He Convinced Himself

Konan and Shiba Seika arrived just in time, and the members of the Akatsuki Organization finally breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After landing, Shiba Seika only glanced back in passing. He saw the red-haired woman cowering behind the others and Nagato, who had the same red hair, glaring with murderous intent. He could more or less guess what had happened.

It seemed Kusagakure was just as inhuman as ever. They'd actually driven Nagato to murderous rage.

Still, he had to keep up the act.

In between casting techniques, he feigned surprise and demanded, "What's going on here? What happened? Didn't I only send you to scout? How did things escalate into such a huge conflict?"

Faced with the question, Nagato had no idea that Shiba Seika had orchestrated this entire situation. Instead, he looked guilty and apologized of his own accord. "I'm sorry."

A member of the Akatsuki Organization hurried to explain, "It's not Nagato's fault, Leader. We acted rashly. These Grass Ninja are inhuman! They actually kept Nagato's blood relative penned up like livestock!"

Konan was astonished to hear that. She was probably the only person there who didn't know what was going on.

"This woman is Nagato's blood relative?"

The Akatsuki members nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

Neither Nagato nor Xiangye objected.

Nagato believed it was true, while Xiangye couldn't find an opportunity to speak.

Konan gave a brief nod, her gaze turning resolute. "Then you did nothing wrong. Protect her!"

The misunderstanding had now been cemented even further!

Shiba Seika spoke at just the right moment. "I won't hold you responsible for botching the mission this time. Get Nagato's blood relative out of here! Konan, take the slower ones and retreat through the air!"

Nagato looked at Shiba Seika with even more gratitude and shame.

Shiba Seika saw it all, and the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.

It looked like he wouldn't even need to think up a backup plan.

Nagato's gratitude had come even more fiercely than he'd expected.

All that remained was to withstand the Grass Ninja counterattack. If they managed that, tonight's plan would be perfect!

The scheming was over. Now it was time for the "fight hard, feel great" part!

A Grass Ninja was the first to break through the Lightning Strike and Paper Dance, charging at Shiba Seika with a huge sickle-shaped weapon swinging in his hands.

Shiba Seika evaded the first strike, then swung his blade back at his opponent's ribs.

Strangely, the enemy facing his attack seemed to have lost his mind. He held his sickle horizontally in front of his forehead, as if defending against an overhead blow that wasn't coming.

Only when Shiba Seika's short blade sliced effortlessly into his abdomen did the Grass Ninja snap out of it and exclaim, "Genjutsu?!"

Shiba Seika didn't answer right away. He coldly followed up with another swift strike, slicing across the Grass Ninja's throat.

Only after confirming that the man would never breathe again did he calmly answer in a low voice, "That's right. It was Genjutsu."

He always waited until he was certain an enemy was dead before answering questions. That was the way of the ninja he had always followed.

As for the Genjutsu, he'd only learned it recently—in a dream, from the Uchiha Clan's Genjutsu countermeasure techniques awarded by the system.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the Sharingan. This Genjutsu could only catch an opponent off guard if he prepared it before the fight began.

The second and third Grass Ninja charged in right after, leaving him no time to prepare another Genjutsu.

The two Grass Ninja attacked from opposite directions. One rushed toward him, while the other flung a large spread of throwing Ninja Tools.

Shiba Seika quickly hopped back, avoiding the first wave of needles and Shuriken.

Then he immediately broke into a run, swinging his short blade in front of him and spinning it into a fan-shaped arc. Clang, clang, clang—the blade knocked away several more Shuriken.

Only after he plunged into the woods and broke free of the line of fire tracking him did he engage the Grass Ninja closing in on him.

His opponent seemed to hold a fairly high position within Kusagakure. They had barely exchanged a few blows when the Grass Ninja spoke arrogantly.

"Kid, you're from the Rain, aren't you? Hanzo the Salamander is nearly out of fight. And you think a few of you can come cause trouble in the Land of Grass? You think Kusagakure has no one who can stop you?!"

Shiba Seika couldn't help thinking, The Land of Rain's intelligence work is terrible. How does everyone nearby know Hanzo's been slacking off these past few years?

He stayed silent and swung his blade with cold precision.

On the first strike, the Grass Ninja blocked with his Kunai, the corner of his mouth curling in mockery, as if watching a trapped beast fight back.

On the second strike, the Grass Ninja struggled to block. The tricky angle caught him off guard, and his confident expression began to stiffen.

On the third strike, his Kunai started to feel too short. He couldn't fend off the unrelenting blade flashes, let alone counterattack. Sweat began to bead on his forehead.

On the fourth strike, the blade broke through the Kunai's defense and wounded his arm. He grew irritated and anxious, desperate to create distance so he could use a technique.

But the fifth and sixth strikes came one after another. The Grass Ninja couldn't find a chance to break away. Unable to form Hand Seals with one hand, he could only be suppressed, powerless despite the Chakra coursing through him.

On the seventh strike, the Grass Ninja tilted his head aside, narrowly avoiding a blade tip that nearly pierced his eyeball. But the blade still cut a long gash across his temple!

Blood blurred one eye!

The Grass Ninja had completely lost the composure he'd shown before the fight.

He began to panic, to resent his teammates for not catching up, and to regret rushing in first without thinking!

But the blade flashes kept coming, steady and unrelenting, like sharp fangs that would never let go once they'd sunk into their prey. They would stop only when the prey stopped breathing or their jaw muscles snapped!

On the eighth strike, the Grass Ninja's Kunai was knocked away, and three of his fingers were broken in the process!

On the ninth strike, his chest was slashed open, and warm blood even sprayed across his own face!

He hadn't lasted ten exchanges. He'd died without using a single technique, at the hands of a Rain Ninja brat at least ten years younger than him.

The Grass Ninja was bitterly resentful as he died. Losing to a ninja from one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries would have been one thing, but why could a Rain Ninja kill him too?! Why?!

Eyes bloodshot, he used the last of his strength to demand, "What... is this sword style?"

Since Shiba Seika was certain he was already doomed, he kindly answered this time.

"This is the Kenjutsu of Konoha's White Fang."

Shiba Seika still hadn't mastered it, but it was indeed a style passed down from the White Fang, taught and certified by the system itself.

At that moment, the Grass Ninja, revived by a final burst of energy, actually smiled in relief. He quietly made peace with himself, like Cao Cao scraping the rice back onto the table after finishing his meal.

"So that's... not surprising. That's not surprising at all."

The one who'd killed him had used the Kenjutsu of the once-famous White Fang of Konoha!

Whatever the truth, at least in that moment, he had convinced himself...