strictlysupreme Chapter 882 Graveyard
Chapter 882 Graveyard
Meanwhile, outside the mountain cemetery.
In the once silent, rocky forest, a figure rushed out like a startled bird.
Zhang Hai's face was ashen, and his usually deep and unfathomable eyes were now filled with barely concealed panic. He didn't even have time to explain a single word to Sasori and Kakuzu in the distance; his hands flew into hand seals, and the smoke from the summoning jutsu exploded instantly.
"Wow—!"
A giant war eagle appeared out of thin air. Zhang Hai leaped onto its back and, before the eagle could even fully spread its wings, he activated his chakra and forced it to take off at full speed, hurtling off in a certain direction.
"Hey! What's up with that kid?"
Hidden in the shadows, Kakuzu watched this scene, his green eyes wide with disbelief. "They just ran away like that? Without even saying goodbye? Did we come all this way just to see the sights?"
Sasori, who was standing to the side, slowly crawled out of the shadows, manipulating Hiruko. Although the ugly puppet face was expressionless, his voice was more solemn than ever before: "Something's not right... My puppet strings can sense the fluctuations in chakra. Just a moment ago, Zhang Hai's chakra was in complete chaos."
"Chaos?" Kakuzu frowned. "That kid could talk business with me without batting an eye even when he was surrounded. What could possibly make him so flustered?"
“It’s fear,” Scorpion said slowly, gazing at the horizon where Zhang Hai had disappeared. “The fear of losing something most important. It seems that the old monster in that cave has found his Achilles’ heel.”
"Tch, what a pain." Although Kakuzu complained, he didn't stop walking. He flashed and chased after Zhang Hai. "Follow him! If the main force has run away, we'll just be throwing our lives away if we stay here. Besides, I want to see what it is that can scare that kid so much."
High in the sky, the wind howled.
Zhang Hai gripped the war eagle's feathers tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. The insidious threat from Uchiha Madara echoed in his mind: "Starting with that little girl, I will eliminate everyone you care about, one by one."
Although Madara was referring to Mei Terumi, Zhang Hai keenly realized that while Madara might be unable to reach Mei Terumi, who was far away in the Land of Water, Haku, who had always been by his side and was currently unprotected, was a prey that was within easy reach!
"Damn it! Damn it! I deserve to die!"
Intense self-reproach gnawed at Zhang Hai's heart like a venomous snake. He hated his own arrogance, hated that he thought activating the Kaleidoscope gave him the leverage to compete with Ban.
“I was too young and impetuous… For the sake of some so-called test, for that laughable pride, I actually went and provoked that madman…” Zhang Hai’s eyes were bloodshot, and his heart was filled with self-loathing. “I’m a selfish bastard! Bai… you absolutely can’t be hurt… if you die, what’s the point of my eyes!”
At this moment, all ambition and conspiracy were cast aside. He just wanted to get back to Bai's side as quickly as possible.
……
The gaze then shifts to the misty, watery land of Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village).
As the most powerful elder in Kirigakure, Genshi, leaning on his cane, shakily pushed open the door to the Mizukage's office.
"Lord Mizukage, regarding the front lines..."
Before he could finish speaking, Master Yuan froze on the spot. The spacious office was empty; there was no sign of the Third Mizukage. Only the windows were wide open, and the damp sea breeze whipped the curtains wildly.
An extremely ominous premonition instantly enveloped the old man who had lived through three dynasties.
Before he could react, a trusted undercover agent appeared in the doorway in a panic, his voice trembling as he reported, "Master Yuan! Something terrible has happened!"
"What's the panic! Where did Lord Mizukage go?" Master Yuan shouted sternly.
"I...I don't know!" The ANBU member swallowed hard, his face pale. "Just half an hour ago, the village's ANBU squad, some members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and a large number of registered elite Jonin suddenly received the highest-level secret order from the Mizukage!"
"Secret order? What secret order? How come I don't know about it?!" Master Yuan suddenly slammed his cane down, the floorboards thumping.
"I don't know... There was no report, and it wasn't approved by the elders." The ANBU lowered his head, cold sweat dripping from his mask. "They've... all left the village! Their direction and destination are unknown! Kirigakure's defenses are now extremely weak!"
Master Yuan slumped into his chair, his cane slipping from his hand and falling to the ground.
The Third Mizukage disappeared, and his elite troops were mobilized without warning, completely out of his control.
“What exactly does he want to do…” Master Yuan muttered to himself, looking at the thick fog outside the window. “If this power gets out of control, it could destroy a small country… This is not a war mobilization at all, this is… an outright madness!”
A massive conspiracy, orchestrated behind the scenes by Madara Uchiha and using the entire Hidden Mist Village as its pawns, has silently opened its blood-red maw, just like the thick fog that blankets the sky.
Hanzo felt as if a boulder was pressing down on his chest; his rapid breathing and tense nerves made it almost impossible for him to remain calm. The image of the purple dragon lingered in his mind; the Body Flicker Technique had only provided a momentary escape, while the fear of being devoured was deeply rooted in his heart.
Whenever he closes his eyes, the image of the purple dragon devouring souls appears in his mind: blood, wails, and helpless struggles, while those desperate eyes seem to still be staring at him.
He ran faster than ever before, but even so, he knew he had no chance of escape. That power was something even ninjutsu couldn't withstand.
His ninja skills, once his sole means of survival, were utterly useless before that purple dragon. Its appearance shattered his understanding of power; he realized he was nothing more than an ant, and all his efforts were insignificant in the face of this terrifying power.
"Huff..." Hanzo pressed his hand against the wall, steadying himself. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He needed to stay calm. This escape had given him an unprecedented sense of crisis, but hiding wouldn't solve the problem. The Rinnegan, that mysterious power, was still like a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
Suddenly, footsteps broke the silence, and a familiar voice called out: "Hanzo, you're still alive?"
Hanzo suddenly looked up and saw the Third Kazekage slowly walking towards him, his figure tall and imposing, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.