Kusunoki's body rapidly decayed as the poison erupted. In less than a minute, his life force completely faded away.
There was no resistance—nor any possibility of resistance. From the moment Natsuhiko's senjutsu chakra entered his body, everything had become irreversible.
Natsuhiko's Sage Mode did not originate from any of the great holy lands, but that did not mean his senjutsu chakra was something easy to control.
Senjutsu chakra was always extremely dangerous. Otherwise, why were there only a handful of people in this world capable of using Sage Mode?
Natsuhiko's senjutsu chakra likewise possessed a petrifying effect.
Allowing his chakra to enter one's body without preparation or caution would absolutely lead to a miserable end.
Kusunoki was exactly such a case. The moment Natsuhiko's chakra invaded him, his entire body stiffened. That he did not instantly turn to stone was only because of his relatively strong ability—and because Natsuhiko's senjutsu was still in its early stage.
But that suited Natsuhiko's expectations even better.
What he needed was a Kusunoki who died from poison—not one who had turned to stone.
Though… why does Sasori's poison resemble the venom of a Deinagkistrodon?
Looking at Kusunoki's miserable corpse, now completely necrotic, Natsuhiko couldn't help but frown.
The sight was nauseating.
Even after five years in the ANBU—after witnessing all kinds of grotesque deaths, some of which he had personally caused—he still found Kusunoki's condition revolting.
The symptoms of the poisoning reminded him of a venomous snake from his previous life.
Wasn't that kind of flesh-rotting venom exactly what caused such a death?
Forget it. Why bother dwelling on that?
Natsuhiko shook his head. Now was not the time to ponder such matters.
Sensing the ANBU ninja rapidly approaching, he knew he had to deal with the scene quickly.
Taking a deep breath, the eye shadow and markings of Sage Mode beneath his mask abruptly vanished. His aura dropped sharply at that instant.
He began adjusting his breathing. With each breath, his condition worsened slightly. With each breath, the complexion beneath his mask grew paler.
Once he finished, he slowly crouched beside Kusunoki's corpse. His gaze became distant and sorrowful.
In just a few breaths, Natsuhiko had perfectly crafted the image of someone grief-stricken and weakened.
Acting was something Natsuhiko did not lack.
Or rather, no ANBU ninja lacked it.
In this era, whether veterans of war or members of the ANBU, all were masters of performance.
Just as Natsuhiko finished arranging everything, two figures rushed over from the distance.
They looked utterly disheveled—wounds covered their bodies. Aside from injuries from earlier combat, many cuts had been caused by flying debris and broken branches.
Clearly, the battle between Lizardmaru and Sasori had affected them. Even though they had chosen to detour, they couldn't completely escape the shockwaves.
But in the end, they still made it here.
However, their arrival brought no good news.
Especially when they saw Nightingale crouched beside a corpse whose entire body had severely decayed—
Their hearts suddenly sank.
They were all aware that Kusunoki had been poisoned. After all, each of them had more or less been affected by the toxin themselves. And earlier, when Kusunoki had pushed a teammate aside and gotten his arm slashed, none of them could forget it.
"What happened?" One ANBU quickly rushed to Natsuhiko's side. Looking at Kusunoki's body on the ground, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Before… wasn't he still holding on? Why…?"
"I don't know what happened either." Natsuhiko's voice was unusually low, tinged with faint weakness. "After we retreated, the Commander's condition became very bad. And after I summoned Lizardmaru to block that monster, it seemed he could no longer suppress it…"
Natsuhiko spoke calmly, his tone filled with confusion, without the slightest sign of anything unusual.
As he finished speaking, the ANBU members fell silent. Clearly, they had realized something.
Not long ago, they too had felt something very wrong with their bodies. Now it seemed their Commander had suffered the same fate.
It was simply that his injuries were more severe, and his condition far more fatal.
Natsuhiko glanced at them from the corner of his eye. Seeing their expressions, he knew the three of them had essentially believed his words.
As for the inspections that would follow upon returning to Konoha, Natsuhiko was not particularly worried.
After so many years in the ANBU, how could he not understand Konoha's internal inspection procedures?
He was someone who had transmigrated here, and he possessed deep knowledge of many future events in Konoha.
Even at this point in time, he could see many matters clearly.
Someone like him would normally be very vulnerable when facing members of the Yamanaka clan. Yet over five years, no issues had ever been detected.
Aside from mission-related information, there was nothing they could uncover.
And even regarding mission details, whatever they saw was only what Natsuhiko chose to reveal.
It could be said that he had no need to fear the Yamanaka clan's mind inspections.
That was also one of the reasons he dared to meet the Fourth Hokage—while simultaneously waiting for the Third Hokage to approach him.
And now, it was precisely this advantage that gave him the confidence to strike against Kusunoki—turning revenge into greater personal gain.
Even he didn't fully understand why this was the case. His mental strength couldn't block genjutsu.
But whenever members of the Yamanaka clan examined his mind and memories, they simply couldn't see them.
He could completely choose what he allowed them to see.
This was immensely useful to him.
Perhaps it was a result of his transmigration. Perhaps it was some sort of hidden "cheat."
"Is that so…" One of the three ANBU let out a heavy sigh. Looking at the completely decayed corpse, he said in a low voice, "Understood. You've done well, Nightingale."
"It's a pity I couldn't save the Commander." Natsuhiko shook his head, his voice sounding deeply regretful.
He raised his hand and slowly removed his mask, revealing the pale face beneath.
Then his gaze swept over the three ANBU as he asked calmly, with a trace of sorrow, "What should we do now? We don't have much time."
"Follow… ANBU protocol," said the ANBU member who had been coordinating with Natsuhiko, shaking his head lightly. He patted Natsuhiko on the shoulder.
"Don't be too upset. Death is commonplace for us. And our mission wasn't a failure. Put your mask back on—we're preparing to leave."
"I understand."
Natsuhiko nodded and placed the mask back over his face.
But beneath that mask, a faint smile once again appeared on his lips.
...
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