Haruto Saito's Hiding in the Mist Jutsu spread in an instant, shrouding the entire mansion in a thick fog within a single breath.
Zero Thorn had already closed in, both blades slashing at Haruto. Haruto's right hand condensed a Rasengan, launching it with full force! At the same time, his left hand retrieved a Basic Healing Card from his inventory space and shoved it into his mouth.
But this time, Zero Thorn didn't clash head-on. Both his blades shifted positions as his body twisted to the side, narrowly dodging Haruto's Rasengan. Haruto's right hand remained extended, the swirling sphere of chakra still spinning in his palm.
Zero Thorn flickered behind Haruto, one blade slicing toward his nape, the other stabbing for his heart.
Haruto immediately dispelled the Rasengan. Just before the blade could pierce his skin, chakra surged violently throughout his body. In an instant, dozens of bone spikes erupted from his joints!
"Shikotsumyaku: Kinkaku no Mai!" (Dead Bone Pulse: Dance of the Golden Amber!)
Haruto didn't want to use his Shikotsumyaku abilities. If Konoha found out he possessed the Dead Bone Pulse bloodline limit, it would cause him endless trouble. He was already under surveillance by the Hyūga clan, and he wasn't sure if there were any watching him now.
But he had no choice!
If he didn't use everything at his disposal, he'd be dead!
At least the thick mist concealed the sight of his Shikotsumyaku. Whether the unique chakra signature of his ability would be detected, he couldn't worry about that now.
The bone spikes struck suddenly!
Although the fog obscured Zero Thorn's vision, his sensory abilities were incredibly sharp. His forward-leaning body abruptly recoiled, his foot slamming against the ground as he flipped backward just in time to avoid being impaled by Haruto's Dance of the Golden Amber.
Haruto spun around swiftly, hurling over ten kunai at Zero Thorn.
Zero Thorn, unable to see anything, relied on sound to dodge. Twisting mid-air, he barely avoided the rain of kunai.
"Shikotsumyaku: Ten Finger Bullets!"
Haruto raised his fingers, and ten razor-sharp bone bullets shot out at lightning speed!
Zero Thorn was hit!
Since he was mid-jump, with no footing to adjust his position, three of Haruto's bone bullets pierced him—one in the right thigh, one in the abdomen, and one in the shoulder. None were fatal, but they severely hampered his mobility.
"Damn it!" Zero Thorn cursed under his breath. His chakra surged wildly, boiling like a storm about to erupt.
He was about to unleash his ultimate technique!
As a death soldier, he had no fear of death—his only goal was to complete his mission! If sacrificing his life meant accomplishing that goal, it was worth it!
Haruto had no intention of finding out what Zero Thorn's final move was. If it was some kind of self-destruction technique, he doubted he could survive the explosion of an Elite Jōnin sacrificing himself.
He wouldn't give Zero Thorn the chance!
Haruto's attacks continued relentlessly—Dance of the Golden Amber, kunai bombardment, Ten Finger Bullets—all executed within mere moments.
Zero Thorn had just been hit by the bone bullets when—
Haruto made his move.
"Die!"
BOOM!BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The ground exploded!
Stone tiles shattered as countless massive bone spikes—each four to five meters long—erupted from beneath the earth, covering a 50-meter radius in an inescapable assault!
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
The entire ground trembled violently, the deafening roar of destruction shaking the air.
The thick fog swirling through the mansion's courtyard churned wildly, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
Zero Thorn was annihilated!
A massive bone spike impaled him, nearly tearing him in half. His body was completely ravaged—organs shredded, blood splattering in all directions.
A golden glow burst from his corpse as more than twenty cards flew into the air, hovering momentarily before slowly descending.
The enormous bone spikes, along with the smaller ones protruding from Haruto's body, began retracting, vanishing beneath the ground.
With a dull thud, Haruto collapsed to his knees. His face was pale, sweat streaming down his forehead. He felt completely drained—his chakra reserves nearly depleted from excessive use. Even though he had tried to control his output, if he had fully unleashed Dance of the Seedling Fern, he might have exhausted his chakra to the point of death!
The mist still lingered.
Haruto's body trembled as he sluggishly raised his hand, retrieving a Basic Chakra Recovery Card from his inventory.
Crunch! Crunch! He chewed it up.
His energy rapidly replenished. Since chakra was formed through the conversion of spiritual and physical energy, the Basic Chakra Recovery Card essentially restored both his mental stamina and physical strength.
Once recovered, Haruto slowly stood and turned to Zero Thorn's corpse.
The assassin's body, previously impaled by a bone spike, had fallen to the ground once the bone structures receded. It was a gruesome sight—his torso was nearly torn in two, with only the outer layer of flesh keeping it together.
Haruto leaped upward, stretching his hand to grab all the dropped cards. Without stopping, he soared several meters higher, swiftly forming a hand seal.
"Katon: Fire Bullet Jutsu!"
WHOOSH!BOOM!
A massive fireball slammed into the ground, engulfing Zero Thorn's corpse in a raging inferno. The flames roared, reducing the body to ashes while scorching the ground beneath it.
Haruto was erasing the evidence.
He couldn't allow anyone to discover his Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit!
More and more Konoha ninjas arrived.
Haruto sat cross-legged on the ruined ground, drenched in blood, his hands glowing faintly as if treating his wounds.
In reality, he had already consumed a Healing Card and didn't need medical attention.
He was just putting on a show.
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