A hundred meters, fifty meters, twenty meters, ten meters...
Hozuki Mangetsu approached warily until he stood less than a meter from Mu Feng.
"This ends here!"
Hozuki Mangetsu raised Hiramekarei high as he spoke.
But just then, an overwhelming sense of danger engulfed him. Across from him, chakra suddenly surged through Mu Feng's seemingly feeble body. At the same time, Mu Feng snapped his head up, tadpole-like tomoe spinning in his eyes before settling into place.
"No... this is bad!"
"Wood Release: Cutting Branch Technique!"
Mu Feng unleashed Wood Release. Sharp wooden branches appeared out of thin air and pierced Hozuki Mangetsu's body.
Sensing something wrong, Hozuki Mangetsu hurriedly retreated and activated the Hydrification Technique, his entire body turning transparent. But caught off guard, he was still startled by Mu Feng's sudden Wood Release attack. Three sharp branches pierced his lungs and waist, and blood spilled out, staining the water his body had become.
Anger flared in his eyes again. Hozuki Mangetsu apparently hadn't expected Mu Feng to have the strength to strike back at death's door. He glared at Mu Feng.
And just then...
Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp...
A piercing cry reached Hozuki Mangetsu's ears, like a thousand birds calling at once. Looking up, he saw Mu Feng already charging toward him, his right hand wrapped in brilliant white lightning. His Sharingan gleamed scarlet, brimming with murderous ferocity.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
With white lightning gathered in his hand, Mu Feng launched his final thrust. In a flash, he drove his right hand straight into Hozuki Mangetsu's chest.
Squelch-
The Lightning Release disrupted Hozuki Mangetsu's Hydrification Technique. Blood sprayed from his mouth as Mu Feng pierced his heart, and his entire body went limp.
"You... how... is this possible!"
Staring at Mu Feng, Hozuki Mangetsu's pupils dilated. The life slowly drained from his body, and at last, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Huff, huff..."
Mu Feng watched Hozuki Mangetsu fall. His Sharingan gradually faded, leaving his black eyes filled with the relief of victory.
"I did it!"
[Ding!] [You killed Hozuki Mangetsu of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!] [You gained 2,000 blackening points!] [The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have been identified as special individuals of Kirigakure. You gained one ability extraction opportunity!] [Ability extraction opportunities only appear when the host kills a special individual stronger than himself. Using this ability allows the host to extract one ability from the slain individual, including ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or forbidden techniques!] [Ding! You used your ability extraction opportunity!] [You extracted Hozuki Mangetsu's swordsmanship!] [Ding! You took part in a battle to the death and experienced your own weakness. Refusing to accept it, all your ninjutsu and Taijutsu have entered a blackened state!] [Proficiency in all your ninjutsu and Taijutsu +1!] [Your chakra has entered a blackened state and is increasing rapidly.] [You have mastered all five chakra natures and can flawlessly perform Fire Release, Wind Release, Earth Release, Lightning Release, and Water Release...] [Your fine chakra control proficiency increased!] [Your chakra reserves increased!]
A barrage of notifications rang in Mu Feng's ears, but he had already succumbed to the weakness that followed using the Eight Gates Released Formation and was gasping for breath.
At that moment, the powerful effects of his Hashirama body also became apparent, helping repair the internal damage caused by the Eight Gates Released Formation.
The stinging pain in his body slowly faded. Only when he looked at Hozuki Mangetsu's corpse again did Mu Feng finally smile.
In truth, Mu Feng's Five Gates state hadn't ended on its own because its time had run out. He had forcibly deactivated it during the battle.
With the Five Gates open, Mu Feng's speed and strength had indeed reached a terrifying level. But his opponent was Hozuki Mangetsu, whose Hydrification Technique was the perfect counter to that kind of brute force.
Under those circumstances, killing Hozuki Mangetsu was essentially impossible unless Mu Feng disregarded his own life and forced open the remaining gates, as Might Duy once had.
Moreover, with the Eight Gates active, the surging chakra made using ninjutsu impractical. He could only rely on Taijutsu.
A flash of inspiration had given Mu Feng this idea: forcibly end his Eight Gates state.
Then, relying on the resilience of his Hashirama body and the strength he had held in reserve, he would fight to kill Hozuki Mangetsu.
And the outcome proved that Mu Feng had succeeded.
In the end, Hozuki Mangetsu hadn't been able to resist the satisfaction of personally slaughtering a Konoha prodigy. After seeing Mu Feng's Eight Gates state end, he had stepped forward to finish him off, giving Mu Feng his chance.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
As he breathed deeply and recovered, Mu Feng began reviewing the battle.
"No wonder so few ninja use the Eight Gates Released Formation, despite how powerful it is!"
"While the gates are open, you can only rely on Taijutsu. You can't use ninjutsu, and changing chakra nature is even less reliable! Fighting a ninja who counters Taijutsu really is a struggle!"
This battle had given Mu Feng a new understanding of the Eight Gates Released Formation.
The Eight Gates Released Formation was indeed powerful-powerful enough to grant strength surpassing the Five Kage.
But that power came at a steep price. Aside from the extensive training required, fighting a ninja who countered Taijutsu left the user with few options, unless he was willing to pay with his life.
For ordinary ninja, ninjutsu combined with standard Taijutsu was clearly better suited to complex battles.
"Looks like I can't rely too heavily on the Eight Gates Released Formation from now on! If I want to be more well-rounded, I'll have to develop my ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu!"
Walking over to Hozuki Mangetsu's corpse, Mu Feng retrieved the White Fang Short Sword and stabbed him several times in the lungs and waist.
He placed these stabs over the wounds left by the Cutting Branch Technique's branches.
Mu Feng clearly wasn't ready for anyone else in Konoha to discover his Wood Release, especially the Konoha High Command.
Once he finished, Mu Feng glanced toward Konoha. In the moonlight, he could already see several figures racing toward him.
He immediately dropped the White Fang Short Sword, turned, and raced toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Before leaving, however, Mu Feng glanced once more at the woods to one side. He had sensed someone there, but paid them no attention.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Dragging his exhausted body onward, Mu Feng quickly vanished into the woods.
On the other side of the woods, Kakashi, who had witnessed Mu Feng's entire counterattack, was stunned.
"He's dead!"
"Mu Feng killed... a Kirigakure Jonin?"
Seeing a ninja his own age defeat an enemy Jonin he himself could never have beaten shook Kakashi to his core.
Especially at the very end, when he had seen the mass of white lightning gather in Mu Feng's hand and sensed its immense destructive power.
For the first time, Kakashi recognized the brutal beauty of ninjutsu.
"Was that technique called Chidori?"
Murmuring to himself, Kakashi sank into thought.
A moment later, he emerged from the woods and picked up the White Fang Short Sword.
At the same time, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Three masked Konoha Anbu members appeared beside Kakashi.
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