Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 188 So, how do we kill the 'Espada'?
Dead!

The heavy, oppressive atmosphere was suffocating, weighing heavily on the hearts of the surviving Kirigakure ninja.

They stared blankly at the scene of devastation: the collapsed Water Shadow Building, the enormous crater, the cracked earth, the billowing smoke and dust, and the corpses and bloodstains scattered everywhere...

And, the fate of the Fourth Mizukage remains unknown.

What just happened was like a bizarre nightmare, that red-haired monster...

"Cough! Cough cough cough..."

A faint, painful cough broke the suffocating silence.

The source of the sound was Yagura, a mango tree.

"Mizukage-sama!"

At this moment, Qing, who was closest to him, finally came to her senses. Some color returned to her pale face, and she ran to Yagura's side to help him up.

Yagura's eyes, which had been empty, were now filled with deep-seated fear and pain.

"No...no...what have I done?!"

He let out a hoarse, desperate hoarse sound from his throat, then raised his hands and grabbed his hair tightly, his body convulsing and trembling violently from pain and collapse!
He remembers everything!

He remembers everything!
What I did while I was being controlled by that guy using illusion magic.

He personally signed bloody orders and created the tragic scene in the "Village of Blood Mist," turning Kirigakure into a battlefield of infighting where countless young lives perished!

They ruthlessly purged those bloodline clans, and after fully transforming into tailed beasts, they disregarded casualties...

"Aaaaaah! Uchiha Obito!!"

A shrill, inhuman roar, like the dying cry of a wild beast, suddenly burst from Yagura's mouth.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the Hidden Mist ninja present, gritting his teeth and growling, "Bounty! Bounty on Uchiha Obito! I want him dead!!"

"what?"

Ao, a Jonin of Kirigakure, was stunned for a moment, then connected it with the previous abnormality, and his pupils shrank as if he realized something.

"Release Master Yuan from the prison," Yagura Karatachi said in a hoarse, low voice. "I've been under that damned Obito Uchiha's genjutsu control all this time!"

"I am a sinner. I have let down Kirigakure. I will resign from my position as Mizukage. Until a suitable successor is found, I request Elder Genji to manage all affairs of the village..."

Upon hearing this, all the Hidden Mist ninjas around were speechless, completely unaware that their Fourth Mizukage had been manipulated by genjutsu all these years.

At this very moment, on the outskirts of Kirigakure, space distorted and deformed, and Obito Uchiha appeared with a livid face.

"The Void! Realm!" he gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "Again! Again!"

------

On the border of the Land of Wind, inside a hidden cave.

Boom!

A deep, yet extremely penetrating roar, accompanied by violent tremors, shattered the silence!

On one side of the mountain, the rock wall covered with vines and moss suddenly burst open, sending up rubble and dust mixed with a strong smell of blood that instantly filled the air!
A disheveled and filthy figure tumbled out of the blasted-open cave!

"Cough! Cough cough! Ptooey!"

Hiruko coughed violently, spitting out pieces of gravel from his mouth, his face covered in black ash.

He looked up, still shaken, at the cave entrance behind him, which was still billowing with smoke and dust.

"What happened? How could it suddenly explode? The fusion experiment of that batch of 'consumables' was clearly stable..." He cursed under his breath as he struggled to get up.

However, the moment he looked up, his movements suddenly froze, and his bloodshot eyes widened abruptly!

At the edge of the ruins where the cave had been blown open, where the smoke and dust had just cleared, a black figure exuding a cold and deathly aura was slowly crawling out from the pile of rubble!

"What the hell is this?" Hiruko's voice trembled with horror. "How could my experimental subject have turned into this?"

He remembered clearly that the cave held his latest batch of experimental subjects for the "Oni-Garra Technique"—dozens of wandering ninjas captured from a small border country.

But how did it turn into this monster?

"Ugh!"

From deep within the cave ruins came a painful groan. It was another severely injured experimental subject, trapped under rubble, but not yet dead.

The black monster suddenly turned its head, its scarlet eyes instantly locking onto the source of the sound. It pounced with incredible speed.

Hiss!

A vague soul was forcibly extracted from the test subject's body.

"Is this... devouring souls?"

Seeing this scene, Hiruko gasped, feeling a chill instantly rise from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Did he do this?
Wait a minute, he didn't research that area; the soul realm is that stinky snake...

Thinking of this, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he stared intently at the black monster.

Bone mask, devouring souls, hollow chest...

This feature, this shape, this mask...

A name he once scorned flashed through his mind like lightning!

A false alarm?!

"Are you kidding me?"

Thinking of the word 'Hollow' that Orochimaru had once obsessively muttered, Hiruko's hoarse and dry voice trembled slightly.

He initially thought Orochimaru was just daydreaming and that the scroll Orochimaru treasured was fake.

But now...

Looking at the monster in front of him, which was greedily absorbing souls and whose appearance perfectly matched Orochimaru's description, he saw it.

"What the scroll says is actually true?" His face was filled with shock, as if his worldview had collapsed. "Hollows, these things actually exist? And they're not just Orochimaru's imagination?"

Just as his mind was reeling, the 'Void' that had finished absorbing his soul slowly turned its head, its scarlet eyes locking onto him.

Hiruko's expression changed, and he subconsciously took a step back, but he quickly realized that he was not one of those weak experimental subjects.

"Hmph! I don't care if you're a 'hollow' or whatever!" A fierce glint flashed in Hiruko's eyes. "Perfect, I'll capture you and use you as a new research subject!"

------

The Land of Fire, Tanbata Street, the back alley of the casino.

Night had fallen, but the hustle and bustle of Tanso Street had not subsided.

The casino was brightly lit and bustling with noise; the sounds of dice clashing, chips clattering, winners' laughter, and losers' curses mingled together.

The strong smells of smoke, alcohol, and sweat mingled together, creating a unique, intoxicating, and decadent atmosphere.

On the second floor of the casino, in a luxurious private room, Tsunade lay on the table, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed over, while Shizune stood beside her, holding Ton-Ton with a worried expression.

"One more, one more cup..." Tsunade mumbled incoherently, slapping the table as she drunkenly.

"Lady Tsunade, you really can't drink anymore, we should go back!" Shizune urged anxiously.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out, attracting the attention of those around.

"what!"

"Kill him! That gambling addict who refuses to pay his debts!"

"Spare me! Spare me! Give me another chance, I promise I can win back my losses, I promise I can win back my losses... Ah!!"

A series of shrill screams, pleas for mercy, and fierce curses pierced through the soundproof door of the private room and entered Tsunade's ears, like a bucket of cold water waking her from her drunken stupor.

She looked up, rubbed her eyes, and looked out the window following the sound.

In the back alley of the casino, under the dim streetlights, several burly, menacing-looking casino thugs were punching and kicking a thin man curled up on the ground!
Each stomp made a dull thud. The man clutched his head, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, staining the mud beneath him.

"Please, please, give me just one more day, just one more day..." the man pleaded haltingly. "I... I have a feeling I'll win the next round, with my winnings and profits..."

"Try to win back your losses? Go ahead and try to win back your savings!" One of the thugs grinned maliciously and kicked the man hard in the ribs.

Click!

"Ugh!!" A clear sound of bones cracking rang out, and the man let out a scream as his body convulsed violently.

"Pah! You dare to gamble when you have no money? Do you think you're Tsunade, that big fat sheep?" Another thug spat at him, pulled out a short stick from his waist, and raised it high.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade's face darkened slightly, but she did not stop it. This was partly because such things happened frequently, and partly because she did owe the casino money.

"I... I'm going to win it all back! I've sold my wife and kids, but I... I'm sure I can win it all back..."

On the man's face, which was covered in blood and bruises, his eyes were wide open, his pupils filled with bloodshot veins and a near-mad resentment.

But the next moment, the heavy iron rod, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed hard into the back of his head.

Click! !
The man's body stiffened abruptly, all sound ceased, the light in his eyes went out instantly, and he collapsed limply into the mud, blood quickly spreading beneath him.

"Hmph! See that? This is what happens when you default on gambling debts!"

The thug cursed as he put away his iron bar, then looked at the surrounding gamblers and warned them. He then kicked the corpse and said, "Drag it away! Throw it far away, don't let it get in the way!"

The other two thugs stepped forward, dragging the corpse away by the ankles, as if it were a dead dog.

"..."

Seeing this, Tsunade frowned.

Shizune walked to her side, looking at her with a worried expression.

However, just as the two thugs dragged the corpse, something unexpected happened!

The already dead corpse suddenly began to convulse violently.

"Huh? Not quite dead yet?"

One of the thugs frowned and raised his foot, intending to deliver another blow.

However, the next moment, fueled by the intense negative emotions of countless gamblers in the casino.

puff!puff!puff!

A chilling sound of flesh tearing rang out as the skin on the corpse's back suddenly ripped open and bulged.

A twisted, blurry black shadow covered in white bones, like a demon, forcefully emerged from beneath the corpse's skin!
A pale, bone mask covered most of its face, and two crimson, blood-red lights suddenly shone from its eye sockets!
"What, what is this... Ugh!"

The thug who was closest to the newborn 'Void' only had time to let out a scream before he was pounced on by the newborn 'Void', which opened its huge mouth and pressed it against his face!

Hiss!

The pale blue soul was forcibly extracted, and the thug became withered and lifeless.

"what!"

"Weird, monster!"

The remaining thugs were terrified, and the people around them screamed in terror, scrambling away from the monster.

Standing by the window, Tsunade's pupils contracted as she looked down at the monster emanating a chilling aura, watching it devour souls. Her expression changed instantly.

Not only that, she sensed the presence of many of these monsters around her...

"A demon? Or something else?" Tsunade's expression turned serious and solemn, no longer showing any signs of drunkenness.

The entire Tanabata Street was in chaos, filled with screams and shrieks. The 'Void' finished devouring a soul and turned its gaze to the distance.

What attracts these ordinary 'virtual' beings is not a soul, but the spiritual energy that dissipates, especially the spiritual energy generated by negative emotions.

You can feel these 'emptinesses'; that's where negative emotions are most prevalent.

Daming Mansion.

------

At this moment, not only in the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, and the Land of Hot Water, but also in the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, and other parts of the ninja world, 'Hollows' have appeared.

The wave stirred up by the 'Virtual World' began to sweep across the entire ninja world.

The culprit at this moment is standing in Konoha's research institute.

A cold, white light poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the entire research institute in a stark white light, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Hinata Kumokawa looked through the observation window at the 'Hollow' inside the laboratory, bound by countless sealing chains.

His face was solemn, but deep in his eyes, there was only a barely perceptible calm.

Besides Hyuga Kumokawa, who represents Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura are also here.

A middle-aged man in a white lab coat walked over. Shimura Danzo's gaze locked onto 'Hollow' and he asked in a deep voice, "How is the research progressing?"

The middle-aged man's face showed fatigue, but even more so surprise and composure.

"We have conducted 73 targeted experiments and 17 simulation data analyses to date."

He adjusted his glasses, took a thick report from his assistant, and calmly reported, "We can preliminarily confirm the following characteristics of this creature."

"First, there are the ordinary five elemental ninjutsu. As you saw before, when fire-style ninjutsu comes into contact with a 'hollow' body, its physical effects such as burning and high temperature are almost completely ineffective."

"The flames seem to pass through the shadows, unable to cause any real damage to the 'Hollow.' Only attacking the 'Hollow's' mask can cause any damage. The same applies to other ninjutsu."

"Why?" Xiaochun asked, frowning.

"Based on repeated physical penetration experiments and interference tests..."

The middle-aged man took out an image, which showed a 'blurred' body structure composed of two completely different colors.

"As you can see, the black part that makes up the main part of this creature called 'Void' is a highly condensed form of spiritual energy."

Danzo Shimura's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke, "So, the 'Hollow's' body is similar to an aggregate of spiritual energy, much like the Nara clan's shadow techniques?"

“Yes.” The middle-aged man nodded. “Their black bodies cannot touch or act on physical matter, nor can they cause them any harm…”

"Excuse me for interrupting," Hinata Kumokawa suddenly spoke up, "So, ninjutsu has absolutely no effect on him?"

The middle-aged man nodded, but quickly shook his head, explaining, "The chakra contained within ninjutsu can indeed cause damage."

"But this kind of damage is like throwing a stone into a basin of water. It may splash some water, but the remaining water will fill the gap. It can only consume, not kill."

"In fact, if the power of the Five Elements Ninjutsu is too weak, it's like throwing a stone at the sea. Their own energy intensity is enough to instantly smooth out that level of impact."

Upon hearing this, Koharu Utatane seemed to have thought of something and asked, "I noticed you kept talking about the five elemental ninjutsu. What about elemental ninjutsu, like a chakra scalpel?"

The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses and replied, "These kinds of attribute-less ninjutsu, which are purely composed of chakra and have not undergone nature transformation, cause much more damage to it."

"Therefore, we speculate that whether it is the Five Elements Ninjutsu or the non-elemental Ninjutsu, what can cause damage to it is essentially the spiritual energy of chakra."

"After undergoing nature transformation, the chakra of the Five Elements Ninjutsu is converted into fire, water, wind, etc., and most of the spiritual energy is lost. Therefore, the destructive power it causes is not as great as that of non-elemental ninjutsu."

Danzo Shimura frowned and asked, "If their black bodies aren't solid, then what about their skeletal structure?"

The middle-aged man replied, “Only their bony structure, including the limbs and most importantly the mask, exhibits material characteristics and has physical attributes.”

"It not only has realistic hardness and mass, can interact with the real world and cause physical damage, but can also be hit by physical attacks like real bones."

After saying that, he played a video recording of how long it took for the 'Void's' claws to be reassembled after they were severed.

"Based on our speculation, bone structures are formed by highly condensed spiritual energy. However, limbs are external objects, so damage to them is not a problem, but their masks are different."

The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "Once the mask is destroyed, it's like breaking a container that holds high-pressure gas; the spiritual energy that makes up the body will instantly collapse and dissipate."

"That's why they instinctively protect their masks."

"Their main attack methods include soul devouring, which forcibly strips off and absorbs the soul of the living, ignoring physical defenses and directly affecting the soul level."

"It is usually used after subduing the prey at close range, and may also be used on the dying. It poses a great threat to individual ninjas and must be avoided from being controlled at close range."

"The other type is claw attacks, which use huge bone claws or bones extending from the body to carry out physical attacks. This is its main melee attack method."

"The last type is a highly compressed energy beam, which is extremely powerful, has a long range, high speed, and wide coverage. It usually requires a short period of charging, but it is possible that a stronger 'virtual' could shorten the charging time or even be activated instantly, making it its main long-range strike method."

In other words, the combat logic between ordinary 'Hollows' and lower-level 'Great Hollows' is simple and straightforward.

Use Cero to deliver devastating blows from a distance, use Claws to physically suppress targets at close to medium range, and devour souls to replenish energy after subduing them.

The middle-aged man concluded, "Based on the experimental data, our recommended approach is to destroy the mask using non-elemental ninjutsu, or by adding chakra to taijutsu or weapons."

"This is currently the most efficient and thorough way to kill someone."

Upon hearing this, Danzo and the other two fell into a long silence, but Hyuga Kumokawa suddenly asked, "Then, how do we kill the 'Espada'?"

(End of this chapter)