Hibari stepped forward, casually tearing off some of the vines he'd used to entangle Samehada. Then, he reached out and grabbed the hilt of the great sword. Indeed, the next second, Samehada's razor-sharp scales shot out, instantly slicing open Hibari's palm, and a large amount of blood flowed out.
However, Hibari didn't let go. A smile played on his lips as he allowed his blood to flow freely, and he even channeled his chakra into it.
He intended to feed Samehada, this greedy creature, with his 'flesh and chakra.'
"You're really hostile towards me, aren't you? Is it because I punched you earlier, little guy? Well, you can't blame me for that. Blame your previous owner. Why did he have to use you for defense, huh?" Hibari said, continuously feeding his chakra to Samehada.
Perhaps sensing Hibari's goodwill, Samehada's scales on its hilt slowly retracted. Then, as Hibari's chakra continuously poured into it, it twisted even more comfortably, seemingly very happy.
Seeing this, Hibari's face broke into a triumphant smile. Although Samehada had its own consciousness, ultimately, it was still a very simple creature. As long as his chakra suited its taste and was plentiful, it was quite easy to gain its favor.
Seeing Samehada making "squeak, squeak, squeak" noises in his hand, seemingly delighted, Hibari nodded in satisfaction. He then stopped his actions, placed Samehada on the ground, took out another large scroll, formed a few hand seals, and quickly sealed Samehada inside.
Since Reigetsu had started using Samehada in combat and moving around with it, it meant Samehada likely had a certain level of recognition within Kirigakure now. So, Hibari couldn't openly carry Samehada around; he had to leave this place first.
He slung the large pot containing Reigetsu onto his back, then released the Great Five Elements Barrier: Sealed Beast Arena. He spent some more time roughly covering up the traces of the battle.Only after ensuring nothing suspicious remained did Hibari nod.
Then, he performed another Transformation Jutsu hand seal, and his entire body transformed, becoming a herb gatherer. The large pot that held Reigetsu Hozuki also transformed into a herb basket.
"Let's go, let's sway... The Great King sent me to patrol the mountains~~~" Hibari sang out cheerfully, heading towards his predetermined direction.
This battle, though somewhat unexpected, saw Hibari maintain the advantage throughout its rhythm. After all, he was in a 'hidden knowledge, open enemy' state: he knew who Reigetsu was, but Reigetsu didn't know who he was. Coupled with the fact that while he hadn't seen him in years, Hibari had mentally simulated battles with that bastard many times, making his tactics flow smoothly.
He had originally thought that if his tactics failed, he'd be in for a tough fight, but the battle ended with relative ease.
Now, not only had he gotten his revenge, but he had also captured the person alive. He could take him back for thorough research, and he even got a good piece of equipment, which just filled the void of Hibari not having a good sword.
Although Hibari really liked Samehada, it was still a bit too large. However, it was excellent for current use. If he found something better in the future, he could always replace it. After all, Samehada had a 'life' of its own, so giving it retirement benefits was perfectly reasonable!
All in all, due to all these good things, Hibari's mental fatigue was suppressed. He was radiant and exceedingly joyful.
As time passed, the sun slowly set, the sky gradually darkened, and night began to fall.
At the dock of the small port, many figures gathered on a merchant ship, seemingly discussing something.
"Everyone's here except the Deputy Commander. It's strange; according to our agreement, the Deputy Commander should have arrived before sunset..." Hitenn said with some concern.
Sakumo's expression also showed a hint of worry. He hesitated slightly before speaking, "Don't worry, with the Commander's strength and skill, there shouldn't be any major problems..."
Kagami nodded, but also expressed deep concern, "But if he encounters any trouble, it's usually very serious trouble... Hibari had better not mess up at the last minute!"
As Kagami's words fell, everyone else's mood became even more somber.
"According to our plan, we should set sail in two hours. I said before that someone at this port is already watching us. Although I don't know why they haven't made a move, if we continue to wait, the risk of exposure will increase. So now, we face a difficult choice... Everyone, please tell me, which is more important: the mission or the Deputy Commander? Do we postpone the plan, wait and search for the Deputy Commander, or do we proceed as planned, abandoning the Deputy Commander?" Hitenn asked this cruel question with a pained expression.
Everyone else fell silent upon hearing his words. This mission was no small matter; any misstep, as Hibari said, would gamble the fate of three nations and involve countless lives.
But Hibari... that guy was the grandson of the First and Second Hokage, and their direct superior. He was also a very good person and had excellent relationships with all of them. Although they were supposed to harden their hearts and abandon Hibari according to regulations, not a single person could say such a thing without hesitation at that moment.
"Although I'm not the Commander and can only act according to orders, this time, I want to stay and continue to assist the Commander!" Sakumo suddenly spoke first, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
As his words fell, Kagami sighed and said, "The mission is very important, so we can't mess around. How about this, Hitenn, you take the others back. Sakumo and I will stay and hide, and see if we can find Hibari. Don't worry, we understand the principles, the Anbu rules. We won't leak any information."
Hitenn's lips moved, but he didn't know what to say. If he wanted to stay and wait for Hibari, he could totally do so. But the problem was that this mission absolutely could not fail. He could distinguish between such major issues, yet distinguishing them didn't necessarily mean acting on them was easy.
"I'm staying too. The Deputy Commander is the largest shareholder of our Mitsumine Group. No matter what, we have to find him!" Hitenn finally said in a deep voice. This time, he didn't mention the mission or the village at all; instead, he used a company as an excuse.
"Don't be ridiculous. Your Byakugan is already easily exposed in this Land of Water. You finally have a chance to leave, so hurry and go. As the leaders of the squad, we can't both abandon our posts, can we? You're responsible for taking the others back, and I'm responsible for finding Hibari here. How's that for a simple division of labor?" Kagami said.
"But..." Hitenn was about to say something in protest when he frowned, sensing something. Then, his Byakugan suddenly activated, and he found someone quietly eavesdropping at the door.
Acting on instinct, Hitenn didn't even think, unleashing a Gentle Fist strike through the air.
However, after throwing that strike, he suddenly felt that the chakra of this person seemed somewhat familiar?
"Deputy Commander??" Hitenn exclaimed in a rare moment of panic.
The next second, the powerful palm strike blew a large hole in the ship's door. Then came a startled cry of "Oh, damn it!" and a dull thud of something hitting a body.
Kagami and the others quickly rushed out, only to see a person dressed as a herb gatherer clutching their chest with one hand, while the other hand trembled, pointing at them and saying, "You bastards! How dare you ambush me? Do you all want to become missing-nin?!"
As soon as Kagami heard that familiar voice, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up. He quickly said, "It has nothing to do with me! Hitenn hit you... don't count me in on this."
Hitenn also rushed over at this moment, his face extremely awkward as he said, "Deputy Commander, let me explain, I..."
"Alright, alright, no need to explain... I understand. I was just joking with you guys. Damn it, it's a good thing I'm strong; anyone else would probably be spitting up blood. But... it really hurts. My chakra is a bit sluggish..." Hibari said, rubbing his chest.
He had actually overheard a lot earlier, especially when those guys ultimately decided to stay and wait for him. He was quite touched, but as the Anbu Deputy Commander, he couldn't support such an action. So, he couldn't mention anything at this point. After all, they chose to stay and save him; even if he didn't support it, he couldn't scold them, right?
Thus, Hibari ultimately chose to act as if nothing had happened.
Now that everyone was accounted for, they wasted no more time. They swiftly hoisted the sails and prepared to depart.
Indeed, someone had been watching them earlier, but those individuals reported to Reigetsu, who at the time said, 'I'll deal with it when I get there.' However, he was collected into Hibari's 'large pot' midway, so those people, without Reigetsu's arrival, didn't dare to make any rash moves.
After a long while, as the ship swayed gently into the open sea, everyone finally relaxed. They all felt much lighter. Kagami chuckled and asked, "Hibari, what in the world were you doing out there? Why the long delay? We almost decided to leave without you and head straight back to the Land of Fire."
"You guys, still got the nerve to complain? If it wasn't for me helping you with some loose ends, do you think you'd have left this port so smoothly?" Hibari said arrogantly.
On his way to the port, he had somewhat figured out why Reigetsu had been in that desolate wilderness. There was only one port nearby, and everything else was a three or four-day journey away. So Reigetsu must have been heading to the port too. Why would he be running towards the port for no reason? There could only be one explanation: he must have received some intelligence.
Therefore, 'dealing with' him midway was also a form of indirect cleanup.
"Hm? What did you do? Tell us?" Kagami asked with some curiosity.
Then, Hibari patted the large iron pot at his feet and said with a chuckle, "Guess what's inside?"
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