Chapter 171 - 66: The Hunt for Shou
"Kid, I have to admit, you've got guts. You're young, but you dare take on my bounty. Do you really have what it takes?"
Shou sneered at Yahiko, his gaze filled with disdain. Slowly, he placed the suitcase filled with money at his feet, crossing his arms as he waited silently.
From the moment he saw Yahiko, Shou knew this was an assassination trap set specifically for him. The age and appearance of the person in front of him were completely different from the target described in the intelligence reports. According to the information, Mo was a cautious person who would never send a proxy for such a deal. This meant the person before him was likely an assassin.
However, Shou did not choose to flee. Since the other party opted for assassination, it indicated that Onoki's rebellious faction was on the verge of a major uprising, desperate enough to eliminate him. Capturing this person alive might yield more detailed intelligence.
On the other side of the bridge, Yahiko stared intently at Shou, carefully recalling the tactical characteristics of Shou from the intelligence and comparing them to his own battle strategy.
"Alright, no loopholes. This should work," Yahiko thought, adjusting his breathing and tensing his muscles.
At this moment, Yahiko was vastly different from the future Deva Path of Pain, yet there were subtle connections between the two. The Deva Path was a corpse controlled by Nagato using chakra black rods, with devastating techniques like Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push), Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull), and Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation) all executed by Nagato. However, the fact that Nagato could use Yahiko's body to perform these techniques wasn't baseless—Yahiko himself was no weakling and even possessed a kekkei genkai.
For example, the later Animal Path, Ziyanghua, was a skilled summoner in life. After death, under Nagato's control, her summoning abilities were greatly enhanced. Similarly, Yahiko's kekkei genkai abilities revolved around gravity and repulsion, though they were far less powerful than the divine force of Shinra Tensei, which could repel everything like an unseen hand of god.
Feeling that he was ready, Yahiko charged toward Shou from the other side of the bridge.
Seeing this, Shou uncrossed his arms and prepared to face Yahiko's attack.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"