Hozuki Clan

This time, the Tailed Beast Balls were still only the size of a baby's fist. Though there were only five of them, only the complete Nine-Tails could unleash so many Tailed Beast Balls in such a short time.

Five Tailed Beast Balls plummeted from the hill at tremendous speed and struck the Mist camp. Five small mushroom clouds rose again, blasting the Hidden Mist Ninjas off their feet and into complete panic, making them wish they had two extra legs to run with.

With six tails bursting forth, Kushina's consciousness was beginning to blur.

Seeing this, Minato Namikaze, who stood guard nearby, hurriedly shouted, "Kushina, enough! Mist has already collapsed. Leave the rest to us."

Hearing this, Kushina began suppressing the Nine-Tails within her. Minato also used Sealing Jutsu to help. After considerable effort, the dark crimson Chakra finally receded.

Just then, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya arrived.

Seeing Kushina's badly burned skin and exhausted body, Tsunade immediately crouched down and began treating her.

"Heh heh... Jiraiya, look. We weren't even needed."

"You underestimate your disciple and his wife too much. You don't have half as much faith in them as I do..."

Jiraiya's face darkened as he snapped in frustration, "Enough, Orochimaru. Are you done yet?"

Orochimaru smiled faintly and said nothing more.

"I'll handle things here. You three go pursue the Mist Ninjas."

"Thanks to Kushina's efforts, Mist has suffered heavy losses, but their strength remains intact. We must seize this chance to hit Mist hard."

"That way, Mist won't cling to any illusions and make a last stand in the Land of Whirlpools. They'll take the initiative to propose peace talks."

As vibrant green light radiated from Tsunade's body and healed Kushina, she spoke.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Minato nodded, then vanished from the hill.

By then, the Konoha Ninjas had already stormed into the Mist camp. As they passed the enormous craters left behind by the Tailed Beast Balls, one after another revealed looks of shock, even horror.

Only a small number remained calm, such as Uchiha Gen.

What was this?

If they saw a Tailed Beast Ball destroy a mountain with one strike, or a Susanoo cleave two mountains apart with a single slash, wouldn't their eyes pop out of their sockets?

"Focus. Don't get distracted."

"The Mist Ninjas will definitely make a last stand. Don't fall on the eve of peace," Uchiha Gen reminded them.

In truth, the ninja world had never known peace. Even after the Great Ninja War ended, there was only ever relative peace. Killing still existed everywhere; only the scale was smaller.

"Yes, Captain!"

Kurenai Yuhi, Hyuga Tokuma, and Hayama Shirakumo hurriedly straightened up.

The Mist Ninjas had retreated decisively, but it was impossible for all of them to escape safely. Konoha's Chunin and stronger Ninjas soon caught up with the slowest group of Genin.

It was slaughter—no, massacre was more accurate.

The Hidden Mist Genin faced Konoha's Kage-level fighters, elite Jonin, Jonin, Special Jonin, and at the very weakest, Chunin. They had virtually no ability to fight back.

If some of Konoha's stronger fighters had not been in such a hurry to eliminate Mist's Chunin-level and higher forces, these Hidden Mist Genin at the rear would not have been able to delay them for even a minute.

In just one minute, more than a hundred Hidden Mist Genin died on the battlefield. Their bodies lay scattered across the ground, eyes wide open as blood flowed freely.

War was this cruel and merciless. It cared nothing for right or wrong, nothing for rules—only positions, only life and death!

Still, their deaths were good news for the other Mist Ninjas. At the very least, they increased their chances of escape.

Ten minutes later, Uchiha Gen stopped. Kurenai Yuhi and the other two stopped as well, looking at him in confusion.

"There are more and more Chunin appearing now."

"For safety's sake, don't follow me any farther. Form a team and wipe out the Mist Ninjas in this area."

After pursuing at high speed without regard for stamina and fighting along the way, the three had expended a great deal of physical strength and Chakra. Uchiha Gen was clearly looking out for them.

"Yes, Captain." The three felt a warmth in their hearts and quickly agreed.

As for Uchiha Gen's safety, none of them worried.

As far as they knew, their captain had a one-hundred-percent mission completion rate and had single-handedly wiped out more than one Jonin squad.

If they followed him, their captain might instead have to divide his attention to protect them and be unable to fight at full strength.

Uchiha Gen nodded slightly, then shot into the distance like an arrow released from a bow.

Half a minute later, Uchiha Gen caught up to a four-man Mist Ninja squad. The squad seemed to have no will to fight and immediately scattered in different directions.

Uchiha Gen locked onto a Mist Ninja who looked like the captain and gave chase.

As the distance between them steadily closed, the fleeing Mist Ninja realized he could not escape without dealing with his pursuer. He suddenly turned and launched an attack, sending several Shuriken slicing through the air.

Uchiha Gen's eyes transformed into the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. He easily dodged the Shuriken and thrust out the Kusanagi Blade, its blade rapidly extending.

The Mist Ninja was startled and had no choice but to interrupt his hand seals and dodge sideways.

Uchiha Gen curled his lips into a smile and changed moves on the spot, turning the thrust into a slash. His timing was flawless—his enemy was in midair, unable to borrow any force.

Splat. The sharp Kusanagi Blade cut the Mist Ninja in half at the waist, but no blood sprayed out. Instead, clear water spilled forth.

His body retreated and fused back together. The Mist Ninja raised his right hand, and a water droplet like a bullet shot out, aimed directly at Uchiha Gen's brow.

A Hozuki Clan Ninja?

Uchiha Gen tilted his head aside to dodge the water droplet, then charged forward.

The Kusanagi Blade contracted. Fire Release Chakra surged from his palm as he exhaled a massive burst of Wind Release Chakra. Wind and fire fused, and blazing golden-white flames suddenly ignited along the Kusanagi Blade, warping the air itself.

Though he could not use Lightning Release, and water countered fire, as long as the fire was strong enough, it could evaporate all water. Without water, could the Water Transformation Technique still be used?

Come to think of it, Lightning Release was truly useful. Not only did it counter earth, it also countered the Hozuki Clan's Water Transformation Technique.

Seeing the flaming sword, Hozuki Yuzo's heart tightened. He instantly understood Uchiha Gen's intentions and raised both hands into finger-gun shapes.

Water Pistol: Double D!

Two highly compressed water bullets burst from between his index fingers, one aimed at Uchiha Gen's head and the other at his heart.

Unfortunately, though the water bullets were fast, they remained within the Sharingan's perceptive range and Uchiha Gen's reaction speed. He easily dodged them and rapidly closed in.

This Wind Flame Sword was a technique Uchiha Gen had created after copying Hayama Shirakumo's Vacuum Sword. However, it was newly created and still incomplete, so its flames could not attack away from the sword.

Although the Kusanagi Blade could extend, the flames' power would weaken accordingly. Moreover, because he had to constantly output Fire Release Chakra to maintain it, Wusheng's own attack power would also decrease.

Unable to stop Uchiha Gen in front of him, Hozuki Yuzo drew the ninja sword from his back. Water Release Chakra surged out, transforming into rotating currents that wrapped around the blade as he met the attack.

Lightning Release Chakra and Wind Release Chakra could enhance ninja tools, so naturally, Chakra of other attributes could as well. It was merely a question of whether one's Chakra nature transformation was sufficient and whether one had researched that direction.

Hozuki Yuzo was a Jonin who was proficient in Water Release Chakra nature transformation and had studied how to use it for enhancement.

Hiss...

Clang!

As sword and blade collided, white steam first erupted, followed by the ring of metal. Sparks flew, and a clear notch appeared in the ninja sword, nearly half the width of the blade.

The Kusanagi Blade was already extraordinarily sharp. Added to that was the cutting enhancement of Wind Release Chakra, which was even stronger than Lightning Release, as well as the aggressiveness of Fire Release.

The fact that it had not broken in a single blow instead proved Hozuki Yuzo's impressive mastery of Water Release nature transformation and the high quality of his sword!

Seeing his beloved blade badly damaged, Hozuki Yuzo immediately felt heartache. He neither wanted nor dared to clash head-on with the Kusanagi Blade again.

If his sword broke, facing an Uchiha Clan Jonin skilled in swordsmanship barehanded would be extremely dangerous.

Ordinary Kunai, even enhanced with Water Release Chakra nature transformation, would probably be unable to withstand a single blow.

Unable to clash head-on, Hozuki Yuzo soon fell into a disadvantage during the exchange. If he had not occasionally used the Water Pistol Technique for sneak attacks, he would have been cut down long ago.

Uchiha Gen was in no hurry to use genjutsu, mainly because his opponent's swordsmanship was quite good and could serve to hone his own skills.

As they fought, the two suddenly caught the scent of salty sea air...

Having lived in the Land of Water for a long time, Hozuki Yuzo immediately realized that they were close to the ocean. As long as he entered the sea, the sky would be wide enough for birds to fly and the sea vast enough for fish to leap.

Thus, Hozuki Yuzo calmly reached into his ninja tool pouch for a smoke bomb...

Without time to form hand seals, aside from using hand-signless ninjutsu, he could only rely on a smoke bomb to temporarily shake off his pursuer.