In the small meeting hall, bodies of Waterfall ninja lay scattered about. In the center of the room, three figures stood in a tense standoff.
Shuying, still wearing her fox mask, was encased in the long hair of her Needle Jizo technique. Her relaxed posture suggested she was completely unaware that she was facing two enemies capable of entering Sage Mode.
Jiraiya's expression shifted constantly as he watched Shuying. He still couldn't figure out the stance of this girl who could use his own ninjutsu.
If she were an enemy, she had no clear objective. If she were an ally, that was even more impossible. Although she had provided crucial intelligence during the mission to support Sakura, the very act of a non-villager providing such information was in itself a move typical of a hostile power probing for information.
So, for now, if he could just figure out her motives and goals, he could probably deduce her identity and allegiance.
Sakura's mouth hung open as she stared at the fox-masked girl, her expression a mixture of astonishment and confusion, which then gave way to a sense of resignation.
Shouldn't this have been clear long ago? From the moment she met Shuying, she had been like a dark cloud hanging over her heart, impossible to dispel. And now... heh, isn't this the perfect time to solve this problem?
Click.
A kunai was gripped tightly in Sakura's hand. A crackling layer of lightning chakra enveloped it, causing it to glow brightly.
The Yin Seal on Sakura's forehead spread across her entire body. An extremely powerful aura erupted from her, and waves of pressure pulsed outwards from her as the epicenter.
Instantly, the furniture in the meeting hall and the people lying on the floor were blown away. Yet, Sakura's aura showed no signs of stopping. The wooden walls of the hall creaked and groaned under the force.
The lightning-covered kunai in Sakura's hand eventually transformed into a long, bluish-purple blade. She slowly raised her right hand and, with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, swung it at the wall beside her.
In an instant, the space seemed to fall silent. The wall on the right—no, a corner of the entire building—was silently sheared off at an angle, vanishing without a trace.
The midday sun shone in, bathing everyone in its bright, warm light. But at that moment, Jiraiya felt no warmth. Even with his cruel experiences in war, a chill uncontrollably rose from the bottom of his heart.
"Take off your mask!" Sakura said, her voice cold as she pointed the long blade at Shuying. "Let me see what this little rat really looks like!"
Shuying didn't move, still maintaining her posture within the cocoon of hair. With the mask on, it was impossible to tell if she was scared stiff or simply didn't care.
"I'll count to three. If you don't do as I say, then I won't care to know anymore. You can be buried along with your secrets!" Sakura's voice was icy, devoid of any emotion. The long blade pointed at Shuying suddenly extended, pressing toward her throat as if it would pierce through it in the next second. But it stopped just centimeters away, not moving any further.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique."
With two puffs of smoke, two small toads appeared in front of Jiraiya.
"Eh?"
"Ahem, where is this, Pa?"
"Chief, Ma, the situation is urgent. This is the Village Hidden in the Waterfall," Jiraiya said, his eyes fixed on the now ice-cold Sakura as he explained to the two Toad Sages.
"Hmm? I thought you had something to attend to..." Fukasaku began.
"That's right. We're in the worst-case scenario now. I'm afraid I can't solve this problem on my own, so I'll have to ask for your help," Jiraiya said, glancing at Karin in the corner before focusing his attention back on Sakura.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you kidding me, Little Jiraiya? I was just making my specialty dish for Little Naruto," Shima grumbled.
"Quiet. Haven't you noticed yet, Ma?" Fukasaku suddenly interrupted, his tone serious.
"Wh-What is it?" Shima was taken aback. She followed Fukasaku's gaze.
Sakura had long noticed Jiraiya's actions, but she hadn't paid them any mind. Right now, her eyes were only on the enigmatic Shuying.
"Well? Not going to do it?" Sakura pressed the long blade a little closer, her voice cruel. "Or are you too scared to move? Hehehe..."
Time seemed to stand still. Shuying remained motionless, even after hearing Sakura's aggressive words.
"Pfft." A chuckle escaped from under Shuying's mask, and time seemed to resume its flow. She then released the hair of her Needle Jizo technique. Dressed in a red kimono, with the mask on her face and a dignified, composed posture, one would never guess she was facing a life-or-death moment.
"Well? What's so funny?" Sakura's tone was full of annoyance.
"Heh... hehe... hahaha..." A clear laugh came from under Shuying's mask. She finally stopped abruptly. "I'm laughing at myself..."
"Had enough laughs? Now, slowly take off the mask! If you try any tricks, I'll be forced to take it off for you!" Sakura looked at Shuying's indifferent attitude with disgust, but she didn't act immediately.
A person who could replace Yakumo right under her nose without being discovered for so long was definitely not easy to deal with. Not in terms of strength, but in terms of self-preservation and escape skills, she was probably far superior.
Once a fight started, Sakura couldn't be sure what other trump cards Shuying had. If she couldn't kill her in one blow, it would be difficult to catch her next time. And even if she did kill her in one blow, everything about her would remain a mystery.
This was better. Slowly force her into a corner. A few words from her could help deduce her origin and purpose. It might not be clear, but as long as she had a direction, she could one day unravel everything about her, piece by piece.
"Do you really want to see my face?" Shuying gently raised her fingers, preparing to push aside Sakura's long blade.
"Idiot!" Jiraiya cursed under his breath from the side, seeing Shuying's action.
"That lightning blade is Storm Release," Fukasaku said.
"That's not just ordinary Storm Release. It's Storm Release infused with Sage Chakra. It's a blade formed by Sage Art," Shima added.
"No, that's not it," Jiraiya's voice was low and serious. "Chief, sense that blade again, carefully."
"..."
"H-How can this be?!" Fukasaku broke out in a cold sweat, his face filled with shock. "This... this is impossible..."
"What on earth is it, Pa?" Shima asked from the side, not understanding.
"That... that long blade..." Fukasaku's throat bobbed. "That blade is made of pure natural energy... w-without any chakra," he said with difficulty.
"Th-That's impossible!" Shima cried out in shock. "Without chakra? Without chakra? If there's no chakra, she... why is she still alive?"
"The Yin Seal," Jiraiya said.
"The Yin Seal?" Fukasaku was confused. "What's that?"
"It's a ninjutsu the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, uses to store chakra she doesn't use," Jiraiya explained.
"But even if she sealed Sage Chakra, she couldn't possibly use it directly," Shima said.
"She didn't store it," Jiraiya said. "A few days ago, I saw her researching the Yin Seal. Based on the information I got from Tsunade, I have a theory. The Yin Seal is just to help her withstand the corrosion of natural energy."
"But that still doesn't explain why she can use natural energy directly," Fukasaku said. "When using natural energy, you're still subject to nature's corrosion, no matter where the natural energy is stored."
"That's right," Jiraiya nodded. "Something happened to her. Something that changed her. I'm not sure if these changes are for the better or worse, including her current state."
"Was this the matter you couldn't let go of before, Little Jiraiya?" Fukasaku asked.
"Yes, you could say that," Jiraiya nodded. "Shuying's appearance probably disrupted her plan this time as well. So, just in case, I called you two out. After this business with Shuying is over, the worst-case scenario is probably a fight with her."
"Heh... Little Jiraiya, you've really given us a difficult problem," Fukasaku said with a grimace. "To use natural energy, you must mix it with your own will. Otherwise, you'll lose yourself and become one with nature..."
"But to use pure natural energy like her," Shima continued Fukasaku's thought, her voice bitter, "is no different from fighting a god..."