Ending the Farce

"So impressive..."

Xiu stared with wide eyes at the massive, rotating sphere of ice that was rapidly sealing itself shut before them.

"But does Qi really have that much chakra?"

"That is nothing..."

Uchiha Kongci glanced at Xiu.

"As long as one is not lacking in chakra, possessing excellent control is enough to unleash large-scale ninjutsu. Besides, this is his bloodline limit, which gives him an inherent advantage in manipulation."

"Oh..."

Xiu's expression cleared, as he knew that Qi's chakra control was indeed exceptional. While his total reserves weren't shockingly high, they were certainly not low—firmly at the level of an average person.

"However..."

After a pause, Kongci stroked his chin and added his assessment.

"It seems this is his first time using this technique. I can roughly tell that his chakra flow is a bit chaotic, but it doesn't matter. If he can't hold it, we'll step in. In any case, what happens next is no longer important."

Even as they spoke, the overturned layers of ice began to converge, on the verge of becoming a perfect sphere...

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the gazes of both Ogata and Kongci sharpened.

"Good grief, he is a true Jonin after all; he isn't someone Qi can trap just like that!"

However, they had no intention of interfering. In fact, they were now hoping the enemy could leave alive.

Joking aside, they weren't magnanimous enough to clean up the mess for someone who had tried to ambush them.

As if to confirm their words, a thunderous explosion erupted on the side of the ice sphere opposite them. Amidst flashing lightning, the ice was blasted open from the inside, creating a massive hole!

Two figures, wreathed in lightning, streaked out like bolts of electricity...

"They say Kumogakure excels in offense; it is truly well-deserved. To break through such thick ice in a single strike!"

Kongci remarked with admiration, yet he did not step forward.

"His strength is still lacking, but since the opponent is a true Jonin, we cannot blame him..."

Ogata, however, tapped his foot and launched himself forward like a cannonball.

No matter how strange Qi's ninjutsu was, the opponent was still a master a full tier above him. Who could guarantee the enemy didn't possess secret techniques capable of threatening Qi? The ninja world was full of all sorts of secret arts...

Therefore, the moment the enemy burst through the ice, Ogata charged in almost instantly!

His timing was impeccable, for this Jonin truly had a way to drag Qi out. Although he and his companion had failed to gain the upper hand against Kongci earlier—and had even lost his partner to the suddenly appearing Ogata—it did not mean he was weak. Kongci was no minor character; he was a genuine powerhouse of the Uchiha Clan.

The more powerful a ninjutsu, the longer the casting time required, and such opportunities were rare in close-quarters combat...

An opponent like Ogata was undoubtedly the type these ninjas hated most; his speed could stifle the casting time of almost any technique.

"Damn it!"

The Jonin, having just landed, turned his head only to see Ogata already rushing toward him, and he couldn't help but curse in anger.

But soon, a look of joy appeared on his face, for he sensed his companion's chakra approaching rapidly!

This caused his expression toward Ogata to turn ferocious once more...

"A woman?"

Ogata's gaze had fallen upon the young person.

Indeed, this was a woman...

At this moment, she was in a sorry state. Her clothes were shredded, revealing plenty of skin, and her hair was completely disheveled.

While there were men in this world who looked like women and liked to keep their hair long, such men would not have soft flesh on their chests. Through the holes in the "young man's" shredded clothing, the two mounds of soft flesh were undeniable proof of her gender.

The bandage-like strips, now torn in two but still hanging on either side, also explained why she had appeared flat-chested before...

"Bad luck!"

Ogata was deeply annoyed; his expression was as if he had seen a pile of dung.

"To think it's a freak who likes to dress as a man!"

Truth be told, Ogata's aesthetic sense was truly bizarre to outsiders, as he had always felt that women should be like those of the Kaguya Clan—muscular, powerful girls were the best girls...

"Who are you calling a freak!"

The young person... no, the young girl, was infuriated by Ogata's words and shrieked.

"You're the freak! You and your apprentice are all freaks!"

At this moment, the voice she emitted was a very pleasant female tone; clearly, she had been disguising her voice before.

To be fair, both in appearance and voice, this girl was top-tier. Otherwise, Qi wouldn't have called her White Face. Unfortunately, the person she encountered was Ogata, whose aesthetics ran completely contrary to the masses...

The moment the beauty's melodious voice rang out, he actually shuddered...

"It's bad enough that you're ugly, but your voice is so grating. No wonder you have to dress as a man; nobody wants you anyway..."

These words were absolutely his honest opinion, and his expression fully displayed it—but it was precisely that which made people so angry.

"I will kill you, and your apprentice too! I will definitely kill you both!"

The girl's eyes were filled with such murderous intent that no one would doubt her impulse to kill someone above her own rank.

"Calm down, Hualing!"

The jonin spoke up, for he had already sensed something wrong. As a sensory-type ninja, his companion's chakra appeared quite chaotic—this was not how it should be in a normal state.

"Looks like there's a smart one here."

Ogata sneered.

"Do you still want to keep fighting?"

Just as he finished speaking, a figure emerged from the ice surface behind him, passing right through the frozen layer.

"Hm?"

This person was Qi. After stepping out of the ice, his gaze also fell first upon the girl named Hualing, and very quickly, his eyes went wide...

What had he just seen?

Although he could hear sounds from nearby outside while inside the ice, the volume of ice he had created this time was massive, and he had approached from the other side. He had only seen Ogata and hadn't heard the conversation clearly, otherwise, he wouldn't have been so surprised.

He scanned the girl up and down, a look of realization dawning on him...

"So, it's a freak dressed as a man..."

They were truly worthy of being master and apprentice; their perceptions on this point were exactly the same.

However, Qi did not share Ogata's unconventional aesthetic. On the contrary, he thought the other party was quite a beauty.

"It's a pity that someone who looks this good has something wrong with their brain..."

He even wore a look of sympathy.

This drove Hualing to the brink of madness. She felt that this master and apprentice were a perfect match, both equally punchable! Though at least the apprentice wasn't blind...

It was just a pity that she lacked the ability to act now, and the mission could be considered a complete failure. She just wondered how things were going on the other side...

More than a dozen figures finally arrived; it was clear they were allies.

"How did it go? Did you succeed over there?"

The jonin with Hualing saw the few companions and his expression changed instantly, for these companions did not look well at all; in fact, they were all wounded.

"We failed! The Hyuga Clan was prepared, and we were ambushed!"

One of them looked gloomily at Ogata.

"The companions sent to deal with this man are all dead. The Uchiha had many people lying in wait, along with other Konoha ninja—it seems they were subordinates of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. They couldn't hold them off."

"You shouldn't have collaborated with that person in the first place. Since when is it so easy to take advantage of us Uchiha!"

Kongci had also walked up with Xiu by this time. He looked coldly at this group of ninja.

"I have no interest in your identities anymore. Tonight, we Uchiha will not strike again. If you don't want to end up like your other companions, you can leave now!"

"Cut the crap! You'd really let us go?"

The jonin sneered.

"If we leave, aren't you afraid of Konoha holding you accountable?"

"Accountable your mother!"

Ogata impatiently interrupted him.

"If you're going to scram, then scram quickly. Don't play these boring probing games! Otherwise, you can just leave a few more people behind; I, for one, don't mind!"

"Hmph!"

A flash of anger crossed the jonin's eyes, but it vanished quickly. He replied grimly, "In that case, I hope we meet again on the battlefield one day!"

Having said that, he grabbed Hualing, who was still fiercely attacking Qi and Ogata with her glare, and vanished into the night along with the dozen or so other ninja...

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Hello everyone, let me introduce a book to you all called "Detective Conan: Light and Shadow." It was written by a friend of mine, and we've discussed it before; the concept is quite interesting. Although it has just started, the writing style and design are pretty good, so if you're interested, go take a look.

Even though it starts with a non-mainline plot, my friend is writing it with a lot of heart. It's past 10 PM now, and he's still there typing away. Based on that attitude alone, it will definitely be a good fanfic.