At a Disadvantage

"Whew..."

"Whew..."

Keep moving. Keep running. Don't stop!

His throat felt as if it were bleeding, and a metallic taste spread through his mouth.

Hui kept running. She had no right to stop.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"This power is the best!"

The presence behind her kept drawing closer. Hui couldn't resist glancing back.

"Hey."

"What else can a Guardian's blood be used for?"

Hui's eyes widened as she stared at the man before her. His entire body was pale, and two small horns had sprouted from his head.

Kuchiki Kurohane. That was the man's name.

The wind blew, and blood dripped to the ground, splattering—

Clang.

"Wind Style: Thousand Blades."

Yueshu and Sashizhen clashed once more, their swords meeting.

To Yueshu's surprise, Sashizhen was also a master of the Ninja Blade, and his swordsmanship was every bit as good.

Thousand Blades was a technique Sashizhen had created himself.

Sharp wind coiled around his Ninja Blade. It was another way of using a Chakra Blade, and an extension of nature transformation.

With this technique enhancing it, every time Sashizhen's Ninja Blade met his opponent's, a wind attack—like sword energy—would sweep out.

In just this short time, Yueshu had already picked up plenty of small cuts.

Sashizhen's technique was, to put it mildly, a real nuisance. Every swing felt like countless invisible knives were slicing at him.

Yueshu gripped the Kusanagi Sword and watched Sashizhen.

He still looked as irritating as ever. Honestly, Yueshu felt like punching him right about now.

"Well, for a brat to last this long against me, you've earned the right to be proud."

Sashizhen nodded. Wind visibly coiled around the Ninja Blade in his hand.

Unlike the pure sharpness of a Chakra Blade, Sashizhen's technique was more uncanny and troublesome.

"Did you know?"

"The wind released by Thousand Blades can keep growing stronger."

Sashizhen narrowed his eyes. As soon as he finished speaking, the force emanating from him grew even stronger.

"That's quite a surprise."

Yueshu grinned.

"Take a good look."

"At the power of the wind."

Sashizhen sprang into action, and so did Yueshu.

Their figures rapidly closed in. A flash of steel, the clang of weapons meeting—the two of them played out a battle symphony.

Squelch.

A gash opened across Yueshu's cheek, and blood spurted out.

"Damn it."

Yueshu gritted his teeth and swept his sword across, but Sashizhen dodged with ease.

Blood ran down his cheek. Yueshu could feel the discomfort on his face.

"What a pain!"

Yueshu cursed.

He looked utterly battered. Small wounds covered his entire body, and his clothes were stained with blood.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song Technique."

Yueshu stopped trading blows and swiftly formed Hand Seals.

In an instant, he spat a fire dragon from his mouth and sent it flying toward Sashizhen.

Sashizhen smiled and charged straight at it, choosing not to counter with a technique.

"Did you know?"

Sashizhen spoke as if addressing someone else. Though he was clearly speaking to Yueshu, Yueshu couldn't shake the feeling that the words weren't meant for him.

"Ninjutsu, in the end, is nothing more than chakra given form."

Sashizhen talked to himself as he charged at the fire dragon.

Whoosh!

Yueshu's eyes widened.

Sashizhen had cleaved his technique apart head-on!

"So all you need is chakra. Ninjutsu and all that can be cut down with a single slash."

Sashizhen passed through the divided fire dragon and charged at Yueshu.

Yueshu hurriedly drew the Kusanagi Sword to block, but the instant he did, he was sent flying.

He lacked strength!

That was Yueshu's fundamental weakness.

"Wind Style..."

Yueshu flew backward, watching Sashizhen.

Sashizhen had surprised him once again, there was no denying it.

Sashizhen formed Hand Seals with one hand, while gripping his Ninja Blade in the other.

Not everyone could form Hand Seals with one hand. It required a strong foundation as a ninja.

There was no doubt that Sashizhen was one of them.

"Great Wind Blade."

Sashizhen finished forming the Hand Seals, but instead of the usual method of spitting a wind blade from his mouth, he used a different approach.

The Ninja Blade in his other hand flashed, and Sashizhen swung it through the air.

A barely visible wind blade shot from the weapon, looking just like a sword slash.

Yueshu couldn't believe it. In the original story, no one had ever wielded a Ninja Blade at this level.

Though stunned, Yueshu didn't forget his situation. He raised the Kusanagi Sword and barely managed to block the wind blade.

Another wave of force sent Yueshu flying even farther.

Bang!

He slammed straight into a tree, and Yueshu could feel his liver groaning inside him.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yueshu knelt on the ground, panting heavily. The impact had been too much for his still-developing body to bear.

"Wind Style: Cross Slash."

Sashizhen looked perfectly calm. He formed Hand Seals with one hand and swung his Ninja Blade with the other.

Yueshu raised his head, and the Ninja Blade swept through the air.

He couldn't see it clearly. Like a shadow that kept flickering in and out of sight, cross-shaped wind blades flew from the edge of the Ninja Blade, overlapping as they rushed toward Yueshu.

The wind parted to either side. The blades seemed to slice the very air apart, and Yueshu couldn't even feel the wind in front of him.

"Iai Slash!"

Yueshu stared fixedly ahead. The Kusanagi Sword in his hand shot out.

A gale swept up and spread outward in circles.

Sashizhen narrowed his eyes again. Yueshu's move had piqued his interest.

He can unleash a slash without using chakra?

Sashizhen watched as Yueshu was blown away by the gale once more.

But Yueshu's thoughts were elsewhere.

His thoughts were simple.

That was—

Sakumo Hatake had definitely gone easy on him!

When they'd sparred, Sakumo hadn't used nature transformation on his chakra at all. As one of the finest swordsmen in the Ninja World, his skill at infusing swordsmanship with chakra had to be every bit as good as Sashizhen's.

But now, Sashizhen was overpowering Yueshu in swordsmanship, even if he had the advantage of nature transformation.

Yueshu gritted his teeth and panted.

I refuse to lose to anyone when it comes to the sword!

He tightened his grip and stood up again, taking a fighting stance.

"Now that's more like it, brat!"

Sashizhen shouted and charged straight at him.

"Come on!"

Yueshu shouted too and charged to meet him.

It was a battle song played on their weapons. The two of them moved through its notes, and the swords in their hands spoke of their owners' fighting spirit.

"Cough, cough."

Minato Namikaze spat out a mouthful of blood and slumped against a tree, his head hanging low.

"Damn it."

Minato Namikaze's hand trembled. He could barely keep hold of the Kunai in his grip.

Even a prodigy like him was no match for a rogue ninja of Jonin rank.

It had taken only a few exchanges for him to get wounded, and by now he couldn't even move.

"Let go!"

Hui's voice reached his ears. Minato Namikaze raised his head. Ono Ishi had reached Hui, while Kushina and Mikoto were surrounded. The two stood back to back, holding off a sea of enemies.

Gritting his teeth, Minato Namikaze hurled the Kunai in his hand at Ono Ishi.

But reality was cruel. An amateur attack like that was easy for Ono Ishi to deal with—one wave of his hand was enough.

Squelch!

Minato Namikaze looked down at his abdomen. A Kunai had pierced it.

It was the very one he had thrown.

"No!"

He heard Hui, as well as Mikoto and Kushina shouting. Finally, he heard the clash of swords.

I can't lift my head. My eyes feel so heavy.

Minato Namikaze could feel his strength slowly slipping away.

The next moment, Minato Namikaze sank into darkness.