her body swayed unsteadily.

The surrounding ANBU noticed her condition, and cruel smiles appeared beneath their masks.

“Everyone, attack!” the captain ordered. “Kill Pakura and recover the intelligence!”

“Yes!”

The remaining Kirigakure shinobi prepared to rush forward.

A bitter smile crossed Pakura’s face.

She had never imagined that her life would end like this—sent to her death after being betrayed by her own village.

“Wait.”

An indifferent voice suddenly sounded beside her.

Pakura’s unfocused pupils contracted sharply.

A man wearing black robes had appeared in front of her without warning. Resting across his shoulder was a sword whose blade was as dark as ink.

Pakura stared at his back, desperately searching her memory.

A few seconds later, recognition flashed across her face.

“You’re... the One-Sword Asura... Yujiro?!”

The surrounding Kirigakure ANBU reacted with equal alarm.

“Is that really him?”

“The One-Sword Asura... Yujiro?!”

“Wasn’t he supposed to be in Konoha? Why is he outside the Hidden Mist?!”

Several sharp whistles cut through the forest.

Kakashi, Shisui, Itachi, and Mei landed around the clearing.

Without exchanging a word, Kakashi, Shisui, and Itachi moved into three separate positions, cutting off every possible escape route for the Kirigakure ANBU.

Mei quickly stepped beside Yujiro.

“What mission are you carrying out?” she demanded. “Why are you attacking a Sunagakure shinobi?”

Her expression changed slightly when she noticed the forehead protector on Pakura’s brow.

Although Kirigakure and Sunagakure had never publicly declared themselves allies, the two villages had secretly cooperated against Konoha during the past year.

The captain of the Kirigakure squad hesitated.

Their current operation was highly confidential. It had been personally ordered by one of Kirigakure’s elders, and failure was not permitted.

“Answer me!”

Mei’s voice echoed through the clearing.

“Mei-sama, we are not authorised to discuss this matter,” the captain replied in a low voice. “Please stand aside and allow us to complete our mission.”

Mei’s cheeks reddened with anger.

“You—!”

Yujiro paid no attention to the Kirigakure shinobi surrounding them.

His gaze had settled entirely on Pakura.

He could not decide whether his fortune was unusually good or whether fate itself was placing these opportunities before him. He had only just left Kirigakure, yet another shinobi possessing a kekkei genkai had appeared directly in his path.

And this time, it was Pakura of the Hidden Sand—the wielder of Scorch Release.

Yujiro looked directly at her and activated Simulation Plunder.

Ten seconds later, the power of Scorch Release had become his.

A mechanical notification sounded within his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for acquiring Scorch Release.]

[Limiter unlocking progress increased by 5%.]

[Current progress: Level Three—35%.]

When Yujiro had obtained the Nine-Tails’ chakra, his progress had increased by five percent.

Acquiring Boil Release and Lava Release had each raised it by another five percent.

Now, Scorch Release had added a further five percent.

Only another fifteen percent remained before he would be able to activate the standard third-level state at will.

Once that happened, his strength would rise to an entirely different level.

“Mei-sama, please leave immediately,” the Kirigakure captain said, his patience beginning to fade. “We must complete our mission.”

Mei remained where she was.

Yujiro slowly raised his right hand.

His expression was completely indifferent.

“Scorch Release: Firefall.”

As the words left his mouth, Yujiro slowly closed his raised hand.

Hundreds of blazing spheres, each nearly a metre wide, suddenly appeared across the sky above the forest.

The Kirigakure ANBU looked upward in horror.

A moment later, the scorching spheres came roaring down upon them.

“Aaaagh!”

Their screams reverberated throughout the forest.

Mei closed her eyes.

An overwhelming sense of helplessness settled over her.

There was nothing she could do to stop this.

Once the flames subsided, only the Kirigakure squad captain remained alive.

The other thirty-one ANBU had been reduced to ash.

Not even their bodies remained.