Chapter 18: Encirclement of Mizunotsuki Yoru
Amidst the dense underbrush, a dozen figures darted swiftly through the forest.
At the forefront was a man with wild, flowing hair and a powerful presence—none other than Jiraiya, who had just arrived on the front lines.
Following him were five jōnin: Aburame Shibi of the Aburame Clan, Hyūga Hiashi of the Hyūga Clan, Yamanaka Inoichi of the Yamanaka Clan, and a member of the Nara Clan.
Among them, with the exception of the Nara clansman, the other three were top-tier elites within their respective clans. Even the Nara ninja was considered a standout among his kin.
Judging from this lineup, it was clear Jiraiya's mission was simple—completely cut off Yoru's escape and bring him down!
During Yoru's last appearance, he had not only taken Hozuki Mangetsu but also killed Nara Shikaku. That bitter loss weighed heavily on Jiraiya, who had only just arrived at the Kirigakure front when the incident occurred.
What stung the most was that after Yoru escaped their grasp, he didn't retreat back to Kirigakure as expected. Instead, he diverted his path and rescued the severely wounded members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
How could Jiraiya possibly let that go?
After expending considerable resources, Konoha finally pinpointed the whereabouts of Yoru and the Swordsmen. Having just delivered a crushing blow to Kirigakure's frontlines, Jiraiya decisively set out, leading a team of elites toward Kumamoto Province.
"Everyone, although the target has been located, we must remain vigilant."
As they rushed forward, Jiraiya spoke in a low voice. "The target possesses a variety of secret techniques, is highly proficient in the Body Flicker Technique, and wields terrifying swordsmanship. He may also have assistance from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"Though those three Swordsmen are injured, they've had time to recover. If they engage, their threat cannot be underestimated."
"Also, Fugaku—if they do intervene, I'm counting on you."
He turned his head to address Uchiha Fugaku, who was at the rear of the formation.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Fugaku nodded confidently.
Indeed, for this operation, Uchiha Fugaku—the head of the Uchiha Clan—was personally involved.
The reason?
Simple. He intended to reclaim Shisui's eye!
The leakage of Uchiha kekkei genkai was already a disaster once with Kakashi. There must not be a second occurrence!
The six-man team weaved through the trees with incredible speed. With this configuration, they possessed enough firepower to annihilate an entire nation.
Jiraiya led from the front, while the four sensory-type ninja constantly scanned their surroundings. Fugaku took the rear, protecting the four support-type shinobi.
Soon, the outline of Kumamoto Province appeared on the horizon.
At that same time...
Inside a secluded loft within Kumamoto Province—
Four unremarkable figures sat cross-legged, but the dense chakra emanating from them revealed their true strength.
These four were Mizunotsuki Yoru and the three surviving Swordsmen he had rescued.
At the time, the trio had suffered grievous wounds, and Yoru himself was nearly drained of chakra.
Knowing that hiding in the forest would eventually lead to discovery by Konoha's sensory ninja—and that the Swordsmen required medical supplies—Yoru took a gamble and led them to temporarily hide in Kumamoto Province.
Kumamoto was a well-known city within the Land of Fire, famous for its cherry blossoms, which attracted travelers from all across the ninja world during peacetime.
Even amid ongoing war, the province had no strategic value beyond tourism and had largely avoided the ravages of battle. As a result, Konoha's stationed forces there were minimal.
Using the power of his Sharingan, Yoru hypnotized the few sensory-type Konoha shinobi guarding the area, and secured a temporary safehouse for the wounded. He also scavenged for medicine to treat their injuries and help them recover chakra.
"I'm going to check the perimeter."
"Go ahead."
After gauging the state of his chakra, Yoru stood up, opened the door, and stepped outside.
Cool air washed over him. The long-missed peace in the atmosphere allowed Yoru a moment of relief—but his nerves remained taut.
Based on Konoha's reaction, it was clear they had already discovered his involvement with the Swordsmen. Four elite Kirigakure assets deep in the Land of Fire—there was no way Konoha would ignore this threat.
Kumamoto was far from safe. It was only a matter of time before "they" arrived—if they weren't already on the way.
"If it really comes to it… I'll have to abandon those three."
Rescuing the Swordsmen was worth 15,000 points—a hefty sum.
But if Konoha truly pursued them relentlessly, he would have no choice but to prioritize his own survival and let them go.
"Right, I should check the points I earned from killing Might Duy and those Konoha shinobi along the way."
Yoru opened his system interface, and a dazzling list of exchangeable items appeared before his eyes. Upon seeing the SSS-rank items requiring over a million points, he gulped—he could only stare in envy.
With a thought, he scrolled down.
Seeing that he had nearly 160,000 points gave him a moment of smug satisfaction.
Thanks to Might Duy—"Eternal Genin" himself—he had finally escaped the broke-ass tier.
160,000 points could buy him a lot: high-level Hadō, advanced Bakudō, and even the Shikai of some Zanpakutō were now within reach.
Yoru's eyes lit up as he examined the treasure trove of options before him.
[Hadō #91: Senju Kōten Taihō]
Item Rank: S
Description: Kidō scroll. Grants mastery of Hadō #91: Senju Kōten Taihō (Thousand-Hand Bright Heaven Culling-Sear).
Price: 100,000 points
[Bakudō #81: Dankū]
Item Rank: A
Description: Kidō scroll. Grants mastery of Bakudō #81: Dankū (Splitting Void).
Price: 50,000 points
[Gigai]
Item Rank: A
Description: Custom 1:1 artificial body for souls. Fully modifiable.
Price: 10,000 points
[Cero]
Item Rank: B
Description: High-density spiritual energy blast.
Price: 5,000 points
[Zanpakutō: Sanpo Kenshō (Shikai)]
Item Rank: S
Description: Grants a name to an unawakened Asauchi, bestowing the Shikai form: "Three-Step Sword Beast."
Price: 100,000 points
Other Items:
Sonído, Hierro, Fūrin Kyaku, Black Cero, High-Speed Regeneration, Random Puppet Outfit...
Each treasure that passed by made Yoru's mouth water. Sadly, his points could only afford a fraction—his greatest dilemma.
"My current strength is enough to exchange blows with someone like Jiraiya in a one-on-one… but once I'm dragged into group combat, those chaotic ninja techniques become a major problem."
"What I truly lack is burst power."
"In other words... the release of a Zanpakutō!"