Fang Severing Fang

"E, stop wasting your breath on him. You'll never reason with someone like him."

As he spoke, Uchiha Matsuri pulled several shuriken from a scroll.

Seeing Uchiha Matsuri prepare to fight, Kitsuchi frowned.

"If you won't talk willingly, then we'll just have to take you back and interrogate you properly."

"Earth Release: Fist Rock!"

With that, Kitsuchi punched toward Uchiha Matsuri.

Uchiha Matsuri quickly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow City Wall!"

A tall wall surged up from the ground.

The next second, Kitsuchi's fist smashed straight through the Earth Flow City Wall and struck Uchiha Matsuri in the abdomen.

Uchiha Matsuri was sent flying.

"He's strong." Uchiha Matsuri got back to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

The blow Kitsuchi had just landed had nearly shaken his internal organs apart.

No wonder he once punched away Kinkaku in his Nine-Tails form. I didn't expect him to be this strong even when he was young.

Nearby, Minato Namikaze and E watched Uchiha Matsuri get sent flying with a single punch and couldn't help but freeze.

Although Uchiha Matsuri was only at the level of a Chunin, he'd never been taken out in the very first exchange before.

"Matsuri, are you all right?" Minato Namikaze asked with concern when he saw how pale Uchiha Matsuri looked.

"I'm okay. Minato, E, keep him busy for a while. I'll treat my injury first," Uchiha Matsuri called out through the pain.

"Okay." Minato Namikaze and E nodded.

"Ninja Art: Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"Ninja Art: Fang Over Fang!"

They both used their strongest techniques.

As the two of them unleashed their strongest moves, Uchiha Matsuri began using Medical Ninjutsu.

"Ninja Art: Healing Jutsu!"

White light shone from Uchiha Matsuri's hands as he pressed them against his injured abdomen.

Nearby,

Kitsuchi was locked in a fierce battle with Minato Namikaze and E.

After punching away E and the Ninja Dog Ono's Fang Over Fang, Kitsuchi found himself struggling to deal with Minato Namikaze.

"What kind of technique is this? I can't hit him at all." Kitsuchi stared in amazement at Minato Namikaze in his Flying Thunder God state.

At the same time, E, who had been knocked away, fixed his sights on Kitsuchi and said to the Ninja Dog Ono, "Ono, let's use the new move we learned."

"Woof, woof, woof." The Ninja Dog Ono looked at E, worry in its eyes.

Seeing that Ono wasn't confident about the move, E encouraged him with determination. "Don't worry, Ono. We can beat this big guy."

"Besides..." Guilt flickered in E's eyes. "Besides, I'm the one who put everyone in danger this time. Even if I have to die fighting, I'll make a way out for everyone."

Seeing E's resolute expression, the Ninja Dog Ono barked twice with renewed spirit.

"Ninja Art: Fang Severing Fang!"

E and Ono spun around each other like an unstoppable tornado, hurtling toward Kitsuchi.

"It's stronger than before."

Uchiha Matsuri, still treating his injury, stared in surprise at E and the Ninja Dog Ono spinning through the air.

Nearby,

Kitsuchi, who had been struggling against Minato Namikaze, noticed E and Ono's Fang Severing Fang.

"Earth Release: Earth Land Return!"

A huge boulder instantly formed in front of Kitsuchi.

Bang!

The boulder shattered into pieces.

I let my guard down. Kitsuchi quickly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Hardening Technique!"

Kitsuchi's entire body turned to stone. When E struck him, he wasn't knocked flying, but he still staggered backward several steps.

"Kid, that move of yours was impressive. But you must be nearly out of chakra now, right?" Kitsuchi said with a smile, looking at E.

"Damn, he saw right through me." E held the Ninja Dog Ono and leaned against the wall, panting.

Two down. Now only the toughest one is left.

Seeing E become exhausted after using Fang Severing Fang, Minato Namikaze furrowed his brow.

The man in front of him was clearly even more troublesome than Narishige Sawa, whom he had encountered a week earlier.

Minato Namikaze would eventually run out of chakra. He had to come up with a plan before that happened.

As Minato Namikaze thought, the Flying Thunder God Technique slowed slightly without him realizing it.

At the same time, Kitsuchi was trying to figure out how to defeat his elusive opponent.

Gradually sensing Minato Namikaze's slowing pace, Kitsuchi grew bolder.

If I can't hit him with one strike, I'll attack from multiple directions.

Having settled on a plan, Kitsuchi quickly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Rising Spear!"

One after another, hard stone spikes suddenly burst from the ground.

Minato Namikaze dodged the first and second attacks, but couldn't evade the third in time. The Earth Rising Spear struck him, and he fell to the ground.

Seeing his chance, Kitsuchi rapidly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Rock Fist!"

In an instant, Kitsuchi charged at Minato Namikaze with a punch.

At the critical moment, a bolt of lightning shot toward Kitsuchi. As Kitsuchi dodged to the side, forced to slow down, Minato Namikaze seized his chance and teleported ten meters away.

"Phew, that was close." Minato Namikaze breathed a silent sigh of relief. He turned and saw that Uchiha Matsuri had finished healing and returned to the fight.

Seeing Minato Namikaze escape, Kitsuchi felt a pang of disappointment. It quickly turned to anger, and he directed it at Uchiha Matsuri.

"You forgot that lightning counters earth." Uchiha Matsuri smiled.

"Even if you figured that out, it wouldn't help," Kitsuchi gritted out. "You and I aren't even in the same league. Even though lightning counters earth, your Lightning Release can't hinder me much."

"Heh, is that so? If you don't believe me, we'll just have to find out." Uchiha Matsuri smiled.

Then Uchiha Matsuri formed hand seals.

"Yin Seal: Release!"

An immense amount of chakra surged into Uchiha Matsuri's body in an instant, bringing his presence to its peak.

"Now you have the right to talk to me about elemental advantages." Kitsuchi could clearly feel the chakra in Uchiha Matsuri's body rapidly increasing.

Nearby, Minato Namikaze and E stared at Uchiha Matsuri in amazement.

"I didn't know he had a move like that." Minato Namikaze sighed.

Minato Namikaze had always regarded Uchiha Matsuri as a rival. The last time they fought bandits and genjutsu users, Minato Namikaze had clearly sensed that Uchiha Matsuri was already stronger than him—and that had been before Uchiha Matsuri released the Yin Seal.

This time, Uchiha Matsuri had once again completely upended Minato Namikaze's understanding.