Chapter 120: A Silver Flash on the Battlefield? No, That's a Demon

Some of the Sand shinobi who had managed to avoid Manda's rampage turned at the sound of the shouting behind them. When they looked back, they saw Takuya leading the Konoha shinobi in an all-out assault, his voice laced with curses. Their minds momentarily froze.

"Not good! The Konoha forces are attacking!"

The Sand shinobi quickly regained their composure, yelling to warn their comrades.

But it was too late.

A ghostly figure flickered through the rain-soaked battlefield, and a flash of silver light streaked past. The one who had raised the alarm was already on the ground, clutching his throat, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Even in his final moments, he couldn't comprehend how Takuya could move so fast. In what felt like an instant, Takuya had appeared before him, sliced his throat with lightning speed, and then vanished to target the next shinobi.

Takuya, fully unleashed, resembled nothing less than a silver flash of light cutting through the rain.

Wherever he went, all that could be seen was the gleam of his blade and the flash of his silver hair. Enemies fell one after another, unable to even register how he was striking them down.

So cool!!

This is exactly the kind of fighting I've always wanted to do.

Minato watched Takuya's almost imperceptible movements, feeling a surge of excitement. Like Takuya, Minato also excelled in close-quarters combat, relying on speed. For him, ninjutsu was merely a supportive tool, unlike Nawaki, who focused more on ninjutsu.

But Minato lacked Takuya's chakra reserves and the powerful physique that allowed Takuya to explosively boost his speed with chakra. So all Minato could do was watch enviously as Takuya tore through the battlefield.

I need to master the Flying Thunder God Technique as soon as possible. Only then will I be able to keep up with Takuya.

Maybe not even match him, but at least follow in his footsteps.

Clenching his fists, Minato silently encouraged himself.

Am I doing this wrong?

After all this effort, I've only managed to take down one enemy.

Nawaki, panting heavily, watched Takuya dart across the battlefield and began to doubt himself.

Why does it look like Takuya is cutting through enemies like they're nothing, while I... I have to give everything I've got just to kill one? Even Minato is more efficient than me.

Maybe after this war, I should go back and train in the Senju clan's swordsmanship and taijutsu?

The Senju were just as skilled as the Uchiha in both areas. But whether Nawaki could reach Takuya's level by picking up those skills again was another question entirely.

The clash of weapons, the roars of beasts, and the screams of the dying created a grim symphony of battle. Every moment, shinobi from both Konoha and the Sand Village fell. Despite Konoha's advantage, they were still suffering losses. This was the reality of war—there was no such thing as a bloodless victory.

After wreaking havoc on the battlefield for a while, Manda felt his time was almost up. With a powerful sweep of his tail, he knocked down the last remaining Sand jōnin, Masa's comrade, and swallowed him whole. Satisfied, Manda devoured a few more corpses before raising his head to catch Takuya.

"Master, my summoning time is almost over."

Summoned creatures like Manda had a time limit on how long they could stay in battle. Once that time was up, the summoning jutsu would automatically end, sending Manda back to Ryūchi Cave.

"No worries, you've done more than enough."

Standing on Manda's head, Takuya surveyed the remaining Sand shinobi. More than half were dead, and those who survived were visibly terrified, their morale shattered. Despite their superior numbers, it was clear that Konoha would win this battle.

"Return now. I'll handle the rest."

"Yes, Master."

Manda gently placed Takuya on a large tree that had been knocked down during the fight. With a puff of smoke, the massive serpent vanished, returning to Ryūchi Cave.

"We meet again."

Takuya paid no mind to Manda's departure. Instead, he looked up at Masa, who was standing on a distant tree, his expression uncertain and fearful. Seeing how shaken Masa was, Takuya grinned.

But with his body covered in blood, even his silver hair stained red, that grin made him look terrifying and savage.

"He's a demon, a silver-haired demon!!"

Whether it was Takuya's smile or just the horrors of the battlefield, a few of the more cowardly Sand shinobi blurted out their fear.

Takuya's smile froze on his face.

A demon with silver hair? Seriously? Have you ever seen a demon as handsome as me?

"Silver-haired demon?"

Masa chuckled bitterly.

"Just a few days ago, I gathered the wrong information and sent it to Lady Chiyo."

For some reason, Masa felt that the nickname fit Takuya perfectly.

Taking a deep breath, Masa's expression darkened as he asked, "Can you tell me how you're able to summon Manda? As far as I know, Manda is Orochimaru's summon, and you and Orochimaru aren't exactly on friendly terms."

"Aren't you afraid of my Sharingan?"

Takuya leaped down from the tree, walking slowly toward Masa.

The remaining Sand shinobi, now few in number, gripped their weapons tightly, eyes locked on Takuya as he approached. The Konoha shinobi who were still able to fight moved forward with him.

"Afraid? Of course I'm afraid."

Masa gritted his teeth.

"But do you think that just because I avoid looking at you, I can escape your genjutsu?"

Even the Third Kazekage had fallen to the Sharingan. Masa didn't believe that he, an ordinary Sand jōnin, could resist Takuya's genjutsu. If he couldn't escape, then whether he looked down or closed his eyes didn't matter.

"Unfortunately, no, you can't."

Takuya shook his head.

"As for Manda, maybe he thinks he has better prospects with me than with Orochimaru. The snakes of Ryūchi Cave aren't exactly loyal pets. Changing masters isn't a big deal for them."

"By the way, Orochimaru is just his summoning partner. I'm his master."

The distance between the two closed steadily, neither showing any intention of backing down. One needed to press the attack, the other to defend—this was their duty, their mission.

"I see."

Masa finally understood. He also realized his mistake, seeing Manda and assuming Takuya was Orochimaru.

By now, the incorrect information had already reached Lady Chiyo. What consequences that would bring, Masa could no longer worry about.

Because he realized his consciousness was already slipping into another world.

"Masa-dono!!"

Seeing Takuya continue to approach, while Masa stood motionless like a puppet, the remaining Sand shinobi shouted in desperation. Some even rushed forward, hoping to snap Masa out of his trance.

They knew that Masa had fallen into Takuya's genjutsu.

But Takuya wasn't going to give them any chance.

With a swift motion, his blade flashed through the night, and Masa's head was sent flying, landing several meters away. Blood gushed from the now headless body, spurting like a fountain.

And with that, all three of the Sand Village's lead jōnin were dead.

"Ahh!!"

The Sand shinobi who had rushed forward saw a flash before their throats were slit by Takuya's blade. With a choked cry, they fell to the ground, clutching their wounds.

"He's a demon! A demon!!"

***********

Note: If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 210+ at patreon.com/Emik01. Don't forget to give a power stone for many bonus chapters

Try my other translated book "Kidnapping Hancock and Building The Strongest All-Female Pirate" and see if it suits your liking.