Konoha Notes

Chapter 44 The Siege of Wasabi (Part Two)

The sharp clang of metal clashing rang out urgently in the blood-soaked courtyard, then abruptly ceased.

Hongdou gritted her teeth and took a half step back. A tingling numbness came from her arm that was tightly gripping the kunai, and her tiger's mouth was already throbbing with pain.

To protect Wasabi's family, she was forced into several head-on clashes, her short and light kunai proving utterly ineffective against the opponent's powerful and heavy katana. With each parry, the immense force transmitted through the blade made her arm tremble.

"A miscalculation..." Hongdou's heart sank. The number of enemies was far less than expected, but each one was terrifyingly powerful.

The guards from Wasabi's family, who were fighting desperately, not only failed to provide effective assistance, but instead became obstacles restricting her and Shizune's movement, and targets for the enemy to slaughter at will to disrupt their minds.

Jubei didn't intend to let the enemy figure out a countermeasure. Now that the ninja had appeared, there was no need for the other two to watch and hold back their moves.

"Water erosion".

The figure who had been standing silently to his right, shrouded in a wide oilcloth cloak, uncorked the gourd, and the huge brown gourd slung over his shoulder tilted slightly.

The gourd's mouth silently aimed at Red Bean, and behind her, at the area guarded by Wasabi's family who were struggling to retreat.

There were no hand seals, no shouts.

A viscous, jet-black liquid, exuding a strong, putrid stench, gushed out of the gourd's mouth as if it were alive.

The black water wasn't fast, but it carried a chilling sense of stagnation. As soon as it appeared, it rapidly spread through the air, transforming into a murky wave covering several meters, which descended upon Hongdou and the guards!

"Get out of the way!" Shizune's expression changed drastically, and she shouted a stern warning!

Red Bean's pupils contracted, she forcibly interrupted her ninjutsu, and used her toes to propel herself to the side!

However, the black water wave was too vast, and although its speed was not fast, its coverage was extremely strong! Even more terrifying was that it seemed to possess some kind of weak tracking ability, slightly adjusting its direction in the air, yet still enveloping the area where she was dodging! At the same time, more black water splashed onto the slow-moving guards who were supporting each other!

Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle—!
The black liquid landed and touched the scattered metal weapon fragments, producing a corrosive sound that made your teeth ache.

Refined iron melts quickly, turns black, and emits pungent white smoke, just like butter that has come into contact with a blazing fire!

One guard, unable to dodge in time, had a few drops of the splashing black water touch his calf, instantly corroding his sturdy leather boot! The moment the black water touched his flesh—

"Ah—!!!" A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air!
The guard's calf skin turned black and ulcerated at a visible speed!
Even more terrifying, deep within the festering wound, countless tiny, invisible creatures seemed to be writhing and burrowing frantically! They appeared to be greedily gnawing at the flesh and blood, and drilling deeper into the muscles, bones, and blood vessels! The guard writhed in agony, and the wound rapidly worsened and expanded!
The sight of red beans is enough to make your scalp tingle! Imagine getting this poured over your head...

"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

The intense flames instantly illuminated the blood-soaked courtyard!

A massive fireball, two meters in diameter, carrying an intensely hot aura that seemed capable of burning everything, struck with perfect precision the black water wave that was about to be poured over Hongdou and the guards!
Boom——! ! !
The flames and the black liquid collided violently! The extreme heat instantly evaporated and carbonized a large amount of liquid, creating a deafening sizzling explosion!
Thick, scalding white steam, thick and thick, mixed with a pungent, acrid smell and a putrid stench, spread rapidly in all directions like the shockwave of an explosion!

It instantly engulfed Red Bean, the nearby guards, and Shizune and Wasabi Jirocho not far away!
The thick fog obscured everything, and the courtyard was a complete blur!
Another one! The beast guard narrowed his eyes slightly and saw a thin figure land in the mist, which confirmed the identity of the tea mountain gang leader.

If it was that brat, then what was left at the Sea Breeze Pavilion? And who blocked the First Eclipse?

As soon as Itachi landed, his hands once again became afterimages.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Claw Crimson!" A dozen shuriken enveloped in blazing flames, like dazzling yet deadly crimson meteors, pierced through the thick fog and shot towards Jubei, Mizushiki, and Kuroshiki.

The goal is not to harm the enemy, but to disrupt and suppress them!

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat to the inner quarters! Quickly!" Jirocho's hoarse yet incredibly clear roar echoed through the thick fog, carrying an unquestionable resolve.

He held a long sword. Although he was not a ninja, his rich experience allowed him to instantly perceive this fleeting opportunity for life!

This white mist is currently the only barrier.

The surviving guards, as if waking from a dream, suppressed their pain and deep-seated fear, and stumbled and staggered towards the inner courtyard, their footsteps sounding chaotic and frantic in the mist.

However, he wasn't the only one who judged the situation on the field.

"Hmph! Trying to leave?" Jubei sneered, easily deflecting the incoming flaming shuriken with his sword, his gaze piercing through the mist like a hawk, locking onto the retreating crowd.

"Corpse Erosion! Stop them!"

On the left, the man whose left arm was wrapped in blood-soaked bandages and whose eyes were as indifferent as a dead object—Hai Shi—raised his eerie left arm upon hearing the sound.

He waved his hand to deflect the phlox fire aimed at him, and beneath the bandages, his bone-white hand twitched slightly.

Crack——!
A chilling sound of bones breaking rang out! A piece of hand bone, about a foot long, pale white with an eerie bluish-gray sheen, and with wisps of cold mist swirling around its edges, was forcibly "pulled" out from under the bandages of his left forearm!

He gripped the bone knife in his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the bone knife transformed into a pale white streak of light, silent yet faster than lightning, shooting straight towards the densest part of the retreating crowd in the thick fog!

At the edge of the dense fog, Itachi did not hesitate at all and accurately shot out two kunai with explosive tags attached. The target was not the bone sword itself, but the stone slab in front of it!

boom! boom!
Two violent explosions rang out almost simultaneously! Sparks and debris flew everywhere, and the violent shockwaves instantly disrupted the trajectory of the bone knife, creating a smoke-filled isolation zone between the eroded remains and the retreating crowd!
Under the cover of the flash and smoke from the explosion, Itachi's figure, like a gentle breeze merging into the mist, swept past Anko, Shizune, and Jirocho at an incredible speed.

Three cool, moist little things, exuding a gentle life force, were precisely placed into their hands or patted on their shoulders or under their clothes.

"Lord Slug!" Shizune instantly sensed that familiar, vast, and warm chakra flow, and her heart relaxed. Without hesitation, she pressed the little slug against her body. The warm current instantly surged through her limbs and bones, greatly relieving the fatigue and tension from the continuous battle.

Hongdou felt a weight on her shoulder as a gentle yet incredibly powerful force surged into her body, instantly easing the soreness and numbness in her arm and the pain in her internal organs from the earlier shock.

She glanced down at the small, white figure, a flicker of surprise in her eyes that quickly transformed into a deeper fighting spirit.

Jirocho also felt a warm current flow into his body, which invigorated him.

"Mr. Jirocho, please leave immediately as well!" Itachi's cold and urgent voice pierced through the aftershocks of the explosion and clearly reached Jirocho's ears.

Wasabi nodded emphatically without the slightest hesitation. Staying here would not only be of no benefit, but would be a burden.

"I entrust this to you all!" he roared, and using the smoke and lingering mist, he turned and joined the retreating guards, rushing towards the inner courtyard.

Red Bean shook her arm, which had regained some strength, and felt the warm support from the slug on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, and her burning gaze once again locked onto the tall figure holding a sword in the thick fog—Jubei.

(End of this chapter)