Chapter 22: Return to the Water Prison
"My subordinates and me… I wonder which you will choose?" the black-faced special jōnin thought, a cruel grin spreading across his face. It was a checkmate. Even if Sasuke tried to use his subordinates as human shields, it would be useless. This was a mechanical senbon rain, designed to pierce even the tough hide of a Crow puppet. How could mortal flesh possibly resist it?
His plan, which he had been hatching for so long, had finally come to fruition. He would even sacrifice one of his own men in exchange for this opportunity. Yanlang's death was worth it, he thought, his eyes filled with a sinister light. It is all for the Sand Village!
A scream tore through the air.
Puff, puff, puff...
Like raindrops, a thousand senbon pierced the bald-headed chūnin from his blind spot and continued on, blanketing Sasuke and the other four.
"So ruthless," Sasuke's eyes filled with killing intent. To use your own subordinate as bait for a sneak attack… it was truly abominable.
But did you really think I wouldn't see it coming? he sneered internally. Under the perception of his sonar radar, all secret actions were in vain. He had seen the special jōnin release chakra threads and secretly take control of his fallen subordinate's puppet. The only thing he hadn't anticipated was the man's willingness to sacrifice his own men to cover the attack.
"Captain, don't worry about us! Run!" Tekudō shouted, his face a mask of despair. The reflections of a thousand needles filled his eyes, leaving nowhere to hide.
"Ah..." Chōmi, frozen with fear, just stood there, paralyzed.
"Chōmi, I like you!" Ryo, seeing her in mortal danger, instinctively stepped in front of her, spreading his arms wide to shield her. But he knew his sacrifice would be in vain. His small frame couldn't possibly block the entire onslaught, and the penetrating power of the senbon would tear through him and kill her anyway. Still, he had finally been able to express the feelings he had never dared to voice. He would die with no regrets.
"Running away alone is not my style," Sasuke said calmly. He had moved closer to his subordinates precisely to protect them from this puppet. How could he abandon them now? Besides, the attack covered a ten-meter radius, far exceeding the maximum jump range of a Substitution Technique.
But at that moment, he was not panicked. He had other countermeasures.
"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"
Sasuke's ten fingers flew, five seals per second, the afterimages a continuous blur as he completed the seven-seal sequence.
Suddenly, a vortex of water ripped through the air and formed a hollow sphere, enveloping Sasuke and his four subordinates.
"Be careful!" Ye shouted, forcing the porcupine-headed jōnin back with his blade. He was stunned to see Sasuke using the C-rank Water Prison for defense. Shouldn't he be using the Water Formation Wall? Did he panic and use the wrong jutsu?
"He thinks he can resist the Rain of a Thousand Needles with a mere Water Prison?" the black-faced special jōnin sneered. "He must think he's the God of Water himself, Tobirama Senju."
Just as the senbon were about to strike the water sphere, Sasuke shouted, "Spin! Return to the Water Prison!" He slammed his hands together in a Yin seal, and the chakra in his body surged. The hollow water sphere began to rotate at an incredible speed, creating a small tornado.
"What? This is a high-level water nature transformation!" the special jōnin exclaimed, his jaw dropping. He realized this wasn't the C-rank Water Prison at all, but a perfectly weakened, modified version of the B-rank Water Formation Wall, with the hand seals simplified down from the original forty-four.
Despicable! It was a tactical deception again! he realized, his mind reeling. Everything about this ninja—his rank, his skills, his identity—was a lie, a tactical fraud designed to confuse and mislead him.