"Iron Sand World Method"
The Third Kazekage swept his hand!
A massive block of black Iron Sand loomed over Uchiha Chiba and Dan Katō. A terrifying aura radiated from the Third Kazekage!
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
As Chiba formed Hand Seals, a giant water dragon appeared out of thin air.
The water dragon bared its fangs and claws, its body coiling through the air as if it were alive. It spewed a powerful stream of water from its mouth, sending it toward the Iron Sand block in the sky!
Boom!!!!!
Black Iron Sand rained down like stars.
"What incredibly hard iron. Even with my Sharingan amplifying its power, Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique could only break off a small piece!" Uchiha Chiba bit his lip. His scalp prickled with dread. The last time he'd felt this way was when he'd been fleeing Hanzo the Salamander during their pursuit battle.
It was the helplessness of knowing he wasn't strong enough.
"Chiba, I'll hold him off. Get out of here!" Dan Katō sighed and slapped his hands against the ground. A massive Earth Release wall burst upward, four earthen walls struggling to hold up the Iron Sand World Method!
Get out of here?
The only reason he hadn't been killed yet was probably that the other man didn't feel like killing him. Who could have guessed that the leader of a village would take such perverse pleasure in toying with people's lives?
"Is that all you've got? Forget it. You should die already." The Third Kazekage spoke coldly. Then he lowered his hand.
The massive Iron Sand block plummeted.
"Blood Clone!"
Uchiha Chiba formed Hand Seals in an instant.
Rumble!!!!!
Blood sprayed in every direction.
A deep crater appeared where they'd stood. Inside lay Uchiha Chiba, covered in blood, and Dan Katō, his body pierced by countless Iron Sand Spikes.
"Cough..." Dan Katō coughed up blood mixed with bits of flesh.
Uchiha Chiba pulled the Iron Sand Spikes from the surface of his body and rushed to Dan Katō's side.
If he hadn't had blood coating his body, he would have met the same fate as Dan Katō just now.
"Mr. Dan." Uchiha Chiba placed a hand on Dan's chest. It was caved in... which meant... No, Dan Katō should still have had some chakra left to protect his body, shouldn't he?
"It's no use. The Iron Sand crushed my internal organs. At least I used up my chakra to send out my spirit body while it was unconscious. If anyone saw it, reinforcements should be here soon... Chiba, I'm sorry I brought you into such a dangerous place..." Dan Katō's body went limp, all signs of life gone.
The Third Kazekage said nothing from the air above. He only watched silently as he raised his hand again.
"Iron Sand World Method!"
A giant Iron Sand block hung over Chiba.
"Blood Scythe... ninety percent." Uchiha Chiba closed his eyes. The Blood Scythe in his hand gradually darkened, changing from scarlet to blackish red!
"Blood? Is that your Kekkei Genkai? No, you're an Uchiha. The Uchiha Clan's only Kekkei Genkai is the Sharingan." The Third Kazekage stared down at Uchiha Chiba.
Uchiha Chiba leaped into the air.
Chakra coated the soles of his feet.
Then—
The blood-red scythe cleaved through the sky. A terrifying slash, carrying a bloody stench, flew toward the Iron Sand block above!
"Pointless struggle. Fall." The Third Kazekage formed a Hand Seal with one hand. The Iron Sand block trembled. This pointless battle was about to end!
The Iron Sand block plunged down.
Rumble!!!!!
The endless Iron Sand buried Uchiha Chiba from sight, gathering into a small mountain on the pitch-black ground.
"Still alive? Waiting for that dead man's last signal to bring reinforcements?" the Third Kazekage said indifferently. Then he looked at the peak below, which was still trembling. "White Fang of the Leaf and the Konoha Sannin are all at the front lines. They can't get here in time. I don't know why you insist on struggling, kid, but hurry up and die. I hate the Uchiha Clan more than anything..."
The Iron Sand mountain gathered together again.
Rumble!!!!!
At that moment—
Buried tightly inside the Iron Sand mountain, Uchiha Chiba coughed up blood. Even with the Blood Scythe boosted by ninety percent of his blood, he couldn't shatter all the Iron Sand in front of him at once. The Iron Sand was like writhing silk: before he could cut through the next layer, the one he'd just slashed apart would instantly heal. To make matters worse, the Iron Sand kept absorbing Uchiha Chiba's chakra. At this rate, he was as good as dead!
"Break!" Uchiha Chiba swung his scythe. Its blade cut through two layers of Iron Sand, but the Sand immediately healed again before his eyes!
Uchiha Chiba drew a deep breath. He still lacked combat experience. Gradually, he calmed down. He had about half his chakra left. If he could break through the Iron Sand, he could make it...
But the problem was...
After a long while,
The Third Kazekage saw that the Iron Sand mountain had stopped trembling. He clenched his fist, and the mountain gathered into a massive Iron Sand World Method. As if that still wasn't secure enough, he clenched his fist again. The Iron Sand block compressed further, clanging as it collided with itself.
"The Uchiha Clan are the most treacherous of all. You, go check whether he's really dead. That brat has already reached Kage Level at his age. If we don't eliminate him, he could become a threat to Sunagakure..." The Third Kazekage casually pointed at one of the Sunagakure Ninja beside him.
The Sunagakure Ninja he'd pointed at hesitated, but after seeing the Third Kazekage's expression, he steeled himself and walked over.
The Sunagakure Ninja reached out, slowly moving his hand toward the Iron Sand. The Third Kazekage's hand paused, and the Iron Sand immediately scattered like ordinary sand.
Uchiha Chiba's corpse slid down the mound of piled-up Iron Sand.
The Sunagakure Ninja felt for Uchiha Chiba's heartbeat and checked for breath beneath his nose. He really was dead.
"My lord, he's dead," the Sunagakure Ninja said, walking toward the Third Kazekage.
The Third Kazekage appeared beside Uchiha Chiba's corpse the next instant.
"I'll take those Three Tomoe Sharingan..." Suddenly, the Third Kazekage remembered something. His pupils contracted, and he moved to leap backward.
Unfortunately—
He was too late.
Uchiha Chiba, who had supposedly been dead, suddenly appeared beside the Third Kazekage, swinging the Blood Scythe in his hand, now boosted by one hundred percent of his blood!
Whoosh!!!!!
An arm flew high into the air! It was the Third Kazekage's arm!
"Iron Sand Spear!"
The Third Kazekage clutched his injured arm in pain. He'd been tricked by an Uchiha again, and his frustration reached its limit. He immediately summoned an Iron Sand Spear from the ground and sent it flying at Uchiha Chiba!
"Coward... If you'd come a little closer, I could've pierced your heart... At least these Three Tomoe Sharingan were useful." A contemptuous smile appeared on Uchiha Chiba's face. His right eye had gone completely dull. He'd used the Uchiha Clan's forbidden technique, Izanagi. The drawback was that after using it once, he'd have to wait a long time before he could use it again.
Fortunately, the eye he'd used for Izanagi wasn't his original Sharingan. It was one of the pair of ruined Sharingan left behind by "Hannya" in Amegakure.
Rumble!!!!
Someone shattered the Iron Sand Spear with a single punch.
"Get out of the way!"
A familiar voice reached Chiba's ears.
Before you continue