Chapter 142
2-in-1-chapter
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The mist clung to Ringo Ameyuri's reddish-brown hair, dampening the tips. Her long hair was tied up into twin braids that stood upright like rabbit ears, one on each side, perfectly symmetrical, like the paired blades she carried—Lightning Blades: Kiba, one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, and the only set among them forged as a pair.
She followed behind Hōzuki Mangetsu, her steps so light and springy that she seemed ready to skip forward at any moment. Her upright braids swayed back and forth, a clear sign of her cheerful mood.
As for why she was so happy, the Mist-nin in the group all understood. The so-called prodigy of Lightning Release was notorious for her love of battle. Everyone in Kirigakure knew she was a fight maniac. Even the children knew that the big sister with the twin braids was terrifying when she started swinging her swords.
At the recent council meeting, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had assigned Mangetsu to lead a detachment of Mist-nin to support the Konoha shinobi, thereby fulfilling the treaty signed between the two villages. Yagura had also given Mangetsu limited authority to select his own companions.
On that occasion, Mangetsu had spoken two names. One of them was Ringo Ameyuri.
"Ameyuri, control yourself. We're still inside the village. It'll be some time before you get the chance to cut anyone down." Mangetsu had noticed the excitement building behind him and warned her. As someone of similar temperament, he knew all too well that if Ameyuri's battle lust grew too intense and no enemy presented itself, she might very well turn her blades on her own comrades.
People like them, once carried away, could lose themselves in the ecstasy of combat.
It was the same as his grandfather, the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Genji, who chose to fight to the bitter end and drag the Second Tsuchikage down with him, rather than retreat, even though that battle did not require such a desperate sacrifice. It was unlike the Third Raikage, who knowingly faced down over ten thousand Iwa-nin alone for three days and three nights to allow his comrades to escape, ultimately perishing only when his stamina ran out.
"Will it really take that long?"
Ameyuri scrunched her face in dissatisfaction, but within three seconds she was smiling again. "It's fine. I have Chihaya with me. She'll fight alongside me."
Mangetsu blinked, recalling who Chihaya referred to. "Uchiha Chihaya? Ameyuri, you're close with her?"
"We're friends."
Ameyuri's reply was swift and certain.
"Friends?"
This time Mangetsu's expression twisted as though he had just seen a ghost.
"If you're friends, why do you fight each other with real blades?"
"Of course we do!"
Hearing Ameyuri's firm answer left Mangetsu momentarily speechless. So that was what people called love mixed with rivalry—astonishing.
"But Chihaya is very strong. I can't kill her yet. In fact, I've nearly been cut down by her several times. Luckily my Lightning Body Flicker Technique has improved a lot lately. Wind Release does restrain Lightning Release, but only in the clash of blades. Chihaya's wind still can't interfere with the lightning coursing inside me. Sooner or later, I'll surpass her in speed."
As she spoke, arcs of electricity crackled along Ameyuri's body.
An instant later, she activated Lightning Body Flicker, and her speed was so great that even Mangetsu barely caught sight of her. Too excited to tolerate what she considered Mangetsu's sluggish pace, she shot off like an arrow loosed from the string, rushing uncontrollably toward the Konoha delegation's compound.
"So fast!"
"I couldn't even see her!"
"No wonder she's called the prodigy of Lightning Release. Even the shinobi of Kumogakure would be hard-pressed to match her skill in lightning techniques."
The Jōnin in the group muttered among themselves, marveling at Ameyuri's strength.
"Hey, seriously? Ameyuri, your rate of improvement is ridiculous!" Mangetsu shouted as he saw the streak of lightning vanish into the mist, quickly giving chase. Though shocked by her progress, he also felt the weight of pressure pressing down on him.
For now, he could still barely follow the trace of her movements.
But if Ameyuri grew even stronger, if she really surpassed him, how could he show his face in the village again? A pang of envy struck him—envy that Ameyuri had a companion like Uchiha Chihaya, someone with whom she could clash in earnest without holding back.
Battle was the quickest path to strength.
That had been the life creed of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Genji.
But now was not the time for reflection. Watching the lightning streak surge onward without slowing, straight toward the Konoha compound, Mangetsu shouted at the top of his voice:
"Ameyuri, stop!"
"Up ahead is the Konoha delegation's compound."
"Stop, you idiot!"
No matter how loudly Hōzuki Mangetsu called after her, it was useless. The girl was already riled up and could not wait to charge in to spar with her friend. His words went in one ear and out the other. What left Mangetsu helpless was that he could only just keep up with Ringo Ameyuri's Lightning Style: Body Flicker speed. As for surpassing her—he was incapable of that.
At that time, the Konoha shinobi had assembled in the courtyard, waiting for their commander to appear and issue orders.
Before Rēn showed himself, however, the thunderclaps from outside the compound caught their attention. The sensory ninja extended their perception and quickly detected Ringo Ameyuri closing in, with Hōzuki Mangetsu and a large group of Mist-nin following behind.
"What is going on? Are the Mist-nin planning to abandon the alliance?"
Hyūga Masayuki opened his Byakugan and saw the Mist-nin charging toward them in force. He was shocked and enraged, and his first thought was that the Mist had turned coat, preparing to join forces with the Cloud against Konoha. He was not alone in his suspicion; many others shared the same thought and instinctively drew their weapons.
Killing intent—intangible yet unmistakable—spread heavily through the courtyard. If the Mist truly intended to betray them, then the Konoha shinobi would fight to the death to teach these traitors a bitter lesson.
It was at that moment that a streak of lightning burst through the open front gate, flashing into the courtyard.
Thud!
A Flaring Fan crashed down, embedding itself into the stone. Ringo Ameyuri slammed into it headlong and was thrown back the way she had come, sent flying out of the courtyard as quickly as she had charged in. Mangetsu, arriving just behind her, hastily liquefied with the Hydration Technique, dropping to the ground as a pool of water, narrowly avoiding sharing her fate.
"That was close."
Mangetsu reformed his body and wiped at nonexistent sweat from his brow.
"Will you tell me what you intended by this, Hōzuki Mangetsu?"
Rēn stood balanced on the tip of the Uchia Fan's handle, towering above, gazing down on Mangetsu. In the depths of his scarlet eyes gleamed a cold and merciless killing intent, as if one stood beneath an ancient glacier that had never thawed.
"This is a misunderstanding."
Mangetsu raised his hands to halt the advance of the troops behind him, then spread them wide to show that he carried no hostility. This prodigy of keen intelligence clearly understood how Ringo Ameyuri's actions could be interpreted, which was why he had rushed after her to stop her. But Ameyuri, worked up into a fervor, was not so easily restrained.
"Ameyuri came to spar with Uchiha Chihaya. They are close friends. These past days they have been training together often. Just now, the thought that she would soon be spending a long time on joint operations with Miss Chihaya left her too excited, and she lost control of herself."
"Chihaya's friend?"
Rēn turned his gaze toward Ameyuri, who now walked forward more calmly. A moment ago she had been thrown back by the Gunbai, which looked painful enough, yet the damage amounted only to scrapes and bruises. Having suffered time and again from Chihaya's Wind Style techniques, Ameyuri had shifted her Lightning Style training inward, focusing on enhancing her body's vitality. Her resistance to impact had grown significantly. That was the only reason the rebound from the Gunbai had not left her with broken bones.
"Uchiha Clan Head, is Chihaya not here?"
Though not badly hurt, the blow had been enough to clear Ameyuri's head. She now realized the foolishness of what she had just done. That she and Chihaya had become friends could only be explained by how alike they were in some ways: both exceptionally gifted, both obsessed with combat, and both with a mindset just a little out of step with ordinary people.
Her first words were not to explain her reckless charge, but to stand on tiptoe and peer around, looking for Chihaya.
And then—
"Ameyuri, why are you here?"
Uchiha Chihaya did indeed appear, her crimson eyes full of confusion as she looked at her friend.
"I came to help you fight the Cloud-nin!"
The two girls drew close and spoke together with easy familiarity. Their behavior proved they were indeed friends. Their bond might have differed in nuance from the usual definition of friendship, but it was nonetheless genuine. For Rēn, it was the first time he had seen Chihaya close to a female friend.
Seeing this, Rēn gestured with his hand, and the Konoha shinobi, still tense, allowed their guard to ease slightly. It seemed the Mist were not here to betray the alliance after all.
"Since what just happened was a misunderstanding… then perhaps now you can explain your true purpose?" Rēn leapt down from the Gunbai, pulled it free from the stone, and asked the Mist-nin what had brought them here.
"Uchiha Clan Head, forgive my rudeness."
Mangetsu's expression grew serious as he spoke solemnly. "I am Hōzuki Mangetsu. By order of the Mizukage, I have brought one thousand two hundred comrades to fulfill the contract between our two villages. I must ask for your understanding that circumstances within our village are dire, and for the time being we could not assemble greater numbers."
"However, I can assure you that every one of these one thousand two hundred comrades is a battle-hardened veteran."