Tattered clouds obscured the sun, and the land darkened as several bleak gusts of cold wind swept through the air.
More than three thousand ninja stood on the not-so-spacious Long Pavilion Street. The ones at the front stared at the figure ahead, their eyes still somewhat puzzled.
Who was this guy? He dared block their path—was he looking to die?
Enkō stood quietly in the middle of the road, his black robe fluttering in the wind. His dead-silent eyes reflected the vast army of three thousand ninja, yet not a single ripple stirred within them, as though he were looking at a pack of corpses.
The Second Raikage neither underestimated him nor feared him. Unhurriedly, he took a scroll from his robes. With a wave of his hand and a puff of white smoke, two bracers appeared in his hands.
The bracers were entirely blue, gleaming with a magnificent metallic luster. Forged from rare metal, they had been specially commissioned at great expense from Kirigakure by the Second Raikage. The material was on the same level as that used for forging ninja blades, all to deal with Enkō's Cold Edge.
The Second Raikage lightly ran his fingers over the bracers, undid their straps, and calmly put them on. At the same time, he called out, "You dared block the road alone? Isn't that a little overconfident?"
Enkō said nothing, allowing the cold wind to brush the bangs over his forehead as he slowly drew the three-foot blade at his waist.
Clang—
Cold Edge was held in reverse, its pitch-black blade hanging naturally downward. Its tip lightly touched the ground with a crisp ring.
Seeing Enkō's crouching-tiger-like bearing, the Second Raikage's expression gradually turned solemn. He could clearly feel a thread of spiritual power locked firmly onto him, giving him the