Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

Chapter 86

Ōnoki’s heart was filled with hatred for Hui. This time, he had taken on the role of Anbu Commander with a single goal in mind: to enter the battlefield of the Anbu and personally avenge his comrade.

Two months had passed, and he had finally received word of Hui’s whereabouts. To his satisfaction, they weren’t far apart.

However, Hui remained unaware that Ōnoki was tracking him down. 

Even if he knew, he wouldn't have been overly worried. While the prospect was concerning, it wasn’t enough to make him panic.

The unknown is what’s most terrifying, especially in the ninja world. A shinobi is only truly fearsome when their abilities are a mystery. 

But as for Ōnoki, while Hui couldn’t claim to know him inside out, he knew enough—especially about the Dust Release.

Ōnoki’s greatest strength lay in his mastery of Dust Release, an incredibly fearsome technique developed by the Second Tsuchikage. 

This technique fused three chakra natures—wind, fire, and earth—into a jutsu that combined attack and barrier capabilities. The caster could form a transparent, shape-shifting barrier and release it toward their target.

Dust Release is a nature transformation kekkei tōta not a kekkei genlkai.

The true terror of Dust Release was its ability to disintegrate opponents down to an atomic level, leaving them in nothing but dust. It also packed enough power to cause large-scale explosions.

Ōnoki, as the inheritor of Dust Release, wielded this terrifying technique. Given its nature, Hui deduced that Ōnoki would also be proficient in the individual elemental jutsu of wind, fire, and earth—though, aside from a few Earth-style jutsu, Ōnoki was rarely seen using anything else. 

After all, with a technique like Dust Release, who would bother with anything less?

Hui was sure that Ōnoki’s greatest weapon was his Dust Release. If he had any other hidLightningcards, he would have revealed them during the Five Kage battle against Madara Uchiha in the original story. 

Thus, as long as he could dodge the Dust Release, dealing with Ōnoki wouldn’t be too difficult.

Of course, for most shinobi, just dodging Ōnoki’s Dust Release was already an impossible feat. But Hui wasn’t just any ordinary shinobi.

Night gradually deepened. Though the thunder and lightning had ceased, the rain continued, now reduced to a light drizzle.

Ōnoki led several Anbu squads, stealthily advancing toward Hui’s position. His thirst for vengeance drove him, but he hadn’t lost his reason. 

Based on their intelligence, the Ghost—Hui—possessed extraordinary sensory abilities. If they recklessly charged forward and were detected, Hui could easily escape, rendering their efforts futile futile.

Ōnoki also knew that Hui earned his nickname, "Konoha’s Ghost," for a reason. In the darkness of night, he moved like an apparition, leaving no trace of his presence. 

For this reason, Ōnoki decided to wait until daybreak before making his move. But first, he needed to confirm Hui’s exact location. All he knew was that Hui was near Village of Waves.

As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight bathed the land. After a night of rest, Hui’s Anbu team members were refreshed and alert.

"The sun’s finally up. Looks like today will be a good day," Lightning remarked as he approached Hui. Watching the sunrise after a night of hard work made him feel grateful to be alive, especially after the previous night’s bloody mission.

"Yeah, it does seem like a nice day... wait." Hui’s expression suddenly shifted, his face growing serious. 

He had sensed a large number of chakra signatures approaching, about five or six kilometers away.

Since his recent physical transformation, Hui’s sensory range had doubled, reaching an impressive seven to eight kilometres. His perception ability was now one of the best in the entire ninja world. 

Activating his enhanced vision, Hui’s eyes revealed mysterious patterns, and he quickly scanned the area five kilometers ahead.

There, he saw a group of thirty to forty shinobi rapidly approaching. Their uniforms were unmistakable—they belonged to Iwagakure's Anbu. 

Among them was a smaller figure leading the group, with a distinctively large nose. Hui’s mind raced, and he immediately recognized who it was.

"Ōnoki of the Two Scales... so he’s in the Anbu?" Hui thought, surprised. He hadn't expected the future Third Tsuchikage to have an Anbu background. 

Of course, he didn’t realize that Ōnoki had only joined the Anbu due to his quest for vengeance.

"Eleven o'clock, five kilometers out—approaching from Iwagakure’s Anbu. One Kage-level shinobi, two elite jōnin, six jōnin, and twenty-eight elite chūnin. They're closing in on us," Hui reported calmly.

The Konoha Anbu members tensed immediately.

"Our position's been compromised!" 

Lightning reacted swiftly, looking to Hui for further instructions, along with the rest of the team.

Hui deliberated for a few seconds before issuing his orders. "We retreat. Their forces outnumber us, and they have a Kage-level shinobi. Since there’s no mission conflict, there’s no need for a confrontation."

Truth be told, Hui was tempted to test his skills against the future Third Tsuchikage. However, he suppressed his urge. 

It wasn’t the time for recklessness, especially when leading a team of over thirty Anbu. While he might be able to handle the situation, he couldn’t guarantee the safety of his subordinates.

By the time Ōnoki and his squad reached the mountain cave where Hui’s team had been, they found it empty. Judging by the traces left behind, they hadn’t left long ago.

Ōnoki gritted his teeth in frustration. He hated the thought of having to continue searching.

"You all rest here and wait for me, I’ll be back in a minute," he commanded before ascending into the sky.

Ōnoki possessed the ability to fly—one of the few shinobi in the entire world with that capability. From his aerial vantage point, he scoured the terrain below, searching for Hui’s trail.

It didn’t take long. Hui’s group of thirty-two was too large to remain concealed for long. And unlike the dense forests of the Land of Fire, Land if Waves woods were sparse, making stealth difficult. 

Soon enough, Ōnoki spotted his targets. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he quickly flew toward them.

Hui, sensing Ōnoki’s approach, stopped and looked up toward the sky.

"Coming straight for me? It seems this guy had a close relationship with Ishigawa," Hui muttered to himself before ordering his team to spread out.

Ōnoki descended from the sky, positioning himself directly above Hui’s group. He glared down coldly.

"Ghost of Konoha, Hui... today, I’ll make sure you become a real ghost!" Ōnoki’s voice dripped with killing intent.

Hui raised an eyebrow, removing his mask as he gazed back up at Ōnoki.

"Quite the familiar words there. The last person who said that to me... well, I killed him two months ago." His calm retort hung in the air, making the atmosphere even more tense.

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