78 Ch-78 Ameyuki's Death.

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...

Ameyuki sprinted desperately through the dense forest, the audible gasps and heavy pants revealing the immense fatigue that had settled upon him. The primary cause of his exhaustion was the extensive use of chakra-consuming techniques in the ongoing battle against Michikatsu.

Casting furtive glances over his shoulder, Ameyuki repeatedly checked for any signs of Michikatsu in pursuit. In the initial moments of his frantic escape, there was a brief reprieve as Michikatsu seemed absent from his rearview. However, just as a glimmer of hope flickered within Ameyuki that he might elude his relentless adversary, a sudden commotion echoed from behind him. Whirling around, he was met with the sight of a rapidly escalating plume of smoke. This ominous cloud, rapidly advancing toward him, elicited a drastic change in Ameyuki's expression.

The advancing smoke, forming a distinct trail, was none other than the telltale sign of Michikatsu in 'Lava Chakra Mode.' With each step, Michikatsu left destruction in his wake, the incinerated trees giving rise to a conspicuous line of smoke. In no time, Michikatsu bridged the gap, swiftly catching up with the now-exhausted Ameyuki, who found himself at the mercy of his formidable pursuer.

As Michikatsu made his imminent appearance in Ameyuki's rearview, a sense of despair washed over him. The realization dawned that any hope of evading Michikatsu's pursuit had evaporated. Faced with this stark reality, Ameyuki came to a sudden halt, his breaths ragged, and he uttered, "You sought insights into the intricacies of mud release, didn't you? I'm willing to lay it all out for you. I'll even offer my cooperation. Just grant me the liberty to go free."

In a candid admission, Michikatsu disclosed, "To be perfectly honest, I never had any inclination to strike a deal with you. It was Nawaki who entertained the idea of negotiation, driven by his kind-hearted nature and unaware of the true depths of your character. On the other hand, I am well-acquainted with the kind of person you are—a mere lunatic. As for the mud release you're referring to, rest assured, I'm already well-versed in its workings."

Ameyuki, grappling with disbelief, retorted, "How is that even possible? You not only wield the formidable powers of lava release but also possess an understanding of mud release? I find it hard to believe such a claim."

"Who are you? What worth do you have that I would waste my time trying to convince you?" Michikatsu sneered, his disdain evident in his words. Without a moment's pause, he swiftly materialized in front of Ameyuki, delivering a devastating punch directly to his chest. Ameyuki, already significantly weakened, found himself utterly incapable of mustering even the slightest resistance. The force of Michikatsu's punch not only obliterated his heart but also left the surrounding chest area scorched, the intense heat emanating from Michikatsu's hand, which was enveloped in searing lava. In an instant, Ameyuki succumbed to the fatal blow, meeting his demise.

Emerging from the intense 'Lava Chakra Mode,' Michikatsu found himself reflecting on the toll it had taken. Murmuring to himself, he remarked, "The 'Lava Chakra Mode' undoubtedly grants a formidable boost to my strength, but it does so at the expense of consuming a significant amount of chakra. Despite my considerable chakra reserves, the usage of the 'Lava Chakra Mode' for less than five minutes has already depleted almost half of my chakra reserves."

Michikatsu, recognizing the futility of lingering in the current location, swiftly proceeded to seal Ameyuki's body before making his exit. Shortly thereafter, he reached the site where Nawaki was diligently attempting to uncover the bodies of the fallen rogue ninjas. Michikatsu approached Nawaki and commented, "It appears you weren't successful in locating the deceased bodies of those rogue ninjas."

Nawaki responded with a tinge of frustration, "What did you expect? The entire mountain collapsed onto the village, raising doubts about whether any of them have intact bodies. To compound the challenge, the base of the mountain transformed into mud. Even if there are some bodies intact, unearthing them would require digging through that mud. Frankly, I'm not inclined to take on such a daunting task, and I refuse to do so. If you're so determined to find the bodies of the rogue ninjas, be my guest and embark on the search. I won't be part of it."

"Seems like our luck is dismal; otherwise, we could have stumbled upon a few more corpses of rogue ninjas, securing additional bounties on their heads," remarked Michikatsu, a tinge of frustration evident in his voice.

"Yeah," Nawaki concurred, nodding in agreement, before inquiring, "What about Ameyuki? Did he manage to escape?"

In response, Michikatsu reached into his belongings and produced a sealing scroll. The sight of the scroll immediately conveyed the finality of Ameyuki's fate, Nawaki understood that Ameyuki's dead body must be sealed in the Sealing Scroll.

As the two contemplated their return to Konoha, Nawaki couldn't help but pose a pertinent question, "Have you considered what we're going to tell the Hokage?"

Michikatsu responded with unwavering confidence, "It's straightforward. We'll inform the Hokage that we located Ameyuki's base, exposing him as a rogue ninja of the Fire Country with a bounty on his head. Effectively, we were carrying out a mission on behalf of the Fire Country. The Hokage won't blame us; in fact, we might even be rewarded. When he learns that we eradicated a stronghold of rogue ninjas, the Hokage will likely be pleased, adding to our list of achievements."

Nawaki simply nodded in agreement after hearing Michikatsu's strategic plan, recognizing the diplomatic course they would take upon their return to Konoha.

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