267.Aizen’s Test (2)

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The weather was very clear. A gentle breeze skimmed over the area, rippling the surface of the lake, while occasionally, a fish would poke its head out, hoping to catch a flying insect.

In the center of the lakeside pavilion, Sōsuke and Yuko sat quietly, both wearing faint smiles on their faces, interestedly watching the scene before them.

The children had taken their positions in the field, and Ghost, who always wore a ghostly mask and never showed his real face, stood in front of them, his gaze somewhat cold. The battle was about to start.

Suddenly, Konan formed hand seals! She transformed from her previously delicate demeanor, her elegant blue sleeves fluttering slightly in the air. As she dashed forward, several paper shuriken materialized between her slender fingers. With a swing of both hands, she fiercely shot them toward Ghost!

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"... As the sound of air tearing echoed, the next moment, the paper shuriken were almost upon Ghost.

Facing this attack, Ghost did not panic. His body moved agilely, performing evasive maneuvers with strange movements, slipping through the gaps between the paper shuriken. Without stopping, he charged toward Konan who was advancing towards him!

Seeing Ghost easily dodge her hidden weapons and charge at her, Konan's eyes slightly narrowed.

Then, with a loud "Bang!" Yahiko's body suddenly shot towards Ghost like a cannonball from one side.

Ghost's expression darkened. His rough hand swiftly touched his waist.

"Swish!" A dazzling blade light suddenly streaked across the air! The sharp blade light cut forward like a curved crescent moon, its force carving a few feet deep marks on the ground, which was quite frightening.

This casual strike successfully halted Yahiko's direct charge, forcing him to stop.

At the pavilion, Sōsuke saw this scene, his lips curving slightly as he commented softly, "To think he could produce a blade energy? Ghost seems to have retained some samurai techniques."

Hearing this, Yuko, kneeling beside him, quietly said, "Ghost was a retainer recruited from the Land of Iron by my father. He has been with my family since he was young, and I know him well. He was not fond of my brother, so he chose to follow me."

Sōsuke said nothing, gently picking up his teacup and sipping again.

Yuko quietly continued to pour for him.

On the field, Ghost, with his veteran combat experience, did not stop after blocking Yahiko's attack but charged towards Konan.

This made Konan tense up a bit, her hands forming seals once again.

However, at that moment, "Water Release: Raging Waves!"

With a calm voice, huge waves of water surged forth from behind Konan towards Ghost.

"Nagato!" Konan looked back.

There stood Nagato behind her, his gaze calm as he released his ninjutsu. Facing the massive water blades that resembled torrents, Ghost swung his long katana in front of him fiercely.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"... On the ground, several large rocks were suddenly lifted by him, blocking in front of him.

The giant water blades struck hard, shattering the boulders, and the water blades themselves broke apart, splashing water droplets all over the ground.

At that moment, Ghost's expression turned slightly cold as Yahiko had already reached his side. 

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Yahiko spun in mid-air, delivering a powerful kick directly onto Ghost. 

"Bang!" Ghost swiftly raised his katana, managing only to block the kick at the last moment. His body was violently kicked away, and the tremendous force made him grunt, saying in a deep voice, "Good strength!"

Hearing this, Yahiko grinned and replied, "After all, I've been working hard!"

However, Ghost sneered coldly and quickly formed hand seals. Seeing this, Nagato, who was about to form seals himself, changed his expression and urgently warned, "Be careful, Yahiko!"

Just as Yahiko was puzzled, the long katana deeply embedded in the ground suddenly emitted a fierce bright light. 

"Ninjutsu. Iron Plow Explosion!" As Ghost's voice fell, the katana exploded violently. Countless fragments of hot metal blades burst out in all directions, aiming to destroy everything around.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"... The countless red-hot metal fragments blasted like shrapnel, wildly striking everything around them, turning the ground into a pockmarked mess of dust and debris.

Nagato and Konan watched in shock, their minds filled with panic. "Yahiko!!" They both shouted in concern, their eyes filled with disbelief.

In that instant, Nagato's eyes, marked with concentric circles, seemed to ripple with a strange fluctuation. Among those present, no one noticed this subtle change, except for Sōsuke, who was in the pavilion and felt something. He looked towards Nagato with a glint in his eye, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"Why would you go so far in a test?" Nagato suddenly turned to look at Ghost, his peculiar Rinnegan eyes fixedly staring at Ghost, his voice filled with grief and anger.

Konan's eyes were also slightly red with anger as she glared at Ghost.

Hearing Nagato's words, Ghost said sternly, "Do you take the profession of a ninja as child's play!? In any situation when facing an enemy, you must maintain the most basic vigilance! From what I see, your so-called progress over the year is nothing but a joke. Without experiencing the trials of killing, you are just children playing... In front of a real ninja who is willing to give up his life, you could all be easily slain!"

Angered, both Nagato and Konan were at a loss for words.

At that moment, a slightly relieved voice came from the pavilion, "Nagato, Konan, I'm alright!"

Hearing this voice, Nagato and Konan were startled and quickly turned around, only to see Yahiko at the pavilion, dusty and disheveled, waving at them.

Seeing Yahiko unharmed brought immediate relief and surprise to their faces. Yahiko looked at Sōsuke with some awe and was about to speak when Sōsuke nodded slightly.

With Sōsuke's signal, Yahiko quickly ran towards them. Approaching, he said somewhat sheepishly, "Sorry to worry you both!"

Nagato lightly patted his shoulder, his voice cheerful, "I'm glad you're okay."

Then, with a puzzled expression, he asked, "What exactly happened? You were engulfed by the explosion. How did you...?"

Yahiko replied with residual fear, "I don't know... I thought I was a goner when I was engulfed by the flames..."

Hearing his words, both Konan and Nagato could feel the terror of the moment, showing concern on their faces.

Yahiko continued, "But the next moment... I found myself next to Sōsuke..."

Nagato and Konan continued to listen as Yahiko looked at them, blinked his large eyes, and hurriedly added, "That's it, I suddenly appeared next to Sōsuke and then came to find you!"

Hearing his words, Nagato and Konan exchanged puzzled looks, then asked, "Are you saying... Sōsuke saved you?"

Yahiko nodded.

Both Nagato and Konan were incredulous, considering the distance involved...

At that moment, Yahiko turned to look at Ghost. Despite being covered in dirt, he declared firmly, "Next time, I will defeat you myself, Ghost!"

Hearing his words, Ghost glanced at him briefly and then turned his gaze to Nagato, remaining silent.

Just then, "Pitter-patter!" "Pitter-patter!" "Pitter-patter!"... The sound of gentle footsteps arose.

Sōsuke and Yuko walked onto the field together, still smiling lightly. Sōsuke glanced at the three children and said softly, "Your performance... was somewhat disappointing..."

The three children looked at each other and then bowed their heads in shame

. Their previous fantasies of challenging Sōsuke seemed absurd now, especially Yahiko, who wished he could hide his embarrassment.

Sōsuke didn't say much more, only softly added, "Keep working hard. I have great expectations for you."

After saying this, he and Yuko gradually walked away, leaving the three children unsure what to do.

Konan felt downcast, thinking to herself, "Is Sōsuke disappointed in me... Did I fail terribly..."

Nagato's eyes also fell, discouraged by Sōsuke's words. "Am I looked down upon by Sōsuke... I haven't even... Maybe I'm just not good enough..."

As for Yahiko, seeing his companions' low spirits only added to his guilt. He vowed internally, "I must become stronger! I must prove myself to Sōsuke!"

In the grand corridor of the mansion, Sōsuke and Yuko continued walking. Sōsuke's smile hinted at something playful, his eyes flickering with thought.

Yuko quietly observed Sōsuke's expression and asked softly, "You weren't really disappointed in those children, were you? Why say that? Your words might deeply sadden them."

Sōsuke chuckled lightly and replied, "Arrogance can ruin a person. Only by constantly being under pressure can one fully tap into their potential."

As he said this, a shadow crossed his gaze briefly but vanished in an instant.

Sōsuke continued, "Those children are good seeds, and I need to see them bear fruit that satisfies me."

He glanced back and said softly, "Well done, Ghost."

"In a little while, I will give you the gift I promised. I hope you can obtain it."

His words fell, followed by the quiet sound of kneeling.

Yuko didn't respond, still closely following Sōsuke.

The two of them moved on, but the slight curl of Sōsuke's lips held a thought-provoking smile. Was it anger or sorrow?

That fleeting surge of power... Was it the Rinnegan? How intriguing...