socalfunplaces Chapter 122: Traversing Eight Miles Under the Stars.
Chapter 122: Traversing Eight Miles Under the Stars.
"Wind, Mountain, Cold, the three of you go after them!"
Uchiha Sa immediately gave the order.
Three trusted men dressed in the Uchiha clan crest stepped forward upon hearing the sound.
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as they finished speaking, the three of them blurred into three black shadows and shot off in the direction where Senju Tsuru had fled.
Uchiha Sa lowered her eyes and gazed in the direction the three had gone.
To her, that young man was nothing but a clown. Even though he was shrouded in eerie black mist, he was no match for her. Why should she bother hunting him down?
Most importantly, her top priority at this moment is to discuss the attack on the Thousand Hands with the head of the Feathered Clan.
There's no need for me to go in person.
With her Sharingan's genjutsu insight and years of combat intuition, Uchiha Sa had already determined that the person was a member of the Hatake clan.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached.
Amidst the rising dust, the Hagoromo clan leader and his army, along with the main Uchiha force, arrived.
The head of the Feathered Clan, with his white hair and beard, still wore a calm smile as he slowly walked up to Uchiha Sa.
"I'm late."
The Feathered Clan Chief chuckled.
Uchiha Sa looked at the frail and elderly clan leader, her brows furrowing slightly, her tone filled with undisguised dissatisfaction: "Clan Leader Hagoromo, you've arrived quite quickly."
"Ha ha..."
Tang Xiao, the chieftain of the Feathered Clan, laughed a few times.
He simply stroked his graying beard, laughed heartily, showing no anger at being rebuked. Instead, he cupped his hands in praise, saying, "I may be old, but I'm no match for your skills. You truly deserve to be called the number one Body Flicker in the ninja world; I admire you!"
"hehe...."
Seeing his smooth-talking manner, Uchiha Sa's dissatisfaction dissipated somewhat. After all, this was a crucial time for the allied forces to attack the Senju clan, and there was no need to hold a grudge against this veteran clan leader.
"Well then, let's quickly discuss the attack on the Senju clan. The Senju clan is always quick to react; if they discover the movements of the allied forces, the subsequent battle will become troublesome."
Uchiha Sa said calmly.
"Absolutely! Absolutely!"
The Feathered Clan Chief nodded repeatedly.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
On the other side, along an unnamed mountain path.
A magnificent horse, its entire body enveloped in black substance, galloped along the mountain road, its hooves off the ground like a black streak of light.
It was Black Zetsu, who was currently possessing the horse and forcibly controlling the stolen horse.
This horse was obtained by Black Zetsu from a horse trader who pawned the armor of the Thousand-Handed Crane.
Black Zetsu attached himself to the horse, and chakra was continuously poured into the horse's body. What was originally just an ordinary warhorse suddenly burst out with a speed far exceeding that of ordinary divine steeds. The trees and rocks on both sides of the mountain road rushed past, and even the sound of the wind was left behind.
Faster than a ninja!
"Next, we need to go to Mount Kikyo and deliver the information to the Senju clan."
Black Zetsu thought to himself.
Just as Black Zetsu was focused on his journey, a mocking voice suddenly came from behind him: "Yo yo yo, isn't this Black Zetsu-senpai?"
"what!"
Black Zetsu shuddered, and his movements as he controlled the horse abruptly stopped.
His senses were so sharp that he didn't notice anyone approaching at all, and a strong sense of horror surged in his heart.
But when he looked in the direction of the sound and saw who it was, his tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
Afei was seen carrying a strangely shaped square machine. He casually jumped down from an old tree, the camera pointed directly at Black Zetsu, looking quite mocking.
"You scared me to death!"
Black Zetsu's voice carried a hint of anger as he spurred his horse forward, clearly having no intention of getting entangled with A Fei.
"Hehe, I'm out of Mount Myoboku!"
Ah Fei grinned, raised the camera in his hand, and aimed the lens at Black Zetsu.
"Shima-senpai instructed me to use this little gadget to record the ninja world, so that it can be included in the history books in the future."
After saying that, Afei started snapping photos of Black Zetsu nonstop. He moved closer, the camera panning over the soon-to-faint Thousand-Handed Crane, and clicked his tongue, saying, "Hey, the one behind you is the reincarnation of this generation's Ashura, right? He looks quite disheveled~ Speaking of which, senior, you look so disheveled too, what are you running away from?"
"It's quite rare to see you like this, senior!"
As soon as Afei finished speaking, he pressed the shutter again, capturing an ugly photo of Black Zetsu and Thousand Hand Crane.
Black Zetsu did not avoid the camera, partly because he was in a hurry to escape and had no time to deal with Fei.
Secondly, he didn't know what this thing was.
It's probably another of the ingenious tricks invented by Gamamaru.
"Hurry up and go, don't bother me!"
Black Zetsu coldly rebuked him, urging the horse to accelerate further.
"I was just passing by."
Ah Fei shrugged.
"If you're passing by, hurry up and go!"
Black Jue said with a dark face.
Afei pouted slightly, shaking his camera with a reluctant expression: "Alright, alright, I'm off~ I still need to take more pictures of the ninja world to add color to the history books!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and leaped toward another tree, disappearing at the end of the mountain path in a few bounds.
Black Zetsu, too lazy to pay attention to this unruly fellow, steed his divine horse at full speed, eventually galloping towards Mount Kikyo.
------
Senjutsu's eyelids trembled.
He slowly opened his eyes, and the soreness all over his body and the emptiness of his chakra surged up instantly. He stared blankly at the dark sky above him, where the scattered starlight was so faint that it was almost invisible.
A campfire was lit beside them
Black Zetsu was squatting by the fire, holding a piece of freshly cut horse meat in his hand.
The divine steed that carried him to safety had been swiftly slaughtered by him.
The Thousand-Handed Crane awakens.
A faint smile appeared on Black Zetsu's face as he reached out and handed over the horse meat, still warm from the charcoal fire: "You're awake? Eat up."
"You are an immortal..."
Senju Tsuru stared blankly at the horse meat that Black Zetsu handed him, recalling the terrifying moment when he was surrounded by Uchiha pursuers and trapped in a desperate situation. If it weren't for this person in front of him saving him, he would have already died under the Uchiha's blade.
Is it as easy as it is now?
I'll be safe after a good night's sleep.
A surge of hot liquid rushed to my eyes, my nose stung, and tears instantly blurred my vision.
"Immortal! Thanks to you! You saved me once again!"
Thousand Hands Crane struggled to sit up, bowed deeply to Black Zetsu, her voice choked with emotion yet sincere.
"Ah...you..."
Black Zetsu was taken aback.
His tearful expression of gratitude froze Black Zetsu, who was used to scheming behind the scenes and observing coldly. His hand, which was handing over the horse meat, stopped in mid-air, and he was at a loss for what to do.
Over the long years, he had only witnessed the cunning of human nature and the entanglement of interests. Never before had anyone expressed such unreserved gratitude to him, and for a moment he did not know how to respond.
"Eat, child, this is Mount Kikyo."
"After you finish eating, immediately go up the mountain to find your father and tell him the information that the Uchiha clan is colluding with the Hagoromo clan and planning to launch a sneak attack on the Senju's rear. At that time, you will have made a great contribution and will definitely be promoted in the clan."
Black Zetsu snapped out of his daze, stuffed the horse meat into his hand, and gently instructed him.
"Um!"
Senju Tsuru wiped away her tears, nodded heavily, and began to devour the horse meat. Her ravenous eating was filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and her faith in Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu stood to the side, subconsciously scratching the back of his head, a complex mix of emotions he had never felt before welling up inside him.
He was merely acting in accordance with his own plan, doing what was only right, yet the boy's sincerity moved him deeply, stirring a strange ripple in his heart, which had long been filled with scheming.
After filling his stomach, Senju Tsuru thanked Black Zetsu repeatedly and, without daring to delay for even a moment, immediately ran towards the Senju camp at the summit of Kikyo Mountain.