Chapter 96: Immerse Yourself in the World of Illusion
At this moment, Mei Terumi instantly understood.
The Hunter-nin's inability to see her wasn't an illusion, nor a deliberate trick, but rather because of the blank sheet of paper that kind ninja had left her.
Ninja-nii-san...
She subconsciously reached out and gently stroked the mysterious symbols on the paper.
It seemed this could offer her a little psychological comfort.
Her bloodied fingertips traced the paper, but unexpectedly, the mysterious symbols, upon contact with the blood, suddenly transformed into a cloud of smoke.
Poof!
A figure appeared from the rising smoke.
A young man with short black hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, stood tall and straight, with a clean and gentle appearance. His pure, clear eyes seemed to hold a tranquil ocean.
"Ninja... nii-san..."
Mei Terumi tightly gripped the paper, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
Seeing Uchiha Kazuki, an overwhelming sense of grievance welled up inside her, erupting like a volcano, completely uncontrollable. Her carefully constructed facade of strength crumbled instantly.
She couldn't believe she could actually see her ninja-nii-san again: "Are you really... my ninja-nii-san?"
Gazing at the burning village before him, and the lingering stench of blood in the air, he looked down at the girl before him, her skin ravaged by fire, her body almost entirely covered in burns. Uchiha Kazuki instantly understood what had happened. A deep ripple of emotion surged in his eyes, his low voice tinged with suppressed rage: "I'm... so sorry."
His feelings were complex. He had thought the protective measures he had taken would ensure the village's safety.
But who could have imagined that it would still end up like this?
"Waaah—!"
Mei Terumi completely broke down, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing uncontrollably. "Ninja-nii-san... they... they killed... killed Grandma, killed everyone!"
"Everyone is dead! I'm the only one left... waaaah..."
The girl's heart-wrenching cries instantly alerted the nearby Hunter-nin.
"Found you!"
The Hunter-nin, who thought he had found his target, was surprised to discover an unexpected person as well.
Although he hadn't seen him before, the highly distinctive glasses made recognition immediate: "It's you—Uchiha Kazuki!"
"Don't cry, Mei."
Uchiha Kazuki ignored the Hunter-nin and gently comforted the crying girl in his arms.
His words carried a soothing power, slowly and gently seeping into the girl's heart.
Gradually, the girl's agitated emotions calmed down.
Mystical Palm Technique!
Healing chakra glowing green enveloped the girl's external injuries.
"Sleep... just sleep," Uchiha Kazuki's voice was like a lullaby as he gently patted the girl's back. "You'll feel better when you wake up."
"Ninja... nii-san..."
Terumi Mei murmured softly, her eyelids growing heavy as she slowly closed her eyes.
Having hypnotized the girl and let her drift into a peaceful dream, Uchiha Kazuki, holding her in his arms, slowly shifted his gaze toward the Kirigakure Hunter-nin.
Whoosh!
The moment that gaze fell upon him, the Kirigakure Hunter-nin felt as if the surrounding air had frozen solid.
The oppressive pressure made even breathing incredibly difficult, as if the air around him had turned into thick syrup, and his heart felt as if a massive boulder was crushing down on it.
So strong! So incredibly strong!
Just one look was enough to immobilize him completely.
The difference was too great. Only now did the Hunter-nin finally realize that the gap between himself and Uchiha Kazuki was even greater than the gap between himself and that little girl!
"Everyone, assemble immediately!!!"
The Hunter-nin turned and ran without hesitation, immediately launching a signal flare.
Whoosh—BANG!
The flare exploded in mid-air, the brilliant light visible from over ten kilometers away.
"Hmm? That's... a signal flare!"
The moment Mangetsu Hozuki saw the signal, he immediately realized something had gone wrong in the village.
Not only him, but the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, along with the Hunter-nin squads they led, also saw the exploding flare and raced toward the scene.
Whoosh—!
The snow continued to fall as over a dozen figures rushed through the forest.
Mangetsu Hozuki was the first to arrive, but what he saw left him utterly bewildered.
Four Hunter-nin operatives knelt on the ground in ritualistic positions, as if performing seppuku. They had cut open their abdomens with tanto blades, letting blood and entrails spill out, their faces contorted in final agony.
"I've been waiting for you for quite some time, Mangetsu Hozuki."
Uchiha Kazuki held the sleeping girl, his gaze indifferently fixed on Mangetsu Hozuki. "Since you're here, why don't you kneel down as well and atone for your sins?"
Kneel down? Atone for our sins?
Mangetsu Hozuki was stunned for a moment, then realized the other party was referring to the massacre of this village, and immediately laughed: "Uchiha Kazuki, I know I'm no match for you, but I only need to hold you off here for a moment. When reinforcements arrive, let's see if you can still be so arrogant!"
"Immerse yourself in the world of genjutsu, and then... repent until death!"
Uchiha Kazuki directly activated his Battle Hypnosis technique, amplified by his Sharingan's genjutsu.
Whoosh!
Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes widened in shock, freezing in place as if he'd lost his soul.
Damn it, it's a genjutsu!
Realizing he'd fallen for a genjutsu, Mangetsu Hozuki was utterly terrified.
Knowing his opponent was an Uchiha, he'd naturally taken precautions. He hadn't even looked into those eyes, yet he'd still been dragged into the genjutsu—how terrifying!
Observing the created genjutsu space, it was nothing but an endless void of darkness.
There was no up or down, no left or right, and no sense of time passing—just an endless, dark, confined space that caused extreme psychological distress.
"Hoo, calm down!"
Mangetsu Hozuki controlled his emotions, forcing himself to stay calm, and muttered to himself, "It's just a genjutsu. As long as I disrupt the flow of chakra..."
Boom!
Chakra erupted violently.
However, the genjutsu remained intact.
Mangetsu Hozuki's expression was grim, but he didn't despair. Instead, he raised Samehada: "Devour my chakra, Samehada!"
Although he wasn't a Jinchūriki, he could still use Samehada to devour his own chakra and then restore it in one massive surge. Such an intense chakra disturbance should be enough to break any Sharingan genjutsu!
A moment later, his efforts ended in failure once again.
Neither Samehada's absorption nor the violent chakra disruption could free him from the genjutsu.
Moreover, this dark and confined space made Mangetsu Hozuki increasingly agitated, and he began launching purposeless, frenzied attacks.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
There was no direction, no sound, and he couldn't even perceive the passage of time.
This feeling was indescribable—the deathly silence and claustrophobic darkness gradually made him more agitated and enraged. If he stayed any longer, his mind would completely collapse.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes widened in fury, and like a madman, he wildly swung Samehada.
The raging chakra surged violently, yet in this void, it couldn't stir up the slightest ripple.
"Damn it! Come out! Fight me!"
Mangetsu Hozuki's roar was quickly swallowed by the darkness.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. A desperate thought flashed through his mind: "I can escape this space by killing myself!"
This wasn't just wild speculation—it was actually possible!
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Mangetsu Hozuki gasped for breath, cold sweat beading on his forehead, then slowly raised Samehada and placed it against his neck.
Sizzle!
The barbed Samehada severed his throat.
The next instant—
Mangetsu Hozuki screamed, then abruptly opened his eyes, finding himself back in reality.
"Hahahaha!" His face lit up with wild joy, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I'm out! I'm out! Uchiha Kazuki, let's see what other tricks you have!"
But his joy lasted less than a second before he was dragged back into the genjutsu space.
The familiar void of darkness, the familiar deathly silence, the familiar, maddening, claustrophobic nightmare!
Suicide!
Mangetsu Hozuki raised his blade again and slit his own throat.
But the instant he returned to reality, he was once again powerless to resist, dragged back into the illusionary space.
Suicide!
Suicide!
Suicide!
Suicide!
Mangetsu Hozuki repeated the act of suicide countless times.
The boundary between reality and illusion had become completely blurred. He couldn't distinguish which side was real and which side was the genjutsu world.
Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes were bloodshot, and he ferociously raised Samehada.
The blizzard howled, and the freezing wind shrieked.
He roared like a complete madman, forcefully pulling Samehada across his throat, the sharp barbs tearing through flesh.
Splat!
Blood gushed out, spraying several feet into the air.
Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes widened, a look of utter bewilderment flashing in his trembling pupils as consciousness faded: "Wait... was that... reality...?"
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