Mahoraga!!

Blood Manipulation.

It had long been conceived; it was first developed in the battle against Chiyo, then fully perfected after Nara Shikaku provided Shadow Manipulation.

It became Kamizuki's personal secret technique, integrating offense and defense.

It freely controlled the coagulation, shaping, and reinforcement of blood. It could even briefly increase heart rate and blood flow, elevating his already superhuman body to an even greater level!

It was similar to Shikotsumyaku, except the medium for the technique had changed from bone to blood.

"Hundred Convergences: Piercing Blood."

As the name implied, it fired an extremely compressed bead of blood at supersonic speed, with unmatched penetrating power!

Kamizuki had once used it to pierce through and kill two Iwagakure jonin skilled in defense with a single blow, earning himself the title of "Konoha's Red Blood Demon" in Iwagakure!

However...

Hanzo was even faster!!

Whoosh—!!

Not even a scarlet meteor could be tracked. Here... Hanzo was the fastest in the Shinobi World!

The scythe stained with poisonous mist resembled the blade of death itself. It was the weapon that had reaped over a thousand Iwagakure shinobi not long ago, and its killing intent was terrifying.

Kamizuki, using both hands to perform his technique, could not dodge. The scythe blade slashed into his shoulder blade.

Hanzo could have chosen a more fatal spot, but he could not do so.

Declaring war on the three great nations had been a helpless act born of unbearable circumstances, but he understood clearly that if he truly fought a great nation to the death, the Land of Rain would surely be destroyed.

His feat of slaughtering over a thousand Iwagakure shinobi looked terrifying... but in truth, he had deliberately spared many young people. Most of those he killed had been mediocre.

There was a limit to it—enough that Ōnoki would not fly into a rage and retaliate against the Land of Rain without regard for the cost.

Otherwise, even if he could evade Dust Release, how could the vast Amegakure possibly escape?

To put it bluntly...

Perhaps wearing down those Iwagakure shinobi was exactly what Ōnoki wanted.

Kamizuki was different.

He was Konoha's rising genius. His achievements were already on par with Hatake Sakumo's, even surpassing his teacher Orochimaru by a step.

More importantly... he was a member of the Uchiha clan, one of the Shinobi World's great houses.

Those born before the era of hidden villages simply could not ignore that surname. It represented two towering mountains that stood above the Shinobi World.

The status of such a genius within that clan was easy to imagine. The Land of Rain could not withstand the Uchiha clan's revenge.

Hanzo was not alone. For the sake of those behind him, defeating Kamizuki and driving him away was his only choice.

But the next moment...

Hanzo felt that his restraint had been somewhat unnecessary.

Clang—!!

The scythe blade struck Kamizuki's shoulder, yet produced the sound of metal striking hardened steel!

"Hey... you monster, is there even a single part of you that still looks human?"

Even Hanzo could no longer maintain his composure.

"That's terribly rude. I finally managed not to insult someone first, yet I got insulted first?"

Kamizuki tilted his head with a smile. "I'm fairly confident in my looks. No matter how you look at it, I'm a perfectly normal handsome guy, right?"

Were they even talking about the same thing...

Hanzo wanted to retort, but his instincts sensed danger. He used the Body Flicker Technique again to evade.

Screech—!!

The blood-red spike he had just dodged actually curved back toward him. Had he noticed even a moment later, it would have pierced straight through him!

"Like that old puppet woman's chakra threads, it can remain under control."

Looking at the blood threads circling Kamizuki, Hanzo frowned slightly. "An indestructible body, a secret technique combining offense and defense, speed, swordsmanship, the Sharingan's perception..."

"I, Hanzo, acknowledge your strength. Among the younger generation, perhaps no one is stronger than you."

"Don't go giving me some title."

Kamizuki walked toward him step by step and shook his head. "There are already too many messy names out there. I only need my own."

"Uchiha Kamizuki."

For the first time, Hanzo called him by name. With a faint chuckle, he said, "Indeed, the Uchiha name says enough."

"But... is it really wise to approach so casually?"

Kamizuki had stepped into the area permeated by Hanzo's poison. Wisps of purple mist entered his body with every breath.

"Though it is not as potent as the poison implanted in my poison sac, the poison I exhale is not something ordinary people can endure."

Whoosh—

Kamizuki deliberately took a deep breath, as if savoring it.

"Get serious, old Salamander. This stuff isn't even as strong as the secondhand smoke in the Hokage Office."

He exhaled softly.

His powerful internal organs directly absorbed and broke down the poison. To ordinary people, it was lethal; to Kamizuki, it was merely slightly irritating air.

Hanzo was not too surprised. He had heard the rumors that Kamizuki possessed resistance to poison.

He formed a hand seal with one hand.

"Then... what about this?"

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

A dense crackling sound arose beneath Kamizuki's feet.

Hanzo's hand seal sank, and he shouted, "I told you, you approached too carelessly!"

The water flowing across the bluestone slabs transformed into countless Explosive Tags, wrapping around Kamizuki's feet!

Fire Style: Explosive Flame Formation!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!

The terrifying explosions resounded throughout Amegakure, and flames shot into the sky!

Tap... tap...

Steady footsteps sounded from within the thick smoke.

"That old woman didn't lie to me. The quality really is excellent. I can settle the remaining payment later."

His coat had been blasted into tattered rags, revealing the outfit beneath.

A black, low-collared short shirt exposed his neck and part of his chest, his muscle definition clear.

The muscles of his exposed forearms were not as overtly bulky as those of Kumogakure shinobi. They looked incredibly smooth, yet were filled with strength.

He wore loose, dark purple trousers below, with a white sash holding a sheath for his sword.

The overall outfit was simple, yet it carried a flamboyant air utterly at odds with a shinobi's style.

Hanzo did not care about his clothing. He stared fixedly at Kamizuki's physical condition.

Unfortunately...

Not a scratch on him!!

He had truly endured it with his bare body...

At least use your blood technique to symbolically block it!

Close combat had originally been Hanzo's specialty. His powerful swordsmanship and poison made others avoid letting him get close.

But after witnessing Kamizuki's body and monstrous strength... that advantage had vanished entirely.

He could not engage him in close combat. It was too dangerous!

Hanzo's respirator existed to keep ordinary people from being poisoned by the toxins in his breath. It was unnecessary now, so he simply took it off.

Beneath it was a very ordinary middle-aged shinobi's face.

He leaped toward the outskirts of Amegakure, bit his fingertip, and rapidly formed hand seals with both hands. "Let's change locations."

You are worth me, Hanzo, taking seriously!

Kamizuki quickly followed. The two reached an open area.

Summoning Technique!!

A massive dark-brown salamander was summoned forth. Salamander Ibuse was an important reason Hanzo possessed such a fearsome reputation.

Standing atop the salamander, Hanzo looked down and said, "Giving one's all against an enemy is the most basic courtesy."

"Salamander Ibuse is my summoned partner. Its poison is far more potent than what you faced earlier."

"Sorry, but I cannot defeat you while remaining within the limits of ensuring your survival, Uchiha Kamizuki."

The corners of Kamizuki's lips rose.

"I'm really starting to like you more and more."

"You are qualified to see it... Let me introduce you to my summoned partner."

With a wave of his finger, the little white snake in the distance opened its mouth wide and spat out something far larger than itself, wrapped in white bandages and threads.

Bandages fell away from what could tentatively be called the giant humanoid object's "head," exposing a ferocious maw as dark crimson hellfire erupted fiercely!

The intense chakra fluctuations drew Hanzo's gaze, but in the next instant—

That "monster" appeared behind Kamizuki.

It was roughly four or five meters tall. Its skin possessed the cold pallor of nearly bare bone, while dark purple curse-mark patterns crawled across its entire body, flowing faintly.

Other than its mouth, it had no organs. Black tentacles pouring from where its eyes should have been tangled together like a pair of twisted black wings.

Its humanoid outline bore not a trace of excess flesh. The black tentacles forming its lower body flowed like a battle skirt, radiating unparalleled evil.

The salamander let out an uneasy hum, and Hanzo sensed its fear.

Even he himself felt wary of the monster, instinctively sensing that something was wrong.

"It even used my flesh and blood. It can truly be called a masterpiece..."

"My teacher Orochimaru gave it its name."

Kamizuki placed one hand on the monster and smiled faintly. "A Yama Demon born from the void, its name is—"

"Mahoraga!"