Chapter 238: A Tricky Enemy
"Young man, do you really have to capture that little girl?" The old man squinted at Kenichi, then unhurriedly straightened his clothes and adjusted his collar.
Kenichi's mouth twitched.
What was wrong with this old guy? Was he some kind of "battlefield gentleman" archetype? That trope belonged in a museum.
And ever since this man had appeared, Kenichi had felt a faint sense of wrongness. The man's outfit looked like something out of Kenichi's previous life, the kind of fashion-forward getup that screamed runway, not combat. If not for the chakra surging in his body, Kenichi would have suspected he had time-traveled backward instead of forward.
"Kenichi, you just…" Kakashi glanced at him uncertainly. He didn't know what Kenichi had been doing before, but now it was obvious Kenichi was also trying to catch the girl from earlier.
Kenichi flicked Kakashi a look. "That girl carries a huge secret. A secret that can completely change this country."
He didn't mind saying it out loud. He knew Kakashi's personality. Even if Kakashi understood, he wouldn't suddenly become greedy over it.
Besides, Kenichi hated that kind of melodrama where misunderstandings stack up until everyone cries and forgives each other. It was dull.
Kakashi nodded slowly. So Kenichi really was after her, and he'd been blocked at the last moment by this old man.
Even while talking, Kenichi didn't relax for a second. As his voice stayed calm, a Shadow Clone quietly moved in a wide arc, circling behind the old man.
Kenichi kept his eyes locked forward. "Where is she? I only need one thing from her."
He still tried negotiation first. The man in front of him felt dangerous. Fighting him would be annoying, and if Kenichi could save effort, he would.
"And then you'll kill her after you get what you want?" The old man smiled as if he'd seen through everything. He casually took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and drew in a slow puff.
Kenichi's mouth twitched again.
Yeah. They weren't going to get along.
When the words didn't click, even half a sentence was too much.
So Kenichi attacked.
Chakra surged up his throat. But before he could open his mouth and unleash flame, a violent screech ripped through the air.
It was unbearable, like someone dragging their nails across a chalkboard, except it was happening right beside your ear, inside a bar with the volume cranked to the limit. Goosebumps crawled over Kenichi's skin.
"Noisy old geezer!" Kenichi cursed through the discomfort.
He forced himself steady and spat out Great Fire Annihilation, reinforced by Sage Mode chakra.
Flames exploded outward in all directions. The frigid air boiled. The temperature in the snowy landscape jumped so fast it felt unreal.
Even Kakashi felt heat wash over him, sweat breaking out as if he'd been dragged into a steaming bathhouse.
"This level of ninjutsu?" The old man's eyes widened.
A fork-like tool snapped out from his sleeve. He tried to use his usual trick, aiming to deflect the attack the way he had before.
But this was Sage Mode. How could it be brushed aside so easily?
Even though he managed to divert part of it, the rest swallowed him whole.
Kenichi halted, then sharply twisted his head.
Something whistled past his ear and exploded behind him.
"Explosives?" Kenichi actually laughed, amused despite himself. "I'm your ancestor."
This old man really wanted to play bombs with him?
At the same time, Kenichi realized the man hadn't died in the flames. Over there, through the heat distortion and drifting snow, he was still fiddling with something like nothing had happened.
"Chidori!" Kakashi burst forward.
He still had questions. Too many. But in a fight, priorities were simple. They could talk after the enemy was dealt with.
"No, that's a fake body!" Kenichi sensed the problem instantly, but Kakashi was already committed.
In that flash of movement, Kenichi invoked Sage Mode and cast Hidden Mist Jutsu.
A dense fog rolled out, swallowing the old man's position in an instant.
Kakashi heard the warning and adjusted mid-charge, cutting past the target instead of driving straight through.
In the split second he passed, his hand felt like it brushed against something.
"You actually noticed?" The old man's voice came from inside the mist, amused.
He lifted his head toward Kenichi. Even though Kakashi's Chidori had grazed him, there was no real damage. Worse, his body flickered within the fog, unstable like an image that couldn't hold focus.
Kenichi narrowed his eyes. "A virtual projection?"
It wasn't a Shadow Clone. It wasn't Substitution or Transformation either. It was something else entirely.
Kenichi had already noticed this man's obsession with explosives. With that kind of fighting style, it made no sense for him to expose a glaring flaw by leaving his real body in the open.
Under Sage Mode, Kenichi had felt it clearly earlier. The "old man" in front of them wasn't a real person, but it still had physical presence.
Given the man's habits, Kenichi had assumed it might be a pile of hidden explosives shaped into a decoy. If an enemy rushed in, they'd be greeted by a beautiful blast.
The image of Kakashi driving Chidori through a mound of explosives was honestly too horrifying, so Kenichi had used the mist to soak the area and dampen any powder.
It seemed he'd gambled correctly.
"Virtual projection?" the old man chuckled. "That name isn't bad."
Then, without warning, Kenichi felt a sharp gust behind him.
The old man appeared at Kenichi's back and slapped him on the shoulder. Thin needles shot out from his palm.
But Kenichi's body dispersed like smoke.
"Shadow Clone?" The old man's expression finally cracked. "When?"
He instinctively prepared to retreat.
Too late.
A pale green gas erupted from the clone's body, washing over the old man at point-blank range. His limbs stiffened instantly, and his muscles stopped responding like they belonged to someone else.
"Yellow Spring Flower Poison?" The old man's eyes widened as he recognized it. He reached for his pants pocket on instinct.
A kunai pressed coldly against his throat.
Kenichi's real body stood behind him, smiling. "Tell me, what happens if I make a cut?"
The old man slowly raised both hands, surprisingly composed. "If you sever the carotid artery, I'll hemorrhage immediately. Blood will spray about 1.8 meters. Then I'll die from excessive blood loss."
Kenichi blinked, genuinely interested. "Oh? High blood pressure?"
A normal person's blood didn't spray that far. Usually it was around 1.2 meters, maybe 1.6 at most.
And then, Kenichi felt something drive into his abdomen.
A stabbing pain bloomed in his stomach.
.....
[Check Out My Patreon For Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]