Aoki Yoru bid them farewell and headed home. Fighting for a day and a night had left him both mentally and physically exhausted, and he needed to get some rest. As for Nao, it was best for her to stay at Grandma Chiki's house for now.
The night was deep, a bright moon hung in the sky, and all around was deathly silent.
A faint sound echoed, and Aoki Yoru, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly snapped his eyes open, his spiritual energy spreading out to scan his surroundings.
"Oh? I didn't expect this plot point; I'd almost forgotten about it."
The image that entered his mind was Gekkō Hayate confronting the Hidden Sand elite Jonin, Baki.
What surprised Aoki Yoru even more was that the place where they were facing off was only five hundred meters from his house, though after a moment's thought, he understood why.
In the original story, although their battle didn't last long, it couldn't be hidden from Ninjas with sensitive senses. If they had fought in the center of the Village or on the commercial street, they wouldn't have been able to hide from the Ninja clans or the Police Force at all.
Only here by the West Gate, which was populated by civilians and where patrols followed fixed, separated routes, was there no fear of being discovered. This was likely why Gekkō Hayate hadn't shouted to call for his comrades.
At that thought, Aoki Yoru's figure vanished from the bed.
At that moment on a rooftop, Gekkō Hayate drew his shinobi blade and lunged forward. In just a few steps, he had crossed most of the roof and reached Baki.
Three figures suddenly appeared simultaneously, crisscrossing one another. Before Baki could react, the original body looked down at him from the air.
"Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Dance of the Crescent Moon."
Clang—
The blade struck Baki's shoulder, only breaking through a layer of skin and flesh. A faint spray of blood splashed onto his face, but then the blade seemed to be gripped by something invisible. Even though he gripped it with force, the entire sword remained motionless—he couldn't pull it out, nor could he cut deeper.
"Nice swordplay."
Baki smiled as he gripped the blade on his shoulder with his left hand, while his right hand condensed a wind blade. Under Gekkō Hayate's horrified gaze, he slashed toward him.
Just as the wind blade was about to strike Gekkō Hayate—
Swish—
Two sharp slashes suddenly struck from the side, one after the other. One accurately collided with Baki's wind blade, forcibly shattering the lethal move!
The other slash aimed directly at Baki himself.
Baki's pupils shrank. He jerked his body to the side in a desperate dodge, narrowly avoiding the sharp strike. The wind from the blade brushed past his neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Who is it?"
Baki looked up toward where the slashes had come from.
Having just walked through the gates of death, Gekkō Hayate felt a surge of relief at his survival, while cold sweat instantly soaked his collar.
"Is Sunagakure so arrogant now? To dare to openly kill someone in Konoha, and a Konoha Jonin at that."
Before the voice had even faded, a figure slowly stepped out from the shadows, resting the back of his blade against his arm, looking at them with interest.
"thunder prison kirin—Aoki Yoru," Baki said through gritted teeth after seeing the newcomer's face.
If it weren't for this person, Gaara wouldn't have been exposed, adding so many complications to Sunagakure's plans for no reason. The Fourth Kazekage had even sent a letter of condemnation.
After seeing the newcomer's face clearly, Gekkō Hayate breathed a sigh of relief. He had witnessed Aoki Yoru's strength on the battlefield; he was definitely a powerhouse.
He couldn't help but cough violently a few times before saying in a raspy voice, "Jonin Aoki, be careful. This man's strength is not simple."
Seeing Aoki Yoru appear, Baki knew he was in trouble this time. If he couldn't end the battle quickly, Konoha's reinforcements would arrive soon. No matter what, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Immediately, his face hardened with a look of suicidal resolve, his eyes glinting with ruthlessness.
In that case, he would take down Aoki Yoru, this rising star of Konoha. His talent was too great; in time, he would become another Minato Namikaze.
He would take the blame himself. As for Gaara and the others, if the plan succeeded, Konoha would have no choice but to hand them over obediently.
If it failed, the Third Hokage's indecisiveness was known throughout the Ninja World. He wouldn't dare kill Gaara, and the rest would just be a matter of both sides exchanging terms.
With that thought, Baki's aura surged. He wanted to kill Aoki Yoru in the shortest time possible.
He condensed all his Chakra, unleashing it without reservation as he quickly formed hand signs.
"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel Tornado!"
With a low shout, a giant tornado of wind blades rose from the ground. Countless sickle weasel wind blades sliced frantically within the cyclone, shredding all obstacles as it surged toward Aoki Yoru.
"Oh! Not a bad Ninjutsu. As expected of a veteran Jonin of the Hidden Sand Village and the Kazekage's confidant, you indeed have some skill."
This Ninjutsu was indeed impressive, a perfect choice for team battles. Aoki Yoru rarely complimented an opponent.
Aoki Yoru remained calm. He took a coin from his pocket, thrust his right arm straight forward, and held the coin steadily between his fingertips. Violent Lightning Release Chakra instantly surged and wrapped around him.
Aoki Yoru flicked his thumb heavily, snapping his finger against the coin as he shouted in a low voice:
"Lightning Release: Super Electromagnetic Cannon!"
In an instant, the coin wrapped in lightning transformed into a beam of blazing white light that pierced the heavens and earth, colliding head-on with the wind blade tornado with unstoppable force.
The violent tornado was instantly pierced and blown apart. The following lightning spread along the hole into the cyclone, annihilating the scattered wind blades inch by inch.
The beam of lightning didn't lose its momentum, heading straight for Baki.
Baki's expression changed drastically. He immediately forced his body to twist, trying to avoid the coin.
Boom—
The wall behind Baki was shattered by the electromagnetic cannon. Stones and dust exploded outward, and a charred hole the size of a person was blasted directly through the entire wall.
A light breeze blew, and the dust cleared.
Baki was seen kneeling on one knee, clutching his shoulder tightly, panting heavily.
In that critical moment, he had forcibly twisted his body to avoid his vitals, but the coin had still struck his shoulder.
Carrying the blazing white lightning, the coin had punched straight through his shoulder, leaving a charred, coin-sized hole. The high temperature had even carbonized the flesh around the wound.
"As expected of a veteran Jonin, your reactions are quite fast," Aoki Yoru said as he drew yerun.
Baki watched his movements, enduring the piercing pain. He struggled to his feet, gasping for air, and held a Kunai in one hand, taking a defensive stance.
Crackle—
A flash of lightning appeared, and Aoki Yoru was already in front of Baki, raising his blade to strike.
Baki endured the sharp pain and numbness in his shoulder, desperately blocking with his Kunai.
Rip—
The Kunai in Baki's hand was like paper, instantly sliced in half by yerun. The blade's edge followed through across his body, leaving a massive wound deep enough to see bone across his chest and abdomen.
Blood sprayed out. Baki felt the strength drain from his body instantly. He could no longer stand and collapsed to his knees, completely losing his ability to fight.
Looking at the fallen Baki, Aoki Yoru glanced at yerun in his hand with satisfaction. This level of sharpness was truly the best choice for close-quarters sneak attacks.
Ignoring Baki, he turned and left. Having been woken up in the middle of the night, he was still sleepy. If the Anbu arrived, he'd be dragged to see the Third to write a report, which was far too much trouble.