Chapter 35: Teammate A and Enemy B (Part 5)
Hagoromo didn't waste time looking for the source of the hidden attack; he simply lunged backward.
The three kunai slammed into the corpses he had been using as shields. The sharp smell of gunpowder and the sudden glare of magnesium filled the air. These weren't standard projectiles. Attached to the rings of the kunai were thin wires tied to slips of paper inscribed with sealing formulas.
Paper Bombs (Explosive Tags).
An explosive tag is a versatile and deadly tool, packing a punch comparable to a B-rank offensive ninjutsu. If you're caught in the blast radius, you're either dead or severely maimed. The Sand ninja didn't care that he was blowing up his own comrades' bodies—that's the cold reality of a ninja war.
BOOM!
A rain of blood and debris splattered across Hagoromo's cloak, but he ignored it. The shockwave threw him into the air. As he traced a low arc through the smoke, three more Sand ninjas leapt toward him simultaneously, viewing his mid-air position as a defenseless target.
Do I really look that much like a sitting duck?
Hagoromo's Chidori extended into a blade of light. Mid-air, he forcibly twisted his body, using the momentum of the explosion to spin like a top. With the Chidori Sharp Spear extended, he became a lethal, glowing gyroscope.
Chidori: Shadow Leaf Dance!
The three Sand ninjas, who had just reached the peak of their jump, were sliced in two before they could even register the movement.
Hagoromo hit the ground, rolling and immediately pushing off with his legs to gain distance. He retreated toward the Konoha line, realigning himself with his allies while keeping his eyes locked on the fourth ninja—the one who had caused all this trouble.
Hagoromo gritted his teeth as he yanked several stray shuriken from his arm and thigh. While the explosion hadn't hit him directly, the "shrapnel" of shuriken in a chaotic battlefield is nearly impossible to dodge perfectly while airborne. He had avoided fatal wounds, but he was bleeding.
He reached into his pouch, pulling out several glass vials and swallowing a handful of pills: blood-replenishing pills, hemostatics to stop the bleeding, and most importantly, general antidotes. In a war against the Sand, you assume every blade is poisoned by Lady Chiyo's recipes. Finally, he popped a Military Rations Pill to jumpstart his chakra recovery.
His chakra was already below 50%. Using high-output techniques like Chidori and the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu in quick succession was draining.
The Sand ninja began to close the distance again. Neither spoke. There was no need for banter or "villainous monologues." They weren't fighting over a personal grudge; they were two cogs in a war machine, and only one was allowed to keep turning.
Hagoromo narrowed his eyes, catching the cruel glint in the enemy's gaze. He charged.
Unexpectedly, the Sand ninja hurled his longsword. It was a rare move—ninjas throw kunai, not their primary long-reach weapons. Hagoromo reacted instantly, snapping his head and torso to the right, letting the blade whistle past.
But that was the trap.
When a ninja's hands are empty, they are at their most dangerous. It means they are free to weave signs.
Wind Release: Wind Cutter Jutsu!
A blade of compressed air sliced through the space where Hagoromo stood. Because of his awkward posture from dodging the sword, a normal dodge was impossible.
Hagoromo made a split-second decision. He deliberately tripped his own right leg with his left, sending himself into a graceless faceplant. It wasn't pretty—it was a total "dog eating dirt" move—but the wind blade sailed harmlessly over his back.
The Sand ninja lunged forward to deliver the finishing blow, thinking his opponent was incapacitated. In the fall, Hagoromo's mask had slipped off, revealing his young face.
But beauty wouldn't save him here. His mouth was free, and he was already prepared.
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu!
A literal dragon of flame roared along the ground, straight at the charging ninja. (Yes, Hagoromo knows Fire Release—if it wasn't mentioned before, consider the intel public now.)
He didn't expect the fire to kill a ninja of this caliber; he just needed a second to get back on his feet. The enemy, seeing the intensity of the flames, abandoned his offense and slapped his hands onto the ground.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
The ground turned to mud and surged upward, forming a solid barrier that tanked the fire.
In the elemental cycle, Fire beats Wind, but Earth is a sturdy counter to Fire. However, the quality of a jutsu matters as much as the element.
Hagoromo threw two shuriken in a wide arc to bypass the wall while he sprinted forward. He realized that trying to save chakra was only going to waste more in the long run. He needed to end this now.
He unleashed the Chidori Stream across his entire body. The high-pitched chirping of a thousand birds filled the battlefield as Hagoromo accelerated to his absolute limit.