Jūzō Biwa, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and wielder of the Kubikiribōchō.
Short black hair, no eyebrows, sharp teeth, and a large cross-shaped scar on the right side of his face. His ears and neck were wrapped in bandages, and red markings covered the lower half of his face, giving him a savage and ruthless appearance.
"Hmph, Jūzō, if you're tired of living, I'd be happy to help you end it."
"Hahaha! Mangetsu, you're as stubborn as ever. You look like hell."
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen weren't exactly known for their camaraderie—especially not with Hōzuki Mangetsu. As the prodigy of the Hōzuki Clan and a natural-born swordsman, he could wield all seven blades with mastery. To him, those swords rightfully belonged to him alone.
"Raiga Kurosuki is dead. His blade is in that guy's hands."
"I'm taking him down and reclaiming the Lightning Blades. They belong to me!"
As the residual electricity dissipated, Mangetsu, though battered, still radiated fighting spirit.
His words made Jūzō flinch slightly.
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Raiga was one of the stronger ones. Even Jūzō himself had to tread carefully when facing him.
After all, the sheer power of the Lightning Blades was enough to kill most enemies instantly.
And yet, Raiga had been taken down.
Jūzō's gaze shifted to Kazuyama, who looked completely unfazed. With a flick of his wrist, he dispersed the last remnants of the mist.
He no longer had any intention of using the blades.
"Kakashi, Obito, hold onto these for now."
"Return them after the battle."
Kakashi and Obito's eyes lit up as they each grabbed a blade, their confidence soaring.
"Got it, Sensei! We'll take good care of them!"
"No—scratch that! We'll use them to cut down these Kirigakure ninja!"
Hearing the fiery determination in their voices, Kazuyama chuckled.
"You two just focus on protecting Rin. This fight is still too much for you."
With that, he stepped forward.
With each step, the ground beneath him glimmered as large, transparent crystals began forming.
"Incredible... Sensei has two Kekkei Genkai?"
"Transparent Escape and Crystal Release... Damn, Kakashi, we really don't know enough about him."
Obito's words made both Kakashi and Rin nod in agreement.
Possessing even one Kekkei Genkai was rare. Two? That was insane.
Kazuyama scanned the battlefield. Aside from Jūzō and Mangetsu, thirteen masked Kirigakure ANBU stood in formation.
This was likely the strongest hidden force Kirigakure had stationed in the Land of Fire.
Kazuyama let out a sigh, his tone filled with exasperation.
"I was hoping for a peaceful life… but you guys just had to make things complicated."
"Chōmei, keep the chakra flowing. I'm going in!"
The second sentence was directed inward, to the entity residing within him.
Chōmei, of course, wasn't about to hold back. A steady stream of chakra surged through Kazuyama's body.
"Hmph! You're naive. Killing Raiga doesn't mean you can take us on."
"Move in and finish him!"
Jūzō's tone was filled with disdain as he commanded his subordinates to attack.
The thirteen Kirigakure ANBU moved in perfect sync. Some charged forward, others launched long-range attacks, and a final group remained stationary, weaving hand seals.
In an instant, they had divided into three squads:
Four rushed in with blades.
Five unleashed a flurry of shuriken.
The remaining four stood back, their hands forming seals for a jutsu.
"Hmph, Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Clone Technique."
Outnumbered? Not an issue.
Kazuyama had already activated his clone technique the moment he charged forward.
Fifteen crystal-clad versions of himself materialized, clashing head-on with the fifteen enemy shinobi. The battlefield erupted into chaos.
The Crystal Clones, durable and combat-capable, wielded crystalline blades, holding off the enemy's close-combat fighters.
Meanwhile, the remaining clones pushed forward, striking directly at the enemy's core formation.
"Kekkei Genkai? Crystal Release?"
"Not bad."
"But let's see if it can withstand my Kubikiribōchō."
Jūzō was a battle-hardened fighter. Seeing his opponent's technique, he grew excited and charged forward, swinging his massive blade.
"Hmph, Kubikiribōchō?"
"When you're dead, it'll be mine!"
"Crystal Release: Wing Blade!"
Kazuyama went straight for Jūzō. The man had the guts to take on a Tailed Beast Ball head-on—he was worth testing in a fight.
Clang!
The Kubikiribōchō and the Wing Blade clashed. The crystal blade was incredibly durable, strong enough that even Jūzō's massive sword couldn't shatter it easily.
"Solid defense."
"Not bad."
Jūzō felt the hardness of the crystal and grinned with battle hunger. But in the next instant, he vanished, activating the Body Flicker Technique to reposition himself.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Four voices rang out at once as four massive water dragons surged toward Kazuyama with crushing force.
"Summoning Jutsu: Rashōmon!"
Kazuyama had no intention of retreating. He bit his finger and slammed his palm onto the ground.
Boom!
A massive Rashōmon gate erupted from the earth, blocking all four incoming water dragons.
"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"
"Hiramekarei—Release!"
Suddenly, Mangetsu burst from within one of the water dragons. Thanks to his Hydrification Technique, he had merged with the water and used it to get close.
Though the dragons had been stopped, the distraction allowed him to appear right in front of Kazuyama.
In his hands, he gripped the massive twin-bladed Hiramekarei, chakra surging around it as he shouted.
The blade's ability activated, releasing a massive chakra-formed weapon. That was Hiramekarei's true power—channeling chakra into raw, devastating force.
In Mangetsu's hands, the sword's destructive potential reached its peak. Combined with the immense strength his Hydrification Technique granted him, his swing tore through the air with a thunderous roar.
"Tch! A sneak attack? You little bastard, can't fight fair?"
"But you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Flying Thunder God!"
The Flying Thunder God Technique activated. Kazuyama's figure vanished in an instant.
Earlier, he had already scattered his kunai across the battlefield—six of them, marking six strategic locations. Now, the real fight began.
...
Meanwhile, in the southern region of the Land of Fire...
At the site where Kazuyama had fought Raiga, several masked ANBU stood before a massive crater, exchanging uneasy glances.
"What kind of battle could have caused this level of destruction?"
"And where's the enemy's body?"
One ANBU muttered, staring into the deep impact zone.
The others remained silent, equally shaken by the scene before them.
"Record everything. We need to report this to Lord Hokage immediately."
"Understood, Captain."
Without delay, the ANBU began their withdrawal. What they had found here was too important—they had to return to the village at once.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake