"Oh, right. That guy even found a way to cast Genjutsu using the ocular power of the Rinnegan. He's likely very difficult to deal with. Are you confident in your Sharingan? If not, we could try capturing these two brats. We can use them to threaten him later, can't we?"
Zetsu had a sudden "bright" idea. As he watched Hayama Shirakumo's team, his eyes glead with increasing malice.
The masked man paused, looking toward Tianyu and Maki. "You have a point. Since they've beco ninjas, they can no longer live as ordinary civilians. I imagine they already have the resolve for this."
He found the idea appealing. It wasn't that he intended to kill the two children, but they would serve as excellent leverage against Tonbo Tobitake—a valuable ace up his sleeve. Nagato, Itachi, and Kisa had all praised Tonbo's Genjutsu. If he could neutralize a potential threat now, it was a logical move.
The masked man still felt a lingering threat from Tonbo. He had investigated the subordinate Tonbo had placed in the Rain Village—the one who had briefly cracked his Kamui and found a way to counter him. He deduced that the man hadn't used his own power, but rather a jutsu Tonbo had gifted him.
Mibu Shinobu.
Ever since then, he had looked into that ninja and found the man didn't possess that level of skill naturally. It was more like he had been "possessed" by a master.
Suddenly.
Tianyu, who had been observing the distance, abruptly whipped his head around and lunged toward the masked man's position.
"Tianyu, what is it?" Hayama Shirakumo noticed his movent imdiately.
"I felt like soone was peeping at us, but I don't see anyone," Tianyu said, sounding confused. A mont ago, he felt a distinct gaze on them.
" too," Maki added.
"I didn't sense anything," Wataru admitted.
Hayama frowned. "Your sensory talents are high. If both of you say so, soone is likely watching us. Stay on high alert!"
He placed his right hand on his hilt, his eyes darting around to locate the potential enemy. Tianyu and the others mirrored his vigilance, forming a defensive formation around their captain.
Is it the Rain? Or the Akatsuki? the four of them thought simultaneously. Or perhaps the Hidden Stone.
The Land of Rain bordered six nations. The Sand was allied with Konoha; the Land of Birds was on the opposite side; the Land of Rivers had no quarrel with them; and the Land of Grass were re opportunists. That left the Rain and the Stone as the pri suspects. As for rogue ninjas, it was unlikely; experienced rogues avoided border outposts manned by official village squads.
Slash!
A white head popped out from a tree, only for a blade to instantly take its head off.
Thump! Thump!
Swish!
The three students were equally fast, cutting down the erging enemies.
"Who's there?"
"Hehehe, such high vigilance. You're quite troubleso!" Black Zetsu appeared in the distance, chuckling.
"Got you."
The masked man's hand reached out toward Tianyu and Maki.
"I'll 'get' your grandmother!"
All three students were sensory ninjas. The mont the masked man prepared to solidify, they sensed him. Three blades left their sheaths at once.
Clang!
To their shock, their "sure-hit" attacks passed straight through his body. The masked man and Tianyu phased through each other.
"It's a space-ti ninjutsu! Everyone, be careful!" Wataru shouted a warning.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The masked man tried several tis to seize Tianyu or Maki, but the trio's teamwork managed to force him back each ti. anwhile, in the distance, Hayama was being sward by countless White Zetsu.
Are Konoha brats' analytical skills this high nowadays? The masked man looked at his empty hands and then at the wary trio. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu—as if he were facing his old teacher.
"Hmph, re space-ti ninjutsu. Just a cheap trick."
"Showing off your slight skill before a master."
"Dumbass."
The three students spoke simultaneously. In reality, they were breaking into cold sweats. Fortunately, Tonbo's training had been "to the death," exposing them to all types of enemies. Only because they were sensory types could they react to his space-ti shifts. Even with the intel, it was a terrifying fight.
"Hey, are you really failing to take down a few kids?" Zetsu called out from the side. Hayama Shirakumo was close to breaking free; White Zetsu's numbers couldn't hold an elite Jonin forever.
"Don't worry, I'll take them."
The masked man wove hand seals, refining his chakra. His chest expanded.
"Tianyu, Maki!"
"On it! Morphological Transformation!"
"Mass Manipulation!"
Tianyu ford seals and locked eyes with him. Maki pulled out her flute and began to play.
Doo-doo!
Zip!
"Hm? Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change."
Seeing the Genjutsu, the masked man shifted his seals and reflected the attack right back at them.
"Release! This guy is a pain, Genjutsu doesn't seem to work on him!" Wataru dispelled the reflected illusion for his teammates.
"Damn it! Didn't Dad say that outside of certain powerhouses or entire squads, this Genjutsu has no rivals?" Tianyu grumbled.
"Maybe it's because your seals are too obvious!" Wataru shot back. Experienced ninjas could deduce the type of jutsu just by the hand signs.
"Nonsense! We hid them well!"
They knew they had been careless.
"Hey, we can't win like this!" they realized. Facing such a veteran enemy was a different league. They knew about the space-ti ability in theory, but knowing isn't the sa as countering. If he touched them, it was over.
"His ability allows him to phase through things, but he can also suck people inside. Do not let him pull you in!" Hayama shouted from the distance.
As the Akatsuki moved, Konoha had begun sharing partial intel—including so on the masked man.
"Vacuum Sword!"
Facing the sea of White Zetsu, Hayama's katana erupted with a hurricane. A single horizontal sweep cleared out the Zetsu within a ten-ter radius. Trees were snapped like twigs. He moved to support his students.
"I can't let you through. You aren't our target."
Black Zetsu triggered a bloom. Pop! A cloud of spores flew out. Hayama used Wind Style to clear a path, but so spores still landed on him. Suddenly, white, bulbous growths began erupting from his body, binding him.
"What is this?!"
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