Holding the Pass Alone

Standing atop the Thunderclap Chariot, they blocked the pursuing Mist Ninja.

"Go back, or I'll kill any who come at me."

Katsuki coldly issued his ultimatum.

The Mist Ninja gazed at the Thunderclap Chariot hovering in mid-air and the Katsuki standing on it. Instead of rushing forward rashly, they scrutinized it with sharp eyes.

The ninjas of the five great villages each have their own distinct styles. The Cloud Ninja are combative, the Sand Ninja are cunning, the Konoha Stone Ninja are stubborn, the Mist Ninja are known for their caution and patience. A qualified assassin needs not only excellent skills but also caution and patience, and these two admirable qualities are deeply ingrained in the Mist Ninja's very being.

Faced with an unknown enemy, the Stone Ninja would charge forward without hesitation under orders from their superiors, and the belligerent Cloud Ninja would fearlessly brandish their swords and charge in. But the Mist Ninja would not do that. They would cautiously probe the enemy and would never rashly rush in and risk their lives.

"Lightning Release Technique? Is this also Lightning Release Technique? It can actually make you fly? How did you do that? It's impossible to achieve this with just a change of form, right? Secret Technique? Or Kekkei Genkai? Hey, what is it?"

Ringo Ameyuri, wielding two swords, tilted her head back and stared intently at Katsuki. Her heavy breathing made one wonder if she had asthma, and her face was flushed red. Her expression clearly showed that she was extremely excited.

"What exactly is this Lightning Release Technique of yours? I've never seen anything like it before. Let me see it, please..."

A barrage of questions and sincere pleas caused Katsuki's lips to twitch. Unable to maintain her icy composure, she awkwardly scratched her head and forced a dry laugh, "Sorry, this is my secret. I can't let you see it."

"... Then I'll have no choice but to kill you. If I kill you, you won't refuse me anymore, right?"

"No, your statement... why does it make me sound like a jerk?"

Katsuki was so frustrated she felt like vomiting blood. What was wrong with this girl? She'd be better off just charging at him and attacking him than spouting this nonsense.

"Lightning Ball."

Ringo Ameyuri's two oddly shaped longswords crossed, and with a gentle tap, thunder and lightning erupted, sending glittering balls of lightning flying towards Katsuki like rolling beads.

The lightning ball, about the size of Lightning Ball, was quite destructive, but it had no effect on Katsuki. Having trained her body with Lightning Release, she was basically immune to ordinary Lightning Release Technique attacks. The Lightning Ball struck her without making a sound, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

Physical prowess... to put it more accurately, Yang Release techniques. His mastery of Yang Release techniques, after years of accumulation, is no longer what it was back in Sunagakure, Jonin any Jonin skilled in Wind Release Technique could tear his body apart. Now, to injure him, at least an S-rank Ninjutsu is needed; only an attack of that level can break through his physical strength.

Or perhaps techniques like Lava Release and Boiling Release, which have bizarre destructive power and cannot be calculated in normal terms, can also hurt him. However, that's about it. His physical strength is not as good as the Third Raikage's, but not by much. Given a little more time, catching up with and surpassing the Third Raikage would not be difficult.

"No effect? No effect? How could it have no effect at all?" Ringo Ameyuri muttered to herself, her thin eyebrows furrowed, her mouth wide open revealing her sharp canine teeth, looking utterly confused.

Both being masters of Lightning Release Techniques, Ringo Ameyuri and Katsuki follow different paths. She specializes in honing the destructive power of Lightning Release Technique without using them to strengthen her physical body. In particular, with her Lightning Blade Kiba, she directly abandons Hand Seals and elevates the power of her Ninjutsu to a whole new level.

A single Lightning Ball is enough to create a crater about ten meters in diameter. The destructive power of her series of fifteen or sixteen Lightning Ball was undeniable. However, when they landed on Katsuki, they were like water flowing into a river, not even causing a ripple. This was something Guan Yue couldn't understand.

Ringo Ameyuri's confusion did not hinder the continuation of the battle; Suikazan Fuguki then made his move as well.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique"

A massive water dragon rose from mid-air, surging forth with immense force as it crashed into Katsuki.

"Lightning Fork."

With a single, swift motion, Katsuki unleashed a bolt of silver lightning. The forked lightning pierced through the massive body of the water dragon. With a gentle swing of her arm, the still-shining and ever-changing lightning tore through the water dragon's body like a butcher's knife, directly disrupting its shape. Without control, the water dragon lost all momentum and transformed into a stream, plummeting straight down to the earth below.

"Get out of here!"

A deep, furious roar came from behind. Jinin Akebino, holding a short-handled axe in his right hand and a barrel-shaped hammer in his left, pounced on Katsuki's back and swung the axe at the back of Katsuki's head, causing a loud clang as Katsuki's head was chopped off.

"Grass!"

It wasn't Katsuki was startled, but Tsukushino Yato. As the eldest of the Seven Man Group Jinin Akebino, he had wielded his Kabutowari and slashed countless people. This was the first time he had ever seen someone take a head as a shield, and the crucial point was that, damn it, he actually managed to catch it.

"Clang----!!!"

He was not one of those easily swayed rookies; he suppressed the turmoil in his mind in an instant, swung his left hand in a wide arc, and slammed the hammer hard against the back of the axe.

The axe blade scraped against Katsuki's head, and a crisp impact echoed. The force of the recoil made Jinin Akebino Yuujin's right hand go numb, and his body was thrown backward uncontrollably. His face showed undisguised astonishment. He couldn't believe that the Kabutowari, which was supposed to be able to break through all defenses, had failed to split Katsuki's head.

Was it really a person's head that was struck?

A question arose in his mind. Jinin Akebino adjusted his posture in mid-air and landed steadily, but his blank eyes revealed the heavy blow he had suffered.

"That was a heavy attack, ouch!!"

Katsuki rubbed his temples. The attack just now, or rather, the two attacks, were quite powerful, especially the second one, which left him dazed and unable to react immediately. Otherwise, he could have easily slapped Jinin Akebino to the ground and turned him into a sugar painting.

"Speaking of which, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... can those even be considered swords? Their strange appearance is one thing, but aren't they just axes and hammers?"

I couldn't contain my rage any longer! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... what the hell does this look like a sword? Come to think of it, I even seized a giant sewing needle before! That thing could be considered a sword too...

Ringo Ameyuri, Suikazan Fuguki, and Jinin Akebino took turns attacking. Their teamwork, while not flawless, was tight and left no openings. Under normal circumstances, they would have already turned their opponent into a pulp. However, today they ran into Katsuki, a tough nut to crack, and couldn't kick him at all.

The Mist Ninja fell silent, their heavy breathing rising and falling. Jonin were continuously gathering from the village, nearly a hundred of Jonin gathered around, yet none dared to rush forward and attack again.

Even the Kabutowari of Jinin Akebino's sword couldn't harm Katsuki. They didn't know what methods they could use to hurt Katsuki. Perhaps their Ninjutsu was simply incapable of harming Katsuki. Since they couldn't hurt him, the battle was meaningless.

The Mist Ninja didn't move, and Katsuki was happy to stay put as well. All he had to do now was ensure that the Mist Ninja couldn't pursue his clansmen who had left; everything else could be put aside.