A Sudden Ambush
It happened too fast.
With Haruto Saito's current strength, there was no way he could react effectively.
Pain.
It erupted from his chest, spreading outward like wildfire—so intense that it bordered on numbness. This was the first time in his life that he had ever felt such agony—the pain of being stabbed through the heart!
The thick mist enveloped the lake, and a shadowy figure emerged—his dark mask blending seamlessly with the fog. Like a specter crawling out from the abyss, he loomed over Haruto.
Only after the pain registered did Haruto finally see his attacker clearly.
The man's eyes were devoid of emotion.
Name: Uesugi Kama (The Hookless Scythe)
Affiliation: A-rank Missing-nin from Kirigakure, A-rank Black Market Assassin
Reputation: 10,821
Attitude: Hostile
"A black market assassin… and an elite Jōnin at that!"
The realization struck Haruto like lightning. His body trembled involuntarily from the pain—breathing became difficult, and his thoughts grew sluggish.
"This mission was too easy… just a small fry," Uesugi Kama sneered, his voice laced with amusement.
With a swift motion, he ripped the blade from Haruto's chest, the sound of tearing flesh sending shivers through the air.
Haruto staggered backward, his hands clutching at his bleeding heart as he slowly collapsed onto the water's surface.
Uesugi Kama stood proudly atop the lake, watching his victim fall, as though admiring his own artistry. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and meticulously wiped the blood from his blade.
His gaze was icy yet filled with a twisted excitement—he lived for moments like these.
As a merciless killer, he sought perfection in his craft: a single, fatal strike—clean, precise, and irreversible. But he also loved watching his prey in their final moments—that desperate struggle, the dawning realization that death was inevitable.
Uesugi Kama rarely needed a second strike.
For him, a one-hit kill was the pinnacle of an assassin's art.
"You bastard… you're the one who's dead!"
Haruto inhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay conscious. He reached into his inventory space and retrieved an Elementary Healing Card—a special item only he could see.
Lying limply on the water's surface, his head lowered, he brought the card to his mouth and bit down.
Crack!
A surge of restorative energy coursed through his body, rapidly knitting together his severed heart and healing his mortal wound.
Splash!
The lake's surface broke open—Haruto deliberately released his chakra, causing his body to sink into the water, drifting toward the depths.
The fog remained thick.
Uesugi Kama frowned slightly.
He had overlooked one detail—his mission wasn't just to kill Haruto.
He was supposed to hang the corpse from the gates of Konoha as a message.
Now, with Haruto's body sinking into the lake, he had no choice but to dive in and retrieve it.
Haruto was trying to escape.
Although he had healed his wound, his odds of defeating an elite Jōnin were less than 50%. His plan had been to pretend to die, wait for Uesugi Kama to leave, and then return to shore to call for ANBU reinforcements.
The only way to ask for help was to first get away from Uesugi Kama.
If he showed any sign of life, his attacker would instantly finish him off.
But Haruto hadn't expected one thing—
Uesugi Kama followed him into the water!
Beneath the Surface…
The assassin moved swiftly, gliding through the water, closing in on Haruto's motionless body.
"This guy is an idiot!"
Haruto wanted to laugh, but he couldn't.
Fate had just gifted him an opportunity.
A chance to kill an elite Jōnin!
Yes, he had taken a direct hit, but if he succeeded… the rewards would be several times greater!
After all, he had only spent one Elementary Healing Card.
Water battles were different.
Underwater, speed, reaction time, and mobility were all reduced. Even ninjutsu effectiveness was weakened due to the resistance of water.
Twenty meters deep.
Haruto's limp body finally touched the lakebed. His eyes were vacant, his limbs sprawled lifelessly.
Seconds later, Uesugi Kama reached him and grabbed his wrist, preparing to drag him back to shore.
That's when Haruto struck.
Chakra exploded from his body!
Uesugi Kama's expression shifted instantly—he had been tricked!
By instinct, he tried to draw his blade to finish Haruto off—
But he was underwater.
His movements were slower.
His blade was slower.
His reflexes were slower.
He couldn't even pull away because Haruto had locked onto his arm!
They were too close.
"Shikotsumyaku: Kinko no Mai!"
(Dead Bone Pulse: Dance of the Golden Amber!)
Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk!
Haruto's Kekkei Genkai—Shikotsumyaku—erupted!
Razor-sharp bone spikes burst from his knees, elbows, shoulders, ribs—
A forest of bone spears impaled Uesugi Kama from every direction!
In an instant, his skull was pierced through.
His chest was punctured.
His stomach was ripped open.
A bloody cloud spread through the water, dyeing it deep crimson.
He was dead.
Fixed in place by Haruto's bone spikes, his lifeless corpse floated in suspension, his hand still gripping his half-drawn sword.
A perfect kill.