Successful Counter-Kill, Hanging by a Thread

Orochimaru watched the explosion before him with keen interest.

Uzumaki Ashina, as the First Uzukage, was not so easily dealt with.

Hozuki Gensei gripped the Twin Blades Hiramekarei in his hands.

He stared at the explosion site as the smoke gradually cleared, revealing the scorched earth beneath.

He muttered to himself with excitement, "The Uzukage of the Land of Whirlpools—as expected of a small nation, one light press and they vanish into the dirt."

"The Twin Blades Hiramekarei are truly too powerful. I just love this destructive force; of the seven blades, mine is the only one that is the strongest."

Deep underground, Uzumaki Ashina was covered in soil, but protected by his Adamantine Sealing Chains, the damage had been reduced to a minimum. It was time to emerge and end the battle; he formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage."

The rock deep underground turned into mud, allowing him to move rapidly while sensing the opponent's chakra.

Right at this position—he moved straight upward.

Standing above, Hozuki Gensei let out a hearty, triumphant laugh.

Uzumaki Ashina had been waiting for this exact moment. Just like when his son had dealt with Hozuki Gensei before, the opponent was distracted, allowing for an attack from beneath the earth.

"Enjoy the same technique once more," he thought, forming hand seals.

"Sealing Technique: Five Elements Seal."

The ground ruptured, and Uzumaki Ashina leaped out from within.

The Five Elements Seal surged toward Hozuki Gensei.

Hozuki Gensei noticed Uzumaki Ashina bursting out from the ground beneath his feet and hurriedly used the Twin Blades Hiramekarei to block the assault.

Uzumaki Ashina's Five Elements Seal landed squarely on the Twin Blades Hiramekarei, and sealing runes began to crawl all over the blades.

Seeing the same technique again, Hozuki Gensei's expression turned ferocious. What is going on?

Wasn't Uzumaki Ashina obliterated to the point that not even a scrap remained?

Why am I falling for the same trick from our last duel again? Watching the sealing technique begin to crawl toward his arm, he formed a one-handed seal.

"Summoning: Release Twin Blades Hiramekarei."

With a "poof," the blade vanished from his hands.

Seeing the weapon disappear from his opponent's grip, Uzumaki Ashina saw a once-in-a-lifetime opening appear before him.

He infused his fist with fire-attribute chakra, striking at Hozuki Gensei with intense, scorching heat.

Hozuki Gensei could not dodge and was forced to use his ancestral secret technique.

"Hydrification Technique."

His entire body turned into a puddle of clear water.

However, Uzumaki Ashina's fist carried potent fire-attribute chakra, and Hozuki Gensei could only manage to partially evade.

In an instant, he escaped the spot, leaping away repeatedly.

He knelt on one knee, gasping for air, and spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood.

His aura gradually calmed, though his face remained as ferocious as a demon's.

He glared fixedly at Uzumaki Ashina. His body had been burned by the fire-attribute chakra, and his strength was clearly waning; he had no choice but to stall for time. He formed hand seals.

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique."

A signature technique of Kirigakure, thick mist erupted from Hozuki Gensei, growing denser until visibility blurred.

The thick fog blocked the path toward the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

Uzumaki Ashina leaped repeatedly, returning to Jiraiya's side.

Tsunade was treating her injured thigh, while Kaguya Majen immediately charged forward, intent on finishing the battle.

Watching Kaguya Majen rush toward them, Jiraiya stood to the side and formed hand seals.

"Wild Lion's Mane Technique."

As chakra condensed, Jiraiya's silver hair rapidly extended outward.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The lion-shaped mass of hair lunged at Kaguya Majen, entangling him and causing his footsteps to falter.

Success. The opponent had been pinned in place by the Wild Lion's Mane Technique; he had finally managed to control him.

Jiraiya felt a secret sense of satisfaction.

The force of the Wild Lion's Mane Technique was sufficient to shred the opponent, but when Jiraiya increased the pressure, there was no reaction.

Kaguya Majen was enduring the super-powered cutting attack by encasing his entire body in bone armor.

He resisted the assault of the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.

As the pressure gradually intensified, Kaguya Majen had no choice but to erupt with a massive amount of chakra, forcing bone blades to pierce through the outer armor and shred Jiraiya's silver hair.

"Dance of the Larch"

He quickly selected himself once more, completely breaking the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.

Regaining his freedom, Kaguya Majen did not rush toward Tsunade, but instead charged at Jiraiya.

The Kaguya Clan was exceptionally fanatical when it came to combat.

Seeing the opponent charging toward him, Jiraiya formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Flame Bomb"

He condensed chakra into oil, mixed it with Fire Style chakra in his mouth, and spat a massive flame bomb at his opponent.

The Great Flame Bomb surged toward Kaguya Majen.

Kaguya Majen had no intention of dodging, his entire body encased in an exoskeleton.

He collided directly with the Great Flame Bomb, causing the flames to scatter in all directions.

Kaguya Majen was not hindered in the slightest. As he continued to charge at Jiraiya, Jiraiya realized his opponent's taijutsu was astonishing and formed hand seals.

"Toad Oil Bomb"

He converted his chakra into oil and sprayed it all over his opponent.

The toad oil was adhesive, capable of slowing Kaguya Majen's movement speed. Covered in the substance, Kaguya Majen felt instantly humiliated.

"Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets"

He raised his palms from a distance, pointing at Jiraiya, and fired his ten finger bones like bullets, aiming them at Jiraiya.

Watching the bone bullets target him, Jiraiya immediately retracted the Wild Lion's Mane Technique he had just used to protect himself.

The bone bullets struck his silver hair without penetrating through, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He immediately greased his feet and ran toward the perimeter, glancing back from time to time to see if his opponent was following him.

Kaguya Majen's strength was too great, and Hozuki Gensei was currently injured.

As long as the opponent followed him, his three teammates would be able to handle the situation; Jiraiya found himself truly brilliant.

In the south.

Uzumaki Jiro stared ahead, with the enraged Raiga Kurosuki on his left and the menacing Jinin Akebino on his right.

Seeing the two of them flanking him in a pincer formation, he smiled bitterly to himself, Uzumaki Sasuke, you had better pull yourself together and come back to assist soon.

Raiga Kurosuki signaled to Jinin Akebino with his eyes, and the latter understood immediately. Raiga Kurosuki charged directly at Uzumaki Jiro from the left, forming hand seals.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Ball"

Using the electricity stored by the Thunder Blades Kiba, he created thunder balls that could automatically attack the opponent, which circled around Raiga Kurosuki.

He swung his twin blades at Uzumaki Jiro. Uzumaki Jiro realized that the kunai in his hand would conduct electricity, making it impossible to block.

He immediately threw the kunai at Raiga Kurosuki to buy time and formed hand seals.

"Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique"

Earth from the ground followed his chakra to cover his fist, forming a solid rock fist that he slammed fiercely toward Raiga Kurosuki.

Raiga Kurosuki blocked with the Thunder Blades Kiba and was knocked back by the enhanced force of the rock fist. In that split second, Jinin Akebino, who was on the right, struck.

He raised his Kabutowari, swinging the massive blade down at Uzumaki Jiro. Unable to dodge, he could only use his rock fist to defend.

The rock fist collided with the massive blade, successfully blocking it.

Before he could react, Jinin Akebino grabbed the hammer attached to the other end of the blade and smashed it against the back of the blade.

The rock fist had no ability to resist and was cleaved apart; he hurriedly pulled his arm out of the rock fist.

He leaped backward instantly, but Raiga Kurosuki was already waiting behind him, forming hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Thunder Blade Kiba Rotation"

He remotely controlled the Thunder Blades Kiba to rotate rapidly in the air, launching both lightning blades straight toward Uzumaki Jiro's back.