Chapter 152:
"Byakugan Killer, Ao!" Konohamaru stared at the man who appeared in the cave. "What are you doing in a remote place like this?"
"The one who should be asking questions is me. Sarutobi Konohamaru, where's the item in the box?" Ao replied while lifting the Gatling-type Scientific Ninja Tool in his hand.
This was also one of the items the Kara organization had traded with S.H.I.E.L.D. under the name of the Land of Water's Daimyō.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, as a shinobi currently on a mission, it's impossible for me to reveal the mission details to you."
"Is that so... I may have left the life of a shinobi long ago, but I haven't forgotten how to extract intel through interrogation."
Ao pointed his Gatling-style Scientific Ninja Tool at the four people in the cave, its six barrels slowly beginning to rotate.
"What are you doing, Ao?! There's no reason for us to fight!" Konohamaru protested.
"Get behind the rocks!" shouted Shuyu.
No sooner had Konohamaru finished speaking than Shuyu gave the warning. At the same time, Ao's Gatling began firing a barrage of mini Rasengan bullets.
Overwhelmed by the heavy firepower, none of the four could even peek out. On top of that, Ao had completely occupied the cave's entrance, placing Shuyu's team at a clear disadvantage.
"Ao! Aren't you afraid this could ignite a war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water?!" Konohamaru yelled from behind a rock.
"Oh? Thanks for the reminder. In that case, I definitely can't let any of you leave alive."
"Hey, hey, Konohamaru-nii, saying that just made him even more determined to kill us," Boruto muttered, looking at Konohamaru, who could only respond with an awkward smile.
"We have to find a way to destroy Ao's Scientific Ninja Tool," Shuyu said under his breath, glancing at Ao who was still firing, then looked toward the severely injured Konohamaru.
"With this kind of continuous fire, he's bound to run out of ammunition eventually. That'll be our chance to break through," Boruto added, picking up from Shuyu's train of thought.
"Yeah... Boruto's right. That's definitely possible," Konohamaru nodded.
"Didn't expect Boruto to actually have a smart moment," Sarada followed up with a teasing tone.
"Hey! What do you mean by that, Sarada? I've always been smart!" Boruto protested.
Clutching the wound on his chest, Konohamaru suddenly put on a serious expression. "Boruto, if it really comes down to it, I want you guys to take the intel back to the Leaf Village."
"What are you saying, Konohamaru-nii..."
Just as Boruto finished responding, the torrent of attacks outside abruptly ceased.
"It's here!"
"This is the moment!"
Boruto and Sarada exchanged a glance, then simultaneously dashed out from cover.
"Gotcha, brats!"
Though Ao's power had declined significantly due to age, his years of experience as a shinobi hadn't faded in the slightest.
The barrels of the Gatling started spinning once more.
"Boruto!" Konohamaru struggled to get up to protect Boruto, but his injuries caused him to stumble and fall again.
"Damn it!"
At the instant the mini Rasengan bullets were about to hit Boruto, a cloak of Nine-Tails chakra suddenly enveloped him. Though it blocked most of the damage, the impact still forced a pained groan from him.
Meanwhile, Shuyu appeared behind Sarada in a flash, placing his right hand on her shoulder.
"Shuyu..."
Sarada turned her head and looked up at his rather plain face.
After all, Uchiha Itachi had used the appearance of Shuyu as a child...
"Susanoo!"
The three-tomoe Sharingan in Shuyu's eyes instantly transformed into a Mangekyō Sharingan. A red Gundam-like figure formed around him and Sarada, shielding them from the attack.
"A Tailed Beast Cloak... and Susanoo!"
In that moment of shock, Boruto seized the opportunity, forming a golden Rasengan imbued with Nine-Tails chakra—no, with Nine-Tails chakra Rasengan, and smashed it directly onto Ao's Gatling.
The moment the tool shattered in Ao's hand, he immediately jumped back to create distance.
Hiding behind the rocks and watching Boruto and Shuyu stand before him, Konohamaru let out a bitter smile. "To think I had to be protected by three kids... What a failure of an adult I am. But Boruto and Shuyu… they really do remind me of Naruto and Sasuke."
"Where did you get the Nine-Tails inside you?!" Ao questioned Boruto.
"Uh… I bought it!" Boruto answered after a short pause.
Ao's face clearly read, Do I look like an idiot to you?, but he kept pressing. "So the Leaf has two Nine-Tails now? That's really something."
"Ao, what was in the box on that airship?" Shuyu stepped in front of Sarada, shielding her.
He made no move to deactivate his Susanoo.
"You young people really are something. Not only have you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at such a young age, but you're even trying to get information out of me." Ao slowly reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a black cylindrical object about fifteen centimeters long. He pressed a button on it, and a red laser beam shot out from one end, forming a new weapon. "Scientific Ninja Tool—Laser Sword."
"Everyone, be careful," Shuyu warned. If he remembered correctly, the Laser Sword was also a S.H.I.E.L.D. creation, jointly developed by Boruto and Orochimaru, with extremely sharp cutting power.
It was even capable of easily piercing Susanoo's defense.
Shuyu's Susanoo vanished. Since it wouldn't offer meaningful protection against the Laser Sword, it was better to cancel it and conserve his eye power.
"Aren't you going to make a move? If not, I'll go first." As he spoke, Ao used Body Flicker to instantly appear in front of Boruto, swinging the Laser Sword.
A hand formed from Nine-Tails chakra tried to grab the blade but was sliced clean through. Another chakra hand quickly extended, yanking Boruto backward just in time to avoid the slash.
"So he dodged it…"
"What is that ninja tool? It's unbelievably sharp..." Konohamaru murmured as he watched Ao.
Because they were focused entirely on evading Ao's strikes, Boruto, Shuyu, and Sarada had no opening to launch a counterattack.
After all, trying to counter also meant exposing yourself to danger.
Still, Boruto's impatient nature got the better of him. As he kept dodging, he eventually made a mistake.
"Boruto!"
Sarada cried out in alarm. Just as the Laser Sword was about to cut Boruto in two, a yellow figure suddenly appeared beside Ao and tightly grabbed his arm holding the weapon.
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslations.
3 new chapters are released daily—thank you for your support!
Powerstone Event: For every 50 powerstones, 1 chapter will be unlocked.)