Mist Shinobi: Muzan

A violent aura of Chakra shot straight into the sky, as if the air itself was being distorted.

Kato Osamu had never felt such a tremendous sense of threat.

Just by rushing as far as possible towards the source of the Chakra burst, one could already feel the Chakra, seemingly solidified, sweeping across the hair on one's body.

"Who exactly is this person?"

Sensing that the source of the humanoid Chakra was getting closer and closer, Kato Osamu slowed his pace slightly and concealed himself in the jungle.

"Teacher Xu..."

After waiting for a short while, the three of them caught up, panting heavily. Even the usually calm Itachi Uchiha had a serious expression on his face.

"Be on guard..."

Kato Osamu stopped in his tracks without saying anything, simply gazing into the distance and closing his eyes slightly.

"Sensory Extension!"

Such a violent fluctuation of Chakra made Kato Osamu inexplicably cautious.

With his spiritual energy attached to the Soulfire Insect scattered throughout the jungle, Kato Osamu actively manipulated them to continue exploring forward.

Even though the Soulfire Insect were almost never detected before, he still unusually began to use the violent Chakra fluctuations in the air to conceal the slight possibility of being discovered.

The tranquil twilight slowly dissipated in the afterglow of the setting sun. In the world shrouded in a silvery veil, carrying a slight chill, only a man in a green bodysuit stood on the cracked earth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He seemed to have just gotten up from the ground; his dark green bodysuit was somewhat torn, and his arms, slightly covered in mud, slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before he slowly straightened up.

"Has it really come to this...?"

His head was bowed, his expression unreadable, and he was only murmuring something softly...

In front of him, with a smirk on his face, Munashi Jinpachi slightly turned his neck, glanced at his teammates beside him, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"I thought he was some kind of genius, but it seems he's just a piece of trash from Konoha..."

"Trash like you, how have you managed to survive until now... Konoha really knows how to raise good-for-nothings..."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Upon hearing his words, the other three men carrying large swords behind him burst into laughter.

Might Duy, who was still standing with his head down, suddenly clenched his fist, turned his head slightly, and looked at the boy behind him who looked almost exactly like him—his eyes were filled with fear and terror.

Just seeing his terrified eyes, like those of a frightened lamb, an indescribable surge of heat instantly flooded his mind.

His son... was afraid...

In that instant, as if relieved of the struggle in his heart, Might Duy's eyes only flashed with a trace of tenderness. He glanced at Might Guy and could no longer hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. He turned away, and tears flowed down his face.

"Kai!"

"Listen to me!"

You once asked me when youth would end, and I told you then that youth never ends...

"What I'm about to tell you is that when a man is protecting what he cherishes most, that's when his youth is at its most vibrant and intense!"

Might Duy suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with boundless killing intent, staring intently at the one-eyed man in front of him.

"Eight Gates!"

"The Seventh Gate - The Gate of Wonder!"

"Open!"

"Eight Gates!"

"The Eighth Gate!"

"Gate of Death!"

An invisible pressure impacted the entire jungle, Might Duy's body was once again surrounded by surging Chakra, this time flashing with a dazzling Chakra, causing the rubble on the ground to tremble violently.

His last tears also evaporated...

"Open!"

Horrible

Blood-red steam enveloped his entire body, and his eyes, now only blood-red beneath his hair, stared coldly at the figures ahead.

"Dad... this move..."

"I'll... I'll... I'll die..."

Might Guy struggled to his feet, his eyes fixed on his father in the crimson steam, tears streaming down his face.

Bathed in the glow of red Chakra, Might Duy unleashed power several times greater than before, like an ancient beast awakening.

The rising red Chakra seemed to steal all the brilliance, and the sound of the rapidly moving wind drowned out all words.

Sensing the aura of Chakra, Kato Osamu slowly approached, a faint glow flickering in the corner of the jungle, yet it went unnoticed by anyone.

"Konoha ninjas... I've never seen them before..."

The Soulfire Insect transmitted the entire scene back to Kato Osamu. Kato Osamu frowned slightly. He had never seen or heard of Might Duy wearing the Konoha Forehead Protector before. There was definitely no such person among Konoha's Elite Jonin.

"It's even more powerful than before..."

Munashi Jinpachi, carrying his large sword, merely pursed his lips, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"Konoha's secret technique..."

"They're really coming up with all sorts of new ones..."

"One Foot!"

Before he could react, a huge shoe sole appeared in front of him and landed on his cheek before he could even move.

"What?!!"

A flicker of disbelief crossed Jinin Akebino's eyes. He appeared nonchalant, but in reality, he had been fully focused on being wary of Might Duy's attack. However, he hadn't expected...

His speed has become so astonishing!

Might Duy's thick black hair turned completely blood red at this moment, and as the red steam continued to dance in the air, he was like a god descending to earth. His punches and kicks were powerful and sweeping, and each punch seemed to shatter the entire earth's crust. The moment it landed, the whole earth trembled and shattered.

"No... it's impossible..."

The other three members of Mist Shinobi stared wide-eyed, as if they were seeing what true power was for the first time. They were so engrossed in staring at the fallen Munashi Jinpachi that they completely forgot to make any move.

"Puff"

Munashi Jinpachi's head was slammed hard into the ground, sinking deep into the earth. His entire body, twisted beyond recognition by the force of the kick, lay limp and convulsing on the ground.

Crimson blood gushed forth, and his bones were broken, with splinters protruding from various parts of his body. Fortunately, his pain did not last long. He murmured, unable to utter a single last word.

Might Duy slowly turned around and looked at the three dumbfounded people. Mixed with blood, the crimson aura on his body seemed even more intense.

"Dead..."

"Just like that... he died..."

Jinin Akebino slightly twitched his Adam's apple. Although Munashi Jinpachi had underestimated his opponent, the fact that he was killed in a single move was something that would never have crossed his mind before today.

"Oh no! Run!"

"Buzz..."

The void seemed to tremble as Might Duy's bright red hair danced wildly. Suddenly, his figure vanished and reappeared in front of Jinin Akebino and the other two.

"Puff..."

A flash of blood appeared, Jinin Akebino's arm was smashed by a punch. If he hadn't been on guard and barely dodged the fatal blow, his heart would probably have been blown apart in an instant.

"Quick! Grab those lads, or they're all dead!"

Jinin Akebino lightly swung his greatsword, and his shattered arm was severed at the root. Looking at the crack on the ground that seemed to Chakra, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Might Duy frowned slightly, but his attacks continued unabated. With another soft shout, he attacked Jinin Akebino.

"Blunt knife, Kabutowari!"

The chain-linked Kabutowari shot out, hurtling towards Might Duy like a meteor hammer, but the attack from the heavily injured Jinin Akebino was so weak that Might Duy easily dodged it with a slight sway of his body.

"The second one..."

Jinin Akebino's heart seemed to have sunk to the bottom, as if he had completely lost all hope of living. His eyes suddenly turned fierce as he looked at the powerful punch that Might Duy throwing at him and took the blow with his own chest.

"Puff..."

Blood gushed from his mouth, splattering onto Might Duy's bodysuit, but a sinister smile remained on his face.

"You will pay the price!"

"Back!"

The chain of the Kabutowari retracted rapidly, Might Duy's arm sank deep into the chest of the Jinin Akebino. With a forceful pull, flesh and blood, along with bone fragments and shards of internal organs, scattered all over the ground.

"Puff..."

Blood gushed out again, Jinin Akebino's vision began to darken. However, he still mustered his strength and bit down hard on Might Duy's shoulder. His teeth were shattered by Chakra, and blood splattered out. He could only hiss out his last word.

"Lock!"

The retracting chains bound the two tightly together, Kushimaru Kuriarare, waiting for his chance, launched an attack in an instant. Wearing a mask, he revealed no expression, but simply brandished a long, needle-like dagger, aiming it at Might Duy.

"Long Sword Ninja Art: Earth Spider Seal!"

Countless steel wires flashed across the ground, their cold, hard wires gleaming with silver light, yet in his hands they seemed to weave a soft, plush blanket, instantly forming a large net that completely enveloped the two of them and began to tighten.

The iron cage continued to shrink, Kushimaru Kuriarare frowned slightly as he looked at the two people inside. A chill ran down his spine; he feared that their fate was sealed today...

"Toriyama Eiichiro..."

"Too slow..."

Feeling the iron cage tightening, Might Duy's crimson Chakra surged once more.

His more than 20 years of perseverance have earned him such brilliant strength, but his more than 20 years Genin have also made him lack some of the skills and acumen to fight against high-ranking enemy ninjas.

Although his strength surpassed that of everyone present, he also found himself in some minor troubles.

"Break!"

Might Guy roared, and the earth seemed to tremble. The entire jungle seemed to boil, surging through the forest like waves. The undulating trees were blasted into the sky by the violent Chakra waves, scattering the clouds.

Might Duy's body was tightly bound, with steel wires embedded deep within him, yet his fist, despite the excruciating pain of the wires digging into his flesh, still swung out violently.

Jinin Akebino's body was almost completely smashed. His chest, which had been pierced through, was as if it had been ripped open and shattered into pieces, with his internal organs turned into minced meat.

"This power..."

Kushimaru Kuriarare struggled to stay upright, feeling the increasingly powerful force on the steel wire. All his energy was focused on the iron cage, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Bang..."

The sound of the first wire snapping seemed to herald the fate that Kushimaru Kuriarare was about to face; the subtle sound of breaking was like a death sentence to his ears.

"Bang bang..."

One steel wire after another snapped, and Kushimaru Kuriarare bobbed incessantly as he stared intently at Might Duy, his hands behind his back forming Hand Seals.

Might Duy gently stretched his shoulders, lightly touched the ground with his feet, and vanished from his sight in an instant.

"Not good!"

Kushimaru Kuriarare, who seemed about to unleash some kind of Ninjutsu, widened his eyes, a hint of doubt flashing in them, but he was given no chance to investigate further.

"Brush..."

Might Duy appeared like a phantom, and his terrifying aura seemed to have barely reacted before he hurriedly caught up with Might Duy's footsteps, and a violent punch landed on Kushimaru Kuriarare's body.

"Bang!"

With a single, solid punch, Kushimaru Kuriarare's entire face contorted, and his body flew high into the air like a rag doll.

"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"

The relentless, storm-like bombardment caused Kushimaru Kuriarare's blood to rain down in the air like blood rain.

Although the roar in the air lasted only a short time, Kushimaru Kuriarare had long since lost count of how many attacks he had endured.

Even after Might Duy's figure disappeared, Kushimaru Kuriarare's body, which was like dough, finally landed heavily on the ground, but it was as if it were a soft liquid, just slowly flowing and spreading out into a smooth ball.

"That's terrifying..."

Dark clouds obscured the sky, and the river, flowing silently in an unknown direction, continued to flow quietly beneath the still sky. Only the broken earth and dim light made it resemble a tunnel leading to an endless Nether Abyss.

The black trench coat blended seamlessly with the gradually darkening shadows as Kato Osamu slowly emerged from the depths of the jungle.

Looking at the indistinguishable remains on the ground, indistinguishable between bone and flesh, a dark blue light shone in his eyes, as if piercing through Might Duy's body, watching him run into the distance with a complex expression.

"Fortunately... his time is running out..."