Konoha Notes

Chapter 36 First Eclipse (Part 1)

Shuji stood steadily on the undulating sea, chakra flowing beneath his feet as if he were attached to an invisible reef.

Opposite, the First Eclipse stood on the water, its dark breastplate gleaming coldly in the dim light.

With a flick of his wrist, Shuji released the scroll entrusted to him by Wasabi Jirocho, containing evidence of the Chazan Gang's crimes and a report to the daimyo, into his palm. Meeting Shou Shi's piercing gaze, his voice cut through the surging waves: "There are two copies. One is with the messenger, and the other is with me. You choose to attack the ship, and I will immediately depart for Naki Island to personally meet the daimyo in the capital; or..."

“We’ll handle this separately. I assure you, this ship won’t leave until we’ve settled things.”

Shoushi narrowed his eyes even more, a hoarse, metallic sneer rolling from his throat: "Konoha ninja, is my target? Interesting..." He tilted his head slightly, his neck bones emitting a series of teeth-grinding "clicks," like rusty gears being forced to turn.

"Alright, that will save me the trouble. As you wish."

The moment the last word was uttered, the First Eclipse moved. It didn't charge straight ahead, but instead lunged forward, and then a dark shadow tore through the surging waves between them!
It's his right arm!
The arm had strangely stretched several times its original length, its skin a bluish-gray hue, its five fingers curved like hooks, its nails black and sharp, carrying a pungent, sweet-smelling odor, as it tore through the air and went straight for Xiu Si's face!

It moved so fast that it left only a distorted afterimage in sight.

Shuji's pupils contracted slightly, and his chakra exploded instantly beneath his feet, propelling him diagonally across the water to the right. Sharp black claws grazed the fabric of his left shoulder, tearing a gash in his sturdy ninja vest with a "rip."

The first strike missed its mark, and his eyes remained unmoved. The outstretched arm, like a whip that had lost its support, suddenly halted in mid-air, defying all logic, before whipping back at an even more cunning angle, aiming straight for Xiu Si's back! At the same time, his body, which had been standing, used the force of the swinging arm to glide and approach like a ghost across water.

Shuji was suspended in mid-air, with nowhere to gain leverage. He took a deep breath, his core muscles suddenly engaging, forcefully twisting his body in mid-air. At the same time, his right hand flashed into his ninja tool pouch, three kunai held between his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, three cold beams of light were not aimed at the Eclipse's main body, but rather precisely at the joint of its strangely extended arm that was reaching for its back!
The kunai struck the opponent's bluish-gray arm, as if it had hit a tough, oily vine, leaving only a few shallow white marks before being easily deflected and falling into the sea. The arm's momentum was only momentarily halted before it came grabbing again, accompanied by a stench!

It's very hard...

Shuji's body landed on the water's surface, and he gathered chakra again to stabilize himself.

He immediately formed a hand seal.

Water Escape·Water Rush Wave!
A large expanse of seawater beneath their feet surged violently, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand, creating a turbid wall of waves several meters high. With tremendous force, it slammed into the approaching First Eclipse! The wall of waves was extremely large, instantly covering the First Eclipse's body and its strangely extended arm.

boom--!
The water burst open, spraying white foam. The figure of the First Eclipse was swallowed by the surging wall of water.

One of the rules of ninja combat is: if you don't see the enemy injured, assume they are uninjured and immediately prepare to dodge. Never stand still and watch! And don't be greedy for attacks!

While the repair crew was withdrawing.

"Gulu..."

A chilling, guttural sound, as if squeezed from the depths of a throat, rang out just above his nose. A dark shadow, like a venomous python lurking in the waves, pierced through the still-falling curtain of water and snapped down with lightning speed! It was the head of the Eclipse!
His neck stretched several meters as if it were an arm, and his entire head, like a meteor hammer detached from his torso, slammed into Xiu Si's face with a nauseating stench! The masked face was inches away, the only visible eye flashing a cruel and cold green light, and two rows of sharp, white teeth were clearly visible in his wide-open mouth, with a faint green viscous liquid seeping from between them.

Shuji's body, leaning back, was almost parallel to the sea surface. At the critical moment, he slammed his left hand into the water, using the recoil to slide backward several meters like a fish, skimming the waves. At the same time, he swung his kunai upward with his right hand.

puff!

The blade struck precisely on the side of the neck that was being bitten by the head! However, the sensation was extremely strange. It didn't feel like cutting into flesh and bone, but rather like cutting into a ball of incredibly resilient and slippery rubber. It was stuck after only cutting in an inch, and a huge resistance came from it.

The force of the blow to the head of the First Eclipse caused it to tilt, but its cold green eyes remained fixed on Xiu Si, and the stench from its breath grew stronger.

"hiss--!"

He let out a non-human hiss, twisted the neck of the kunai with a sudden twist, opened his sharp mouth, and bit at Shuji again at an unbelievable angle, with eerie green venomous saliva.

The kunai was firmly gripped by the opponent's twisting neck. Shuji did not force it, but gave up and used the momentum to retreat again to cast the spell.

Water Release·Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
The sea beneath their feet boiled violently, and a thick, solid, enormous water dragon took shape, roaring as it soared into the air. Its mouth opened wide, carrying a crushing, overwhelming power, as it viciously bit at the Eclipse's head, which had detached from its body and was hanging in mid-air, tearing and gnawing, as well as the body behind it!

Boom——! ! !
A deafening explosion echoed across the sea and sky. A massive column of water shot skyward, countless fragments of water spraying outwards like a torrential downpour. The violent force of the water surged and slammed a huge crater into the sea surface, where white foam and murky water churned wildly.

As the mist dissipated, the First Eclipse reappeared. He still stood on the sea, his position unchanged! His outstretched arm and elongated head, like a venomous snake returning to its nest, were slowly, with a chillingly supple resilience, retracting into their original positions, segment by segment.

At the neck, the flesh cut open by the kunai was rolled up, showing a strange bluish-purple color, but not a drop of blood flowed out. Only a little viscous, tar-like black liquid writhed at the edge of the wound and slowly healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His chest armor was covered with dense dents and white marks left by the high-speed erosion of the water.

First Eclipse raised a hand, casually wiping the healing wound on his neck, his fingertips catching the viscous black liquid. He looked down at it, then placed his fingertip to his lips and licked it with his scarlet tongue, the action carrying an inhuman, sinister quality. His eyes lifted, looking at Xiu Si again, the previous cold mockery gone, replaced by a pure and cruel light, as if sizing up new prey.

"Konoha's ninjutsu is nothing special. What will your blood taste like?" Kuchiki's voice held a twisted excitement. He leaned forward slightly, his arms hanging naturally, his fingers spread, the sharp black nails reflecting a chilling glint in the dim light. Every joint in his body seemed to emit a silent, poised "click."

The opponent before him possessed a body far more bizarre and resilient than anticipated; conventional water-style ninjutsu and taijutsu attacks were largely ineffective. His bluish-gray skin and modified internal bones were virtually immune to blunt force and cuts. His weakness, perhaps, was only…

Xiu Si's gaze swept over the dark breastplate on the other's chest, which remained sturdy despite the impact of the water dragon.

(End of this chapter)