The difference between the Lightning Release · Kurigara and Haseo's original Lightning Release · Kurigara was just like the distinction between Water Release: Water Colliding Wave and Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave... basically, they differed only in scale.
Jutsu with massive power and stunning visual effects usually had one thing in common—they drained chakra like crazy. With just this single attack, Haseo had nearly drained all his chakra reserves.
This kind of technique represented an extreme offensive method that should only be used when deciding life or death. While activating such powerful moves looked undeniably cool, if an opponent dodged it, then the user himself would certainly end up defeated. Therefore during actual combat, it was best not to use such techniques unless absolutely necessary.
Moreover, its power overflowed practical applications. Except when dealing with particularly agile opponents, using such moves against individual ninja enemies was unnecessary overkill. What Haseo wanted was a battle, not citywide destruction.
However, this time Haseo felt fully justified in employing his special techniques, and there was no reason to worry about missing his target.
Haseo rose slowly, each step deliberate as he approached the place where Nagare had fallen.
"If possible, I really didn't want you to die in such a tragic state... Nagare, at the very end, why did you hesitate during our fight?" he asked.
Right now, Nagare looked quite terrible—half his body had been sliced away by Haseo's lightning technique.
Haseo wasn't speaking with false pretenses or hypocrisy. He truly meant what he said. At this point, they were less like enemies and more like worthy adversaries.
Truthfully, without using such ultimate techniques, Haseo couldn't guarantee victory in battle. And actually, for someone about to die, how they died wasn't particularly important.
As for Haseo asking questions, despite Nagare's attacks being just as fierce and lethal as before during their recent confrontation, from Haseo's perspective, his killing intent hadn't seemed as resolute as previously experienced.
[Ninjutsu]... it is an extremely profound art. However, precisely because of its depth, a ninja's path of training has no end. It's just a pity—ninja like me who come from small ninja villages... even if personally I could reach far beyond my current strength, the future I can foresee, the future I 'see'—is pitch black.
Within darkness there might be everything, but hope won't be found there.
What fundamentally separates today's ninja world from those chaotic times before? Perhaps the world is indeed improving, yet I still cannot see it.
Besides, after my death, my techniques will continue living... Konoha ninja, you're a very talented shinobi. Perhaps I should even thank you.
Those filled with despair go forth to die, while those holding hope remain alive—isn't this exactly the destiny of ninja? No, shouldn't I say this is humanity's fate?"
Although both were ninja villages, Nagare's Amegakure differed essentially from Konoha. Amegakure was warlike, but lacked the capability for victory, which made Nagare believe he held no hope.
And though he was dead, his techniques lived on. This was an extremely important thing. In fact, his taijutsu could even play a greater role through Haseo. So... it was not life that was worth celebrating, nor was death something to be mourned.
Nagare had excellent hearing. He could learn Haseo's name from the conversations between Haseo and Katsuyu. However, since Haseo had never formally introduced himself, Nagare referred to him simply as "the ninja from Konoha."
Haseo hadn't yet fully grasped the ninja perspective on life and death, but he could understand the heavy meaning behind the other's final words—they were all deeply significant.
Now, he needed to say something meaningful in response:
"I can't promise anything else. But one thing I can say for sure is this: as a ninja, till the end, I'll keep getting stronger—without hesitation, without pause."
"...That's enough then..." Nagare finally said.
Is that so? Was it really enough?
After those words, the other fell silent, saying nothing more. So Haseo took one last look at him before turning around and walking away from the battlefield.
Earlier, his Lightning Release had shot up into the sky like a spotlight. Someone was bound to notice that kind of light show in the sky. At this point, Haseo's chakra reserves were too low to support another full-power battle. Therefore, he needed to escape from here as quickly as possible.
The major battle was already over. If he were ambushed now by a couple of low-level grunts and got killed instantly, that would be more than just shameful.
People saw him as a promising ninja, but he couldn't even show where that so-called "hope" really came from inside him. But at least, after making such a pledge to the other person, he couldn't die right afterward. Otherwise, their entire conversation just now would seem rather absurd.
By now, Haseo had been completely out of touch for far too long. Normally, a ninja who'd gone missing for such a long time would be considered MIA or presumed dead. Truthfully speaking, it no longer mattered much whether he returned to Konoha or not. Yet... besides Konoha, Haseo seemingly had nowhere else to go.
"I should probably leave a summoning slug (not Katsuyu) in the village from now on," Haseo couldn't help but think. If he had left a single slug in the village earlier, he could return directly and quickly.
Right now, he could either go straight back to the Konoha front lines, or first proceed to Shikkotsu Forest, and then return to Konoha from there. However, Shikkotsu Forest was significantly farther away from Konoha than his current position. Haseo thought it better to simply head back to the front lines directly from where he was.
A ninja like himself—who had disappeared for so long—would definitely raise suspicion upon returning to the village. This had nothing to do with being an outsider. Even native-born Konoha shinobi would face interrogation upon disappearing and then suddenly reappearing again without contact. After all, disappearing completely for a long time and suddenly showing up again out of nowhere was a classic sign of being captured, turned into a spy, and then sent back.
However, the situation wasn't that complicated for Haseo. It wasn't so much about him being completely trustworthy, but more about Katsuyu's absolute reliability. Even though it seemed like Haseo had been alone in enemy territory during that last battle, in truth, his summoned beast had never left his side.
His only problem was staying too long in Shikkotsu Forest, though even this could be reasonably explained... After getting seriously injured, couldn't he first find a safe place to recover?
He just had no idea how the war between Konoha and Amegakure had been going for the past month.
Just as Haseo was thinking this, he suddenly stopped in his tracks—ninja were closing in on him.
His heart sank. Sure enough, his flashlight earlier must have eventually attracted those dark knights after all.
As Haseo braced himself for a desperate fight, one of the approaching ninja—the leader—suddenly raised his arm and halted the group's advance. They stopped on a large tree not far from Haseo.
The leading ninja fixed Haseo with a complex gaze filled with conflicting emotions.
This was supposed to be the Land of Rain, yet surprisingly, the person who arrived first at Haseo's side wasn't an enemy... Although they weren't entirely above turning hostile, at least they wouldn't draw their blades on him right away.
It really was a small world after all.
"Are you alive or dead?"
The leading ninja asked him bluntly.
Haseo shot the man a look usually reserved for fools. This opening question was quite unprofessional.
"Take a good look, Sakumo Hatake. From my looks alone, I think I pass pretty well as a human being, don't you think?"
Sure, Haseo sometimes did things no decent person would dream of—but no one could deny he was 100% human through and through.
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