Being a spy required more than just human resilience—it demanded something superhuman!
Kei repeated this phrase once again in his mind before using a genjutsu to incapacitate Musai, who had been endlessly discussing the "Great Cattle Ranching Business."
Using the Transformation Jutsu, he morphed into a standard Kumo ANBU member.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported to the cemetery corner he had visited earlier that morning.
Cautiously, he scanned the surroundings with his sensory jutsu. Seeing that the area was deserted, Kei stood up and erased the Flying Thunder God mark he had left at the tombstone's edge.
With a clap of his hands, a puff of chakra smoke rose, revealing eight shadow clones at his side. As soon as the shadow clones appeared, they immediately executed the assassination plan devised in the morning, vanishing into the cemetery with the Body Flicker Technique.
Meanwhile, Kei himself flashed away to the drinking fountain at the training grounds southwest of the cemetery.
Using the Hydrification Technique, he slowly merged into the water pipes. Following the winding pipes, he made his way toward the only assassination target that required a failed assassination attempt as part of the mission, Dodai.
He was Kumo jonin, wielder of the Lava Release bloodline limit, and the right-hand man of the Third Raikage. His status in Kumo was almost equivalent to that of Shikaku during Tsunade's tenure as Hokage, overseeing all jonin affairs.
As a staunch supporter of "Attacking Konoha," he was now the target Kei had to eliminate—while playing the role of a Konoha assassin.
The mission required that, at first glance, it seemed like a Konoha ninja was responsible, but upon closer inspection, it pointed to a Kiri assassin. Furthermore, the assassination had to appear as a failure, allowing him to ultimately escape successfully.
If this mission had been assigned to a Root ninja, they would likely leave an inconspicuous mark on their body, and upon failing the assassination, they would follow Kiri's standard suicide procedure—ending their life on the spot.
But Kei wasn't brainwashed. He wasn't about to do something that foolish. That was why this troublesome mission had to be executed personally.
After navigating through the pipes, he finally neared Dodai's residence. Hidden within the plumbing system, he noticed the sensory barrier and warning seal covering the entire house.
It was clear that the previous night's assassination attempt had made Kumo's higher-ups extremely uneasy.
Even a jonin like Dodai was now on full alert. But this was perfect—it meant he wouldn't have to be subtle when hinting at the Kiri assassin's identity later on.
He infiltrated Dodai's home through the water pipes, bypassing the surface-level barriers. Emerging soundlessly from the kitchen sink, he had [Silent Walker]'s effect activated to its fullest.
His gaze shifted to the still-lit study.
Carefully, he moved toward the study door, peering through the crack to observe the room's interior.
Dodai, who had long lost his left eye, still wore a small wooden plaque over his right eye. Seated at his desk, he was writing rapidly on a scroll. His chakra signature was identical to Dodai's, and his outward appearance showed no abnormalities.
But Kei's system interface showed no reaction.
A rubber clone? He muttered to himself but did not rush to reveal his presence or locate Dodai's real body.
Sometimes, you had to go along with the opponent's performance to make the act more convincing.
DONG!
At 1:00 AM, the old wall clock in the study chimed.
Dodai, his head slightly drooping from exhaustion, glanced at the remaining stack of documents. Closing his eye, he clapped his cheeks to wake himself up.
And in that instant, Kei swiftly formed a one-handed seal, fully activating his sensory jutsu while drawing a kunai from his waist.
Using a kunai as a substitute for a blade, he executed a barely mastered leaf-style kenjutsu technique.
His body flickered like a phantom, leaving behind multiple afterimages as he appeared beside Dodai in the blink of an eye. Though not particularly skilled with swords, [Zero-Frame Start] gave him perfect body control, and [Sage Body] boosted his physical abilities, making his swordsmanship seem flawless.
SLASH!
The kunai cut cleanly through Dodai's neck, severing his head from his body. But in an instant, the rubber clone dissolved into liquid rubber and surged toward Kei.
Evading with a flicker, he quickly formed hand seals.
BOOM!
A violent gust blasted the incoming rubber away, sending a loud roar echoing through the entire residence. The sensory barrier and warning seals all triggered sharp alarms.
The seemingly wooden study gradually transformed into rubber under the wind's force—The entire study was made of rubber!
Not a single renowned ninja in this world is simple. Kei's sensory jutsu locked onto Dodai, concealed within a compartment in the attic.
As the rubber walls around him tightened, growing heavier, he swiftly formed hand seals again.
Sharp wind blades sliced toward the closing door.
ZZZZZT!
The screeching of rubber being cut filled the air.
He dashed through the opening created by his wind technique.
But just as he escaped, Dodai lunged from above, wielding a kunai aimed directly at his face! Kei instinctively blocked with his own kunai, twisting his body to deflect the blow while delivering a kick to Dodai's lower body.
Clang!
Kei bent forward, his left hand striking Dodai's instep. Using the force to propel himself upward, he minimized the impact of the attack while forcibly enduring the pain. His fingers clutched tightly onto Dodai's ninja sandal.
With a grimacing expression, he fought through the blinding pain and twisted the kunai in his grasp, slashing directly at Kei's Achilles tendon.
Even the strongest ninja would lose a significant amount of combat ability if their Achilles tendon was severed.
Woom!
Kei's other leg shot up, viciously kicking Dodai's wrist. The kunai was knocked away as he used the momentum to spin, breaking free from Dodai's grip and flipping backward multiple times to create distance.
Damn it! He ran into a ruthless opponent! This guy would rather risk an explosion than have his foot crippled.
Dodai's face turned slightly pale, his legs feeling weak, but his hands were still forming seals at high speed.
From the rubber-coated walls of the room behind him, numerous cords—thick and thin—shot out from all directions, aiming for Kei, who had retreated to a corner of the room.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Kei's body flickered as he dodged swiftly, his waist-held kunai flashing out repeatedly. He seemed intent on finding an opportunity to kill Dodai. Yet, at the same time, his sensory ninjutsu remained focused on the movements within Kumo.
When he saw two figures wrapped in lightning armor charging toward them at incredible speed like living thunderbolts less than a kilometer away, he rapidly formed a series of hand seals while still dodging.
Ram → Horse → Snake → Dragon → Rat → Ox → Tiger!
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!" Kei roared.
Dodai's heart tightened in alarm as he quickly shield himself with a protective rubber sphere. But in the next instant, he saw the masked ninja in front of him slap his hands together—and then sink directly into the ground!
Dodai could only watch helplessly as his enemy vanished before his eyes.
His jaw clenched so hard it almost cracked.
The hand seals were correct. The shouting was correct. But instead of fire, the assassin used Earth Release?!
Dodai slammed both hands onto the ground, causing the earth in a several-dozen-meter radius to surge upward like rolling waves.
As a wielder of the Lava Release, which combines Fire and Earth chakra nature transformations, he had considerable skill in Earth Release as well. Even if the enemy had gone underground first, he was confident he could dig them right back out.
However, as the excavation continued, expanding to nearly a hundred meters, he had to admit, the enemy had fled... Right under his nose.
Hiss—Hiss—
The underground water pipes had already ruptured under the excavation, spraying water everywhere. The upturned earth had reduced the entire area to rubble.
As his adrenaline rush subsided, he finally noticed a sharp, searing pain in his groin. When he looked down and saw his pants soaked with blood, his pupils trembled violently.
Th-That bastard… had a blade on his sandal?!
Dodai's mind spun in a daze. He trembled as he untied his belt, and with just one glance, he collapsed onto his knees in agony.
Which ninja village did that bastard come from?!
Targeting the groin in every attack was already bad enough… but he also had a blade on his foot?!
That was inhuman! That was just inhuman!!!
Sob sob sob…
Crackle! Zap!
In the flashing arcs of lightning, the Third Raikage and his son burst into the scene. Seeing Dodai kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down his face, the two of them turned pale.
Dodai was one of Kumo's most important high-ranking officials. If anything serious happened to him, the village would descend into chaos!
"Dodai! Where are you injured?! Damn it! Which village did this?!"
"Call a medical ninja, quick—" Dodai spoke with great difficulty.
"A…A medical ninja! Yes! Yes! Get a medical ninja!!"
"A male one!"
"Huh? At a time like this, does it really matter—"
"It must be a male!!"
The veins on Dodai's neck bulged as he roared, his voice choked with tears.
He was doomed. He hadn't even gotten married yet!