"Uzumaki old man."
Sensing the two figures within the smoke and dust, Nagato turned to Uzumaki Yoake and said quietly, "My brother once told me that there are two abilities exclusive to the Uzumaki Clan."
"The first is the sensory ninjutsu, 'Mind's Eye of the Kagura.' The second is the Sealing Technique, 'Adamantine Sealing Chains.'"
"As the head of the Uzumaki Clan, you should be able to use them too, right?"
Some members of the Uzumaki Clan were born with the trait of "sealing." Combined with their vast Chakra, they could even unleash power capable of suppressing Tailed Beasts.
This ability could not be acquired through training. Whether one awakened it depended entirely on natural talent.
"You little brat, aren't you a member of my Uzumaki Clan?"
Yoake froze at Nagato's words, but quickly shook his head. Looking at Nagato with a deeply furrowed brow, he said, "No, I can sense it. Although you carry other scents, you truly are a member of my Uzumaki Clan."
In other words, was this boy who looked like a child with an oversized attitude actually the son of one of their scattered clansmen?
"Enough nonsense." Nagato interrupted the old man, whose head was still a little muddled, and said coldly, "Can you use Adamantine Sealing Chains or not?"
"I can." Yoake came back to his senses. Holding his daughter, his old face suddenly reddened. "But right now, I can only produce four chains."
According to the records passed down by their clan, the highest record of the Uzumaki Clan was nine "chains."
Back then, he had also been the most gifted member of the clan.
But peaceful life had greatly weakened him. His original six chains had long since deteriorated into four, and the power of their "sealing" was far inferior to what it once was.
"You... you old man..."
Nagato's face immediately darkened. Stuck with such an unreliable clan head, he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
But sensing the two figures approaching from afar, he could only take a deep breath and quicken his speech. "Forget it. It's enough. Help me suppress the one using Lightning Release. I'm going to take a gamble."
"You have a way to take them down in one blow?" Yoake's voice was filled with shock. "No, what we should do now is hold those two down and wait for the others to supp—"
At that point, he seemed to realize something, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
"Still don't understand?" Nagato said coldly. "Those two were sent to kill you. The others have gone to wipe out your fighting forces!"
The person behind this entire plan clearly understood the Uzumaki Clan very well.
The Uzumaki Clan was indeed made up of extremely powerful support-type Ninja, but they lacked decisive offensive methods. If they had discovered the invaders in advance, it would have been manageable. But now that the enemy had penetrated deep into their territory, they could only defend passively.
—The strongest fortresses were often destroyed from within.
"..."
Yoake's mind cleared, but his expression became exceptionally grim. He asked in a low voice, "Are you sure you can do this? Don't throw your life away for nothing."
Where did this brat get such courage? And that brother he had mentioned...
Could it be related to the blood mist that had surged into the sky and even obscured the moon earlier?
"Tch." Nagato looked toward the two figures emerging from the dust and said coldly, "Old man who's drowned in false peace, don't lecture me!"
With that, he slowly tightened his grip on the short blade in his hand, lowering his center of gravity slightly.
In an instant, his heartbeat and breathing slowed.
Yet Yoake, standing beside him, could clearly sense the terrifying power accumulating within the boy's body!
"Weren't there two people over there just now?"
Munashi Jinpachi's puzzled voice came from afar, making Yoake blink in surprise.
But Nagato had already vanished, leaving behind only an afterimage.
Bang!!
The ground where Nagato had stood cracked apart. Fragments of stone scattered through the air, and dust blossomed like flowers.
"That brat..."
Yoake's pupils suddenly narrowed. Without hesitation, he formed hand seals with both hands, shock rising in his heart. So fast!
Behind Munashi Jinpachi, a dark silhouette silently appeared.
Like an autumn leaf drifting down from the sky, he held a short blade without revealing even the slightest killing intent.
Only when Nagato thrust out that short blade, its chilling cold accompanied by a shriek, did Raiga Kurosuki beside him suddenly notice. He shouted sharply, "You're courting death!"
As the words fell, he raised his lightning blades.
But at that moment, several metallic chimes rang out, accompanied by Yoake's frosty roar.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains! Seal!"
Buzz! Buzz! Bang!!
Four golden chains suddenly burst out from the ground beneath them, flinging up mud and stone fragments. They snapped around Raiga Kurosuki's hands gripping his blades and instantly pulled taut!
In that instant, the flickering azure lightning went out. His restless Chakra was instantly sealed and suppressed. With fury filling his eyes, Raiga Kurosuki could only let out a low roar:
"Munashi Jinpachi!!"
Munashi Jinpachi's expression changed drastically. The glint of cold light stung the corner of his eye, and the smile on his face turned to horror. "How is that possible?!"
How could he be so fast, without making a sound?!
There was no time to think.
At this critical moment, faced with the terrifying threat of death, there was neither a chance nor time to dodge. Munashi Jinpachi's face twisted viciously.
What kind of joke was this?!
He was a monster who had fought his way out of the Hidden Mist!
"If we die, we die together!!"
Watching the short blade slash toward his head, he violently swung the Exploding Blade Shibuki in his hand, instantly whipping up a fierce gust through the dust.
Whoosh!!
Terrifying force suddenly swept toward Nagato's back. Even Uzumaki Yoake, dozens of meters away, could hear the chilling howl of the wind.
He was completely intent on taking them both down, leaving himself no way out.
If this blow landed, an ordinary Ninja's body would certainly be smashed apart!
"Hmph!" Seeing this, Nagato merely snorted, a trace of coldness flashing across his face.
Without the slightest hesitation, he leaned backward, avoiding the massive blade as it sliced past the tip of his nose.
Splat!!
Then, using the momentum of his backward fall, Nagato drove his short blade nimbly into Munashi Jinpachi's back, viciously tearing open two crossing wounds!
Blood sprayed through the air, beautiful as the wings of a butterfly.
"Argh!!"
The pain of nearly being cut apart by two slashes made Munashi Jinpachi release a miserable scream.
But at the same time, he finally saw Nagato's face clearly. Killing intent appeared on his twisted, ferocious face as he roared, "You damned little brat!!"
The Exploding Blade Shibuki hanging in the air suddenly unfolded, and the Exploding Tags contained within immediately began to burn.
The next moment, the surging Fire Tide unleashed by the blade burst forth in a blaze of scorching light, illuminating the savagery and killing intent on Nagato's and Munashi Jinpachi's faces!
"Exploding Blade Technique: Release Breaking Brutal Death!"
Before you continue