Ai was full of fighting spirit and was just about to engage Simu when a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Lord Ai, Konoha's reinforcements have arrived. Lord Third Raikage orders you to retreat immediately."
It was the Mind Transmission Technique from Cloud Shinobi Village.
Ai's sharp gaze remained fixed on Simu, but the fighting intent in his eyes gradually faded.
"Tch, that old man always knows how to ruin the fun," Ai muttered under his breath.
He looked at Simu and declared, "Hey, brat, next time, we'll have a proper fight!"
"Let's see who's faster."
It was rare for him to meet an opponent who could match him in both speed and strength. Ai regretted not being able to test his full abilities.
Simu tilted his head and sighed dramatically. "A competition? That's terrifying."
Seeing Simu's lazy attitude, Ai snorted coldly.
"I acknowledge your strength, but damn, your personality is annoying."
"Can't help it. That's just how I am," Simu replied, his tone dripping with nonchalance.
Of course, he had a purpose.
He wanted Ai to keep fighting for at least another 300 rounds, both physically and verbally.
After all, Konoha's reinforcements were on their way, and they weren't just any ordinary troops.
One of them was Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin.
The other was Danzo, the infamous schemer lurking behind Konoha's darkest secrets.
And there was no doubt Danzo had a hand in this incident.
With Simu using his Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit) speed to stall Ai, there was a high chance of taking him down.
Unfortunately, while Ai was known for being hot-headed, he wasn't entirely brainless.
With the reminder from his subordinates, he realized something was off.
"Brat, we'll settle this another day!"
With a flash of lightning, Ai disappeared at top speed.
As Ai retreated, the remaining Cloud Shinobi forces quickly withdrew, leaving behind a battlefield littered with corpses.
Simu's expression darkened as he watched Ai disappear into the distance.
"Sooner or later, I'll go to Cloud Shinobi Village and get my revenge."
Not only had Kushina and Rei suffered, but his precious sweet time had been interrupted.
Unforgivable!
As for why he didn't chase after Ai—
First, his speed wasn't overwhelmingly superior. Even if he caught up, he couldn't guarantee Ai wouldn't escape again.
Second, after fighting all night, his stamina had taken a significant hit. If he chased too far and Cloud Shinobi had set up an ambush, it would be disastrous.
And lastly, Kushina was still in his arms.
Moments later, Konoha's reinforcements arrived.
This incident, which nearly escalated into a full-scale war, finally ended with Konoha's complete victory.
Orochimaru, upon arriving at the scene, glanced at the massive crater in the ground and then at Simu, who was still holding Kushina.
"Are you Jiraiya's student?" he asked.
"Yeah," Simu replied lazily.
"Cloud Shinobi's Ai was the one fighting you just now?" Orochimaru questioned again.
"If you mean the guy covered in lightning, then yeah, that was him."
Hearing Simu's response, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed as he studied the young shinobi.
It was hard to believe that a mere Genin had just held his own against Ai, the heir to the Raikage position.
Not to mention—
Before facing Ai, Simu had already taken down three Jonin and two Elite Chunin, including the traitor Tayura.
And despite all that, he had still managed to fight Ai to a standstill.
Even if Orochimaru himself had fought Ai, he wouldn't have had such an easy time.
After all, Orochimaru didn't have Simu's insane speed.
Orochimaru's intense gaze sent a chill down Simu's spine.
Recalling what this man would do in the future, Simu felt as if he were being dissected alive under Orochimaru's stare.
And he wasn't wrong.
At that very moment, Orochimaru was already thinking of excuses to study Simu's body.
Meanwhile, Akamichi Tokkaze arrived after ensuring Cloud Shinobi's complete retreat.
"Are you all right?" Tokkaze asked, his gaze shifting between Kushina and Simu.
Kushina was the core figure of this mission.
She was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki— a being of destructive power.
And Simu...
Well, after tonight's battle, his performance was nothing short of monstrous.
In fact, if Simu hadn't displayed such overwhelming strength, Cloud Shinobi might have succeeded in kidnapping Kushina.
Thinking of this, Tokkaze's gaze became even more intense.
But unlike Orochimaru's "I want to dissect you" enthusiasm—
Tokkaze's admiration came from a veteran recognizing a future legend.
If nothing unexpected happened, Simu would become one of Konoha's rising superstars.
Perhaps, he might even reach the level of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
With the situation finally settled and both Rei and Kushina receiving medical attention, Simu decided it was time to leave.
"Alright, if everything's fine, I'll take them back to the village first."
Simu let out a yawn.
"Man, it's been forever since I pulled an all-nighter..."
"Working overtime all night just isn't my thing!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to [BombMarley] and [PetMeSenpai8] for joining my Patreon page!🎉 Your support means the world to me. 🙏
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 60+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.