Who exactly is the real enemy?
By now, Kirito believed he finally knew the answer.
"Shff!"
Without warning, a shadow flickered behind him, no killing intent, no footsteps, no chakra leaks. The perfect timing and angle of a professional assassin.
But unfortunately for the attacker, he had chosen the wrong target, someone who understood assassins better than assassins understood themselves, and who had been operating at full vigilance from the very beginning.
Kirito didn't even turn around.
He simply gripped Sode no Shirayuki in reverse and thrust it into the ground behind him.
From the tip of the blade, freezing cold exploded downward, spreading rapidly through the soil.
"Shirayuki's Dance: White Tree." [Juhaku]
"Wh-What?!"
The assassin's blade had nearly reached Kirito's neck, less than a centimeter away, but no matter how hard he pushed, it couldn't advance even a hair further.
He looked down, shocked.
His legs had gone numb.
From the ground below, a wave of severe frost had surged upward, encasing his lower body in ice. He was now rooted in place, frozen like a dead tree.
Kirito slowly turned around.
The attacker's face was now visible, none other than Torune Aburame, one of Danzo's most trusted operatives.
Kirito narrowed his eyes.
"Just as I thought."
"Kh…!"
Torune struggled, but the freezing power of Shirayuki's White Tree was no ordinary trap. Escaping it wasn't easy, not even for him.
Kirito didn't waste time with interrogation.
He raised his sword, and swung.
The blade split Torune's head cleanly in two.
But there was no explosion of blood or flesh.
His body dispersed into a swarm of buzzing insects.
"An insect clone…"
Some of the bugs tried to attack Kirito, but the moment they entered within one meter of him, they froze mid-flight and dropped dead. No technique and motion. Just the cold surrounding his body.
Kirito glanced to the side.
Not far off, the real Torune stood watching silently.
Kirito swept his gaze across the battlefield.
"So one of you was the decoy. And the other, the real one, is hiding somewhere nearby. I remember now… the other one is from the Yamanaka Clan, isn't he? Likely planning to wait for the right moment to use Mind Body Switch Technique on me."
"...You…"
Torune was visibly shaken. Kirito had not only identified them correctly, but had also guessed their tactic before it even began.
"How do you know all of this…?"
Kirito didn't answer.
He flashed forward, blade raised in another swift strike.
Torune dodged, leaping backward just in time. Kirito's blade struck the ground where he had stood, splitting it wide open with a crackling explosion of frost that misted into the air.
Torune's eyes narrowed.
How has this kid grown so strong in just a few days?!
The two began to clash at high speed, Torune weaving evasively in a tight S-shaped path to avoid being tracked.
Kirito knew exactly why.
He's trying to avoid mental locking. Yamanaka Fu is nearby, waiting for the moment I stand still to launch a mental possession attack.
"Damn it!"
As if on cue, Yamanaka Fu leapt out of hiding, cursing under his breath.
The Yamanaka Clan's technique was powerful, it allowed full spiritual possession and control. But it came with harsh requirements: casting time, line of sight, and a locked target.
If the mental projection missed, it couldn't return for a while. That would leave the user in a defenseless state.
It was a high-risk, high-reward jutsu.
And without perfect teamwork, it was useless.
"shing!"
Fu drew a ninja sword from his back and moved to engage Kirito head-on.
To compensate for the limitations of his clan technique, he had trained in swordsmanship. His combat ability was on par with Torune's.
But against Kirito, it still wasn't enough.
Their blades clashed once.
Kirito's blade unleashed a wave of frost that immediately coated Fu's sword in a thin layer of ice. It dulled the edge, made the blade heavy, and stripped it of its cutting power.
Even the two of them together couldn't gain an upper hand.
At this rate, Kirito would have them both dead in ten moves.
"Torune! I need time, cover me!"
Gritting his teeth, Fu disengaged from combat.
Kirito raised a brow.
They had barely managed to hold their own through teamwork, and now Fu was pulling back? That would only shorten the time it would take Kirito to finish Torune.
Five moves. That's all I'll need.
"…Hm?"
Suddenly, Kirito's eyes narrowed.
Fu, retreating rapidly, had formed a unique hand seal, and directed it not toward Kirito, but toward…
Asuna.
"You bastard!"
A cold light flashed across Kirito's face. He instantly understood their plan.
He moved to intercept.
But,
"Not happening!"
Torune lunged at him, throwing everything he had into an all-out assault. His hands clawed forward, blocking Kirito's path with suicidal tenacity.
"Clang!"
Kirito's blade pierced through Torune's right chest. The chilling power of Sode no Shirayuki surged through the wound, instantly freezing his organs and blood.
His face turned ashen, but even so, Torune held on. Both hands latched tightly onto the blade that pierced him.
He wouldn't let Kirito move another step.
A lifetime of root training had taught him to ignore pain and fear. His life was meaningless. His orders came first.
"…You lunatic."
Kirito hadn't expected such self-sacrifice.
All this… just to buy time?
"That's enough. Stop, Hyuga Kirito."
A soft, familiar voice rang out.
Kirito froze for a moment.
The previously unconscious Asuna now stood upright. Across from her, Yamanaka Fu had collapsed, unconscious.
"…So the possession succeeded," Kirito said coldly. His eyes didn't waver. "Fine. You've taken the hostage."
"But now what?"
His grip tightened on the hilt.
"You've got her body. What's your next move?"
<><>---------------------------------------
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