Chapter 206: Long Time No See

Passing through the space gate, Kirito emerged near a dilapidated snack bar deep in the wilderness.

The ninja world had a strange habit of scattering shops and inns in the middle of nowhere—isolated, quiet, and inconvenient. Kirito had never understood why anyone would open a business where no one ventured. With exorbitant prices, little traffic, and supply issues, these establishments always felt like they were on the brink of closing.

The snack bar in front of him was no exception: empty, abandoned, and layered with dust and cobwebs. The faded door curtain swayed slightly, barely clinging to the entrance.

This particular shop had significance to Kirito. He had passed through here once before with TenTen, sharing snacks together. That memory had locked the coordinates of this location in his mind.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Kirito activated his Byakugan. His vision instantly expanded, covering the vast surrounding forests and valleys. Though the Byakugan provided a panoramic view, finding specific details required concentration, much like spotting a single word on a full page of text.

Within moments, Kirito found his targets. Or rather, they were far too conspicuous to miss.

High in the air, Deidara—reincarnated through the Edo Tensei—stood on an owl-shaped clay construct, his loose red robe fluttering in the wind. Behind him, a pale ninja with light blue hair and Sai-like clothing stood silently.

Nearby, another fat shinobi with Hidden Mist attire, red glasses, and blue facial stripes stood atop his own owl, scanning the forest.

Their airborne position would have made them nearly invisible to ordinary observers, but under Kirito's Byakugan, they were glaringly obvious—like light bulbs in the dark.

Kirito shifted his focus slightly and spotted three Konoha ninjas fleeing through the forest. Hyuga Tokuma led the way, while the other two—Muta of the Aburame clan and Lanhua, a perception ninja—were running frantically toward Konoha.

"Did they lose someone?" Kirito thought, narrowing his eyes. The fourth member of their team—Anko—was missing. That didn't bode well.

Judging by the situation, Anko had likely been captured or forced to hold off their pursuers. Without hesitation, Kirito formed a black chakra rod in his palm. He spun it skillfully, then hurled it with all his strength toward Deidara.

High above, Deidara squinted through his hand-shaped "monocular," scanning the dense forest below. "Found them! Three of them, two o'clock direction. Hm!"

"Keep your guard up," muttered the pale ninja behind him.

Hyuga Tokuma, maintaining his Byakugan, noticed Deidara's group descending quickly. His face tightened as he barked, "Muta! Lanhua! Go ahead—I'll hold them off!"

"Tokuma! You can't—" Muta began, his voice breaking.

"Take the intel to Konoha! That's our mission!" Tokuma shouted, turning back toward the enemy with unwavering resolve.

"Dammit…" Muta clenched his fists, grief heavy in his chest. "Where's this captain Anko mentioned?"

Anko had promised that reinforcements would intercept them. But now, as the enemy drew closer, there was still no sign of help.

Above the forest, Deidara smirked as he chewed on his clay. "Troublesome little rats… hiding in the trees won't save you. I'll just blow them up!"

Just as he prepared to unleash an explosion, something whistled through the air—a black rod, spinning like a missile.

"Watch out!" Nakayoshi, the perception ninja, warned.

Before Deidara could react, the rod pierced his palm, nailing his hand firmly to his chest. The force knocked him backward, and only Shin's quick reflexes stopped him from sliding off the owl.

"Ah! What is this?!" Deidara exclaimed, staring at the black rod impaling his torso.

Despite being reanimated and immune to pain, the sheer force of the attack rattled him. The chakra emanating from the rod sent strange tremors through his body.

"Pull it out!" he barked, panic edging his voice.

Shin stepped forward, gripping the rod tightly, only to freeze as an ominous chakra pulsed through him as well. Both shinobi began trembling uncontrollably.

"This isn't normal…" Nakayoshi muttered, his senses flaring. "The chakra in that rod—it's suppressing yours!"

Before they could react further, a space gate opened silently beside them. Deidara barely turned his head before Kirito emerged.

Thick, strong hands grabbed both Deidara and Shin by the heads.

"Long time no see!" Kirito said with a grin.

CRASH!

Kirito smashed their heads together with enough force to send paper fragments flying in every direction.

(End of this chapter)