OBS Chapter 545 The Despicable Cloud Hermit
Chapter 545 The Despicable Cloud Hermit
Although he said he wasn't afraid, if it were a formal declaration of war from Kumogakure, the consequences would be unimaginable. He could fight Zhang Hai alone, but facing a well-prepared elite Kumogakure force would be tantamount to suicide.
"Despicable Cloud Village!" Huang Tu cursed through gritted teeth, his mind in turmoil. Should he continue the pursuit and kill this despicable Cloud Village ninja on the spot, or heed the other party's "warning" and avoid a potential large-scale conflict? Looking at Zhang Hai's cold eyes and the confidence he deliberately displayed, a deep sense of dread welled up in his heart. This kid is truly a troublesome fellow. Is he bluffing, or is there really an ambush?
Looking at Zhang Hai's confident expression, Huang Tu felt a surge of anger that threatened to engulf him. He could sense the other's arrogance and contempt, but the words, "Crossing national borders won't be just me," were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his impulsive fighting spirit. He knew that Kumogakure was renowned for the strength of its Raikage and the ferocity of its troops. If this was indeed a premeditated scheme by Kumogakure, then what awaited him was likely an unpredictable and fierce battle. He wasn't afraid of death, but he had to consider Iwagakure's fate. The Tsuchikage was still in the village; he couldn't allow his impulsive actions to plunge the village into a crisis of all-out war.
"Despicable Cloud Village!" Huang Tu finally cursed through gritted teeth, his rugged face filled with resentment and humiliation. He glared fiercely at Zhang Hai, as if trying to etch his image into his bones, then abruptly turned, unleashing another burst of chakra beneath his feet, and returned to Iwagakure at incredible speed. His mission was to defend the village, not to fight to the death with an enemy of uncertain background outside the village.
Watching Huang Tu's unwilling figure disappear into the distance, Zhang Hai finally revealed a satisfied smile hidden beneath his mask. The plan had worked perfectly. He raised his head, feeling the gentle breeze on his face, confirming that there was no longer any trace of Iwagakure ninja pursuing him. This attack had successfully disrupted Iwagakure's plans and drawn their attention, providing excellent cover for the real "decapitation strike."
"Mission accomplished." Zhang Hai murmured to himself, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, but the light in his eyes grew even brighter. He took out another specially made kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God Technique symbol from his pocket, poured chakra into it, and his figure blurred and vanished without a trace.
When he reappeared, he was in a secluded valley outside the border of Iwagakure, the very place where the sealing magic circle had been used when Minato and the others had retreated. The light from the magic circle had faded, but the lingering chakra fluctuations in the air proved that a violent spacetime jump had just occurred here. Minato, Kushina, and Dan Kato were all waiting for him there.
"Are you alright, Zhang Hai?" Minato asked with a relieved smile when he saw him appear, his voice filled with concern.
"Everything went smoothly," Zhang Hai replied succinctly, then looked at Kushina and Kato Dan and nodded slightly in greeting.
Kushina sized up Zhang Hai. Although he wore a mask, she felt that he exuded a cold aura that kept strangers at bay, and his style of doing things... really disliked her. She leaned close to Minato's ear, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of wariness, "Minato, this Zhang Hai... he seems like a bad guy. You should avoid him in the future; he doesn't seem like a good person."
Upon hearing this, Minato smiled helplessly and replied softly, "Kushina, after all, is a partner in carrying out the mission, and this time we were able to succeed thanks to him restraining the power of Iwagakure." He knew that Kushina was pure of heart and not used to Zhang Hai's cold, agent-like style, but he also knew that in the cruel ninja world, sometimes it was people like her who were needed to complete the most difficult missions.
"Tch." Kushina curled her lip indifferently, but didn't say anything more. Although she didn't like Zhang Hai's attitude, she understood the point Minato made.
"The Tsuchikage's office has been dealt with. We need to meet up with Hatake-senpai as soon as possible; he's probably facing the Four-Tails Jinchuriki head-on," Minato said solemnly, his gaze fixed on the southwest.
“Okay.” Zhang Hai had no objection.
The four stopped abruptly, their chakra surging once more, and they sped off towards the southwest at full speed. As they drew closer, the air temperature began to rise rapidly, and a scorching heat assaulted their senses, as if they were approaching an active volcano. Cracks began to appear in the ground, and occasionally, wisps of white smoke could be seen rising from the rocks.
"Did you hear that? That's..." Kushina's face was solemn, and she could vaguely hear a muffled roar in her ears, which was as ferocious and hot as a wild beast, making her eardrums buzz.
"It's the roar of a tailed beast," Minato said in a deep voice, increasing his speed even further.
They traversed a forest scorched black by the intense heat, finally reaching the edge of the battlefield where the earth-shattering duel had taken place. The sight before them left Minato and the others in awe.
This was a battlefield utterly destroyed. The once lush valley was now unrecognizable. Countless terrifying fissures had torn open the earth, from which scalding lava flowed, hissing and burning away the surrounding vegetation. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and acrid smoke, the smoke and heat blurring visibility. Huge rocks were glowing red-hot, some even completely melted. Most striking were the countless, deep and shallow cuts left on the ground, the rock walls, and even the solidified lava pillars in mid-air—each cut sharp and menacing, as if it could cleave through space itself. This was proof enough that a fierce close-quarters battle had taken place here.
Outside the battlefield, a sturdy Earth Release barrier enveloped the entire core area, isolating it from the violent energy fluctuations and scorching heat. Outside the barrier, hundreds of Konoha ninja stood ready, not approaching the core, but observing the battle within with tense expressions, each face showing worry and awe. They were White Fang's comrades, but the level of this battle was beyond their ability to intervene.
“That’s the Four-Tails Jinchuriki—Rōshi.” Minato pointed to a huge figure in the center of the barrier and said in a deep voice.
At the core of the barrier, a gigantic and ferocious figure roared deafeningly. It was no longer in human form, but in its complete tailed beast form! Its entire body was orange-red, its skin cracked like lava, its limbs were thick and powerful, and its tail whipped up waves of scorching air.