I Just Wanted to Slack Off, But I Was Forced to Become Hokage

Chapter 86: Black Shadow Army, Attack!

Tsunade's command was like a shot of adrenaline to the many Konoha ninja present. Even the Sunagakure ninja outside Kikyo Castle, like Chiyo, heard her shout.

"That detestable slug woman!" Chiyo, who had maintained a composed expression until now, suddenly changed her face. "She's actually in this Kikyo Castle as well... Brother!"

Hearing his sister's call, Ebizō, holding his giant ninja fan, silently stepped over, preparing to coordinate with her for the next round of attacks.

Inside Kikyo Castle.

Nara Keisuke quickly checked the newly triggered S-rank commissioned mission. The sound of wind whistled from the sky as the old clan head, riding a shadow eagle, arrived at his side.

"Keisuke!" At this critical moment, Nara Shikano wasted no words. "I just saw the enemy preparing for the next round of attacks. You will ride the shadow eagle with me into the sky now. We will use the aerial advantage to suppress and strike the Suna Puppet Brigade."

The old clan head knew that Keisuke possessed a [Chakra Crystal] and could, when necessary, unleash an amount of chakra far exceeding that of an ordinary ninja. Now was the time to use it!

Before Keisuke could even speak, Chiyo and Ebizō outside the castle had already launched a new coordinated attack.

Chiyo was still controlling her "Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets." She summoned three more puppets, which stood before her and formed the hand seal for molding chakra. "Chikamatsu Collection: Blazing Prison Bewitching Formation!"

Three humanoid puppets, different from the previous ones, gathered together, each taking a position in a formation. They released a powerful, high-level Fire Release ninjutsu towards Kikyo Castle. A scorching, orange-red stream of flame erupted from the gathering point of the three puppets, instantly illuminating more than half of the dark night. The walls of Kikyo Castle were lit up by the blazing firelight.

Just then, Ebizō at the side also finished molding his chakra. He swung the ninja fan in his hand with great force, coordinating with Chiyo's fire jutsu to activate an equally powerful, high-level Wind Release ninjutsu. "Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"

With the enhancement of the ninja fan, Ebizō's wind-nature chakra condensed into thin, sharp blades of wind, which effortlessly merged into the scorching stream of flame formed by the "Blazing Prison Bewitching Formation." The fire, fed by the wind, grew even more powerful. This brilliant pillar of flame, carrying an incredibly high burning temperature, crossed half the battlefield and once again struck the entrance of Kikyo Castle. Wherever the stream of flame passed, the earth was scorched black. The nearest soil was even melted and fused by the high-temperature flames, turning into flowing lava.

Faced with a wind and fire combination ninjutsu of this magnitude, Nara Keisuke's pupils contracted slightly. Without waiting to respond to the old clan head, he directly took a step forward. Another [Shadow Doppelganger] emerged from his shadow, carrying a Water-nature [Nature Mask].

Keisuke's main body rapidly formed hand signs. Through the resonance of the [Chakra Crystal], he, in the nick of time, used the B-rank Water Release ninjutsu improved by Senju Tobirama.

[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique]!

A lifelike, baring-its-fangs-and-brandishing-its-claws water dragon shot out from in front of Keisuke. With a faint, looming dragon's roar, it fearlessly charged towards the oncoming violent stream of flame.

BOOM!!

The stream of flame and the water dragon collided fiercely in mid-air. After only a brief stalemate, the latter was evaporated into clouds of white steam by the terrifyingly intense flames. The thick white steam quickly filled the entire battlefield, then thinned out under the continuous evaporation from the "Blazing Prison Bewitching Formation," until it dissipated completely.

But taking advantage of the brief moment the [Water Dragon Bullet Technique] held it back, the [Shadow Doppelganger], using the Water-nature [Nature Mask], smoothly cast another B-rank Water Release ninjutsu.

[Water Collision Waves]!

Water-nature chakra formed an invisible vortex around the [Shadow Doppelganger]. It sucked all the remaining thin water vapor from the air, forming a spiraling, towering waterspout at the entrance of Kikyo Castle. Compared to the [Water Dragon Bullet Technique], the [Water Collision Waves] could form a larger defensive area and had a better defensive effect.

The combination ninjutsu formed by the "Blazing Prison Bewitching Formation" and the "Wind Cutter Technique" crashed into the giant waterspout. It once again erupted in an astonishing roar. The [Shadow Doppelganger] unsparingly drew on the Water Release chakra stored in the [Nature Mask], using all of it to maintain the effect of the [Water Collision Waves] to resist the attack.

The Konoha ninja who had been standing by also reacted. Those who had lost their combat ability in the poison mist earlier were temporarily pushed to the side. A few ninja who were skilled in Water Release nature transformation stepped forward, using their own water jutsu to help resist Sunagakure's ninjutsu offense.

With the addition of these fresh forces, the pressure on the [Shadow Doppelganger] suddenly lightened. But amidst the roar of water and fire colliding, a faint "cracking" sound reached his ears. He looked down and saw that the [Nature Mask] he was carrying had already developed several deep cracks, as if it were about to shatter in the next moment.

'The consumption in a short period was too great. This Water-nature [Nature Mask] is about to be destroyed...'

Unlike the A-rank ninja tool [Chakra Crystal], which could recharge on its own, the [Nature Mask]'s endurance and durability were far inferior. If too much chakra was output in a short period, the mask's own wooden structure could easily be damaged.

However, the [Shadow Doppelganger] didn't feel heartbroken. Having mastered the [Nature Mask Forging Method], these masks could be considered a "consumable ninja tool." Keisuke had already created and stored a large number of [Nature Masks] according to his own chakra natures, his main principle being to be prepared for any eventuality. One mask breaks, and there are thousands more. The masks are indestructible.

With the combined help of the many water jutsu, the scorching stream of flame released by the Suna Puppet Brigade finally dissipated completely. Only this time, the white mist and water vapor that filled the battlefield did not immediately disperse.

"Keisuke, take this opportunity—" The old clan head was just about to speak, to once again invite Keisuke.

"Clan Head, let me go alone," Keisuke interrupted him. "We are still very short-handed here in Kikyo Castle."

Nara Shikano frowned, but in the end, he nodded and agreed to Keisuke's request. The reason was none other than this: what he knew, Keisuke also knew. And what he didn't know, Keisuke also knew. Even the [Shadow Beast Scroll] was something Keisuke had proactively shared with the family. To put it impolitely, even if Shikano carried Keisuke to the battlefield on a shadow eagle, besides serving as a "vehicle," he could contribute almost nothing else to the battle. The old clan head didn't have a [Chakra Crystal] and couldn't provide ultra-long-range fire suppression. To act together with Keisuke might even hinder his performance.

"Keisuke..." Nara Shikano looked at his family's junior with gratification, hiding the worry in the depths of his eyes. "Be careful of everything."

Keisuke nodded lightly. A bird made of dark shadow grew and expanded at his feet, flapped its wings, and carried him into the sky.

Standing on the back of the [Shadow Creature], Keisuke looked down on the entire battlefield from above. His [Lacquer Eye] instantly opened, and an invisible sensory power passed through the obstructing water mist, spreading to cover the entire field. Under the gaze of the [Lacquer Eye], one target after another appeared clearly in the thick mist, revealing their respective positions and shapes.

Previously, the [Lacquer Eye] did not have such fine sensory perception. This was an effect it only gained after integrating the Yamanaka clan's [Sensing] secret technique. At the same time, the intricate chakra strings connecting the targets were also clearly reflected in his eyes.

Keisuke quickly scanned the battlefield, his mind constantly calculating, confirming the "focal point" of each of those chakra strings. A puppet master controls a puppet through their chakra strings. In other words, the source of the many chakra strings was the puppet master's own body!

Standing on the back of the [Shadow Creature], Keisuke's gaze locked onto a Suna puppet master closest to Kikyo Castle. He quietly raised his finger, and a ball of Yin Release chakra condensed into a sphere at his fingertip.

[A-rank Technique: Spiraling Shadow Imitation Bullet]

[Technique Description: Self-developed technique, super-advanced shadow secret technique.]

[Technique Effect: Infuse one's own Yin Release chakra into a shadow and materialize the shadow into a condensed, solid, high-speed rotating pellet. The initial firing velocity can exceed the speed of sound. Upon hitting an enemy, the Yin Release chakra stored within the [Spiraling Shadow Imitation Bullet] will instantly erupt, thereby transforming into a [Shadow Doppelganger], which can use all the Yin Release secret techniques that the user has mastered.]

[Technique Evaluation: It takes a ninja to defeat a ninja!]

Bang—

The [Spiraling Shadow Imitation Bullet] instantly pierced the air, leaving visible rings of airwaves in its wake. In the blink of an eye, it shot to the vicinity of the Suna puppet master. Perhaps it was a sixth sense for danger that saved his life. Although he didn't detect the attack path of the bullet, at that moment, a stroke of inspiration made him take a step to the side, avoiding the direct attack.

However, this kind of "luck" was not a common occurrence. Although the bullet did not hit the target directly, it did hit his shadow. A [Shadow Doppelganger] grew directly from the spot that was hit and, by means of the overlapping shadows, used the [Shadow Paralysis Jutsu] to firmly restrict the opponent's ability to move.

"Why can't I move..."

Until this moment, this Suna puppet master still hadn't noticed the existence of the [Shadow Doppelganger], only feeling a sense of horror that his mobility had been inexplicably suppressed.

The [Shadow Doppelganger] was not in the habit of chatting with the enemy. After controlling the enemy, it directly followed up with the next round of attacks.

[Shadow Piercing Bullet]!

A lacquer-black bullet shot from behind, directly entering the Suna puppet master's brain, killing him on the spot.

Nara Keisuke, still flying in the sky, paid no attention to the actions of this [Shadow Doppelganger]. He just looked down at the Suna Puppet Brigade below and fired one [Spiraling Shadow Imitation Bullet] after another.

One by one, the bullets transformed into [Shadow Doppelgangers], landing beside the numerous ninja of the Sunagakure Puppet Brigade. Under the cover of the mist, this "Black Shadow Army" composed of [Shadow Doppelgangers] began to reap the lives of the Suna ninja at an extremely fast speed.

In the thick mist, the miserable cries and wails of the Suna ninja rose and fell, one after another, without end.

"Wind Release: Air Current Wild Dance!"

Ebizō, having already sensed that something was wrong, forcefully waved the ninja fan in his hand, summoning a gale that directly blew away the cold water mist that enveloped the battlefield.

The mist dispersed. The Puppet Brigade, symbolizing the elite power of Sunagakure, lay scattered across the battlefield. Most of the Suna ninja who controlled the puppets were now as silent as their puppets.

Nara Keisuke's indifferent voice came from the sky. "Mere grains of sand, nothing more."

(End of Chapter)

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