Chapter 32: The Demon and the Scythe
"How dare you?!"
The commotion quickly alerted those inside the manor. Several figures who appeared to be part of a patrol squad rushed out. Seeing their dead comrades, their expressions turned vicious. "You dare attack our Demon Clan? Are you prepared to die?!" one of them snarled.
"Tch! Not even the gods can save you now for offending our Demon Clan in the Land of Waves!" another jeered, their words implying that Scorpion and Naoki had signed their own death warrants.
And just then…
Two more figures appeared behind the patrol, both tall and imposing. Seeing these two, the guards' confidence swelled. "Brother Meizu! Brother Gōzu!" they cried out.
The two newcomers wore slashed Kirigakure forehead protectors and had spikes on their masks. Dressed in camouflage and wearing breathing apparatuses, the oppressive aura they exuded was far greater than the patrol members, solidly at the Chunin level.
"Where did these lunatics come from, daring to cause trouble in front of our Demon Clan?!" the one named Meizu on the left spoke, his voice dripping with arrogance as he stared coldly at the Scarlet Sand Scorpion. "Kneel and beg for mercy, and I'll grant you a dignified death!"
The guards behind him immediately chimed in, shouting, "Torture them hard, Brother Meizu! Show them our power!"
"Kekeke! Tremble in fear! The one you face is Lord Meizu, an elite Chunin of Kirigakure!"
"Didn't you hear him? Get on your knees and beg!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Naoki swept his gaze over the crowd and shook his head in resignation. "Should I say you have a death wish?"
But his words only made the guards laugh as if they'd heard the best joke of their lives.
"Hahaha! What did I just hear?"
"We're the ones with a death wish?"
"Pfft! I'm dying! Kid, were you dropped on your head as a baby?"
"We've killed countless mysterious posers like you! Do you think you scare us?"
Even Meizu and Gōzu couldn't help but sneer contemptuously upon hearing this.
"Since you refuse to kneel, then die!" With that, the two lunged forward simultaneously, closing the distance to the Scarlet Sand Scorpion in an instant. The massive iron claws in their hands shot out, trailing chains. "Combination Attack: Chain Bind Kill!"
The watching guards cheered excitedly. "It's their signature move! No one escapes this without killing one of the brothers! These two are dead!"
But their cheers were abruptly cut short the next moment.
The segmented tail from Hiruko, controlled by Sasori, whipped out with blinding speed. It shredded the chains with a sharp clang and nearly tore Meizu and Gōzu's bodies in half in the process.
"GYAAAH—!!"
Meizu and Gōzu crashed to the ground, screaming as blood gushed from their catastrophic wounds. Their lips instantly turned blue, and they began vomiting blood uncontrollably. After a few weak struggles, they lay still, their lives extinguished.
Hiss!!!
The scene plunged the previously clamorous guards into a dead silence, their faces now masks of pure panic and terror. This was a joke, right? Their revered leaders, Meizu and Gōzu, whom they saw as gods, had been killed so effortlessly? How was this possible? The realization that they had been disrespectful to such a powerhouse made their legs turn to jelly.
"Just now… who was it that told me to kneel and beg for mercy?" Hiruko's icy, mechanical gaze swept across each of their faces, the question posed word by deliberate word.
Terrified sweat poured from the guards. They immediately began kowtowing frantically, their foreheads thudding against the ground as they begged for mercy.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, a heavy, oppressive aura descended, accompanied by a cold, murderous voice. "You have some nerve, killing my men. Do you think Zabuza Momochi is someone you can bully?"
These words seemed to give the guards their backbone back. They scrambled to their feet, shouting with reborn excitement. "Lord Zabuza!"
A man with short, spiky black hair, the lower half of his face and neck wrapped in bandages, strode forward. Slung across his back was the massive, iconic Kubikiribōchō, the Executioner's Blade. It was none other than the target of Uchiha Naoki and Sasori's mission—the S-Rank rogue ninja of Kirigakure, the "Demon," Zabuza Momochi!
The guards, who had just been begging for their lives, now puffed out their chests and yelled taunts again. "Kekeke! You're finished now! Lord Zabuza is a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen! He's not an enemy you can hope to defeat!"
"Do you really think we're pushovers?! We'll pay you back double for the humiliation you just caused us!"
Watching this, Uchiha Naoki couldn't help but muse, "Their faces change faster than the pages of a book."
Hearing the commotion, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion turned to face the newcomer and snorted dismissively. "So, the master of the house finally shows himself." He got straight to the point. "Zabuza Momochi, on behalf of the 'Akatsuki' organization, I invite you to join us."
Zabuza snorted coldly. "Join just because you say so? And besides, don't you plan to explain why you killed my subordinates?"
From behind him, another figure emerged from the mist. The aura he exuded was not weak, possessing the level of a Special Jonin. But it was this person who caused Uchiha Naoki to let out a surprised "Huh?"
The Scarlet Sand Scorpion couldn't help but ask, "What is it, Naoki?" His partner was usually unflappable; it was rare for him to show such open surprise. Did it mean an unexpected powerhouse had appeared, threatening their mission?
"It's nothing. I just saw someone who shouldn't be here. However, it doesn't change much," Naoki replied, his gaze fixed on the man walking behind Zabuza. The corner of his mouth twitched upward. Interesting. I didn't expect to run into such a legendary figure here.
The man had long green hair, thick black eyeshadow around his eyes, and strikingly wide, red lips. His upper body was wrapped in bandages. On his back was a distinct sword with two curved hooks, which occasionally crackled with faint arcs of lightning.
It was none other than one of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the wielder of the "Kiba" swords, the "Thunder," Black Whirlwind Raiga!
Perhaps due to the butterfly effect caused by Uchiha Naoki's presence, both Zabuza Momochi and Raiga had defected earlier than in the original timeline. This also meant that Zabuza, at this point, was merely a powerful Jonin and had not yet acquired the Executioner's Blade.
"I didn't expect to encounter such a strong enemy right off the bat. How interesting!" Black Whirlwind Raiga stepped up beside Zabuza, his expression one of dark amusement. "So, Zabuza, do you want my help?"
Zabuza nodded. "In that case, I'll take you up on it. My thanks." Why refuse help when it was offered? The enemy was clearly not weak.
But with Raiga's appearance, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion looked at Uchiha Naoki. "A target outside the mission parameters has appeared, Naoki. What are your thoughts?"
It wasn't that he couldn't handle it. The Scarlet Sand Scorpion could suppress a few more Swordsmen if needed. But he had agreed to handle this alone. Now, Black Whirlwind Raiga was an external factor not covered in his agreement with Uchiha Naoki.
"Leave him to me," Uchiha Naoki said, his eyes locked on Raiga as he licked his lips. "I think his lightning swords look quite interesting."
These words immediately made Raiga narrow his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them. "You little brat, do you have any idea what you're saying? Do you have a death wish?!" He, a proud member of the Seven, was being provoked by a kid who couldn't be older than fifteen? Did this boy think he was an easy target?