Light Cannon
Although unwilling, Tai Yi had no choice but to stop teasing Shirō; the mission was more important.
It was strange—Tai Yi had always been puzzled. Every time he tried to mess with Shirō, Shikamaru would step in and interrupt him. If not for their years of teamwork, Tai Yi might have suspected that Shikamaru and Shirō were in on it together.
Still, Tai Yi let the thought drift away and focused as Shikamaru began his explanation.
"We need to be cautious this time. According to the intel, the enemy is a strange kind of monster. Whether it's truly evil or not isn't for us to decide."
"What matters," Shikamaru continued, "is that the enemy includes a certain type of creature. They aren't individually powerful, but they possess a form of immortality that makes them very troublesome."
"Immortality?" Tai Yi frowned. "Like the shinobi in the Hidden Hot Water Village?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "Not the same. The Jashinists there were difficult to kill. These ones are different—they regenerate. Even if they're torn apart, they reassemble. According to the intel, only Sealing Techniques can suppress them."
"Huh? Then why not just send a sealing squad?" Tai Yi asked.
"It's probably because there are too many of them, right?" Shirō cuts in, glancing at Shikamaru for confirmation.
"That's correct," Shikamaru nodded. "The reports aren't clear on the exact number. We'll need to scout and confirm it ourselves."
He looked at Shirō. "That means your role will be heavier this time."
"Leave it to me. Don't worry."
It was true—Shirō had the best reconnaissance methods among them.
"Alright then, let's set off. Shirō, is your puppet stable now?" Nakamura asked.
"Of course, Captain. I already repaired it. This time, it's absolutely reliable!"
"You said that last time too…"
"Ha… ha… Don't worry! I scrapped the last design." Shirō rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
The memory of "giant bird No. 2" suddenly crashing the last mission was still fresh, and none of them wanted a repeat of that fiasco.
"…Alright. I'll trust you one more time." Nakamura sighed.
---
After leaving the village, Shirō pulled out a prepared vial of blood, formed hand seals, and slammed his palm down.
"Summoning Technique!"
Rather than biting his finger like most shinobi, Shirō used pre-stored blood. Each tube was treated to preserve vitality—low-tech, but practical.
Tai Yi and the others were already used to it. But Miyue gasped when the bird appeared.
"Why is your bird so big!?"
"…" Shirō stared at her. Girl, those words can cause misunderstandings…
"This is giant bird No. 2," he explained flatly. "Different from flying bird No. 1."
"…That name is so ugly."
"…Are you getting on or not?"
"Hahaha, let's just go," Shikamaru interrupted. "We're already late. Konoha received this mission request a week after it was sent. Other villages might already be on the move."
"Then let's fly."
They all boarded giant bird No. 2 and took off.
---
During the flight, the squad stayed quiet, reviewing and organizing their gear. Since sealing was the key to this mission, and none of them were sealing specialists, their only real options were pre-made sealing scrolls—barely effective in combat. Their focus would be on containment and buying time.
Shirō, however, was lost in thought.
If I remember right… These "immortal monsters" aren't the real threat. The mastermind behind them is Mōryō.
The name carried weight in shinobi history. The demon Mōryō had clashed with the Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons before, and according to legends, it possessed chakra on the level of a Tailed Beast. Even Naruto in his four-tailed cloak struggled against its reincarnation body.
If we face Mōryō itself… normal weapons won't cut it. I'll need something big. A Noble Phantasm-level strike—a Light Cannon.
But there was a problem.
Currently, Shirō could only Project up to C-rank Noble Phantasms. And Light Cannons of true destructive class were usually A-rank or higher.
Still… rare didn't mean impossible. After combing through his mental arsenal, Shirō finally found a candidate. To his surprise, it was only C-rank—he had thought it would be A++.
Relieved, Shirō began preparing. He projected several Noble Phantasms, adjusting and modifying them so they could be detonated when the time came.
While working, he also used alchemy to reshape spare ninja tools into more mission-suitable forms.
Tai Yi and Shikamaru silently set their unused weapons next to him—by now, they were used to Shirō's "logistics magic." Every mission, it became routine.
Miyue and Xiao Guang, however, were astonished.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?" Miyue whispered to Tai Yi.
"Oh, right—you haven't seen it yet," Tai Yi said. "This is Shirō's secret skill. He can reshape ninja tools. It's slow to use in battle, so he mainly does it for support."
Nakamura added, "If you've got any tools you won't be using this mission, let him modify them too. The stronger you are, the safer we all are."
Miyue hesitated, then bowed slightly. "Then… thank you, Captain Nakamura." She handed over her spare tools.
Shirō raised his head from his work, frowning. "Hold on, I'm the one doing the work. Why are you thanking Captain?"
"Hahaha, just keep at it," Nakamura smirked. "And make sure you finish before we reach the Land of Demons. You'll need time to recover your chakra."
"Damn it… why do you all act like this is free labor? Don't I have human rights?" Shirō grumbled.
But he sped up his movements anyway. Nakamura was right—chakra recovery would be crucial when they finally confronted Mōryō.
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