Chapter 49: Hah! Such Strong Genjutsu, I’ll Break It Again! (2/2)

Sakumo Hatake sneered coldly. As a seasoned warrior, he was more than capable of distinguishing reality from illusion.

To deceive a father with such a trick?

Any father would find it hard to withstand such deception; at the very least, the illusion should have taken the form of Kakashi himself!

"Dispel!" Sakumo closed his eyes.

"Hmm? It's not working?"

"Ha, such powerful genjutsu. Dispel again!"

"Hmm?"

"...What is this human doing, Indra?" The Five-Tails seemed puzzled. "Is he preparing some jutsu?"

"No, he's saying goodbye to his past self." Wakaho patted the Five-Tails' horn, signaling it to stop.

The Five-Tails, using all four legs, forcefully halted its massive body, carving two deep furrows into the ground before coming to a complete stop right in front of Sakumo, raising a cloud of dust that covered Sakumo's face.

Not sensing any malice from the Five-Tails, Sakumo remained confident in his judgment and continued trying to dispel the illusion.

Coughing from the dust, Sakumo was about to open his eyes and retreat when he saw the enormous Five-Tails lowering its body and bowing its head.

Its bell-like eyes stared at him, steam billowing from its nostrils and hitting his face.

Thud—

Even Sakumo felt a bit parched and dry-mouthed at this moment.

At this time...

"So it's you, Uncle Kakashi's guardian."

Wakaho, looking as though he just recognized Sakumo, said, "I saw you on the first day of school. Uncle... are you heading to Konoha too?"

"This..."

Sakumo was somewhat confused. He really hadn't felt any hostility, so could this not be an illusion?

But this Uchiha kid couldn't possibly...

"You're... Wakaho-kun? The one who defeated Kakashi's class leader in first grade?"

Sakumo's information was indeed a bit outdated. He had been on the front lines for the past two months.

"Yes, but I'm a Chunin now. I just returned from a rescue mission."

Wakaho pointed to the Five-Tails beneath him. "Let me introduce my new partner, Gyuuki."

"I encountered this guy during the mission. He wanted to stop me from destroying the Shindō Bridge, so I defeated him."

"And then Gyuuki came out, eager to help my comrades."

Wakaho hinted at the corpse he was carrying, implying that it was related to the destruction of the Shindō Bridge.

Sakumo then realized that the body's characteristics... looked like the Five-Tails Jinchuriki from Iwa.

Unlike Konoha, where the information about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was top secret and the Third Hokage never allowed her to leave the village, other villages seemed to be more "lenient" with such information.

While they didn't publicize Jinchuriki information widely, they frequently sent them to the battlefield to try and gain localized superiority.

Sakumo recognized the body as belonging to the former Five-Tails Jinchuriki and was even more certain that it was an illusion...

A ninja who hadn't even graduated from the academy destroying the Shindō Bridge in such a heavily guarded situation, killing the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, and even befriending the Five-Tails?

"To think it's the Tailed Beast... Such absurd genjutsu, and yet I can't find a way to break it?"

Sakumo tilted his head, mockingly chuckling.

"Well then, let's deal with this illusionary kid first!"

Sakumo's eyes flashed with cold light as he prepared to move. The next moment...

"ROAR!!!!!!!!!!"

The roar of the Five-Tails shook the heavens, with a tangible sound wave accompanied by rolling white smoke, sending Sakumo and his blade flying!

"You despicable human..." The Five-Tails' voice was filled with disgust.

"Wakaho, are you sure he'll be useful to you?"

"..." Wakaho hesitated for a moment.

"Probably... He just doesn't seem very smart."

Well, someone who chooses to die usually isn't very smart.

(Caring for life is everyone's responsibility.)