The Explosion Release Ninja, Gari

Relying on the Sharingan's dynamic vision, Uchiha Hezi ran with all her might.

But the speed of Explosion Release: Landmine Fist was more than a Konoha Genin could withstand.

The Explosion Release ninja drove his fist straight through the fragile abdomen of Matsumoto Takahiro, the Konoha Genin.

The Explosion Release chakra blew the Konoha Genin, who had only just escaped death, into chunks of flesh no bigger than a chess piece.

Flesh, sinew, bones, organs...

They rained down like a torrential downpour after the explosion.

Even Uchiha Hezi and Hatake Jiangyi, the Genin, were sent flying a great distance by the bloody blast of blood and flesh.

"Matsumoto!"

Ugh.

Earlier, Hatake Jiangyi had nearly thrown up at the sight of the Sand Ninja's severed head.

Now, seeing his teammate blown to pieces right before his eyes filled him with such terror that his body convulsed uncontrollably!

Just as Naruto had been unable to move from fear when he saw Zabuza, fear had left Naruto rooted to the spot.

Hatake Jiangyi now felt his own legs refusing to obey him.

The blast hadn't seriously injured him, but his trembling legs kept him from standing no matter how hard he tried.

"Yo, you little bug. You're pretty lucky to have survived after being blown that far." The enemy seemed to find Hatake Jiangyi's terrified, fearful expression amusing.

He didn't go after Uchiha Hezi, who had a mild concussion and was seeing the world spin around her.

Instead, he walked step by step toward the half-grown boy, who was too frightened to stand.

The Explosion Release ninja flicked his right hand. "Explosion Release..."

Before he could attack again, a Kunai crackling with blue-white electricity flew toward him with a rush of wind.

The Explosion Release ninja was extremely cautious and didn't counter with an explosive punch this time. Instead, he used the simplest Body Flicker Technique to put as much distance as possible between himself and Mikoto's Lightning Style: Kunai.

"Just as I thought. He's a jonin, with plenty of combat experience. He won't fall for it!"

Mikoto grew more and more anxious.

Because she could control the kunai electromagnetically, her Lightning Style: Kunai could change speed and direction.

That meant she could make the kunai curve around an opponent's defense and fly in a serpentine path to launch a surprise attack.

But her opponent was experienced and simply used the Body Flicker Technique to get away. Mikoto's entire plan had fallen apart.

Her teammates were about to be picked off one by one, and Mikoto couldn't think of a single way to stop it.

What should I do?! Mikoto's mind raced.

The Explosion Release ninja approached Hatake Jiangyi again, but Hatake Jiangyi's body wouldn't obey him.

"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"

A flash of blades.

A thick arm soared into the air, trailing blood.

The Explosion Release ninja looked as if he had seen something terrifying. With his remaining left hand, he frantically tore at the mask on his face.

Once he had ripped off his goggles and mask, Mikoto and the others finally saw what the ninja really looked like.

Brown hair, gaunt cheeks, and an exceptionally cold expression!

The Explosion Release ninja was briefly disoriented, frantically searching his surroundings for the enemy who had ambushed him.

Clutching his severed right upper arm with his left hand, the Explosion Release ninja let out a furious roar!

"Come out! You bastard, come out!"

The surviving Mikoto and the others were overjoyed!

"It's Lord Fucheng! He came to save us!"

Their brush with death filled Mikoto and the others with a profound sense of being saved.

Their admiration and gratitude toward Uchiha Fucheng were especially strong.

[Follower marked. Current follow value: 88%]

Perhaps Hell Viewing Technique had triggered the enemy's mental confusion. Though the technique didn't have much offensive power, it was a very effective combat opener when used as a Sharingan Genjutsu to disorient an opponent.

Uchiha Fucheng's Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly.

While his opponent was still turning in circles, he used another jutsu to launch a surprise attack.

巳-辰-卯-寅

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"

A nearly transparent wire connected to the panicked Explosion Release ninja's leg.

As Uchiha Fucheng used Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique, flames suddenly burst from beneath his opponent's feet like a homing missile.

The flames rose higher than the surrounding trees.

"You can't kill me! Explosion Release: Clone Explosion!"

In the middle of the enormous flames, an even more powerful explosion erupted.

A shock wave!

A huge ring of white air.

It instantly scattered all the flames from the Fire Release.

A blood-soaked figure flew out of the flames along with the ring of white air, tumbling from the center of the explosion and landing awkwardly on a distant mound of earth.

Mikoto, Hezi, and Hatake were also blown seventeen or eighteen meters away by the tremendous shock wave.

Every one of their organs seemed to ache.

Uchiha Fucheng, on the other hand, had been hiding in the treetop and had avoided the worst of the blast.

But the tree beneath him hadn't escaped the shock wave. It was blasted apart.

He leaped down from the treetop and hurled five specially made kunai at the Explosion Release ninja from a distance.

Uchiha Kunai Throwing!

Using the Sharingan's powers of observation and judgment, Fucheng could make his kunai collide midair and change direction.

His throwing skills were very close to the technique Itachi had demonstrated to Sasuke.

This distinctive Uchiha Throwing Technique made the kunai extremely difficult for a target to dodge.

The Explosion Release ninja, Gari, was now badly injured, with one arm and one eye gone and a broken leg.

It was even harder for him to dodge the swarm of kunai.

As an archetypal hard-charging fighter, the Iwa ninja's Explosion Release was powerful.

But to a certain extent, he had sacrificed Earth Release's original defensive capabilities.

Faced with the precise surprise attack of a high-level Fire Release, he had only been able to use an explosion to "deal with the emergency."

Although his injuries from the blast had left him nearly crippled, the intense pain had also freed him from the confusion of the Sharingan Genjutsu.

The shock wave had also sent him out of the sea of flames, sparing him from continued exposure to the intense heat.

Even losing an eye had been well worth it as a tactical choice.

"Earth Style: Body Hardening Technique!"

Unable to dodge, Gari chose to take the kunai head-on.

That was exactly the option Uchiha Fucheng had deliberately left him.

Because Fucheng was about to stand still and pour on the damage. It was time to turn up the output.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Barrage!"

Three enormous fireballs, one after another like cannonballs, followed the kunai and slammed into the Explosion Release ninja, who was using the hardening technique without moving.

If he hadn't just gained Nawaki's Senju bloodline talent, Fucheng wouldn't have dared use such a chakra-intensive technique.

The huge flames and three thunderous explosions made even Mikoto and the others, who had run a long way to take cover, feel the danger.

The three injured shinobi hurried to flee even farther away.

Uchiha Fucheng watched the scene of the Great Fireball Barrage exploding, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't approach to inspect the aftermath. Instead, he moved farther away.

"Gari of Iwagakure! I know you're not dead!" Fucheng called out, testing him.

"Don't you want to leave any last words? You disguised yourself as a Sand Ninja to sneak in, and now you're about to die. I bet you're pretty unhappy about that."

He used the information he knew to test the black figure still struggling in the flames.

"Bastard, how do you know my name?!" Gari, surrounded by the flames, had gone from terrified to furious.

He suspected someone had leaked his information.

"If I can't survive, then neither can you!"

Seeing that Uchiha Fucheng wouldn't fall for it and approach him, the Explosion Release ninja Gari, nearly burned black in the flames, charged at Fucheng like a madman.

With only half of a charred arm left, Gari couldn't form Hand Seals with both hands.

He could only shove his blackened forearm into his mouth, where his jawbone was already exposed, and begin gnawing frantically.

"Explosion Release: Bloodthirsty Self-Detonation!"