Chapter 4 The Permanence Of Heaven
Chapter 4 The Permanence Of Heaven
Looking at the Flying Thunder God's mark on his sleeves, Shenyu instantly realized that he had been betrayed.
"Who are you? Answer my question obediently," the kunai moved back slightly, cutting Shenyu's skin and leaving traces of blood.
Shenyu's face was solemn as he considered a possibility, and a surge of anger suddenly rose in his heart.
He forced out a frivolous tone and said, "I'm going to the toilet."
"Do you think I'm joking with you?" the voice behind him said with a chill. "I intended to keep it quiet, but when you left the building, I signaled the ninjas on night watch to apprehend you. Yet, you were very alert and managed to elude all the guards."
"It's true, one must be vigilant even when going to the toilet. Are you naturally nosy, Senju..." Shenyu's words were cut off as he suddenly thrust backward.
The other party reacted swiftly, and with a cold flash, the kunai slashed Shenyu's face, narrowly missing a fatal blow, causing his mask to tear and fall off.
Seizing the opportunity, Shenyu jumped back, channeling chakra into his legs to swiftly create distance, leaving a faint afterimage behind.
A clear figure came into view.
The man wore a gray-blue coat, with silver hair fluttering in the wind, stern eyes, a dignified appearance, and three deep red face markings. He was none other than Senju Tobirama, the younger brother of the current Hokage!
Shenyu silently clenched his fists and quickly weighed his options.
Firstly, he could use his right eye's Mangekyō "Heaven's Standing" to perform spatial displacement and return to any position within the previous 5 minutes. However, if he vanished abruptly now, Tobirama's keen perception would likely uncover his temporal and spatial abilities. With the village under martial law, evading detection would be nearly impossible, especially with Konoha potentially dispatching Hyuga clan ninjas for a thorough search. Shenyu lacked confidence in evading their patrols.
Alternatively, he could confront Tobirama directly. Once he found an opening, he could escape the village. If he reached outside, Uchiha Madara could retrieve him promptly.
In just one second, thoughts flashed through his mind. Accepting his current predicament, he swiftly formulated his escape plan.
"Uchiha? He's actually a little thief."
Tobirama coldly glanced at Shenyu. "Three magatama Sharingan, excellent teleportation technique... I remember you, the Uchiha speedster? No wonder you're so agile."
"Tobirama-sama, why are you still playing games? Do you truly take me for a fool?" Shenyu sneered, pulling off his coat. "My plan was flawless. If not for a certain white-eyed informant, you wouldn't be here."
As he finished speaking, fire ignited in his right hand and burned it to ashes along with the Flying Thunder God's mark.
Shenyu narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly. "Coming to escort me to the toilet so late must be courtesy of the letter my dear brother sent you. It seems he's truly... concerned about me."
"Hmph, sharp tongue and sharp teeth."
Tobirama glanced at the blood on the kunai, his eyes flickering. "I must admit, you are quite capable. Sneaking into the secret room at night, stealing confidential documents, who was behind you?"
"All thanks to Tobirama-sama's thorough training. Everything I know, I learned on the battlefield," Shenyu raised his eyebrows.
Tobirama snorted coldly. "Are you going to talk, or do I need to make you?"
"Where is my dear brother?"
"First, take care of yourself. Hand over the secret scroll and come quietly to the prison. That might spare your life."
"Sorry, not interested," Shenyu shook his head gently. "I'm leaving Konoha. I want nothing more to do with it."
"Arrogant. What do you think Konoha is? You can come and go as you please?" Tobirama sneered. "Someone like Madara has followers imitating him!"
"Master Tobirama, do you intend to stop me?"
"Hmph, I don't need to act against you."
As he finished speaking, figures surrounded him. In seconds, over twenty Senju ninjas encircled Shenyu.
Hearing the dense footsteps, Shenyu's eyes widened. He turned to look behind him. At the entrance of Konoha Village, shadowy figures emerged, dressed uniformly. Under the faint moonlight, pairs of blood-red eyes stared coldly at him.
Uchiha!
"Brother!" A young figure squeezed out from the crowd of Senju clan.
"Uchiha Shenyu!" He shouted at Shenyu, "Stop being so stubborn. You...you must have been bewitched by Master Madara, right?"
"Me? Bewitched?"
Shenyu glared at his younger brother, eyes burning with anger. "You've turned coat, playing both sides. Have you forgotten how our parents died?"
"Hatred will never end. If we keep letting hatred spread, this hard-won peace will collapse!" Uchiha said tearfully, "Madara-sama has betrayed the village. You can't keep making the same mistakes!"
"Hahahahaha!" Shenyu laughed bitterly, fists clenched, "And who's betraying whom now?"
"I'm sorry, brother. I wanted to stop you, but I know I'm no match for you, so..."
Tears welled in his eyes as Uchiha Kagami spoke, "But don't worry. I've made an agreement with Tobirama-sama. If you cooperate, I'll make sure you're released soon. We can live together in Konoha, isn't that good?"
"Should I thank you then?!" Shenyu was so angry his whole body shook, the red light in his eyes deepening.
"Elder brother!"
"Shut up!"
Shenyu took a deep breath, sneering, "Thankfully... I already knew you were a backstabber, so I didn't tell you everything..."
Tobirama looked at Shenyu expressionlessly, waving his hand impatiently, "Get him!"
The ninjas were about to move when a powerful aura suddenly burst from Shenyu!
Dark and melancholic chakra overflowed from his body like a blazing fire mixed with bone-chilling cold.
In Tobirama's shocked eyes, Shenyu slowly raised his head, his black hair moving on its own, the magatama in his eyes swirling and shifting, beautiful ink patterns spreading across his blood-red pupils!
"This is... Mangekyō Sharingan!" Even Tobirama couldn't help but shudder under the gaze of those eyes.
"No, this brat is beyond hope. He must be killed here and now!" Tobirama immediately formed hand seals without hesitation, "I won't allow him to become another Madara!"
"Water Style·Water Breaking Wave!"
Tobirama's attack was swift and fierce, a thick surge of water bursting forth like a sharp blade unsheathed, cutting Shenyu's body in half with a "pop" sound!
Blood dyed the water red, resembling a massive flower blooming in the water.
"Brother!" Uchiha Kagami fell to the ground, heartbroken. "It shouldn't be like this..."
Under the moonlight, Shenyu's body seemed to distort momentarily, blood swirling, limbs reconnecting, yet he stood there unscathed!
"What! Could it be... Izanagi??" Tobirama's eyes widened in disbelief, but Shenyu's eyes remained intact, showing no signs of abnormality.
Before he could react, three ninjas rushed towards Shenyu instantly.
Shenyu's fighting style was brutal, unlike that of ordinary ninjas; it resembled that of a fearless beast, completely contrasting with his harmless appearance!
The sword struck him head-on, but he made no attempt to dodge. Instead, he blocked the blade with the side of his palm, the sword cutting into his right shoulder!
Ignoring the blood splatter, he struck the enemy's chin with a flying knee. Taking advantage of the moment when the enemy lost consciousness, he circled behind and swiftly snapped their neck.
"Ha!"
The sharp sword light slashed diagonally from behind. Shenyu raised his eyes as if anticipating it, disappearing and reappearing behind the attacker simultaneously. The sword struck the opponent's wrist, cutting off the sword light.
The man involuntarily loosened his grip, allowing Shenyu to take the long knife from his hand and stab him in the back.
At that moment, a cold short sword emerged from Shenyu's chest, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.
"Go to hell!" The final assailant, an Uchiha clan member, with the powerful insight of Sharingan, exploited a flaw in Shenyu's defense.
"Why?"
"Why are you attacking me?" Shenyu turned his body tremblingly, ignoring the excruciating pain in his chest, as if trying to see the attacker's face clearly.
The Uchiha ninja sneered sarcastically, "Huh, the Uchiha are now part of Konoha. You, a stubborn black sheep, have no place here!"
Shen Yu reached out, gripping the man's shoulder. His eyes, as cold as a wild beast, filled the other with terror!
"Death is too good for you!"
Shenyu raised his eyes, and Mangekyō Sharingan blazed with red light, "Genjutsu·Shaohang no Jutsu!"
Seizing the moment, he twisted the long knife, stabbing the man's throat with a "pop" sound, blood flowing freely!
Shenyu withdrew the blade, the gear pattern in his right eye rotating slightly. His body returned strangely to its original state. The short sword that had pierced his chest fell to the ground with a clang, his clothes as pristine as before.
This astonishing sight sent shivers down the spines of all the ninjas present.
"Impossible! This guy can't be killed!"
"Damn it, what kind of self-healing ability is this!"
Tobirama narrowed his eyes and noticed the blood stains on the kunai that had scratched Shenyu had vanished.
"This isn't mere self-healing..."
With a clap of his hands, water molecules in the air surged rapidly, the surroundings visibly dampening. In an instant, an immense amount of water materialized out of thin air!
"Water Style·Water Shockwave!"
The water spun like a tornado, catching Shenyu off guard, wrapping around one of his arms and pulling him in.
Though it lasted only a moment, Tobirama keenly observed as Shenyu was sucked into the water. The Mangekyō in his left eye rotated slightly, akin to a clock.
Suddenly, the lead Senju ninja roared. Countless kunai and shurikens flew in, splashing water as "plop, plop, plop" resounded, the waterspout turning red from the mingled blood.
After three to five breaths, the water receded, revealing Shenyu standing up slowly. Under the cold moonlight, his blood-red eyes gleamed dimly.
No one could believe their eyes. The boy stood unscathed, the blood vanished as if the entire ordeal had been an illusion.