NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56: Attack
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A random Village was a desolate, overgrown ruin, swallowed by nature. Weeds sprouted from every crack in the crumbling buildings, and silence reigned where there was once vibrant life.
Natsume stood at the edge of the village, his gaze heavy with sorrow. "The ninja world is truly ruthless," he murmured, the weight of his words cutting through the stillness.
Beside him, Terumi Mei blinked, surprised by his sudden statement. Yet, she found herself silently agreeing.
"Uzushiogakure suffered a similar fate," Natsume continued, bitterness creeping into his tone. "Feared for their sealing techniques, especially after Senju Hashirama's death. The nations destroyed them out of paranoia, not necessity."
Terumi Mei's expression darkened. Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, had brought order to the chaotic ninja world, establishing the system of one country, one village. He had even distributed the tailed beasts to other nations, naively hoping they would act as deterrents against war.
"His ideals died with him," Natsume said grimly. "The peace he forged didn't come from understanding—it came from fear. And fear always fades."
"Peace in this world..." Terumi Mei sighed, her emerald eyes hardening. "...is too fragile, too fleeting."
Natsume turned his gaze to the distant sea, his thoughts shifting to the Land of Whirlpools. "Who governs the Land of Whirlpools now?"
"There's a daimyo," Terumi Mei replied, her tone clipped, "but he's little more than a figurehead. Since the fall of Uzushiogakure, the country has become a haven for rogues and criminals. It's a lawless land."
Natsume frowned. The Land of Whirlpools held strategic value, with its treacherous waters and natural defenses. Yet, it was overlooked by the Five Great Nations. Perhaps it could be reclaimed...
His thoughts were interrupted when Terumi Mei suddenly stiffened. Her sharp eyes locked on the horizon. "We've got company," she said, her voice low and urgent.
Natsume followed her gaze. Dark figures moved across the sea, their chakra signatures unmistakably hostile.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Terumi Mei's voice rang out as she wove a series of hand seals with practiced precision.
A colossal dragon formed from the surrounding water, surging toward the approaching shinobi. Its roar echoed across the ruins, sweeping several enemies into the depths. Screams punctuated the chaos, but more attackers emerged, unleashing a barrage of kunai and shuriken.
Terumi Mei's eyes narrowed as she recognized some of them. "Kirigakure shinobi..." she muttered, her heart sinking.
Quickly forming another set of seals, she summoned a towering wall of water. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
The barrier absorbed the storm of ninja tools, but her reprieve was short-lived. Two earthen dragons erupted from the ground, launching mud bombs that shattered the wall. The attackers were skilled, avoiding techniques like the Hidden Mist Jutsu that would obscure their own vision.
"Let's move!" Terumi Mei yelled, her urgency cutting through the fray.
Before Natsume could respond, she unleashed a stream of corrosive liquid. "Lava Release: Acidic Mud Jutsu!"
The acid splashed across the battlefield, melting through enemy ranks. Agonized screams filled the air as the survivors hesitated, fear gripping their hearts.
But then, a figure landed in front of them, his presence commanding attention.
"Hideyoshi," Terumi Mei spat, her voice laced with venom.
The man sneered. "You know why I'm here, Terumi. The Mizukage's orders are clear."
Pain flickered across her face. Though she had suspected betrayal, hearing it confirmed was a bitter blow. "I was loyal to Kirigakure," she said through gritted teeth. "Loyal to the Mizukage."
"Loyalty?" Hideyoshi mocked. "You always dreamed of a future where Kirigakure wasn't soaked in blood. That's why you must die."
Chakra flared as Terumi Mei pulled Natsume back, narrowly avoiding a surge of water and lightning chakra that fused into a devastating wave of destruction.
"Hold on!" she shouted, throwing Natsume into the air with a burst of chakra, ensuring his safety.
As the wave bore down on her, Terumi Mei inhaled sharply. "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Jutsu!"
A superheated mist erupted from her, vaporizing the incoming attack and scorching the ground. The attackers faltered, awestruck by the raw power of her Kekkei Genkai.
"She's running out of chakra!" Hideyoshi barked, trying to rally the remaining shinobi. His hands trembled, betraying his fear.
Surrounded and low on chakra, Terumi Mei stood her ground, her determination unshaken. If this is my end, I'll go down fighting.
From his vantage point, Natsume watched the battle unfold. His mind raced. If I don't intervene, she'll die... and so will the potential to alter this fate.
He clenched his fists, formulating a plan. I can't reveal my full identity just yet. I need an alias.
A name came to him, one that felt fitting. "Destiny," he murmured.
With a determined smirk, he prepared to step onto the battlefield. It was time to tip the scales.
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Natsume entered Sage Mode with remarkable speed, the telltale markings spreading around his eyes and forehead. However, these markings remained obscured beneath the mask he wore.
Each of the three great holy lands—Mount Myōboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryūchi Cave—boasts a unique version of Sage Mode, each with its own strengths and limitations. Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode grants the shortest duration, lasting up to five minutes without a toad's assistance. Shikkotsu Forest offers the quickest activation, allowing the user to enter Sage Mode almost instantaneously. Ryūchi Cave, on the other hand, excels in enhancing perception and flexibility.
The benefits of each vary: Mount Myōboku enhances chakra reserves and physical strength, Shikkotsu Forest boosts recovery and endurance, and Ryūchi Cave sharpens sensory perception. Despite these differences, all Sage Modes share a common trait—the ability to amplify ninjutsu with senjutsu chakra, significantly increasing its potency.
Natsume had learned his Sage Mode from the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, following in the footsteps of Senju Hashirama, whose immense strength had reshaped Sage Mode into something unique. Today, however, Natsume chose not to rely on Wood Release. The water-rich battlefield was the perfect stage for his enhanced Water Release techniques.
"Sage Art: Water Release—Water Formation Wall!" Natsume called out.
The surrounding seawater surged, forming an immense, chakra-infused wall of water that towered before Terumi Mei, shielding her from the onslaught of enemy attacks. Ninja tools and jutsu collided with the barrier but failed to penetrate it.
Terumi Mei's eyes widened in astonishment. Relief flickered across her pale face as she realized this wasn't her doing. Reinforcements had arrived—but from whom? Her immediate suspicion turned to the Elder faction within Kirigakure, who might have sent help to protect her.
Opposite her, Hideyoshi, the rebel leader, misjudged the situation. Believing the water wall to be Terumi Mei's creation, he barked an order. "Use Earth Release! Bring it down!"
Three Earth Dragon Bullets erupted from the ground, their mud-covered heads launching projectiles at the water barrier. Terumi Mei, drained from the battle, grimaced, knowing she couldn't withstand this assault much longer. She began forming hand seals in a desperate bid to reinforce her defenses.
But to her shock, the water wall held firm, absorbing the impact with ease.
"This isn't normal ninjutsu," she thought, her mind racing. "It's senjutsu-enhanced. Who could—?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by the roar of a massive water dragon. The sound sent a chill through Hideyoshi's forces. Realizing this wasn't Terumi Mei's work, Hideyoshi finally shouted, "We're not alone! Be on guard!"
The Water Dragon Bullet Natsume had summoned surged forward, meeting Hideyoshi's counter-dragon head-on. The rebel's technique crumbled instantly, unable to match the sheer power of Natsume's senjutsu-infused attack. The remaining water dragon crashed down with overwhelming force, scattering waves and debris across the battlefield. A third of Hideyoshi's forces were incapacitated in an instant, their screams drowned by the chaos.
"Wh-what kind of Water Dragon is this?!" Hideyoshi stammered, his face pale. "This isn't possible!"
The battlefield fell into chaos as Hideyoshi's forces began to retreat. From the sea, towering waves loomed, boiling with senjutsu chakra as though some monstrous entity were about to rise. The sight broke what little morale remained.
"Retreat!" Hideyoshi ordered, his voice trembling as he fled with the remnants of his forces.
Terumi Mei stood frozen in disbelief. Though the water wall had shielded her, the sheer scale of the battle left her drained. Just as she prepared to make her own escape, a shadow appeared before her.
"You…?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
To her surprise, it was Takashi—the enigmatic man she had once encountered in less dire circumstances.
"Don't resist," Natsume said evenly, lifting her into a princess carry with ease.
Before Terumi Mei could protest, he disappeared into the mist. Moments later, the colossal waves behind them crashed down, swallowing the battlefield and wiping away all traces of the skirmish.
Terumi Mei's heart raced as she lay in his arms. She was a renowned kunoichi, known for her strength and resolve. Yet now, she felt an unfamiliar sense of vulnerability—and security. Her face flushed slightly, though exhaustion soon overtook her, and her consciousness faded.
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Natsume didn't return to Kirigakure immediately. Instead, he carried Terumi Mei to a small inn in a nearby town. He gently laid her on a bed and checked her over, confirming she suffered only from chakra exhaustion and minor injuries.
"She'll recover soon enough," he thought with relief.
He absentmindedly adjusted her disheveled hair, parting it to reveal the eye usually hidden beneath her bangs. Styling her hair into soft waves, he chuckled to himself.
"She's going to kill me for this," he muttered, leaning back in the chair by her bedside. "But I'll just say the battle messed up her hair."
Content with his handiwork, he settled in, waiting for her to awaken.
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