Crushing Defeat

But!

"Is that all you've got? Raiga Kurosuki!"

Uchiha Ye's sharp shout rang out suddenly.

The massive fist of molten lava abruptly broke through the storm of lightning dragons with overwhelming force.

The sheer terror of that power caused Raiga Kurosuki, standing at the center of the lightning storm, to cough up a mouthful of blood.

He shouted in disbelief, "How is this possible! How can your strength be this terrifying? You actually suppressed a lightning dragon formed from heavenly thunder!"

This was something only the Mizukage could achieve when transformed into a Tailed Beast.

Yet, how old was this Uchiha Ye before him?

How could he possibly possess such strength!

This sense of pure, crushing power filled him with dread.

"I don't believe it!"

Raiga Kurosuki gritted his teeth and roared, "I refuse to believe that, as fellow S-rank missing-nin, I could be defeated by you so easily!"

He erupted with all his chakra, pouring every last drop into the Thunder Blades.

"Roar!"

Instantly, the aura of the lightning dragon surged significantly. With a roar, its body grew several times larger, pushing the giant lava fist back.

"Still stubborn!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Ye's sigh echoed, "It seems you still don't understand the gap in strength between us!"

"Then let me show you exactly how fragile you are in front of me!"

He didn't appear to exert any extra force, and the volume of the lava fist remained unchanged.

But its density suddenly increased several times over!

Like a block of iron, the heavy pressure bore down, and within seconds, the lightning dragon began to crack.

Then, it completely collapsed.

Crackle!

The dissipating wild lightning rampaged everywhere, destroying everything in its path.

Raiga Kurosuki vomited blood again. Before he could even retreat, a sharp shadow flashed before his eyes, and a sensation of suffocation and weightlessness struck him simultaneously.

Uchiha Ye's hand, firm as an iron pincer, gripped his throat and hoisted him into the air.

"Hand over the Thunder Blades, or die!"

Uchiha Ye looked up at Raiga Kurosuki with a faint, mocking smile, "Choose for yourself!"

Raiga Kurosuki didn't dare to hesitate, "I... I'll hand over the Thunder Blades!"

The Thunder Blades were important, but compared to his life, they were not worth mentioning.

Uchiha Ye truly intended to kill him!

"The right choice!"

After taking the Thunder Blades from Raiga Kurosuki and tossing them into his system space, he released him.

Raiga Kurosuki naturally didn't dare to linger and fled in a hurry.

"Damn brat, just you wait..."

Raiga Kurosuki gritted his teeth, but before he could finish his spiteful words, a searing, agonizing pain suddenly struck his lower abdomen.

"Ugh!"

Raiga Kurosuki spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with charred internal organs. He turned his head in disbelief, "You..."

He saw Uchiha Ye pulling out his glowing red arm with a faint smile, his gaze exceptionally sharp, "If you hadn't harbored thoughts of revenge, I might have spared your life!"

"But since you had such spiteful intentions, and I happened to sense them, then I'm sorry..."

Watching Raiga Kurosuki's body collapse, Uchiha Ye said calmly, "I have no choice but to erase such a hidden danger."

"Even if your capacity means you wouldn't pose a threat to me in the future, leaving behind a hidden risk is irresponsible to myself!"

The Ninja World was, after all, a place where strength reigned supreme.

Being called despicable, treacherous, or ruthless didn't matter.

Uchiha Ye only wanted to survive and fulfill his future ideals.

However, the death of Raiga Kurosuki instantly brought unimaginable pressure upon Zabuza.

Are you kidding me!

Sasori of the Red Sand was already making things difficult enough for him.

And now, another terrifying individual like Uchiha Ye?

He was truly afraid he would die without a burial place!

"Isn't this guy's strength a little absurd?"

Looking at Uchiha Ye's youthful face, Zabuza couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. "Even for the Uchiha Clan, this defies all reason!"

That was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!

A renowned expert in the Ninja World!

To be defeated and killed by him so effortlessly?

Among the powerhouses he knew, perhaps only the Five Kage possessed such strength.

"So, is this guy already a Kage-level powerhouse at such a young age?"

Zabuza felt it was truly preposterous!

In the moment he was stunned, Haku had already stepped in front of Uchiha Ye, his expression earnest. "I won't let you harm Zabuza-sama!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Ye simply found a spot to sit down. "This is a battle between Sasori-dani and Zabuza; I won't be interfering!"

"You don't need to look at me with such vigilance. After all, your vigilance is useless in my eyes!"

This was the truth!

Though it was hard to accept, this was the cruel reality.

"Demon Zabuza, you gave me two choices earlier. Since that's the case, I'll give you two choices now..."

Sasori of the Red Sand spoke up!

His voice carried a playful tone. "I will only use this puppet, 'Hiruko,' to fight you, without resorting to any other means."

"If you can defeat Hiruko, I will let you leave. If you lose, then you join the Akatsuki. How about it?"

Upon hearing this, Zabuza gritted his teeth, his gaze icy. "Fine, I hope you keep your promise!"

Though he had been far away in Kirigakure, he had learned a thing or two about puppeteers since his defection.

Strength was judged by the number of puppets one could control.

He might not be able to beat someone controlling eight or ten, but surely he could handle just one?

How could he not!

Zabuza couldn't possibly be that weak!

He was, after all, someone nominated to inherit the Kubikiribocho.

"Then... let's begin!"

With that, Hiruko's tail stinger shot out, its speed so great that the wind it whipped up produced a piercing shriek.

"Hiss!"

Facing the tail stinger, which felt like a blade and caused his skin to sting even before it drew near, Zabuza's pupils constricted in shock. "How can it be this fast!"

Squelch!

The body was pierced through, but Sasori of the Red Sand felt no joy; instead, he offered a word of praise. "Not bad!"

The next moment, Zabuza dissolved into a Water Clone!

"But it's a pity!"

The tail stinger swiveled and shot out again, aiming directly at a spot to his front left. "Compared to Ye, whom I met for the first time, you are far too inferior!"

When Uchiha Ye first encountered him, he had countered while being pierced, disrupting his rhythm.

Yet Zabuza only knew how to dodge!

The difference was clear!

In the distance.

Watching this scene, Uchiha Ye also caught on to something. "Did Sasori-dani use Chakra Metal on the tail stinger?"

Swiveling in mid-air and firing again...

Based on his first battle with Sasori of the Red Sand, the tail stinger certainly hadn't been this agile back then.

The chakra conduction speed hadn't been this fast!

"Whoosh!"

The moment Zabuza reappeared, Haku's loud cry reached his ears. "Zabuza-sama, dodge!"

He saw the cold tail stinger rapidly enlarging in his vision, leaving him no room to retreat.

"My movements... were predicted in advance?"

Zabuza was horrified. "Is this guy's strength really this absurd?" He had no choice but to grit his teeth and raise his blade to block.