Chapter 17: The So-Called Respect of Great Nations
"What?!" Nara Shikaku's expression changed dramatically.
Earlier, for secrecy's sake, he'd only mentioned pursuing a traitor without revealing anything about Tailed Beasts or jinchuriki. Who knew this "Uchiha Itachi" would be so despicable as to throw the Nine-Tails jinchuriki to Rain Country's side!
He hastily spoke up, adding: "Wait, that child is our village companion. He was kidnapped by this traitor. Please return him to us."
Yasushi remarked sarcastically from the side: "What companion?"
"He's just an orphan!"
"Everyone in the village treats him like a jinx, showing nothing but disgust and abuse. I found it displeasing, so I brought him along when I left."
"He..." Shikaku opened his mouth, but unable to reveal the most important secret, he couldn't find words to refute, only saying: "He's the village's orphan. The village will naturally care for him well. No need for outsiders to concern themselves."
"An orphan?" Konan looked deeply at them both, something stirring in her heart. She bent down, picked up Uzumaki Naruto at her feet, and turned to leave.
"This child can stay in our village temporarily. After your business is settled, come retrieve him."
"Wait, stop!"
The Konoha shinobi all knew Naruto was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. How could they dare let him fall into another nation's hands? Immediately disregarding any prohibitions.
Several shinobi didn't wait for Shikaku's orders, leaping across the boundary line to block Konan's path.
"Put down the child in your hands!"
"Is Rain Country trying to make an enemy of Konoha?"
Looking at the brazen Konoha shinobi before her, Konan's expression darkened as sheets of white paper flew from her body again, circling around her.
"It seems my words went in one ear and out the other!"
Shikaku frowned, also crossing the boundary line as he said in a low voice: "We don't wish any conflict with Rain Country. Please maintain restraint."
"Everything we said before was completely true, and we've given Rain Country sufficient respect. We hope your village won't make a mistake."
Though Konan showed a combative posture, Shikaku had seen many shinobi over the years who seemed extremely concerned with their village's dignity but ultimately bent under strong pressure.
He categorized Konan as this type of "outwardly fierce but inwardly weak" shinobi, so he instinctively displayed a pressuring attitude in his words.
This completely backfired!
"Respect?" Konan raised an eyebrow. "You call this respect?"
"Fighting brazenly on Rain Country soil, disregarding my warnings, advancing blatantly toward the village..."
"If this is called respect, then show me right now—what does disrespect look like?"
Before her words finished, a massive volume of white paper erupted from her body, shooting skyward like a white waterfall defying gravity, transforming into shuriken shapes mid-air.
Tens of thousands of paper shuriken spun at high speed in the air, edges gleaming with chakra's cold light, whipping up fierce winds with howling whistles.
"Paper Shuriken Technique!"
As Konan's cold, angry voice fell, the sky full of paper shuriken suddenly accelerated like an army receiving orders, pouring down like rain with ear-piercing whistles covering the entire battlefield.
"Audacious!" The Konoha shinobi never imagined that a small nation's shinobi would dare attack them. Instantly enraged, they entered combat mode, forming seals to counterattack.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Only Shikaku maintained some restraint, shouting while dodging: "Think carefully—you're deliberately provoking war!"
"Don't think that with Hanzo of the Salamander protecting you, you can oppose a great nation!"
"As small nation shinobi, you should be even more cautious with words and actions!"
This was the consequence of information asymmetry. He felt his words were neither servile nor overbearing, leaving sufficient room. Even if Hanzo were present, he couldn't find fault.
In fact, if Hanzo truly were present, he'd likely have backed down already.
But the key problem was... Hanzo had long since died. Now he faced a different group!
Massive fireballs erupted from Konoha shinobi mouths, scorching flames distorting the air as they crashed thunderously into the paper shuriken swarm.
Where fireballs passed, paper shuriken burned and carbonized, turning to ash like moths to flame.
Violent whirlwinds immediately swept in. Wind aided fire, fire borrowed wind's might, forming a massive flame tornado.
Paper shuriken trembled violently in the wind-fire composite jutsu. Many were forcibly redirected, scattering wildly. More were directly ignited and destroyed.
But subsequent paper shuriken emerged endlessly, wave after wave like an infinite white tide continuously washing down—much faster than shinobi could cast jutsu.
Konoha shinobi with no time for more jutsu had no choice but to draw short blades, blocking and dodging simultaneously.
But they didn't understand—these paper shuriken differed from real shuriken.
These paper shuriken were special effects of Secret Technique: Dance of the Shikigami. Like Shikaku's Shadow Manipulation Jutsu, each paper shuriken was like her extended limbs. Even after being thrown out, Konan could still fully control them.
Paper shuriken they deflected traced arcs in mid-air before immediately looping back to strike from behind.
Many shinobi, momentarily careless, were caught off-guard by returning paper shuriken and struck on the spot.
Though made of paper, under Dance of the Shikigami's enhancement, their edges were sharper than steel. At high rotation speeds, these were weapons that could even sever Obito's black rods.
What effect did they have cutting into human bodies?
"Ahh..."
Accompanied by screams, many shinobi were severed at the waist. Those bisected didn't immediately die, lying on the ground emitting piercing wails.
The battlefield instantly transformed into a hellish scene—blood flying everywhere, severed limbs scattered about, intestines and organs strewn across the ground.
Many paper shuriken were dyed striking blood red, spinning at high speed to scatter fresh blood everywhere like a rain of blood from heaven.
"No!" Now Shikaku's eyes also reddened. How could he still care about wariness toward Hanzo?
He made a gesture. Akimichi Choza immediately charged forward, transforming into a sphere like a war chariot crashing toward Konan.
"Human Boulder!"
Konan had no Susanoo and couldn't clash directly with Choza, but she could fly!
Paper swirled at her shoulder blades, instantly forming a pair of gigantic white wings.
These wings fluttered slightly, generating powerful air currents. Like an angel, she shot skyward, easily avoiding the lethal ground impact, leaving only paper pieces falling like feathers. Upon nearing the ground, they suddenly changed color into explosive tags that detonated thunderously.
Choza struck empty air and was caught directly by explosive tags. If not for his robust constitution, he'd likely have died on the spot.
As for the "Shadow Binding Jutsu" lurking behind him, it naturally missed completely, not even touching Konan's hem.
But their reactions were very swift.
While taking the explosion, Choza immediately pulled up, rapidly enlarging his form. While enduring damage, he quickly pursued Konan from behind, opening giant palms with howling wind sounds to grab her.
Konan's wings fluttered to ascend higher when suddenly her head swam. She froze for a moment. Her hand loosened and the child she'd been holding fell.
She instinctively turned to catch him but was firmly grasped by Choza.
"Die!"
Choza roared loudly, forcefully clenching his palm to crush Konan to pieces.