Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue

When Shimura Shio realized Kushina was going to report him, his face darkened.

He had no idea how this brat had figured out he was from Root. He had disguised himself as Anbu to muddy the waters. If the truth came out, it would be disastrous for Lord Danzo!

More importantly, if he failed to clean up this mess, he was sure to meet a terrible end!

"Wait! You have to stay too!"

He could not worry about anything else now. He just had to capture both brats!

Lord Danzo had complained before that the Third Hokage would not entrust the future Jinchūriki to him for training. This was the perfect chance to catch them both.

As for whether Tsunade would blame him afterward... he would deal with that later!

He had no way out. He would be punished either way, so he might as well take the risk!

Just as he moved to charge at Kushina, Eiji stepped in front of him, hands in his pockets and expression calm.

"I don't recall giving you permission to leave."

"Heh. If you're asking for a beating, brat, I'll give you one!"

Shimura Shio threw a punch straight at him. Eiji did not even try to dodge. He watched calmly as the fist approached his face.

Limitless.

The fist stopped short of Eiji's face, as though it had struck the air itself. Horror swept across the Root ninja's face.

"Wh-what?"

Gritting his teeth, he forced his fist toward Eiji's cheek. It moved a millimeter closer, then refused to budge another inch!

"What the hell is going on!?"

He pulled back his fist and unleashed a flurry of vicious blows at every part of Eiji's body!

Head! Chest! Stomach!

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

No matter how hard he tried, the result was the same. Every punch struck nothing but the air in front of Eiji!

Sweat had already formed on his forehead. He could not tell whether it came from exertion or fear of the bizarre scene before him.

What the hell was wrong with this brat?

This had to be some strange Ninjutsu. Lord Danzo had ordered him to bring the brat in at all costs, and this had to be why!

Shio stared at Eiji's strange azure eyes, anxiety plain on his face.

"I can't help it. Lord Danzo told me to bring you in unharmed, but that's clearly impossible now!"

Kushina was getting farther away. Shio felt the situation slipping out of his control!

He had underestimated Eiji because he was a child. He had not done nearly enough research!

He pulled ten Shuriken from his Ninja Tool Pouch and hurled them at Eiji, then leaped onto a Utility Pole and sped after Kushina!

He had no time to waste on this strange brat. First he would catch the girl from the Uzumaki Clan, then return for Ryuuzaki Eiji!

Eiji did not dodge the incoming Shuriken. They stopped short of him, then clattered to the ground one after another.

He turned toward the retreating Root ninja and raised an arm.

Azure.

Shimura Shio had already spotted Kushina's unmistakable red hair. His face hardened.

His thoughts were a tangled mess. He no longer knew what to do.

Even if he caught Kushina now, how would he explain himself to Tsunade and Mito?

Kill her outright? Lord Danzo would never protect me then.

But if he let Kushina report him, he was dead anyway.

Damn it. Damn it all!

To hell with it. If I'm going to die, I'm taking someone with me!

Shimura Shio had completely lost his reason.

As he leaped into the air, he reached into his Ninja Tool Pouch, ready to throw a Kunai and end Kushina's life!

But just as he moved, the world flashed before his eyes—

"Huh?"

He suddenly found himself in front of Ryuuzaki Eiji, his body flying toward him against his will!

No, I can't stop!

He's pulling me in!?

Eiji clenched his right fist and drew back his arm, then drove a straight punch into Shio's stomach!

"Gaaaah!"

Eiji's fist sank deep into Shio's abdomen!

Just like a fight in Dragon Ball, his stomach caved inward!

The impact knocked off his mask, revealing a face twisted by sudden agony.

H-how... How could a child's punch be this heavy!?

That thought flashed through Shio's mind the instant the blow landed.

Boom!

The punch sent him flying like a cannonball. He doubled over and hurtled backward, only sliding to the ground after his back struck a wall.

A web of cracks spread across the wall where he had hit it.

Eiji pulled back his fist and shook out his hand. He had not expected the walls along the Konoha Streets to be so shoddy too.

Still, they were made of better stuff than the walls at the Konoha Academy. Otherwise, that full-strength punch would have embedded Shio in one.

Perhaps because he had studied the Eight Gates under Uncle Might Duy, Eiji's body was now far stronger than those of his peers.

Once he learned Reverse Cursed Technique and could heal his body, he planned to try maintaining the Eight Gates for extended periods, until he could keep the Gate of Death open all the time and land a Black Flash with every punch.

He had used Azure not to tear his target apart, but to pull him in from within the range of his Six Eyes. It was rather like using Flying Thunder God in reverse.

Against someone weak, someone unable to resist, or an inanimate object, the pull was instantaneous. If his target had been the Raikage cloaked in Lightning Release Chakra, he would probably have come flying toward Eiji at high speed instead.

Clearly, Azure judged this Root ninja to be weak.

"You... damn brat..."

Shimura Shio slowly rose to his feet, bits of rubble sliding off him. His voice was cold.

His physical resilience was impressive. He had at least the strength of a Special Jōnin. An ordinary ninja would have been unable to move by now.

"You think some strange Ninjutsu is enough to beat me? You should've run while I was chasing that Uzumaki Clan girl. Now you're the one who's going to die."

This Ninjutsu had to have a weakness. Shimura Shio did not believe in an absolute defense. There had to be a blind spot.

And if there was a blind spot, he only needed an attack that covered every angle!

Shio rapidly formed Hand Seals, then leaned sharply back. His chest swelled before he pitched forward and spat a huge, blazing fireball at Eiji!

The fireball surged toward him, driving a wave of hot air before it!

Flames filled Eiji's azure eyes, making them appear clearer and brighter than ever!

Limitless.

The fireball stopped short of Eiji, then burst apart, engulfing him in flames.

From Shimura Shio's perspective, his Great Fireball was burning Ryuuzaki Eiji to a crisp.

He was certain Eiji's eyes were the key. The Ninjutsu must have depended on them.

He did not know why his attacks could not hit Eiji, but what about the explosion at the end of the Great Fireball? Even if that failed, the intense heat rising from the flames would be more than Eiji could bear!

Certain Ryuuzaki Eiji was as good as dead, Shimura Shio spat and said bitterly,

"Arrogant brat. There's no such thing as invincible Ninjutsu. This is how you end up... I hope there's enough of your body left."

He had no hope of saving the eyes. After prolonged exposure to that heat, he would be lucky if any tissue remained.

Either way, he could no longer complete his mission.

He still had to go after Kushina Uzumaki, though he had lost so much time that he had little hope of catching her.

Shimura Shio had just leaped onto the wall when Ryuuzaki Eiji's voice came from behind him.

"So the moment you realized you couldn't bring me to Danzo unharmed, you lost your mind and started lashing out? What an ugly sight."