Chapter 354: Mighty Dai's thank you gift! Thousand Hands Star Fighter dies in battle!
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Wind Release: Air Current!"
…Deep within the dense forest, figures flickered continuously.
Facing the encirclement of one Elite Jonin, one Jonin, and two Elite Chunin,
even Senju Seito gradually found himself struggling to cope.
"Nawaki, don't get entangled with them here any longer. Hurry and rendezvous with Tetsu-maru and the others…"
Seeing that his high-level Water Release had been successfully evaded by the several Sunagakure Ninja in front of him, Senju Seito's eyes grew increasingly grim.
"No, Seito-nii, I will never allow you to stay here alone."
"This is my mistake. If anyone is leaving, it's you…"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
With a roar, the Earth Release unleashed by Senju Nawaki successfully killed a Sunagakure Chunin. But before he could even catch his breath, another Elite Chunin-level Sunagakure Ninja appeared behind Senju Nawaki, and a kunai, coated in potent poison, instantly slashed across Senju Nawaki's back… Amidst Senju Nawaki's painful groans, crimson blood continuously splattered, gradually staining the ground beneath his feet.
"Brat, don't think that just because you are of the Senju Clan, you can look down on us."
"Right now, we are the ones with the upper hand."
Clang~
Amidst an ear-piercing clang, Senju Nawaki blocked the enemy's fatal blow, but due to the spreading poison, his reaction nerves were affected, and the Sunagakure Elite Chunin, who had closed in, kicked him flying.
"Nawaki… You damned bastards, how dare you hurt Nawaki!"
"I'll kill you all…"
With a roar, Senju Seito directly threw the last remaining Military Ration Pill in his arms into his mouth. In a berserk state, his Chakra continuously surged, emitting a terrifying pressure.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Be careful to dodge; don't let them escape…"
"Nawaki, hang in there. I'll take you back to camp right now…"
"It'll be fine, it'll definitely be fine."
Looking at Senju Nawaki, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, Senju Seito's hands trembled slightly.
It wasn't because of the immediate danger, but because… Senju Seito was worried about what would happen if Senju Nawaki truly fell here?
Then, what would become of the future of the Senju Clan?
"Cough~ Seito-nii, don't mind me. Take this chance and go quickly…"
"Nawaki, don't say another word. You know… I can't leave you here."
Scooping up Senju Nawaki the moment he evaded the Water Dragon Bullet's impact, Senju Seito couldn't help but recall the two elders who had accompanied them to the front lines in the Land of Rivers.
For the future they hoped for, after countless battles, they had unhesitatingly offered their lives.
This belief, this will… now it was finally his turn to bear it.
"Water Release: Water Clone Technique!"
"Alright, clone, I'm entrusting Nawaki to you… Take him as far as you can before I fall."
…"You didn't escape?"
Looking at the figure blocking the path ahead, the Sunagakure Ninja were slightly astonished.
"So that's it. Were you worried you couldn't escape with that burden?"
"But, with just you alone, how long do you think you can hold us back?"
"No matter how you struggle, you cannot change that brat's tragic end…"
"However, to acknowledge your courage… tell us your name, Ninja of the Senju Clan!"
"You scum of the Hidden Sand Village, my name is… Senju Seito. Remember this name well."
…Konoha, Fujiwara, Tanaka, Uesugi clan grounds.
The matter of Ninja Academy enrollment had been settled.
At his suggestion to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Might Guy successfully made it onto the supplementary enrollment list.
Of course, his kindness was not without a price.
Because at this moment, on the desk in front of him, a scroll lay quietly.
Eight Gates!
This was Might Duy's thank-you gift.
Crack~ Just as Fujiwara Tetsuya shifted his gaze from the scroll and placed his hand on the teacup, accompanied by several crisp cracking sounds, the tea set, made of high-grade pottery, instantly shattered into a pile of fragments amidst tiny cracking noises.
"This is…"
Looking at the overflowing tea, Fujiwara Tetsuya's gaze darkened, and he vaguely had a bad premonition.
Rustle~
"Lord Tetsuya, Hokage-sama has an urgent summons!"
Looking at the Anbu member who suddenly appeared before him, Fujiwara Tetsuya's expression turned cold. He picked up the scroll of the Eight Gates and quickly walked out of the house.
"Who is it? Who… has met with misfortune again?"
…"Whew~ Tetsuya, you're finally here."
When Fujiwara Tetsuya arrived at the Hokage Office, many people were already inside: Sakumo Hatake, Utatane Koharu, Homura Mitokado… and several Anbu members.
"According to the latest intelligence from the Land of Rivers, Ebizo has learned of your return to Konoha."
"And taking advantage of your departure, he launched a fierce attack on the front-line camp…"
"Torifu and Dan, along with several other Elite Jonin, teamed up to fight Ebizo, but they only barely maintained a relative balance."
"The number of Sunagakure Ninja is already greater than ours, and in the absence of high-end combat power, the current situation… is very unfavorable for us."
"Therefore, Sakumo, Tetsuya… your vacation is over."
"By the authority of the Hokage, I order you to immediately proceed to the front lines and ensure that Ebizo's outstretched claws are beaten back!"
"Yes~"
…"Is this the end?"
"Nawaki, the path ahead… you must walk it alone."
As he whispered, Senju Seito's Water Clone suddenly transformed into a puddle of water, instantly vanishing without a trace.
And Senju Nawaki, having lost his support, awakened from his coma the moment he fell.
"Seito… Seito-nii…"
"Is it over?"
"Senju Seito, what a terrifying individual."
Looking at the jungle ravaged by the high-level Water Release, the three surviving Sunagakure Ninja still looked with lingering fear at the figure who had overexerted his Chakra and life.
It wasn't until Senju Seito's body stopped twitching, until Senju Seito… completely lost his breath, that the Sunagakure Elite Jonin dared to approach with the two Chunin.
"Lord Akatsuchi, should we continue the pursuit?"
"Pursue? Of course we must pursue!"
"The bloodline of the Senju Clan is truly too terrifying."
"If we miss this opportunity today, I'm afraid… we will never have another chance to kill Senju Nawaki."
"For the Village, we must keep him on this land forever."
After this battle, Akatsuchi finally understood why the Village's higher-ups… showed such wary expressions when mentioning the three great clans: Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga.
Families like these, possessing powerful bloodlines and physiques, their very existence was a threat.
However, what Akatsuchi didn't know was that at the end of that path, not only was Senju Nawaki… but also those gazes watching.