29. The Unexpected Seal

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Ishigami Hara recognized the man in front of him, despite it being their first encounter. The long eyebrows and Chiyo's presence confirmed it—this man must be Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizo.

Ebizo was one of the most skilled puppeteers in the Sunagakure Village. While it was difficult to determine whether he or Chiyo was stronger, one thing was certain—he was not inferior to his sister.

As soon as Ishigami Hara arrived, Ebizo had already set a trap. Even the puppet hidden underground took him by surprise.

However, this was only an issue for ordinary people. For Ishigami Hara, the underground puppet had long been detected.

His Byakugan in his left eye wasn't just for show. Though fighting with the Byakugan's vision was a bit unfamiliar, Ishigami Hara's strong self-discipline allowed him to adjust almost immediately.

In the midst of danger, Ishigami Hara's response was simple. With a light swing of his sword, he simultaneously flipped his body, and the short blade clashed against the sharp weapon attacking him. His maneuver naturally evaded the puppet's strike by the narrowest of margins.

At the same time, four more puppets closed in, each humanoid in appearance. Some revealed blades from their arms, others opened spiked chests. One had four arms, while the last appeared more ordinary.

Ishigami Hara swung his short blade again, easily deflecting the strike from one puppet. In the same motion, he leaped into the air, twisting mid-flight, and planted a foot squarely on the head of the puppet with the spiked chest.

Taking advantage of this, he vaulted out of the encirclement, and with a swift turn of his short blade, slashed at the seemingly empty air.

Clack, clack...

The four puppets abruptly lost control and collapsed to the ground.

"What?! Is that a chakra-conducting weapon?"

Ebizo was astonished. Ishigami Hara's earlier slash had severed the chakra threads he used to control the puppets.

Ishigami Hara simply smirked, offering no explanation. He pressed forward, rushing toward Ebizo.

The short blade in his hand had a storied history—it was part of Uzumaki Mito's dowry. While many other valuable items had been passed down, Ishigami Hara left those to Uzumaki Kushina, taking only this short sword.

The blade was infused with chakra-conducting metal, making it not only durable but also capable of cutting chakra threads with ease, which made it priceless.

Though shocked, Ebizo remained calm. Even as he registered the surprise, he had already completed a ninjutsu sequence.

"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"

He exhaled a sharp breath like a long rope, which twisted and swirled as he shook his head, directly obstructing Ishigami Hara's advance.

In response, Ishigami Hara swung his short blade, each strike precisely targeting the weak points of the wind. After only three swings, he broke through the barrier.

By this time, Ebizo had already reconnected the chakra threads. The Wind Release ninjutsu had merely been a distraction. Ebizo knew full well that a simple ninjutsu wouldn't be enough to stop Ishigami Hara.

"Ninjutsu: Four Pillars Prison Seize!"

Clack, clack, clack!

The four puppets moved again, joining hands and spinning. Using centrifugal force, the two middle puppets hurled the others outward, landing just a short distance from Ishigami Hara's position.

The four puppets swiftly encircled Ishigami Hara once again. In the next moment, they clapped their hands in unison, and from each of them, a chakra barrier began to rise. In seconds, the barriers merged, forming a sealed chakra cage around Ishigami Hara.

As light blue chakra pulsed through the barrier, intricate black lines appeared across its surface, clearly part of a sealing technique that had now been fully activated.

What surprised Ebizo, however, was Ishigami Hara's calm demeanor. He showed no sign of concern, instead observing the seals surrounding him with curious interest.

"Hmph!" Ebizo grunted, giving Ishigami Hara little time to ponder. With a soft shout, the flames within the sealing barrier ignited instantly, engulfing Ishigami Hara in a fiery blaze.

At this, Ebizo relaxed slightly. He was confident that no one could escape this sealing technique, and the added fire attack would surely reduce anyone trapped inside to ashes.

"Impressive. This sealing technique is quite fascinating," Ishigami Hara's voice suddenly rang out from the side. Ebizo's expression changed in an instant. Without hesitation, he turned, only to see Ishigami Hara standing a short distance away, watching the flames inside the seal with amusement.

"How... how is this possible?!" Ebizo's eyes widened. "How did you escape without any sign of movement? How did you do it?"

This defied all logic. Even for someone as renowned as Ebizo, the situation was beyond comprehension.

Ishigami Hara smiled but offered no explanation. He wasn't about to reveal that this was the work of his Sharingan. With the power of Ushikami, he had simply swapped places with a nearby stone, evading the trap effortlessly.

Ushikami's abilities were especially effective in combat, and Ishigami Hara had mastered them to great effect.

Ebizo wasn't one to wait for answers. Even as he spoke, he had already formed a new set of seals for another ninjutsu.

But before he could cast the technique, his body froze.

Looking down, Ebizo saw thin black lines tracing their way across his body, climbing rapidly until they reached his chest.

"This... is it a sealing technique?" Ebizo muttered in disbelief.

Ishigami Hara chuckled softly. "You're quite skilled in sealing techniques yourself, but unfortunately, I also have a knack for them."

As he spoke, Ishigami Hara raised two fingers, and with a slight gesture, Ebizo's body went rigid, collapsing stiffly to the ground.

In a direct confrontation, defeating Ebizo in his prime might have required more effort. However, taking advantage of a sealing technique and Ebizo's underestimation of his abilities made the battle much easier for Ishigami Hara.

Ebizo's defeat was largely due to his lack of knowledge about Ishigami Hara's skills. Underestimating an opponent often leads to costly mistakes.

Ishigami Hara stepped forward, raising his short blade, ready to end Ebizo's life. He had no reason to show mercy to an enemy.

"Get out of my way!" a sharp voice suddenly called from behind. Along with the shout, the distinct clicking of puppets echoed through the air.

Ishigami Hara disappeared in an instant, just as two puppets swept in, grabbing Ebizo and retreating into the distance.

Turning his gaze toward Hatake Sakumo, Ishigami Hara saw that the battle on his comrade's side had already concluded. The puppets carrying Ebizo were from the Chikamatsu Collection, controlled by none other than Chiyo.