Chapter 251: A Chance Encounter
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A figure streaked across the sky, arriving at a residential sector of Konoha.
Thud!
A body collapsed into a pool of blood. A Konoha forehead protector and a flak jacket were visible on the fallen form. Looking down at the body, Sabi remained expressionless. He sealed the room and set the entire house ablaze.
Then, suppressing his aura, he quickly vanished from the neighborhood.
Sizzle! Crackle!
"Fire! Help, put out the fire!"
"It's Kisuke's house! Hurry, hurry!"
Before long, residents discovered the blaze. Neighbors rushed from their homes with water buckets, frantically tossing them toward the building.
Splash!
Soon, thanks to everyone's efforts, the flames were extinguished. But it was too late; the entire house had been reduced to charred remains. It wasn't long before the residents discovered a corpse pinned to the floor.
"What happened? Was it an accidental fire?"
"Unlikely. It's not even a season where fires start easily!"
"Go notify the Police Force, quickly!"
Shortly after the fire was put out and while the residents were seeking the authorities, a figure wearing a cat-mask dropped from the sky. Looking at the familiar, charred silhouette on the ground, this battle-hardened elite ninja couldn't stop a few tears from falling.
"Kaori... I'm late."
The sky seemed to mirror his grief, as a thin drizzle began to fall. In the rain, the Anbu ninja searched for clues in the vicinity. After a final, lingering look, he moved off with grim determination in a specific direction.
Whoosh!
"Sabi, is it you?" In his heart, he already had a suspect. He just wasn't certain yet. Now, he was going to verify it.
"It's raining."
Tonbo Tobitake looked up at the light drizzle. The rain pitter-pattered against the river, growing heavier until the drops began to smash down like heavy dew.
Plop! Plop!
The raindrops hitting the water's surface created a rhythmic, pleasant sound.
Hmm? Suddenly, he sensed two auras approaching rapidly.
Tiger Seal!
He refined his chakra and released his sensory field. Two chakra signatures—quite strong by the standards of ordinary ninjas—were closing in.
"Two Konoha ninjas, one chasing, one fleeing. What's the story here?"
Tonbo leaned against a large tree. His form began to blur, eventually vanishing from sight. The rain hit the tree canopy above, never touching his skin. His "Hidden Illusion" technique was effective, but in this kind of rain, an experienced ninja might notice the subtle displacement of water. He adjusted his presence to a minimum.
Before long, the two figures appeared. One in front, one behind.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The pursuer hurled shuriken at the man in front.
Clang! Clang!
The leading ninja dodged most of them and used a kunai to deflect those he couldn't avoid.
"Stop, Sabi! Your identity has been exposed!"
The pursuing ninja wove hand signs. Several iron wires from his tool pouch seemed to come alive, extending rapidly to coil around the kunai embedded in the ground.
Snap!
With a flick of the wires, the shuriken were redirected, completely locking down Sabi's path of retreat.
Bang!
Sabi smiled slightly. The moment he was "hit," he turned into a log.
"Substitution Jutsu!"
"Did you think you discovered me? I discovered you first, elite Anbu Kisuke."
Sabi appeared behind Kisuke, thrusting a kunai ruthlessly into his back.
Wait?
He soon realized something was wrong. The kunai didn't hit flesh; it sank into a strange, viscous liquid, as if he had stabbed into jelly.
Sizzle!
Several explosive tags ignited beneath his feet.
"Dammit!"
Boom! Boom!
Under the rainy night, the two figures engaged in high-speed combat.
Clang! Clang!
They traded blows at lightning speed, kunai and shuriken flying through the air.
"Kisuke of the Anbu, and the other is... Sabi from the Konoha Security Department," Tonbo recalled their files. "I remember seeing Sabi's name when I was Acting Hokage. As an elite ninja of the Security Department, he submitted a proposal regarding Konoha's defense network once. It was actually quite good."
Tonbo processed the information. From the looks of it, Kisuke had discovered that Sabi was a mole.
What a coincidence. To stumble upon this while researching ninjutsu. If Sabi really was a spy, and they had actually implemented his "new defense network," all of Konoha's blind spots would have been handed to the enemy on a silver platter. Even Senior Shikaku had thought the proposal was excellent. If Tsunade hadn't returned, they might have already approved it.
"These spies... they really do find every possible crack to crawl into," Tonbo sighed. Even though he could read minds, he couldn't go through the village and scan every single ninja one by one. Searching memories caused brain damage, after all. He really did have to admit the ninja world was full of "talent."
Since he had seen it, this spy was as good as caught. However, Tonbo wasn't in a hurry to intervene. A battle between two Jonin was a rare sight. Both had their own specialized tricks.
Bang! Bang!
Water dragons rose from the river, attacking Sabi.
"Worthy of an Anbu elite, but your life ends here today."
Sabi retreated rapidly, dodging the jutsu. He landed on a rock face by the river. A talisman appeared in his hand, along with a strand of hair. He smiled at Kisuke.
"Soul-Body Separation Jutsu!"
Massive seal formulas extended from the talisman, and spectral tentacles reached into the void. Kisuke tried to stop him, but as the sealing jutsu formed, his body stiffened. He felt as if another version of himself was trying to crawl out of his skull. As his ethereal figure was slowly pulled out, Kisuke watched his own body go limp—his soul was being stripped away.
"How is this possible?!" He was horrified. He had zero experience dealing with a sealing jutsu that targeted the soul.
"Heh, are you wondering how such a powerful jutsu could seal you? I noticed your suspicion long ago. This hair is the medium I took from your house. Don't worry, go join your wife in the Pure Land," Sabi gloated.
Kisuke's face was pale with despair. He could only watch helplessly as his soul slowly left his body.
"So, you really are a spy. I almost authorized your defense network proposal," a voice said.
Tonbo Tobitake appeared beside Sabi and placed a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, the sealing jutsu halted, and Kisuke's soul snapped back into his body.
"You're... the Acting Hokage..."
Sabi's eyes darted around, realizing only his eyeballs could move. The moment he saw Tonbo, his pupils shrunk. This is... I've fallen into a Genjutsu. He realized he had been completely neutralized.
He was distraught. At such a critical moment, when did he get caught? Was it when he submitted the proposal? He began to doubt every move he had made, but he knew he was finished. He never had the confidence to beat the man who filled the Hokage's seat, and now he had lost the initiative entirely.
"Lord Tonbo."
Kisuke regained control of his body and saw Tonbo. His entire body relaxed. Then, he turned his gaze toward Sabi, his eyes filled with cold fury.
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