Chapter 27: Job - 3
~ Hayatou's Pov ~
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Now, should I even remove my weights for this? I didn't want to get too cocky, even though I was carrying around 100 tons. No, these weights needed to be increased further, though Might Guy had insisted these were already at the shinobi limit. Regardless, mastering fuuinjutsu would have to be my next assignment...
Which would require obtaining Shikaku's or Shikamaru's DNA—even a single strand of hair would suffice at the moment. I'd likely need every ounce of genius I could take before delving into the complexities of something like fuuinjutsu. Most shinobi merely scratched the surface of it, never exploring really its deeper aspects.
But, from what I'd gathered, its advanced forms were essentially intricate coding systems tailored for the shinobi world. At least the higher-level variants were...
Alright, I'll have to speed this mission up, 'Change of plans. I'm handling this one solo.'
I quickly dropped from the trees, landing in plain sight where all twenty-one could see me clearly.
Assessing the gathering with a casual sweep of my eyes, I counted my opposition—twenty rank-and-file operatives flanked by two jonin leaders. Their stances—too rigid, too confident—betrayed their misplaced faith in superior numbers... A fatal miscalculation they would soon come to regret.
"How the?" He questioned himself, "You're trespassing on protected territory, kid," the lead jonin called out, his voice carrying that sense of unearned authority, "Surrender now. I'd prefer to take ya' without much of a hassle..."
I loosened my arms with a casual shake, my weights shifting almost imperceptibly beneath my clothes. "You know what... I don't think I will."
He visibly scoffed, "What are you all waiting for? Grab em'."
They all moved as one, a coordinated attack that might have troubled someone else. The first three came from my left, kunai drawn. Their movements seemed sluggish to my eyes, as if they were wading through water while I existed in normal time...
To be honest, it was like that. It's not far-fetched to say that I was under a completely different level of perception.
I sidestepped the first attacker's lunge with minimal effort, grabbing his wrist and applying just enough pressure to feel the bones creak. He screamed as I twisted, using his momentum to throw him into his companions. I heard the satisfying crack of colliding bodies and the dull thud as they crumpled to the forest floor.
"Three down."
From behind, I sensed rather than heard the approach of another ninja. I didn't bother turning around, I instinctively extended my leg in a backward sweep that connected with his knee. The joint bent in the wrong direction with a sickening pop, and his scream split the air as he collapsed.
The remaining ninja hesitated, looks like their their earlier confidence evaporating as they witnessed how effortlessly I disabled their comrade. Good.
I stopped for a bit, "Perhaps you should all reconsider your next moves.." I suggested, but their jonin leader signaled, and they attacked in unison. I didn't mind that, at least it can be said I gave them the chance to surrender.
Five more approached from my right, somewhat attempting to coordinate their strikes. I stepped into their formation rather than away, easily disrupting their rhythm. My elbow connected with the first ninja's sternum, driving the air from his lungs in a pained "Hnngh!" before he dropped.
I grabbed another by his throat, squeezing just enough to restrict blood flow before tossing him into two others. The fifth managed to graze my shoulder with his blade before I spun, catching his arm and snapping it at the elbow. His agonized scream echoed through the trees...
"Eight." I counted, breathing evenly as though taking a casual stroll.
The jonin barked orders, and the remaining fighters circled me more cautiously. Three attempted a jutsu in unison, their hands forming seals rapidly. I was upon them before they could complete it, my fist connecting with the center ninja's solar plexus. He doubled over with a guttural "Guh-Gaah!"
The other two lost their concentration; one received my knee to his chin, teeth cracking audibly as his head snapped back. The third backed away, only to find me suddenly behind him, striking a precise point on his neck that sent him into unconsciousness.
"Eleven..." I noted.
The remaining ninjas attacked in waves now, desperation evident in their movements. I weaved between them, each strike deliberate and measured. A palm strike to a kidney here, causing a strangled "Arrgh!" A sweep of the legs there, followed by an elbow to the temple as they fell.
Two attempted to flank me; I instantly caught one's punch and used his momentum to throw him into his partner, hearing the crack of skulls colliding from the distance.
"Fifteen..." I continued counting, not even breathing hard.
One of the jonin—there were apparently two—rushed forward with rather impressive levels of speed, drawing a katana in a fluid motion, "DIE!!!" He shouted, slashing at my midsection with precision that would have cleaved a normal opponent...
Clannnnnggg~
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I feel the blade connecting with my abdomen and then instantly shattering like glass, I could see all 34 fragments and hundreds of particles of the metal scattering across the air, reflecting the night sky before hitting the forest floor. I could even see the jonin's eyes widened in disbelief...
'Hmm?' Even I was a bit surprised about this; Usually, I would have already dodged something like this yesterday; Yet, I... didn't? Were my instincts going haywire or something? Either way, that's for another time.
I turned slowly toward him, sighing as I took a glance down at my unmarked skin where the sword had broken, I'll also need to work on stronger clothing... Still, a full powered swing? I'm guessing my toughness isn't exactly conventional, in fact, 'I didn't even feel that.' I thought, somewhat disappointed by the lack of challenge...
I stared in his eyes, "You'll need something considerably stronger than steel, with a lot more force behind it to even dream of piercing my skin."
Of course, his momentary shock cost him that bit of time he could have taken to dodge. My palm connected with his chest, the force behind it just enough to collapse his lungs without bursting them both and breaking past the skin.
He dropped to his knees, gasping desperately for air that wouldn't come, before slumping to the ground.
"Sixteen." I counted.
The five remaining regular ninjas looked at each other, then at their fallen comrades, terror evident in their eyes... They attacked together in a last desperate gambit. I dispatched them with mechanical efficiency—a throat strike here, a precise hit to the temple there, breaking limbs with just enough force to incapacitate without killing, yet.
Their pained cries—"Gahh!" "Arrgh!" "Hnnngh!"—formed a chorus that quickly faded to moans and whimpers...
"Twenty-one..." I concluded, surveying the battlefield of broken bodies. Not one had presented even a moderate level of challenge.
Only what seemed to be the lead jonin remained, standing his ground despite the fear evident in his eyes. To his credit, he hadn't fled like a sensible person would have.
I approached him slowly, deliberately. "You've seen what happened to your team. You understand the difference between us."
He swallowed hard but maintained his defensive stance, "Who-Who are you!? Wha! What even are you!!"
I stopped just out of his reach, studying him with mild curiosity. "That's what I wanted to ask you, actually. Why are you here? Who sent you?"
The jonin's eyes darted to his fallen comrades, then back to me. I could see the weight of the thoughts in his expression; Perhaps weighing his duty against his survival? It's probably the case that he'll de if he exposes the information and is found, and he'll still die if he doesn't expose that information to me...
I sighed, looking at him "We have time..." I said calmly. "And..." I looked behind myself, "Your friends aren't going anywhere. Now, let's talk."
Fwish~
Fwish~
I felt the leaves rustle behind me, knowing without turning that Shikaku and Kakashi had arrived, no doubt wondering about my departure from our agreed strategy... Their silence only confirmed my suspicion, but I kept my focus on the jonin before me...
"I-I can't tell you anything!" the jonin stammered, his voice cracking with fear despite his attempt at defiance. His eyes kept darting between me and his fallen comrades, all twenty of them scattered across the forest clearing like broken dolls. Some moaned softly in pain; others lay ominously still.
I took a step closer, watching as he flinched back instinctively...
"They'll kill me if I talk..." he whispered, his shoulders slumping slightly. A bead of sweat traced a path down his temple...
I knelt down, my eyes meeting his, "Let me be perfectly clear about your situation." My voice dropped so only he could hear, "I could sever specific pathways in your nervous system right now. You would remain fully conscious, your mind completely intact, able to see, hear, and feel... but unable to move a single muscle or utter a single word for the rest of your natural life."
I could see his pupils dilating, the sound of his heart speeding up, the perspiration... It's working well then.
"Now, imagine that existence. Decades of lying motionless, being fed through tubes, unable to communicate even the simplest need. Your mind screaming in a prison of flesh that won't respond. No one would suspect it wasn't a standard paralysis. The perfect living hell."
I leaned even closer, my breath against his ear. "And make no mistake—my comrades, and I need the information you have... These ninjas you have here are our only lead to a much larger operation... So consider it carefully: a quick death from your masters, or an eternity of silent suffering from me."
I pulled back to look into his eyes, watching the calculation there, the weighing of terrible options.
"Now, I'll ask again." I said, my finger lightly pressing against a nerve point on his neck, just enough for him to feel the precision of my knowledge, "Who sent you, and what is this operation you've all got?"
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END