Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 202 Tazna's Severe Injury
Two o'clock in the afternoon, in the border forest of the Land of Fire.

Sunlight, like arrows, pierced through the dense canopy, casting shimmering, golden rays onto the cool, mossy ground. Deep within the forest, branches and leaves intertwined to form a deep green curtain, leaving only scattered, dancing specks of light.

"so boring!"

With droopy eyelids, Naruto walked at the front of the group with his hands behind his head, his arms, adorned with the Konoha headband, forming a perfect inverted triangle behind his head.

Sasuke stood slightly behind on the left side of the group, cautiously observing his surroundings. Kakashi and Tazuna were in the center of the group, while the slow-moving Hairi followed behind the others.

The group of five walked on the bare dirt road, and all four of them, except for Hui Li, were sweating profusely.

"How come we can't see a single wild animal?"

Walking along the wide path through the forest, Sasuke stroked his arm guard, completely baffled.

These past few days, there haven't been any ninja attacks, bandits, or wild beasts. Their escort mission has been nothing short of a leisurely outing. The more thrilling and exciting the A-level mission was in their imagination, the more boring it was in reality.

He hadn't even had a chance to take out his ninja tools these past few days. This forest was eerily quiet. Not to mention wild beasts, even poisonous insects were rarely seen. Even though travelers often walked this road, it shouldn't be this clean.

Kakashi put one hand in his pocket, squinting his dead fish eyes to avoid the sunlight.

He had encountered this situation once before, three years ago.

All the stray cats and dogs near the Hatake clan's territory had disappeared without a trace, not even a sparrow remained. He thought this anomaly was likely caused by some kind of ninjutsu, but after secretly observing with his Sharingan several times, he couldn't see any trace of chakra. Completely baffled, he had no choice but to give up.

Now it seems.

He turned to look at Haili, who was walking gracefully behind him. Naruto and Sasuke certainly didn't have such abilities, and he and Tazuna were even less likely to have them. This anomaly was most likely caused by her.

"What's all the fuss about? Isn't it good that there's no danger? Save your energy for when the Land of Waves gives that bastard Gato a good beating! If you can't beat his ninjas, I won't pay you!"

Dazna opened his mouth wide and poured out his gourd, water droplets hanging from the narrow opening but not falling, making the onlookers anxious.

"Tch, you're the worst, stingiest client I've ever met," Naruto muttered loudly from the front.

Tazna pretended not to hear. He had already finished his drinks, and only one drop of water remained in his full bottle. Seeing that he couldn't pour it out, he had no choice but to leave the group and jog to Gray's side, a smile appearing on his arrogant face.

"Miss Hui Li, the gourd is empty again!"

No wonder the old man didn't argue with Naruto; he needed something from him. Hui Li nodded and took the gourd.

Point the narrow gourd opening toward the sky, and immediately a series of ripples will appear in the air. Soon, you can see water vapor gathering like a gushing spring.

Gudu Gudu!

The clear dew sloshed inside the gourd, making a thirst-quenching sound.

Tazuna's dry throat bobbed incessantly as he shook his head and exclaimed, "You water-style ninjas are really convenient!"

Although the Land of Waves is called a country, it is actually just an isolated island in the sea located between the countries of Fire and Water. It is a landless and desolate place with no people.

Only islanders like them, who live at sea, can understand how precious the ability to produce clean fresh water anytime, anywhere is. Anyone who has this skill at sea is treated like an ancestor by the captain.

Have you seen any other Water Release ninjas?

Gray Glass filled the gourd and handed it to Tazna, but he was a little puzzled.

Nature transformation is common knowledge among ninjas, but it's not something a bridge-building master from the Land of Waves could know. The fact that the other party blurted it out means they must have seen a Water Release ninja before, and probably are quite familiar with them.

"Our Land of Waves once had ninjas too." Tazuna took the gourd and gulped down a large mouthful, the emotional glow above his head showing both pride and a hint of melancholy and regret.

"Without his help, the cross-sea bridge we built would have been destroyed by that guy Gato long ago, and we wouldn't have been able to raise so many funds to issue missions in Konoha. It's just a pity..."

Dazner hesitated, seemingly having some reservations.

"What's a pity?"

Hui Li suddenly became interested.

The original work didn't mention any ninjas from the Land of Waves, and the bridge across the sea was completed after the Land of Waves mission. This person was clearly key to the level increase of the Land of Waves mission.

"careful!"

Just then, Sasuke, who was at the front of the group, suddenly roared.

Two figures, completely black, silently emerged from the bare dirt road.

The two of them moved across the land like two fish, and in an instant they appeared beside Tazuna and Gray.

bass!
The sharp blade is unsheathed.

The two ninjas who launched the attack simultaneously drew their curved swords. Under the blazing sun, it was as if two bright moons had suddenly risen, their light aimed directly at the throats of the two men. The extremely narrow blades gleamed with a cold light and were coated with a viscous liquid, making it clear at a glance that they would kill instantly upon drawing blood.

Tazner was terrified by the enemy's attack. His gourd fell to the ground with a thud, and he was shaking so badly that he had no time to dodge.

He could only look to Hui Li, who was closest to him, for help, hoping that the ninja he had hired at great expense could save his life. But he found that Hui Li was in even worse shape than him, and was motionless as if she had already offered her neck for execution.

Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke stood frozen in place, showing no intention of coming to their aid.

A deep sense of regret flashed across his eyes.

He regretted listening to the Hokage, and even more so, he regretted using the entire village's savings to hire a few useless ninjas. If he had known that the renowned Konoha ninjas were so weak, he should have gone to the Land of Water to hire Kirigakure ninjas.

It's really dead now!
Seeing that both the girl and the target had given up resistance, the two black-clad ninjas who had attacked had cold eyes, and the crescent blades in their hands were even closer to their throats, with cruel smiles hidden under their black masks.

They had been tracking this team for three days, and naturally, they had gathered very clear intelligence.

The white-haired, one-eyed man in the middle of the group, protecting the target, is the teacher of this genin team and should be the strongest.

Next were the two boys who were scouting ahead. Their steps were light and quick, their shoulders were unusually steady when they stepped on the ground, and their bodies were always in a fighting state ready to exert force at any time. It was obvious at a glance that they were two highly skilled martial artists.

The easiest target in the team is the blind girl who hangs at the back of the team.

She walked as slowly as a snail and foolishly wore a kimono unsuitable for combat. If it weren't for her ability to use some auxiliary water escape techniques, they would have thought she was some rich young lady going on a picnic.

He is likely a support ninja in this team, providing water supplies to the combatants. Considering his background from a large village, he may also know some medical ninjutsu.

Then he should be killed.

Kill the medical ninja first; that's common sense in the ninja world.

They were still figuring out how to kill the target next to the white-haired man after killing the girl, but unexpectedly, the target suddenly dropped out to fetch water and delivered himself right to their doorstep.

Such a golden opportunity was hard to come by, so the three of them naturally acted decisively!
"What Konoha ninja? Die!"

Blood vessels bulged at the corners of their eyes, and their blades flashed three times faster. In just one second, Gray and Tazuna's heads would roll off.

but!
Buzz! !
A barely perceptible breeze suddenly rose up, and Tazuna, who was already in a state of regret and despair, suddenly heard countless buzzing sounds in his ears. The sounds came together and immediately became a continuous chorus, as if countless wild bees were flying around.

What...what sound?
Tazuna, already in dire straits, was unable to think. Only a question naturally arose in his mind, and then he was completely terrified by the horrifying scene before him!
It was all because of the two ninjas before him, their killing intent palpable, their eyes sharper than blades—

Blasted!

boom!
Without any warning, only a continuous buzzing in his ears, Tazuna watched helplessly as the two powerful ninjas exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Clang! Clang!

The two crescent-shaped swords and the pipe landed one after the other. The hard steel blades were riddled with holes, resembling a honeycomb, while the ordinary briar pipe remained intact.

"This this……"

Looking at the two wisps of blood mist floating in front of him, he opened his mouth in horror, not even noticing that his pipe had fallen to the ground.

The pungent smell of rust constantly filled his nostrils, making his stomach churn and almost causing him to vomit.

He dares to swear on the cross-sea bridge he built and on his own integrity.

It really was a fog.

Flesh, bones, clothing... everything belonging to the human body tissues turned into finer, more delicate flocculent matter than a hair in an instant, swaying and spreading with a breeze that seemed to come from nowhere.

The stunning visual effects were truly indescribable.

Legend has it that the top chef in the Land of Fire, with decades of honed knife skills, can cut tofu into threads thinner than a hair while maintaining their perfect shape.

However, if you put it in a basin of water and shake it gently, the whole tofu will immediately disperse in the water, just like a clump of milky white willow catkins.

This is probably what the scene should look like.

"Don't worry, we will protect you!"

With her Wind Release technique, she tore apart two clueless henchmen. Seeing that her client was about to wet himself in fear, she patted him on the shoulder like Kakashi did to comfort him. But as soon as her hand touched Dazna's shoulder, she immediately realized something was wrong.

The white lotus-shaped arm, weighing two and a half tons, gently patted Tazna's shoulder.

"Uh-huh!"

The sickening sound of bones breaking, accompanied by Tazna's agonizing, half-terrified howl, instantly echoed through the forest.

His right shoulder instantly twisted and drooped, and Hui Li quickly withdrew his hand, as if he had been burned by lava.

The trio who had been watching the show from the front suddenly changed their expressions. Naruto and Sasuke rushed over and helped the heavily injured Tazuna to the ground.

Kakashi ran over at this moment, looking down at Tazuna's face full of pain, then at Gray, who was shrugging his hands and looking embarrassed. His silver broom-like hair was even more disheveled after being ruffled by him.

"Are you trying to kill our client?"

"I forgot."

With her hands obediently placed at her sides, Hui Li gently bit her lower lip. She had only thought of comforting Tazuna because she saw how scared he looked, but she forgot that she couldn't have any physical contact with humans.

Whether it's malicious or well-intentioned, this outcome is inevitable in the end.

It seems she needs to rethink her lifestyle and try to use chakra to accomplish everything from now on, minimizing physical interaction with the outside world.

In fact, she has already been doing that.

When going to the Hokage's office, he uses Wind Release to push open the door; when walking, he uses Earth Release to strengthen the road surface; and when drinking water, he directly uses Water Release to deliver it into his mouth, rarely using cups or other utensils.

In addition to avoiding physical contact with people as much as possible, she even avoids breathing directly at others, because they might get burned by her hot breath.

She has already done a very good job, but this level may not be enough. If she wants to participate normally in human social activities, her future actions must be more streamlined.

"Uh-huh~"

Dazner's voice finally weakened as he lay on the ground, his adrenaline surging and the burning pain easing his agony considerably.

"Uncle Tazuna is so badly injured, what should we do?"

Naruto was getting anxious.

They left in a hurry and didn't bring any medical supplies. Now they've entered the border of the Land of Fire, and there aren't even any villages around, let alone hospitals that can treat comminuted fractures.

Compared to the slightly flustered Naruto, Sasuke was more rational. He looked at Tazuna's deformed shoulder and said:

"Such a terrible injury cannot be healed without a medical ninja. If it is not handled properly, Uncle Tazuna may be left with a disability."

I suggest we go back to Konoha first.

Upon hearing Sasuke's suggestion, Naruto scratched his head in annoyance.

It was truly disheartening to return to the village in such a ridiculous manner on his first high-level mission, but he couldn't afford to gamble with Tazuna's arm. No matter how much regret he had, he had to return to the village to get treatment.

"Alright, let's go back to the village!"

"Even Konoha might not be able to heal such injuries!" Kakashi crouched down to examine Tazuna's deformed shoulder, his expression equally grave.

"Only a medical ninja of the highest caliber can be used; otherwise, even if the injury is healed, it will leave serious aftereffects. However, with a medical ninja present, at least the injury can be stabilized and prevented from worsening. Perhaps..."

"No, no!"

Tazuna glanced fearfully at the silver-haired monster, then, enduring the excruciating pain, looked at Kakashi: "The crisis in the Land of Waves isn't over yet. If we go back..."

“If you don’t go back, you won’t be able to build bridges in the future.”

The cold words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Tazuna's head. Kakashi didn't argue with him but directly stated the cruel reality.

For a bridge builder, losing his most crucial right arm means the end of his career.

Gray couldn't help but look at the heavily injured Tazuna.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, the old man's pride was palpable whenever he mentioned his identity as a bridge builder. The blow to him from being unable to build bridges would probably be no less than the blow to Lee giving up becoming a ninja.

"It's ok!"

To Gray's surprise, Tazner didn't hesitate at all; he struggled to sit up using one arm.
"The purpose of building the bridge was to make the impoverished Land of Waves rich. Now that the country is under the control of Kado and is on the verge of collapse, it would be meaningless for me to build any more bridges."

I know you guys are strong, and I was wrong before. Please, you must defeat Kado and his gang!

"Uncle Tazuna..."

Seeing Tazuna, who didn't utter a single complaint even after being accidentally injured by Hail, but only pleaded desperately, Naruto gritted his teeth:

"Don't worry, I will definitely help you defeat Kado!"

Sasuke and Kakashi's eyes also flickered slightly; even they were moved by the determination in the other party.
"Leave it to our Class 7!"

"Kado is dead!"

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation and made a promise for Tazna, as if they were already determined to tear the great villain Gato to pieces.

"that……"

Seeing the moved gazes of the crowd focused on her, Hui Li, the culprit who caused all of this, awkwardly raised her hand:

"I think I forgot to tell you, I'm actually a medical ninja."

(End of this chapter)