Actually, Shiki knew this sentence didn't need to be spoken. After all, the ANBU would certainly refuse.
Yet he still said it out loud because he believed a man should speak boldly at least a few times in his life.
Otherwise, wouldn't that be a damn shame if he died without saying them?
But to those from Root, Shiki's words were nothing more than mockery.
Like the final arrogance of someone who'd reached a dead end.
Torune Aburame stood here too. Unexpectedly, something stirred within him. But it was just a fleeting feeling. His heart had long been hidden, just like the face beneath his mask.
"A stubborn child... Unfortunately, your greatest mistake was appearing on Root's list."
Shiki saw four Root ninja charging at him from nearly impossible angles, all at once.
The other ANBU simply watched from behind. He understood it wasn't mercy—it was just that too many attackers would get in each other's way.
"But sentimentality ends here." Shiki stood up, forcing a faint smile across his face. "After all, I promised Lee and Tenten we'd have dinner with Sena tomorrow night."
This time, he silently reopened the Eight Gates again. After the previous overexertion and recovery, Shiki felt stronger than ever.
"That's the Eight Gates Technique?" Torune's expression turned slightly shocked.
He'd never heard of anyone capable of activating the Eight Gates twice in succession.
Moreover, his battered body now radiated even greater power. Even his red hair danced wildly under the chakra's influence.
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P.S.: Alright, starting tomorrow, I'll return to regular updates. Since I've been pretty swamped the last two days and not at my best, I hope you can overlook any flaws in these chapters.
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Chapter 44: Torune Strikes
Perhaps due to habitually concealing his strength, Shiki had never truly felt how exhilarating it could be when his power was fully unleashed.
"Maybe I should've always fought like this—died in battle rather than sell out to the shadows."
Without hesitation, Shiki spoke aloud his true thoughts. Naturally, an original jutsu formed within his hands:
[Scalpel]
Its soft green Medical Ninjutsu glow gave it a deceptively gentle appearance. But only Shiki himself knew just how sharp this 'knife' really was.
It broke one fundamental rule—unlike ordinary Chakra Scalpels which concentrated chakra on the hands,
Shiki's scalpel formed outside his hands.
This eliminated concerns about damaging the hand's meridians, allowing maximum possible power output from this technique.
Although usually only elite Medical Ninjas could apply Medical Ninjutsu effectively in combat,
Shiki was not among those elite healers. Yet he had successfully transformed Medical Ninjutsu into offensive techniques.
Shiki had already pinpointed the positions of the four Anbu through his sensory abilities.
As top-level Anbu units from Konoha, they coordinated extremely well.
However, Shiki who had activated the Eight Gates—how could such an attack take him down so easily?
Thanks to countless sparring sessions against Lee, Shiki's body reacted instinctively, without even needing to think.
The closest strike came from the rear-right Anbu. His blade was the starting point of their combined assault.
Shiki suddenly dropped into a deep squat—just enough to narrowly dodge that sharp, tricky slash.
Without minding the follow-up attacks from the other three, he swiftly slashed backward with a Chakra Scalpel.
[Chakra Scalpel: Needle Rain].
Cut one tree, save the forest!
Glancing sideways, Shiki spoke indifferently, "Thigh."
Splash.
Blood instantly sprayed out, staining the ground red.
Taisei Ito let out a shocked breath, "What... how is this possible?"
Yet the intense pain shooting from his thigh forced him to accept reality—it was now permanently detached from his body.
With one leg gone, Itō lost his balance. His sword naturally veered off course as his body tilted.
One successful strike landed.
For Shiki, however, the danger had only gotten worse.
Because now Shiki was crouched low on the ground—an awkward position that offered the worst defense.
Apparently sensing this, the other three Chunin exchanged glances, as if planning a downward slash powerful enough to end Uzumaki Shiki right here.
In response, they changed stances in unison, preparing for the decisive strike.
Amidst the falling snow, the light glinted off their blades like icy stars—sharp and merciless.
Torune Aburame also guessed their intentions from observing these three Chunin's actions.
Still, Torune didn't share their confidence. Although those three Anbu seemed to have backed Uzumaki Shiki into a corner,
he knew that someone who could unleash the Eight Gates to this extent wouldn't fall so easily.
Not to mention the mysterious Ninjutsu in his hands—it clearly still posed a threat.
Shiki glanced at the Anbu before him wearing a cat-shaped mask. His battle instincts honed through rigorous training immediately signaled the incoming direction of attack.
"Heart."
He extended his hand forward, releasing a thin needle-like strand as part of [Chakra Scalpel: Needle Rain].
Hardly anyone noticed this minuscule chakra scalpel, nor would they ever imagine that a Chakra Scalpel could actually be thrown like a projectile.
Almost as soon as completing the Hand Seal for Chakra Scalpel: Needle Rain, Shiki charged straight toward the enemy ninja.
The ninja himself was quite surprised—the redhead was practically throwing himself onto the blade!
Could this red-haired kid really want to die?
Just as he thought this, he suddenly felt chest pressure; the flow of chakra within him became highly disrupted.
Then came a sharp stabbing pain in his heart.
After which, he fell limply forward.
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