Reina asked, "Finally dead, huh?"
Seimei's lips twitched, but he answered calmly, "Yup. Completely dead."
Reina looked a bit disappointed and said, "Well, too bad. I was about to rush and chop his head. But he died before I could do that. Tch…too quick, no stamina at all."
Hearing that, Seimei was completely weirded out. He couldn't help but look at his good friend strangely and replied dryly, "What did you expect? That forbidden jutsu completely sucked his life force. It's already a miracle that he stayed alive for a few moments after the effect, and the duration of his jutsu ended."
"He fought tooth and nail and still got played by us. Give him a break, will ya?"
Reina tilted her head to him. Her crimson Sharingan already reverted to bright, onyx-black pupils.
She pouted and said with a huff, "What a strange thing to say, Seimei. Since he tried to capture and kill us, isn't it only natural for me to show no mercy and chop his head off, leaving him no way out at all?"
To that, Seimei couldn't agree more.
He nodded and added, "Fair enough."
Reina shrugged her shoulders and said, "With this bastard's interference, the plan to visit the nearby town to chill is pretty much ruined. Now, we will have to get back to Konoha and report this guy to the Hokage. Who knows where he popped out from? We don't even know what he saw in you to become dead set on kidnapping you."
With that, Reina used the Body Flicker Technique to appear right before Echo's corpse and sealed him inside one of her storage scrolls.
Reina turned to look at Seimei and said, "Let's go back."
She was about to walk away to return to the village when she suddenly felt a hand grab her left shoulder.
She knew who the person was. She had already sensed him, so she didn't react. Instead, she turned her head around in confusion.
Seimei rolled his eyes and said with a deadpan expression, "And where do you think you are going, lady?"
Reina looked puzzled and replied, "Hmm? Where else? We need to go back to the village ASAP, don't we?"
Seimei's lips twitched in exasperation. "We do, Reina, we do. But don't you think you are forgetting something?"
Reina furrowed her brows and fell into deep thought.
A moment later, she looked at Seimei and asked, "I'm forgetting something? What can I possibly be forgetting?"
"I stored that Echo guy's body. We have even stored the bodies of the chakra beasts…"
Suddenly, Reina paused and exclaimed, "Oh!"
Seimei smirked and asked, "So, you remember now?"
Reina avoided his gaze and chuckled dryly. The tips of her ears were slightly flushed.
She added, "You can't blame me. Our supervising instructor is quite elusive, and his presence is so dialed down that it's easy to miss him even if he stood before you."
Hearing this, Seimei grimaced and complained internally, True, these Aburame clan ninjas and their low presence buff…it's hard to get used to it. It's like they have a background character buff activated 24/7, making it easier to forget or ignore them. And being perpetually introverted didn't help either.
Seimei pushed the thought aside and said, "Never mind. I have already sent a shadow clone to hide him far away, protect him, and treat his injuries. He should have received first aid by now. Let's meet him, and then we will carry him back with us using shadow clones if necessary."
Reina nodded.
With that, they went to check the condition of their supervising instructor. The Aburame clan ninja's health wasn't good. But at least, after the first session of treatment by Seimei's shadow clone, he could still travel with them at a moderate speed.
Seeing this, Reina spoke up, "Alright. Let's head back to Konoha, for real this time."
Seimei chuckled and nodded.
The only one who was still confused by the conversation was the Aburame clan ninja, but he didn't care.
His job was done.
And he had suffered more than he signed up for. He still needed proper treatment at Konoha Hospital to ensure he had no lingering issues.
He looked at the pair of academy students who were outrageously strong for, well…academy students, and lamented the fact that he didn't even have one-tenth of the strength of the pair before him, even after a couple of decades of bone-breaking effort.
But he only lamented for a second before regaining his composure.
After all, as a ninja, he was an utterly practical being.
"Let's go," said the Aburame clan ninja before he activated the Body Flicker Technique to disappear from his spot.
Seimei and Reina looked at each other and smiled before following their supervising instructor.
This practical exam had been a hell of an experience for them, and they wanted nothing more than to chill for a while within the safety and comfort of their homes.
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In a land far away from the Fire Country, inside a specialized hidden dimension, multiple figures had gathered for a meeting.
To be precise, only one person was sitting on a minimalist, throne-like stone chair. His figure was hidden in a dark grey hooded robe. He placed his right elbow on the arm of the chair. His pale white fingers were curled into a fist, which he used to rest his hooded head, which leaned to his right.
As for the other figures…they weren't truly there.
Their silhouettes looked more like a 3D projection of their actual bodies. It was a special communication ninjutsu within their organization that allowed them to gather and talk to one another.
Their figures, too, were hidden underneath their hoods.
However, the man sitting on the throne knew the identity of every single one of them.
Right now, the man was silent as he listened to his subordinates' discussion. It was nothing special, really. All they talked about was their latest findings, innovations, the situation of the Shinobi continent, and the status of their main goal.
The topics they were discussing could gobsmack the majority of the ninja population of the world, but to the man sitting on the stone throne, they were utterly boring.
His eyes, hidden beneath the hood, looked at his subordinates emotionlessly. It was as if he were a modern man with all the power in his hands, looking at a group of monkeys who had suddenly gained enough intelligence to talk.
And how could a group of monkeys and their primitive ideas interest a powerhouse like him with an advanced mind and the most powerful weapons and technology in his possession?
But he still needed them.
After all, even the most powerful man in the world needed servants, slaves, and subordinates to do his bidding.
They were useful.
So, he tolerated them.
Otherwise, why would he bother with them, whom he saw as nothing but an inferior species?
As he watched his subordinates report on the progress of the organization's missions and goals, his eyes suddenly caught one of them pausing.
He narrowed his eyes and tilted his hooded head toward the slightly distracted subordinate and asked, "No.9, is there something wrong? You look…hmm…distracted."
His tone was utterly indifferent and void of any emotion.
Feeling his leader's oppressive gaze on him, No.9 suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Granted, his actual body wasn't there, and he wasn't facing the leader of the organization directly.
But his leader's gaze still made him tremble through the 3D projection. He remembered the time when he first met the leader. The sheer volume of chakra and oppressive might of a higher-grade being radiating from the leader almost broke his mentality.
And make no mistake. No.9 was still a mid-tier Kage-level ninja at that point. Yet, with such strength, he couldn't help but feel like a squishy insect before their leader's might.
The leader's presence terrified him more than the aura and power of the tailed beasts, which he witnessed with his very own eyes during his younger days, when his combat strength was no higher than that of an average Jonin-level ninja nowadays.
Since that fateful day, No.9 both worshipped and dreaded the organization leader.
Suppressing his unease, he quickly forced himself to stay calm.
He said in a cautious tone, "Leader, I was just informed that the life seal tablet of one of my most prized subordinates, Echo, had been cracked. The seal no longer holds any trace of his chakra. It can only mean one thing: he is dead."
No.9 couldn't help but feel a hint of regret. He had groomed Echo for nearly a decade after he joined his faction within the organization.
He was already a peak S-rank ninja. All Echo needed was a couple of more years to reach the Kage level. Then, with his Swift Release, he would have been a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, it didn't mean Echo could touch even the corner of his clothes even then. He was far stronger.
But the point was that once Echo achieved Kage-level, he could recommend him to the organization's inner circle, allowing No.9 to reap immeasurable, tangible benefits in strengthening their group.
But now, all was ruined.
The leader didn't care, though.
He said indifferently, "Echo, was it? I saw him with you a few years ago. His talent…is mediocre at best. But his Kekkei Genkai compensated for it, granting him decent combat power."
"Since he perished, it meant he was weak—nothing to lament about. We can always find substitutions."
"Where did he die, though?"
No.9 replied immediately, "His last mission was in the Fire Country. He most likely met his end there."
The leader fell silent for a couple of seconds before saying nonchalantly, "Land of Fire, huh? A prosperous land, indeed. Full of vitality and an abundant amount of natural energy."
"Didn't two decently strong ninjas emerge from that land?"
He spoke indifferently. His emotionless voice had no ripples.
Then he shifted the topic.
"That being said, order your subordinates to do their jobs more covertly, especially in the five great elemental nations."
"A war is about to erupt on this continent again, and the chaos it brings will be far bigger in scale than the turmoil in the last few centuries as well."
"Chaos is good."
"More lives will be lost. More energy will return to the world."
"Unfortunately, we are not ready yet. Our preparations are nowhere near completion."
"Such a wasted opportunity!"
The leader sighed before continuing, "Still, we just need to do what we have been doing all these years. Human greed knows no bounds. So what if we miss this opportunity? We have all the time in this world. As long as human greed and desire exist, wars will never end."
The hooded leader looked at every single projection and commanded, "Send all the relevant data you have compiled to me within a week. That's it. The meeting is adjourned."
Hearing this, all the hooded, 3D-projected figures bowed to the leader and said in unison, "We obey your command."
With that, the 3D projections began to flicker and disappear one by one.
And soon, only the hooded leader sat in the stone chair alone.
He looked up and let out a tired sigh.
"Soon, I will get my chance to take action."
"It's not the time yet. But soon…yes, very soon…"
"Until then, I will wait."
His eyes seemed to glow in two distinct colors beneath the hood.
He muttered in a deep voice.
"I have waited for this long. I can wait for a little longer."
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A/N: If you like my story and want to read ahead, you can check out my P@treon page and get access to the Advanced chapters!
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