A Stunning Sword Strike

Ryōken looked at the Rain Ninja jonin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

Alpha Strike could grant Ryōken the speed of a Kage for an instant, but it was not enough. With a jonin's combat experience and strength, he could evade that strike.

In that case, he only needed to find an opportunity when the man could not guard against it.

If all else failed, he would use that move.

With that thought, Ryōken suddenly lunged forward at incredible speed, leaving a trail of afterimages.

The Rain Ninja jonin was startled and hastily retreated. He was no fool—he would not trade blades head-on with a swordsman ninja.

With his mediocre blade skills, he could only bully opponents roughly on his own level.

Against a swordsmanship master like Ryōken, he knew perfectly well that if they truly fought, he might not even know how he died.

He might be slain by a single slash across the throat.

As he retreated, he formed hand seals with both hands.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The ninjutsu activated, and a lifelike water wyrm abruptly took shape, charging at Ryōken with tremendous force.

The water wyrm was vividly lifelike, as though it were a living creature. Its resilient body tore through the air, and the compressed air bore down on him.

Ryōken's loose blue robe began to flap fiercely.

Facing the Water Release ninjutsu cast by a jonin, Ryōken's gaze sharpened. Rather than retreating, he advanced, gripping his sword hilt in his right hand as he leaped high into the air and slashed down.

"Fleeting Light!"

Sword light flashed, Sword Qi swept out, and amid the rampaging icy sword intent, even the air seemed to tremble.

A blue Sword Qi burst from the blade, seeming capable of tearing apart everything as it howled toward the water dragon.

The ground split apart.

Boom!

Amid the violent crash, water splashed everywhere as the roaring giant dragon was cleaved apart by Ryōken's single strike.

However, the Sword Qi that had cut apart the giant dragon had also run out of strength, dissipating into the air after flying several meters.

Fleeting Light was pure swordsmanship. Its destructive power was still insufficient.

"It's over, brat."

Yet just as the water dragon was shattered and the scattered water had not fully fallen—

The Rain Ninja jonin's cold voice suddenly rang out, arrogant and indifferent.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

Rumble...

It was as though the heavens had tipped over.

Like water from the Milky Way pouring down, a vast torrent surged forth, carrying a violent, overwhelming momentum like raging waves.

The earth trembled.

The violent torrent seemed capable of destroying everything, shaking heaven and earth.

The intense vibrations spread outward. Kouichi Uchiha, who had been looking around for an escape route, suddenly shuddered and fell to the ground.

As he looked toward the apocalyptic torrent, a deep despair flashed through his eyes.

He was not his brother Tsuki Uchiha, who possessed the strength of an elite jonin, nearly Kage-level. Before this powerful A-rank Water Release ninjutsu, he had no chance of survival.

Everyone's faces turned ashen as they stood frozen in place.

"That's an A-rank ninjutsu—the Great Waterfall Technique."

Tetsuki covered her red lips with a small hand, and even her cool, pretty face revealed a trace of panic.

She gave a bitter smile, feeling somewhat unwilling.

I never expected to die before even reaching the Land of Iron. I'm truly sorry for Uncle's care.

In the field.

Ryōken looked at the roaring torrent rushing toward him, his eyes narrowing as he secretly shook his head.

I didn't expect to use this move so soon.

"Still, although it hasn't been perfected yet, it is usable enough."

Ryōken muttered softly. The surging gale raged around him, making his specially tailored robe billow, yet there was not the slightest hint of panic in his eyes.

Facing the overwhelming torrent, the corner of his lips curved upward, as though in disdain.

"Heavenly Lightning Slash!!"

A clear sword cry suddenly resounded throughout the area, drawing everyone's attention toward Ryōken.

They saw dazzling blue light shimmering upon Ryōken's sword, like lightning in the heavens, carrying an innate majesty that looked down upon all things.

Holding lightning in his hand, he resembled a god.

Following Ryōken's loud shout, a sword beam without any flashing electricity suddenly shot forth.

Like a blue thunder dragon, it crashed fiercely into the vast torrent with the momentum to destroy everything.

Wherever it passed, Sword Qi swept through, and the torrent was utterly annihilated.

This A-rank ninjutsu infused with nature transformation could not endure even for a moment before that power, which resembled heavenly punishment.

It was torn apart directly.

The mighty torrent abruptly stalled, shuddered violently, then suddenly collapsed.

The thunder dragon-like Sword Qi continued to rampage onward, flying more than a hundred meters and destroying countless trees before finally dissipating into the air.

The earth split open, and a scorched black path appeared through the forest.

Electric arcs flickered, thunder exploded, and daylight flashed through the void.

The Rain Ninja jonin, who had barely avoided the brunt of the attack, was caught off guard as the violent current coiled around him.

His entire body instantly turned blackened and numb, leaving him sprawled on the ground, unable to move.

One sword strike had destroyed an A-rank ninjutsu.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their mouths hanging open in O's as they remained unable to recover for a long while.

"So strong."

Qing Zang was completely intimidated by that astonishing slash. This man was immensely powerful, someone he could not afford to provoke at all. No wonder the young lady thought so highly of him.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Qing Zang's back, and the jealousy and resentment in his heart immediately vanished without a trace.

When the gap between two people was as vast as a heavenly chasm, emotions such as jealousy naturally ceased to exist.

Only reverence remained in his heart.

Tetsuki slightly parted her red lips, and her cool beautiful eyes rippled fiercely, becoming faintly unfocused.

As a descendant of samurai, she naturally understood even more clearly what Ryōken's move represented.

Samurai had already declined. Mysterious and immensely destructive ninjutsu had long become everyone's pursuit.

Even some samurai clans were no exception.

Samurai who upheld their convictions might perhaps attain the strength of a Kage, but their core forces below the Kage level were far too weak to contend with ninja.

Ninja could even cast tremendously powerful ninjutsu at only a few years old.

Samurai, however, needed to undergo extraordinarily arduous training before they could achieve anything.

Moreover, the loss of conviction could greatly diminish even the strength of top-tier experts.

Just like Hanzo in the original story.

Ryōken's appearance allowed her to see hope—the hope of the samurai.

As long as they could obtain this kind of swordsmanship, which could unleash power comparable to ninjutsu through a sword alone, the declining profession of samurai would shine once again.

They would stand tall in the ninja world once more.

Rather than barely surviving through permanent neutrality.

What would Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose original intention was to maintain peace in the Land of Iron, think if he learned of this? Would he be angered to the point of fainting?

The people he had dispatched might actually inspire the samurai to strive for strength, and Tetsuki, as it happened, was not a leader willing to accept decline.

Nawaki Senju watched this scene and could not help comparing Ryōken to his sister. For a moment, he could not tell who was stronger.

After all, Tsunade was the Third Hokage's personal disciple, and her Super Strength was unmatched.

Yet in Nawaki's heart at that moment, Ryōken, who seemed like a god, appeared even stronger?

Perhaps this man could keep his sister in line?

Nawaki thought to himself.

That would be wonderful. He should hurry up and have children to carry on the Senju Clan.