Fire Style: Scarlet Scorch!

"So they'd been searching for the Kazekage before? But why would the Sand Ninja think..."

Mo stopped halfway through the thought. He remembered something else—over a month ago, he had wiped out the squad led by Maki within the Land of Rain and destroyed all traces before leaving.

"Then that explains it..."

Maki was one of the more capable Sand Ninja at present. For someone like him to vanish without a trace in the Land of Rain, it was only natural for Sunagakure to suspect something was amiss and possibly connected to the Kazekage's disappearance.

He glanced back at the members of Team 8 and slightly quickened his pace. The battlefield between the Sand Ninja and Yahiko's group of three happened to lie directly along their route.

About fifteen minutes later, the crisp clash of weapons faintly reached their ears. The three members of Team 8 immediately went on guard, drew their weapons, and slowed their steps.

Before they could act, however, Uchiha Mo raised a hand to stop them.

"This isn't a battle you can interfere in. Protect the employer and watch carefully."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo drew the ninja blade from his waist and vanished in a Body Flicker.

The three members of Team 8 hurried onward with their employer, while Mo had already arrived beside the battlefield.

His eyes narrowed slightly as two tomoe spun into view. His gaze settled on the group of Sand Ninja. At the same time, with a thought from Mo, an illusory panel appeared before him.

Blue Baby Fusion Rate: 11.35% + 9.13% (Ability unlocked when both attributes reach 10%: Invisibility)

He was only 0.87% Wind Style proficiency away from unlocking the Invisibility ability. There were more than ten Sand Ninja before him; as long as Yahiko's group did not take too many of the kills, Mo would soon unlock Blue Baby's first-stage ability.

Unfortunately, judging from the abilities unlocked by Green Child and Orange Child, the ability gained in the first stage would not be complete. It would gradually be filled out through subsequent unlocks.

So what Uchiha Mo would most likely obtain was merely something akin to Transparency Release or concealing one's aura, rather than the outrageously overpowered ability of intangibility.

Mo flicked his right wrist and took his long blade in a reverse grip, then suddenly raised his left hand.

"Boom—!"

Brilliant flames abruptly ignited in his palm. The fire was blood-red in distinct layers, swaying nimbly in the wind as Mo ran, carrying a deadly, sinister beauty.

Though he had yet to approach the battlefield, that powerful presence instantly drew everyone's attention.

Nagato, whose senses were keen, immediately became alert. He raised one hand and used Almighty Push to blast the Sand Ninja away, then turned to see a streak of crimson lightning tearing into the battlefield!

Mo closed in on a Sand Ninja. Scorching wind brushed across the man's face, and Mo's overwhelming presence instantly drained the color from his features. His face turned pale, and his body trembled in terror.

"Fire Style: Scarlet Scorch!"

Mo slammed his palm against the Sand Ninja's chest, and the highly condensed Fire Style chakra erupted in an instant!

"Fwoom—boom—!"

Blood-red flames exploded, instantly setting his entire body alight. Then a violent explosion erupted from where Uchiha Mo's palm had struck. The fire seemed catalyzed by the blast, flaring up and vanishing in a heartbeat as a charred human-shaped remnant was sent flying!

Nagato's pupils contracted. "What kind of jutsu was that? It's unbelievably explosive!"

A kunai shot in from the side. Mo's Sharingan spun, and he casually caught it before turning and plunging it into the throat of a Sand Ninja beside him. Immediately afterward, he raised his right arm behind him, and his long blade instantly blocked another blade slashing down from the rear.

Mo swept his right arm forward, knocking the attack aside. At the same time, he twisted his wrist, switching from a reverse grip to a normal one, and drove his blade into the abdomen of a Sand Ninja charging at him.

At that moment, another gust of wind came from behind him. Without even looking, Mo pulled out his blade and shifted sideways to evade. A long blade brushed past Mo's clothes and sank straight into the shoulder of the Sand Ninja clutching his abdomen.

"Ah!" the Sand Ninja screamed in agony.

Mo tightened his right hand slightly, and blood-red flames instantly spread over his ninja blade. His blade swept horizontally, and two terrified heads flew high into the air.

The next moment, a voice rang out from the side.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

A fierce gale came rushing in. Mo remained calm as chakra surged rapidly through his body.

"Scarlet Scorch: Burning Body Ring!"

As soon as he spoke, blood-red flames began flowing rapidly around his body! The burning fire circulated and, in an instant, formed a barrier of flames.

"Boom! Fwoom—!"

The Wind Style: Great Breakthrough struck the fiery barrier and was dissolved in an instant, kicking up a wave of heat.

Mo turned toward the Sand Ninja who had launched the sneak attack. Their eyes met, and the Sand Ninja immediately began backing away in panic, only to fall to the ground after taking two steps.

"Boom!"

Blood-red flames ignited in Mo's right palm once more. He then flung his ninja blade into the ground, planting it firmly. With his left hand, he pulled at the blood flames in his right palm, and a scarlet spear over a meter long appeared in his hand.

"Scarlet Scorch: Red Gleam Spear!"

As soon as he spoke, Mo hurled the spear at the Sand Ninja. Like a meteor, the Red Gleam Spear carved a bloody streak through the air and instantly pierced the Sand Ninja's chest.

"Pfft! Sss—"

The Red Gleam Spear effortlessly punched through him and nailed the Sand Ninja to the ground. Wisps of smoke rose from the wound along with a piercing hiss of evaporation. Then the crimson color within the spear rapidly brightened, and then—

"Bang!"

A circular crater exploded into the ground, and a rain of blood fell. Mo's expression remained calm. The surrounding Sand Ninja, however, were drenched in sweat. Their pupils constricted as their gazes froze on Mo. Their bodies trembled, and all will to fight had vanished.

But Mo had no intention of sparing them. He pulled the ninja blade from the ground with one hand and began slaughtering them as though butchering pigs and dogs.

"Uchiha... Mo! Stop this. The remaining people have already lost the will to fight!"

Yahiko and the other two had instinctively retreated to the side the moment Mo entered the fray, intimidated by his overwhelming presence. Only now, seeing that Mo still had no intention of sparing the Sand Ninja who had already given up resisting, did they snap out of it and speak up to stop him.

In the distance, the three members of Team 8 stood there blankly, still unable to recover from the impact of what they had just witnessed.

"So... so strong!"

The same thought arose in all three of their minds. Although there had been no jonin among the Sand Ninja just now—mostly chunin and genin—the sight of someone slaughtering them as casually as if dancing across a battlefield had been far too shocking.

Mo turned a deaf ear and simply continued swinging his blade.

A few breaths later, not a single Sand Ninja remained alive on the field. Mo wiped his ninja sword clean with the sleeve of his black robe before sheathing it.

"..."

Yahiko stood stiffly in place, while the three from Team 8 finally came back to their senses. Dragging Terada Yusuke along, they rushed excitedly toward Mo.

"Teacher Mo, what was that Fire Style technique you just used? It was so cool!" Hayate Gekko looked at Mo with shining eyes. He even managed to finish the sentence without coughing.

Mo glanced at him. "Fire Style: Scarlet Scorch!"