Assassination

While Kirigakure may not be as bountiful as Konoha, it has its own unique products.

Every autumn, even through the mist, you can see crimson berries, as red as if they were irrigated with blood, hanging all over the woods surrounding the village.

In places with thick moisture, there always seem to be some people or things that never give up, as fiery as flames and as dazzling as blood.

"Spicy, spicy, spicy!"

As the eldest elder of the Hozuki Clan, Hozuki Meigetsu rarely had such a pleasant time. Most of the time, he was silent, thinking about the clan, the village, and all sorts of affairs. Almost no one could distract him.

Aside from his grandson, a brat who had just become Genin, he couldn't bear to send him to the battlefield, and that's why he's been holding a grudge against him ever since.

But now, seeing him scrambling around looking for water, Hozuki Meigetsu felt even more that he had done the right thing. Although everyone has selfish desires, if this little guy had the ability to protect himself, he wouldn't treat him too differently.

However, although he was his only direct grandson, his abilities were mediocre, and even if he went to the battlefield, he would only be cannon fodder. How could he bear to watch him go to his death?

"Fine, it's better not to be a ninja anymore, I'll just be an ordinary person..."

Hozuki Lengyue Hozuki Meigetsu, a relieved smile appearing on his face. After so many years, it seemed that only now did he truly accept the fact that his grandson was just an ordinary person.

"Grandpa, what are you thinking about? Why are you so happy? I haven't seen you smile like this in so long..."

Hozuki Lengyue's face still seemed to be flushed from the spiciness, and she ran to Hozuki Meigetsu's side with a grin, seemingly having already forgotten her resentment from the past few days.

"Seeing Leng Yue so happy makes Grandpa happy too..."

Hozuki Lengyue's eyes darted around, as if recalling something. He then glanced at Hozuki Meigetsu, who was smiling, and a glint flashed in his eyes.

"Grandpa, I have a question for you, but you're not allowed to get angry..."

He looked up with slight surprise, but seeing Hozuki Lengyue's grinning face, Hozuki Mangetsu burst into laughter and nodded slightly.

"Grandpa, what is black box politics?"

"Um?"

"You went to the secret room for the case files?"

His brows furrowed instantly. He had already ordered that no ordinary clansmen were allowed to enter the secret chamber. How had Leng Yue managed to bypass the guards and sneak into the chamber?

"Two Chunin can't even keep an eye on a Genin!"

Hozuki Mangetsu's piercing gaze swept over the guards beside him. Although they weren't the ones guarding the secret chamber, they still had a responsibility to keep an eye on Reigetsu. They immediately felt a chill, lowered their heads, and dared not utter a word.

"Grandpa, I ordered them not to follow me, and you promised you wouldn't be angry!"

"Um..."

"There are some things you don't understand now, but you'll understand when you grow up..."

Slowly withdrawing his gaze, Hozuki Meigetsu looked at Hozuki Lengyue, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"All right..."

Tell Grandpa, what other books did you read?

"I don't remember. I think I fell asleep while watching it, and when I woke up I was hungry and sleepy, and my mind was a complete mess..."

"I only remember a few fragments... and I've forgotten the book's title too..."

Hozuki Lengyue's face was full of frustration, as if he had entered a treasure mountain but returned empty-handed.

"Leng Yue, listen to your grandfather. You're not allowed to go to the file room anymore. The books there are for adults. When you're older, your grandfather will teach you..."

Hozuki Meigetsu felt regretful. Even though he said it, he had almost given up on the idea of raising Hozuki Lengyue to be a pillar of the clan. In this world, without martial arts, without becoming a top ninja, even if you know those things, there is no place to use them.

Even within your family, many people will disregard your words because of this; without power, you have no voice.

"All right..."

It's not that he's unaware of his own mediocrity, but being careless and born into a privileged background, Hozuki Lengyue doesn't seem to perceive much of the cruelty of this world and doesn't seem to take these things to heart.

As dusk approached, the unique mist of Kirigakure seemed to make the evening even more chilly. The blood-red setting sun diffused into large patches of crimson light in the mist, reflecting in Hozuki Lengyue's eyes, making his eyes seem to turn crimson in an instant.

"Grandpa, let me help you back..."

"Good grandson..."

Hozuki Meigetsu's relieved smile seemed to dispel the chill. Regardless of his abilities, Hozuki Lengyue at least had a sincere filial heart, which was what Hozuki Meigetsu liked most.

"Yes... what a good grandson..."

A faint voice suddenly came from beside his ear. Before Hozuki Meigetsu had turned his head with a hint of surprise, could react, he felt a sharp pain in his side. His eyes widened with pain and disbelief as he stared at his beloved grandson beside him.

"What a blissful family time..."

In Hozuki Meigetsu's eyes, Hozuki Lengyue completely changed his respectful demeanor. His face was so cold that it chilled Hozuki Meigetsu to the bone, and his eyes held a hint of mockery, as if he were being ridiculed.

"Leng Yue! Do you know what you're doing?"

Although he was old and frail, he was once a great ninja who dominated the Shinobi World. He forced himself to stand up despite the pain, staring intently at Hozuki Lengyue with a look of betrayal and fury in his eyes.

"There's no need to be so angry, I just need you to die..."

With a furrowed brow, Hozuki Meigetsu seemed to sense that things were not so simple. He slowly looked around, but the guards around him remained silent, as if they had not seen anything.

His heart sank suddenly, his eyes fixed on Hozuki Lengyue, while countless possibilities seemed to surge through his mind in an instant.

"You are not Leng Yue!"

"Who are you?!"

"They even managed to turn all the guards around me against me... no... they..."

"None of them!"

Suddenly catching sight of a guard with a sinister smile, Hozuki Meigetsu looked as if he had seen something unbelievable, his face filled with horror!

"When... damn it!"

Hozuki Meigetsu's face flushed red. He probably understood his predicament. His strength had declined to the level of an ordinary Chunin, and his stamina was far inferior. Without rescue, he would probably die today.

"Superior!"

Hozuki Lengyue slowly retreated, and the two Chunin instantly surrounded and attacked Hozuki Meigetsu.

The Kunai slashed through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, and sparks flew from the twilight mist, like countless metal objects clashing.

After exchanging only a few blows, Hozuki Meigetsu's face showed a hint of surprise.

For some reason, the movements of the two Chunin gave him an indescribable feeling, as if they were accompanied by a slight sluggishness and stiffness. Although Isshiki move was accompanied by a whistling wind, he was able to dodge them.

"There's something strange about these three people..."

With a slight narrowing of his eyes, he glanced discreetly into the distance. This place was extremely close to the Hōzuki Clan's base, yet he hadn't heard a sound. Hozuki Meigetsu realized that there probably wouldn't be any reinforcements.

Although we don't yet know which faction the other side belongs to, we must finish this quickly, otherwise he will surely be worn down and killed here.

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!" x3

As if knowing what he was thinking, the two Chunin also unleashed the same Ninjutsu in an instant.

Both sides wanted a quick victory...

The battles of the Kirigakure Ninja always erupt in an instant, and also always end in an instant.

As ninjas most akin to assassins, ordinary Mist Shinobi often lack flashy Ninjutsu; swords and blades seem to be the only way to showcase the ultimate romance of Mist Shinobi- blooded nature.

"Water Blossom Slash!"

The silence that followed seemed anything but quiet at this moment. As the chirping of insects and the babbling of streams continued, and everything in the world continued to turn, the three people hidden in the mist seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The flashes of swords and blades appeared in the blink of an eye, then vanished just moments later, as if they had never been there.

Hidden in the mist, Hozuki Meigetsu slowly stopped. A strong sense of crisis came from her side. Her keen senses, honed by years of fighting, were ingrained in her bones, even though she hadn't been on the battlefield for many years.

He remained motionless, like a statue, suppressing his aura. He knew that someone was somewhere beside him, and if he revealed even the slightest flaw, he would be doomed and die without a burial place.

"Call..."

"He's dead..."

Ultimately, the young Chunin seemed to be losing his composure, letting out soft breathing sounds. A glint of light flashed in Hozuki Meigetsu's eyes, and he had already sentenced him in his heart.

"Mist Blade: Instant Blade!"

All the strength in his body seemed to be poured into this one strike, his flesh taut, a kind of passion he hadn't felt in years surging, stimulating the secretion of adrenaline. His body, already halfway to the coffin, seemed to have returned to the bloody battlefield of yesteryear.

"Die!"

"Snort..."

The blade, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud, pierced flesh, and a line of blood spurted out from the mist. However, the person who was stabbed seemed to have lost the sense of pain, his face contorted in a ferocious expression, a familiar mockery flashing in his eyes.

"Not good!"

Just as Hozuki Meigetsu drew his longsword, a white light silently arrived, swift as lightning, slashing horizontally towards Hozuki Meigetsu's throat. He didn't even have time to Hand Seals.

Hozuki Meigetsu lunged forward, using all his strength to dodge, but the long sword still flashed past his eyes in an instant, and his throat felt a slight chill.

"That was close... it was a suicide squad..."

His eyes were filled with fear. He had no time to marvel at his narrow escape. A thin line of blood gradually appeared on his neck. If it had gone in just one more inch, there would have been no way to Rotation.

"The smell of blood..."

Wiping his throat, Hozuki Meigetsu calmed himself and knew he could no longer rely on the Hidden Mist Technique. He immediately stopped hiding and leaped out of the mist, rushing towards Hozuki Lengyue.

"Do you want to kill me first? Or do you think you can use me as a hostage?"

'Hozuki Lengyue' remained motionless, seemingly without the slightest fear or worry, simply gazing calmly at Hozuki Meigetsu.

"If it's just using other people as remote mobile cameras, there's no problem. But if we need to control their bodies to fight..."

"It's not ready yet..."

"Aside from the secret arts of the soul, they can only utilize their original abilities..."

Hozuki Meigetsu's eyes flashed with a cold light, his blade pointed directly at 'Hozuki Lengyue'. He seemed to be looking at that familiar face, a struggle flickering in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant. However, he suddenly turned halfway through his advance, as if he was on guard against something.

The jungle was silent, and crimson berries lay scattered on the ground, seemingly locked in a stalemate. After a long while, a voice, aged yet filled with deep hatred, slowly emerged from Hozuki Meigetsu's mouth.

"Is Leng Yue already dead...?"

"You guess..."

Hozuki Meigetsu coldly stared at 'Hozuki Lengyue,' his gaze subtly probing the Chunin still hiding in the Chunin. He could sense a killing intent locking onto him; if he attacked 'Hozuki Lengyue,' the blade behind him would surely pierce his heart.

"Since you don't dare kill me, then I won't keep you company..."

Slowly turning around, without even glancing at Hozuki Meigetsu again, 'Hozuki Lengyue' stepped into the darkness. From beginning to end, Hozuki Meigetsu simply watched, his cold gaze never leaving his back.

"No matter who you are, the Hozuki Clan will not let you go..."

The sound of clashing swords rang out behind him. A smile appeared on 'Hozuki Lengyue's' face as he quietly disappeared.

"The Hydrification Jutsu!"

Damn it!

With his last ounce of strength, Hozuki Meigetsu seemed as vigorous as ever, slaying the ninja hiding in the mist.

Just then, the chirping of insects gradually resumed, and Hozuki Meigetsu regained some strength and slowly stood up.

"Which side is it exactly...?"

The blade sliced through the corpses of two Chunin, their clothes and flesh flying through the air, all as if it were happening naturally. The marks on these two ninjas were as if they had grown up in Mist Shinobi from childhood, and Hozuki Meigetsu found no trace of them.

His eyebrows were lowered, his eyes filled with relief at surviving the ordeal and barely concealed anger.

As he closed his eyes slightly to calm himself and prepared to seal the two ninjas, who were no longer human, into the scroll, his pupils Setsuna contracted.

"This is..."

In his eyes, the faces of the two Chunin seemed to be melting away like a viscous liquid. Hozuki Meigetsu seemed to recall something, and suddenly began to breathe heavily through his nose.

"Orochimaru... as expected of one of the Three Legendary Sannin, his reputation is truly well-deserved..."

Gritting his teeth, Hozuki Meigetsu spoke slowly and deliberately, feeling a sense of humiliation at being insulted by a junior. He was a contemporary of Hiruzen Sarutobi, yet now he was being mocked by his disciple. The thought of the mocking light in Hozuki Lengyue's eyes filled him with rage!

"I will definitely kill you! I will!"