Weird Skills Are Just That Strong

A Hidden Sand sensory ninja sensed that a trace of chakra still remained within Uchiha Lan's body, so he decided to finish him off.

Taking him alive was impossible. He could not be saved anyway.

When he walked up to Uchiha Lan's "corpse," he looked down at the familiar Konoha flak jacket and distinctive black hair with contempt.

Just as the kunai in his hand was about to plunge down—

Something changed!

The kunai and shuriken embedded in the "corpse," along with the clothes beneath them, suddenly transformed into layer upon layer of explosive tags, erupting in a blinding white light!

It was not the glow of a ninjutsu, but the light of countless explosive tags, packed densely together and ignited in an instant!

"What...? Explosive tags? Why are there so many? How much would this cost?!"

The smile on the sensory ninja's face froze instantly, turning into utter terror! He was far too close!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!

A heaven-shaking explosion detonated violently at the center. Raging flames and shockwaves, like a greedy beast, instantly devoured the nearest ring of Hidden Sand ninja!

Severed limbs, scorched stench, and thick smoke were hurled high into the air! Their screams did not even have time to escape before they were swallowed by the blast!

"Ah!"

"No—!"

"Trap!!!"

The Hidden Sand ninja at the outskirts were sent sprawling by the sudden self-destruction. Casualties were devastating, and terrified screams and chaos instantly replaced the cheers from moments ago.

Though Chahachiro had not been standing that close, the scorching blast wave still hurled him away. He slammed heavily into a massive boulder and spat out a mouthful of blood, with no idea how many ribs had broken.

"Cough, cough... How... how is that possible...?"

He struggled to rise, his eyes filled with disbelief and extreme terror.

Substitution Technique? Shadow Clone Technique? No! That "corpse" had clearly given off a chakra signature, and it had been struck by so many kunai... Was it a more advanced disguise? A substitute made with explosive tags?

Was he really that rich? Damn tycoon!

Just as Chahachiro was blasted away and the Hidden Sand ninja descended into utter confusion and panic—

The seemingly flat, solid ground merely three steps from the boulder Chahachiro had crashed into rippled soundlessly like water!

Earth and stones parted to either side as though they had come alive!

"Cheat skill—Diving!"

A demon returned from hell burst from the ground without warning, carrying bone-chilling killing intent and swirling smoke!

It was Uchiha Lan!

His Konoha flak jacket was spotless, his black hair fluttering slightly in the blast's aftermath. His exposed eyes—

Those scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan were now locked coldly onto Chahachiro, who stood within arm's reach!

Chahachiro's pupils shrank to pinpoints! He felt that icy gaze, almost tangible.

The shadow of death had never loomed so clearly over him!

He wanted to control his puppets, release poison smoke, use the Substitution Technique... but his body would not obey him at all. Even moving a finger was incomparably difficult!

Then he heard one final sentence.

"Bro, you dared to look straight into the Sharingan? You've got guts!"

A cold flash appeared!

Uchiha Lan gave him no chance to speak, cutting him down with a clean, decisive strike.

"Cheat skill—Wave Break, Harvest!"

"Y-you..." Chahachiro made a wheezing sound through his throat, blood frothing from his mouth.

Splat!

A soft sound.

Chahachiro's head, still twisted in terror and disbelief, arced through the air amid a spray of scorching blood.

It crashed heavily onto the rubble-strewn ground nearby, rolled a few times, and its hollow eyes remained fixed on the sky.

The headless corpse twitched twice, then fell completely still.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Every surviving Hidden Sand ninja witnessed that nightmare-like scene.

Lord Chahachiro, the man they had relied upon and who had just been receiving flattery, had been beheaded in the blink of an eye by the "dead" Uchiha, as easily as slaughtering a chicken or dog!

Fear, like an icy venomous snake, instantly coiled around the heart of every Hidden Sand ninja!

"Lord... Lord Chahachiro... is dead?!"

"A ghost... It's a ghost! He never died!"

"Run!!!"

"Why run?! He's alone!"

A Jonin with a vicious scar across his face roared sharply, his voice like sandpaper scraping together as it instantly drowned out the chaotic shouting.

"Wind Release unit! Form up! Target the Uchiha—indiscriminate bombardment! Everyone else, cover the Wind Release unit! He only has one pair of eyes; he can't watch all of us!"

"Kill him! Avenging Lord Chahachiro is secondary—the priority is completing the ambush and taking down this Konoha monster!"

Another Jonin wearing a Hidden Sand forehead protector and bearing a sinister gaze shouted hoarsely as his hands rapidly formed seals.

Fear of mission failure and dread of the village's punishment instantly overwhelmed their horror of the elusive Uchiha Lan.

They had been a carefully selected ambush force from the start, and many among them were battle-hardened elites.

So what if one Chahachiro was dead? Without a butcher, they could still eat a hairy pig.

The hundred Hidden Sand ninja sent to lie in ambush steadied themselves under the command of more than a dozen Jonin. The one who had died was a key figure in the puppeteer division, so why should they be the ones to collapse?

"Yes!"

"Form up!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kunai, shuriken, and poisoned senbon shot toward Uchiha Lan from all directions like a dense swarm of bees. He stood in place, seemingly defenseless.

These attacks were not meant to hit him. They were meant to interfere, force him to move, and restrict the range in which his Sharingan could observe and cast genjutsu!

At the same time, more than thirty Hidden Sand ninja skilled in Wind Release quickly formed three triangular formations with astonishing coordination under the scar-faced Jonin's command.

Their hands flew through identical seals as chakra surged violently and the air began to shriek sharply.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

"Wind Release: Wind Formation Pillar!"

Three formations, three furious roars ringing out almost simultaneously!

BOOM—!!!

The three violent gales did not scatter apart. Under the Jonin's precise control, they instantly merged and compressed!

With the cooperation of the three Wind Release squads, a powerful blast of wind pressure formed into a rapidly spinning, ghastly white wind pillar more than five meters in diameter, visible to the naked eye!

A piercing shriek that seemed capable of tearing space apart rang from within the wind pillar. Wherever it passed, the ground was forcibly plowed into a deep trench as it blasted ruthlessly toward the spot where Uchiha Lan had just stood!

Uchiha Lan's spotless Konoha flak jacket snapped violently in the wind, and his loose black hair danced wildly, nearly obscuring his cold Sharingan.

"Die! You evil little Uchiha brat!"

The scar-faced Jonin's eyes gleamed with cruel excitement.

He knew well that against such a large-scale, indiscriminate ninjutsu, even if the Sharingan could see the trajectory, the body might not be able to evade it completely!

As long as it grazed him even slightly, the center filled with countless chaotic wind blades would be enough to shred even steel into minced flesh.

The scar-faced Jonin's cruel smile had only just bloomed when it suddenly froze.