One Blade

In the mountains and forests, a squad of Sunagakure shinobi moved stealthily.

The disappearance of any organization's leader had a tremendous impact on that organization.

Much less when it was the disappearance of a Village Shadow.

In Sunagakure's eyes, the most likely culprit to strike at the Kazekage was neighboring Konohagakure.

Only Konohagakure had the ability to make the Kazekage vanish without a sound!

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

This squad of Sunagakure shinobi was led by the Jonin Pakura, and their objective was to sow chaos in the Land of Fire.

Once Konohagakure's forces were scattered, it would also be easier for them to search for the Third Kazekage.

Suddenly.

Pakura raised her hand, signaling everyone to stop.

An eagle's cry came from not far away, and a gigantic black eagle dove straight toward them.

The giant eagle hovered in midair, beating its wings. A young man could be clearly seen standing on its back.

His face was fair, with an eerily cold and stern air about it. His eyes were deep, like bottomless abysses.

"First meeting, everyone from Sunagakure."

"I am Kagami Uchiha."

Pakura's brows drew together slightly as she let out a cold laugh.

"Brat, you're wearing a forehead protector, yet you haven't learned a single bit of the shinobi code?"

Shinobi were assassins of the shadows. Did he really think this was some honorable profession?

Whoosh!

A scarlet fireball followed a strange arc toward the giant eagle.

The fireball was not fast, but it was remarkably stable and possessed an extremely high temperature.

This was her Kekkei Genkai, Scorch Release.

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

Once this fireball drew near, it would instantly evaporate the moisture in a shinobi's body, turning him into a dried corpse.

Pakura had no time to play shinobi games with this brat. Since he was an Uchiha, she might as well kill him quickly.

Boom—

Kagami Uchiha dispelled the summoning, and billowing smoke blocked their view.

Whoosh—

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

Until they filled the sky as far as the eye could see!

Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!

"Earth Release—Earth Flow Wall!"

Pakura hurriedly used Earth Release. A thick earthen wall rose up, blocking the rain of Shuriken rushing toward her.

As a Jonin, knowing several standard techniques was only natural.

She had no idea why Konohagakure dared to send such a brat to intercept them.

Since they knew their whereabouts, they should at least have sent a few renowned Jonin!

Just as Pakura was cursing Konohagakure's poor command in her heart, the sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh reached her ears.

"Ah!!!"

By the time Pakura heard the scream and hurriedly turned around, her dozen-plus subordinates were already lying in pools of blood!

How was this possible...

They were all elite Chunin from the village!

Even a Jonin couldn't possibly kill them all!

When she saw the scene before her clearly, bone-chilling cold enveloped Pakura's body and soul.

Kakashi pulled the Short Sword from the Sunagakure shinobi'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 they even felt any pain.

Namikaze Minato had just killed more than a dozen people, yet a gentle smile still graced his face. "That was already incredible. You're even better than I was at your age."

Kakashi knew Minato was comforting him. He knew that at around the same age, Namikaze Minato had rescued Big Sister Kushina from a squad of Cloud Village shinobi.

Boom!!

Pakura's Earth Flow Wall shattered with a roar.

Kagami Uchiha walked through the smoke and looked slightly impatient. "Against opponents like these, there was no need for a diversionary tactic."

"I did that to teach you the way shinobi fight."

"Teacher Jiraiya asked me to take good care of you two. I think it was necessary to teach you how to fight."

Pakura gripped her Kunai tightly, her eyes sweeping from side to side.

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 they fought head-on, she would not fear Namikaze Minato. But what was the Flying Thunder God Technique? Every village possessed clear intelligence on it.

Space-Time Ninjutsu was extremely difficult to learn. Mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique meant that this Blondie could fight whenever he wanted and retreat whenever he wanted.

His ability to instantly kill more than ten Chunin showed that his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique was considerable. If she were kited around, she would likely be worn to death.

Then...

There was only one way!

Pakura pivoted on her ankle and shot toward Kagami Uchiha at top speed.

Seize this Uchiha brat and force this Flying Thunder God shinobi to withdraw!

"Instead of running away, you chose to approach me?"

A smile appeared at the corner of Kagami Uchiha's mouth.

So... she really had underestimated him.

As his first battle to make a name for himself, he might as well get a little serious.

Sode no Shirayuki was like a slowly flowing galaxy, radiating an otherworldly brilliance.

Four fireballs circled Pakura, and she stayed on guard against Namikaze Minato at all times.

If that Flying Thunder God shinobi dared to approach her, she would burn him into a dried corpse!

You used a diversionary tactic, so I would attack what you had to save.

Pakura knew exactly what the Uchiha represented. No matter what, he was a child of Konohagakure's foremost clan. Surely they couldn't stand by and do nothing!

"Minato Senior Brother..."

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

Minato was in no hurry to act.

Without Kakashi knowing, he had fought Kagami many times.

It could be said that if not for the incredible mobility of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he might well have been defeated by Kagami.

Compared to Namikaze Minato, everyone else seemed dimmed.

That was something Jiraiya had often said.

He just rarely said it anymore.

"That guy is a true genius!" Minato exclaimed sincerely.

Genius...

That word had accompanied Kakashi ever since he began training, and he had always been the object of envy among everyone at the Ninja Academy.

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

He was still far too distant from a true genius.

Sukuna's slashes consisted of "Dismantle" and "Hachi."

Dismantle was a slash of extremely high frequency.

Hachi was a fatal strike.

After absorbing and digesting part of Sukuna's slashes, Kagami Uchiha developed Thousand Blade Flow Scenery of Severity from Dismantle. It could be considered a targeted high-frequency slash.

In truth, its form and method of attack resembled Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin.

"Hachi" adjusted according to the difference in Cursed Technique and strength. It was a slash capable of killing with one strike.

Unless he opened "Malevolent Shrine," using "Hachi" required Sukuna to make physical contact with the target first.

Kagami Uchiha activated his Sharingan.

Dojutsu Power was an extension of the Uchiha's power. As long as he saw something, it could serve as the condition for activating the technique.

Pakura's movements slowed, as though she were moving through Amber. Every tiny motion was infinitely magnified.

She noticed it herself as well.

But it was useless.

She was less than ten meters from that Uchiha boy, yet the distance was like an impassable chasm lying before her.

The Blade Aura was as cold as frost and snow, as pure and bright as a crescent moon.

He merely swung his blade horizontally in front of him. It was clearly such a simple motion, yet in Pakura's eyes, it was utterly incomprehensible.

It was as if countless streams of useless information were being poured into her mind, bringing her thoughts to a standstill.

In an instant, all the information gathered together.

Whether important or not, whatever it was, everything was forcibly crammed into her brain.

In the end... only noisy, shrill cicada cries remained.

Sukuna observed the outside world through the seal.

He knew Kagami Uchiha was developing this technique, but he had not expected him to actually succeed.

"The Sharingan... so it relies on these eyes..."

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

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

Sukuna also knew that this brat was suppressing the evolution of these eyes himself...

This body... was practically more suited to being my vessel than Fushiguro Megumi!!

But... this damn seal! Why can't I cut through it?!

If this brat grew any stronger, I really would have no way to escape!

Outside.

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

Accompanying the Blade Aura, he passed through Pakura's body.

"Slash Release—One Blade: Cold Cicada's Sorrowful Cry."