Chapter 181: Intentional Deviation, Targeting The Heart
After challenging Uchiha Tonan, Sarutobi Hiruzen used Summoning Technique to bring Enma into the battle. As soon as the monkey king appeared, before he even had the time to inquire, Hiruzen commanded, “Enma, turn into Adamantine Staff.”
Enma obeyed without hesitation and landed in Hiruzen’s hands. In the next moment, the Adamantine Staff grew bigger and longer, and like a pillar supporting the sky, it swept towards Tonan.
Wherever the Staff passed, the senjutsu-summoned stone pillars smashed into smithereens. Tonan’s eyebrows rose a little. He was a bit surprised in his heart. It was such a simple move, but its might was even greater than he imagined. It could actually shatter the senjutsu-triggered stone pillars so easily.
However, even if such a move was invincible on the battlefield, it was not much in a one-on-one fight. Just when the Adamantine Staff was about to hit Tonan, he used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash and jumped, dodging the attack, while quickly making hand signs in midair.
“Senjutsu – Great Dragon Flame Technique.” A huge flame dragon spewed out from Tonan’s mouth. Its appearance lit up the entire sky and as it appeared, it roared and rushed towards Hiruzen. Hiruzen was not perturbed. He used earth-style ninjutsu, similarly creating a stone pillar below his feet, rising him up in the air.
Then, holding the mighty Adamantine Staff with both hands, he began to spin rapidly.
“Adamantine Staff – Gale.” Boom… The Staff’s afterimages fused, giving rise to a fierce wind that blew everything away around Hiruzen. It even reversed the direction of the forest fire. The broken-down stone pillars were also unable to endure the lashing of this fierce wind and shattered.
Tonan’s senjutsu great dragon flame tenaciously resisted the great wind power and continued to fly towards its target. However, the closer it got, the slower the great dragon flame moved. Gradually, it became impossible to advance even an inch.
Finally, after reaching the critical moment, the great dragon flame opened its mouth, seemingly letting out a roar, before being blown back.
The moment the great dragon flame dispersed, Hiruzen put away the Adamantine Staff and quickly made hand signs.
“Compound Ninjutsu – Multi-Wind Fire Shuriken Technique.” The flame and fierce wind in the sky merged, turning into rapidly rotating shurikens, relentlessly attacking Tonan who had already fallen to the ground.
Tonan stayed in the same place and looked up indifferently at the thickly dotted wind fire shurikens in the sky. Rumble… The dazzling fire illuminated the surroundings.
“You aren’t dodging?” Hiruzen frowned and asked in disbelief. He immediately made another series of hand signs and used perception ninjutsu, but he couldn’t sense Tonan’s life aura.
“Impossible, how can you die so easily?” Hiruzen muttered. It felt like his heart suddenly became empty. He didn’t believe the result and used perception ninjutsu again, but he still got nothing. It seems Tonan was truly dead…
At this moment, Hiruzen found that he didn’t have the pleasure of successfully avenging his sons. Instead, he felt as if he lost the most precious thing in the world. The snowfall was getting heavier. The large snowflakes fluttered densely, falling from the sky. As soon as they touched the fire, they melted into a plume of smoke.
The fire gradually subsided, thickening the smoke. Hiruzen stood in a daze. Time passed second by second. The fire was completely extinguished, and the surrounding area was shrouded in a thick fog. Hiruzen’s clothes were soaked and it became very cold. However, he felt that he was confused like never before. He didn’t know whether he did the right thing or not.
Suddenly, he sensed danger from behind. Crackle, crackle, crackle… When the harsh ear-piercing chirping sound came, it was already close at hand. Hiruzen instinctively turned around and thrust the Adamantine Staff in his hand towards the electric light.
Puff… The blood splattered on the ground, turning into a bright red flower. The scene seemed to freeze at this moment. Hiruzen and Tonan looked at each other just like this. Both wearing a look of disbelief.
The Adamantine Staff had ruthlessly pierced through Tonan’s chest. But the Kusanagi Sword in Tonan’s hand had just cut off a few strands of Hiruzen’s hair.
Tonan’s eyes widened, and a sad smile appeared on his face. “You truly want to kill me… no hint of mercy…”
Hiruzen’s hand that was holding the Adamantine Staff trembled slightly, and he mumbled with a complex look, “Tonan…” Blood flowed from Tonan’s eyes and looking miserable, he said in a hoarse voice, “My Kusanagi Sword intentionally deviated but your Adamantine Staff was aimed at the heart. Regardless of what I did, it was not enough… In your heart, I’ll always be inferior to those two wastes!”
The three tomoe Sharingan in Tonan’s eyes spun rapidly and turned into Mangekyo. Seeing this, Hiruzen was stunned. “This is… are these eyes…”
The Mangekyo spun slowly but was filled with despair. In the next moment, the surrounding scenery fluctuated. Hiruzen woke up with a start and looked around. There was no sign of any battle here.
Was it just genjutsu? For some reason, Hiruzen subconsciously sighed in relief. He noticed they were still in their original positions. The only difference was that at this moment, Tonan was kneeling on the ground.
With his head lowered, he was trembling, and drops of blood were dripping on the snow, dying it red. Hiruzen looked at Tonan with complex emotion. He felt that the rage in his heart had subsided. He couldn’t muster the slightest amount of resentment towards Tonan.
Instead, he called out, “Tonan…”
Suddenly, Tonan raised his head and roared. “I’ve nothing left. Why did you go and find the truth?”
His voice was filled with endless sadness… At this moment, when Tonan raised his head, Hiruzen saw that the three tomoe in Tonan’s eyes had turned into the Mangekyo Sharingan. Moreover, it was spinning slowly while bleeding continuously.
“He has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan? Is it because I killed him in the illusion, hurting him…”
Hiruzen closed his eyes and sighed, “Tonan, why did you kill Shinnosuke and Asuma?”
Tonan laughed desolately hearing this question. “I’m not stupid, I know everything. As long as Shinnosuke and Asuma are around, you won’t look at me. You don’t even bother to look at the birthday present I bought for you after skimping and saving. Regardless of how I try, no matter how much I do for you, I can never match blood relationship.”
