The piercing itch emanated from the marrow of his bones, making Aokawa want to smash his head against the wall.
"This is bad. The main body's consciousness is fading, and the Cursed Seal has begun its self-protection!"
The Shadow Clone sensed the main body's condition, yet his movements did not hesitate in the slightest.
At this moment, the Shadow Clone seemed to have transformed into a precision instrument devoid of any emotion.
He decisively increased the output power of the Mystical Palm Technique.
The spirit particles arrows originally intended for attack were skillfully disassembled by him into micron-level Reishi Blades.
"Since the main body's consciousness is unclear, I will take full control."
The Shadow Clone's voice became exceptionally steady.
With his left hand, he performed the Mystical Palm Technique, continuously repairing the brain cells damaged by the Cursed Seal's backlash.
With his right hand, he manipulated Chakra threads, picking apart the Sealing Threads connected to the nerve endings with an astonishing frequency.
The sweat on Aokawa's body had long since soaked his long robe.
Every time a Seal crumbled, it was accompanied by a violent shock to the cerebral cortex.
"The last three nodes."
The Shadow Clone gave a low shout.
He abruptly increased the injection of spirit particles.
Under the impact of the pure spirit particles, those stubborn blue-black patterns finally showed signs of loosening.
Crack.
An illusory cracking sound, audible only to the two of them, echoed within the Barracks.
The blue mark that originally covered his forehead was now turning transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye.
An unprecedented sense of freedom flowed through the neural center to Aokawa's entire body.
"It's done!"
The Shadow Clone withdrew his hands, his originally solid body becoming somewhat illusory due to excessive exhaustion.
Aokawa snapped his eyes open, looking as if he had just been fished out of the water.
Gasping for breath, he reached for his forehead.
The cage that had bound this body for over ten years had completely vanished.
The Caged Bird Seal on his Soul had vanished because of the Transmigration, and today, he had finally removed the layer on his brain.
This meant the Main House no longer had any way to control him through the Cursed Seal, not even with a sneak attack.
"Hahaha!" Aokawa couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Finally!"
"I have finally completely cleared away this imprisoning cage."
"I am free!!!!"
After being excited for quite a while, Aokawa finally calmed down when he noticed the Shadow Clone staring straight at him.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing, I just haven't seen you this excited in a long time," the Shadow Clone said.
"Alright, alright. Now that the job is done, you can withdraw first," Aokawa said, burning the bridge after crossing it.
"Don't be like that..."
Before the Shadow Clone could finish, Aokawa had already formed the release sign. With a 'poof,' the Shadow Clone disappeared... Dong— Dong— Dong—
The dull and rapid sound of war drums once again pierced the silence of dawn.
Aokawa walked out of the Barracks, the piercing sunlight making him squint slightly.
In the air, the scent of blood was even thicker than yesterday.
With a light tap of his toes, his figure moved like the wind, and with a few flickers, he once again ascended to the tree canopy with the wide field of vision from yesterday.
Konoha's Ninja army had already completed its assembly.
However, everyone's face carried a hint of solemnity and confusion.
Aokawa followed their gaze to the opposite side, and his pupils suddenly constricted.
In front of the Kumogakure positions, a vast and boundless thick mist had risen at some point.
The mist presented an eerie grayish-white color, obscuring all sight like a canopy separating two worlds.
"Another one of these little tricks."
Aokawa activated his Byakugan.
His vision penetrated dozens of meters, and then... it stopped.
The world before him turned into a chaotic and distorted display of light and shadow.
The Byakugan's proud X-ray vision became completely useless in the face of this eerie thick mist.
"It's Sealing Techniques, and Chakra has been mixed into the thick mist."
Aokawa immediately made a judgment.
The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, its X-ray and long-range vision, strictly speaking, relies on observing Chakra to form an image.
Kumogakure used some kind of special Barrier or Seal, then mixed in a large amount of Chakra to create this smoke that could distort light and isolate Chakra detection.
Are they trying to... disable my eyes?
"All units, attack as planned!"
The order was given. Although the Konoha Ninjas had doubts, they still followed the command, shouting as they charged into the unknown thick mist.
Aokawa did not move.
He stood calmly on the tree canopy like a statue.
He knew that this mist was prepared for him.
He could not snipe enemies he could not see.
He expanded the range of his Spiritual Particle Cluster to the maximum, using the "Reishi Network" to perceive the entire Battlefield.
"Found you."
Aokawa snapped his eyes open, a fierce glint flashing in the depths of his gaze.
Although it was very blurry, it was enough.
He smiled slightly, a plan already forming in his mind.
After opening the stone gate last night, his Quincy abilities had mostly recovered.
Kumogakure would have to accept this great gift graciously.
Since you won't let me snipe with precision...
Then I shall teach you the meaning of firepower coverage!
spirit particles gathered beneath Aokawa's feet, and he gave a light tap.
Hirenkyaku!
His figure instantly vanished from the tree canopy, turning into an afterimage difficult to capture with the naked eye as he rapidly traversed the sky above the chaotic Battlefield.
After a few flickers, he rushed to the very front of the Konoha line, landing on the top of an even taller giant tree.
He extended his right hand, and a pale blue spirit particles glow gathered in his palm, quickly sketching out a magnificent and complex longbow.
The main body of the bow consisted of intersecting long and short crosses and an exquisite octagonal emblem, emitting a faint blue light full of mystery and power.
It was none other than the Spirit Bow he had just obtained—Ginrei Kojaku!
The moment he gripped the bow's body, a cool and powerful sense of strength flowed through his arm and into his entire body.
With a thought from Aokawa, the fire-attribute Chakra within him erupted without reservation.
The crimson flames, as if possessed of life, spread up his arm and instantly covered the entirety of the blue-glowing Ginrei Kojaku.
Cold spirit particles and scorching Chakra, two completely different energies, were perfectly fused together at this moment.
Against the backdrop of the flames, the blue bow body appeared even more eerie.
He held the bow in his left hand and pulled back the invisible bowstring with his right.
Accompanying his movement, an arrow composed entirely of crimson energy condensed into form on the bowstring.
Upon the arrow, dense white runes flickered in and out of sight, emitting heart-stopping energy fluctuations.
Those were Explosive Tag incantations that he had compressed to the limit using spirit particles!
"Fire Release: Hundred Consecutive Explosive Flame Arrows!"
The fingers holding the bowstring suddenly let go.
Buzz—!
The Ginrei Kojaku emitted a dazzling crimson light, the bowstring vibrating at a frequency impossible to see with the naked eye, producing a high-pitched and sharp hum.
The surrounding air was instantly heated to a terrifying temperature.
The next moment.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!
Countless energy arrows burning with raging flames erupted from the bowstring like a bursting flood!
Every fiery red arrow was entwined with those dense white explosive runes.
The red rain of arrows instantly illuminated the grayish-white sky, dragging long flame tails with a shrill and sharp whistle.
They traced a massive parabola in the sky, like a reversed waterfall of flowing fire, accurately covering the forest beneath the thick mist he had perceived!
...---
Regarding the issue with the cover, I'll look for an image after the Closed Beta.
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