NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Madness
The team began their journey back to the village.
The elite guards of the Kage had retreated into the shadows, discreetly escorting the convoy. Now, only Tobirama traveled openly, alone.
In contrast, Saitō Shigemori was accompanied by an entourage fit for royalty. Besides the four porters tasked with carrying his palanquin, a host of samurai and attendants flanked him on all sides.
The ostentation of the scene made Tobirama shake his head. After scanning the group and confirming there were no apparent threats, he resumed walking alongside them.
For the sake of Saitō, who was an ordinary civilian, Tobirama kept the pace manageable, matching the casual speed of their inbound journey. Even at this pace, the group had to stop frequently for rest, especially the porters, who were drenched in sweat from the effort.
As time passed, the silhouette of the capital of the Land of Fire disappeared into the glowing horizon.
The four porters, struggling under the weight of the palanquin, began to falter. Sudodenly, one of them stumbled into a muddy patch, and the entire palanquin toppled to the ground.
From within, a scream erupted—Saitō's voice, shrill and panicked, rang out like a pig being slaughtered. The curtains of the palanquin flew open, and he emerged, unleashing a torrent of abuse at the porters.
The four men immediately dropped to their knees, trembling and begging for forgiveness. They scrambled to right the palanquin but found it too heavy to lift, which only stoked Shigemori's rage further.
Tobirama, watching from the sidelines, sighed softly and stepped forward to help.
As he approached the overturned palanquin, an unexpected shift in the atmosphere stopped him in his tracks.
The once-cowering porters exchanged glances, their submissive expressions replaced by something far more dangerous—an unwavering resolve to die for their mission. Without a word, they formed hand seals at an astonishing speed.
"Hmm?!"
Tobirama's sharp senses caught the sinister chakra radiating from them. His eyes narrowed as he realized the nature of the threat.
There was no time to hesitate. With a swift movement, he shattered the side of the palanquin and yanked Saitō out. Activating the Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported to the safety of a previously marked location.
Behind him, the bodies of the four porters twisted and convulsed as black, corrosive blood erupted from their veins. Sealing formulas etched on their skin glowed ominously, consuming them in a grotesque display.
Bang!
The explosion of energy swept across the area, devouring everything in its wake.
Reversed Four-Symbols Seal, an S-rank sealing technique. The user engraves a formula within their body, sacrificing their life to seal everything in the vicinity into their corpse.
Even someone as formidable as Obito would need the Kamui dimension to escape this.
This deadly technique had been prepared by Danzō as a trump card against Tobirama. Four of his most loyal Root members had been groomed for this moment, ready to assassinate the Second Hokage without hesitation.
"Only Danzō-sama has the right to lead Konoha! For the village, the Hokage must die!"
As the four men perished, their gazes, filled with desperate hope, fixed on the spot where Tobirama had stood—only to find nothing but empty space.
Hidden in the shadows, a Root member watched in disbelief. He had orchestrated the entire ambush, including the foreign assassination attempts. Yet, the ultimate strike had failed.
"It was the Flying Thunder God… Did you forget that I invented that technique?"
The operative froze at the sound of the cold voice behind him. Before he could turn, a flash of silver sliced through the air, and darkness claimed him.
Saitō trembled violently, his eyes squeezed shut as he braced for death. Seconds passed, and nothing happened.
Hesitantly, he opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with Tobirama. Realization dawned on him, and he immediately bowed low, his voice trembling with gratitude.
"H-Hokage-sama! Thank you! Thank you! I-I had no idea those porters were—"
"I know. No need to explain."
Tobirama cut him off, his tone curt.
He hadn't expected Danzō to go this far—to use the Root willing to die for the sole purpose of assassinating his teacher. He had underestimated Danzō's ruthlessness and his unrelenting ambition for the Hokage's seat.
"Hokage-sama!"
Tobirama's three guards arrived, their faces pale with shock. The ambush had shaken them to their core.
"We failed to detect their infiltration. It was our negligence—please punish us!" They bowed deeply, their voices filled with guilt.
"Punishment can wait. For now, we return to the village!"
Tobirama's voice was sharp, his eyes beneath the Hokage's hat burning with cold fury.
It was time to act.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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