Blood Manipulation!

Clang--!!

The crimson blade held back the sickle, rain scattering between their eyes.

The red patterns on the Crimson Blade spread, deepening in hue; they were both the lingering traces of lives reaped and the manifestation of Kaminazuki's will.

Swish--

Hanzo's kusarigama danced, weaving silver arcs into a web, the chain at the end of the sickle darting through the gaps.

The iron weight at the end of the chain was like a venomous snake, waiting to launch a lethal strike.

His weapon bore the distinct style of the Warring States period, combining binding, cutting, bludgeoning, and defensive capabilities, capable of handling the vast majority of combat scenarios.

In a sense, this was a weapon better suited for a lone wolf.

Kaminazuki's pupils shifted, taking in every attack trajectory and controlling his body to dodge by mere millimeters.

His sword speed was no weaker than Hanzo's, and the sound of metal clashing exploded incessantly along the long street.

A vacuum appeared in the curtain of rain, filled only by the flash of blades and shadows.

After one particular collision, Kaminazuki twisted his blade, gripping the hilt with both hands until his knuckles turned white and veins bulged.

Whoosh!!

His body vanished.

It was not a Body Flicker Technique, but pure, explosive physical power!

The stone slabs beneath his feet were crushed into powder as Kaminazuki swung his blade down at Hanzo, carving a deep red arc through the air.

To an outsider, it looked like a fierce, wide-swinging strike, but in Hanzo's eyes, it was an entirely different scene.

Neck, heart, liver, kidneys, spine, knees, wrists--

Seven strikes!

Seven attacks aimed at him, all arriving at the exact same moment!!

Astonishing swordsmanship!

The speed was even greater than that of Mifune!

BOOM--!!!!

A scarlet crescent fell, blasting away a large patch of ruins.

Kaminazuki had no intention of pressing his advantage; he immediately turned, his blade slashing upward from below!

Clang--!!!!

Blade and sickle met once more; Hanzo had appeared behind him before he even realized it.

A hoarse voice emerged through the respirator, carrying a hint of irrepressible excitement.

"I heard that puppet hag mention you; for a brat, the descriptions were truly exaggerated."

"I previously thought she was trying to build you up just to tear you down, but now it seems..."

"She still underestimated you!"

Joy flickered in Kaminazuki's eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward: "Hanzo of the Salamander... you are also far stronger than I imagined!"

Capable of defeating the Sannin at their current stage, Hanzo's strength was beyond doubt.

Yet, his later flight in terror from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and his defeat by Mifune during the Fourth Great Ninja War after being reanimated truly shamed his reputation as the pinnacle of ninjas.

Time was one factor, but more importantly, it was conviction.

The current Hanzo was a hero who dared to shoulder the burden of the Land of Rain and declare war on the three great nations, not the ruler who, having lost his conviction after defeat, feared the Akatsuki would threaten his status.

Kaminazuki didn't care much for appearances, but he was sensitive to the beauty of one's will.

He could feel Hanzo's surging emotions perfectly.

Those who fear losing get nervous when faced with a challenge, but those who are certain they will win...

They only feel excitement!!

"To receive such praise from the new generation is truly gratifying!"

Hanzo sidestepped and closed in, his blade grazing his own armor and leaving a deep mark; with a flick of his finger, the iron chain coiled around Kaminazuki's arms, and he gathered his strength to smash a fist into his chest and abdomen.

Bang!!

The chain snapped, and Hanzo's fist was tightly clamped by long, slender fingers!

Hanzo tried to exert force to pull his hand away, only to feel his fist sinking into iron-cast mountain rock, unable to budge, unable to break free!

This body... it's truly incredible!

Whoosh!!

Within Hanzo's field of vision, Kaminazuki tossed the crimson blade into the air and brought his other fist crashing down!

He would die!

If that punch were to land, death would be an absolute certainty!!

Years of combat experience told Hanzo this with crystal clarity.

Whoosh--!!

The punch that tore through the atmosphere missed its mark; just as before, Hanzo used the Body Flicker Technique to evade.

A puddle of water not far away coalesced into the shape of Hanzo.

"For a ninja, your body is simply too foul."

Snap--

Kaminazuki caught the Crimson Blade, turned, and laughed, "Even my eyes can't keep up with your movement speed; you're the one who's foul."

In an environment like this, one could easily view Hanzo's Water Body Flicker as a Flying Thunder God Technique that required no seals.

If he possessed the terrifying reflexes of Minato Namikaze, he would truly be invincible in the Land of Rain.

"Sharingan, huh... Your eyes are very different from the Uchiha I have encountered before."

The shape was not particularly unusual, but the color was deeper, exuding a chilling aura like a prison of death.

Based on the common knowledge of the ninja world regarding the Uchiha, Hanzo had only glanced at them from afar and avoided direct eye contact, focusing instead on Kaminazuki's limbs and muscle shifts to react during the fight.

Although they were still in the two-tomoe state, no one would dare define Kaminazuki's Pupil Power by the number of tomoe.

There were plenty of three-tomoe Uchiha whose Pupil Power could not compare to his; the clansmen of the Uchiha had already verified this, such as the "Fierce Eye" Uchiha Fugaku, who had already made a name for himself on the southern battlefield.

Half a year ago, for reasons unknown, Konoha had pulled back its front lines, and all high-level combatants had returned to the village to report.

Only the highest authorities knew the specific reason, but according to Kaminazuki's speculation... perhaps it had to do with the Nine-Tails.

Later, Kaminazuki attempted to trigger the Pupil Power he had left on Kushina at the time, and it was verified.

Under the guise of sparring with Fugaku, Kaminazuki had dragged him near the Uzumaki Tower, silently imprinting his Pupil Power so that he could successfully link with the Nine-Tails in the future.

In his vision, if he wanted to completely complete that object, Nine-Tails Chakra was indispensable.

"I heard in my youth that there exists a type of eye that surpasses the three-tomoe; is yours that kind?"

Could it be that after reaching the three-tomoe, the Sharingan re-condenses into two-tomoe, or even one-tomoe, achieving a cycle of returning to simplicity?

Hanzo only knew that Madara Uchiha possessed a Sharingan that surpassed the three-tomoe, but he did not know the specifics, as he hailed from a small ninja village.

Kaminazuki shook his head: "That is called the Mangekyo Sharingan; I am still quite far from that."

"Is that so..."

Hanzo let out a soft hum: "In that case, given your potential, you should have come to find me only after obtaining those eyes!"

"Ambition is a good thing for a young man, but you are underestimating me too much!"

"It is you who are underestimating the Uchiha."

Despite not knowing ninjutsu, Kaminazuki assumed a one-handed seal stance.

"If I were to wait until I obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan, a battle with a guy like you... how boring that would be!"

"Heh, then let me see if you have the strength to back up those words!"

Hanzo slung his sickle and chain behind his back and rapidly formed seals with both hands.

"Water Style: Water Roaring Bullet!"

The water droplets in the air rapidly converged, forming a massive, roaring torrent!

--

"Piercing Blood."

As the simple syllables left his lips, a line of blood instantly tore through the torrent; the water pressure could not hinder it in the slightest!

Screech--!!

Hanzo's pupils contracted sharply. By the time he saw the crimson sharpness, it was too late to dodge completely. He barely managed to turn his body, and the crimson arrow carved a wound into his shoulder.

The curtain of water fell.

"Ha... you were the first to be wounded, so I suppose I've won this round."

Kaminazuki's lips curled upward, the blood on his hands surging like a slithering snake; amidst the eeriness, there was an unusual sense of beauty.

"This is the legendary... Blood Manipulation!"

Hanzo's expression turned solemn, and he said in a low voice: "To be able to conceive of such a method of attack, you are just as much of a madman as those people."

He was referring to the Rain ninjas who had implanted the poison sacs of the Black Salamander into their own bodies, attempting to use the human body as a weapon.

"It is merely a weapon, just like teeth or bones; there is nothing strange about it."

As the crimson surged, Kaminazuki, standing amidst it, looked like a demon bathed in blood.

Blood continuously compressed and condensed, gathering at the tip of Kaminazuki's finger into a single, crystal-clear drop.

Hanzo caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye; the surrounding crowd had all but dispersed.

A pale purple poisonous mist slowly spilled from his mouth.

"Don't blame me for being underhanded, brat... Just as you said, this is also my weapon."

"You worry too much. Between ninjas, there is no such thing as being underhanded."

Kaminazuki pressed his palms together, encasing the crystalline blood bead between them as a crimson glow seeped through his fingers.

"Blood Manipulation - Hundred Convergences: Piercing Blood!"

Breaking the sound barrier, the crimson light descended like a falling meteor!