"Bang!"
No blood flowed from Kazuhiko Uchiha's pierced heart. Instead, he dissolved into a puff of smoke.
At the same time, on the other side of the crater, a kunai lying on the ground suddenly erupted in smoke. When it cleared, the real Kazuhiko Uchiha appeared there.
Kazuhiko Uchiha had sensed the one-eyed Jonin approaching while unleashing the Reverse Lotus. Under cover of the swirling dust, he had created a low-level clone to guard against a sneak attack, while his real body transformed into a kunai and hid nearby.
Watching the one-eyed Jonin emerge from the shadows and approach him step by step, Kazuhiko Uchiha discreetly opened the Myriad Worlds Mall. He spent his last three gold coins on a Spring Return Pill that could rapidly heal injuries and swallowed it to repair the damage the Eight Gates Released Formation had inflicted on his body.
"Heh, Konoha brat, it seems we all underestimated you." The one-eyed Jonin glanced at the black-clad Jonin's mangled corpse and sneered. "But luckily, that useless Araki didn't finish you off. Now I can sacrifice you to Jirō myself."
"Careful you don't choke on all that big talk."
A cold glint flashed in Kazuhiko Uchiha's eyes. With the pill having healed some of his injuries, he swallowed several high-grade Military Ration Pills to replenish his primal energy, opened the Gate of Pain again, and charged at the one-eyed Jonin in a blur.
"Secret Technique: Blood Scale Body!"
Having witnessed Kazuhiko Uchiha's speed, a trace of gravity entered the one-eyed Jonin's crazed eyes. He immediately unleashed his defensive secret technique, stimulating the blood-red scales on his upper body until they covered him entirely.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
Under the Reverse Lotus's blisteringly fast attacks, the one-eyed Jonin took the same one-sided beating as the black-clad Jonin before him. A final heavy punch sent him crashing to the ground.
"Urgh..."
However, the one-eyed Jonin had used a secret technique that weakened incoming attacks. He survived the Reverse Lotus, though his blood-red scales were shattered, his face was unrecognizable, and he was almost entirely drenched in blood.
After violently spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, the one-eyed Jonin shakily rose to his feet. Feeling the state his body was in, he fixed a venomous glare on Kazuhiko Uchiha, who was panting heavily.
"Cough, cough... damn brat. I won't let you get away with this. Come to hell with me." Resolve flashed in the one-eyed Jonin's eyes. While Kazuhiko Uchiha caught his breath, he rapidly completed his hand seals.
"Ultimate Secret Technique: Blood Scale Devourment! Aaargh!"
As the one-eyed Jonin screamed in agony, the black substance on his body suddenly sprang to life. It covered his entire body and internal organs, and countless blood-red scales ravenously devoured his flesh, sprouting at a frantic pace until he had transformed completely into a lizard-like monster made of blood-red scales.
"Hiss... roar..."
The blood-scaled monster let out an indecipherable roar. Its murderous, blood-red eyes fixed on Kazuhiko Uchiha, making him feel as though countless corpses were lunging at him. Overwhelming terror rose from deep within him.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
Disrupting the flow of primal energy within his body, Kazuhiko Uchiha broke free of his terror. As the blood-scaled monster hurtled toward him, he wasted no words and used his superpower against an enemy for the first time-the blood superpower that had now reached the peak of LV3.
"Blood-Burning Technique!"
The blood inside Kazuhiko Uchiha's body seemed to boil, turning into a thick, blood-red mist that swiftly seeped into his cells. A thin layer of blood-red flame appeared to burn across his skin.
Nourished by the blood mist, his cells steadily repaired his damaged body. Although he could not open the Eight Gates Released Formation again, he regained some mobility and would not be left helpless at his opponent's mercy.
After transforming into the blood-scaled monster, the one-eyed Jonin had lost his human intelligence, retaining only the instinct to kill. His strength, however, had increased dramatically, even reaching the level of an Elite Jonin. In his current physical condition, Kazuhiko Uchiha could barely contend with the monster's attacks.
Before he knew it, several serious wounds had appeared on Kazuhiko Uchiha's body. Although his superpower kept him from losing much blood, the sight of his battered body was alarming.
"Blood Flame Shield!"
Using his superpower had consumed a great deal of blood, leaving Kazuhiko Uchiha somewhat pale. Once again, he transformed a portion of his blood into a shield, blocking the sharp claws reaching for his lower abdomen.
Damn it. My primal energy and blood are draining fast. I can't keep trading blows with this thing. I have to find a way to end this quickly.
Kazuhiko Uchiha used the force of the impact to propel himself backward. Watching the seemingly tireless blood-scaled monster, he inwardly sensed trouble.
"Roar... aaah!"
The blood-scaled monster gave Kazuhiko Uchiha little time to think. It lunged straight in front of him and brought its two sharp, curved claws crashing down.
Kazuhiko Uchiha drew his Tachi and blocked the monster's crushing blow. He was about to put some distance between them when, without warning, it twisted at the waist and swept its thick, scaled tail toward him.
With a dull thud, Kazuhiko Uchiha was sent flying more than ten meters. He had never expected the monster to use its tail, which had gone unused throughout their fight, and had failed to guard against it. Only after smashing through several large trees did he finally crash heavily to the ground.
Having landed its blow, the blood-scaled monster threw back its head with an excited roar and charged at Kazuhiko Uchiha again.
"Urgh."
As the blood-scaled monster appeared before him once more, Kazuhiko Uchiha clutched his chest over his broken ribs, coughed twice, and spat out a mouthful of blood. A hint of madness mingled with the viciousness in his eyes.
"Heh... come on, then. This time, either you die or I do!"
Kazuhiko Uchiha roared. He made no attempt to evade the claws reaching for his heart. The moment they pierced it, he wrapped his arms tightly around the blood-scaled monster.
"Die!"
Kazuhiko Uchiha's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with ferocity. He drew out a massive amount of blood to unleash one final, desperate attack.
"Corrosive Blood Mist!"
Dark-red blood mist poured from Kazuhiko Uchiha's body, enveloping both him and the blood-scaled monster. A series of spine-chilling hisses immediately rang out.
The highly corrosive, acidic blood mist dissolved the scales covering the monster's body. It struggled wildly, sending wave after wave of indescribable pain from Kazuhiko Uchiha's chest straight into his mind and leaving him dizzy. Enduring the agony, he unleashed his final killing move.
"Blood Lance Barrage!"
Dozens of short, blood-red spears erupted from the surface of Kazuhiko Uchiha's body. They pierced the blood-red scales, whose defenses had been greatly weakened by the mist, and plunged deep into the monster's head, heart, and other vital organs.
Kazuhiko Uchiha had developed this move based on Kimimaro's Dance of the Larch from the original story. He formed short spears of blood across his body and enhanced them with his superpower, allowing him both to defend against taijutsu moves and to attack with the spears' sharp points.
"Roooar!"
The blood-scaled monster struggled frantically, shaking off Kazuhiko Uchiha's hold. It roared, intent on destroying him now that he could no longer resist.
Unfortunately for it, blood spears had pierced every vital point in its body. After struggling forward a few more steps, it toppled headfirst to the ground.
Having finally killed the terrifying blood-scaled monster, Kazuhiko Uchiha laboriously pressed a hand to his chest. With what little strength he had left, he used his superpower to solidify some blood and plug the hole over his heart. Then his consciousness sank completely into darkness.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The other Rogue Ninja finally arrived at the scene after the battle had ended. After checking whether the black-clad Jonin and the blood-scaled monster were alive, the Chunin leading them drew a kunai and walked toward the unconscious Kazuhiko Uchiha.
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