Chapter 13: You Are Seeking Your Own Death
Thorn of Amegakure.
At first hearing, it sounded like an impressive title. However, titles in the ninja world weren't actually worth much.
At least Uehara Naraka knew that Sunagakure (Village Hidden by Sand) had a Genin who gave himself titles like "Red Sand Dust" and "Wind's Great Pill."
Their strength wasn't anything special, but the titles sounded quite intimidating.
The leading Ame (Rain) ninja before him wasn't purely bluffing, though. He was an official Jonin of Amegakure, named Hattori Hirakawa.
Hattori Hirakawa felt he had some strength, and his personality was a bit chuunibyou, so he gave himself the title "Thorn of Amegakure."
Uehara Naraka looked up at Hattori Hirakawa, his voice muffled by the gas mask, "Thorn of Amegakure, huh? Sounds like an impressive figure?"
"Hmph, good that you know!"
Hattori Hirakawa was still somewhat smug.
Uehara Naraka adjusted his gas mask and said seriously, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I was just joking... because the title 'Thorn of Amegakure' sounds like trash!"
"Bastard!"
Hearing the kid's disdain, the Ame captain's smugness instantly vanished. He fiercely drew his ninja sword and charged towards Uehara Naraka.
At the same time, he shouted to his subordinates without looking back, "Hey, I'll handle this kid! You guys go pursue the enemy who lured away the Salamander!"
"Yes, Captain Hattori!"
A group of Ame ninjas pushed off the ground, turning to chase in the direction Konan and the Salamander had moved.
"Lightning Release: Slicing Maelstrom!"
Uehara Naraka symbolically formed a hand seal, stretched his palm towards the sky, and a thundercloud storm gathered above his head.
As Uehara Naraka released chakra from his body to strengthen his ninjutsu, a circle of lightning rapidly radiated outwards from around him, and the area of the thundercloud storm grew larger and larger.
When the thundercloud storm covered the Ame ninjas, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, striking directly at Hattori Hirakawa!
Hattori Hirakawa instantly created a Water Clone to block the strike in his place, saying with lingering fear, "That kid released such a powerful Lightning Release ninjutsu with just one hand seal?"
If he hadn't created a Water Clone, he felt he couldn't have dodged that lightning strike at all. Even though the bolt looked incredibly thin, out of reverence for natural lightning, he didn't dare test it with his own body!
However, this was just the beginning.
As the thundercloud storm completely covered the area, lightning bolts struck down intermittently. Every Ame ninja couldn't determine if they were the target.
Some could only use Substitution Jutsu to dodge the lightning, others hid behind cover trying to redirect the strikes... but no one could be sure when this ninjutsu would end.
Who would the next bolt of lightning fall upon?
Uehara Naraka, however, was calculating internally: "Slicing Maelstrom base duration 3 seconds, strikes every 0.5 seconds, minimum cost 100 chakra. I used 1000 chakra now, range increased tenfold, duration increased tenfold. Within half a minute, sixty lightning bolts will fall on everyone's head..."
It wouldn't even take half a minute.
Moments later, the first ninja who couldn't hold on appeared. With lightning striking every 0.5 seconds, he finally couldn't resist anymore, was hit by a bolt descending from the sky, and was struck down to the ground!
Perhaps because that ninja was still alive, lightning continued to strike him repeatedly until he was completely turned into charred remains.
Then, the second, the third, the fourth... In just a few short seconds, half of the dozen or so Ame ninjas had already become casualties!
"The lightning strike interval is about 0.5 seconds!"
While desperately dodging the lightning strikes, Hattori Hirakawa loudly commanded, "Quick, everyone gather together! Cover me while I use an Earth Release defense jutsu!"
His idea wasn't wrong.
For any ninja, 0.5 seconds wasn't enough time to complete hand seals, not even one second was enough to form the seals for a defensive ninjutsu.
If everyone gathered, as long as someone could use Water Formation Wall to block one attack for everyone, they could then rotate using defensive ninjutsu!
Three Ame ninjas, knowing death was certain, chose to sacrifice themselves, one by one helping Hattori Hirakawa block the lightning, giving him time to complete his hand seals!
"Earth Release: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!"
Hattori Hirakawa shouted loudly. Rocks flew rapidly towards him, surrounding him and his remaining subordinates, forming a safe house made of rock.
Originally, this Earth Release ninjutsu was used to imprison enemies; now, it could only be used to protect himself and his teammates.
Four or five lightning bolts struck down!
Sparks flew from the rock house!
Rocks were shattered into pieces by the lightning!
Hattori Hirakawa hastily released his chakra, restoring the thickness of the rock house. His subordinates also swarmed forward, channeling their Earth-attribute chakra into the rock house.
However, this couldn't help them hold out for much longer.
Given the intensity of the lightning strikes, even if they had plenty of chakra left, they simply couldn't rely on the thickness of this stone house to block the lightning attacks!
It was bound to be breached sooner or later...
Hattori Hirakawa turned his head, looking at his subordinates with a sorrowful expression. Just moments ago, there were four complete ninja squads; now, only the five of them remained...
"Captain Hattori..."
"Captain Hattori..."
Pairs of eyes filled with trust looked towards Hattori Hirakawa. One of the Ame ninjas said in a low voice, "Captain Hattori, let us cover your escape!"
"We can't escape."
The man known as the Thorn of Amegakure shook his head and explained gravely, "I observed just now, every bolt of lightning comes from the thunderclouds above. If we want to survive this ninjutsu, there are only two ways..."
The first way, naturally, was to try by any means necessary to escape the coverage area of the thundercloud storm. This distance was at least several hundred meters, making it very difficult.
The second way was to charge forward with all their might and kill the boy releasing the ninjutsu. They were only tens of meters away from the boy.
The Ame ninjas had no time to waste.
Hattori Hirakawa quickly formulated his strategy and said rapidly, "We charge out and kill that kid!"
Just as his words fell, the entire safe house was completely demolished by lightning strikes!
Five Ame ninjas leaped out rapidly, charging towards Uehara Naraka. Each ninja continuously threw rocks of various sizes and used Substitution Jutsu to block the lightning attacks while shortening the distance to the enemy.
"Oh?"
Uehara Naraka looked in surprise at the charging Ame ninjas. Coming at him so angrily, did they want to kill him?
How tragic...
If they had just held on for one more second, the Slicing Maelstrom skill would have ended. If they had scattered and fled, there was a high chance they could have escaped alive.
However, they made the wrong choice.
The thundercloud storm in the sky gradually dissipated. Uehara Naraka condensed a puppet ball of chakra in his hand, his expression hidden behind the mask, and said in a muffled voice, "You are seeking your own death!"
(End of Chapter)