Kakuzu's eyes widened as he watched the blurry figure of the boy before him slowly bring the enormous pair of iron tongs in his hand toward his face. Yet he couldn't move a muscle to resist.
In the next instant, Kakuzu finally understood what Ye Ning had meant by Tongue-Ripping Hell.
He was really going to use those enormous tongs to rip out his tongue!
Kakuzu watched with his own eyes as his tongue was pulled longer and longer...
A searing agony swept over him.
It took only a moment for Kakuzu to feel unbearable pain.
And this genjutsu space was going to last a full day and night!
Ye Ning clicked his tongue beside him. He couldn't bear to watch such a gruesome scene, yet he felt a little regretful.
In his vision, once he had fully constructed the Eighteen Levels of Hell, it would be a terrifying genjutsu far surpassing Tsukuyomi. But for now, he had only developed Tongue-Ripping Hell. He still had a long way to go before he could perfect all the levels.
One day and night in each level, with eighteen levels in total—that made eighteen days and nights...
Hiss...
If he could perfect a genjutsu like this, Ye Ning really wanted to know who could withstand something so terrifying.
Kakuzu's body collapsed without warning. He managed to drop to one knee, his face twisted in pain.
Although a day and night had passed in the genjutsu space, to those outside, it had been no more than an instant.
Uchiha Ryu and the other Uchiha shinobi had only seen Ye Ning appear beside Kakuzu before Kakuzu crumpled to the ground, utterly unable to resist.
Uchiha Ryu couldn't help but start to wonder.
Was this... really an S-rank rogue ninja, a shinobi from the same era as the First, Senju Hashirama?
Kakuzu was in terrible shape.
Even after leaving the genjutsu space, the pain of having his tongue ripped out remained. His spirits had completely sunk.
Ye Ning wasn't about to let such a perfect opportunity pass.
He understood the principle of striking while the enemy was down.
Kakuzu's expression darkened completely.
In a short time, he had already lost two hearts, and he hadn't even managed to touch Ye Ning once!
Now, under the effects of that genjutsu, he was in bad shape. If the fight continued, he might really die here!
A trace of fear surfaced in Kakuzu's eyes, and his mind fell into chaos.
If he'd tried to escape earlier, he might still have had a chance. But after suffering through a genjutsu, he had no hope of getting away. On top of that, the Uchiha shinobi nearby had already surrounded him without his noticing.
With his earth- and water-natured hearts destroyed one after the other, his strength had been severely diminished, making it even harder to break through.
Kakuzu took a deep breath and clapped his hands together.
Earth Grudge Fear Mode!
The mask monsters representing Fire Release and Wind Release merged into his shoulders. Huge black tendrils burst from his body, coiling around Ye Ning as Kakuzu prepared to make a desperate stand.
Fire Release: Searing Migraine!
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
The two techniques spewed from the mask monsters' mouths and shot straight toward Ye Ning.
Ye Ning didn't retreat.
Swift Release would have been enough to easily dodge an attack like that, but he didn't use it. Instead, he formed hand seals where he stood.
Dark Release: Evil Self-Destruction!
Blue chakra flames flickered in the air. The blaze spread rapidly, forming a sea of fire that surged forth in an all-consuming wave.
Over the past month, Ye Ning had absorbed chakra from countless people. The flames produced by releasing all that chakra far surpassed those of ordinary Fire Release Ninjutsu!
Kakuzu had no time to wonder how Ye Ning could wield such a terrifying Fire Release technique. Using the clash of ninjutsu as cover, he quickly moved toward the Uchiha shinobi's encirclement, hoping to escape by keeping them occupied.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
A sharp lightning spear burst from the mask monster imbued with Lightning Release, crackling as it shot toward one of the Uchiha shinobi.
Kakuzu wasn't trying to kill him with the technique. All he wanted was to open a path to escape!
But once again, Kakuzu's plan fell through.
Ye Ning formed a hand seal, and his figure vanished from where he stood. In an instant, he was beside Kakuzu again.
Lightning Release: Chidori!
The piercing cries sounded once more, and their noise further unsettled Kakuzu, whose spirits were already flagging.
"Get lost! You damn brat!"
Kakuzu quickly undid several stitches at his wrist, separating his hand from his arm. A mass of huge black tendrils burst out, thrusting straight toward Ye Ning's chest!
Tentacle Fist!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The black tendrils shot forward at such speed that they tore through the air with several sharp whistles. Just as they were about to strike Ye Ning, the Chidori in his hand quietly vanished. A moment later, brilliant sparks of electricity surged from all over his body.
The crackling electricity wove itself into a dazzling net and instantly knocked aside the black tendrils.
It looked as though he hadn't been injured, but cold sweat poured down Ye Ning's back.
This was his first real fight to the death against another shinobi, and his inexperience had nearly caused a disaster.
In that moment, he hadn't had time to use Swift Release and get away. He could only think fast and use Chidori Current to defend himself.
Ultimately, Swift Release was only a technique that helped him move faster. It wasn't Flying Thunder God.
Otherwise, it shouldn't be called Swift Release: Body Flicker, but Swift Release: Teleportation.
It seemed that after returning, he would have to continue developing Swift Release.
"Hiss... His Highness Ye Ning is that powerful?"
"That Lightning Release technique just now proves how strong this S-rank rogue ninja is. I can't believe His Highness Ye Ning can fight him to this extent!"
"His Highness Ye Ning might be stronger than a lot of our clan members, right?"
"Let's be bold—maybe he's even stronger than Captain Ryu."
The Uchiha shinobi, who usually formed the main force in a battle, had been reduced to mere spectators. They cheered wildly from the sidelines.
Uchiha Ryu, an elite jōnin of the Uchiha Clan, was just as shocked, but he still kept a calm expression. He scolded them coolly, "Now that you've seen His Highness Ye Ning's strength, do you still feel like putting on a sour face? I told you long ago to set aside some of your Uchiha pride, but you wouldn't listen..."
"You're right, Captain..."
One of the Uchiha shinobi suddenly waved and shouted excitedly, "Go, His Highness Ye Ning!"
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