As a Ninja, I Only Want to Live Off Others in the Nasuverse

Higashino Kanade released Ryougi Shiki, then swiftly pulled two kunai fitted with Explosive Tags from his ninja tool pouch and threw them toward Araya Souren.

Araya Souren frowned and decisively raised a barrier to block Higashino Kanade's attack. Having activated his Mana, he was also forced out of his hidden state.

An explosion rang out, but the flames and smoke were blocked outside the golden barrier. A trace of long-forgotten confusion appeared in Araya Souren's eyes. He could not understand how the two people who had just been flirting had discovered him.

Araya Souren's icy, bone-piercing gaze swept back and forth between Higashino Kanade and Ryougi Shiki before finally settling on Higashino Kanade—or, more precisely, on his ominous crimson eyes.

"Mystic Eyes?"

Araya Souren thoughtfully stroked his chin. In the world of Magi, there were many miraculous eyes: the Petrifying Mystic Eyes that could turn people to stone, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception that could see the lines of death on others. Such eyes possessed all manner of strange and wondrous abilities, so it was not unusual that Higashino Kanade's Mystic Eyes could see through his concealment.

Araya Souren's appearance completely erased Ryougi Shiki's final doubts. Once she confirmed that an invisible enemy truly existed, she turned and ran without hesitation. Before leaving, she did not forget to remind Higashino Kanade once more, "Don't die."

"Fearlessness, Vajra, Serpent and Scorpion."

As Araya Souren chanted, three circular barriers unfolded beneath his feet. From one of them emerged countless tentacle-like things that rushed toward Ryougi Shiki, seeking to prevent her escape.

Higashino Kanade darted behind Ryougi Shiki. With the Sharingan's powerful perception, he coated his kunai in a layer of blue Chakra and swiftly sliced apart the incoming tentacles.

"Interesting ability. There isn't even a trace of Mana fluctuation. Is that the work of those eyes?"

Seeing that Ryougi Shiki had already run far away, Araya Souren did not pursue her. Instead, he studied Higashino Kanade with great interest.

"I investigated you. A few days ago, you were nothing more than an ordinary person. Did your parents' deaths awaken your Origin and give you the power to defeat my pawn?"

"Maybe."

Higashino Kanade deliberately stalled for time, letting Ryougi Shiki get farther away.

"You killed the pawn I had prepared for so long. I originally planned to eliminate you tonight, but I've changed my mind. Your power is quite unique. If you are willing to become my pawn and fill the position left vacant by Shirou Shiratsuyu's death, I can spare your life."

"Every other word out of your mouth is 'pawn.' Are you really that confident you're the player? Why are you even more arrogant than Madara-sama?" Higashino Kanade answered Araya Souren with a cold sneer.

"Madara-sama?" Araya Souren paused, seemingly pondering the meaning.

Higashino Kanade immediately stepped up the mockery. "If you want me to work for you, I might consider it if you were a cute girl. But looking that ugly, don't come out and scare people. You've definitely been single since birth, haven't you?"

Araya Souren was a Magus who had lived for more than two hundred years. At first, he too had been an ally of justice who wanted to save humanity, but now he had become a cold-blooded Magus who sought only to reach the Root.

He had long forgotten his past. He did not even know whether he had ever had a wife or children. His most recent romantic prospect had been years ago while studying at the Clock Tower, when he had become infatuated with his classmate Aozaki Touko. But their differing ideals had kept them from ending up together.

In other words, Araya Souren really had been single since birth.

"You noisy brat!"

Araya Souren saw that Higashino Kanade had no intention of submitting, so he attacked directly.

Golden tentacles lashed toward Higashino Kanade. After cutting them apart in two strokes, Higashino Kanade turned and leaped onto a container, then began to flee.

"A futile struggle."

Araya Souren sprang forward. After reinforcing himself with Mana, he burst forth with astonishing speed and rapidly closed the distance between them.

Seeing Araya Souren quickly catch up, Higashino Kanade twisted around, took a deep breath, and began forming hand seals.

Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!

Several basketball-sized fireballs shot from Higashino Kanade's mouth, flying toward Araya Souren at tremendous speed.

Araya Souren had no choice but to stop and raise a barrier to block the flames.

During the few seconds bought by the Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Higashino Kanade arrived at the ambush site he had prepared for Shirou Shiratsuyu, then used the Shadow Clone Technique.

It was an open space surrounded by containers, roughly half the size of a basketball court. The containers around it bore labels warning of flammable and explosive materials.

Araya Souren caught up and landed on the ground. Seeing that Higashino Kanade had not fled but chosen to face him, he swept his eyes over the surroundings and said coldly, "Planning to use these things to blow me up? A wasted effort!"

Araya Souren expanded his barrier, quickly covering all the surrounding containers.

Araya Souren's talent for magecraft was ordinary, but his barrier techniques had reached an extraordinary level. One reason he had received a Sealing Designation from the Clock Tower was that his barriers were so exceptional that the Clock Tower wanted to turn him into a specimen for research.

Higashino Kanade ignored him. He took a deep breath and formed hand seals at high speed.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

Roaring flames poured from Higashino Kanade's mouth, directly engulfing everything within ten meters, including the containers protected by the barrier and Araya Souren himself.

Araya Souren could not help gritting his teeth as he increased the flow of Mana. Protecting himself while also protecting everything around him was an immensely difficult task. Under the powerful Fire Release attack, the entire barrier trembled.

Higashino Kanade had long expected that Fire Release would not kill him. This attack was merely a feint; what he truly wanted was the thick smoke spreading across the area because of the flames.

A sharp whistle tore through the air. Araya Souren sidestepped, and a kunai struck the spot where he had just been standing.

Just as Araya Souren prepared to expand the range of his barrier to search for Higashino Kanade, the smoke before him suddenly twisted wildly like a vortex. A blue ball of energy burst through the haze and slammed viciously toward his abdomen.

"How?!" For the first time, panic appeared on Araya Souren's gloomy face.

Within the range of his barrier, he could sense any enemy who stepped inside and immediately retaliate.

Yet within these layered barriers spanning nearly twenty meters in radius, he had not sensed Higashino Kanade at all. How had Higashino Kanade evaded his perception and rushed right in front of him?

"Idiot! A ninja's battle isn't as simple as you think."

The panic on Araya Souren's face made Higashino Kanade unable to resist mocking him.

Higashino Kanade knew that entering an enemy's barrier was like walking into a trap, but Araya Souren's barriers had been laid across the ground. The kunai Higashino Kanade had deliberately missed with earlier had a steel wire tied to it. Walking along that wire, Higashino Kanade remained in the air and naturally avoided Araya Souren's perception.

Rasengan!

The blue sphere of energy struck Araya Souren's abdomen with crushing force. Under the Rasengan's impact, the Defensive Mystic Code he wore was shredded instantly. His body was hurled away, leaving a bottomless hole in his stomach.

"Did I get him?"

Higashino Kanade panted as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The Rasengan had drained all his Chakra. He no longer had the strength to fight.

In the Naruto world, even one of the Six Paths of Pain would be killed on the spot by a Rasengan. Yet the system notification had not sounded for a long time, and Higashino Kanade's heart sank.

The next moment, Araya Souren rose to his feet. He vomited blood, and the gaping hole in his abdomen revealed a mix of flesh and metal parts. That alone proved he was not truly human, but a magecraft construct like a puppet.

"Cough, cough. What a miscalculation. I should have eliminated you the moment I found you."

By some unknown method, Araya Souren stopped coughing up blood, and flesh no longer spilled from the hole in his abdomen.

"Damn! Are you sure your name isn't Hidan or Kakuzu?" Higashino Kanade could not help cursing. Why did he keep running into monsters that could not be killed?

"My Origin is Stillness. I can fix myself in the state I was in while alive. Although your attack successfully killed me once, I cannot be killed."

Araya Souren calmly walked toward Higashino Kanade. Due to excessive Mana consumption, he could no longer deploy his barriers, but his close-combat ability was still formidable. He had decided to kill Higashino Kanade with his own hands.

Unwilling to wait for death, Higashino Kanade pulled out a kunai and charged at Araya Souren.

Araya Souren reached out to grab Higashino Kanade, moving so fast that only an afterimage remained.

But even the fastest movements slowed in the Sharingan's vision. Using his small and nimble frame, Higashino Kanade dodged Araya Souren's attack and quickly circled behind him.

The Tiger Seal was a hand seal that extended the index and middle fingers, concentrating Chakra upon them for maximum explosive force.

Higashino Kanade formed the Tiger Seal, gathered his last Chakra onto his two fingers, and thrust with all his strength toward Araya Souren's rear!

Konoha Secret Taijutsu: Thousand Years of Death!

Araya Souren suddenly let out a strangled grunt and spat out a mouthful of blood. His stone-like gloomy face twisted into a chrysanthemum.

"Brat, die!!!"

Having lived for more than two hundred years, this was the first time Araya Souren had felt such fury. It was not only because his rear was in agonizing pain, as though it had been stabbed by a cactus, but also because a child had actually forced him into this state. He felt that his dignity as a Magus had been utterly defiled!

Araya Souren burst forward at astonishing speed and slammed the already exhausted Higashino Kanade to the ground with one hand, shattering even the concrete pavement.

Araya Souren's large hand gripped Higashino Kanade's face, then tightened. Slowly, forcefully. He wanted to crush Higashino Kanade's head and let him die in unbearable agony.

But Higashino Kanade cried out, and in the next instant, his entire body turned into white smoke and vanished without a trace, leaving only Araya Souren standing there in disarray.

Thousand Years of Death!

What happened? Why did he suddenly disappear? Was it an illusion? But he had clearly felt him!

Araya Souren was plunged into a string of questions. He had fought many battles between Magi, but this was the first time he had encountered such a bizarre situation.

Suddenly, two hands burst from the ground beneath Araya Souren, seized his ankles, and dragged his entire body into the earth, leaving only his head exposed.

Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!

Not far away, Higashino Kanade burst through the concrete ground. He looked somewhat drained, but he was completely unharmed.

Ninjutsu was divided into seven attributes: fire, earth, water, wind, lightning, yin, and yang. Higashino Kanade's Chakra possessed only the fire attribute, but that did not mean he could not use other ninjutsu. It was simply that Fire Chakra greatly reduced the power of techniques from other attributes.

From the very beginning of the battle, Higashino Kanade had been fighting with a Shadow Clone infused with eighty percent of his Chakra. His real body had hidden nearby, observing the situation and waiting for an opening in Araya Souren's defenses.

And the ambush just now was the opportunity Higashino Kanade had waited so long for.

"You look much better with only your head sticking out. Speak! Why are you targeting Shiki?"

"...For the Root."

Araya Souren looked at Higashino Kanade without joy or sorrow, as though he were explaining an eternal truth.

Well, that was a pointless question.

Higashino Kanade rubbed his head in frustration. From what he remembered, most Magi in the Nasuverse were lunatics—people willing to do anything to reach the Root.

Though Higashino Kanade had forgotten the connection between Ryougi Shiki and Araya Souren reaching the Root, killing the man was the right call. He no longer had enough Chakra to interrogate Araya Souren with Genjutsu anyway.

"You can't hold me."

Araya Souren exerted force, and the ground trembled and cracked. He clearly intended to crawl out through brute strength.

"I know I can't hold you, but it'll hold you long enough to blow you up."

Higashino Kanade pulled out Explosive Tags one after another and stuck them onto the containers loaded with flammable and explosive goods. To make certain he killed Araya Souren, he used every Explosive Tag in his ninja tool pouch at once.

The Explosive Tags ignited. In those final seconds, Araya Souren looked at Higashino Kanade and asked in confusion, "Why would you rather die with me than destroy me? Is it only to avenge your parents? Or do you love Shiki?"

"Both are reasons, but you got one thing wrong. I won't be dying with you."

Higashino Kanade rapidly formed hand seals and used his last remaining Chakra to activate the Body Flicker Technique.

The next moment, a massive explosion resounded through half of Kan'mu City. A flower of flame rose from Warehouse Street. The powerful blast sent containers flying and made even the river water tremble.

Not far from the explosion, Higashino Kanade's body suddenly appeared. He collapsed onto the ground as if all strength had left him and quickly lost consciousness.

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the temporary mission "First Step of Revenge." Reward: one Silver Treasure Chest. Would you like to open the reward?

The sky was clear and cloudless.

In a well-known private hospital in Kan'mu City, a young man lay in a luxurious private ward, watching the day's news.

"Early this morning, a massive explosion occurred on Warehouse Street in the coastal district. According to preliminary police findings, the explosion was caused by aging natural gas pipelines buried underground..."

Higashino Kanade's mouth twitched. Sure enough, in the Nasuverse, every explosion could somehow be blamed on natural gas pipelines. Could the local authorities or the Holy Church not come up with another excuse?

Knock, knock, knock—

A knock sounded at the door. As the door opened, an imposing middle-aged man and a young girl walked in.

When Ryougi Shiki saw Higashino Kanade on the hospital bed, the corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly. Then she walked to the side, leaned against the wall, and said nothing.

The middle-aged man wore a black kimono. His face was stern and solemn, and his black hair was neatly combed back. His steady gait made it clear that he had undergone martial training.

"Higashino Kanade."

The middle-aged man spoke his name, his voice deep and steady like an ancient temple bell. The moment he opened his mouth, he gave off an oppressive aura. He was clearly someone long accustomed to a position of power.

Seeing this, Higashino Kanade guessed the middle-aged man's identity. He was likely the current Head of the Ryougi Family, Ryougi Shiki's biological father.

"Hello... Uncle." Higashino Kanade hesitated before choosing that form of address.

"I have already heard about what happened to you from Shiki. I came this time to express the Ryougi Family's gratitude."

The Head of the Ryougi Family clapped his hands. A young man in a suit entered and handed a case to him.

"You may leave."