Chapter 297: The Terrifying Attacker

Chapter 297: Chapter 297: The Terrifying Attacker

The attacker who had fled from the Hokage Building moved with astonishing speed. With only a few leaps and bounds, he had already covered a great distance, leaving the village’s central district behind.

The pursuing ANBU had no intention of giving up.

Against an enemy who dared attempt to assassinate the Hokage, the ANBU would never show mercy. Ignoring the strain on their bodies, they pushed the Body Flicker Technique to its limits and followed closely behind the attacker.

"Hmph!"

Glancing back at the ANBU still pursuing him, an almost uncontrollable killing intent surfaced on the attacker’s face.

Making up his mind, he dropped down onto a long street.

At this moment, the street was in complete chaos. Everywhere, villagers were evacuating with their families in tow. No one knew exactly what had happened, and confusion reigned throughout the area.

The attacker stood silently amid the surging crowd, looking contemptuously at the approaching ANBU.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Accompanied by successive bursts of rushing wind, the pursuing ANBU arrived on the street one after another.

They spread out around the area—some landing directly on the street, others on the eaves, and still others atop the surrounding buildings.

Without a word, they formed a loose encirclement, trapping the black-robed attacker in the center.

The simultaneous appearance of so many ANBU immediately made the villagers on the street realize that something was wrong.

Many of Konoha’s villagers were family members of shinobi. The sudden appearance of such a large number of ninja immediately told them that a battle was very likely about to break out here.

Thus, without even needing a warning from the ANBU, the villagers scattered and fled on their own.

Before long, only the attacker and the group of ANBU remained on the street.

Sweeping his gaze across the ANBU who had pursued him, the attacker smiled. "Is this all the people who managed to catch up?"

Hearing this, the ANBU exchanged glances.

The force pursuing the attacker consisted of three squads—a total of twelve ANBU. For dealing with just a single enemy, a pursuit force of this size was already considerable.

The attacker’s icy gaze swept across each of the ANBU in turn.

According to their leader’s orders, they could not allow any information about themselves to be exposed during this operation. That was why the attacker had been suppressing the fierce killing intent raging within his chest from the very beginning.

"If I kill every last one of them, then there’ll be no one left to learn anything about me, right?"

The attacker chuckled softly, then slowly raised both hands and began forming hand seals.

Naturally, the ANBU had no intention of simply waiting for death. The instant they saw the attacker beginning to weave hand seals, they also started forming seals and unleashed their ninjutsu.

"Earth Style: Earth Prison Technique!"

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

"Wind Style: Roaring Wind!"

In an instant, the ANBU unleashed a restraining Earth Style technique alongside a combination attack of Fire Release and Wind Release!

Yet the attacker neither dodged nor retreated. He merely spread his hands slightly and reached toward the Fire Style and Wind Style techniques rushing straight at him.

Hiss...

With a sound resembling air being released, the formidable combination of Fire Release and Wind Release inexplicably vanished into the attacker’s palms!

At the same time, the attacker lightly stamped his foot against the ground.

The Earth Style technique that had only just risen from beneath him immediately crumbled apart.

"What...!?"

"He absorbed our ninjutsu!"

"Could it be the legendary Dark Release Kekkei Genkai!?"

"But he’s an Uchiha!"

A mocking smile curled at the corner of the attacker’s lips.

Suddenly, his figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.

Whoosh!

As though he had teleported, the attacker appeared directly behind one of the ANBU.

"You..."

Before the ANBU could even react, he looked down to see a pitch-black hand piercing straight through his chest from behind.

At that moment, another ANBU nearby immediately swung his longsword, slashing at the attacker.

This ANBU had devoted more than ten years to mastering swordsmanship. Even among the ANBU, where skilled shinobi were plentiful, his abilities stood out from the rest. Naturally, he was extremely confident in this strike.

But just as the blade was about to cut into the attacker, the attacker made no attempt to dodge. Instead, he simply raised an arm, seemingly intending to block the razor-sharp blade with his bare flesh!

The ANBU was instantly delighted.

"Got him!"

Clang!

Before the smile could fully spread across the ANBU’s face, a piercing metallic clang rang beside his ears.

Immediately afterward, he stared in shock at the sword that had accompanied him for more than a decade.

Not only had it failed to cut through the attacker’s arm, but with a crisp snap, the blade itself had broken cleanly in two!

Shnk!

Before the ANBU could even process what had happened, the attacker’s palm pierced straight through his chest.

Just like his comrade before him, he collapsed into a pool of blood.

"There’s something strange about his body! Don’t engage him in close combat!"

"But ninjutsu doesn’t work on him either!"

"Then use ninja tools to restrain him first!"

With only a few exchanged words, the ANBU immediately devised a new strategy.

However, the attacker gave them no time to put their new strategy into action.

Every time his figure flickered like a ghost, another life was taken. In the span of only a few breaths, more than half of the twelve ANBU had already been slaughtered.

"Retreat!"

With only three of them remaining, the ANBU squad captain finally gave the order to withdraw.

"You still think you can run?"

The attacker extended both palms toward the three ANBU preparing to retreat.

In an instant, a powerful current of air erupted from his palms.

As the rushing air surged around them, the three ANBU suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground.

"My chakra..."

"He can absorb our chakra from a distance... It really is the Dark Release Kekkei Genkai!"

The attacker sneered and casually walked toward them.

With a flick of his hand, he launched two kunai, instantly finishing off two of the ANBU. He then walked up to the ANBU squad captain and planted his foot on the man’s head.

"Weakling!"

Crack!

As the word left his mouth, the attacker pressed down with his foot, crushing the ANBU squad captain’s head together with his ANBU mask.

After eliminating every ANBU who had pursued him, the attacker’s figure flickered and disappeared from the middle of the street.

Not long afterward, he arrived in a forest outside the village.

At that moment, Zetsu emerged halfway from the ground and asked the attacker, "Hiruko, did the operation go smoothly?"

The attacker who had attempted to assassinate the Hokage was none other than Hiruko, who now possessed five different Kekkei Genkai.

As he tore off the black robe covering his body, he casually replied, "Yeah. It went fairly smoothly."

Zetsu watched Hiruko closely.

After removing the black robe, the muscles throughout Hiruko’s body began to writhe. His physique, which had previously resembled Shisui’s, gradually transformed back into his original build.

Zetsu smiled. "That trick of yours is much more useful than the Transformation Technique!"

Hiruko smiled proudly.

The Chimera Technique granted extraordinary control over the body. For short periods of time, Hiruko could manipulate his own muscles and bones, allowing him to assume virtually any physique he desired.

Glancing around, Hiruko asked, "Where’s Shinno? Wasn’t that guy supposed to meet me here?"

Zetsu spread his hands helplessly.

...

Back inside the village.

Bang!

With a muffled impact, a Konoha chūnin was sent flying and slammed heavily into a wall.

Shinno dusted off his hands. "Courting death!"

At this moment, Shinno no longer had his usual unremarkable physique.

His body was now broad and powerfully built, his muscles bulging all over. From his appearance alone, one could tell that an unimaginably terrifying power was contained within his body...