"Yo~ So where exactly were you guys planning to take Konoha's little washboard princess?"
Reiji raised his head slowly, his voice laced with mockery, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Tsunade, still pretending to be unconscious, instantly recognized the familiar voice and tone. Her vision darkened.
Why him?!
Damn it, did he just call me a washboard?!
That nickname was the last thing Tsunade wanted to hear. She gritted her teeth in fury, her body trembling, almost forgetting she was being kidnapped.
Bastard!
Someday I'm gonna get so big—you won't believe what you're looking at!
She raged internally, cursing Reiji. Meanwhile, Reiji's gaze fell on the three figures in front of him, and his heart sank.
The trio wore plain civilian clothes but stood in a triangular formation, clearly blocking his path.
Reiji wasn't a sensory-type ninja, but he could tell from their aura that these guys weren't pushovers.
Tch! Three Jōnin. This just got messy.
He could crush one Jōnin easily with raw power.
Two? With a bit of cunning and the advantage of his immortality, he might scrape out a win.
But three Jōnin? That was a whole different beast.
They could support each other, using overlapping jutsu to suppress his offense.
And Jōnin didn't have weaknesses. They were seasoned fighters, through and through.
In an instant, a plan began forming in his mind.
But before he could act, a blue-violet bolt of lightning shot toward him.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Reiji's brow furrowed. He vanished from his spot, letting the sinister bolt crackle through empty space.
"What the hell?! A sneak attack? Can't fight fair, you little trash?"
From a few meters away, perched on a tree branch, Reiji stared down at the three with a sneer.
"Strong burst power. Not your average brat."
The leader, clad in an armored mask, didn't respond to Reiji. His eyes scanned the spot where Reiji had just stood. Then, in a clipped tone, he issued orders.
"Reinforced body. Taijutsu type. Keep your distance. I'll block with No. 2, No. 3, secure the hostage first, then assist. Plan B. End it quickly."
As soon as he finished, the three of them nodded and split apart with a swoosh.
Reiji didn't try to stop them.
Not because he didn't want to—he couldn't.
When they were all clustered together just now, it looked like a perfect chance to hit them all at once, but there was no real opening.
If he charged in blindly and took their jutsu head-on, he might not even take one down—and worse, it would likely expose his immortality.
And immortality was one of Reiji's trump cards.
He could only reveal it if he was absolutely certain it would lead to reducing their numbers.
Across the field, the one carrying Tsunade—labeled "No.3"—flashed to the edge of the battlefield.
With a soft clang, three silver-white rods stabbed into the ground in a triangular pattern.
C roughly threw Tsunade into the center, towering over her as she continued playing dead.
"Heh~ No point pretending. Your heartbeat already gave you away." He sneered and quickly formed hand signs.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Binding!"
Crackling blue lightning shot from his fingertips, striking the rods. A shimmering triangle of blue light screens formed between them.
The sound of faint electric buzzing filled the air.
Seeing herself caught in the jutsu, Tsunade gave up the act and stood quickly, her face serious.
About a hundred meters away, Reiji was weaving through Earth and Fire Release attacks, his gaze darting toward Tsunade—and his heart sank.
Crap, she's awake? How am I supposed to show off my immortality now?
He could kill the three kidnappers to silence them—but there was no way he could silence Tsunade!
As he hesitated, he suddenly felt the ground go slick beneath his feet.
He instinctively looked down—and his heart skipped a beat.
Damn it! Quicksand mud?! What's next, stuffing mud into my pants?
Not far off, the masked leader was kneeling, hands locked in the "Tiger" seal, eyes locked on Reiji.
Shit! Three Jōnin really are a pain!
As he cursed inwardly, a wind sphere packed with chakra blasted toward him from the opposite direction.
Reiji's hands blurred into hand signs.
"Body Replacement Technique!"
Boom! The wind attack tore apart a wooden stump, splinters flying everywhere.
Reiji dodged it by a hair, reappearing on a distant tree. He wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow.
"Phew, that was close! You guys really know how to work together!"
No.1 didn't react to the praise. But as his eyes flicked toward the stone wall beside him, now riddled with cracks, a jolt of shock ran through him.
This kid had just shattered his expectations—again.
Unbelievable physique, and that Body Replacement Technique? Seamless.
Damn it... He looked ten, tops. How the hell did he find time to train like this?
At ten, No.1 himself had been a green Genin. And this brat was going toe-to-toe with two experienced Jōnin.
If he hadn't mastered Earth Release: Earth Shore Return, he might've already been caught off guard.
Still, he didn't believe Reiji could keep this pace forever. Once the kid tired out, they'd have their opening.
On the other side of the battlefield, No.3 stared coldly at Tsunade, who was trapped within the barrier. A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he mocked her.
"Konoha's princess is really this heartless? Just standing there, cold as ice, while your comrades risk their lives? Not even a little anxious?"
Tsunade didn't respond. Her expression remained icy as she watched the battle unfold, silently repeating to herself:
Reiji Sakuhō is a spy sent by Amegakure, not a comrade... not a comrade... not a comrade...
At that moment, the tide of battle shifted—Reiji launched a surprise attack and instantly blasted Jōnin No.1's head apart.
But before he could react, No.1's body turned into a clay clone and wrapped itself around him.
Then, a high-speed wind blade pierced through Reiji's left shoulder joint, blood spraying into the air.
Seeing this, Tsunade let out a startled cry and, without thinking, rushed toward Reiji.
But after only a few steps, the blue barrier between the iron rods suddenly lit up. A sharp crackling sound rang out, and Tsunade was jolted by electricity, her entire body going numb as she collapsed to the ground.
Watching Reiji fall into a desperate situation, Tsunade could no longer lie to herself. Hiruzen's words kept echoing in her mind.
In the end... he's just a pitiful soul.
Just a pitiful soul...
A pitiful soul...
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to lift her head from the dirt.
"Reiji Sakuhō! Run! Get out of here!
Y-You still have to protect... protect your sister, right? You can't die here!"
Her voice choked with sobs, each word weaker than the last.
Hearing her desperate cry, Reiji paused for a brief moment, eyes instinctively turning toward Tsunade.
How does she know I need to protect my sister?
Shit—was it Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Can none of you keep your mouths shut?!
Reiji's brief lapse didn't go unnoticed. Hidden nearby, No.3, who had been keeping a close eye on him, instantly brightened.
"Now!"
No.3 activated the Body Flicker Technique, rapidly closing in. At the same time, he formed hand seals.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
A split-second later, a bolt of blue-violet lightning struck Reiji straight through the chest.
"Got him!" the trio—No.1, No.2, and No.3—cried out in unison.
But then, with a puff, Reiji vanished—just a tree stump thudding to the ground.
"Damn it, Body Replacement! Watch for a counterattack!" No.1 barked in alarm.
Even before he finished speaking, Reiji appeared behind No.3 and drove a tightly clenched fist straight toward the back of his head.
"He's in danger!" No.1 shouted, quickly forming hand signs.
In the blink of an eye, the earth trembled and a massive stone wall shot up between Reiji and No. 3.
At the same moment, without hesitation or looking back, No.3 lunged forward.
Putting distance between themselves and that beast of a kid—this had been the trio's unspoken rule from the start.
What No.3 didn't realize was that he was now just a step away from the tree stump used in Reiji's substitution.
Seeing the opening, No.1 and No.2 unleashed wide-range ninjutsu on the spot where Reiji had been blocked by the earth wall.
This time, they were determined to wipe him out completely...