The night was as black as ink.
The clear chirping of cicadas echoed in his ears.
After passing through the dense layers of forest, Haruma could already sense the Anbu guarding the darkness ahead.
"I'll hold off the hidden Anbu. You two can handle the guards out in the open, right?"
Haruma stopped, his tone casual.
"No problem."
Yamanaka Fū lowered his voice in warning. "Torune scouted ahead with his insects. There's at least an entire Anbu squad hidden here."
Haruma waved a hand lightly. "Don't worry about the Anbu. Just break in and get him out as fast as you can."
"We're not that far from the Hokage Building or the Sarutobi compound. Don't hold back if you have any big moves."
Even now, Haruma hadn't forgotten to set a trap for Danzo by leaving traces of his two trusted subordinates' Ninjutsu.
Haruma swept his hand out. "All right, get some distance first. Wait for your opening."
Yamanaka Fū nodded and darted away with Torune.
Haruma warmed up on the spot, cracking his knuckles.
Once the two Root members were far enough away, Haruma gazed at the lush forest ahead. "Time for the show to begin~"
His hands slowly formed hand seals, his tone icy.
"Water Release: Great Water Shockwave."
The Anbu Captain keeping watch in the dark forest frowned and hurriedly turned to look.
"Scatter!!!"
His urgent roar startled countless sleeping birds into flight! It also put all his teammates on full alert!
Whoooosh...
From far away, an increasingly thunderous sound rapidly approached.
Boom!
A raging tide blotted out the sky, smashing huge trees aside as it surged toward them!
The tide rushed faster and faster. Beneath the pitch-black sky, the towering wall of water resembled a hideous, gaping maw!
Boom, boom, boom!
The tide crashed down, and the earth shook.
The rumbling continued without pause.
Under the relentless torrent, the dry earth turned into wet mud.
Already close to the prison, Yamanaka Fū looked at Torune beside him in shock. "Can you get a reading on him?!"
Such powerful, wide-ranging Water Release, yet controlled with such precision.
The wave, charging like thousands upon thousands of ninja, stopped just short of the prison entrance.
Aburame Torune's brows knitted tightly, his tone grave. "At least Mid Kage Level. His chakra shows absolutely no signs of depletion."
"The abilities we can confirm for now are extremely powerful sensory abilities and both water- and earth-nature chakra."
"We can't determine whether he also possesses Wood Release."
Yamanaka Fū nodded silently. "Let's rescue Lord Danzo first. We'll leave analyzing this intelligence to him."
With that, the two accelerated again.
While admiring his handiwork, Haruma cautiously pushed his Sensory Ninjutsu to its limit.
Clearly, he hadn't forgotten the lesson from his earlier clash with the Anbu squad at the Sarutobi compound.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Seven masked Anbu Ninja passed through the waves and arrived before Haruma.
Haruma grinned and shifted slightly sideways, dodging a kunai that brushed past his hair from behind.
"Seven in front, another three in the forest behind." Haruma sounded regretful. "An S-rank Water Release technique, and it only took out six Anbu?"
The captain's pupils contracted. Such powerful sensory abilities.
"Attack!"
With a low shout, the Anbu Captain drew a shuriken and led the charge!
Clang!
Haruma drew a kunai and casually blocked the strike.
"A rare opportunity. Might as well practice my Taijutsu."
Leaning back slightly, Haruma released the kunai braced against the captain's blade, right before his astonished eyes.
His freed hand clamped around the captain's sword-wielding wrist with incredible speed.
Bam!
A vicious side kick struck him squarely in the waist.
"Pfft!"
The captain spat out blood, his body shooting into the forest like a cannonball!
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"
The Anbu didn't hesitate, seizing the brief opening as the two exchanged blows.
Four ninja pulled back to unleash single-target restraining Ninjutsu from a distance, while the remaining Anbu drew their weapons and rushed him together.
With their Shadow Clones added to their numbers, dozens of figures charged straight at Haruma to gang up on him.
He ducked,
turned his head,
and hopped lightly.
Bam, bam, bam!
His agile figure darted among the Anbu like lightning, every movement blasting another figure into white mist.
Haruma moved casually, with ease to spare.
Lately, Haruma had spent quite a lot in the system's training room while he slept.
His first choice of sparring partner to improve his practical combat skills had been Might Guy with six gates open!
In less than a month, with the added boost from his bloodline talent,
Haruma's Taijutsu had become ridiculously strong!
He was only here to buy time and kill a few Anbu along the way to frame Danzo.
So Haruma didn't clear the field with a big move. Instead, he tested his Taijutsu in reality.
Clang!
Another strike!
The utterly nonchalant mystery man once again easily blocked his full-powered blow.
Looking at that wooden spiral mask in the darkness, the Anbu Captain couldn't stop the chill rising in his heart.
His body moved mechanically, alternating close-range combination attacks with his teammates while his mind raced for a new strategy.
Speed!
The mystery man was simply too fast. He had to sacrifice some strength just to barely keep up.
He couldn't waste even a fraction of a second gathering power!
Sacrifice strength. Increase speed!
Having made his decision, the captain's short sword became considerably lighter and faster!
Another attack from a blind spot sent Haruma leaping into the air.
Clink, clatter!
His body still spinning in midair, his kunai traced graceful arcs! He knocked down every incoming shuriken and ninja tool!
An opening!
The captain's eyes lit up as he watched the mystery man, who had yet to land.
Five kunai shot toward the mystery man's chest like arrows loosed from a bow!
Gripping his short sword tightly, he sacrificed some power to thrust faster toward the mystery man's groin!
This was an enemy who had attacked the village and killed his comrades. Naturally, the captain wouldn't hold back!
He targeted that spot only because it was closer to him, making it easier to strike a vital point more quickly!
"Oh!"
"A little dirty, but that's a good move."
Haruma praised him softly, but his movements didn't stop.
"Instant: Thousand Cherry Blossoms Bloom!"
Clink, clink, clink...
Chakra erupted instantly, and Haruma's body became like a miniature gun emplacement!
Countless silver needles and kunai spun out from all over Haruma's body like miniature shells!
Bam, bam, bam!
In less than half a second, Haruma landed.
A needle-studded hell greeted his eyes.
The soil beneath his feet, the trees on either side, and the four Anbu who hadn't dodged in time
were covered in embedded kunai and silver needles!
Haruma aspired to become the richest and most underhanded fighter in the Shinobi World.
Instantly unleashed hidden-weapon Ninjutsu was essential knowledge he had to master.
Pulling several silver needles from his arm, the captain felt a chill in his heart.
His fallen teammates and those bloodstained silver needles stood out so starkly in the night!
"Stop attacking!"
The captain's voice was hoarse. "Fall back toward the prison. Hold them off and wait for reinforcements!"
Having realized the gap in strength, the Anbu immediately obeyed.
They loosened their encirclement and slowly retreated, watching Haruma gravely.