aircannonsinc Chapter 535 Red Eyes, Silent Slaughter!
Chapter 535 Red Eyes, Silent Slaughter!
The three people's eyes met silently in the air.
The silence contained an unspoken understanding and a question.
Sakumo Hatake's eyes were like a deep, ancient well, reflecting the scattered firelight and glint of swords in the distance, without the slightest ripple.
Danzo Shimura's brow furrowed into a barely perceptible knot; he disliked unexpected variables.
"Go around it."
Danzo's decision, as always, was as decisive and swift as he was.
He turned his head slightly, his jawline taut, his gaze already passing over the chaos before him and fixed on the land to the southwest.
Their mission was to travel to Sunagakure and, as victors, convey the Hokage's will to the defeated Land of Wind.
In his view, any unforeseen actions would hinder the efficiency of the task.
As for the Land of Grass... this kind of country, which is always wavering between powerful nations, is normally plagued by internal chaos and decay, and is not worth wasting even a second of their time on.
However, Uchiha Kagami did not move.
His body was like a pine tree standing quietly in the rain, exuding a sense of peaceful certainty.
His gaze remained fixed on the distant battlefield, and a faint light seemed to emanate from the depths of his eyes, which were hidden by specially made non-prescription lenses.
After a moment, he spoke softly:
"...Their swordsmanship."
The sound was very soft, yet like a pebble dropped into still water, it instantly drew the attention of Sakumo and Danzo.
Sakumo's body reacted instinctively.
He eliminated the distractions from the rain and wind, immersing himself entirely in the perception of the top assassin.
The crisp, sharp sound of weapons clashing, the muffled groan escaping from his throat before death, the faint fluctuations of chakra bursting forth... countless pieces of information flowed into his mind like a stream, and were quickly disassembled, analyzed, and reassembled.
A moment later, Sakumo Hatake, with the professional perspective of a master, offered a cold yet precise judgment:
"It follows the standard swordsmanship style, but has been crudely modified. It's simpler and more deadly. It incorporates slashing techniques from the samurai of the Land of Iron, but it's not pure; it's more like it stole a few moves from another school and then haphazardly mixed them in with its own experience."
He paused, as if tasting an ingredient, and finally concluded: "Typical wandering ninja style, not presentable."
"In countries that are opportunistic, internal strife is the norm."
Danzo snorted coldly, his disdain almost tangible.
He had no interest whatsoever in the chaotic situation of such a small country, just as a good engineer would never spend time studying how a pile of mud collapsed.
"We don't have time to watch the play here."
He reiterated this point, with an air of unquestionable authority.
The situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse in the short span of their conversation.
Another Kusagakure ninja was pierced through the abdomen from behind by a rusty katana. The expression on his face, which had been ferocious in his struggle, froze instantly into disbelief and astonishment. He then screamed and fell to the ground, twitching a few times in the muddy water before falling silent.
The remaining few were forced to huddle together, back to back, their faces filled with despair and the fear of being gripped by death.
"I really don't have time to watch the play."
Uchiha Kagami finally turned his head, his gentle and refined face revealing no emotion.
But his voice carried an undeniable firmness that was completely opposite to his appearance.
"Therefore, we must act swiftly and decisively."
Danzo Shimura's brows furrowed instantly, like two drawn short swords: "Kagami, this is not our mission."
"What the Hokage wants us to convey is not just the power of Konoha."
Kagami calmly met Danzo's gaze, raindrops sliding down his hair, but the light in his eyes remained undiminished.
"Sometimes, a small, casual act of kindness can sow an unexpected seed for Konoha in these wavering countries in the future."
"This may be meaningless."
Danzo's voice was cold and hard, a judgment he had made based on countless mission experiences and was the most logical one.
You'll only know once you try.
Uchiha Kagami smiled, a smile like the sunshine after rain, instantly dispelling the chill of the night.
"Furthermore, Danzo, have you forgotten? The Hokage said that efficiency is also reflected in achieving the widest range of goals with the least cost."
Before he finished speaking, he stopped looking at Danzo, and with a swift movement, he landed lightly like a feather in the open space below.
In those eyes, reflecting the blood-red battlefield, three scarlet tomoe, like awakened stars, began to spin rapidly.
Uchiha Kagami stood quietly, rain soaking his shoulders, yet he seemed like an observer detached from the situation, or a painter who had strayed into hell.
He raised his eyes and looked at the chaotic killing field.
A faint red glow, almost invisible to the naked eye, flashed and disappeared deep within his pupils.
Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.
A rogue ninja who had just slashed down his opponent with his katana and was grinning as he raised his sword to deliver the final blow suddenly froze.
The sneer on his face twisted and melted in an instant, finally turning into an extreme terror, as if his soul had been ripped out.
It was as if I had seen the most terrifying and incomprehensible thing in the world.
"ah--!!!"
He let out a strange, inhuman cry, and abruptly turned the long knife in his hand, plunging it into the back of his companion with a resolute and unwavering gesture.
Fresh blood gushed out.
"What...what are you doing?!"
The ambushed companion looked down in disbelief at the cold blade piercing his chest, his incredulous eyes then swallowed by boundless fear.