NARUTO- CH-115. The Temptation of Returning to the Village

The white-haired middle-aged man was bleeding from all his orifices, his blood pooling on the ground. His entire body flew into the air before crashing down.

Shiki quickly threw a smoke bomb to the ground.

The dense smoke enveloped the group of five. Mabui and Xi exchanged confused glances but didn't dwell on it. Only Tsunade stood in a daze, puzzled.

Was this kid trying to prevent her from seeing the flying blood?

Who could've told him about her aversion? The Slug?

While she was lost in thought, the battle began in earnest.

The white-haired middle-aged man lay lifeless on the ground.

The remaining four members of the Xuanyuan Clan barely had time to process their leader's death before the Fourth Raikage descended upon them.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A black-haired young man in the center performed a series of hand seals, unleashing a massive water dragon that surged towards the Fourth Raikage.

But before it could reach its target, a line of earth walls rose up in defense.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."

The technique was cast by a young man dressed in gray from the Xuanyuan Clan.

However, the Fourth Raikage vanished in an instant, sidestepping the water dragon and barreling through the earth wall. Rocks and debris exploded in all directions as he tore a massive hole in it.

Suddenly, a bright white light flared up.

"Explosive Bugs!" Xi shouted a warning.

The Raikage froze, holding his breath to avoid inhaling the deadly insects.

"The Explosive Bugs are heading our way! Be careful!" Xi warned again, eyes scanning the area.

Shiki remained calm. Slipping on his sunglasses, he raised his hand.

His parasitic insects swarmed outward. The mutated parasites he controlled were not hindered by the invisibility of the Explosive Bugs.

In an instant, seventy-seven parasitic insects split into teams and surrounded the Explosive Bugs.

"Damn it! The Aburame Clan!" The gray-clad young man hissed, his grin vanishing.

When it came to manipulating insects, no one surpassed the Aburame Clan.

Desperate, the man threw a smoke bomb to obscure his location.

"Two hundred meters to the right," Xi called out, pinpointing the enemy's position.

The Raikage surged forward with unparalleled speed, arriving in a flash and delivering a devastating kick. The man in gray was killed instantly.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The black-haired young man suddenly appeared behind Shiki and his group. Knowing he couldn't match the Raikage, he decided to exact vengeance before his death.

A roaring water dragon tore through the air toward Shiki.

Tsunade stepped forward and shattered the water dragon with a single punch.

"Die!" The black-haired man appeared beside Shiki, kunai in hand, aiming for his neck.

Clang!

The kunai struck Shiki's neck but failed to penetrate.

The attacker froze in shock. "Is this guy even human?"

"Moonlight Gu!" Shiki murmured, his chakra surging as he warned, "Close your eyes."

The Moon Blade flew from his hand, slicing through the air with lethal precision.

Blood sprayed as the man was cleaved cleanly in two, his upper body flying while his lower body crumpled to the ground.

"Second brother!" A cry of rage echoed.

The air around them heated abruptly, and a fiery tongue of flame shot toward the group.

Tsunade stood motionless, her thoughts elsewhere. She hadn't expected Shiki to shield her during the fight.

"120 meters to the left," Xi called out again.

"Water Arrow Gu!" Shiki extended his hand, releasing a concentrated stream of water that intercepted the fire, neutralizing it. Steam filled the air.

"Moon-Spinning Gu!" Shiki activated his jutsu once more. The Moon Blade flew out, weaving erratically through the smoke and vapor.

A pained scream confirmed its success, and the temperature in the air normalized.

"Only one remains," Xi noted. "He's fleeing—400 meters ahead."

The Raikage gave chase. Moments later, a thunderous impact reverberated through the ground.

"The Xuanyuan Clan relies too heavily on their Explosive Bugs. They're just a disorganized mob," Mabui remarked.

The jonin from the Five Great Nations were leagues above rogue jonin from outside their territories.

Shiki turned his attention to the five remaining Explosive Bugs. He recalled the strict hierarchy among insects and decided to take control.

Channeling his chakra through the Rejuvenating Gu, he extended his influence over the Explosive Bugs. The deadly insects froze momentarily before succumbing to his chakra, forging a connection.

Shiki had successfully subdued the Explosive Bugs. Though they had weaknesses, their advantages were undeniable. The Aburame Clan now had a potent new weapon in their arsenal. Cultivating them, however, would be his father's responsibility.

"Thank you for your help," The Raikage said, his vengeance complete.

"Think nothing of it," Tsunade replied with a dismissive wave. "Just another job for the money."

"Mabui." The Raikage gestured. "Give them the reward."

Mabui handed over a sealing scroll, which Tsunade inspected with a grin.

"Perfect," She said, pocketing the scroll. The reward was enough to keep her gambling for quite some time.

The Raikage nodded as the group departed.

Mabui lingered for a moment, watching Shiki. She admired him and hoped that if their paths crossed again, they wouldn't be as enemies.

Back at the hotel, Tsunade settled into a chair, sipping tea. She couldn't help but smile, thinking of the 35 million ryo reward.

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