The fog spread throughout the entire forest. The once clear sky had become overcast with heavy cumulonimbus clouds, summoned by the vast amount of steam rising into the air.
Pa, pa, pa…
Raindrops began to fall on the earth, but even they couldn't penetrate the dense fog. In less than a minute, the thick mist had fully enveloped the surrounding forest, reducing visibility to less than a meter.
Though this was an unintentional consequence, the current lack of vision was a unique advantage—for Tatsumi.
The enemy's sensory and genjutsu-type kunoichi, Pakura's teammate Karura, was still lying unconscious on the ground.
Meanwhile, Tatsumi's serpent-like radar, Dabai, coiled securely around his neck, constantly feeding him precise positional information.
Now then, what was that technique called again?
Ah, right—Silent Killing Technique. Tatsumi figured he'd borrow the concept and try it out himself.
So, to prevent the enemy from using Wind Release to clear the fog, Tatsumi moved without hesitation. His body vanished into the mist, his presence seemingly merging with the thick veil of white.
Ironically, Tatsumi was overthinking it. The Sand Ninja captain wasn't planning to use Wind Release to disperse the fog. He just wanted to take advantage of the mist to retreat and save his remaining subordinates.
But before he could do anything, a voice echoed eerily through the fog, coming from all directions and impossible to pinpoint:
"Eight places—throat, spine, lungs, liver, carotid artery, collarbone, kidneys, and heart. Which one would you like me to aim for?"
Tatsumi had shamelessly plagiarized such a suave line. And just as his voice faded, a shrill whistle tore through the air like a cannonball.
The Sand Ninja captain instinctively crouched down. He didn't know how the enemy had found him, but years of combat experience had sharpened his sense for danger. It saved him—barely.
A kunai meant for his heart whistled past his side, grazing his waist.
"Argh!"
He let out a guttural cry. A sharp pain bloomed from his abdomen—it felt like something was missing.
His kidney… it was gone.
"Damn you! I'll kill you for this!" Even when his hand had been broken earlier, he hadn't felt this enraged.
A hand could be reattached, but where was he going to get a new kidney?
Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, the Sand Ninja quickly formed hand seals. Then, curiously, he closed his eyes—almost like he had given up and was waiting to die.
Seconds later, Tatsumi materialized silently behind him, delivering a monstrous punch to his neck.
Boom!
But instead of a person, the target crumbled into chunks of earth.
An Earth Clone.
The real, blood-drenched Sand Ninja captain appeared behind Tatsumi and slashed at his abdomen with a kunai, clearly intending to trade a kidney for a kidney.
But his strike landed only on a puff of smoke.
Another clone.
Behind him, Tatsumi reappeared, and with a flash of blue-white lightning, the Chidori Sharp Spear pierced through the captain's chest with a thunderous crack.
That feeling… it was exhilarating.
Tatsumi was now thoroughly impressed by the usefulness of the Silent Killing approach. Once he learned Hiding in Mist and perfected Uchiha Kagami's Body Flicker technique, he could turn this into a far superior version—a high-end Silent Killing combo that would put Zabuza's to shame.
As Tatsumi indulged in that thought, the mist finally began to dissipate under the weight of the rain. Pakura, who had found Karura's unconscious body, looked up—just in time to see lightning burst from her captain's chest.
"Run… Pakura…"
The captain, not quite dead yet, murmured his final words.
But Pakura didn't even think about fleeing. Her eyes burned with fury. She charged forward, screaming.
Tatsumi grabbed the dying captain's clothes and spun, hurling him forward.
The already-doomed ninja was thrown straight into Pakura's Over-Boil Kill, absorbing the full brunt of her Scorching Release.
Electrocuted, then steamed.
Now definitely dead.
A strange, savory aroma drifted through the air—something Nawaki would have recognized immediately. This was the unique scent of Pakura's Scorching Release.
The captain's charred corpse briefly blocked the line of sight between Tatsumi and Pakura. Using it as a shield, Tatsumi extended the Chidori Sharp Spear through the body and aimed it straight at Pakura, who was trying to catch her fallen comrade.
She clearly didn't expect it. Seeing her captain die by her own technique had thrown her off. She was rattled.
From Tatsumi's vantage point, he couldn't see her face, but he could sense her panic clearly. Anyone would lose composure in the face of such unexpected carnage.
The future hero of the Sand Village, Scorching Release user Pakura, was now on the verge of death—about to fall at the hands of Konoha's Lightning Flash.
It was good news for Konoha.
And perhaps, in some twisted way, good news for Pakura too—after all, her own village would betray and execute her in the future... right?
The moment of death was just about to arrive—if it could arrive.
Because something suddenly interfered.
An Earth Release wall shot up in front of Pakura, blocking the spear.
Then came a storm of shuriken from above, in a wild barrage that could only be the result of Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
The projectiles rained down, embedding themselves in the earth or clinking against the earth wall.
Tatsumi didn't hesitate. He pushed off the ground, jumped high, and grabbed a tree trunk. With a flex of his arms, he flipped onto a thick branch several meters above.
But in doing so, he had to abandon the attack on Pakura—even though her soft chest had been right there…
Such chances don't come twice.
Just then, Minato appeared, supporting a chakra-depleted Nawaki. Moments later, Mikoto arrived too.
The four of them grouped up without a word.
Because a new force had entered the battlefield—and with it, silence.
Tatsumi stood on the branch, one hand braced against the trunk. His line of sight lined up perfectly with the newly arrived enemy.
Then his expression darkened. He was furious—truly furious—for the first time.
"Nawaki."
"Hm?"
"What happens if I kill the Daimyō's Twelve Guardian Ninja?"
"…They're… kind of neutral toward Konoha. As long as you're not caught, there aren't really any consequences."
"Good. Then I've decided—"
"The Guardian Twelve will cease to exist starting today."
————————————————————
Don't forget to review & vote if you're enjoying the story.
If you spot any errors or mistakes, feel free to tag or comment so they can be fixed.
Stay tuned for more!