"What... what is this?"
"Mangekyō Sharingan! Susanoo?!"
In the distance, watching the crimson demon-like figure display its divine might in the rain,
Kirigakure elder Genji couldn't help exclaiming in shock.
Nearly sixty years had passed.
The sight before him made him recall
the Uchiha Clan's leader, Madara, at the end of the Warring States era.
The same terrifying strength, the same invincibility.
After all these years, had the Uchiha Clan produced another such monster?!
And he was so young—far too young!
"Is this the backup Zabuza found?"
"We have a chance! There's hope!"
Genji's eyes lit up as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.
He knew well the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo.
They were absolutely powerful enough to rival a Tailed Beast!
And from the looks of it, the Uchiha youth hadn't gone all out to kill anyone. He wondered if he and Zabuza had reached some sort of deal.
Still, as long as they could overthrow the Fourth Mizukage,
it was worth paying some price.
Besides, a child this young probably wouldn't be too greedy...
"Elder! This..."
Terumi Mei suppressed her shock and asked quietly.
Genji said, "Get ready. Wait for my signal before making a move!"
Terumi Mei's eyes lit up, and she quickly replied, "All right!"
Then she immediately went to make arrangements.
At the same time,
aside from most of the Anbu Ninja, who had joined the fight as soon as Mizukage Yagura gave the order,
a small number of Anbu Ninja had held back instead of rushing into battle.
At their head was Suikazan Fuguki.
"Captain!"
"Is that Kisame? You're finally here."
Fuguki turned and saw Kisame quietly approaching behind him. He was mildly pleased.
"Captain, aren't we joining the fight?"
"Wait for now. Or do you think you can take a hit from that guy?"
Suikazan Fuguki pointed at the towering Susanoo and asked, still shaken.
With that kind of power, he probably couldn't withstand even one slash.
And Kisame certainly couldn't, either.
"I..."
Kisame fell silent. As an honest man, he wouldn't make any wild claims.
If he couldn't take a hit, then he couldn't take a hit...
"Kisame, let me ask you something."
"Are you loyal to the Fourth Mizukage, or to the village?" Suikazan Fuguki asked solemnly again.
Kisame froze, seeming to have an inkling of what he meant.
"Of course I'm loyal to the village."
"Good. Follow my orders in a moment!"
"Yes, sir!"
Suikazan Fuguki reached out his large hand, patted Kisame on the back, and gave him a solemn reminder.
The battle was fierce.
In only a short while, Kirigakure's main gate and more than a dozen nearby buildings had been toppled by the shockwaves.
That showed just how destructive Susanoo was in battle.
But the fight ended just as quickly.
Enticed by the promise of "ten million per slash,"
Natsume controlled Susanoo and attacked with ferocious force, fighting to his heart's content!
In less than half a minute, he had swept through dozens of Anbu Ninja nearby.
Of course, he had deliberately held back.
Except for one or two ninja who had accidentally rushed into Susanoo's blade and died on the spot,
most of the other Anbu Ninja had merely been knocked unconscious by the flat of the blade.
Their lives had been spared.
After all, every ninja who survived would mean a hefty payment from Kirigakure later!
Why would Natsume turn down money?
Watching the many Anbu Ninja under his command routed so quickly,
the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, whose mind was under control, remained cold and expressionless.
He seemed not to care at all whether those Anbu Ninja lived or died.
Or perhaps he had intended to use them to wear Natsume down.
As for Natsume,
after dealing with the cannon fodder, he didn't waste a word.
He swung his blade again, aiming straight for the distant Fourth Mizukage Yagura.
"Mizukage-sama!"
"Fourth Mizukage-sama!"
People in the crowd shouted warnings.
Clearly, no matter how brutal a ruler was, as long as there were benefits to be gained, he would never lack lackeys willing to risk their lives for him.
The next moment,
just as the blade was about to fall, a massive surge of chakra suddenly burst from Yagura's body.
There was no doubt—it was the Three-Tails Isobu's chakra.
In an instant, the Three-Tails' dark red chakra wrapped around Yagura's entire body, transforming him into a partial Tailed Beast and revealing three dark red tails.
His overall strength increased dramatically.
"Clang—"
The partially transformed Yagura roared up at the sky and raised a pair of claws to block Susanoo's slash head-on.
A metallic crash rang out, shaking the surroundings.
The enormous recoil whipped up a gale that swept outward.
The partially transformed Yagura was forced back more than ten meters, leaving long furrows in the ground.
But thanks to the powerful defense of his Tailed Beast Cloak,
he had actually withstood the slash, suffering only minor internal injuries from the impact.
That was enough to show how powerful a Tailed Beast was!
"Interesting. You actually blocked that slash."
"Looks like this blade isn't sharp enough!"
"Then I'll use another!"
Natsume raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
If there was something you couldn't cut through, it could only mean that you weren't strong enough—
or that your blade wasn't good enough.
Natsume was certainly strong enough. And as it happened, he had a Divine Blade capable of Spirit Weaponization.
The next moment,
the chakra greatsword vanished.
Then a flash of crimson light bloomed in Susanoo's hand.
The divine weapon, the Kunwu Blade, instantly took shape, becoming a spirit-forged blade more than twenty meters long.
"Again! Try this slash!"
A dazzling blade of light fell, like a meteor descending from the heavens.
It was so fast that Yagura had no time to react!
"Aagh!"
Beneath the blade, the partially transformed Yagura let out a monstrous howl.
He swung his claws again, ready to block it head-on!
But this time, the sharp blade of light was far beyond the previous strike.
"Clang—"
The incredibly hard Tailed Beast Cloak, with its astonishing defensive power, had even been able to withstand a thrust from the Kusanagi Sword.
But under the Kunwu Blade's edge, it could only crumble.
It didn't even last half a second!
The blade severed his claws,
along with one of his tails and his entire left arm!
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The whole crowd was stunned.
Before you continue