NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Chapter 16
"To deal with cowards like you, the two of us are more than enough."
"Tetsuya! I'll handle the one in the middle! The other six are yours!"
Uchiha Mikoto's combat instincts were as sharp as ever. With Aburame Muto's support still on the way, she chose the most straightforward approach—attack.
"Konoha brats! Still so arrogant!"
"Remember my name, kid! The one who's going to take your head is none other than Haruno Nomaru!"
The narrow cave filled with the clash of kunai.
Uchiha Mikoto's confidence clearly struck a nerve with Haruno Nomaru, igniting his pride.
"You're dead, brat!"
The other six rogue ninjas, familiar with Nomaru's strength, showed no interest in assisting him. Instead, they immediately closed in on Tetsuya.
"You bastards! You're too close!"
"Lightning Style: Lightning Fang Pursuit!"
In an instant, bright arcs of lightning crackled from Tetsuya's hand, morphing into the form of a fearsome wolf. In just two or three seconds, it pounced, tearing through one of the rogue ninjas, leaving only a charred corpse behind.
"Brat! You're playing with fire!"
Seeing the scorched body of their comrade, the remaining five rogue ninjas' eyes widened in shock. They now looked at Tetsuya with newfound seriousness.
This... this is Lightning Style?
Watching from her nearby battle, even Uchiha Mikoto's competitive spirit flared up as she witnessed Tetsuya's prowess. Her scarlet Sharingan glowed even brighter.
"Uchiha..."
"Damn it! Why is a brat from the Uchiha clan here?!"
The name Uchiha still carried immense weight. The reputation Madara Uchiha carved out two or three decades ago continued to instill fear in many, even now.
Despite having only a single Tomoe in her Sharingan, Mikoto's eyes alone exerted immense pressure on Haruno Nomaru.
"If you know the name Uchiha, then just accept your fate!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
"Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet!"
Under the barrage of Mikoto's Fire Style ninjutsu, Nomaru's earthen defenses crumbled, leaving him scrambling to keep up. The combined force of her Sharingan and high-level jutsu was overwhelming him.
"Damn it!"
"Brat, I want to see how long your chakra will last!"
"Tetsuya! Are you alright?"
After Tetsuya swiftly dispatched his second enemy, Aburame Muto finally arrived to provide backup. In mere seconds, Muto's insects drained the chakra of another rogue ninja, leaving him a lifeless husk, reduced to nothing but bones.
"What the hell is this jutsu?!"
"Use Fire Style! Burn those disgusting insects!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
The sky filled with countless fireballs, raining down like a fiery storm, engulfing Muto's insect swarm. Even from a few meters away, Tetsuya could feel the intense heat radiating from the flames.
If it had been any other insects, they would have been reduced to ashes by now.
But these were the insects of the Aburame clan—masters at turning their bugs into lethal tools of warfare.
With Muto's constant infusion of chakra, the insect swarm surged again, larger and more numerous than before, even after suffering heavy losses.
"Damn it! Such a disgusting jutsu!"
"We have no choice but to take down the boy controlling the bugs."
"I'll deal with the brat using Lightning Style! You two, handle the bug user."
"Underestimating me, huh?"
Seeing the rogue ninja rushing toward him, Tetsuya's eyes flashed coldly. His kunai flew through the air with precision.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Fang Pursuit!"
---
Inside the cave, the battle raged on.
But the situation had shifted.
After Tetsuya dealt with his enemies, he joined forces with Aburame Muto to eliminate two more rogue ninjas.
Now, they were free to team up against Haruno Nomaru.
Uchiha Mikoto, however, wasn't faring so well.
Her once sleek black hair was disheveled, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Though her Sharingan gave her an advantage, the gap in strength wasn't something that could be easily bridged. In terms of taijutsu, Nomaru was overwhelming her.
"You Konoha brats! You're all going to die! Every last one of you deserves to die!"
"Why? Why did you have to come and mess with me?!"
"Why couldn't you just leave me in peace?!"
Nomaru's eyes burned with madness as he looked around at the cold bodies of his fallen comrades.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
Just as Nomaru prepared to deliver a fatal blow, a towering earthen wall suddenly erupted between him and Tetsuya's team.
In the blink of an eye, Yuhi Shin appeared, saving his students from certain death.
"A Jonin!"
The moment Haruno Nomaru saw Yuhi Shin, he leapt backward, his hands forming a rapid series of seals, clearly preparing a powerful jutsu.
"Quick reaction... but too late."
"The moment I arrived, you were already trapped in my genjutsu."
As Yuhi Shin's calm voice reached Tetsuya's ears, his vision blurred momentarily. The next thing he knew, they were outside the cave.
A short distance away, Yuhi Shin was interrogating a bound and defeated Haruno Nomaru.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Mikoto and Aburame Muto were comforting the women, children, and other captives they had rescued from the cave.
"So, Murano Jihei... he was your leader all along?"
"Yes..."
"We came back here because we knew he was still the chief of Sakura Town."
"We thought he could lead us again. But after living peacefully for over ten years, that bastard Murano Jihei had lost all his pride as a ninja. All he cares about now are those foolish townspeople."
"The traces of battle near the town…"
"Yes, that was us!"
"When Murano Jihei refused our proposal, we tried to force him to come with us. But who would've thought that even after ten years, his strength hadn't diminished one bit?"
"We were defeated."
"But we weren't going to give up that easily. That's why we started threatening the town, extorting money from them—anything to pressure Murano Jihei into submission."
Haruno Nomaru's voice dripped with bitterness, an unwavering obsession with his former leader, Murano Jihei.
Thinking of the unwavering loyalty and foolish stubbornness that existed in this era, Tetsuya couldn't help but sigh.
"Alright, I understand."
"In exchange for your information, I'll make sure you at least die with your body intact."
Yuhi Shin's eyes showed no trace of pity as he looked down at the defeated Haruno Nomaru.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
🥰 Support the translation and help me grow.🤓
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
Read upto 20 Extra chapter in Patreon