Chương 91: Chapter 91: Shūichi Hoshita vs. Killer Bee!
"The Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire have always been allies, and the existence of Yugakure is different from that of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. This village emerged because of a religious sect within the Land of Hot Water," Shinnosuke Sarutobi revealed more information as they headed north out of Konoha.
This was something not taught in the Academy.
"A religious sect? So, this mission is related to that sect? But why are the Kumo-nin involved?" Akimichi Chōgan asked.
Shūichi Hoshita, however, thought of Hidan a devout worshipper of Jashin—who was supposedly from Yugakure, a village said to have gradually lost its combat prowess due to its pursuit of peace.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi continued, "Yes, it's related to this sect. The so-called 'Jashin Cult' promotes very evil ideologies, advocating slaughter and sacrifice. It has been suppressed by the Land of Hot Water, which led to the formation of Yugakure."
"But this cult has a knack for resurging without anyone noticing, and it's rumored that they have a secret technique that grants immortality."
Nara Satoshi added gravely, "It seems that this immortality technique is why the Jashin Cult can't be eradicated. Kumo, known for collecting various secret techniques, must be here because of this."
Shinnosuke Sarutobi nodded.
In fact, this situation hadn't erupted suddenly; it had been ongoing for some time.
Konoha had already suffered losses, including a Jonin from the Sarutobi clan.
At that moment, Shūichi also recalled Kakashi's previous encounter with the A-B Combo, realizing that this mission was likely connected.
The A-B Combo was no easy opponent.
Especially the future Fourth Raikage, known for his incredible speed, which made him particularly difficult to deal with.
And thinking about the current Third Raikage, who was supposedly worn down to death by thousands of Iwa-nin...
"Ape, tell us about the Kumo-nin, specifically the A-B Combo," Chihiro's voice broke through.
Shūichi refocused his thoughts.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi explained, "The A-B Combo consists of A, the candidate for the next Raikage. He possesses the strongest Lightning Release in the shinobi world, and his Lightning Release Chakra Mode is the pinnacle of shinobi combat."
Yamanaka Shinichi added, "So he's extremely fast, and I've heard that the Lightning Release Chakra Mode provides strong defensive capabilities. Such an opponent would be extremely difficult to handle."
"If we can't control him, using the Mind Transfer Technique would be impossible."
Nara Satoshi said, "Someone like that must have incredibly fast reflexes. Without a solid strategy, capturing him would be very difficult, especially with his partner supporting him!"
"To be chosen as the future Raikage's partner, the other member must also be formidable."
Shinnosuke Sarutobi nodded, "Indeed, the other one is Killer Bee, also known as the 'Killer B.'"
"Him?" Yamanaka Shinichi was surprised. "I've heard of him. He has exceptionally high-level swordsmanship."
Behind his mask, Shinnosuke Sarutobi's expression grew serious. "Yes, his swordsmanship is extraordinary, said to be impossible to read, even praised by White Fang himself."
"But he has another, even more dangerous identity—he's a Jinchūriki!"
Jinchūriki!
The entire Ino-Shika-Chō trio visibly tensed beneath their masks.
They weren't ordinary shinobi; they knew full well what a Jinchūriki represented.
After a moment of silence, Akimichi Chōgan couldn't help but ask, "Captain, are you sure we can handle this combination?"
Shinnosuke Sarutobi reassured them, "Don't worry, we're not the only ones involved this time."
"White Fang himself will be there too. We're the covert force, and our primary mission is to prevent the Jashin Cult's secret technique from being leaked."
This news caused the trio to breathe a collective sigh of relief. "White Fang will be there? That's a relief!"
It wasn't that they were cowardly, but rather that the threat of a Jinchūriki was simply overwhelming.
At that moment, Chihiro spoke up, "Flame, you've been quiet. Have you been thinking about something?"
Shūichi Hoshita hadn't expected her to be paying such close attention to him and quickly responded, "Yes, I was. Last time, Sakumo-senpai's son, my friend Kakashi Hatake, was nearly killed by the A-B Combo."
"Both of his teammates died in that mission, and the leading Jonin, Sarutobi Akimoto-senpai, was seriously injured. I was involved in their medical treatment."
Nara Satoshi and the others immediately understood.
"So that's what happened!"
"It seems that White Fang has a personal reason for joining this mission—to avenge them."
"I wonder if White Fang can handle those two formidable opponents."
Underneath their masks, the members of the ANBU were no different from ordinary people, which was something Shūichi found most striking today. They experienced fear and indulged in gossip, unlike his former comrades in Root, who were cold and emotionless, like machines.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi added, "There's one more crucial piece of information."
"Killer Bee is currently considered the most perfect Jinchūriki in the shinobi world. It's said that he can fully control the power of the tailed beast within him."
"So, we must be extremely cautious."
Shūichi noticed the wording Shinnosuke used—"most perfect Jinchūriki"—which implied that Killer Bee's control was superior compared to other Jinchūriki. He thought about how the two Jinchūriki from Iwa seemed to have pretty decent control over their tailed beasts as well.
Among the major shinobi villages, Konoha and Sunagakure probably had the weakest control over their tailed beasts. But when it came to sealing techniques, Konoha was undoubtedly the strongest.
"This likely has to do with the attitude toward the tailed beasts," Shūichi mused. "Konoha's approach to sealing the tailed beasts seems to stem from the idea that they're not just weapons, but incredibly dangerous beings, possibly due to the First Hokage's beliefs."
After all, the Nine-Tails was initially used by Madara Uchiha as a mount, and the First Hokage decided that the beast's power was too great, so he sealed it inside his wife's body.
After some thought, Shūichi asked, "Captain, if we end up facing the A-B Combo, or even just one of them, how should we handle it?"
Shinnosuke Sarutobi had clearly already considered this. "Flame, Force, you two excel in close combat. You'll need to engage them directly but focus on delaying rather than taking them head-on."
"Seeker and I will use ninjutsu and genjutsu to distract and interfere, creating opportunities for Mind and Deer to control them."
"However, we must be especially cautious with Killer Bee, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails. He can control the tailed beast's power, so Mind's Mind Transfer Technique and Deer's Shadow Imitation Technique might not fully hold him. After control is established, we'll need to attack from medium to long range with ninjutsu."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Against a high-speed, high-offense enemy, someone needed to occupy them, or else Yamanaka Shinichi and Nara Satoshi wouldn't have a chance to act.
Chihiro specialized in genjutsu and ninjutsu, and Shinnosuke Sarutobi was also more of a ninjutsu-type ninja. From their previous sparring, it was clear that neither could stand up to Shūichi in close combat.
Using ninjutsu required space and time, and the worst opponents were those who attacked so quickly that there wasn't even time to form hand seals.
After thinking for a moment, Shūichi said, "If we can control them, I have a way to break through the Lightning Release Chakra Mode's defense."
"As for a Jinchūriki, I'd need to see one in action before I can assess it."
This statement caused everyone to turn their heads toward Shūichi, clearly surprised.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi quickly asked, "Is it the secret technique of Fire Release and kenjutsu?"
Shūichi shook his head. "No, it's an S-rank Wind Release jutsu!"
"I've mentioned before that I specialize in Fire and Wind Release."
The group exchanged glances, slightly taken aback.
That level of expertise sounded almost excessive.
But they had already witnessed Shūichi's Fire Release prowess, so they didn't doubt his words. Even Shinnosuke Sarutobi, who knew Shūichi best, began reassessing him in his mind.
"In that case, I'm feeling much more confident about this mission," Nara Satoshi said with a smile, feeling significantly relieved.
...
The squad departed in the afternoon, around 2 p.m., and arrived at the Yugakure (Village Hidden In Hot Water) in the Land of Hot Water by 8 p.m.
Even at night, Shūichi could tell that this village was quite prosperous. Although its size couldn't compare to Konoha, its level of bustling activity certainly could.
Yugakure's ninjas welcomed Shūichi and his team into the village, leading them through the busy streets to a building nestled against a cliff. It was clear that this was where the secret technique of the Jashin cult was sealed.
There, Shūichi noticed Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, standing guard in front of the building. However, it was Captain Shinnosuke who handled the exchange, and Shūichi didn't approach.
After the handover, Sakumo Hatake's four-man team vanished without a trace.
"From now on, we'll divide into two groups for shifts. Group A will consist of me, Seeker, and Flame. Group B will be Force, Deer, and Mind," Shinnosuke quickly instructed.
"Tonight, Group A will be on watch. Group B, familiarize yourselves with Yugakure's terrain and bring back some food."
"Understood!" Shinichi and the other two responded, disappearing swiftly.
After surveying the surrounding area, Shinnosuke gave quick orders. Shūichi stood guard at the front gate, Chihiro stationed herself on the rooftop, while Shinnosuke climbed the cliff for a high vantage point. From there, he could monitor not only the cliff but also the houses and the dense forest behind them.
Two hours later, Shinichi returned with a hand-drawn map and an abundance of food from the Land of Hot Water.
Shūichi sat cross-legged on the ground, eating and drinking heartily, while Shinichi and the others familiarized themselves with the traps set by Sakumo's team in the surrounding forest. They adjusted them to suit their own preferences.
This area was so remote that even the ninjas of Yugakure rarely ventured here, and when they did, they approached from the main road. There was no need to worry about accidentally harming the villagers—if anyone got hurt, it meant they weren't allies.
After completing their tasks, Shinichi and his team rested in a wooden cabin on the right, which had previously been used by Yugakure's ninja as a guardhouse.
Time passed, and even the lively Yugakure gradually turned off its lights and fell into silence.
Suddenly, the dark sky was illuminated by a flickering light.
Shūichi stood up, crouched down, and touched the ground with one finger, spreading his sensory abilities toward the light source. The closer he got, the more he could sense a powerful chakra fluctuation.
"They've come, as expected!"
"That's Sakumo-senpai's chakra…"
"These two powerful presences—could they be the A-B Combo?"
As Shūichi continued to sense the situation, he raised an eyebrow. "They actually broke through the perimeter…"
His expression grew strange, realizing that the three individuals had encountered no resistance and were moving through Yugakure without any hindrance. It almost seemed as though the Yugakure ninjas were all dead or had completely withdrawn to the outer areas.
After ending his sensory scan, Shūichi turned toward the rooftop and used hand signals to communicate what he had sensed to Chihiro. She nodded in acknowledgment and swiftly leapt to the cliff to report the situation.
However, when Shūichi sensed again a moment later, he frowned slightly.
They had retreated!
"It seems the enemy also has sensory ninjas. They detected our presence and withdrew immediately."
Shūichi relayed this new information to Chihiro. Sure enough, the battle on the outskirts ended quickly, and the enemy seemed to have retreated.
Still, Shūichi didn't dare let his guard down, continuing to scan the area periodically. He couldn't fully trust the ninjas of Yugakure, and even Sakumo's team couldn't cover every angle.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully.
After eating breakfast, brought back by Shinichi's team, Shūichi collapsed onto his bed and slept until 3 p.m.
Day by day, time passed.
Aside from the incident on the first night, the following three days were peaceful. It seemed as though the Kumogakure ninjas had truly withdrawn.
Yugakure's vigilance also began to slacken, with guards being pulled back from the outer perimeter.
While wandering around the village in civilian clothing, Shūichi noticed how relaxed the Yugakure ninjas had become.
It turned out that after the enemy broke through the perimeter on the first night without any resistance, it wasn't because Yugakure's ninjas were too scared to leave their village—it was because they had spread their forces around the outskirts, trying to prevent the enemy from entering the village.
Or perhaps they simply didn't want the battle to take place within the village itself.
...
Back at the mission site, just as Shūichi was about to delve into some ninjutsu practice, he heard Shinnosuke announce, "Everyone, after tonight, the mission will be over."
"Make sure not to let your guard down on this final night."
Upon hearing this, the group couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Akimichi Chōgan then asked, "Have the Cloud Ninjas completely retreated?"
Shinnosuke nodded. "It seems so, at least for now."
"The leader of Yugakure also believes that the Cloud Ninjas have given up, so they've decided to end the mission."
Nara Satoshi frowned. "Even if the Cloud Ninjas retreat now, they could come back eventually. Doesn't Yugakure have a better solution?"
"Like destroying the secret technique completely?"
Shinnosuke shook his head. "It's precisely because they can't destroy it that they have to seal and protect it this way."
"As for the Cloud Ninjas... the leader of this village has decided to secretly relocate the secret technique tonight."
Shinichi speculated, "It seems Yugakure hasn't been idle during this time."
Relocating the technique would require re-establishing seals and other protections, which couldn't be done quickly.
"The Jashin cult's secret technique..." Shūichi was a bit curious.
However, what intrigued him wasn't Hidan's curse technique, but rather his immortality.
Teaming up Hidan with Kakuzu was like pairing a dragon and a phoenix—Hidan couldn't die, so Kakuzu could go all out, without worrying about accidentally killing his partner.
After considering it for a moment, Shūichi suppressed his curiosity.
The Dead Demon Consuming Seal was one thing—at most, it involved making a basic deal with the Grim Reaper. But Jashin required devout worship, and it could turn someone into a maniacal killer like Hidan, who took pleasure in slaughter.
Better to finish this last day of the mission and return to the village, where he could focus on his training.
He was close to mastering the S-rank technique in swordsmanship, and once he did, he could unlock the [Taijutsu Master] tag, which would further enhance his physical abilities.
...
In the blink of an eye, midnight arrived.
The leader of Yugakure, along with three of the village's Jōnin, each leading a small team, arrived at the site where the Jashin secret technique was sealed. They opened the heavy iron door to begin the relocation process.
Shūichi and his team were stationed around the perimeter.
As the situation grew more tense, Shinnosuke became even more cautious. Shūichi and Shinichi took turns sensing the area every five minutes.
About half an hour later, Shūichi saw a stone tablet covered with a black cloth being carried out.
But at that moment, Shinichi, who was on sensing duty, suddenly opened his eyes wide. "Captain, enemies have breached the perimeter!"
"They're moving very fast!"
Underneath his mask, Shinnosuke Sarutobi's expression changed immediately. He turned to the Yugakure team and ordered, "Enemies are closing in fast—abandon the relocation immediately!"
"What?" The Yugakure ninjas were shocked but had no choice but to hurriedly carry the stone tablet back inside.
Meanwhile, Shūichi and his team were already prepared for battle.
"They're here!" Shinichi warned.
In the next moment, under the moonlight, two figures appeared directly in front of them.
One was large, the other small!
"It's really the future Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee!" Shūichi's eyes narrowed as he gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Yo, yo, looks like we arrived just in time!"
"So many people—are you all here to give us a special welcome?"
Killer Bee's bizarre rapping echoed through the night.
A glanced around briefly and then said, "Bee, it looks like they're trying to relocate that secret technique. Let's make this quick—Konoha's White Fang isn't easy to deal with!"
"Got it, I'll show them the super-high-speed swordsmanship I just perfected, you idiot, you fool!"
Killer Bee grinned, and several swords of varying lengths flew into the air. He caught them with his teeth, hands, and even tucked them under his arms and elbows.
The stance was extremely odd!
"Take them down!" The leader of Yugakure ordered, and the three Jōnin immediately led their teams into the fray.
"Yoo-hoo!" Killer Bee let out a strange cry as he leaped into the air, spinning rapidly. His swords sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound.
Boom!
Killer Bee descended with incredible speed, crashing into the midst of the Yugakure ninjas. With one swift stomp, he drove one of them into the ground. Then, as he extended his limbs, his swords danced through the air, sending blood spraying as two more ninjas fell.
The shuriken thrown by Shinnosuke and the others were easily deflected, having little to no effect.
Killer Bee's attacks were swift, his swordsmanship bizarre and unpredictable, striking like a relentless storm.
In the blink of an eye, two squads from Yugakure were reduced to just two Jōnin, and even they were badly injured, barely holding on.
"He's too fast—we can't even lock onto him!" Yamanaka Shinichi lamented.
Chihiro added, "Normal genjutsu won't work on this guy."
Meanwhile, Shinnosuke, Nara Satoshi, and Akimichi Chōgan all focused their attention on A, the future Fourth Raikage.
"I'll handle this!" Shūichi spoke up. He removed his mask, clenched the senbon that Tenka had given him between his teeth, and dashed forward.
Suddenly, a bright blue light illuminated the night as Shūichi forcefully entered the battle, swinging the Totsuka Blade, now glowing with a blue hue.
"Trying to sneak up on me, you fool, you idiot!" Killer Bee shouted, his electrically charged sword clashing against Shūichi's.
Clang!
The clash of sword and blade sent sparks flying as lightning met fire.
Killer Bee was momentarily stunned, realizing that his sword was actually being overpowered and cut by Shūichi's.
"This guy's Fire Release is stronger than my Lightning Release..."
As the thought crossed Killer Bee's mind, he shifted his primary target to Shūichi, launching a barrage of attacks that came like a storm—swift and unpredictable.
Killer Bee's attacks were so fast that even Shūichi couldn't fully anticipate them, especially since Killer Bee's swords sometimes flew through the air as if they had a mind of their own.
The title "Killer Bee" was well-deserved, as you never knew when he would sting.
However, Killer Bee was growing increasingly shocked. Although Shūichi's attack speed was slower, he managed to block every strike.
Moreover, Shūichi's explosive power was incredibly strong!
"You're even tougher than that white-haired guy from last time, you fool, you idiot!" Killer Bee acknowledged Shūichi's strength.
But after deflecting one of Killer Bee's strikes, Shūichi suddenly exploded with chakra from his feet, launching himself into the air.
The blue light around the Totsuka Blade intensified, transforming into a massive sword that he brought down in a powerful slash.
Blue Flame Waterfall Blade!
Shūichi admitted that he couldn't match Killer Bee in skill, so he decided to overpower him with sheer force!
Boom!
The slash carved a deep trench into the ground, forcing Killer Bee to narrowly evade it.
But as soon as he landed, Shūichi shot towards him like an arrow, only to suddenly soar back into the air with a burst of sonic booms, causing Killer Bee's prepared counterattack to fail as he clumsily dodged another Blue Flame Waterfall Blade.
The tides had turned.
Shūichi, relying on his immense explosive power, agility, and the devastating Blue Flame Waterfall Blade, made it difficult for Killer Bee's erratic swordsmanship to shine.
Watching from the sidelines, A couldn't help but feel restless. "This brat is actually pushing Bee back!"
Sparks of electricity began to flicker around A's body.
Meanwhile, in the battlefield, Shūichi suddenly spat out the senbon he was holding.
Killer Bee was ready for this and expertly slashed with his lightning-coated sword.
But in the next instant, his sword was split in two.
Sssht!
The senbon grazed Killer Bee's face, leaving a shallow cut.
"Even his Wind Release is stronger than my Lightning Release..."
Killer Bee was shocked, but his eyes widened even more as he saw Shūichi inhaling and exhaling again, unleashing multiple sharp air currents.
Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!
"This guy didn't even form any hand seals!"
At that moment, Killer Bee felt his scalp tingle with fear.
At such close range and so suddenly, even his speed couldn't fully dodge the attack.
A was also shocked. "Bee!" he shouted, bursting forward like a lightning bolt.
Almost simultaneously, Akimichi Chōgan charged in to intercept, swinging his large blade with full force.
In the next moment, with a loud clang, Chōgan's massive frame was sent flying, and his sword was shattered into two pieces.
But in that instant, Shinnosuke seized the opportunity.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
(End of Chapter)
T/N: 3.5K Words 🥵
Next: Dragon Flame Breath!
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