"Yahiko, who do you think that person talking to Jiraiya-sensei is?" asked the blue-haired girl in a hushed tone.
"I think he's probably a Konoha ninja, but why is he wearing that mask on his face? Is it because he's ugly?" Yahiko replied after pondering for a moment, still looking down.
"Konoha ninja!" Nagato, the red-haired boy who had been silent, suddenly trembled and couldn't bring himself to look at the Konoha Anbu ninja outside. He was haunted by memories of his parents' deaths and immediately clutched Yahiko, huddling on the ground in fear.
"Nagato, are you okay?" The blue-haired girl noticed Nagato's distress and asked with concern.
"Nagato, do you feel unwell? I'll go find Jiraiya-sensei right away. Konan, stay with Nagato here," Yahiko decided to check on Nagato's condition, as he seemed to be in trouble.
But as he turned around, Nagato suddenly reached out and grabbed his clothes tightly, his face filled with fear. "Don't go, you'll be killed, don't go..."
"Nagato..." Seeing Nagato like this, Konan was heartbroken and anxious, feeling helpless.
"Don't worry, Nagato, I won't die," Yahiko assured Nagato confidently with a reassuring smile. His smile was infectious, and it helped alleviate Nagato's fear. He slowly released his grip on Yahiko's hand.
"What's going on?" At that moment, Jiraiya returned to the house and noticed something was wrong with Nagato. He approached them with concern.
When Jiraiya returned, Yahiko and Konan found solace and quickly explained the situation
Seeing that the Konoha Anbu ninja didn't enter, Nagato calmed down again and forced a smile at Jiraiya, assuring him that he was fine.
"If you're feeling unwell, Nagato, you must let me know. I happen to know a very skilled medical ninja, and she's also incredibly beautiful. She's probably the most beautiful woman in the world. With her help, any ailment can be cured..." Jiraiya expressed his concern for Nagato and then couldn't resist boasting about Tsunade's exceptional medical abilities.
"Jiraiya-sensei is at it again. You really have a thing for that lady named Tsunade," Konan teased.
"Yeah, it's gotta be love. Otherwise, why would you always bring her up? And I've caught you giving that picture of her a strange smile more than once..." Yahiko joined in, playfully revealing some embarrassing moments of Jiraiya's past.
"Yahiko, don't speak nonsense, kid. I didn't..." Jiraiya attempted to defend himself, but it was too late. Yahiko had already slipped away.
The two of them quickly chased after Yahiko around the room.
Konan cheered Yahiko on from the sidelines, enjoying the playful scene.
Watching the three friends banter in the room, Nagato felt a sense of happiness wash over him. With a content smile, he thought to himself, "This is wonderful. I wish we could live like this forever..."
...
As midnight approached, Jiraiya suddenly opened his eyes and got up quietly, careful not to disturb the third child sleeping nearby.
Using the Shadow Clone Technique, he left a shadow clone under his bed and glanced fondly at the sleeping children. With a smile, he left the room quietly.
Outside the house, the Konoha Anbu ninja who had visited earlier during the day swiftly appeared before him.
"Have you located the target?" Jiraiya asked in a hushed tone.
"The target of the mission is now in a small town tens of kilometers away, and our operatives are monitoring him," the Anbu ninja confirmed.
"Excellent. Lead the way," Jiraiya replied with a smile, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Earlier in the day, he had received a mission briefing from the Anbu ninja, and he was eager to fulfill it. He had a strong intuition that persuading Masanari Hattori to cooperate with Konoha could bring much-needed peace to the country.
He felt energized at the prospect of contributing to peace, despite his earlier feelings of powerlessness during his journey in search of the Son of Prophecy. While he had yet to find the prophesied individual, he believed more than ever in the prophecy's validity. And until that day came, if he could help bring even a little peace to the world, he would fight tirelessly for it.
"Let's hope for a smooth operation. This country has suffered for far too long and deserves peace," Jiraiya remarked, gazing up at the falling rain with a sigh.
-----
Meanwhile, in a small town where most buildings lay in ruins, Kirito's white clone assumed the role of Hattori Masanari, sitting alone in an izakaya.
To his surprise, he noticed several ninja from other countries silently following him. Though they posed no immediate threat, their presence was irksome.
Suddenly, Kirito sensed two jounin-level Chakras approaching him rapidly. A handsome red-haired man and a beautiful woman entered the izakaya, both wearing forehead protectors from the Hidden Sand Village.
The red-haired man, Chisha, introduced himself and politely requested Kirito's presence for an important discussion. However, Kirito scoffed at the manner in which Chisha addressed him, criticizing the use of a puppet to convey the message.
Unfazed by Kirito's taunts, Akasa attempted to attack him, but before he could act, Kirito immobilized him with a massive water sphere.
"You're quite impatient. Just a moment ago, you were speaking of having a dialogue. Seems like you're in a rush to kill me," Kirito remarked coldly, observing the puppet he controlled from within the Water Prison Technique.
As he spoke, Kirito clapped his hands together, summoning a wall of water to shield himself from a barrage of poison-laden projectiles launched by the puppet disguised as a black-haired beauty at the door.
Simultaneously, the other patrons of the izakaya fled in a panic, leaving Kirito and the two Sand Shinobi alone.
"Indeed, your Water Escape jutsu is quite renowned. sealess Water Escape ninjutsu truly lives up to its reputation," commented the Sand Shinobi known as Red Sand Chisha, dropping down from the roof and appearing behind Kirito. His hands and fingers were connected by fine chakra lines, controlling four humanoid puppets simultaneously.
Beside him, the black-haired beauty also manipulated four puppets with chakra threads connected to her fingertips.
Each puppeteer's strength was measured by the number of puppets they could control simultaneously. Those who could manage two puppets were considered competent, while those controlling four were considered elite.
The two Sand Shinobi were clearly elite puppet masters, skilled in the art of killing.
Kirito remained unfazed by the siege, calmly seated and sipping his drink. "You Sunagakure shinobi have a unique way of greeting," he remarked calmly.
"We apologize. How about staying in place and feel our sincere treatment"
Apologizing for the earlier deception, Chisha and his wife, Sha Lan, exchanged a glance before directing their puppets to launch a coordinated attack on Kirito.
However, Kirito's demeanor remained unchanged. He faced the onslaught of poisoned projectiles and explosives with composure.
Meanwhile, the true purpose behind Chisha and Sha Lan's mission was far from noble. Their primary objective : they aimed to recruit him to their cause by first capturing him to seal his brain. failling that, it was best to eliminate Kirito, posing as Hattori Masanari.
The battle between Kirito and Tsunade had not escaped the notice of the major ninja villages. Both Sand and Rock Villages were closely monitoring the situation, recognizing the potential threat posed by a powerful ninja emerging from Amegakure.
Sand Village, in particular, viewed Amegakure as a strategic target due to its abundant water resources. They had clashed with Amegakure numerous times in attempts to seize control of the Land of Rain.
With their limited resources, Sand Village couldn't afford to support another powerful ninja like Kirito. Instead, they preferred to eliminate him to prevent Amegakure from becoming a significant threat.
Thus, they dispatched elite puppet masters, Chisha and Sha Lan, to assassinate Hattori Masanari—or rather, Kirito—in a bid to neutralize the perceived threat posed by Sunagakure.
.
...
Kirito's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. He was outnumbered and surrounded, but he remained composed, his mind sharp and focused.
As Chisha and Shalan closed in, Kirito knew he had to act decisively. With a swift movement, he formed hand seals, channeling chakra with precision.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Two powerful water dragons surged forth from Kirito's hands, roaring towards his adversaries with formidable force. The water crashed against the puppets, sending them flying backward with a resounding impact.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Kirito leaped into action. He darted across the riverbank with agility, his movements fluid and graceful.
Chisha and Shalan quickly regained their composure, rallying their puppets to give chase. The pursuit continued, with Kirito leading them on a daring chase through the rugged terrain.
However, Kirito had no intention of remaining a target. With calculated precision, he evaded their pursuit, leaping onto the roof of a nearby building and swiftly making his escape towards the river.
Undeterred, Chisha and Sha Lan pursued Kirito relentlessly. As the chase continued, Kirito's murderous intent emanated
Finally, Kirito came to a halt at the edge of a steep cliff, the rushing waters of the river below churning furiously. He turned to face his pursuers
"It seems you two are determined to die here," Kirito remarked, his voice calm but tinged with murder intent.
The thoughts of the two at this time are self-evident.
I, Tohsaka Kirito, is a fair man
I gave you the chance to leave
Chisha and Shalan exchanged a silent glance, their expressions hardened. They were prepared to do whatever it took to accomplish their mission, even if it meant facing off against a formidable opponent like Kirito.
"Then let me show you how terrifying the strength of the water ninja is in places with water," Kirito said coldly.
The next moment, he clapped his hands, and powerful chakra erupted from him.
The big river behind him suddenly gushed out a large amount of water, rushing into the sky.
A huge waterfall fell from the sky in an instant.
The Technique of Water Escape - Great Waterfall!
A large amount of water fell, suddenly forming a terrifying flood.
Chi Sha and Sha Lan couldn't dodge at all and were washed away by the flood before they could run a certain distance, even the puppet with them.
When the flood passed, the formation formed by the two with the puppets had been washed away, and many puppets fell far away from them.
Here's the corrected version:
At the same time, the surrounding environment turned into a swamp, and the water level reached their waists.
Struggling in the water, Chisha and Shalan stood up with difficulty, quickly waving their fingers, attempting to use the chakra lines connected to the puppets to gather the scattered ones around them.
But Kirito's new ninjutsu was already completed, leaving them no chance to regroup.
Two huge water vortices suddenly appeared, engulfing Chisha, Shalan, and their puppets.
Water Escape·Double vortex!
Chisha and Shalan struggled in the immense vortex of water, but their puppet skills were useless against the formidable force of the water. In desperation, they abandoned puppetry and resorted to ninjutsu to save themselves.
As elite jōnin from Hidden Sand, they were proficient not only in puppetry but also in evasion techniques. However, compared to the effectiveness of puppetry in combat, they rarely utilized ninjutsu.
Chisha mastered the chakra properties of earth escape and wind escape, while Shalan mastered fire escape and thunder escape.
Chisha began to form seals, using earth ninjutsu he hadn't employed in a while.
Earth Escape · Earth Flow Wall!
A massive earth wall emerged beneath him, propelling him out of the water vortex.
However, as he escaped one perilous situation, he found himself plunged into another. Five colossal water dragons surrounded him, their silent roars echoing ominously.
"Experience despair, the consequence of challenging me," Kirito coldly declared from atop one of the water dragons.
The remaining four water dragons charged at Chisha.
Water Escape·Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Chisha hastily formed seals and attempted to use Tudun Tuliubi once more. However, he could only erect two earth walls for defense.
The puppet he summoned with a psychic scroll managed to shield him from one water dragon, but the last one he could only dodge.
"Too naïve," Kirito sneered at Chisha's struggles.
Within seconds, Kirito completed the seals once more and unleashed the water dragon bullet technique again.
Another water dragon emerged from the vortex, ensnaring Chisha in mid-air and slamming him into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Chisha lay unconscious at the center of the pit as the surrounding water swiftly engulfed it, his blood staining the turbid water.
"Chisha!"
Meanwhile, Sha Lan freed herself from the water vortex using self-mutilation and a wind escape ninjutsu that created a tornado, her cry filled with anger and grief.
"It's your turn now," Kirito said coldly, completing the seals for another water dragon bullet technique.
"Unforgivable!" Sha Lan yelled angrily, attempting to use a powerful thunder escape ninjutsu to retaliate against Kirito.
Before she could complete the seals, however, she was ensnared by a water dragon emerging from below, halting her ninjutsu release.
The water dragon lifted her into the air and then slammed her heavily onto the ground.
With bruises covering her body, Sha Lan glanced at where Chisha had fallen before losing consciousness.
"Master Chisha, Lady Shalan!" Some nearby Sand Shinobi, mainly Chunin, could no longer stay hidden and rushed forward.
But before Kirito intervened, Rain Ninja who had already arrived blocked their advance, denying them access to the battlefield.
"You fools dare to challenge Lord Masanari ?"
"Know your place, Sand Shinobi. You've lost this unfair battle through your own despicable tactics."
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