Escape

Dojutsu: Kagami no Mitama!

Bzz—

The fluctuations of ocular power trembled faintly through the air. Shuiwu's expression turned extremely grim, his eyes filled with disbelief. His prized Kekkei Genkai had actually become unusable!

"Pfft!"

Elsewhere, Enkō suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The massive Susanoo around him instantly collapsed, and its vast chakra dispersed into the world in an instant!

"Hm?" Shuiwu looked at Enkō, his eyes thoughtful. "So that's it. This must be your dojutsu, one that can nullify an opponent's ninjutsu? But it seems the price isn't small."

"Huff... huff... huff..." Enkō panted heavily, his vision already blurred. Forcibly suppressing the unending, tidal waves of pain, he said hoarsely, "A fine technique. Let me borrow it!"

Shuiwu frowned as a bad feeling welled up inside him. "What did you say?"

Blood Release: Blood Like Rain!

Gurgle, gurgle—

Shuiwu's pupils abruptly constricted. Behind Enkō, countless droplets of blood floated into the air. Once each droplet condensed, it began to stretch, forming blood-red needles that densely blanketed the sky!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

In the next instant, every blood needle shot forward. Like a swarm of locusts, they swept toward Shuiwu at extreme speed, leaving no blind spots whatsoever!

Water Release: Water Formation Wall!

Though shocked by Enkō's methods, Shuiwu would not stand around waiting to die. With a rapid series of hand seals, an eight-meter-high wall of water rose before him. As the inheritor of Blood Release, Shuiwu understood its power better than anyone. Knowing that the Water Formation Wall alone could not stop it, he immediately leaped backward at the same time!

Pfft, pfft, pfft—

The blood needles instantly pierced through the water wall and continued shooting after Shuiwu. Rows of craters were punched into the ground, while the buildings along the way were riddled with holes in an instant!

After that wave of attacks, Enkō's pain from the Mangekyō Sharingan eased somewhat, and he carefully sensed the Kekkei Genkai he had seized.

Blood Release was a powerful Kekkei Genkai that infused chakra into one's blood, allowing one to fight with it. It was somewhat similar to the Taketori Clan's Shikotsumyaku, except one altered bones while the other altered one's own blood.

"Wait! This is...!"

A flash of brilliance suddenly erupted in Enkō's eyes, as though a drowning man had spotted his final lifeline. His gaze toward Shuiwu was filled with undisguised fanaticism and longing!

"Hm?" Shuiwu felt his skin crawl under that stare. He was very familiar with such a look; whenever he saw a powerful opponent, that same longing would appear in his own eyes.

"I finally understand what you said before." Enkō stared at Shuiwu with blazing eyes. "Even if I have to give up the Hidden Crafts Village, I'm keeping you here!"

"Hahaha..." Rather than feeling fear upon hearing that, Shuiwu laughed heartily, as though he had met a kindred spirit in life. "Good, good, good! That's exactly the feeling! It seems you also want something from me. Our goals have become aligned once more, so come!"

Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

Splash—

With the rain pouring down from the heavens, a Water Dragon roared into existence and charged headlong toward Enkō!

Whoosh—

Enkō's eyes remained utterly still. Blood surfaced around his hand and rapidly condensed into a crimson sword. With a slight lift of his wrist, he swept it out, cleaving the entire Water Dragon in two with a single slash!

Whoosh—

But the moment the Water Dragon was split apart, he saw a black figure already rushing through the opening straight toward him!

Shuiwu moved at an astonishing speed, as though flying just above the ground. Chakra gathered in his hand as he fiercely drove his palm toward Enkō's chest!

There was no flashy technique behind this strike. It was simply fast, giving Enkō no time to react at all!

Enkō had never expected Shuiwu to be so bold. Even after having his Kekkei Genkai taken, Shuiwu still dared to engage him in close combat. Caught off guard, Enkō had no time to dodge and could only send out a palm of his own to meet it!

Bang—

The two palms collided with the force of a mountain collapse!

The curtain of rain around them was blasted outward by the devastating impact, creating a spherical void centered on the two of them!

Enkō had reacted in haste, and his entire body shuddered violently from the blow. Unable to keep his footing, he was sent flying backward!

Yet at the instant he was flung away, the blood in his hand transformed into a blood whip. With a flick of his arm, it coiled around Shuiwu's right arm and violently dragged him over. At the same time, Enkō raised his right leg and struck Shuiwu squarely in the chest!

Boom—

In a single exchange, the two flew off in opposite directions. Shuiwu smashed through the wall of a house, only stopping after gripping the stone bricks in the wall. Enkō, meanwhile, turned blood into a blade and plunged the blood blade into the ground midair, stabilizing himself the moment he landed!

Shuiwu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, amazement in his eyes. "I never thought he could use my Blood Release so skillfully. But just how long can his ability to seize ninjutsu last?"

Enkō likewise felt the chakra within his body churn violently. One minute left. I have to finish him within this minute!

Boom—

A massive amount of blood suddenly surged from Enkō's body. It floated in the air, ignoring the torrential rain as it linked together overhead. Its scale was like the end of hell itself!

"He can even use this technique?!" For the first time, terror appeared on Shuiwu's face. No one understood his trump card better than he did. His figure flashed as he rushed toward Enkō at top speed. I absolutely can't let him use it!

The enormous chakra disturbance also caught the attention of the other ninjas in the village. Figures rapidly appeared nearby, and as they watched the blood floating in the sky from afar, a hint of horror appeared on every face. "What kind of ninjutsu is that?"

Enkō watched Shuiwu charge at him at incredible speed, a faint smile curling his lips. "Taste your own ninjutsu!"

Blood Release: Blood Burial!

Boom—

The blood floating overhead exploded through the air, transforming into countless massive spikes that crisscrossed one another, forming a killing barrier with nowhere to flee!

Slash, slash, slash—

Centered on Enkō, every building within five hundred meters was ground to dust by the countless blood spikes. In an instant, the entire world was dyed blood-red, and the pungent stench of blood filled every corner!

After that strike, the dust settled!

The entire ground was dark crimson, rainwater mixed with blood flowing in every direction.

Shuiwu lay face down on the ground, his limbs pierced through. Streams of scarlet blood continuously flowed from beneath him, yet he still retained a thread of life.

Dragging his exhausted body, Enkō came to his side, unable to suppress the excitement in his eyes. Perhaps this special Kekkei Genkai could give him a way to make the Mangekyō Sharingan eternal without sacrificing his two older brothers!

"Five minutes..."

!!!

Enkō suddenly took a step back. While the ninjutsu seized through Kagami no Mitama did not consume his own chakra, activating this dojutsu consumed a great deal of ocular power. Shuiwu was not much weaker than him, so Enkō's condition was actually quite poor as well.

"It seems the effect of your dojutsu lasts five minutes at most." Shuiwu still lay on the ground. "This time, you won, Uchiha Enkō. I look forward to our next meeting, hahaha..."

"Not good!" Realizing Shuiwu was about to escape, Enkō immediately reached out to grab him. But he discovered that Shuiwu's entire body was rapidly swelling before finally exploding with a thunderous blast!

Bang—

After the explosion, Shuiwu turned into a cloud of blood mist and vanished into the world in the blink of an eye!

"Damn it, he still got away." Enkō watched the dispersing red mist and clenched his fists unwillingly, only to suddenly hear a dense barrage of footsteps approaching from all around him.

Qingming's grim voice rang out. "It seems the exchange between you two has ended. Then it's time for us to have a proper talk."