Chapter 134 (Patreon)

The ability to fly was exceedingly rare in the shinobi world.

Mihawk and Hinata’s arrival immediately attracted the attention of the Allied shinobi below. However, after recognizing the forehead protectors they wore, the army showed no signs of panic.

Gaara and Ōnoki, on the other hand, looked at the approaching pair with visible surprise.

“Mihawk, Hinata…” Gaara began with a questioning expression. “How are you flying?”

“That isn’t the Light-Weight Rock Technique,” Ōnoki observed. “Is it some kind of secret flying technique?”

His attention soon shifted toward Hinata’s blue-and-white patterned eyes.

Hinata… That girl is from the Hyūga clan, isn’t she? But those eyes are clearly not the Byakugan.

Mihawk and Hinata landed atop the rocky hill where Gaara and Ōnoki were waiting.

“We were sent to reinforce the Fourth Division,” Mihawk said.

Gaara did not ask any further questions. He simply nodded.

“Understood. We’re counting on you.”

Without wasting any more time, the four of them turned toward the endless desert and waited for the four motionless chakra signatures in the distance to begin moving.

“Our enemies are four Kage from previous generations,” Gaara explained. “The Third Raikage of Kumogakure, the Second Mizukage of Kirigakure, the Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, and the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure—my father.”

“The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, possesses Dust Release, a kekkei tōta. Lord Ōnoki came here specifically to counter him.”

Mihawk nodded slightly.

“Hinata and I will handle the Third Raikage. Once we take him down, we’ll come and support you.”

Before Gaara could respond, Ōnoki spoke.

“I’ve heard your name more than once. Although I’ve never personally witnessed your strength, I doubt all those reports were exaggerated.”

His gaze moved toward Hinata.

“Even so, taking on the Third Raikage with only that young girl beside you is reckless. That man once faced an army of ten thousand shinobi alone and continued fighting for three days and three nights.”

Mihawk continued looking toward the desert, showing no interest in answering him.

Hinata stepped forward instead.

“Tsuchikage-sama, I won’t hold Mihawk-kun back.”

Ōnoki looked into her unusual eyes and immediately recognized the unwavering resolve within them.

A trace of doubt still remained in his heart, but he eventually nodded.

“Hmph. Very well. If you’ve already made up your mind, I won’t waste any more words.”

“They’re moving.”

Gaara suddenly raised two fingers beside his left eye, focusing through the Eye of Sand he had positioned farther ahead.

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Everyone stopped speaking and stared into the distance.

After some time, four figures emerged from the cloud of dust covering the desert and began walking toward them.

“Sand Tsunami!”

Once the four Edo Tensei shinobi entered range, Gaara attacked without hesitation.

The desert sand surged upward, forming a massive wave that thundered toward them.

At the same time, Ōnoki flew into the air and concealed himself behind the towering wave of sand.

Mihawk glanced toward Hinata.

She immediately understood.

Hinata manipulated gravity and repulsion simultaneously, lifting both of them into the air. They flew toward the opposite side of the sand wave and hid behind it.

“The Feigning Sleep Technique?”

Rasa’s expression changed slightly when he saw the enormous wave approaching.

“Did Gaara release Shukaku’s power already?”

Kabuto’s control immediately seized Rasa’s body, forcing his hands to form seals before he crouched and struck the ground.

Gold Dust, far heavier than ordinary sand, erupted from beneath the desert.

It gathered into another enormous wave and collided head-on with Gaara’s Sand Tsunami.

BOOM!

The collision produced a deafening explosion.

Sand and Gold Dust mixed together before raining across the battlefield.

With the waves dispersed, Ōnoki, Mihawk, and Hinata were revealed in the sky.

“Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!”

Ōnoki brought his hands together.

A cone-shaped field of white light formed between his palms before shooting down toward the Second Tsuchikage.

Mū remained completely calm.

“You’ve grown old, Ōnoki.”

He brought his own hands together and created an identical field of white light, launching it upward to meet Ōnoki’s attack.

BOOM!

The two Dust Release techniques erupted against each other.

Blinding white light spread across the battlefield, carrying enough power to disintegrate anything within its range at the molecular level.

The rocky hills, the earth, and the mixture of sand and Gold Dust caught within the blast vanished completely.

When the light finally faded, an enormous circular crater remained in the desert.

While Ōnoki and Mū clashed, Mihawk and Hinata had already moved away from the explosion.

Hinata raised one hand toward the Third Raikage below.

An invisible gravitational force immediately enveloped his body and lifted his feet from the ground.

The Third Raikage looked toward Hinata in surprise.

“Gravity? That’s an impressive technique, young lady.”

He showed no hostility in his expression.

“My body is no longer under my control. You should seal me as quickly as possible,” he warned. “I specialize in Lightning Release. If you cannot restrain me with Earth Release or space–time ninjutsu, do not assume remaining in the air will keep you safe. My speed—”

Before he could finish, Kabuto’s control took hold of him.

Crackle!

A layer of blue lightning erupted around the Third Raikage’s body, forming the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

His figure transformed into a streak of lightning and shot toward Hinata.

“So fast…”

Hinata’s expression changed slightly.

She immediately pressed her raised hand downward.

BOOM!

The gravity surrounding the Third Raikage abruptly reversed and intensified.

His rapidly approaching body was hurled toward the ground even faster than he had charged, smashing into the desert and creating a massive crater.

“Hinata Hyūga… Nerona Mihawk’s girlfriend.”

Hidden within a dark cavern, Kabuto observed the battlefield through the Third Raikage’s eyes.

His snake-like face took on a thoughtful expression.

“Those blue-and-white patterns… Those are definitely not the Byakugan.”

“Is this an entirely new dōjutsu? Were those eyes transplanted into her, or did her Byakugan somehow evolve?”

Kabuto’s eyes narrowed.

“That fake Madara was right. Nerona Mihawk is one of the most dangerous enemies in this war.”

The Third Raikage emerged from the crater below without a single wound on his body.

Mihawk remained motionless as his crimson eyes turned an icy blue.

The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception awakened.

Dark lines immediately spread across everything within his vision.

The ground, the surrounding rocky hills, and even the invisible currents flowing through the air became covered in countless lines of death.

The entire world appeared like a vast pane of shattered glass.

Mihawk focused on the Third Raikage as he looked up at Hinata.

Lines of varying thickness and length spread across the reanimated man’s body.

The corners of Mihawk’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“I see it… your death.”