As Hayashi's strength continued to grow, his genjutsu became increasingly refined and oppressive. Before the enemies could properly react, all four of them had already fallen under his control in an instant.
That was how it should have ended.
In less than a second, Hayashi had already closed the distance, charging straight toward the Cloud ninja who carried Kushina on his back.
Crack.
One of the cherry blossom petals drifting through the air suddenly shattered like fragile glass.
Hayashi's expression shifted. Recalling how he had been detected before he even revealed himself earlier, realization struck him immediately.
The enemy had a sensory type ninja.
Such shinobi could fight while deliberately cutting off their vision, preventing visual based genjutsu from fully taking effect.
Sure enough, in the very next moment, without opening his eyes, the Cloud ninja hurled three kunai with precision, all aimed straight for Hayashi's chest.
Hayashi ducked cleanly beneath them. At the same time, the opponent completed his hand seals at astonishing speed. A violently erupting ring of lightning burst outward, forcing Hayashi back.
"Be careful," the man shouted. "This kid is no ordinary ninja."
Using the brief opening he created, he also helped his subordinates break free from the genjutsu.
Suddenly, another Cloud ninja appeared behind Hayashi.
"Die!" the man roared, gripping a kunai with both hands and thrusting forward with killing intent.
Before the blade could reach him, a sharp blue bolt of lightning pierced straight through the attacker's chest.
"Lightning Release, Chidori Sharp Spear."
Hayashi impaled the ninja behind him, then pressed the lightning downward and flung the lifeless body away with a sharp motion.
"You're not from some minor village, are you?" Hayashi mocked calmly. "You're falling a little too easily."
When it came to verbal sparring, he had never feared anyone.
"Lightning Release, False Darkness!"
A bolt of lightning shot toward him.
Hayashi's figure flickered and vanished, reappearing directly in front of the ninja who had just unleashed the technique.
"Earth Release, Exploding Fist."
The Cloud ninja to the side rapidly formed hand seals. Massive chunks of rock enveloped his arm like a giant gauntlet as he threw a powerful punch.
Hayashi leapt upward just in time. The ground below exploded outward in all directions with a deafening boom, sending debris flying.
Before the man could follow up, Hayashi, still airborne, snapped his wrist. Several black snakes shot forward, coiling tightly around the ninja's neck. Their fangs sank in effortlessly, injecting neurotoxin directly into his bloodstream.
The use of poison was something Hayashi had learned during his encounters with Sand shinobi. The battlefield was brutal, but it was also an excellent teacher, especially when it came to efficient killing.
In only a few seconds, two Cloud ninja had already fallen.
The pressure on the remaining two instantly doubled.
"How terrifying," one of them muttered, swallowing hard as he stared at the boy calmly taking lives.
"What do we do, Captain?"
"Fall back," the middle aged ninja ordered grimly. "Create distance and suppress him with ninjutsu."
As he spoke, he hurled shuriken and kunai in quick succession. Several kunai tied with explosive tags were driven into the ground, detonating one after another to restrict Hayashi's movement.
Explosions echoed through the forest.
When the smoke cleared, a large crater surrounded Hayashi, yet he remained standing exactly where he was.
A thin layer of water slowly dispersed in front of him as he lowered his hands.
"It's been a while since I used Water Release," Hayashi remarked lightly. "At least my control hasn't completely dulled."
At the moment the explosive tags detonated, he had used the Water Screen Technique to form a defensive barrier, blocking the shockwaves entirely.
However, when he looked up again, only one enemy remained.
The middle aged captain, carrying Kushina, was already gone.
"So you were abandoned," Hayashi said softly, brushing dust from his cloak as he turned toward the last Cloud ninja. "That must hurt."
"I was prepared to sacrifice myself for the village!" the man shouted.
"Is that so?" Hayashi shook his head. "Then your sacrifice will be meaningless. Don't worry though, I'll send your captain down to keep you company soon."
"Don't underestimate me!"
The ninja rapidly formed hand seals. Thick earthen spears erupted from the ground, each as thick as an arm, hovering menacingly in front of him.
"Go!"
Five earth spears shot forward simultaneously.
Judging from their power, Hayashi knew his Water Release defense would not withstand their penetrating force.
Instead, he clenched his right fist and slammed it into the ground. A massive boulder flipped upward. With a sharp twist of his wrist, he sent it spinning forward.
Boom.
A violent crash echoed as dust and debris filled the space between them.
In the next instant, Hayashi vanished, slipping into the shadows cast by the surrounding trees.
A dozen seconds later, he emerged calmly from the forest, one hand hanging loosely at his side. In that hand was a sealing scroll, inside it the severed head of the enemy.
So it really was the Cloud Village.
...
Elsewhere in the forest, the Cloud ninja carrying Kushina leapt desperately from branch to branch.
His chakra reserves were nearly depleted, and carrying an extra burden made matters worse. There was no way he could endure another full battle.
His only option was to hide and wait for a chance to escape the Land of Fire.
If that failed…
He glanced at Kushina on his back, a flicker of cold resolve passing through his eyes.
Having made up his mind, he stopped forcibly stimulating his body with chakra and began searching for a suitable hiding place.
"What are you looking for, uncle?"
Hayashi's voice sounded behind him, calm and close, like death itself catching up.
The Cloud ninja froze.
"That's impossible," he shouted, spinning around in disbelief. "You're just a kid. How could you be this fast?"
"Who told you I was a kid?" Hayashi interrupted lightly. "I'm actually an old monster."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Seeing you reminds me of the first Cloud ninja I ever fought, the First Raikage."
The Cloud ninja's expression stiffened.
Why did that line sound so familiar?
Far away, in the Land of Hot Water, Kakuzu suddenly sneezed while soaking in a hot spring.
"Tch," he muttered irritably. "I hate catching colds. Medical bills cost money."
Back in the forest, the Cloud ninja felt a crushing sense of helplessness. He could not win in battle, nor in words. Clinging to unrealistic hope, he reached for another set of explosive tags.
"Oh?" Hayashi chuckled. "That trick again?"
He snapped his fingers.
"Who allowed you to run?"
The Cloud ninja's eyes widened in horror as his chakra suddenly spiraled out of control. His flow became chaotic, completely unresponsive.
With unstable chakra, he lost his footing and fell straight from the tree.
"Don't come any closer!"
Panicking, the Cloud ninja pulled out a kunai and pressed it against Kushina's neck.
"A hostage?" Hayashi said with amusement. "Take another look at what you're holding."
The man glanced down and screamed.
In his hands was not a child, but a pale white snake, its cold eyes locked onto him.
"Hayashi, what's wrong with him?"
Kushina's voice sounded nearby.
Hayashi crouched in front of the unconscious Cloud ninja and replied casually, "Just a genjutsu. He's probably having some pleasant dreams."
He stood up and looked toward Kushina, who was bound and slowly wriggling toward him from a short distance away.
The sight was so ridiculous that Hayashi could not help but laugh.
____
Want to support or read ahead?
I gottu.... Become a patron right now to get access to exclusive chapters in advance
Patreon.com/Zphyr
Send Powerstones too, thanks.