Konoha Azure Dragon's Roar! Love Settled in Taoyuan Village!

Despair! Like icy tides, it utterly drowned Ringo Ameyuri and Suikazan Fuguki.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, a killing combination that once terrorized the entire shinobi world, had been shattered like chickens and dogs in a short span of time! Jinin Akebino was gravely wounded and unconscious, Juzo Biwa's fate unknown, Hozuki Mangetsu and Kushimaru Kuriarare were slain on the spot! Only the two of them remained—one with chakra nearly depleted, swaying from pollen erosion, the other tightly bound by vines, Samehada itself letting out pained cries!

The man standing before them in the eerie Deep Forest Emergence Forest—where was he the "Konoha Azure Dragon"? He was clearly a demon god returned from hell! His unfathomable "gravity secret technique," his heaven-and-earth-altering Sage Art Wood Style, and his cold, merciless methods of crushing everything... all of it struck fear into the very depths of their souls!

"Run! Split up and run!" Suikazan Fuguki let out a desperate roar. He no longer cared about the greedy Samehada, madly burning his chakra, even willing to damage his own meridians to unleash his final strength! His obese body swelled violently, snapping several of the thickest vines with sheer force! Without even glancing at Ringo Ameyuri, he turned and fled for his life into the forest depths! At that moment, he only wanted to get as far away from that demon as possible!

"Fuguki! You bastard!" Ringo Ameyuri watched her comrade abandon her and flee, trembling with rage, but even more so with despair. Her chakra had been heavily drained in the previous battle, and the pollen poison was eating away at her, making it extremely difficult to even maintain the lightning of Lightning Blade: Fang. As Duanmu Ci's gaze fell on her like she was already dead, a flash of madness and resolve sparked in the purple-haired kunoichi's eyes!

"Even if I die! I'm taking you with me! Lightning Style: Dream Lightning Person!" Ringo Ameyuri let out a shrill shriek, pouring all her remaining chakra, along with her Life Force, madly into Lightning Blade: Fang! The blade erupted with unprecedented blinding lightning, even outshining the eerie colors of the Deep Forest Emergence Forest! Rampaging lightning formed a devastating storm domain around her, and she transformed into a humanoid bolt of thunder, charging at Duanmu Ci with the tragic determination of mutual destruction! This was her final swan song!

Facing this attack of jade and stone burning together, Duanmu Ci's expression remained icy. He didn't even move a step.

"A cornered beast's struggle," he commented flatly. His hands formed seals again, faster than before!

"Sage Art: Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique: Modified!"

Roar—!!!

An earth-shaking dragon's cry rang through the sky! A giant wooden dragon, even larger and more solid than before, its body entwined with emerald Sage Art runes and eerie flowers, burst through the layers of vines and roared up from the Deep Forest Emergence Forest behind Duanmu Ci! The dragon was lifelike, its scales clearly visible, its massive claws gleaming coldly, and in its maw, a highly compressed orb of Sage Chakra pulsed with destructive energy!

The wooden dragon spiraled and dove, its colossal claws like mountains, tearing through space as it grabbed at the determined humanoid thunderbolt!

Boom—!!!!

Lightning and wooden dragon collided! An explosion of blinding light and deafening thunder erupted! A violent energy shockwave spread outward like a tsunami, shaking the surrounding flower trees violently!

The stalemate lasted only an instant!

Though Ringo Ameyuri's lightning was fierce, under the overwhelming power of the Sage Art wooden dragon, its thick Life Force defense, and the natural weakening of lightning in the flower tree environment, it quickly dimmed and scattered!

Crack!

The wooden dragon's claws crushed the outer lightning shield!

Pfft!

The sharp dragon claws pierced through Ringo Ameyuri's chest like paper!

"Ugh..." The madness and lightning in Ringo Ameyuri's eyes extinguished instantly, leaving only endless emptiness and disbelief. Lightning Blade: Fang slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground, its lightning completely gone.

The wooden dragon let out a low roar, flicked its claws, and flung Ringo Ameyuri's body away like a ragdoll. It slammed heavily into a distant giant tree, slid down, and lay still.

The last resister of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had fallen!

By now, Suikazan Fuguki had scrambled and crawled several hundred meters away, about to disappear into the forest depths.

"Trying to leave?" Duanmu Ci's eyes turned cold, locking onto the fleeing obese figure. He slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread, aimed at Suikazan Fuguki's back.

"Banshō Ten'in!"

Hum—!

The familiar, despair-inducing terrifying gravity descended again!

"No—!!!" Suikazan Fuguki let out a horrified scream! He felt his body instantly lose all control, seized by an irresistible force, dragged off the ground and pulled backward toward Duanmu Ci! No matter how he struggled or erupted his chakra, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree!

"Samehada! Save me!" Suikazan Fuguki looked desperately at the sword in his hand, which was crying out and struggling.

Duanmu Ci watched the captured Suikazan Fuguki and the greedy, writhing Samehada, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Like to devour chakra? Then devour your fill!" Duanmu Ci's left hand quickly formed seals and pressed to the ground!

"Wood Style: All-Binding Sack Technique!"

The earth shook! The ground where Suikazan Fuguki was about to land split open! A massive wooden hand, formed from countless thick vines and tough branches, burst forth! Like the Five Finger Mountain of the Buddha, casting a sky-covering shadow and radiating immense Life Force chakra, it clenched down hard on Suikazan Fuguki, who was suspended in midair by gravity with no escape!

"No—!!!"

Amid Suikazan Fuguki's despairing scream, the giant wooden hand slammed shut!

Pfft! Crack! Crunch!

The sickening sounds of bones shattering and flesh being crushed rang out densely! Blood spurted like a fountain from the gaps between the wooden fingers! The greedy Samehada, upon contact with the vast Life Force chakra imbued with Sage will within the wooden hand, let out a piercing wail, twisted and swelled violently like a balloon about to burst, and finally exploded with a "bang"! Countless sharp fragments mixed with blood rain scattered everywhere!

When the wooden hand slowly opened, only a smear of mangled flesh and fragments of the sword remained in its palm. The leader of the Kirigakure Seven Ninja Swordsmen, along with his sword Samehada, had been utterly crushed by Duanmu Ci in the most domineering and brutal way!

Thus, the attacking Seven Ninja Swordsmen were completely annihilated! Jinin Akebino and Juzo Biwa were gravely wounded and captured unconscious, while the remaining five were all killed!

The Deep Forest Emergence Forest slowly calmed, the eerie flowers retracting their pollen, the vines falling still. Sunlight once again filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating this battlefield that was both a purgatory and a miracle. The air was thick with the smell of blood, plant ash, and a faint, sweet floral scent, creating a bizarre and tragic atmosphere.

Inside and outside Taoyuan Village, there was dead silence. Whether it was the guard members or the residents watching nervously from the shelter, everyone was utterly stunned by the mythical battle before them! One man, alone against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, crushing them all with irresistible force! What kind of power was this?! What kind of dominance?!

After a brief stillness, cheers like roaring mountains and crashing seas erupted from every corner of Taoyuan Village!

"Long live Lord Duanmu!"

"Lord Azure Dragon!"

"Long live Taoyuan Village!"

"We won!!"

The wild joy of survival, the boundless worship and gratitude for their protector, turned into a thunderous wave that shook the skies!

On the watchtower, Tsunade looked down at the figure bathed in cheers, standing like a war god, her golden eyes blurred with tears. From the worry when the Seven Ninja Swordsmen attacked, to the tension as Duanmu Ci fought the demons alone, to the shock and ecstasy as he turned the tide time and again and finally crushed the enemies with invincible might... the immense emotional impact made her tremble slightly all over.

Especially the moment Nuibari shot toward her, when Duanmu Ci, disregarding everything, saved her from afar—that image was branded into the depths of her heart! In that instant, she clearly felt this man's bone-deep will to protect her!

What hemophobia, what war trauma, what confusion about the future... at this moment, before the figure of this man who had propped up the sky for her and for Taoyuan Village, it all vanished like smoke! In her heart, only surging love, pride, and an unprecedented sense of security remained!

She could no longer suppress the emotions within her! Her golden figure shot down from the watchtower like lightning, passing through the cheering crowd, ignoring the chaos and bloodstains everywhere, and like a golden streak of light, she rushed straight toward Duanmu Ci in the center of the battlefield!

Duanmu Ci had just withdrawn his Sage Chakra and dispelled Sage Mode, a trace of fatigue on his face, but his eyes remained bright. He turned around and saw Tsunade, tears streaming down her face with an incomparably radiant smile, throwing herself into his arms like a young bird returning to the nest!

Warm fragrance and soft jade filled his embrace. Duanmu Ci was momentarily stunned, then felt the violent trembling of the delicate body in his arms and the scalding tears soaking his clothes. He understood in his heart, a surge of infinite tenderness rising within him. He opened his arms and tightly embraced this woman who had worried for him and felt proud of him.

"Duanmu Ci!" Tsunade lifted her head, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes, but the smile on her face was like the most brilliant sunlight. She cupped Duanmu Ci's cheeks, and under the stunned, blessing, and knowing gazes of everyone, on the battlefield where the smoke of gunpowder had not yet cleared and the blood had not yet dried, in the center of the Deep Forest Emergence Forest that symbolized victory, she took the initiative, deeply, and unreservedly kissed him on the lips!

This kiss was as hot as fire, lingering and passionate, as if pouring all the worry, fear, love, and pride into it! It transcended status, surpassed the battlefield, and was a catharsis of survival after disaster, a vow of lifelong commitment!

The cheers of Taoyuan Village reached their peak at this moment! Then, with tacit understanding, they turned into good-natured teasing and blessings of applause!

"Lord Tsunade!"

"Lord Duanmu!"

"Together! Together!"

Sunlight pierced through the eerie flowering trees, spilling onto the two embracing and kissing, gilding them with a sacred and happy halo. Konoha's Azure Dragon and the Princess of the Sannin, before the home they had defended with their blood, witnessed by all, sealed their love in Taoyuan!