Chapter 39
The sizzling sound of electric currents and impact shattered the eerie silence. Most of the ronin and Kirigakure shinobi collapsed onto the battlefield, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds. Even Zabuza, Tenzō, and the others fighting elsewhere paused momentarily at the sudden disturbance.
The figure that had appeared was gone in an instant—just as quickly as he had arrived. Like a bolt of lightning, he left behind no trace.
Hyūga Chinano narrowed her pale, pupil-less eyes. For some reason, she had an instinctive feeling that the one who had unleashed that thunderous attack was Zixu. Though the aura and presence didn't quite match his usual self, she couldn't shake the certainty in her heart.
Her gaze darted across the battlefield, scanning the chaos until she finally spotted Zixu standing at the edge of the fray. His posture was relaxed, his expression normal—but something about him was off. There was a sluggishness to him, an almost resigned exhaustion, like a worker being forced to do overtime on his only day off.
The strangeness nagged at her, but she quickly pushed it aside. She remembered what Tenzō had told her earlier. There was no time for doubt now. Waving toward Aburame Hatsuizumi, who wasn't far away, she made the silent decision—they had to retreat. Staying here any longer would only hold Tenzō back.
From the shadows, Zixu—or rather, his silent clone—watched them escape with lifeless, dead fish eyes. In his mind, he recalled the words his original self had told him before this mission.
"Don't overdo it. Just act like me. Protect those two at the critical moment—they're valuable to the organization. Afterward, follow them out of the encirclement... and I'll give you two full days to slack off."
The silent clone's dull expression suddenly gained a faint spark of life.
Two days off...
Was this a trap? A false promise dangled by the higher-ups to exploit him? Maybe. But Zixu's true self wasn't a total devil... right?
With a sharp whoosh, the clone pushed off the ground, using the rebound force to launch himself forward. His physique inherited part of the original Zixu's physical abilities, and even a fraction of that strength was enough for the current situation.