My Villainous Life Starting with Naruto

Chapter 113 You Dou's Schemes, Moon Goddess's Killing Intent

When the exploding tags created a massive shockwave, the Konoha and Amegakure ninjas had only retreated about 200 meters from the center of the battlefield. Those who were a little slower were even grazed by the aftershocks of the explosion.

Minato Namikaze, who possesses the Flying Thunder God Technique, has such high "peaks" in battle that the intensity rises instantly and then drops back down just as quickly after the outcome is decided.

In fact, the entire sequence of actions—from Minato Namikaze ordering Danzo and Hanzo to retreat with the ninjas, to the outbreak of battle, to analyzing Nagato's abilities, and to using the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags—took less than half a minute.

For an ordinary ninja in this situation, it would be almost as if the battle ended during the retreat.

Seeing that Hyuga Yuto and Namikaze Minato were safe and sound, the Konoha ninja, led by Danzo, turned back, with Amegakure following behind.

When Hanzo the Salamander and Danzo Shimura arrived at the center of the battlefield, the first thing they saw was a dark, deep cave.

"That red-haired guy...?"

"It was Earth Release. He escaped underground. My Byakugan detected traces of chakra; he set a trap in the cave," Hyuga Yuto said softly.

"My bad, I didn't expect this guy to be so skilled at using earth escape techniques... Tsk, I shouldn't have used the multiplicative explosive tags, it gave him a chance to escape."

"Don't say that, Yuto." Minato Namikaze's voice was deep and resonant.

"I lack super-destructive ninjutsu. Your Mutual Explosion Tags are the key to breaking the deadlock. Even if we do it again, Flying Thunder God Technique combined with your explosions would still be the most appropriate choice. Besides, he is indeed injured, and his injuries are definitely not minor."

Hyuga Yuto nodded without saying a word, looking like a perfectionist blaming himself.

However, he felt a sense of relief.

—It seems that although Nagato Uzumaki is honest, he is not really stupid and seized this opportunity.

Hyuga Yuto knew that Nagato was a polymath who mastered all attributes. Mutual Explosion Tags and Flying Thunder God Technique might severely injure him, but they also left him a chance to escape using Earth Release.

Otherwise, if Danzo and the Salamander return in another ten seconds, and the four of them join forces, the chances of Nagato surviving today will decrease by at least another 20%!

For Nagato Uzumaki, being able to escape unscathed was already a victory, especially considering that he also took Konan and Yahiko's bodies with him before leaving.

As for the possibility that "Nagato Uzumaki, seeing his two friends die, no longer wanted to live and wanted to perish together with the enemy here," it exists, but it is very small.

The Akatsuki organization isn't just the three of them. After the initial immense pain, a calmer Nagato will likely lick his wounds and return to the Akatsuki base, at least to ensure his subordinates are out of danger before focusing on revenge against Konoha and Amegakure.

All sorts of possibilities were already in Hyuga Yuto's mind the moment he saw the yellow flash.

As for whether unexpected events might occur, such as Nagato summoning the Gedo Mazo, causing him to become immobile, and then being easily killed by Minato...

Hyuga Yuto was helpless against this, unless he transformed into Tsukigami today and ambushed Namikaze Minato, thus becoming a Konoha rogue ninja.

As the dust gradually thinned, Hanzo's breathing became even more labored. He squatted down irritably, examining the bloodstains and chunks of flesh on the ground:

"This is what fell to the ground after the explosion. The blood is still fresh, and the fragments of internal organs look like stomach tissue... He's already very weak. Today is the best time to kill him." He stood up and looked at the three people from Konoha:

"As you can see, his eyes are... the Rinnegan."

"Konoha will participate in the manhunt," Danzo stated.

Minato Namikaze nodded without refuting.

Since we've started, let's go all the way. War is never a dinner party!

"Alright, let's split up. He can't have gone far." Hanzo of the Salamander was the most anxious. He was in Amegakure and was definitely Nagato's first target for revenge. If he wasn't killed today, he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully in the future.

Danzo thought for a moment, then said softly:

"We can't concentrate all the search personnel in one place. We need to spread out the search over a large area. Although that kid was seriously injured, his remaining strength should not be underestimated."

"Have the ninjas form teams of three. Once they spot a target, they'll send a signal. The four of us will each take a position in the cardinal directions. Once we see the signal, we'll immediately move in and kill him! Even if we can't kill him, we'll hold him off while we wait for the other four to arrive as reinforcements!"

Danzo Shimura finished speaking quickly. It was a very mature and prudent suggestion. Although it would increase the casualty rate of lower-ranking ninjas, it would greatly improve efficiency.

The four exchanged a few more quick words, and the operation to "hunt down the remnants of the Akatsuki" officially began.

However, in the instant they parted, Hanzo of the Salamander subconsciously glanced at Yuto Hyuga. Their eyes met briefly and then looked away, as if it were just an unintentional exchange of glances.

A few minutes later, all the Konoha and Amegakure ninjas were engaged in the search. Hyuga Yuto first ran in the direction he was responsible for, and after confirming that no one was following him, he leaned against a rock and took a deep breath.

Hanzo the Salamander, he murmured the name to himself.

What a perceptive fellow...

court death.

……

Nagato lay panting in the cave.

Beside him were Konan and Yahiko.

Looking at his friend's face, which was frighteningly calm, Nagato Uzumaki seemed to think that nothing had happened. Yahiko hadn't deliberately run into his kunai, and Konan hadn't been brutally killed by Yuto Hyuga with his Gentle Fist...

Unfortunately, along the way, whenever Nagato encountered his friend's cold skin, reality would slap him hard in the face.

He's dead, he's dead after all. The next time we meet, it will be either in a dream or on the road to the underworld.

Nagato gritted his teeth and used medical ninjutsu to heal himself. He was an all-rounder in ninjutsu, and could do almost anything except for the special ninjutsu of his bloodline limit.

The immense pain stimulated his body. Nagato closed his eyes and endured it, clenching his fists tightly, without making a sound.

In fact, Nagato, who possesses the Rinnegan and top-tier Uzumaki talent, could have performed even better in the battle just now. At the very least, he could have suffered fewer injuries during the retreat, and there was even a chance that he could have left a deep impression on Amegakure and Konoha before leaving.

"Lack of experience in life-or-death battles with true masters" is Nagato's biggest problem right now.

He had never fought against a strong person like Minato Namikaze before. Apart from Hanzo of the Salamander, the Land of Rain did not have a single ninja of Yuto Hyuga's caliber.

Without undergoing real training, the Six Paths Eye Technique, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu cannot be fully utilized in actual combat.

However, if Nagato Uzumaki had truly fought against many equally skilled opponents, he would have been famous throughout the ninja world by now.

This great battle with the Konoha masters is extremely valuable for Nagato. After recovering from his injuries, his understanding of combat will reach a new level... provided he can survive today.

Huff, huff...

Suddenly, a muffled breathing sound came from outside the cave. Nagato stiffened and stared intently at the cave entrance.

That's the sound of Hanzo the Salamander breathing through his mask!

He's outside... and he's become suspicious of this place... If I use Earth Release now, the chakra will startle him... But if I do nothing, Hanzo will definitely test the waters by pouring poison gas into the cave entrance first...

Nagato took a deep breath and, dragging his battered body, prepared to strike first in a final, desperate battle.

However, to his surprise, just as he stood up, the muffled breathing outside the cave suddenly intensified.

Then, he heard Hanzo the Salamander's voice, filled with surprise and uncertainty:

"...The Moon Goddess?"

(End of this chapter)