Konoha Notes

Chapter 409 Burning the Sky
On Zaoxie Island, there is a cliff top that overlooks most of the coastline.

Shuji stood here. To make it easier to send chakra signals, Nagato's main body always preferred to be in a high position, and this was the seventh place he had found.

Finding a high vantage point is also to attract Nagato's attention, so that when he wants to launch a sneak attack, he will prioritize using Animal Path in conjunction with Chameleon.

However, what came into view before the attack was a small airship taking off, heading southeast towards the direction of Kirigakure, the village of the Land of Water.

Inside the airship cabin, Juzo Biwa clicked his tongue: "The last ninjutsu was already exaggerated, but to actually fight the leader for so long, that guy..."

"I have a feeling this operation won't go too smoothly."

Hiruko, who was sitting opposite him with his eyes closed, didn't even lift his eyelids when he heard this. His voice was flat and emotionless: "You've said enough of this lately, Juzo Hiwa."

"Face reality. In today's ninja world, apart from organizations, there is no place for people like you anymore."

He no longer thinks about conquering the world to prove his worth.

I have already proven myself.

Even with the world under his control and people already using Wood Release: Wood Golem, he should probably think about how to update his Oni-Garuru Technique.

Just then, the airship suddenly shook violently.

"What's going on?" Pipa Juzo steadied himself and rushed to the observation window.

Outside the airship, the originally calm airflow became extremely chaotic, with countless transparent cyclones of varying sizes appearing out of thin air, colliding and tearing at each other, forming a violent, invisible turbulent zone.

In this area, the ship was not only unable to climb or move forward, but even began to tumble and spin in the air.

"That's the direction!" Hiruko's Sharingan caught sight of a blurry yet striking black dot on a distant cliff, as well as another identical figure appearing beside him.

On the cliff, the shadow clone took a deep breath, his chest bulging.

Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!

The fire dragon charged into the turbulent vortex created by its main body.

In an instant, the chaotic gale was ignited, and the crimson flames, as if they had a life of their own, spun and rose along the trajectory of countless cyclones!
Layer upon layer of firestorms intertwined and swirled in the air, forming ever-expanding vortexes of flame. The scorching heat waves could be felt even from a great distance, turning half the sky a crimson red!
A raging inferno filled the sky, flames scorching the heavens.

The airship, like a withered leaf in a storm, was on the edge of this fiery storm, its outer shell turning red and deforming under the high temperature.

"What a joke, a technique of this scale... isn't this even more exaggerated than the previous tsunami..." Pipa Juzo's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Moreover, in such a location, with such turbulent currents, there's nowhere to run.

"Netherworld Escape: Absorption Hole!"

Hiruko pressed one hand against the violently shaking bulkhead, the air in front of his palm twisting into a vortex as he tried to absorb the energy from the flames and the storm.

However, no matter how he activated his bloodline limit, the vortex was like a stone sinking into the sea, barely able to shake the immortal flame that had fused with natural energy.

"...It can't be absorbed!" His expression changed slightly.

Can't wait any longer!
Hiruko kicked open the twisted and deformed hatch, and blinding flames and scorching heat rushed into the cabin. He planned to force his way through using his Steel Release defense and Swift Release speed!
However, he had only peeked out halfway when he was suddenly enveloped by the even more chaotic and violent airflow and scorching heat waves outside.

Even the steel-based defenses emitted a teeth-grinding friction sound under the tearing of high temperature and wind pressure.

Like a feather caught in a raging tornado, he barely managed to slide downwards for a short distance before completely losing his direction and control, tossed about haphazardly in the flames and gales, looking utterly pathetic.

Inside the cabin, Juzo felt the tremors of the airship beneath his feet, which was about to completely disintegrate, and then caught a glimpse of Hiruko's disheveled and struggling figure. A complex emotion flashed across his face.

Tired of life in the Blood Mist, he left the Mist Village and lived as a fugitive.

Now, it seems we're finally coming to an end.

"Tch! Even though you're a really infuriating bastard..." Juzo Biwa spat, "at a time like this, every one of us who can escape is a winner!"

With all his might, he stomped on the edge of the disintegrating airship, using the recoil to propel himself towards the struggling Hiruko in mid-air.

"If I still can't survive this, I'm not responsible anymore!!!"

Pipa Juzo swung his guillotine sword with all his might toward Hiruko.

He swung the broad, heavy blade of the decapitation sword with all his might, aiming it at Hiruko's lower body!
As Hiruko plummeted downwards, he saw the familiar guillotine and the desperate, reckless expression on Biwa Juzo's face that he couldn't fully comprehend.

There was no time to think about the reason for this unusual behavior; the instinct for survival kicked in.

He watched the blade flash by, then gathered all his strength in his steel-hardened feet and stomped hard on the broad surface of the Executioner's Blade!

The hardened soles of his steel-clad feet collided with the metal blade, producing a clanging sound and providing a brief but crucial point of leverage!

"Swift Escape!" Hiru shouted hoarsely, a flash of blue light appeared on his body, and his speed suddenly exploded. At the same time, he maintained his Steel Escape and shot towards the direction where the fire storm was relatively thin.

The recoil propelled Juzo Biwa in the opposite direction—straight down into the hottest, most chaotic core of the firestorm.

The last thing he saw was the silhouette of Beiruhu, transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into the raging flames.

The next moment, everything crimson, scorching, and violent completely engulfed Pipa Juzo, and also swallowed the wreckage of the airship that had finally reached its limit and broken apart in mid-air.

The decapitation sword flew out of his hand but did not fall. Instead, it was caught in the rising, scorching heat and swirled futilely around the gradually weakening but still terrifying firestorm, its blade reflecting the last sparks of fire.

Such a scene could not possibly go unnoticed.

Almost the instant the firestorm took shape, a figure ignored the scattered flames along the way and rushed straight toward Xiu Si at the top of the cliff.

On the ground, the muscles in Hell Path's arms bulged as he grabbed the Hungry Ghost Path beside him, who had just been repaired, and flung him into the air.

The hungry ghosts spread their arms in the air.

Sealing Technique Absorption Seal!

Wherever he went, the flames died down and the storms subsided.

The bluish-black streak that Beiluhu transformed into seized the safe passage opened by the seal of the technique, successfully penetrated the fire curtain, and fell heavily onto the forest clearing in the distance with scorch marks and burns all over its body, panting heavily.

At the top of the cliff, facing the rapidly approaching Heavenly Dao, Shuji stopped his continuous output of Sage Chakra. His shadow clone beside him vanished into white smoke with a "pop."

Without sustained power, the terrifying firestorm in the sky began to rapidly weaken.

The blazing flames gradually died down, turning into a sky full of fire, and the violent air currents slowly subsided, leaving only the scorched and distorted air and ashes falling everywhere.

The decapitation sword, still hovering in the air, finally lost its last bit of support. It drew an arc, still warm, and fell heavily onto the rocky beach at the edge of Zaoxie Island with a dull thud, embedding itself diagonally into the rubble.

(End of this chapter)