Deep-purple blades of ominous energy came at him like rain lashing banana leaves.
If one really had to discuss their attack power, they might not necessarily have been much stronger than shuriken thrown with full force by other ninja. The key lay in distance and speed.
Shuriken were mid-range attack tools, and "mid-range" meant something used only when both sides were at least ten meters apart. Any closer, and before your throwing hand even stretched out, the enemy would already be in your face.
In other words, during close-quarters grappling, that was not something one needed to worry about.
But Zabuza's move was different.
Though the effect was very similar, this move did not have that much windup or recovery. It was simply a casual swing of the sword.
Faced with an attack like this, a speed-type swordsman should have used footwork to dodge, but Nakajo Eita was not one, so he could only block it head-on.
He gripped the hilt of his tachi with both hands, his body spinning like a top and stirring up a powerful current of air around him in an attempt to disperse those blades of energy.
The idea was beautiful. Unfortunately, he was not strong enough.
If he had been proficient in wind-nature chakra transformation, perhaps he could have achieved what he hoped for.
But now...
Araki glanced at Tōshirō beside him. "You going, or me?"
"I shall go."
Tōshirō sighed in some disappointment, drew his blade from its sheath, and appeared in front of Nakajo Eita in a flash. Wielding the long sword in his hand, he accurately knocked away all the energy blades, then said, "This match is Nakajo Eita's loss."
And this was only the beginning.
Araki did not let Zabuza keep fighting like this the whole time, but after he