A Blade

Between the mountain forests, a squad of Sand Hidden ninjas moved stealthily.

The disappearance of any organization's leader has a massive impact on that organization.

Even more so when it's the disappearance of a Village Shadow.

In Sunagakure's view, the most likely party to have acted against the Kazekage was their neighbor, Konoha.

Only Konoha had the capability to make the Kazekage vanish without a trace!

Otherwise, could someone from the village have done it? That was the strongest Kazekage!

This squad of Sand Hidden ninjas was led by Jonin Pakura, and their mission was to create chaos in the Land of Fire.

That way, with Konoha's forces scattered, it would be easier for them to search for the Third Kazekage.

Suddenly.

Pakura raised her hand, signaling everyone to stop.

From not far away came the cry of an eagle. A black Giant Eagle dove straight toward them.

The Giant Eagle flapped its wings and hovered midair, and standing clearly on its back was a Youth.

His face was pale, carrying an eerie coldness, and his deep eyes were like a bottomless abyss.

"A pleasure to meet you, everyone from Sunagakure."

"I am Kagami Uchiha."

Pakura furrowed her brow and let out a cold laugh.

"Brat, wearing a ninja headband but you haven't even learned the most basic ninja code?"

Ninjas are assassins who lurk in the shadows. Did you really think this was some honorable profession?

Whoosh!

A crimson fireball arced toward the Giant Eagle at a strange angle.

The fireball wasn't fast, but it made up for it with stability and extreme heat.

This was her Kekkei Genkai, Scorch Release.

Both Wind Release and Fire Release emphasized offense, and the Nature Transformation formed by fusing these two types of Chakra had terrifying power.

Once this fireball got close, it would instantly evaporate the moisture in a ninja's body, turning them into a dried corpse.

Pakura had no time to play ninja games with this brat. Since he was an Uchiha, she'd just kill him quickly.

Boom—

Kagami Uchiha dismissed the summon, and the spreading smoke obscured vision.

Whoosh—

A shuriken shot out from the smoke, then one became two, two became four...

Until it was visible to the naked eye, blotting out the sky!

Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

Pakura quickly used an Earth Release technique, raising a thick earthen wall to block the incoming rain of shuriken.

As a Jonin, knowing a few standard techniques was normal.

She had no idea why Konoha would send such a brat to intercept her.

Since they knew our whereabouts, at least send some famous Jonin!

Just as Pakura was silently criticizing Konoha's command failure, the sound of a blade piercing flesh reached her ears.

"Ah!!!"

By the time Pakura turned around in alarm at the scream, over a dozen of her subordinates were already lying in pools of blood!

How is that possible...

These were the village's elite Chunin!

Even a Jonin couldn't kill them all!

When she finally saw the scene clearly, a bone-chilling cold enveloped Pakura's entire being.

Kakashi pulled the Short Sword from the Sand ninja's heart and walked over to Namikaze Minato.

"Sorry, it still took me two seconds to finish the fight."

The scream just now had come from the opponent Kakashi had chosen.

As for the others...

They had died before even feeling pain.

Namikaze Minato, who had just killed over a dozen people, still wore a gentle smile on his face. "That's already incredible. You're even better than I was at your age."

Kakashi knew Minato was just trying to comfort him—he was well aware that at a similar age, Namikaze Minato had rescued Kushina from a squad of Cloud Village ninja.

Boom!!

Pakura's Earth Flow Wall shattered with a roar.

Kagami Uchiha stepped through the smoke and dust, a hint of impatience on his face. "For an opponent like this, there's no need for some feint-and-flank tactic."

"This is to teach you how ninja fight."

"Jiraiya Teacher entrusted me to look after you all, and I believe it's necessary for you to learn how to battle."

Pakura gripped her kunai tightly, her eyes darting left and right.

She recognized Namikaze Minato—a Jonin of Konohagakure who had mastered the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique.

She quickly assessed the situation.

If it came to a direct fight, she wouldn't fear Minato. But the Flying Thunder God Technique—every village had clear intel on what that was.

Space-Time Ninjutsu was notoriously difficult to learn. Mastering it meant this Blondie could fight when he wanted and retreat when he wanted.

The fact that he could instantly kill over a dozen Chunin showed his Flying Thunder God skill was no joke. If he kited her, she'd likely be worn down.

So...

There was only one option!

Pakura twisted her ankle and charged at Kagami Uchiha at full speed.

Grab this Uchiha brat and force the Flying Thunder God user to back off!

"Instead of running, you're coming at me?"

A faint smile curled at the corner of Kagami's lips.

Looks like... I'm being underestimated.

For my debut battle to make a name, I'll take it a little seriously.

Sode no Shirayuki shimmered like a slow-flowing river of stars, radiating an inexplicable luster.

Four fireballs orbited around Pakura, ever on guard against Minato.

If that Flying Thunder God ninja dared to get close, she'd burn him to a crisp!

You play feint and flank, I'll strike where you can't afford to lose.

Pakura knew full well what the Uchiha represented—after all, they were the top clan of Konohagakure. He couldn't just stand by and watch, could he!

"Minato Senior Brother..."

"It's fine. Kagami can handle it."

Minato wasn't in a hurry to act.

When Kakashi wasn't around, he had sparred with Kagami many times.

In fact, if it weren't for the extreme mobility of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he might have lost to Kagami.

Compared to Namikaze Minato, anyone else seemed to pale in comparison.

That was a line Jiraiya used to bring up often.

But lately, he rarely said it.

"That guy is a true genius," Minato said with genuine admiration.

Genius...

Those two words had followed Kakashi ever since he started training, and he had always been the envy of everyone at the Ninja Academy.

But compared to Kagami Uchiha and Namikaze Minato, he clearly realized...

He was still far from being a true genius.

Sukuna's slashes included "Dismantle" and "Hachi."

Dismantle was a high-frequency slash.

Hachi was a lethal, one-hit kill.

After Kagami Uchiha absorbed and digested part of Sukuna's slashes, he used Dismantle to unleash Thousand Blade Flow Scenery of Severity—a targeted high-frequency slash.

In form and attack style, it was like ten thousand swords returning to their master.

"Hachi" was adjusted based on the difference in cursed energy and intensity—a slash that could kill in one blow.

Unless "Malevolent Shrine" was deployed, "Hachi" required physical contact between Sukuna and the target to activate.

Kagami Uchiha activated his Sharingan.

Dojutsu Power was an extension of Uchiha strength—as long as he could see it, it could serve as the condition for a technique's activation.

Pakura's movements slowed, as if she were moving through amber, every tiny action magnified infinitely.

She noticed it herself.

But it was useless.

She was less than ten meters away from that Uchiha youth, yet that distance might as well have been an impassable chasm before her.

The blade aura was as cold as frost and snow, as pure as a crescent moon.

It was just a simple motion—swinging the blade horizontally before him—yet in Pakura's eyes, it was utterly incomprehensible.

It was as if countless pieces of junk information were being forced into her mind, stalling her thoughts.

In an instant, all the information converged.

Whether important or not, regardless of what it was, everything was forcibly crammed into her brain.

In the end... only the harsh, mournful chirping of cicadas remained.

Sukuna observed the outside world through the seal.

He knew Kagami Uchiha was developing this technique, but he never expected it to actually succeed.

"The Sharingan... does it rely on those eyes..."

The Curse World also had a pair of eyes, similar to the Uchiha's Sharingan, but judging from both Sukuna's own perception and the information he absorbed from the outside...

These eyes could still evolve, possessing greater potential than the Six Eyes!

And Sukuna also knew that this brat was actively suppressing the evolution of these eyes on his own...

This body... is even more suitable as my vessel than Fushiguro Megumi!!

But... this damned seal! Why can't I cut it open!!

If this brat gets any stronger, I'll really have no way to break free!

Outside.

Kagami Uchiha's body shifted from solid to ethereal, like a wisp of blue smoke.

Accompanied by the blade aura, he passed through Pakura's body.

"Blade Release—One Blade: Cicada's Chill."