https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-412-Hanzo-s-Conspiracy-Mu-Yue-s-Suicide-Part-2-/12558537/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-413-The-Strongest-Fire-Style-Ninja-in-the-Ninja-World-Part-2-/12558539/
Chapter 413: The Strongest Fire Style Ninja in the Ninja World (Part 1)
Chapter 413: The Strongest Fire Style Ninja in the Ninja World (Part 1)
Everyone present fixed their gazes on Mu Yue.
Leading the group of Rain Ninjas, Hanzo hoped that Mu Yue would obediently commit suicide and save them the trouble.
The Ninja Sect ninjas that Mu Yue had brought along wished for the opposite, for reasons that were quite obvious.
The Rock Ninjas led by Huang Tu didn't have any particular preference and were merely curious about what choice Mu Yue would make.
Danzo Shimura, on the other hand, didn't care either way. He simply wanted to see bloodshed and hoped that both the Rain and Ninja Sect villages would inflict heavy damage on each other. If the Rain Village became too powerful, it wouldn't bode well for Konoha's interests.
"Stop playing these games at a time like this, Hanzo. It will only make me think less of you," Mu Yue said as he took the kunai that Nagato was holding—the very same one that Hanzo had thrown earlier—and imbued it with fire-style chakra.
Intense flames engulfed the kunai, drying it off from the rain that had soaked it.
Whoosh!
Mu Yue aimed at a spot in front of Hanzo and threw the kunai, now enveloped in flames.
With this action, Mu Yue made his choice clear to everyone—the idea of him committing suicide was nothing but a pipe dream.
If it had been Itachi or Shisui standing here instead of Nagato, Mu Yue might have been interested in playing a charade of faking his death.
Doing so would likely have pushed them to the point of awakening their Mangekyo Sharingan, leading to a drastic increase in their power.
But Nagato was a different case. Although he couldn't yet use the Rinnegan to its full potential, he already possessed it.
What Nagato needed was not to unlock the Rinnegan but to unravel its power, and intense stimulation could accelerate this process, although not as urgently as in the case of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Sou Yuukei, you've made a grave mistake," Hanzo said, his face cold as he stared at Mu Yue.
Boom!!
Hanzo gathered his chakra and threw a kunai of his own to intercept Mu Yue's flaming one, causing an explosion in mid-air.
Tensions soared in the valley, an invisible haze of gunpowder seeming to permeate the entire area.
Huang Tu suddenly became alert. It looked like a fight was about to break out.
He was actually quite eager to see a one-on-one battle between Hanzo and Mu Yue, but he doubted that Hanzo would give up the numerical advantage that the Rain Ninjas enjoyed.
"Attack!" Hanzo didn't take action himself but ordered a hundred elite Rain Ninjas to launch their offensive.
Upon receiving Hanzo's command, the elite Rain Ninjas immediately channeled their chakra into their hands and threw their kunai.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A large number of black kunai came flying from all directions, forming a black net that enveloped Mu Yue and his companions.
This was the reason Hanzo had chosen this place for the meeting. The Rain Ninjas, positioned on higher ground, could launch a dense barrage of attacks that would be difficult for Mu Yue's group to dodge.
Hanzo watched the group in the valley with a detached expression. They had the advantage of location and timing, so what could Mu Yue possibly do to counter him?
Nagato's mind raced as he tried to think of a jutsu that could defend against this onslaught of attacks coming from all sides and protect all his companions.
"Wind Style: Fierce Wind Palm!"
Mu Yue gathered his chakra and transformed it into wind-style chakra, releasing it in a burst as he clapped his hands together.
Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind erupted from Mu Yue and his companions, blowing away the onslaught of kunai in every direction.
The heavy rain was also swept away, and the trees in the mountains rustled noisily in the wind.
Although the Fierce Wind Palm was just a common C-rank wind style jutsu, with Mu Yue's expertise and over seven thousand proficiency points in wind-style chakra nature transformation, it packed quite a punch. Blocking these thrown weapons was child's play for him.
Nagato looked at his hands and then at Mu Yue.
He could also use the Fierce Wind Palm, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to achieve the same effect as Mu Yue had.
He recalled the water barrier technique that Mu Yue had used earlier, which was also different from the standard version, as it could defend against attacks from all angles.
"Continue the attack," Hanzo said expressionlessly.
He had expected Mu Yue to be able to block the assault, but he hadn't anticipated that a simple C-rank jutsu would be enough to counter such a large-scale weapon attack.
However, Hanzo still felt confident. Ninjas had a limited amount of chakra, and the more Mu Yue used to protect his companions, the less he would have for the upcoming battle.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sharp black kunai sliced through the raindrops once again, forming another black net that flew towards Mu Yue and his group.
But Mu Yue countered it with the Fierce Wind Palm once more, deflecting the kunai.
"Sou Yuukei, don't tell me you have no backup plan? Don't tell me you really didn't anticipate this situation, because if so, I'll have to reassess your abilities," Kisame said, seemingly mocking Mu Yue but actually reminding him not to get worn out.
Hanzo's tactic was to wear Mu Yue down by making him exhaust his energy and chakra.
Before Kisame could finish his sentence, Mu Yue's palm struck Kisame's chest with lightning speed, releasing him from the seal that had been placed on him.
It wasn't that Mu Yue fully trusted Kisame now; it was just that Kisame only had one heart left, which greatly reduced his strength. Additionally, Mu Yue had left a Flying Thunder God seal on him, so if Kisame harbored any treacherous thoughts, Mu Yue could instantly send him away.
Although he didn't completely trust him, Mu Yue's understanding of Kisame from their interactions led him to believe that the probability of Kisame betraying him at this critical juncture was low. The most Kisame might do was try to run away by himself.
If Kisame could help take care of the Ninja Sect ninjas, it would reduce some of the pressure on Mu Yue.
Even though his strength had diminished significantly, Kisame had been extremely powerful at his peak. With just one heart, he was still far superior to an ordinary ninja.
Kisame felt the unprecedented sense of freedom in his body and was about to ask Mu Yue to help him remove the seal when Mu Yue preempted him.
"You're thinking about getting my body and turning it in for the reward, aren't you?" Kisame said as he clenched his fists. "Now that I'm free, your bounty should have doubled. Maybe it's even reached three thousand million ryo."
Nagato eyed Kisame warily, ready to attack at the first sign of any suspicious movement.
"If you really still have such thoughts, then I would have made a mistake, and I will personally correct it," Mu Yue said with a faint smile.
In the ninja world, Mu Yue never relied on luck or placed his hopes in others. What he depended on was his own strength.
Kisame couldn't do anything to Mu Yue, and neither could Hanzo. The worst that could happen was for Mu Yue to escape with everyone else.
"Tsk, that look on your face, as if you have everything under control, makes me want to punch you," Kisame said as he continued to gather chakra to rebuild his body.
He truly had no intention of betraying Mu Yue.
In his opinion, only a fool would make such a choice. Although Kisame knew that he wasn't a Ninja Sect ninja, Hanzo might not see it that way. In Hanzo's eyes, they were all Ninja Sect ninjas.
Mu Yue gathered chakra under his feet, his figure constantly flashing through the rain curtain as he swiftly closed in on Hanzo's position.
Mu Yue already had slightly less chakra than Hanzo, and excessive consumption would be detrimental to the upcoming battle.
Upon noticing Mu Yue's movements, the Rain Ninjas all tried to impede his progress with their weapons, but Mu Yue effortlessly blocked them.
Hanzo quietly watched Mu Yue's approach without attempting to stop him or retreating.
There was no particular reason for this; he simply didn't think Mu Yue could defeat him in a head-on battle.
Hanzo's actions were not due to a lack of confidence in winning but rather a desire to secure an easier and more certain victory.
If Mu Yue thought that these tactics indicated a lack of confidence in his strength, Hanzo would soon show him what it meant to be a pinnacle ninja.
"You disappoint me. Maybe I should have finished you off that day," Hanzo said coldly as he watched Mu Yue approaching.
"But you couldn't," Mu Yue replied calmly.
To Mu Yue, the most troublesome aspect of Hanzo was his poison, but that alone was not enough for Hanzo to defeat him.
The two didn't engage in combat right away but instead exchanged words like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
"Fire Style: Exploding Flame Formation!"
As Hanzo finished speaking, he suddenly backflipped and performed a series of hand seals. The ground beneath Mu Yue's feet erupted with countless explosive tags, rushing towards his legs.
This was the reason Hanzo had chosen to stand there. He hadn't been admiring the view; he had been planting explosive tags.
BOOM!!
A massive explosion rocked the area, and intense flames engulfed Mu Yue. The force of the blast shattered the ground.
"No wonder you're known as the pinnacle of ninjas," Huang Tu said, impressed by Hanzo's prowess.
Despite his formidable strength, Hanzo was overly cautious. First, he led Mu Yue into a trap, then he had his men wear down Mu Yue's chakra, and now, as Mu Yue charged towards him, Hanzo goaded him into falling for another trap.
"At this distance, unless you've mastered an extremely strong Earth Style: Hardening technique, there's no way you could have withstood that," Huang Tu said, shaking his head slightly in disappointment as he watched Mu Yue being enveloped by the flames.
Even at Huang Tu's level of Earth Style ninjutsu, he would have sustained injuries from such a large number of explosive tags detonating at close range.
"That's a nice jutsu," Danzo Shimura admired Hanzo. He felt they were similar in that they would use any means necessary to defeat their opponents.
Being bombarded by so many explosive tags at close range, Mu Yue would be lucky to survive, let alone be able to continue fighting Hanzo.
"Uncle Sou Yuukei!" Yahiko, noticing what was happening to Mu Yue, wore an extremely worried expression.
He never expected Hanzo to be so despicable. Despite having a numerical advantage, Hanzo still resorted to using traps against Mu Yue.
Nagato stared at Mu Yue, who was enveloped in flames, and his mind went blank for a moment.
Memories of meeting and getting to know Mu Yue, from initial suspicion to acceptance and trust, flashed through Nagato's mind.
"You shouldn't lose so carelessly," Kakuzu frowned.
Even if Kakuzu had used his Earth Spear in time, he might still have sustained some injuries from the explosion. While his training in the Earth Grudge Fear would have allowed him to shrug off such wounds, Mu Yue's vitality wasn't as robust.
"Is it done?" Hanzo narrowed his eyes, focusing on the smoke from the explosion.
However, Hanzo didn't possess the Sharingan or the Byakugan, so he couldn't see through the smoke to ascertain Mu Yue's condition.
But this technique was one of Hanzo's proudest jutsu, and he was well aware of its power. Even with timely defensive ninjutsu, one would still inevitably suffer burns from the explosion.
The smoke quickly dissipated in the strong wind and heavy rain, revealing an unharmed Mu Yue.
In the instant of the explosion, Mu Yue had utilized his perfectly-mastered Armament Haki for defense. Even if Hanzo had planted twice as many explosive tags, Mu Yue would have been able to withstand them.
Seeing that Mu Yue was completely unharmed, Hanzo's expression turned to one of surprise.
If Mu Yue had used a body double technique, he wouldn't have been so astonished. But what he couldn't understand was how Mu Yue had withstood his Exploding Flame Formation head-on, and he didn't see any traces of defensive ninjutsu nearby.
"Could it be extreme Earth Style: Hardening?" Hanzo speculated.
Each type of chakra nature transformation had its unique characteristics. Fire could burn and explode, Lightning could activate cells, and Earth could harden the body. Simple techniques included Hardening, and more advanced ones, like the Earth Spear.
Even with his killing move blocked, Hanzo remained unflustered as he had many more tricks up his sleeve, some of which even the toughest hardening couldn't withstand.
Seeing the unharmed Mu Yue, Nagato's stream of memories paused, and his expression turned to one of delight.
"You still had a trick up your sleeve when we fought," Kakuzu also thought that Mu Yue possessed extremely high-level Earth Style: Hardening.
The Ninja Sect ninjas relaxed upon seeing that Mu Yue was unharmed.
"As long as we hold our ground here, there's still a chance. Teacher Sou Yuukei's strength is not inferior to Hanzo," Chouzaya said, keeping a close eye on the elite Rain Ninjas above them.
Chouzaya felt that if he could tell his past self about following Mu Yue, his past self would never believe that this was his future.
The slogan, "Ninja Teacher Sou Yuukei rivals Hanzo," was Chouzaya's attempt to ride on Hanzo's popularity in the Rain Country, and he never imagined that Mu Yue was indeed on par with Hanzo.
Huang Tu was shocked to see that Mu Yue was unscathed.
He had just been thinking about it, and Mu Yue indeed possessed such powerful Earth Style: Hardening.
Huang Tu would call Mu Yue the strongest Earth Style: Hardening ninja. Even among the Rock Village ninjas, who specialized in Earth Style, none had mastered this level of hardening.
Whoosh!
Taking advantage of Hanzo's momentary surprise, Mu Yue burst forth with chakra and lunged at him, throwing a punch.
Hanzo was confident in his taijutsu as well. Without using ninjutsu, he could defeat the samurai of the Land of Iron. The confident Hanzo didn't back down.
How could his taijutsu, honed over more than half his life, lose to a young man not yet thirty?
BOOM!!
A dull impact sound rang out, and in the moment of contact, Hanzo was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground.
Mu Yue was not surprised by this outcome. Hanzo had overestimated his taijutsu skills.
Just now, Mu Yue had not only used the Rock Breath to enter the Transparent World state but had also struck first. How dare Hanzo face him head-on?
"Lord Hanzo!" A Rain Ninja exclaimed in shock upon seeing Hanzo being knocked away.
In their hearts, Hanzo was undoubtedly the strongest ninja in their Rain Ninja Village.
The Rain Ninjas immediately launched an attack to stop Mu Yue from pursuing Hanzo.
"To still be able to fight like this under these circumstances," Danzo Shimura's expression turned gloomy.
(End of Chapter)
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