Super-Speed Plundering: Fireworks 2/2

The imprisoned villagers had all been starved down to skin and bones. Apart from a few who were too old to hold on, no one else had died.

However, this was not because Mishiyama Daisuke had suddenly found compassion. The villagers had been treated as "valuable" livestock.

No wonder Inari Village had been built in a remote mountain hollow. Unfortunately, it had still failed to escape the turmoil between shinobi.

Hayato arranged for several young, able-bodied men to search for food.

When the children looked at Hayato with their clear eyes, those eyes were filled with fear.

This man was a shinobi, and shinobi were the worst people in the world—that was probably what the children were thinking right now.

Yeah, they had lived an isolated life here. Who had they provoked?

After arranging everything, Hayato felt like he could not stay any longer.

"Let's go," Hayato said to Sharoro.

"Mm." Sharoro nodded.

The battle between Hatake Kaito and Mishiyama Daisuke had already begun and was nearing its end.

Mishiyama Daisuke's bandages writhed like snakes, blocking Hatake Kaito's blade while occasionally launching sneak attacks.

Hatake Kaito had no wounds on his body, but something was wrong with his condition. His lips were pale and cracked, and he looked listless.

Hayato frowned. "Sharoro, do you feel anything strange?"

Sharoro touched her neck. "The air is so dry."

There was no moisture in the air, and the water in their bodies was evaporating faster as well. This was probably Mishiyama Daisuke's technique.

Mishiyama Daisuke let out a strange cackle. "Living in that Konoha village of false peace, what do you have besides weakness? Well, Kaito? This is the power Lord Orochimaru bestowed upon me!"

Hatake Kaito sneered. "And turn into something neither human nor ghost like you? Enough. I'm sick of your whining. I'm about ready too. Let's end this."

"Die."

Mishiyama Daisuke's bandages coiled into a gigantic python, its bloody maw opening wide as it bit toward Hatake Kaito.

"It's over."

Sharoro smiled. "Look!"

Hayato saw flickering curse-mark light appearing across Mishiyama Daisuke's body.

Hatake Style Secret Art: Super-Speed Plundering Fireworks.

Hatake Kaito's figure abruptly vanished. Then dozens of figures appeared around Mishiyama Daisuke, all swinging their blades at the same time.

"Afterimages?"

"Every one is an afterimage, and every one is the real body. It's neither genjutsu nor a clone technique. They're afterimages left behind by ultra-high-speed movement. Because he moves too fast, Kaito cannot even fully control his body, so he has to mark his enemy first. Otherwise, he might lose the target or accidentally injure an ally." Sharoro narrowed her eyes excitedly. "Watch carefully. You do not get to see this very often."

Hayato thought of Shisui Uchiha's Body Flicker Technique. The principles behind the ninjutsu were different, but their outward displays were similar.

Blade light danced, brilliance flashing like a grand fireworks display.

In that instant, how many times had Hatake Kaito swung his blade?

To see it clearly, one would probably need a high-level Sharingan. The Byakugan's dynamic vision could only be considered average. With Hayato's eyesight, he counted a little over a hundred slashes before giving up.

In any case, after the fireworks ended, Mishiyama Daisuke could only be described as a pile of minced flesh.

Hatake Kaito lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes vacant. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, anyone would have taken him for a corpse.

Hayato said, "Physical exhaustion. Forty percent of the muscles in his arms and legs are torn. That was really reckless."

Hatake Kaito said, "Although Mishiyama Daisuke was a rogue ninja whose pursuit of power had gone astray, he was not an opponent to be taken lightly. I'll rest for a while. I'll leave the cleanup to you." With that, he closed his eyes and began breathing evenly, as though he had fallen asleep.

"What do we do?" Hayato asked Sharoro. He had no experience dealing with this sort of thing.

Sharoro looked over the wrecked scene and said, "Call for support."

Summoning Technique!

Sharoro summoned a ninja dog?

Hayato's eyes widened. "A husky?"

"A wolf, it's a wolf!" Sharoro rolled her eyes at Hayato. The ninja wolf bared its sharp teeth at him.

"Heh heh." Hayato gave an awkward laugh.

Sharoro took out a scroll and asked, "What should I write?"

"I'll write it," Hayato said.

How much they wrote was not important. As long as they mentioned Orochimaru, given Sarutobi Hiruzen's style, the supporting ANBU would certainly rush over day and night.

After tying the scroll to the ninja wolf's back, Sharoro gently stroked its head. "Ryūōmaru, sorry to trouble you."

The ninja wolf licked Sharoro's palm, then quickly disappeared into the darkness before dawn.

Hayato suddenly walked over to Mishiyama Daisuke's mangled remains.

Sharoro asked, "What is it?"

Hayato said, "It's turned into dried meat. The moisture is gone."

Hayato used a branch to poke through the dried flesh and picked out a long brown worm.

Sharoro took two steps back. "Ewwww, that's disgusting."

Hayato rolled his eyes. You do not even blink when killing people, so what is so disgusting about one bug?

Hayato found a bottle and put the worm inside.

Sharoro said, "Why are you catching it?"

Hayato said, "The abnormal lack of moisture in the air just now was probably related to this worm. Mishiyama Daisuke turning into this state also had something to do with it. I have a friend who works with insects, so he can study it."

"The Aburame Clan?" Sharoro asked.

"Right. You know people from that clan too?" Hayato asked.

"I don't. They're all so mysterious. It's just hard to imagine someone from the Hyuga Clan being friends with someone from the Aburame Clan. It feels like their styles don't match."

Hayato laughed. "I think so too."

The next day, at noon.

An ANBU arrived at Inari Village, and all the corpses and prisoners were handed over.

After more than ten hours of rest and treatment from a medical ninja, Hatake Kaito was mostly fine. He simply could not engage in strenuous activity.

The mission was complete, and the follow-up matters had been handled, so the three were in no hurry to return and submit their mission report.

That afternoon, the three visited Inari Shrine.

Inari was the god of grain and food in mythology, presiding over harvests. Legend said that he sometimes appeared as a man, sometimes as a woman, and could even transform into other forms such as a spider. He had two attendants: a white fox and a tanuki.

After the Divine Tree's invasion, the native pantheon of the Naruto world had gradually died out. There were not many shrines preserved and maintained as well as this one.

Other than the Evil God worshipped by Hidan's Evil God Cult and the God of Death from the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, this was Hayato's first time seeing another native god.

The Inari here was a dignified young woman in a kimono, with a white fox and tanuki lying at her feet.

After resting for another night.

The next day, the three began their return journey, but their speed could not compare to before. It was only by dusk that they reached Lake Notori.

This time, Hayato caught a carp from the lake. Half was made into soup, while the other half was grilled, earning unanimous praise from Hatake Kaito and Moonlight Sharoro.

That night, the three stayed in the mushroom house Hayato had summoned.

It was not until the third day that the three finally returned to Konoha.

[PS] Thanks to "1A90" for 1 recommendation vote, "Huajiu Laobing" for the recommendation votes, "Other Shore" for 4 recommendation votes, "Guy from Gu Yuexing" for 6 recommendation votes, and "Your Boy Monster" for 7 recommendation votes.

[PS] Thanks to Lemon Dango Sauce for the 100-point tip. Thank you.

[PS] Because Directionless Fungus really wanted to explain the logic clearly and make readers understand why things happened this way, there are foreshadowings and explanations everywhere, making it seem like I'm padding the word count. Before this even got listed, Directionless Fungus definitely was not deliberately padding.

After all, this is my first time writing this much and my first time signing a contract, so I really do have problems controlling the plot. What should have been finished in 10 chapters ended up taking 30 chapters. The Inari Village arc was originally supposed to be 5 or 6 chapters, but I cut more than half of it. It is about time to enter the original storyline. Next chapter, tomorrow at noon.