r18novel Chapter 280 Glimmer
Chapter 280 Glimmer
The sonic defense array of Otogakure Village glowed a pale blue in the twilight. Qin sat at the crystal platform at the center of the array, her fingertips gently plucking the strings. Her resonant Mangekyo slowly spun, and the eight sonic ripples outside her string-like pupils transformed the villagers' emotional fluctuations into defensive energy. This was the tenth day since she awakened her Mangekyo. Daily, she practiced the coverage accuracy of "Kotone Soul Purification." However, whenever her chakra reached the direction of the "Soul Breaking Valley" outside the village, it was always forcibly repelled by a cold sonic wave, as if hitting an invisible copper wall, unable to penetrate even the slightest emotional perception.
"Still not working?" Karin's voice came from behind her. Her sensory network intertwined with Qin's sound waves, and her fingertips glowed with light purple chakra. "The sound waves in the Soul Breaking Valley can absorb emotional energy. They are three times more powerful than the soul-eating sound waves of the Akatsuki organization last time. They also contain 'ghost insect eggs' that can absorb chakra."
Qin put away the Mangekyō, the sonic chakra at her fingertips suddenly dissipated, and the pale blue halo on the strings also dimmed: "I can feel the sound waves gathering, but my piano sound can't penetrate the barrier in the valley... If they use the Nether Bug to attack the villagers, we won't have time to defend ourselves!" She touched the "Piano Sound Amplifying Jade" around her neck - this was made by Yinzhu using her sonic fragments and Uchiha crystals, which can enhance the penetrating power of sonic waves, but she always felt that she had not fully tapped the true power of the Mangekyō.
At that moment, the screams of villagers suddenly rang out from the west end of the village. Qin's kaleidoscope instantly lit up, and sonic chakra spread along the defensive formation. However, the moment it reached the villagers, it was abruptly cut off by a black sound wave. The Soul-Breaking Valley's netherworld sound formation had enveloped the village. Countless black sonic threads entangled the villagers' brows, causing them to walk out of the village with empty eyes. Their chakra was flowing along the sonic threads, slowly flowing towards the Valley.
"It's the 'Netherworld Sound Formation'! The remnants of the Akatsuki organization are here!" Yin Zhu's voice came from the air. His Eternal Mangekyo locked onto the Broken Soul Valley, his black windbreaker rustling in the wind. "The leader of the remnants knows the 'Sonic Devouring Technique' and can absorb your piano music. Quickly use the Mangekyo to build an emotional barrier!"
Qin immediately plucked the strings, playing "Qin Yin? Purifying Soul." Light blue sound waves formed a barrier above the villagers' heads, but were gradually corroded by the black sound threads, leaving spiderweb-like cracks on the barrier. She could clearly "hear" the villagers' screams of pain in their minds. These sounds traveled through the sound waves into her mind, resonating with the sonic genes in her body and causing her chakra to begin to stagnate. "No! His sound waves can absorb my purifying power. I can't block it!"
"Don't panic! Use your Mangekyō to resonate with the villagers' emotions!" Kimimaro's voice came from the communicator, his bone blade already condensed in his palm. "Have you forgotten what Yinzhu said? Your sound waves are of the same origin as the Uchiha bloodline. The sound of the zither is not 'resistance', but 'transformation' - turning the consumed soul-purifying power into the 'emotional spark' that awakens the villagers!"
These words were like thunder, splitting the chaos in Qin's heart. She remembered what Yinzhu had said when he handed her the Qinyin Amplification Jade: "Your qin sound is the 'key,' igniting bottled-up emotions; your kaleidoscope is the 'spark,' allowing this fire to spread to every villager. When the two resonate, there is no unbreakable sound formation."
Qin took a deep breath and pressed the sound-amplifying jade against the strings. Sonic chakra and Uchiha energy collided violently within her kaleidoscope. Pain burned her eyes like flames, yet it also caused a qualitative shift in her sound. The pale blue sound waves, once swallowed up, suddenly transformed into countless tiny "emotional sparks," following the trajectory of the black sonic threads and invading the core of the remnant's Nether Sound Formation.
"Ah——!" Qin's roar intertwined with the sound of the piano, and the sound wave patterns in the kaleidoscope suddenly accelerated, "Piano sound? Burning soul!" Light blue sonic chakra burst out from the bottom of her eyes, penetrating the black sound threads and directly acting on the deep emotions of the villagers - those controlled villagers suddenly stopped, and the light in their eyes rekindled; the black sound threads that invaded the village were like ice and snow encountering a raging fire, ignited by the sound waves bit by bit, and turned into harmless water vapor.
"Impossible! How could your harp music penetrate my sound array?" The leader of the remnants rushed out of the Broken Soul Valley, holding the "Netherworld Harp" with black lines in his hands, and the strings were crawling with wriggling Netherworld insects. "I want you and these villagers to become the nourishment for my breakthrough to become a Sound Ninja!"
He swung the Nether Harp, countless black sonic waves transformed into sharp claws, lunging at Koto. Karin's sensory network instantly alerted, "Koto, left!" Neji's Bagua Palm struck out in time, its golden chakra shattering the sonic claws. However, he hadn't anticipated the remnants' potential—the Nether Harp suddenly launched a black beam of light, piercing Koto's Mangekyō, attempting to devour her eye energy.
"Be careful!" Kimimaro's bone blade shot out from the ground, blocking Koto's path. However, the black beam of light corroded the bone chakra, leaving tiny cracks in its skeletal structure. Koto's tone suddenly shifted, and the sonic patterns within the kaleidoscope transformed into "Koto sound materialized." Light blue sonic chakra condensed into physical strings, wrapping around the neck of the Nether Harp. Simultaneously, it injected soul-burning power into the remnant's consciousness, causing him to experience a backlash from his own sonic waves. He saw countless Netherworms crawling all over his body, his chakra being devoured frantically, causing him to writhe on the ground in agony.
"Ah! My chakra!" The remnant screamed, clutching his head. The Nether Harp fell to the ground, and the energy of the Nether Sound Formation instantly dissipated. Kimimaro seized the opportunity and stepped forward, pressing the bone blade against the remnant's throat, subduing him.
When the battle ended, the village's pale blue glow returned. Qin's kaleidoscope gradually faded, and the pale blue light on the strings glowed gently. She walked over to the awakened villagers. An old woman shook her hand, gratefully saying, "Thank you, Qin. I felt like something was taking over me just now." A little boy threw himself into her arms, crying, "Sister Qin, I will never leave this village again."
Qin squatted down, touched the child's head, her eyes red but she smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, my piano music will always protect you from now on, and will never let bad guys steal your emotions and chakra again." She looked at her hands, at the kaleidoscope in her eyes, and suddenly understood - the power of this sound wave is not a "passive defense", but an "active weapon" that can protect others; this piano is not an "ordinary musical instrument", but a "horn that awakens hope"; her illusion is not an "emotional burden", but a "bond that unites people's hearts."
Yin Zhu stepped forward and handed over a bottle of light blue potion. "This is the 'Sonic Nourishing Potion.' It can help stabilize the power of your Mangekyo and prevent Qin Yin from over-exerting your energy." He pointed at Qin's Mangekyo. "Your 'Qin Yin Materialize' ability is a new one. It can transform sound waves into physical attacks. Even if you encounter stronger Sound Ninja in the future, you'll be able to handle it with ease."
Jean took the potion, clutching it tightly in her hand. The lights of Otogakure shone brightly in the night, and the villagers were helping each other home. Her eyes reflected the smiles of her companions—Neiji's Byakugan irises shone with a gentle light, Kimimaro's bone blades softened their sharpness, and Karin's sensory network enveloped the entire village like a warm veil. She suddenly felt that she was no longer the "little ninja" afraid of negativity, no longer a "soundwave helper" hiding behind her companions. Instead, she was a powerful figure who could fight alongside them, protecting everything with the sound of the zither and her Mangekyo.
"From now on, leave the sonic defense of Otogakure to me!" Qin raised her zither, and the sonic patterns in her kaleidoscope spun gently. "I will use the sound of my zither to protect the emotions and chakra of every villager and safeguard our home!"
The laughter of her companions echoed through the village, intertwining with the melody of her qin, like a warm and resolute song of protection. Qin knew that this was only the beginning of her kaleidoscope journey. There would be stronger enemies and more difficult challenges in the future, but as long as she was with her companions and her qin could still play, there would be no difficulties that she could not overcome.