Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, clenched his fists, beads of sweat faintly forming on his forehead.
The bearing of the man on the battlefield reminded him all too much of the man in his memories.
Both were so domineering, so proud, so contemptuous of everyone else.
And in many people's eyes, that was the bearing of the strong.
"Do you want to fight?"
Xia Le spoke calmly.
In an instant, his clear black-and-white eyes turned blood-red, three tomoe slowly revolving within them.
"Those eyes?!"
Onoki's pupils contracted.
"Those are the very same eyes!"
Hearing the Third Tsuchikage's tense voice, Tōu inexplicably stiffened as well, but he still failed to grasp how terrifying the newcomer was.
In front of Xia Le, the Demolition Squad was already ready for battle.
Though the man before them had a powerful presence, it was not enough to frighten them.
But in the very next second—
"Then let's fight!"
His words drifted out calmly.
Yet in the brief moment the Demolition Squad's attention wavered, they discovered that their opponent had vanished.
"Where is he?!"
"I—I can't see him!"
"Where did that guy go?!"
Cries of alarm and confusion rang out.
Almost simultaneously, Xia Le appeared like a phantom before one of the squad members.
The man's heart jolted, his pupils contracting.
By reflex, he swung the kunai in his right hand.
But in an instant, his wrist went numb. To his horror, his opponent bent his right hand inward with a sharp crack, then drove the pointed kunai deep into his chest.
Schlick!
Blood stained his clothes, and the Demolition Squad member crumpled to the ground.
"Too slow!"
Xia Le spoke flatly.
The Demolition Squad members' pupils contracted, boundless fear rising in their hearts.
"Explosion Release: Earth-Running Lightning!"
At that moment, one of the members slammed his