Chapter 243: Chapter 243

While Kurenai and the others fought outside, Kitazawa activated his Byakugan.

His vision expanded in every direction—but there was no sign of the Hidden Mist supply ships yet.

’Good. There’s still time.’

“You all did well.”

Deactivating his Byakugan, Kitazawa stepped into the outpost.

Three of the four Mist-nin lay dead. The only survivor—a Special Jōnin—was barely clinging to life, his chest crushed by a Rasengan.

“Transform”

Kitazawa extended his hand. Chakra flowed over the man’s fading body, wrapping it in a shimmering layer. A torrent of memories and sensations surged into Kitazawa’s mind. His features shifted—skin tone, build, expression—until he looked identical to the middle-aged Mist-nin.

“You… you…”

The man’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening, but before he could speak again, Kitazawa wordlessly drove a kunai through his heart.

Pulling it free, he wiped the blade clean and crouched. His palms pressed to the ground.

The soil cracked open, collapsing into a deep pit.

“You three—transform into the other corpses,” Kitazawa ordered calmly, tossing the bodies of the four Mist-nin into the pit.

“Torune, no need to disguise yourself,” he added, glancing over his shoulder. “Hide in the shadows and prepare to provide support with your insects.”

Torune nodded. “Understood.”

His role was clear—unseen but lethal.

Kabuto, Izumi, and Kurenai performed the Transformation jutsu one after another, each adopting the form of a Mist-nin.

Kitazawa dusted off his hands. “Good. Now, we wait for our guests. Have some tea while we can.”

Kurenai gave him a disbelieving look as she sat across from him. “You’re the first man I’ve met who can relax this much during an infiltration mission.”

Kabuto smirked. “That’s Kitazawa-sensei for you. Even behind enemy lines, he’s calm enough to host a tea ceremony.”

“See?” Kurenai folded her arms, chin resting lightly on her wrist. “You teach your students to flatter you now?”

Kitazawa blinked innocently. “Of course not.”

Before she could retort, Torune’s voice came from the shadows. “Two ships approaching from the east.”

Kitazawa rose, retrieving a handful of explosive tags and planting them in several inconspicuous corners of the outpost. “Number of enemies?”

“Three Jōnin, nine Chūnin, four Genin,” Torune reported.

Kurenai frowned. “That many Jōnin?”

Kitazawa nodded thoughtfully. “Kabuto, you’re with me on the Jōnin. Kurenai, Torune, Izumi—handle the rest.”

“Yes, captain.”

“Torune, take position and stay hidden,” Kitazawa said, activating the final tag. “We’ll greet our guests.”

Just then—

[You have encountered Ameyuri Ringo, who has come for you.]

[Mission: Protect the Lightning Blades – Kiba.]

[Reward: +20% Chakra Capacity.]

[Accept mission?]

Kitazawa blinked. “…Oh?”

A grin tugged at his lips.

So, that’s why she’s coming.

Ameyuri Ringo—the prodigy of the Mist, one of the Second Generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen, inheritor of Kurosuki Raiga’s twin Lightning Blades: Kiba.

If the system’s prompt was right, she wasn’t just here for battle. She was here to reclaim Kiba—which meant he was her target.

Kitazawa’s eyes narrowed in amusement. “A dangerous woman chasing her swords… and I’m the prize?”

His fingers brushed the hilt at his side. “Well then… even Jesus couldn’t save her now.”

The team left the outpost, moving toward the mist-shrouded shore.

Moments later, two large ships loomed from the fog.

“Did you inform them ahead of time?”

A young woman stood at the bow, reddish-brown hair tied into long braids, sharp teeth glinting as she spoke—the unmistakable Ameyuri Ringo.

“No, Lady Ringo,” said the middle-aged Jōnin beside her. “They must’ve spotted us first and came to greet us.”

Another woman smirked. “Relax. This is our main base in the rear. There’s no way Konoha-nin would dare sneak in.”

Ringo nodded slightly. “Fine. Dock and rest for two hours.”

The ships came to a halt, anchors splashing into the waves. Ringo and her team leapt down onto the sand.

“Lady Ringo.”

Kitazawa stepped forward, bowing slightly as he greeted her and the other two Jōnin. His voice was calm, his disguise flawless.

“We’ve already prepared lunch at the outpost,” he said smoothly, gesturing ahead. “Please, this way.”

Ringo nodded, relaxed. “Everyone else, eat here,” she ordered before following Kitazawa and the other two Jōnin toward the outpost.

When they reached the entrance, Kitazawa stopped and bowed again. “After you, Lady Ringo.”

Unaware of the chakra traps hidden within the walls, Ameyuri stepped forward—straight into the calm smile of the man who had already decided her fate.

“Why do I smell something strange?”

The middle-aged jonin’s brows furrowed suddenly.

“Scent?”

Ameyuri took a deep breath—her expression shifted in an instant. “It’s explosive tags!”

The words had barely left her mouth when—

BOOM!!!

The entire outpost detonated like a volcano erupting from beneath the earth. Fire burst outward in waves, swallowing the walls, the roof, and everything inside.

“Move—now!”

Ameyuri vanished with a flicker of motion, leaving only a ghostly blur behind.

The middle-aged jonin reacted quickly as well, forming hand signs. “Water Release: Pressure Jet!” He spat a surge of high-pressure water, dousing the spreading flames.

But the young woman standing nearest the tags wasn’t so lucky.

The explosion caught her full on. She was hurled through the air, screaming, the left half of her body blackened and smoking.

“AAAAHHH!”

Her agonized cries echoed as she writhed on the ground, clutching her shoulder.

The sound of the explosion had already drawn the other Hidden Mist shinobi. Abandoning their meal preparations, they raced toward the outpost.

“Attack!”

Kabuto’s sharp voice cut through the chaos.

“Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!“

Izumi inhaled deeply, her Sharingan gleaming. A torrent of crimson flame roared from her mouth, forming a blazing wall that devoured everything in its path.

The charging Mist-nin froze mid-step, faces lit by the reflection of fire.

“Super Strength!”

Kurenai blurred forward. Her fist collided with the nearest Mist-nin’s guard—

CRACK!

His shinbone shattered audibly. The man’s scream trailed behind him as he was sent flying.

“Secret Technique: Poison Dust!”

From the shadows, Torune clapped his hands together. Swarms of his insects scattered unseen through the smoke, weaving through the sea of flames like invisible death.

The ambush erupted into full-scale battle.

“I want an explanation!”

Ameyuri’s face darkened, lightning flickering faintly along her blade.

She and the other jonin closed in, one on each side of Kitazawa.

Kabuto stepped forward defensively, kunai raised.

“Explanation?” Kitazawa’s voice was calm, even amused. Chakra shimmered around him as the disguise dissolved, revealing his true face.

“Because,” he said lightly, “we’re from Konoha.”

Ameyuri’s eyes narrowed. Recognition flashed.

“…You’re Kitazawa.”

“Oh?” He tilted his head. “You know me?”

She sneered. “Your face has been circulating all over the Mist these past two days.”

After Kitazawa’s devastating raid on the Mist outpost, surviving shinobi had drawn his likeness. Under Ao’s direction, his profile was posted across every division.

It was standard practice among the Great Nations—just as Konoha had done with Kisame.

“Hand over the Lightning Blades, and I’ll make your death quick.”

Ameyuri’s sharp teeth flashed in the firelight.

“Don’t underestimate him,” warned the older ninja. “He’s the one who killed Raiga.”

“Hmph.” Ringo scoffed, twirling her sword. “If I’d been a few years older, Kiba would’ve been mine already.”

Kitazawa’s lips curved faintly. “Arrogance… a trademark flaw of geniuses.”

He drew his weapon. The Kiba hummed in his hand, arcs of blue-white electricity sparking across the steel.

“This,” he said coldly, “is the reforged Kiba. If you want it—come take it.”

Ringo’s grin widened. “Gladly!”

In a blink, she vanished, lightning trailing in her wake.

Her blade flashed toward his throat—

But Kitazawa was already gone.

“Uchiha Style: Gale Sword!“

He reappeared behind her, slashing down. The Kiba’s edge vibrated violently, releasing a burst of fiery chakra that ripped through the air like a storm of molten blades.

“—!”

Ringo’s instincts screamed. Lightning flared along her sword as she spun, countering with a lightning-fast slash.

BOOM!

Flame and thunder clashed midair, the shockwave tearing through the clearing.

Kitazawa pressed forward, his strength forcing her back. Each step she took left deep craters in the ground.

She gritted her teeth. ’He didn’t kill Raiga by luck… he’s the real deal.’

Her grip tightened. “Fine. Let’s see how you handle this!”

Lightning crackled wildly along her sword, extending into three jagged spears that shot forward like lightning bolts.

“Heavenly foot of Pain!”

Kitazawa stomped the ground—

The earth split open beneath him, a violent tremor shattering the ground and sending debris flying.

Ringo’s heart clenched as she leapt back, narrowly avoiding being buried alive.

Kitazawa’s body dispersed into leaves, reappearing above her midair.

“Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!“

Thunder roared. A blinding bolt descended from the heavens straight toward her.

“You bastard!” Ringo snarled, lightning flaring around her body. “You dare use my own blade’s element against me?!”

“Lightning Release: Burst Lightning!“

She slammed her palms together and leapt upward. Lightning coated her body and blade until she became a living thunderbolt, thrusting straight at him.

“Chidori!“

Kitazawa’s left hand burst into a shrieking blue current, the cry of a thousand birds echoing through the smoke.

The two collided midair.

CRASH!!!

The explosion of lightning lit up the coastline.

Ringo’s sword trembled violently in her hands. Her right arm went numb from the shock. The next instant, the sheer force of Kitazawa’s Chidori sent her crashing back to the ground, carving a crater beneath her feet.

Panting, she looked up, eyes wide.

“Was that… Chidori?”

Her disbelief twisted into a scowl.

The Mist’s intelligence had been wrong. Completely wrong.

They said Kitazawa specialized in Water Release—but his Lightning Release… was just as powerful as hers.

Maybe stronger.

And worse—he had mastered the jutsu of Konoha’s “Copy Ninja,” Kakashi Hatake.

Ameyuri drew in a deep breath.

Her pride would not allow her to retreat now.

And judging from their earlier exchange, victory was still within her grasp.

“Lightning sword: Falling Lightning!”

She plunged her twin blades into the earth, channeling a surge of Lightning Release chakra downward.

In an instant, crackling arcs of electricity erupted from the ground, spreading outward like a storm centered around her—swallowing Kitazawa whole.

“Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!”

Before the lightning pillars reached him, Kitazawa flickered forward, his form blurring as he rushed straight toward Ringo. The blade in his hand glowed red-hot, wrapped in a thin, dancing layer of flame.

“Kiba: Flash!”

Ameyuri Ringo sprang into the air, narrowly evading the flaming arc. Her twin blades gleamed with blinding speed as she lunged forward in a flash of light.

Kitazawa tried to counter, but she was faster.

For a split second, Ringo thought her strike had landed—until Zangetsu flew into Kitazawa’s left hand.

Steel met steel.

Her blade was blocked.

Ringo’s eyes narrowed, and she instantly leapt back, hands flying through seals.

“Lightning Release: Burst Lightning!”

Crackling energy exploded from her body, forming a jagged armor of pure electricity.

Kitazawa merely exhaled and flicked his wrist.

The Lightning Blade in his right hand roared to life, bursting with arcs of energy.

The two clashed.

Clang!

Lightning shrieked as their blades met, the blinding flashes searing the air. Kitazawa’s overwhelming strength drove her back, boots digging trenches into the ground.

Then—

Zangetsu began to hum violently, vibrating at an incredible frequency as he swung downward.

With a sharp crack, Ringo’s Ninja Blade split clean in two.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Wh–what—”

Before the words left her lips, Zangetsu’s edge traced a crimson line across her neck.

Her head fell silently to the ground.

The lightning chakra infusion had amplified Zangetsu’s cutting and piercing power to a terrifying degree. Forged from chakra metal, it was nearly indestructible.

Ringo’s blade—merely a replica of the Kiba swords—was no match.

She had never imagined her own weapon would betray her.

“Ameyuri?!”

The Mist Jonin froze at the sight, horror etched across his face.

“Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!”

Kabuto didn’t hesitate. He spat out a spinning mass of compressed air that howled through the clearing.

The Jonin barely managed to flicker aside, his robes and hair whipping in the gale.

Kabuto was already there to meet him.

“Get lost!” the man roared, panic in his voice.

Ameyuri was dead. The young kunoichi lay maimed. Only he remained—and he knew Kitazawa would not let him escape alive.

“Water Release: Water Fang Blade!”

A spiraling torrent of water shot from his hand, aimed straight at Kabuto’s chest.

But Kabuto didn’t move.

The attack struck him dead-on—blood splattering across the dirt.

For an instant, the Mist Jonin froze in confusion. Something was wrong. His blade had hit flesh… but it didn’t cut deeper.

Before he could react, Kabuto’s right arm flashed—

A thin green chakra scalpel slit the man’s throat cleanly.

The Mist Jonin staggered, eyes wide.

“Y–you madman…”

He collapsed without another word.

Kitazawa appeared beside Kabuto in a blur.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” he muttered, placing both hands over Kabuto’s wound.

“Mystical Palm”

“I used Yin Healing Wound Destruction. I’ll live,” Kabuto replied weakly, face pale but composed.

“And taking down a Mist Jonin… that’s a worthy trade.”

Kitazawa’s mouth twitched.

’No wonder you became the final boss… only people this ruthless to themselves rise that high.’

He continued healing while glancing at Kurenai and Izumi. They had fought well, but by all logic, they shouldn’t have won outnumbered.

Then again, Torune had joined the fray—and more than half of the Mist forces had fallen to his insects.

[Current Mission: Preserve the Lightning Blade: Kiba]

[Mission Reward: +20% Chakra Capacity]

Kitazawa felt his chakra surge, swelling like a rising tide.

The duration of his Senju Chakra Mode could now last even longer.

“Alright,” he said, withdrawing his hands. “That’s enough for now. I’ll finish treating you back at base.”

They couldn’t linger here—Hidden Mist territory was crawling with patrols.

It was also why Kitazawa hadn’t used his full power; once Senju Chakra Mode ended, he’d be left weakened.

And frankly, Ameyuri wasn’t worth that.

In the original records, she rivaled Kurosuki Raiga only with the true Kiba blades.

Without them, her strength dropped sharply—and she was still young.

Kitazawa walked over to the maimed kunoichi still gasping weakly on the ground and finished her with one clean stroke.

Then he pulled out a sealing scroll and stored all three Jonin corpses.

“Jonin are valuable,” he murmured. “We’ll take them back.”

“Izumi, burn the boats. We move now.”

“Yes!”

Izumi weaved seals, spitting two massive fireballs that engulfed the nearby Mist ships in flames.

The group vanished into the night.

Moments later, another squad arrived—led by Mei Terumī herself.

She surveyed the charred battlefield, her expression shifting from disbelief to grim fury.

Three Jonin dead.

One of them—Ameyuri Ringo, a prodigy—gone.

This was no small loss for the Hidden Mist.

“Judging from the scorch marks… Ameyuri fought someone with powerful Lightning Release.”

Mei’s brows furrowed.

A Konoha ninja, yet a Lightning user?

“Kakashi Hatake?” she murmured. “But why would he be here…”

She straightened, her voice cold.

“Recover all the bodies. Have the analysis squad extract whatever memories they can.”

Even if they weren’t Yamanaka-level, they would find something.

And when they did—she would know who dared to kill one of the Mist’s finest.

——————

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