Embracing the Resolve to Die

To ensure that his physical send-off would help Munashi Jinpachi meet God sooner, Uchiha Daiki plunged his kunai into his opponent's heart and viciously twisted it several times.

That turned his chest into a bloody pulp.

Munashi Jinpachi stared fixedly at Uchiha Daiki, his pupils filled with intense terror and shock. He could not believe that he had actually been defeated by an opponent like this.

But the light in his eyes quickly began to fade.

Because his life was rapidly slipping away.

His body gave a slight twitch.

It was the final struggle of all the adrenaline in his body surging into action, trying to revive him and maintain his vital signs.

But before long, Munashi Jinpachi went completely still.

Only then did Uchiha Daiki pull out his kunai and turn to look at the two remaining enemies.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, who had come charging after them with murderous momentum, intending to exact disproportionate revenge on Konoha, and who were renowned throughout Kirigakure, the Land of Water, and even the entire Shinobi World—

After less than half an hour of brief combat with Uchiha Daiki here, they had already suffered the disastrous outcome of three fleeing and two dying.

Now, only Jinin Akebino and Hozuki Senjin remained standing.

The former had also been injured earlier by Uchiha Daiki's precise kunai-throwing technique.

A trace of terror had now appeared in his eyes as he kept shifting backward across the ground, trying to escape.

Only then did the four spectators—Might Duy, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu—finally see that the part of Jinin Akebino injured earlier had actually been both of his lower legs.

"This young Uchiha is incredible!"

Might Duy gazed at the legendary Kirigakure elites, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who specialized in handling difficult missions for their village, and felt deeply moved to see them reduced to such a state.

"His strength probably isn't much inferior to that Uchiha Shisui's..."

Genma Shiranui said.

As they spoke, Uchiha Daiki had already turned and arrived in front of Jinin Akebino, who was lying on the ground and constantly scooting backward.

"Damn Uchiha... Kirigakure will remember you!!"

Faced with Uchiha Daiki, who was like the Grim Reaper, Jinin Akebino still refused to repent, wearing the expression of a tough guy who was ready to die.

As if that were not enough to vent his anger, he added, "If you bastard hadn't come meddling, I'd have slaughtered all four of them already and made your Konoha pay a terrible price!"

"But it was worth it. Before this, we already slaughtered at least fifty Konoha Ninja, including members of your Uchiha Clan!"

"It's just a pity I couldn't kill you. What a regret..."

Facing Uchiha Daiki as he steadily approached, Jinin Akebino actually began taunting him.

He kept provoking him, constantly using words to agitate Uchiha Daiki.

To ordinary people, such behavior was truly hard to understand.

However, Hozuki Senjin, who was also one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, understood Jinin Akebino's thoughts at that moment.

"Knowing he can't survive, is he trying to provoke his opponent into finishing him off and giving him a quick death...? Sorry, but I'm afraid I'll soon follow in your footsteps."

Hozuki Senjin took out a kunai and looked down at it.

He had not yet made up his mind to end his own life with his own hands.

Then Jinin Akebino's voice rang out. "Remember to erase the information in our heads! Hozuki Senjin!"

"Don't forget your Anbu training!!"

After saying that, Jinin Akebino struggled to his feet and charged straight at Uchiha Daiki.

A blinding light suddenly burst from his body.

This was immediately followed by a thunderous boom.

Amid flying blood and gore, Jinin Akebino's body was completely blown to ashes, turning into countless tiny particles scattered all around.

"Th-This guy..."

They had watched with their own eyes as one of the powerful Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist chose to detonate every Explosive Tag on his body in an attempt to kill Uchiha Daiki.

It utterly terrified Ebisu, Genma Shiranui, and Might Guy, who had rarely witnessed such a grand scene.

"Is that Uchiha all right??"

Ebisu snapped out of it and hurriedly searched for Uchiha Daiki.

"Don't worry. He's mastered a Body Flicker Technique that's practically perfect..."

After saying that with a smile, Might Duy looked up approvingly toward a large tree off to the right.

There, on a massive horizontal branch, Uchiha Daiki stood completely unharmed.

"Willing to be blown to pieces just to take me down with you? What a mad thing to do..."

Uchiha Daiki smiled faintly with a hint of disdain and turned his gaze toward the last remaining member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Hozuki Senjin.

"If I remember correctly, the Hozuki Clan's Water Transformation Technique seems to have a weakness, doesn't it?"

Uchiha Daiki looked at him teasingly and asked with a half-smile.

Those words caused Hozuki Senjin's gaze to sharpen slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he slowly raised the kunai in his hand and pointed its tip at Uchiha Daiki.

"Enough nonsense, Uchiha Daiki."

"If you've got what it takes, then kill me too!"

After saying that, Hozuki Senjin created two Water Clones, and together with his main body, charged at Uchiha Daiki.

"Boring little tricks."

This level of Clone Technique was child's play before Uchiha Daiki's powerful senses and the insight of his Three Tomoe Sharingan.

Of course, Uchiha Daiki actually admired the man inwardly.

In the mere tenth of a second that Hozuki Senjin had used words to divert his attention, he had simultaneously completed the double maneuver of casting the Substitution Technique and using the Clone Technique.

It had to be said that his speed in making moves surpassed that of many shinobi.

Against an opponent with ordinary perception, he would likely have already succeeded in deceiving them.

But the truth was that none of the three "Hozuki Senjins" charging toward him was the real body. All three were Water Clones.

The real Hozuki Senjin had already hidden beneath the ground, waiting to deliver Uchiha Daiki a fatal blow.

The Hozuki Clan's Water Release: Water Transformation was indeed troublesome.

Immunity to all physical attacks meant that even his unerring kunai technique could not harm the opponent in the slightest.

But Water Release: Water Transformation had one weakness, and that was the only way to counter it: Lightning Release.

As long as a target in the Water Transformation Technique state was struck by a Lightning Release attack, their entire body would be paralyzed and unable to move.

Its immobilizing effect was even stronger than using genjutsu.

At that moment, Uchiha Daiki began recalling in his mind how to use Lightning Release.

He had only mastered the most basic Lightning Release.

And it was at that very moment that the system's notification sounded in his mind.