Chapter 221: Typhoon Release
Hidan never expected that what started as an attempt to send Hyuga Miyuki into their base to challenge the person who killed their comrades would end with her attacking him instead.
But as he thought back to the events of yesterday, when the cultists who allowed Sasori to enter the Jashinist base all mysteriously died—leaving only himself alive because he hadn't arrived in time—he suddenly understood.
Indeed, allowing a non-believer into the gathering place of their faith was bound to bring the wrath of Lord Jashin!
With that thought as his last, Hidan's lifeless body hit the ground.
Elsewhere, Hyuga Miyuki followed the direction Hidan had indicated, lost in thought.
According to Hidan, this seemed to be a major base for the Jashinist cult, an area normal citizens wouldn't usually pass through.
Which made her, someone who walked straight in asking for lodging, suspicious by default. For a Jashinist cultist to lure an outsider into their base... what was the true purpose?
Looking at the now-familiar Sasori standing before her, Hyuga Miyuki sighed. "I don't have time for chit-chat. Let's settle this today!"
…
Ten kilometers from the Land of Hot Water, Nagato was racing through the sky toward the location White Zetsu had provided.
As he approached, he reviewed the intel on his target.
"Akahigi no Sasori... formerly a prodigious puppeteer of Sunagakure. Betrayed his village due to disillusionment and his obsessive pursuit of perfecting puppet arts."
Nagato raised an eyebrow.
Sasori's strength was undeniable. He was known for wielding various advanced puppets, most notably the Third Kazekage puppet, which retained the magnet release and bloodline limit of the original.
Though that puppet had since been taken by the Hyuga ninja, it didn't diminish Sasori's abilities.
Beyond that, Sasori possessed the unique technique "Performance of a Hundred Puppets," enabling him to control a hundred high-level puppets simultaneously in battle.
His power was considerable.
"But compared to that Hyuga girl who directly seized control of the puppets... Forget it. If she's one of Hyuga Fuji's people, there's no room for discussion."
As he recalled Hyuga Fuji, the man who led Konoha to kill the Fire Daimyo, Nagato's expression turned icy.
He held no sympathy for Konoha or the Fire Nation. On the contrary, he harbored immense resentment toward the current state of the Fire Nation. After the Fourth Hokage's death, Tsunade had ascended to power smoothly, inheriting everything Minato had fought for.
Why?
Minato had sacrificed his life, only for Tsunade to reap the rewards. To Nagato, who believed himself the inheritor of both Minato's and Yahiko's will, this was unacceptable.
And if he let his thoughts turn darker—could Hyuga Fuji's feigned death and defection have been a plot orchestrated by Konoha? A scheme to cement Tsunade's rise to the position of Daimyo?
If not for solid intelligence from White Zetsu proving otherwise, Nagato would have fully embraced such a theory.
Thus, his respect was reserved for Minato and Jiraiya—not Konoha or the Fire Nation.
The most he could manage was a grudging neutrality toward the village.
But Hyuga Fuji, a figure possibly complicit in Minato's death, or at the very least indifferent to it, was someone Nagato wished to eliminate.
After Yahiko's death, no one could dissuade Nagato. One day, he would stand before Hyuga Fuji and end his life.
"Hyuga Fuji?!"
Suddenly, Nagato froze, eyes widening.
Ahead of him stood a black-robed figure, their back turned as if waiting for him.
The figure was unmistakably Hyuga Fuji.
But how could he know Nagato's location? As the nominal leader of the Akatsuki, Nagato's movements were known only to White Zetsu.
Frowning, Nagato called out, "Are you here to stop me?"
Hyuga Fuji turned, his gaze lingering momentarily on a distant point before settling on Nagato. A smile appeared on his face.
"I've heard much about you, Lord Nagato. Both Jiraiya-sensei and Minato-sensei spoke of you—a beacon of hope, a possessor of the Rinnegan, destined to bring peace. Seeing you now, I find their praise well-deserved."
"Enough with the pleasantries."
Nagato snorted coldly. "I was planning to deal with you after I'd prepared thoroughly. But since you've come here yourself, this will save me the trouble. You'll stay here permanently."
There was no attempt to ask why Hyuga Fuji had parted ways with Minato or whether there had been extenuating circumstances.
Nagato didn't care. He only wanted to drive Hyuga Fuji back.
His words, though threatening, betrayed some doubt.
Unlike Minato, Hyuga Fuji wielded Flying Thunder God without any apparent emotional ties or weaknesses to exploit. Nagato wasn't certain he could truly defeat him.
Still, he couldn't show weakness.
"Witness the power of a god! Shinra Tensei!"
"So impatient."
Hyuga Fuji sighed, raising his hand as well. A similar repulsive force surged outward.
Boom!
The clash of forces echoed across the sky like a thunderclap, drowning out all other sounds.
The collision between their powers generated an immense energy wave, as though the very air was being torn apart. Blinding light and deafening noise erupted as the two forces collided.
When the dust finally settled, the two stood facing each other, locked in mutual scrutiny.
Nagato, recalling the force Hyuga Fuji had just displayed, couldn't hide a flicker of surprise in his eyes. But he quickly regained his composure.
A similar ability didn't mean equal strength. Nagato had absolute confidence in the Rinnegan's capabilities.
However, just as he reassured himself, Hyuga Fuji raised a hand. Out of nowhere, an invisible blade of wind sliced toward Nagato's neck.
The unexpected attack caught Nagato off guard.
Fortunately, his battle instincts kicked in. Sensing the approach of death, he activated Shinra Tensei at the last moment, deflecting part of the attack's force. The invisible blade was redirected, though not entirely neutralized.
"An unseen attack? Wind Release?"
Nagato steadied himself, frowning deeply.
But if it was Wind Release, how could it possess such terrifying cutting power? Even his repulsive force had only managed to alter its trajectory, not eliminate it entirely.
What was this?
As Nagato wrestled with his thoughts, Hyuga Fuji remained silent.
With a simple shift of his mind, an invisible storm engulfed Nagato.
Realizing the danger, Nagato didn't hold back, unleashing Shinra Tensei with all his might.
The force of the repulsion shattered the clouds above, scattering them completely. The resulting shockwave spread to the ground, sending violent gusts of wind in every direction.
Watching this unfold, Hyuga Fuji's lips curled into a faint smile.
This was Typhoon Release, the first Kekkei Genkai he had ever analyzed.
In the ninja world, there were several bloodline limits that Hyuga Fuji valued highly, and Typhoon Release was one of them.
A technique capable of conjuring typhoons powerful enough to challenge a fully-formed Susano'o—how could it not intrigue him?
Yet upon researching it, the results exceeded his expectations.
While Typhoon Release's external manifestation involved controlling and generating hurricanes, its true nature was far more profound.
—It was the ability to create and manipulate the flow of gases.
This was the essence of Typhoon Release.
(End of Chapter)