Boom, boom, boom—
A chain of explosions rang out through the forest. The deafening blasts made the earth tremble, and countless rocks and broken trees flew in every direction.
Thick smoke billowed as flames spread through the forest. Not far away, Suikazan Fuguki and Munashi Jinpachi had regrouped.
"What a pain." Uchiha Sou couldn't help cursing under his breath at the sight.
When he'd seen Munashi Jinpachi pull out the entire scroll wrapped around his sword, his eyebrows had shot up.
Because a familiar image had suddenly come to mind: the scene where the ridiculously rich Konan attacked Obito with hundreds of millions of Explosive Tags!
That blast hadn't just turned the world upside down. It had forced Obito to use Izanagi to save his life.
"Do all these bastards like using Explosive Tags for a prolonged barrage of explosions when dealing with someone who specializes in using Space-Time Ninjutsu to get in close?"
Faced with an explosion like that, Uchiha Sou could only retreat for now. But he had no intention of letting the two get away.
He'd already made up his mind. This time, he would purge the entire enemy territory in the Land of Whirlpools.
This was his leverage, and it would earn him prestige!
Whatever choice he made in the future, having leverage like this would make things much easier for him.
"Then..."
Standing atop a treetop, Uchiha Sou fixed his gaze on Munashi Jinpachi, a murderous glint in his eyes. He had to deal with the troublesome one first!
Not far away, Munashi Jinpachi and Suikazan Fuguki stood back to back.
They might have despised each other, but against an opponent skilled in Space-Time Ninjutsu who could attack from any direction at any moment, they had no choice but to defend themselves this way!
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were hardly a united group, especially since every one of them was a Mist Ninja.
"If you're so fond of sticking together, then stick together in hell!"
Whoosh!
Uchiha Sou sprang into motion. In an instant, he became a blur and rushed straight toward Munashi Jinpachi.
This time, he didn't use the power of Ame-no-Iwato. He could still use his Mangekyo ability, but he thought it best to save it for a more crucial moment.
Besides, even his Body Flicker Technique was beyond what ordinary people could comprehend!
"Clang!"
The clash of metal rang out. Munashi Jinpachi reacted with lightning speed, barely managing to block Uchiha Sou's kunai with his sword.
Though his attack was blocked, Uchiha Sou wasn't surprised. He stomped toward Munashi Jinpachi's knee while his left hand produced another kunai and drove it toward his neck!
"Body Flicker Technique?" Suikazan Fuguki sneered at Uchiha Sou's attack. "You probably don't dare use your Space-Time Ninjutsu so carelessly either!"
Before he'd finished speaking, Suikazan Fuguki's massive sword was already swinging toward Uchiha Sou!
Feeling the sharpness of Samehada as it cut through the air, Uchiha Sou had to twist his body aside. That caused his kunai to veer slightly off course.
At that moment, Munashi Jinpachi showed the quick instincts of a powerful ninja.
He moved swiftly to dodge Uchiha Sou's kunai while extending his sword slightly forward. Chakra began to flow through it.
Uchiha Sou's eyes flashed. He'd seen it all.
"Hmph."
With a snort, he made a seemingly casual turn and dodged Suikazan Fuguki's strike.
At the same time, he kicked off the ground and leaped backward. The moment he left the ground, Shibuki erupted with a deafening blast!
Smoke rapidly spread, creating an effect similar to the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
In fact, both Suikazan Fuguki and Munashi Jinpachi had wanted to use the Hidden Mist Jutsu for a while.
But under Uchiha Sou's relentless attacks, they didn't dare let their guard down for even an instant!
And Uchiha Sou's next move proved their fears justified. The instant the smoke began to rise and he put some distance between them, he abruptly stopped and spun around in midair.
Then his chakra surged. As Munashi Jinpachi stared in shock, he used the Body Flicker Technique once more and rushed right at him!
"What kind of monster is this guy?!"
Munashi Jinpachi cursed inwardly. He couldn't even remember the last time someone had driven him into such a desperate state.
He immediately turned his blade and blocked Uchiha Sou's attack. Having just unleashed Shibuki's power, he couldn't release it again so soon.
He could only hope that Suikazan Fuguki would help him, though he didn't trust the man at all!
"Die!"
Fortunately, at the crucial moment, Suikazan Fuguki knew what mattered most.
After missing with his first strike, Suikazan Fuguki attacked again, taking precise advantage of the opening in Uchiha Sou's assault to launch a sneak attack.
But this time, Uchiha Sou didn't dodge. He quickly turned his head, and the strange patterns in his scarlet eyes began spinning rapidly!
"Damn it!"
Suikazan Fuguki had been avoiding Uchiha Sou's gaze the entire time, but sometimes there was no way around it in battle.
He wasn't Might Guy, who'd received specialized training. All he could do was see who reacted faster.
Unfortunately for him, Uchiha Sou was clearly faster!
Buzz!
The instant their eyes met, Suikazan Fuguki's mind went blank. His entire body froze in place.
Uchiha Sou wasted no time. He pulled out a kunai and slashed viciously at his neck!
But just as Uchiha Sou's strike seemed to land, Suikazan Fuguki suddenly came to his senses.
His fat body jerked to the side. As the kunai sliced through his arm, he leaped backward.
"Samehada?"
Uchiha Sou didn't even need to look closely to know that Samehada had saved Suikazan Fuguki.
The best way to break a genjutsu was to use another source of chakra to disrupt the balance of one's own chakra, and Samehada could do that perfectly.
"Hm?"
Just then, Uchiha Sou suddenly turned his head. He sensed a tremendous surge of chakra gathering nearby.
Munashi Jinpachi's chakra was surging to its peak. Sparks danced across Shibuki in his hands, and the scroll wrapped around it looked as if it were about to catch fire.
"Kid!" Munashi Jinpachi roared through gritted teeth. "Let's see where you'll run this time!"
In an instant, scorching heat began to spread. Boundless energy rapidly gathered, waiting for the moment it would erupt.
"Why would I run?" Uchiha Sou remained remarkably calm. "You're still alive. How could I possibly run?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his right eye began to spin rapidly.
The full power of Yomotsu-Hirasaka was unleashed. All around Munashi Jinpachi, space turned strange and chaotic.
The seemingly aimless spatial currents twisted and churned wildly, disrupting Shibuki in Munashi Jinpachi's hands and interfering with his sense of space and direction!
"No!"
Munashi Jinpachi let out a furious roar. In the next instant, the endless flames seemed to be compressed into an extremely tiny space, and the immense energy erupted completely!
Boom, boom, boom—
A series of thunderous blasts echoed across the sky. The earth shook violently as invisible shock waves swept outward.
Countless trees and boulders vanished in an instant, leaving only blazing flames roaring across the landscape!
"Cough, cough, cough."
Not far away, Suikazan Fuguki crouched on the ground, coughing repeatedly. He looked utterly wretched.
He'd managed to put some distance between himself and the blast, but the massive explosion had still left him in agony. For a moment, he'd even thought he was done for!
But as he watched the flames burning in the distance and felt the pain left by the terrifying shock wave, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
"They're dead, right? You two should both be dead after that. Good riddance!"
Just as Uchiha Sou had expected, the members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist didn't get along and couldn't stand one another.
They wouldn't feel any sorrow if a teammate died. The important thing was that they'd taken out their target!
But the next moment, Suikazan Fuguki's expression changed. He felt something cold against his neck.
He knew it was a kunai!
At the same time, a voice sounded behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a pair of scarlet eyes behind him.
"Didn't I ask you before if you were all a little too confident?"
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