A towering, broad-shouldered figure stepped out from behind the rocks.
Akaishi revealed himself openly before Kyoichi and Konan, separated only by less than twenty meters of rugged mountain path. The thin curtain of rain could not obscure the sharp gazes locked on one another.
Both sides held back.
Neither made the first move.
They were sensory–type shinobi, able to perceive the other's presence clearly. A surprise attack was pointless. Besides, each side had their own aims—observing the enemy at close range to confirm details that chakra perception alone could not provide. Sensing only revealed life energy and chakra fluctuations; for everything else, the naked eye was indispensable.
"Didn't expect it to be you, Akaishi-senpai."
Kyoichi was the first to break the tense silence.
"Perhaps you don't recognize a small fry like me. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm—"
"Koeda Kyoichi."
Akaishi cut him off, his eyes narrowing.
"True, I'd never heard of you before. But now, your name resounds everywhere. The Tsuchikage himself warned me more than once to be on guard against you!"
"The old man's really that petty?"
At those words, Kyoichi immediately voiced his disdain without a trace of respect.
"I never did much to him. To be precise, he had me running for my life. I was nearly reduced to dust by his Dust Release… Does he really need to keep such a close eye on me?"
"Hmph! Truly arrogant!"
A flash of killing intent passed through Akaishi's eyes.
To slander the Tsuchikage so brazenly before him—if that wasn't arrogance, what was?
Today, he would do everything in his power to cut down this madman whom Tsuchikage-sama himself had named.
But before that, he needed to confirm something: the identity of the blue-violet haired woman standing beside Kyoichi.
"You there, woman. Who are you?"
Akaishi demanded directly, fixing his gaze on Konan.
"The matter of the Koeda clan has shaken the shinobi world these past months. Surely you understand that Iwagakure will stop at nothing to wipe out this band of traitors. To mingle with them… will bring only ruin to you and whoever stands behind you.
"If you have any sense, leave now. I promise you won't be harmed."
But his words—half threat, half enticement—were useless.
"Iwa shinobi, you sure talk a lot of nonsense!"
Konan's expression didn't waver.
Since Yahiko had chosen to aid the Koeda clan, her role was to support Yahiko wholeheartedly. No amount of bluster from this brute could shake her conviction. Nothing in this world could shake her trust in Yahiko.
With a flick of her sleeve, countless white sheets of paper burst forth, fluttering even in the drizzle.
Dance of the Shikigami: Paper Shuriken.
The waterproof sheets twisted, linking and reshaping into countless shuriken. Though mere paper in appearance, their hardened edges rivaled steel. They whistled through the rain as they sped toward Akaishi.
Such an attack could not truly harm a powerhouse like him. But that wasn't Konan's aim. This was a declaration—words alone would never make her retreat. If he wanted her gone, he would have to prove it with strength.
Akaishi's right arm suddenly gleamed with a bronze-golden sheen, like the arm of a wrathful deity. With a casual sweep, he batted the paper shuriken aside. None could leave so much as a scratch on his hardened flesh.
"...Earth Release: Bronze Bell… No wonder the old man keeps him as his right arm."
Kyoichi's pupils shrank. His thoughts raced.
Earth Release: Bronze Bell—
A high-level earth hardening jutsu on par with his own Earth Spear. Said to transform the body into bronze and iron, granting an indestructible form like a deity walking the earth. Of course, such descriptions were exaggerated… but its power was undeniable.
In Iwagakure, only a handful had ever mastered such techniques—Bronze Bell, Earth Spear—each one a pillar among the village's strongest.
As for which was stronger, Bronze Bell or Earth Spear—there was no consensus. Few shinobi had mastered either, and even fewer ever fought seriously against one another. To compare them was meaningless. Ultimately, a jutsu's might depended not only on the technique itself but on the shinobi wielding it.
But—strong or weak didn't matter.
What mattered was this: Kyoichi had seen through the essence of Bronze Bell. With a little time, he was confident he could master it himself, alongside Earth Spear.
A glint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
This was why he hadn't rushed into battle.
These Iwa pursuers were no ordinary foes—they were among the elite of Iwagakure, each wielding advanced earth release techniques that ordinary shinobi could never touch. Many were secrets passed only to Tsuchikage's most trusted subordinates.
Take Camouflage Concealment, for instance. One couldn't even begin to study it without the Tsuchikage's explicit approval.
The Koeda clan's Earth Spear itself had been granted long ago as a reward for their service during the founding of Iwagakure. If not for that, Kyoichi would never have had access to such an advanced jutsu in the first place.
So upon recognizing Akaishi—one of the few shinobi in Iwagakure who could truly be called a master—Kyoichi abandoned the thought of a quick victory. Not that victory would come quickly against such a foe anyway.
But more importantly—facing the man known as the "Right Arm of the Third Tsuchikage" gave him the chance to steal glimpses of high-level techniques he'd never otherwise see. Perhaps even secret arts rooted in Earth–Yin or Earth–Yang.
"Since you've chosen death, then I'll let you taste the price of consorting with the Koeda traitors!!"
Akaishi's furious roar split the rain.
His hands blurred through seals.
Then, with a thunderous blow of his fist upon the rocky ground—
"Earth Release: Rock Flow!"
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