Chapter 124: Please Stand Further Away, Be Careful Not to Get Splattered
Feeling the strong tremors from outside, the expressions of the few people present turned serious.
"Forgive my rudeness, Princess Koyuki, please hold on tight to me."
A Snow Ninja apologized, then carried Kazahana Koyuki on his back.
Under the cover of several Snow Ninja, they quickly departed.
BOOM!!
By the time they emerged from the secret passage to the outside, the vicinity was already filled with the deafening sound of explosions and chaotic shouts.
Several warehouses used for storage had caught fire, causing chaos among the people on the street.
The scorching flames dyed the night sky red, also illuminating several figures in the distance, fleeing and pursuing.
"It's them! After them!"
"They're over there, don't let them escape!!"
Kazahana Koyuki, carried on the Snow Ninja's back, saw those Snow Ninja responsible for attracting attention being surrounded, then fearlessly engaging the enemy in battle.
An intense sense of guilt and remorse made Koyuki turn her head away, unable to bear watching those fallen Snow Ninja.
Simultaneously, her grip on the Snow Ninja beneath her tightened.
"Am I... really worth them protecting with their lives?"
Asama Sandayū beside her also keenly sensed her unusual state.
"Please rest assured, Princess. Even if we have to lay down our lives, we will protect your safety."
Sandayū finished speaking with a resonant tone.
He then led the Snow Ninja beside him, using the shadows of buildings to avoid the Snow Ninja in the city, and quickly scaled the high walls of Snow City.
Racing through the forest, before them lay an expanse of snow-covered plains.
And several figures on snowmobiles appeared before them.
"They're here!"
Asama Sandayū's face lit up upon seeing them. He called out to everyone: "Those are ninja I hired from the Land of Grass! Everyone, get on the snowmobiles quickly!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the several Snow Ninja also hurriedly picked up their pace.
By the time they boarded the snowmobiles, the explosions and chaotic sounds behind them had already faded.
Clearly, the commotion stirred up by those Snow Ninja had been suppressed.
It wouldn't be long before those pursuers reacted.
Kazahana Koyuki, Asama Sandayū, and one Snow Ninja sat in the largest snowmobile of the convoy.
"Sir, everyone has arrived. We can leave now."
Sandayū looked at the figure driving the snowmobile in front, speaking gently: "After you take us to the port, Sir, I will present the payment as promised."
He originally wanted to commission Konoha's Jōnin to help Princess Koyuki reclaim her position as ruler of the Land of Snow.
But for some unknown reason, Konoha actually rejected his commission request.
He had no choice but to turn to hiring ninja from Kusagakure.
This way, they could only send Princess Koyuki out of the Land of Snow first; retaking her position as ruler would have to be a long-term plan.
"Take you to the port, huh?"
The Grass Ninja leader driving the snowmobile paused, then glanced back, saying meaningfully: "Of course, no problem. But as for the payment..."
Sandayū's eye twitched upon hearing this.
This bunch of opportunistic, untrustworthy fence-sitters.
If not for having no one else available, he really wouldn't want to hire them.
But now, under duress, he had to yield.
"Please rest assured, Sir. Your share has already been prepared."
"Haha, good! We Grass Ninja are the most trustworthy! We will definitely get you safely to the port."
The Grass Ninja leader chuckled, then, knowing when to stop, turned his head back to the front, his expression also becoming serious.
They didn't need to fight the Snow Ninja head-on, just escort the target safely to the Land of Snow's port.
This was a surefire profitable deal!
But just as the group was advancing,
"Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!"
The originally fine, gentle snowflakes now seemed to be manipulated.
Like sharp shuriken, they cut through the air with a whistling sound, fiercely assailing the snowmobiles of Kazahana Koyuki and her group.
Hiss hiss hiss!
"Princess!"
Sandayū lunged, shielding the stunned Kazahana Koyuki beneath him.
Sharp snow shuriken embedded themselves deeply into the snow and the snowmobiles.
They also inflicted numerous fine cuts on everyone.
"Ah!!"
The pained cries of Snow Ninja and Grass Ninja sounded continuously.
Kazahana Koyuki, protected beneath Sandayū, was already pale with fright.
Her blue eyes trembled slightly, her face filled with helplessness and fear.
"They're here! They're here!"
In a daze, her father's tragic face at the time of his death reappeared before her eyes.
But this time, it was no longer a nightmare, but reality.
When the attack gradually subsided,
"Heehee!"
A giggle came from above, also snapping the few of them back to their senses.
"Damn it! How did they catch up so quickly?!"
The Grass Ninja leader shook his head, looking angrily towards the direction of the laughter.
The snowmobiles they were driving also stopped. The people on board frantically assessed the current situation.
"Is this all you have to rely on? A few Grass Ninja who are like trash?"
Looking up, everyone saw a female Snow Ninja in armor appear on the mountainside, looking down at them with disdain.
"What kind of joke is this?"
The Grass Ninja leader said angrily: "Our Kusagakure is the Sixth Great Ninja Village! Just you alone..."
But before he could finish,
Swish swish swish!
Several black shadows flashed past, and over twenty men in armor, with sturdy builds, appeared behind the female Snow Ninja.
Their armor was all embedded with a blue circular core, and it also looked very cumbersome.
Logically, this kind of armor should reduce the wearer's speed.
But the movements of those burly Snow Ninja were, on the contrary, quite swift.
Splurt!!
A blast of cold air shot out from the arm armor of a burly Snow Ninja, his fist actually rocketing fiercely towards the Grass Ninja leader and his men.
"Fire Style: Exploding Palm!!"
BOOM!!
The palm-shaped flame collided with the fist carrying cold air, instantly erupting in a powerful explosion.
The violent explosive aftershock forced the Grass Ninja leader to stagger back several steps.
The Grass Ninja leader's face also changed from anger to embarrassment.
"Damn it, why do these guys feel even stronger than me?!"
He was one of Kusagakure's few Jōnin!
He initially accepted the mission because, besides the generous commission Sandayū promised, he also believed the little-known Land of Snow wouldn't have any strong combatants.
But, judging from these past two strikes,
Fighting over twenty Snow Ninja on a snowfield – he had indeed been too arrogant.
"Indeed, you simply don't know the power of Snow Ninja."
The female Snow Ninja spoke disdainfully: "Hand over the Hexagonal Crystal, and I can spare your lives."
...Hexagonal Crystal?
Kazahana Koyuki subconsciously looked down at her neck.
There hung a crystal necklace of irregular shape.
This was the only memento her father left her, but even she didn't know its use.
"Hexagonal Crystal? This group of Snow Ninja went to all this trouble just for the Hexagonal Crystal?"
A look of doubt also flashed in the Grass Ninja leader's eyes, immediately followed by a thoughtful expression.
Perhaps handing over the so-called Hexagonal Crystal could allow them to reach the port more safely, avoiding a head-on conflict with the Snow Ninja?
But before he could say anything,
"You despicable traitors!"
Sandayū rushed to the front of the snowmobile convoy, roaring angrily at the numerous Snow Ninja: "Even if I die, I will never submit to you!!"
The Hexagonal Crystal was the only memento Kazahana Sōsetsu left behind! And according to Kazahana Dotō, the Hexagonal Crystal seemed to be related to the Land of Snow's secret treasure.
Regardless of whether the Land of Snow's secret treasure was real or fake, Sandayū, as a loyal subject of the Land of Snow, would not hand the Hexagonal Crystal over to Kazahana Dotō.
As soon as these words were spoken, the female Snow Ninja immediately showed an angry expression.
"Courting death!"
She began to form hand seals, shouting angrily: "Ice Release: Ice-Breaking White Tiger!!"
The blue core on her chest flashed with light, and an even stronger chakra fluctuation appeared.
In an instant, wind and snow descended. A massive white tiger of frost roared and lunged towards the Grass Ninja leader.
"Th-this..."
The intense oppressive feeling from the Ice Release ninjutsu made everyone, including the Grass Ninja leader, find it difficult to breathe, their faces showing terror.
Although he was indeed a Jōnin in Kusagakure,
With his strength, he would only be Chūnin level in the Five Great Ninja Villages.
And that female Snow Ninja definitely possessed the strength of a Jōnin from the Five Great Ninja Villages!!
Realizing that with their strength, they couldn't contend with the Snow Ninja,
"No, I have to escape!"
The Grass Ninja leader used a Body Flicker and vanished directly from the spot.
Yet he exposed Asama Sandayū and Kazahana Koyuki behind him.
"Bastard! You..."
Sandayū reacted. Too late to curse the Grass Ninja's heartlessness, he shielded Princess Koyuki beneath him.
Just as the two helplessly, fearfully awaited death's arrival,
BOOM!!
An explosion suddenly sounded before the two, a whistling, bone-chilling cold wind blowing straight at them.
Under the shroud of the death threat, Kazahana Koyuki shut her eyes tightly, her face also becoming exceptionally pale.
But after waiting for a long time, not a trace of pain came.
Instead, a somewhat gentle voice, mixed with the biting cold wind, reached her.
"Rather than fleeing so wretchedly, why not try my method, how about it?"
Hearing this unfamiliar voice, Kazahana Koyuki and Asama Sandayū couldn't help but be stunned.
The smoke, dust, and snow gradually dispersed.
A figure in a gray cloak appeared before everyone.
That figure, from Kazahana Koyuki's upward-looking perspective, seemed exceptionally tall. An inexplicable sense of security also welled up in her heart.
"Oh? So this fellow is your trump card?"
The female Snow Ninja on high couldn't help but show surprise upon seeing this.
However, it was only for a brief moment.
Immediately, she smiled disdainfully: "Unfortunately, no matter who comes, it's meaningless."
This was the confidence her chakra armor gave her!
Possessing this suit of armor, plus the Land of Snow's unique environment,
With the strength of their dozens, as long as they weren't facing those 'Kage', there would be no problem.
Facing the female Snow Ninja's arrogance, the man made no response.
"Princess Koyuki, please stand further away."
He turned his head to look at Kazahana Koyuki, speaking gently: "Otherwise, you might get splattered with blood."
Asama Sandayū snapped back to reality and quickly pulled Kazahana Koyuki further back.
Although he didn't know who this man before him was, he presumably was a friend on their side.
However, the female Snow Ninja didn't recognize him, and Sandayū didn't recognize him either.
This didn't mean the Grass Ninja leader, a Jōnin from Kusagakure, didn't recognize him.
"Th-this fellow..."
Looking at the iconic three-eyed cat-face mask, the Grass Ninja leader's eyes instantly widened.
"Crimson Moon, Ame-no-Minakanushi?!"
The instant his voice fell,
Vrooom!
Against the backdrop of the dark night and white snow, a piercing, dense sound of tearing wind suddenly echoed in mid-air.
If one looked closely, one would notice something strange.
The snowflakes falling from the sky, as if touching something, were actually cut perfectly in half.
Vaguely, one could see several invisible, colorless, fine wind blades carrying a deadly aura.
"What is that? Wind Release ninjutsu?"
The female Snow Ninja was also surprised upon seeing this, then said with extreme arrogance: "Didn't I already say, whether it's ninjutsu or whatever, against us it's..."
However, halfway through her arrogant mockery,
Rustle rustle rustle~
Following a barely audible sound beside her ear,
The female Snow Ninja's mouth fell slightly agape, her expression also freezing in a daze.
An inexplicable, extremely strong sense of fear made her completely lose her voice, her body uncontrollably beginning to tremble.
And behind her, the faces of the burly Snow Ninja also gradually froze.
Splat!
The bodies of the Snow Ninja, as if tofu being sliced, were directly cut open by the invisible wind blades.
Hands, feet, heads, abdomens...
Blood gushed wildly from the cuts in their bodies, splattering onto the white snow on the ground, appearing exceptionally vivid, bewitching.
Their much-vaunted chakra armor didn't provide even a shred of resistance.
The female Snow Ninja's body stiffly, slowly turned her head.
Upon seeing the mangled, fragmented corpses, smelling the pungent, nauseating stench of blood,
"Hkk! Ahh!"
Her expression gradually became terrified, a sound of fear escaping her throat.
How... how is this possible?!!
The chakra armor... actually failed to block that kind of attack?!
Looking at the terrified, pale-faced female Snow Ninja, Menma smiled with no small satisfaction.
"I still prefer your previous unruly and untamed look."
He liked to grant true powerhouses respect and defeat.
But for some idiots who mistook ignorance for fearlessness, Menma loved to destroy their extremely fragile arrogance.
Just then.
"Ugh!"
The group behind Menma also came back to their senses, immediately vomiting at the extremely impactful scene.
Only the Grass Ninja leader and a few others with rich combat experience could somewhat maintain their composure when faced with this extremely bloody scene.
"Ugh! Princess Koyuki, don't look..."
Asama Sandayū, while vomiting, covered Kazahana Koyuki's eyes: "There's nothing good to see! Ugh-cough!"
This suddenly appeared adult... seems a bit unconcerned with trivialities!
But Kazahana Koyuki, smelling the extremely thick stench of blood, already couldn't stop herself from wanting to throw up.
Meanwhile, the female Snow Ninja also came back to her senses.
"Ah! You you you..."
She cried out in terror, a pair of wings actually unfurling from the chakra armor behind her.
Then she hurriedly tried to fly towards a higher altitude.
Menma just stood there quietly, saying calmly: "Tsukuyomi no Mikoto."
The instant his voice fell,
A figure wearing an identical mask instantly arrived beside Menma.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Scorching chakra surged into her throat, then, highly compressed, was spewed from her mouth.
Under the female Snow Ninja's terrified gaze, a roaring fire dragon lunged fiercely towards her.
But just then.
"Ice Release: Single Horn White Whale!"
The surrounding water suddenly solidified, eventually turning into a single-horned ice whale, which violently collided with the fire dragon.
BOOM!!
The collision of fire and ice generated steam that obscured everyone's vision.
When the thick steam dispersed,
The female Snow Ninja on the mountainside had already vanished, leaving only a mess of mangled flesh and bone fragments on the ground.
"No need to pursue."
Menma reached out a hand to stop Uchiha Izumi beside him, who was eager to move, saying gently: "No matter where she flees, the ending will be the same."
Uchiha Izumi heard this and silently retreated behind him, completely unlike the crazed beast from before.
"Sir."
Sandayū shielded Kazahana Koyuki behind him, bowing slightly with a respectful face: "May I ask who you are..."
But while bowing, he also touched the small short sword at his cuff.
Menma merely smiled at Kazahana Koyuki behind Sandayū.
"No need to be nervous, Mr. Asama. Your defenses are meaningless."
Then he looked at Sandayū, saying nonchalantly: "As for my identity..."
"Presumably, that Grass Ninja behind you should know very well."
(End of Chapter)
---
Read up to 25 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*