All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes!

A gentle breeze stirred the fallen leaves on the ground, sending them swirling between the two men.

Hayate focused completely, every nerve stretched to its limit as he prepared for this life-and-death battle.

He knew his opponent was strong.

The Sunagakure jonin slowly drew a kunai, openly releasing his killing intent.

"Then let me see what Konoha's jonin are capable of."

Just as the battle was about to erupt, a calm yet powerful voice suddenly shattered the tense atmosphere.

Su Bai appeared in the middle of the battlefield like a ghost, his voice calm and resolute. "Uncle, let me handle this."

He then turned to the Sunagakure jonin, his gaze sharp as a blade. "I'm your opponent."

The Sunagakure jonin suddenly remembered something.

"You're Su Bai!"

During the preliminaries, he had felt Su Bai's undisguised killing intent.

Remembering that heart-palpitating aura, he could not help taking half a step back.

Hayate looked at his supremely confident nephew, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He recalled their sparring match not long ago, and Su Bai's astonishing strength was still vivid in his mind.

Complicated emotions surged within him—pride, concern, and surprise intertwined.

Can he really handle such danger? Hayate wondered.

However, when he met Su Bai's resolute gaze, Hayate suddenly realized that the person before him was no longer the child who needed protection, but a ninja capable of standing on his own.

He took a deep breath and suppressed the worry in his heart.

Perhaps it's time to let him show his true strength.

Hayate silently made up his mind and slowly retreated, leaving the battlefield to his nephew.

The Sunagakure jonin sneered and rapidly formed hand seals. "Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

A sharp wind blade came howling toward him.

Su Bai's expression did not change. With a flash, he easily evaded it.

Holding Ryujin Jakka, he used Flash Step to close in and engage his opponent in close combat.

The two exchanged dozens of blows, neither able to gain the upper hand.

The jonin was astonished by Su Bai's strength. This brat isn't simple!

He leaped backward to widen the distance, preparing to use his full strength.

Su Bai stopped. "Sorry, but I need to end this battle quickly."

The jonin stared at Su Bai vigilantly, sensing an unprecedented aura of danger.

Su Bai softly recited, "All things in the universe, turn to ashes—Ryujin Jakka!"

This was the first time he had used Ryujin Jakka's Shikai.

In an instant, a terrifying heat wave swept over them.

Su Bai's blade suddenly burst into roaring flames, but they were not ordinary red flames. They shone with an almost pure white brilliance.

The flames danced like living creatures and instantly engulfed the entire battlefield.

The heat wave rushed at him. The jonin found it hard to breathe, and his sweat evaporated instantly.

He staggered back in horror and shouted, "Th-This is impossible! This isn't ninjutsu!"

However, before his cry could fade, searing white flames surged over him like a tide.

The jonin tried to form hand seals to defend himself, only to find his movements slowing beneath the terrifying heat.

"No—"

His cry came to an abrupt end as the flames mercilessly devoured everything.

When the white light faded, nothing but ashes remained on the battlefield. Even the ground had been scorched black.

The entire process had taken no more than a blink of an eye, swift as lightning and utterly unbelievable.

Su Bai sheathed his sword, and the flames vanished without a trace, as though they had never existed.

He turned to face his dumbfounded uncle, his expression as calm as ever, as though he had merely completed an ordinary task.

Yakushi Kabuto hid in the shadows and witnessed everything.

His pupils abruptly contracted, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

He silently rejoiced that he had not rashly followed them to offer help.

As an experienced spy and medical ninja, he had seen countless kinds of ninjutsu, but the power displayed by the boy before him had completely exceeded the bounds of his understanding.

Those blazing flames seemed capable of swallowing the entire world.

They were practically comparable to a tailed beast!

A chill ran up his spine, and he involuntarily shuddered.

In an instant, the scene of him voluntarily forfeiting during the preliminaries flashed through his mind.

Kabuto felt cold sweat pouring down his body, soaking the clothes on his back.

He did not dare imagine that if he had not given up back then, he might have been the one reduced to ashes now.

"Such terrifying strength," Kabuto muttered, a trace of relief and lingering fear flashing through his eyes.

"It seems my intuition saved my life."

He instinctively backed away several steps, afraid of being discovered.

At that moment, Kabuto was more grateful than ever for the decision he had made during the preliminaries.

That seemingly cowardly choice now appeared extraordinarily wise.

"Just who is this boy called Su Bai?"

His mind raced as he tried to connect everything to the intelligence he knew, but to no avail.

Kabuto muttered to himself, his clenched fist trembling slightly from the force he was exerting.

He realized that he might have underestimated the risks of this operation, as well as the hidden strength of Konoha Village.

"I must report this to Lord Orochimaru immediately!"

Hayate stood where he was, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, unable to close it for a long time.

His mind seemed to have stopped working, incapable of processing what he had just witnessed.

"Th-This is really Su Bai?"

Hayate muttered, his voice full of disbelief.

He recalled sparring with Su Bai several days ago. He had already been surprised then.

But now, he realized that had not been Su Bai's true strength at all.

Heavens, Hayate's heart churned like stormy seas. If Su Bai had gotten serious back then...

A terrifying thought flashed through his mind: with the power Su Bai had just displayed, if they had truly fought with everything they had, he probably would not have lasted even two exchanges.

The realization made Hayate feel dizzy.

His nephew, the child who had once needed his protection, had already grown to such a degree?

I never imagined my nephew's Fire Release could be this powerful. It's simply inconceivable, Hayate thought. This is clearly forbidden-jutsu-level Fire Release!

Hayate's gaze shifted back and forth between the scorched ground and the completely unharmed Su Bai, his shock refusing to subside.

He suddenly realized that he might never again be able to view this nephew through the eyes of the past.

As his opponent fell, Su Bai felt a warm current flow through his entire body.

The system notification sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Ninja battle detected nearby. Obtained 50,000 experience points.]

[Ding! Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto template fusion progress: 11%. Current experience: 50,000/110,000,000.]

[Kido, Bakudo No. 21 "Red Smoke Escape" has been upgraded. The host may now use "Red Smoke Escape" without chanting an incantation!]

After the situation settled down, Hayate took a deep breath and tried to calm the shock in his heart.

He turned to Su Bai and said seriously, "Su Bai, I must report this matter to the Hokage."

Su Bai nodded in agreement, a trace of vigilance flashing through his eyes.

The greatest danger might not yet be over.

There might still be enemies watching from the shadows, preparing to launch a second attack.

He had to ensure Hayate's safety.

"I'll go with you, Uncle."

Su Bai spoke calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hayate was slightly surprised, but he quickly understood his nephew's intentions.

He silently nodded, and the two headed toward the Hokage's office together.

Along the way, Su Bai remained highly alert, his gaze constantly sweeping over their surroundings.

He deliberately stayed half a step behind, always keeping his uncle within his protection range.

Whenever they passed a suspicious corner or shadow, he would instinctively move a little closer to Hayate.

In the Hokage's office, Hayate Gekko and Su Bai stood before the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and gave a detailed report of what had happened.

Several jonin, including Kakashi and Might Guy, were also in the office, all listening with solemn expressions.

Hayate said, "That's what happened, Lord Hokage. Su Bai used a powerful Fire Release that I have never seen before and defeated that Sunagakure jonin in a single strike. His strength is astonishing."

After listening to Su Bai and Hayate's report, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, furrowed his brows, his expression grave.

He pondered for a moment before looking up, his gaze blazing. "Immediately dispatch ANBU elites. Yakushi Kabuto must be captured at all costs. This concerns Konoha's safety. There can be no mistakes!"

Several jonin promptly gathered and prepared to set out on the mission.

Just then, Might Guy, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Wait, did I hear that correctly? You said that Sunagakure jonin was killed by Su Bai?"

The room immediately fell silent, and everyone's gaze turned to Su Bai.

The young boy appeared as calm as usual, as though the discussion had nothing to do with him.

Hayate looked at Su Bai, then at the others, and solemnly nodded. "Yes, you heard correctly. My nephew Su Bai killed that jonin with Fire Release."