Chapter 193: Persuasion
Saying Kisame was both weak and loved to play around was definitely inappropriate.
A Kage-level powerhouse—would you call him weak? The Second Hokage and the Second Mizukage might have the credentials, but Ino certainly didn't have the right to say he was weak.
However, he was indeed a bit behind the times.
"Five Eating Sharks!"
He clapped his hand on the water surface, creating five water bullets shaped like sharks that rushed towards the five of them, seemingly intent on tearing them apart.
Ino formed two hand seals, then leaped into the air, continuously spitting several sharp chakra water arrows at the underwater sharks.
"Water Release: Water Trumpet!"
All the water sharks were shattered. Ino took out a kunai, and with a flick of her wrist, a pillar of water shot into the sky. She used the water pillar to gain a brief moment of leverage, then channeled a layer of water-attribute chakra around the kunai. At that moment, Hiashi Hyūga struck Kisame with a palm. Having a deep understanding of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist, Ino anticipated this move and preemptively slashed at Kisame's side with a water blade.
Kisame showed no fear whatsoever, meeting palm with fist, directly taking Hiashi Hyūga's attack. Then, with a single hand, he swung Samehada. Relying solely on the strength of his arm and wrist, the ninja sword swept upwards from below, shattering Ino's "Water Release: Water Blade Slash." Samehada was incredibly pleased to have absorbed so much water-attribute chakra today, its joyous emotions resonating with Kisame. Before he could even sneer, Ino's cheeks puffed out, and another transparent line of water shot directly towards his face.
No matter how skilled in taijutsu or how strong one was, they were ultimately just flesh and blood. Kisame had clearly underestimated his opponents. Facing the "Water Release: Water Severing Wave" that could slice through the God Tree, his defenses were wide open, leaving him no choice but to try his best to evade the vital areas.
His speed wasn't significantly greater than Ino's either. Hiashi Hyūga exhaled and struck his chest with another palm strike.
He wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.
Fortunately, his teammate Uchiha Itachi was dependable. Having foreseen Ino's intentions, he used a Great Fireball Technique, detonating it at Kisame's feet. Water splashed everywhere, and by leveraging the explosive force, Kisame narrowly escaped.
His shark-like head turned to glare fiercely at Ino. Before he could even utter a threat, a plump water clone emerged from beneath the water's surface. The water clone continued to expand, eventually growing to over five meters tall, emitting steam from its entire body as it rapidly charged towards Kisame and Itachi.
"What the hell is this thing?" Kisame instinctively reached for his ninja sword to slash at it.
"Get out of the way!" Itachi reacted with lightning speed, shoving him aside. The three tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly as he focused his gaze on the plump Ino.
Then, the plump Ino suddenly bypassed them and rushed into the distance, exploding with a deafening boom.
Ino, who had kept her eyes closed, was initially taken aback, but then comprehension dawned on her.
She had made a blunder.
The Steam Eruption Burst could bypass the Rashomon and Shukaku's Shield. She had always believed this technique was highly intelligent. However, she had never anticipated that every advantage had its drawbacks. Against top-tier genjutsu, this "intelligence" became a weakness for the water clone.
Of course, having intelligence was definitely better than not having it.
That Tailed Beast Ball thing had no intelligence; how many people could it kill? If Uchiha Itachi saw a Tailed Beast Ball hurtling towards him, he would never use genjutsu on it. The last brave soul who tried to cut a Tailed Beast Ball with the Kubikiribocho had died right before his eyes.
Ino didn't utilize the continuous explosion function of the Steam Eruption Burst. Uchiha Itachi had been holding back, and she didn't see the need to engage in continuous explosions while in a weakened state. At that moment, she quickly retreated behind Choza.
Kisame was becoming increasingly serious, wielding Samehada in a relentless barrage of powerful strikes. Hiashi Hyūga's attention was mostly focused on Uchiha Itachi, leaving only Akimichi Choza to hold the front line, with Inuzuka Tsume providing support. Ino concentrated on countering his Water Release techniques, occasionally using taijutsu to land a couple of blows. It was practically a three-on-one fight, so it didn't appear too dangerous.
Uchiha Itachi, on his side, was holding back significantly. He held a kunai and exchanged more than ten moves with Shikaku, then engaged Hiashi Hyūga in taijutsu combat. He barely used his Sharingan, let alone any ninjutsu.
Having fought up to this point, Shikaku had managed to discern some of Itachi's intentions.
Shikaku suddenly formed hand seals, and a shadow, as swift as a sharp arrow, slid along the water's surface, rapidly merging into Uchiha Itachi's shadow.
"Shadow Imitation Technique! Success! Ino, now!"
Ino, who had already received the signal, seemingly formed the hand seal for the Mind Body Switch Technique. In reality, she didn't use the secret art but instead employed her sensory communication ability to connect Shikaku's and Uchiha Itachi's minds.
This time, the other party did not resist the connection.
If Ino's mental world was a deep and bottomless pool of black water, then Uchiha Itachi's mental world was akin to a dying furnace.
There was still residual warmth within the furnace, but it manifested as extreme weariness in the mental realm. Now, only an empty shell remained. As the spirit and body were intrinsically linked, this indicated that his physical condition was even worse than anticipated.
"Very impressive Water Release ninjutsu, truly a genius," Uchiha Itachi remarked. His words seemed almost like an afterthought, yet they carried a hint of deeper meaning.
Theoretically, since he had once escorted Sasuke to school, he should have seen Ino as a child. However, Ino hadn't inherited any memories related to him from her predecessor, and the two were essentially strangers. There was nothing to discuss at this moment.
She hadn't forgotten that he had used genjutsu on her previously and that she had been preparing to seal him within the Chinese Scholar Tree.
Her current role was simply that of a bridge, facilitating an undisturbed conversation between Shikaku and Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Itachi merely offered a couple of polite words of praise. Ino, in response, remained completely silent, pretending to be nothing more than a tool.
Shikaku stated, "What we discuss today must remain strictly confidential. Do not mention it to anyone."
He could have conveyed this instruction privately, but stating it aloud now was meant to put Uchiha Itachi at ease.
Itachi, seemingly unconcerned by this minor calculation, asked with a hint of fatigue, "Lord Shikaku, what is it you wish to say? You may speak freely now."
Shikaku didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "The Fifth Hokage believes you should return to the village. He is preparing to publicly reveal the events of that year. The Uchiha clan's defection from the village is an undeniable fact, and the ninja world has its own established procedures for dealing with traitors. However, the village's handling of this matter was excessively secretive and underhanded, and this also needs to be acknowledged. Today, we can confront this history directly and address things in a more honorable and just manner."
Shikaku continued, "If you feel there's no need to discuss this with me, then please wait a moment. The Fifth Hokage will be here shortly to speak with you personally."
Ino subtly furrowed her brow in thought, feigning that this was the first time she had heard about this. Uchiha Itachi's expression remained unchanged.
His tone was remarkably calm, as if he were discussing something entirely unrelated to himself: "The Fifth Hokage is indeed worthy of the title of a hero. However... Lord Shikaku, many things can no longer be undone, and I don't believe there's any benefit in attempting to do so."
Shikaku earnestly tried to persuade him, "Sasuke is a member of the village, and so are you. These are the Fifth Hokage's exact words. He believes that the Hidden Mist Village has the courage to rectify past wrongs and confront its former scars, and the Leaf Village should be capable of the same."
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