----------------- In Unknown Place -----------------------
A middle-aged man with a robust build and some grey hair, along with a pair of horns growing on either side of his forehead, spoke in anger, "I have warned you repeatedly not to meddle with the people of this land. Yet you have shown no regard for my words. Have you ever considered the consequences of your actions?"
A sleek and slender young woman, around the age of twenty to twenty-five, with light blue hair, fish fin ears, and a snake tail on her back, spoke lazily, "I know, I know. I've heard this a million times - don't interfere with the people of this land, right?"
The middle-aged man responded, "Then why did you interfere now? Your actions could change the course of this land."
The young woman replied with indifference, "Whatever, I've already done it. Why worry over spilled milk?"
Their heated discussion was interrupted by another voice, "Why are you two quarreling again?" They both turned to see a third figure who had appeared next to them and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Elder. Sorry for disturbing your rest."
The middle-aged man was about to speak, but the Elder signaled him to stop with his hand without looking at him. Instead, he looked peacefully at the young woman. The woman noticed the Elder was waiting for her response. She could ignore the middle-aged man, but she couldn't be disrespectful to the Elder. So she respectfully explained, "As usual, I went out sightseeing and stumbled upon an interesting boy. He's around twelve years old, but he was able to fight three Jonin at the same time and hold his ground well. Although he was eventually defeated, I found his skills impressive and wanted to reward him. So, just as he was about to die, I rescued him and infused him with some of our ancestor's powers."
The Elder was taken aback and asked again to make sure, "Is that all?"
The young woman responded nonchalantly with a simple "yes."
However, the middle-aged man suddenly exclaimed, "Did you notice her demeanor, Elder?"
The Elder then spoke with a strong and intense tone, uttering the name "Watatsumi."
Watatsumi remained quiet and didn't speak, while the Elder turned his gaze towards the young woman and spoke, "You may go now, Toyatama-hime. However, this will be the final time."
Toyatama-hime agreed with a nod and added, "Alright, Elder. Besides, I have lost my fascination with this world after observing it for two centuries."
Once Toyatama-hime had departed, the Elder turned his attention to Watatsumi and firmly admonished him, "You must contemplate your actions. Your impatience is hindering your better judgment. You seem to have forgotten that we became a part of this world upon our arrival here. Our longevity is only possible because of Ryugu-jo. Do you still recall the final words of Ryujin-sama, that Toyatama-hime would be the next ruler and the one who would restore our clan's former glory? Reflect on this and do not leave until you grasp the truth."
The Elder glanced at the blue-colored dome, reminiscent of the color of water, and muttered, "Ryujin-sama, our time is running out."
------------------ In Konoha Hospital -------------------------
"Yes, this is only part one, and there is still a part two to come."
"Pardon me?"
"There still more to it?"
Everyone, including the normally composed sensei Danzo, displayed shock on their faces, leaving everyone in a state of disbelief. As I looked at each person's expression, an unconscious smile formed on my lips.
I nodded and said, "Yes, after breaking the genjutsu, I noted the inscription at the center of the chamber and erased the inscription on the ground along with any traces. Just after that, three men dressed in black clothes arrived, carrying three large boxes.
They carried the boxes carelessly, perhaps because they did not expect me to be present or assumed that I had been rendered unconscious by the genjutsu. As soon as I noticed their arrival, I quickly disappeared into the darkness of the chamber. Even though torches provided some illumination, they were not enough to fully illuminate the area, leaving several dark spots that were perfect for concealing oneself.
After observing them for a few seconds, I pinpointed my first target and launched a surprise attack from behind, which proved fatal and killed him. As predicted, the other two members reacted swiftly to my assault, retreating and assuming a battle-ready position.
Upon seeing me clearly, both individuals were taken aback. One of them pointed a finger in my direction and exclaimed, "You were supposed to be dead. How can you still be alive?"
The other person quickly regained their composure and commanded their companion, "232, prepare for battle. We must eliminate him before 'number 2' arrives."
Upon hearing the mention of 'number 2', 232 became shivered but quickly regained composure and responded, "Understood 23. Let's swiftly conclude this battle as we have much work to do."
Based on 'number 23' has higher status and possibly stronger also. But I don't have much info on 'number 23'. I wanted to test their strength; so I used "Body Flicker Jutsu" to create after images.
I waited for them to fall into the trap I had set. Typically, when the human brain encounters unfamiliar things, it seeks to draw comparisons or comprehend what it is seeing. This can result in a lapse in concentration and a slower response time. Although I am uncertain if "number 23" will fall for this trick, I am confident that "number 232" will undoubtedly fall for it. If nobody falls for my trap, I have a means of escaping from my life, as I am already mentally and physically exhausted.
As I had anticipated, "number 232" fell into the trap, but I cannot confirm if "number 23" did as well. Therefore, I decided to prioritize attacking "number 232" first, and without any hesitation, I utilized my customized "body flicker jutsu" technique, leaving after images as I appeared directly in front of "number 232." With my right hand wielding a kunai, I swiftly plunged it into "number 232's" neck. Blood gushed out like a small fountain from the wound, and soon after, "number 232" collapsed onto the ground.
Without delay, I approached "number 23" to launch an attack before he had a chance to react. However, to my astonishment, he evaded my kunai just as it was about to make contact with his neck. His figure appeared blurred, and he appeared behind me, throwing a punch towards my back. Reacting quickly, I swerved to my right side, barely dodging his fist. The sheer force of his punch created ripples in the air as it missed its intended target.
I felt a rush of wind against my body, which made me realize how close I had come to being hit by the fearsome fist. If that punch had landed on me, I would have been finished. Suddenly, he changed tactics and aimed a strike towards my abdomen. With my body not being fast enough to dodge as it did before, I had no way to avoid the attack.
However, I braced myself for the impact and hardened the muscles in my abdomen. As expected, I was hit with a great force, which sent me hurtling backward like a stone shot from a slingshot. I slammed into the wall of the chamber, and the impact shook me to the core, causing blood to gush out of my mouth and make me vomit.
There is no option for me to quit, as it's a matter of survival - either become the hunter and hunt all the prey or become the prey and die. If I had a choice, I would opt for quitting, but unfortunately, that's not possible. However, I have the plan to increase my chances of survival - I will rely on the "Shadow Clone Jutsu", which is my only bet for survival.
In a split second, I formed a one-handed seal by crossing my left index and middle fingers. Within moments, over a hundred clones were created, filling the entire chamber. I planned to use them as a shield to escape and, if possible, attack him with the clones. I knew that if he were to survive, the organization might shift its focus toward me.
As he looked around and saw so many clones of myself filling the chamber, "number 23" was taken aback. His mouth hung open in shock, wide enough to fit a chicken egg. A hint of fear appeared on his face, and his body began to shiver lightly while drops of sweat formed on his forehead.
After observing him, I am confident that I was able to divert his attention away from me, but it came at a price. I used my shadow clones to intercept him and keep him occupied with battle. Meanwhile, I sent some other shadow clones to search for a way out and identify any potential dangers. This was necessary as I didn't have any chakra to spare.
At first, he managed to overpower my shadow clones despite being surrounded by a multitude of them. However, their numbers began to dwindle gradually. At this rate, I estimated that I had approximately seven minutes before all of my shadow clones vanished.
Five minutes later, the situation started to turn in our favor. My shadow clones were finally overpowering him. Meanwhile, the clones I had sent to search for a safe route had returned with good news. I selected three clones to accompany me and dispatched the rest to assist the others in defeating him.
Taking a few steps towards the exit, I suddenly felt a strong and murderous gaze directed towards me, sending shivers down my spine. It was clear that the only person in this chamber capable of emanating such a powerful killing intent was "number 23," so I turned to face him.
As our eyes met, he yelled at me with a voice filled with malice, "Don't even consider leaving this place. This place will be your grave."
Instantly, I sensed the danger and rushed towards the exit. As I approached one of the three pathways, the earth suddenly sealed them shut, just like the hidden pathway I had taken before.
I felt a suffocating sense of terror and frustration as I realized I was buried alive in the underground chamber, with no way out. I searched for him throughout the entire chamber, but he was nowhere to be found as if he seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Just then, I noticed a bright, fiery orange and red flame ball at the center of the dome. As I looked closer, I saw that "number 23" was hanging down with the lower half of his body merged with the earth. He was holding a bright flame ball which grew larger as time passed. In just a few seconds, the flame ball grew to the size of a football.
Once the flame ball had grown to the size of a football, it stopped expanding, and "number 23" turned to face me. In the intense brightness of the flame, I could see his pale face, possibly a result of overexertion. He began to laugh maniacally and said, "You should have fled at the beginning of this fight instead of waiting. Now you will pay with your life."
As he launched the fiery ball at me, I quickly scanned my surroundings and noticed that I still had thirty shadow clones at my disposal. With their help, I created a multi-layer shield made of earth and water to deflect the incoming attack. This involved using a combination of two jutsu simultaneously, and was only possible thanks to the assistance of my shadow clones. The shield consisted of a thick layer of earth on the outside, followed by a mud wall that could cushion and deflect the flame away from me.
As soon as the flame ball made contact with the shield, it exploded, unleashing a scorching blaze that melted my earth barrier in an instant, leaving only the mud wall. Within seconds, the multi-layered defense was destroyed, leaving me vulnerable to the flames, which quickly began to burn and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
As the flames engulfed and scorched me, I felt as if a million bullet ants were biting me at the same time. Just then, I heard a voice say, "I have taken a liking to you." when I was about to lose consciousness.
And that brings us to an end of part two, concluding the entire story of my journey."