Instant Kill

Uchiha Nan sized up the monk Xuankong before him. His bare upper body gleamed bronze under the sunlight, but what drew the eye most were his well-developed biceps. He stood a whole head taller than Uchiha Nan.

What a strong man!

"This humble monk is Xuankong of the Fire Temple. Greetings, Hokage!"

Xuankong gave Uchiha Nan a Buddhist salute as a sign of respect, though his gaze kept drifting over Uchiha Nan's body.

This was the Hokage?

Was there some mistake?

His eye sockets were deeply sunken, his dark circles heavy, and his steps unsteady. One look was enough to tell he had overindulged himself.

Xuankong had seen plenty of young men like this at the Fire Temple. It might have been unfair to say every young man from the powerful families of the Land of Fire suffered from kidney deficiency, but if they lined them up and called every other one kidney-deficient, there would definitely still be some who slipped through the cracks!

"Hokage, are you feeling unwell today?"

Xuankong looked Uchiha Nan over, his expression openly disdainful.

It seemed Konoha's fighting strength had been nearly exhausted in the First Shinobi World War. They had even chosen someone like this as Hokage.

The heavens truly favored the Fire Temple!

The monks of the Fire Temple were not without worldly desires. They wanted to advance too; they wanted more funding to strengthen the Fire Temple!

Konoha was not the only one that could love its country. The Fire Temple could negotiate with the Daimyo too. The Fire Temple could love its country as well!

"No, I was just a little tired yesterday!"

"Didn't you want to spar with me?"

"Then let's do it!"

Uchiha Nan waved a hand, completely ignoring Xuankong's concern.

The monks of the Fire Temple were far too rude. Couldn't he at least hide that disdainful expression? The stench of it was overwhelming.

"Since that is the case, this humble monk will not hold back."

The moment he finished speaking, the air was instantly filled with the scent of gunpowder.

The Daimyo stood to the side with a delighted smile, more than happy to watch the scene unfold. He wished Uchiha Nan and Xuankong would beat each other's brains out.

These ninja could not all remain united. There had to be some conflicts between them.

"Since that is the case, you two may spar. Remember to stop before it goes too far. Do not harm the harmony between us."

The Daimyo offered a hypocritical word of mediation before withdrawing from the training ground. As an ordinary man, he understood perfectly well that a gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall.

Before long, only Xuankong and Uchiha Nan remained standing opposite each other on the training ground.

Ha!

Xuankong shouted and assumed a peculiar stance. One hand formed a mudra, while his other palm faced downward. Powerful Chakra surged from within his body, and the phantom of a Bodhisattva actually appeared behind him.

What a strange Ninjutsu. It did not even require hand seals. Was this the special power of the Talent of the Immortal Clan?

Under normal circumstances, Uchiha Nan would have exchanged a few probing moves with this monk and learned about this unfamiliar Ninjutsu system. But not today.

Uchiha Nan looked toward the Daimyo, who was watching the spectacle outside the training ground. This man was testing Konoha's true strength. If Konoha's power had declined too severely, then forget about coming to demand funding from him again next time.

He might directly support a new ninja village instead.

Uchiha Nan had to win with overwhelming force!

Xuankong saw that Uchiha Nan was actually looking at the Daimyo, treating him as if he did not exist!

He still dared to be distracted?

Xuankong gathered strength in his feet and dashed forward in a single step. The Bodhisattva behind him immediately took on the furious visage of a Vajra, several fists smashing toward Uchiha Nan.

"Curse your unfortunate fate of not having the Sharingan!"

Uchiha Nan murmured. The charging Xuankong had only just heard those words when his eyes met Uchiha Nan's Mangekyō Sharingan.

Tsukuyomi!

A thin trail of bloody tears flowed from the corner of Uchiha Nan's eye as his consciousness entered the Tsukuyomi space.

Tsukuyomi Space

A blood-red moon hung high in the sky, while the ground was covered in blood.

Xuankong was now receiving the same treatment as Jesus, bound to a cross with his mind still in a daze.

"Hello. Welcome to my Tsukuyomi world!"

"Is this a genjutsu?"

"When did you cast it?!"

Xuankong desperately tried to break free from the iron chains, but no matter how hard he struggled, it was utterly useless.

"Fighting an Uchiha, and you actually dared to stare me straight in the eyes at close range. I wonder whether you're ignorant or brave?"

"Idiot!"

Uchiha Nan let out a derisive snort, the harsh laughter making Xuankong's face flush red.

"Rip!"

With a wave of Uchiha Nan's hand, a blade appeared out of thin air and pierced Xuankong's arm. Xuankong's scream instantly echoed throughout the entire space. Then came another blade, followed by one after another.

"Time here is entirely under my control. One second outside could be a month, two months, or even one or two years in here."

"I'll keep stabbing you with this blade until you can't endure it any longer."

"This is my first time using this technique. I still don't know how long a person's mental will can last. I hope you can hold out a little longer. Don't make me think too little of the monks of the Fire Temple!"

Uchiha Nan explained with a smile on his face, yet the movements of his hand did not slow in the slightest.

Though his tone was exceptionally gentle, to Xuankong, it sounded like the whispers of a demon. Was there really such a terrifying Ninjutsu in the world?

Was this the Avici Hell described in the scriptures?

Was this the strength of the Hokage of Konoha?

Xuankong was filled with terror. He had never heard of such methods—could a single glance really drag someone into hell? Was that something a human could do?

Aaaahhh!!!

His regret did not last long before the endless agony completely drowned his consciousness.

After a day had passed, Xuankong's mind had completely collapsed, and his consciousness had sunk into endless chaos.

Not bad. He actually lasted an entire day.

Uchiha Nan nodded, acknowledging Xuankong's willpower, before releasing the Tsukuyomi space.

The real world.

Xuankong's fist had just been about to fall when he suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

Uchiha Nan remained calm and composed, carrying himself like a true master. He had not moved throughout the entire process.

What was going on?

Had the Hokage done something just now?

The Daimyo, who had been watching from the side, was full of disbelief.

The Daimyo had witnessed Xuankong's strength before. Ordinary jonin were simply no match for him, and the combat power displayed by the Buddha phantom behind him had been overwhelming.

He had thought there would be an earth-shaking battle, but this was it?

The Daimyo's expression turned grave. It was not that Xuankong was too weak—it was that the current Hokage was too strong, strong enough to defeat Xuankong with absolute dominance.

Was Konoha still this powerful?

The Daimyo had originally thought that a prolonged war would weaken Konoha, leaving it with a gap in its ranks. He felt immense regret; it seemed his hopes had fallen through.

The little schemes he had just begun to entertain regarding Konoha were immediately put to rest.

In an instant, the Daimyo put on a broad smile, clapped his hands, and walked up to Uchiha Nan.

"As expected of Konoha's Hokage!"

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