A Game of Three Greats, Youth Explodes

Before Juzo Biwa's voice had even faded, he appeared instantly beside Genye, the Kubikiribocho swinging straight for Genye's head.

BOOM!

Genye dodged quickly to the side, the blade grazing his arm as it carved a massive, deep crater into the ground.

THUD.

Juzo kicked the Kubikiribocho, using the momentum to swing it upward. The heavy blade moved as if it had no weight in his hands, transforming into a blur of afterimages that rained down upon Genye.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Facing the relentless, dizzying barrage of strikes, Genye felt his scalp tingle. He could only rely on his senses to dodge left and right, using his nunchucks to intercept the blows from the side.

"Little brat, you had a big mouth earlier. Why are you dodging around like a quail now?" Juzo Biwa sneered.

An inch longer, an inch stronger.

With his masterful swordsmanship and formidable physique, Juzo forced Genye to stay outside the effective range of his nunchucks, denying him any chance to counterattack.

Every one of his strikes landed like a boulder crashing into the sea, heavy and powerful. Genye was exhausted just from parrying, leaving him no breath to talk trash.

If I keep fighting at Juzo Biwa's pace, I'll be hacked into a human torso in less than thirty moves!

...I have no choice but to risk using that technique! I'm betting it all!

As the Kubikiribocho swung down again, Genye didn't dodge or weave. He let out a roar and raised his palm, slamming it directly against the flat of the blade.

"Gentle Fist—"

He only had one chance for a surprise attack; it had to be completely unexpected to turn the tide!

Try to close the distance and attack Juzo Biwa directly?

Too slow!

Dodge the Kubikiribocho and smash him away with a punch?

Still too slow; Juzo Biwa would see through his intentions in an instant!

Genye decided to bet on a big move.

He was betting that before the Kubikiribocho could cut him down, he would be the one to blast it away—or shatter it entirely!

Is this brat insane?

Watching Genye slam his palm into the Kubikiribocho, that was the only thought in Juzo Biwa's mind.

His grip strength was over a thousand pounds, and the Kubikiribocho was indestructible. Was this brat actually trying to knock his blade away?

"You're courting death! Wait to be split in two by the Kubikiribocho...!!"

BANG.

With a dull thud, Genye's palm landed on the Kubikiribocho, and Juzo Biwa's expression changed violently.

A massive force traveled along the blade to his wrists. His hands shook violently, as if a wild beast were biting and tearing at his wrists, and he had to use every ounce of his strength just to keep hold of the Kubikiribocho.

But the next moment, three more pulses of force, each equal to the first, surged through. The four waves of power intertwined, erupting with a force that left Juzo Biwa horrified.

"Collapse!"

Spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the blade. The next instant, before Juzo's shocked eyes, the indestructible Kubikiribocho suddenly shattered into pieces!

"This... how is this possible!" Juzo Biwa growled in disbelief.

Not even the Mizukage could easily break the Kubikiribocho, yet this brat before him had used his bare hands to smash it into fragments!

Is this guy a human Tailed Beast?!

Not giving Juzo Biwa time to think, the moment Genye's palm shattered the Kubikiribocho, his other fist followed in hot pursuit.

"Gentle Fist: Collapse!"

Genye's unstoppable punch was fast to the extreme. Juzo Biwa didn't have time to use Body Flicker; he reflexively held the broken blade in front of his chest.

BOOM!

The remaining fragment of the Kubikiribocho completely disintegrated. Juzo Biwa was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into a thick tree before falling to the ground in a heap.

"Cough... cough!"

Juzo Biwa tasted sweetness in his throat and coughed up blood. A shard of the Kubikiribocho had, by some cruel twist of fate, pierced his abdomen.

"Huff... huff..."

On the other side, Genye was in no better shape. His arms hung limply at his sides, blood seeping from his skin and dripping off his fingertips.

Force is reciprocal. The explosive power of "Gentle Fist: Collapse" was incredible, but the toll it took on his body was equally staggering.

Having forcibly exerted several times his body's limit, he had no idea how many of his meridians and blood vessels had burst. It was a classic case of dealing a thousand damage while taking eight hundred himself.

Genye took a deep breath, forcing himself to endure the agonizing pain radiating from his arms.

Then, without even glancing at the fallen Juzo Biwa, he turned and ran!

"How pathetic, Juzo, to be pushed to such a state by a little brat."

A few seconds later, a seemingly frail figure dropped from the trees, looking down at Juzo Biwa, who lay slumped against the trunk, and mocked him with a sneer.

"Instead of standing there watching me make a fool of myself, why don't you hurry up and kill that brat!"

Juzo Biwa rolled his eyes in fury, nearly losing his breath entirely.

"Oh my, you aren't about to die on me, are you?" Kuriarare Kushimaru chuckled with malice. "Before you kick the bucket, is there anything you want me to pass on to anyone for you?"

"You bastard, I don't have anyone like that!" Juzo Biwa finally couldn't hold back his rage and cursed aloud. "Enough talk, go and kill that kid already!"

"Eh, you should have just said so sooner." Kuriarare Kushimaru waved his Longsword: Sewing Needle and bowed elegantly toward Juzo Biwa. "As you command."

In the forest, Genye's arms hung limply at his sides as he fled rapidly toward the distance.

Fortunately, he usually ran this way, so even with his arms incapacitated, he could barely manage to maintain his balance.

Unlucky, unlucky, unlucky! Genye roared frantically in his heart.

I finally risked my life to defeat one Juzo Biwa, so how did another member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen pop up right after?

Is it just because this year is my zodiac year?!

That was right; at the very last moment, Genye had sensed Kuriarare Kushimaru approaching.

That was why he had been willing to cripple his own arms just to ensure Juzo Biwa lost his ability to move.

Otherwise, if the two of them had pursued him together, he would have stood absolutely no chance of survival. Only by eliminating one first could he gamble for a sliver of hope.

"To be able to wound Juzo Biwa to that extent, little one, your strength is quite impressive."

A flippant voice drifted from behind, but Genye ignored it, still sprinting headlong for his life.

"Ignoring someone when they speak to you, such behavior..."

Seeing this, Kuriarare Kushimaru pursed his lips and drew the Longsword: Sewing Needle with a backhand motion.

"...is really quite rude!"

Kushimaru let out a low shout and hurled the Longsword: Sewing Needle with all his might, intending to pierce straight through Genye's heart.

To his surprise, it was as if Genye had eyes in the back of his head; he twisted his body to dodge the blade and continued his escape without losing any speed.

"Oh my, I forgot, you're from the Hyuga Clan." Kuriarare Kushimaru tapped his mask, muttering in distress.

"However..."

He pulled the steel wire to retract the needle, pushed off with his legs, and with a single flash, instantly closed the distance by over a dozen meters.

"A member of the Hyuga Clan who has lost their arms is no different from a cripple!"

Before the words had even faded, Kuriarare Kushimaru appeared at Genye's side, the needle in his hand thrusting toward him like a spear.

"You're right about that, but unfortunately for you, you ran into me..."

As if he had planned this all along, Genye suddenly shifted his body, using the momentum of his run to launch himself into the air.

Under Kuriarare Kushimaru's slightly stunned gaze, he gathered every ounce of his remaining strength and delivered a flying kick toward his opponent.

"Leaf—Hurricane—!!"