Chapter 124: Cheat Players vs. Pay-to-Win Players
After watching his comrade, Ōtaka Yūten, leave, Konan turned toward the human-shaped cocoon of paper before her, a trace of doubt flashing through her eyes.
What is he doing in there?
Konan could clearly sense that the man inside hadn't suffocated to death.
But if he wasn't suffocating and wasn't trying to break free of the paper cocoon either, Asuka's strange behavior immediately put her on guard.
Inside the cocoon, Asuka carefully examined the white paper wrapped around him and quietly exhaled.
The breath he released carried moisture, yet the paper remained completely dry.
Waterproof paper.
Akatsuki?
Konan's figure flashed through his mind.
Asuka picked up a kunai and slashed upward from below.
Rip!
With a tearing sound, the human-shaped paper cocoon was sliced cleanly in half.
"Phew!"
He took several deep breaths of fresh air, then looked at the cloaked figure standing quietly before him. Seeing the ordinary clothes she wore beneath the cloak, he felt somewhat puzzled.
Akatsuki... Don't they have the Akatsuki cloaks yet?
Or is she not actually Konan?
Under the scorching scrutiny of the Konoha shinobi's gaze, Konan felt goosebumps rise across her body.
She raised her head and said coldly,
"Can a powerful nation invade Amegakure at will and arbitrarily capture its shinobi?"
"It's not like that. Our captain loves peace."
Thinking of his excellent captain, who had inherited the Sarutobi clan's style, Asuka expressionlessly glanced back before taking a piece of candy from his pocket and popping it into his mouth.
He continued,
"Your comrade is a pervert. After seeing that my comrade could give birth to a great person, he not only ambushed us but also planned to take my comrade back to have children."
"That kind of behavior is even more shameless than the Five Great Nations. No one in Konoha would do something like that."
"By the way, where did you kidnap my adorable captain?"
Konan's eyelid twitched involuntarily as she looked at Asuka's serious expression.
Ōtaka Yūten...
It seems that possibility really does exist.
Konan remained silent for a moment before lowering her head slightly.
"I'm sorry. We caused you trouble."
Then she fixed her gaze on Asuka, her tone turning cold again.
"Since you say she's your captain, you two don't look like people from Konoha."
As she slowly raised her head, Asuka finally got a clear look at her face.
Her delicate features could certainly be called beautiful, but by the standards of the shinobi world, she was merely at the upper end of the scale.
Light-purple eyeshadow adorned the area beneath her eyes, and she wore a lip piercing.
It's really her.
Konan frowned beneath his strange gaze and said coldly,
"Answer me."
"Oh~"
Asuka gripped the kunai in his right hand and looked around, searching for his captain.
"Actually, we're here to capture a missing-nin."
Hearing this, Konan replied without hesitation,
"There are no missing-nin in the Land of Rain—"
Boom!
Before she could finish, an explosion sounded in the distance, followed by an enraged roar.
"Orochimaru! You're still alive! This time, I want a thousand living humans! Next time, two thousand!"
Asuka glanced at the enormous purple Manda before turning toward Konan.
Konan's expression wasn't looking particularly good.
Asuka leaned forward slightly, scratched his head, and said,
"Could you investigate things before lying next time? Getting exposed on the spot is pretty embarrassing."
Whoosh!
A gentle breeze swept past, sending the sheets of paper rustling.
Starting from her legs, Konan's body transformed into countless scattered sheets of paper. Two wings sprouted from her back, carrying her into the sky.
Asuka watched her rise higher and higher, his brows slowly knitting together.
So Orochimaru really did escape?
Otherwise, how else could the person who was trying to drive me away just moments ago suddenly decide to keep me here?
"Paper Rain!"
The next moment, Konan's wings suddenly swept downward.
A massive number of sheets of paper shot from her wings toward Asuka standing on the ground.
"Whew!"
Asuka took a deep breath and rapidly formed hand seals.
A fireball nearly two meters tall erupted from his mouth and surged toward the descending paper rain.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Boom!
The moment the fireball collided with the paper rain, it exploded.
The scorching heat instantly evaporated the moisture around it.
Whoosh!
After the brief interruption, the raindrops and paper began falling again.
Looking at the paper rain filling the sky, the corner of Asuka's mouth twitched.
He stamped his heel against the ground, launching his entire body backward.
Next time I return to the village, I'll study that oil-spitting toad.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The soft white paper, reinforced by chakra, struck the ground like hardened bullets.
Even with the drizzle obstructing his vision, clouds of dust slowly rose into the air.
Whoosh!
Looking down at the Konoha shinobi who had already retreated beyond the attack's range, Konan gently curled her finger.
The sheets of white paper scattered across the ground suddenly seemed to lose all weight. They floated back into the air and formed a circular shape.
"Paper Shuriken!"
A wheel made entirely of white paper spun rapidly under her control and shot toward the place where Asuka was about to land.
Clang!
The paper wheel was struck by a cold, gleaming blade, sparks exploding brilliantly from the impact.
Before it could unleash its full power, Asuka cleaved the paper wheel apart with a single slash.
Looking up at Konan flying through the sky, Asuka's black eyes once again transformed into a strange pattern.
"Okuninushi!"
Whoosh!
A semicircular blue halo instantly enveloped Konan high in the sky.
Hmm?
Konan suddenly felt a chill.
Before she could identify the source of the cold sensation, she heard the Uchiha's voice beside her ear.
"The first step to understanding a rich woman: control the atmosphere."
Asuka finished speaking and swung the Kusanagi Sword from his shoulder all the way down toward his hip.
Whoosh!
The sound of the blade cutting through the air rang across the sky.
Asuka looked at Konan, who had been sliced in half at the waist, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Just now, he hadn't felt the dull resistance of cutting through flesh.
The sensation had been completely unobstructed, almost as if he'd cut through air.
Whoosh!
Konan's two halves suddenly flew backward and merged back together in midair.
After creating some distance, Konan stared at Asuka in shock.
Just now...
How did he appear behind me?
A space-time ninjutsu?
Bang!
Unable to fly, Asuka hovered briefly before landing steadily on the ground.
He looked up at Konan floating in the sky again, a surge of envy rising within him.
I want to fly too.
Seeing that the civilians nearby had retreated far away, Konan's expression turned cold.
She raised her right hand toward the sky.
In an instant, nearly a hundred sheets of white paper sparkling with flames once again shot toward Asuka.
"Explosive tags?"
Asuka raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers.
"Room: Exchange!"
The next second, Asuka's figure disappeared once again, leaving behind only a sheet of white paper spinning in place, its direction impossible to determine.
Whoosh!
Asuka reappeared behind Konan.
He rapidly formed a one-handed seal, his cheeks puffing slightly before a straight line of flame burst from his throat.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
Konan felt the intense heat behind her dry out every trace of moisture on her body, and her expression immediately darkened.
He got behind me again.
Her enormous paper wings slowly folded inward, forming a protective barrier.
While taking the Fire Release attack head-on, Konan infused chakra into the explosive tags and transformed them into raindrops that flew backward.
At that moment, the massive flames struck the white wings.
Rather than stopping her, the impact acted like a booster, driving her toward the ground.
Boom!
The ground was blasted into a huge crater, sending dust and gravel flying in every direction.
The instant Konan was struck by the Fire Release, a flash of red passed through Asuka's eyes.
He exchanged positions with the sheets of paper drifting around him and appeared directly inside the enormous crater.
The next moment, the tip of his sword rested against Konan's throat.
His scarlet eyes slowly returned to their normal darkness.
The second step to understanding a rich woman: demonstrate your abilities.
Boom!
At that moment, the raindrops in the sky collided with one another, erupting into dazzling flashes of fire that illuminated the street like a sunset.
She's definitely a pay-to-win player.
Those explosive tags seem to be free.