Here is the rewritten version in English, maintaining the original plot, character dynamics, and terminology while adjusting vocabulary and sentence structures for readability:
"An attack from above? Pursuers from [Iwagakure]?"
Kabuto's heart jolted with alarm.
Yet his body flipped sideways with remarkable agility, easily dodging the incoming kunai. In the same instant, he swung his chakra-coated scalpel straight at the shadow attacking from the cliffside.
But mid-swing,
he abruptly realized—his entire body had become completely immobilized!
It was as if frozen in amber, unable to twitch even a finger.
"What's happening?"
"What's wrong with my body?"
"Why can't I move? Who trapped me?"
Panicked, Kabuto shot a glance toward Orochimaru.
That's when he saw—the one who had cast the jutsu was that strange man wearing a spiral-patterned mask in the distance!
Just then,
the figure who had leaped from the cliff landed steadily and charged at Kabuto again, kunai in hand.
In an instant,
[Letter Binding Technique - Control!]
From afar, Shimoku casually unleashed another jutsu, swiftly writing the character for "control" in the air.
Moments later, the shadowy attacker also froze mid-strike,
his body rigid as a statue, just like Kabuto.
Watching Shimoku wave his hand to effortlessly bind both opponents,
Orochimaru felt a flicker of curiosity about this peculiar ninjutsu.
"What kind of technique is that?"
"A control-type jutsu. It can pin down those weaker than me, and even slow stronger foes—slightly."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
"So such an extraordinary secret technique exists! It seems more refined than the Yamanaka Clan's [Mind Body Disturbance Technique] in Konoha."
"Hardly a secret technique. It's only effective against lesser opponents,"
Shimoku replied casually.
"Those with immense chakra or superior physical strength can easily break the Letter Binding Technique's restraints.
And for someone like you, who has countless tricks—including skin-shedding escapes—it's hardly effective."
After all, such tricks weren't meant for battling true powerhouses.
Only real blades and raw strength could defeat formidable enemies.
Still, he had to admit,
techniques like the Letter Binding Technique were incredibly convenient in moments like this—
well worth the effort to learn.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes but showed no real concern.
After all, aside from mysterious soul-based jutsu,
few techniques in the world could truly kill him.
He was more curious now—
where had this kid learned such bizarre jutsu?
Orochimaru had studied nearly every jutsu and kinjutsu in Konoha,
yet he'd never seen anything like this.
"Where did you learn that technique?" Orochimaru asked.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Shimoku said.
Orochimaru gave him a flat stare.
Moments later,
Shimoku sprang forward, landing effortlessly before Kabuto and Nonou.
"I told you to calm down—why won't you listen?"
With a sigh,
he lifted the mental bind on their minds, restoring their ability to speak.
"[Three Tomoe Sharingan!]"
"Are you from the Uchiha Clan?"
"What do you want with us?"
Kabuto gritted his teeth, glaring at the masked man's right eye with three spinning tomoes.
Too powerful!
Even the faintest aura from this guy made his scalp prickle and knees weaken.
Why would such a strong ninja target him specifically?
Just then, a sharp female voice cut through the air from another direction:
"You're from the Uchiha?!!! You people..."
Kabuto flinched, whirling to face the immobilized female assassin across from him.
"That voice... it's familiar! You're..."
At that moment,
the soft moonlight spilled down, illuminating Nonou's silhouette emerging from the shadows.
When Kabuto finally saw the attacker's face, realization struck—she was Nonou, the wandering miko who ran his orphanage.
He was stunned:
"H-Headmistress!
How is this possible? Why are you here?!"
Nonou herself was shaken:
"Who exactly are you? How do you know me?"
Few people knew she was an orphanage headmistress,
and this man was supposed to be a Kumo spy marked for assassination by Root—he shouldn't know her at all.
"Headmistress, it's me—Kabuto! You named me!
How could you forget me?
Why... why are you trying to kill me?"
Nonou stared at Kabuto in disbelief. "Kabuto wouldn't look like this... You're not him!"
Obviously, the wandering miko still didn't realize Root had deceived her—
the photo of Kabuto they'd sent her had been secretly swapped with someone else's.
That's why she couldn't recognize him.
"Enough! Take your issues elsewhere,"
Shimoku interrupted. "New guests are approaching!"
As entertaining as this drama was, the Iwagakure pursuers were closing in fast. Time was short.
Turning to Orochimaru,
Shimoku pointed at the two captives.
"Orochimaru, these two are in your hands.
Bring them back unharmed.
And don't get any ideas about them.
If they die, I'll destroy every test subject in your lab."
"You could try..."
In an instant,
the [Three Tomoe Sharingan] beneath Shimoku's mask transformed into a [Mangekyo Sharingan].
Tremendous spiritual pressure surged forth, crashing into Orochimaru—
it felt as if his very soul might freeze solid.
Orochimaru quickly averted his gaze, shivering involuntarily, fearing the genjutsu of the Sharingan.
This kid knows exactly how to pressure me!
While Kabuto was a promising subject,
he wasn't worth fully opposing Shimoku over.
Nonou was even less valuable.
"This [wandering miko] has a nice figure. Could Shimoku be into her type?"
"I've heard precocious kids often lack maternal love. Maybe there's truth to that?"
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Orochimaru mused jokingly, though he never underestimated Shimoku's ruthlessness.
"You sure know how to give orders,"
Orochimaru sneered, his hands transforming into snake-like appendages that coiled tightly around Kabuto and Nonou.
The next moment, he leaped away with both figures,
vanishing into the night.
Shortly after,
two Iwagakure ninjas arrived at the scene,
led by Kitsuchi, who'd been sent to hunt the spy.
"Hm? Only one person here?"
"We sensed three or four presences earlier. The spy must have fled."
"Wait, look at his attire..."
"Is this an [Akatsuki] member?"
Kitsuchi and his companion landed, eyeing Shimoku in the distance.
According to Iwagakure records, only [Akatsuki] members wore such cloaks.
This rogue ninja organization had grown active in recent years,
implicated in numerous assassinations,
but they hadn't yet clashed directly with the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Thus, their threat level was still considered moderate.
But no one expected—
to encounter one here, tonight,
alone!
Had he intercepted the spy earlier?
Shimoku stood still, cracking his knuckles as he waited for Kitsuchi to approach.
Others might not know,
but Shimoku knew well:
this unassuming Kitsuchi possessed formidable strength.
Perfect for a warm-up—and a chance to test his own power.
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