Chapter 152: A Grand Funeral
Atsui leapt between the treetops, every bound tugging at the wound on his chest.
Blood had seeped through the bandages, sticking stickily to his skin.
But he touched the scroll and sword hilt in his embrace, gritted his teeth, and dared not stop.
"It seems my luck has run out..."
After the preliminaries, the three Jonin—Shi, Darui, and Nurui—spoke with him privately.
Hidden Cloud Village intended to steal Konoha's secret techniques and the Sword of the Thunder God, but because of Konoha's wariness and surveillance of Hidden Cloud Village, they could never find an opportunity.
The only opening was Atsui, who had made it into the third round—inside the arena, as a contestant, he wouldn't be under such strict surveillance.
The plan was simple: get defeated and injured in the finals, enter the infirmary, and then slip out of the arena from the laxly guarded infirmary to steal Konoha's secret technique scroll and the Sword of the Thunder God.
Everything had been progressing smoothly...
Until he climbed over the walls of Konoha, when he felt a tightening in his chest.
Intuition told him that he must have triggered some kind of Barrier Ninjutsu or alarm; Konoha already knew.
Pursuers could appear at any moment.
"As long as... I reach the rendezvous point."
Because of the strenuous activity, the wound on his chest had long since split open.
Feeling the pain, the scene from the arena surfaced uncontrollably.
That wasn't a sword "duel" at all, but "instruction."
Before, when going to the Ramen Shop, Haruko had held prejudice and hostility toward Hidden Cloud Village.
He could have easily defeated him, but he held back time and time again, even in the final move.
Why?
In a trance, Haruko's figure gradually overlapped with Mr. Yoriichi's...
Atsui shook his head, suppressing these distracting thoughts.
"When we meet again, I'll just ask Mr. Yoriichi directly."
At the top of the arena, a cyan figure flashed by.
"Haruko... what is this?"
Kagero had actually returned, coming to Haruko's side.
"A minor issue. What about you, why did you come back?"
"The others went into the basement. I came to keep you company."
Kagero's breathing was a bit rapid, sweat dripping down her cheeks; she had clearly run all the way back.
"Why go to such lengths..."
Haruko sighed; he knew how stubborn someone like Kagero, who had almost let go of everything, could be, so he didn't say anything more.
"By the way, those Clan Members of yours..."
"Whether to kill or spare them doesn't matter." Kagero didn't even glance at them. "Do you need me to draw their attention?"
"If you don't mind. I'm just about ready on my end."
Haruko was still lying on the ground, but he no longer looked weak.
"But remember, only move in the stands; don't get close. And once the fighting starts, get away as quickly as possible."
"I understand."
Kagero took a detour to the other side of the arena, and Haruko looked up at Anko.
"Alright, Anko-sensei, stop crying."
Haruko reached out and waved his hand in front of Anko—he had already recovered completely.
"Haruko, you..." Anko was stunned by this recovery speed.
"That's why I said it was a minor issue. Compared to that, there's something I need to ask of you..."
The Shadow Clone sitting cross-legged next to Tsunade began to glow with a silvery-gray light; that was Haruko's Sage Mode Chakra.
Haruko's main body was still playing dead on the ground, while this side had stealthily entered Sage Mode.
"...So you stayed behind not to keep me company?" Tsunade stared at that layer of silver light, her mouth twitching. "I was moved for nothing."
"Huh?" The Shadow Clone tilted its head. "Didn't I also happen to protect you?"
Tsunade turned her face away; the blood all over the ground was still grating on her nerves, but staying by Haruko's side inexplicably made her feel mentally relaxed.
As Kagero appeared in the stands in the distance, the Shadow Clone knew it was time.
"You can handle it, right?"
"Of course, just a clown..."
Before the Shadow Clone could finish speaking, it poofed into smoke.
Tsunade froze for a second, then laughed and cursed: "That brat..."
On the other side of the arena, Kagero's figure appeared before the Fuma Clan Members who had abandoned her.
"Lady Kagero? Oh wait, Kagero?"
"Shouldn't she be dead?"
This hellish sight made them look at each other in shock.
"Stop now, clan. The outside is full of Konoha Ninja."
Kagero's voice wasn't loud, but it was transmitted clearly into everyone's ears through Chakra.
"It's not too late to turn back now. The grand promises Shiranami made to you cannot be fulfilled."
The Fuma Clan Members froze for a moment, then burst into boisterous laughter.
"Don't listen to her nonsense, Konoha can't turn the tables!"
"You're just jealous! When Lord Shiranami founds the nation, we will all be founding heroes!"
"Hiding as an ugly man for so many years, what, you want to come back and get a piece of the pie?"
Amidst the laughter, the few Fuma Ninja maintaining the Barrier Ninjutsu lost their focus slightly.
Although subtle, the Barrier Ninjutsu was indeed affected.
As for the vile words of her former clansmen, Kagero didn't take them to heart at all.
Her gaze crossed over those few people and landed on the stands on the opposite side—it was already empty, leaving only a white bone.
"Bloom, Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
Chih chih chih—
Dozens of pale white bone spikes burst from the ground, like a white forest of steel.
Every bone spike tip was coated with a Chakra blade; the Barrier Ninjutsu was pierced through like paper.
Those Fuma Clan Members who were mocking Kagero didn't even have time to scream before they were precisely skewered like candied haws.
Blood slid down the bone spikes, staining the pure white bone forest.
The En no Gyoja was deliberately avoided. The old man stood on the only empty space in the bone forest, his cloudy eyes full of confusion.
Shiranami did react quickly; he leapt high the moment the bone spikes emerged.
A bone spike grazed his waist, leaving a bloody gash, but it ultimately didn't stop him.
"Damn it! If that's the case, then all of you go to hell!"
Ignoring the forest of spears right before his eyes, Shiranami raised his hand, wanting to control the En no Gyoja and release Heavenly Fury Eruption—
The anticipated white shockwave did not appear.
Shiranami looked down.
On the face of the unharmed En no Gyoja, there was an extra large black character.
"Control"
Beside the En no Gyoja was Haruko, with half his body growing out from the bone spikes, shimmering with silver light.
—This was the last image in Shiranami's eyes.
The first to hit was the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet; the old man who had been keeping his eyes on the prey didn't miss any opportunity.
Following that were various Ninjutsu, along with an oversaturated attack of countless Kunai and shuriken; not even a scrap of Shiranami was left.
Haruko jumped down from the bone spikes and looked up at the fireworks show in the sky: "Tsk tsk tsk, this can count as a grand funeral. It's too good for this clown."
With Shiranami's death, the "Control" character on the side of the En no Gyoja's neck faded away, and Haruko also released his control over him.
"Young man." The En no Gyoja grabbed Haruko's wrist. "I can't hold it back much longer."
"What?"
"That bastard Shiranami forced me to absorb too much." The old man lifted his clothes, revealing the Forbidden Curse core glowing with white light on his back. "Once it goes out of control, nothing within ten miles will remain!"
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