The group of kids quickly surrounded Hayama and Itachi, preparing for combat. The sudden turn of events caught them off guard. They hadn't expected the arm dealers to become hostile.
"Who are you two really?" En Oyashiro asked, his voice laced with suspicion. He lowered his glass slightly, revealing his Ketsuryugan—his blood-red eyes scanning the two imposters. "I guess the real Toroi is already dead, then?"
As Hayama locked eyes with En Oyashiro, his body suddenly went limp. It was obvious that he had fallen under a Genjutsu. The world around him blurred, and his limbs refused to respond, leaving him vulnerable.
Itachi, noticing the situation, immediately activated his Sharingan, countering the Genjutsu. However, Hayama remained vulnerable, the effects of the jutsu leaving him weakened and unable to fight effectively.
Tokuma, who had been watching everything unfold, sprang into action. He leapt over Itachi and landed precisely, striking the ground with his Vacuum Palm. The resulting dust and debris explosion momentarily obscured the arm dealers' vision.
Without hesitation, Tokuma scooped Hayama onto his back and began retreating toward a safer location. As they moved, Enso appeared just in time, swiftly undoing the Genjutsu and restoring Hayama's consciousness.
"Thank god you guys acted quickly," Hayama muttered under his breath, his body still weak from the aftereffects of the Genjutsu. "Who knows what would've happened once En Oyashiro attacked?"
Hayama slowly regained his composure, but the lingering weakness from the Genjutsu was still evident. He glanced at his Genin team and made a decision. "Enso, you'll lead the team from here on out. Whether we fight or not is entirely up to you."
Enso flashed a wide grin, showing his teeth as he heard Hayama's command. "Itachi, prepare your Sharingan. I'll trust you to put those kids to sleep."
Itachi nodded, already calculating the situation. "But there are so many of them. I need to be close enough to cast Genjutsu."
Don't worry—Tokuma will bring them to you," Enso said with confidence. "Tokuma, take out the kids. I'll deal with the big ones. And stay sharp… watch for Genjutsu."
Without wasting a moment, Tokuma rushed forward, charging at the group of kids. Enso quickly unsheathed his dual blades, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to fight. He summoned his 'Vacuum Flash,' providing cover for Tokuma and ensuring that those kids' Shuriken wouldn't obstruct him.
En Oyashiro, observing the situation with cold calculation, was surprised to see two of the kids display a kekkei genkai. The sight intrigued him, but he would not allow any of them to escape unscathed. He had long desired to add the Sharingan and Byakugan to his collection.
Enso's technique proved to be more powerful than expected. Rather than simply knocking the kunai out of the air, his Vacuum Flash cut right through them, slicing a nearby tree cleanly in half.
Meanwhile, Tokuma charged forward, using the Gentle Fist style—a technique of the Hyuga clan—to strike at the chakra network of the enemy. With precision and speed, he delivered a series of blows that landed on eight of the kids simultaneously.
"Gentle Fist: Tenketsu Needle!" Tokuma called out, his hands moving in perfect sync. Eight of the kids were struck and immediately lost access to their chakra, collapsing to the ground. However, two managed to evade the technique, successfully deflecting Tokuma's strikes.
Itachi swiftly cast Genjutsu on the remaining kids, one after another, using his speed and Sharingan to subdue them.
En Oyashiro saw this and moved to intervene, but Enso was quick to block his path. He pointed his 'Vajra Blade' directly at the arm dealer, challenging him.
"Stop resisting," Enso said loudly, aimed at the kids. "We're here to deal with him. You can leave and regain your freedom."
En Oyashiro's eyes narrowed as he glared at Enso, his patience wearing thin. In a swift motion, he formed a claw with his right hand and slashed at Enso. Five lines of bloody slashes appeared, cutting through the air with deadly precision.
Enso leaned back to dodge the attack, but his eyes widened in shock as the blood claws cut cleanly through the air behind him, leaving a deep gash in a nearby tree. The power of the attack was nothing short of terrifying.
He hadn't expected such a high level of output from someone wielding the Ketsuryugan. The blood claws that En Oyashiro had unleashed were powerful enough to rival Enso's own 'Vacuum Flash,' an A-Rank technique. The realisation sent a chill down Enso's spine. He now remembered that this man had singlehandedly wiped out the Chinoike Clan.
"Deal with me?" En Oyashiro said casually, almost as if he were amused by the confrontation. "Kids, are you daydreaming?"
"Try me, old man!" Enso shouted, his voice brimming with defiance. He swiftly unleashed Wind Style: Vacuum Wave—a powerful blast that tore through the surrounding trees, scattering debris in all directions. En Oyashiro was forced to retreat slightly, surprised by the sheer strength behind the technique. This kid hadn't wasted a single drop of chakra and was already wielding such a high-level jutsu with ease.
Chino and Nowaki, taking advantage of the opening, immediately launched their attack on Tokuma. The two of them moved with surprising coordination, their skills flowing seamlessly. Tokuma, however, was no slouch. With his Byakugan, he dodged and countered their blows with Gentle Fist. Calm and composed, he held his ground with ease, pushing back against the two of them without so much as breaking a sweat.
Itachi moved quickly, using his superior speed and Sharingan Genjutsu to put the other eight kids down, neutralising them one by one. With the children incapacitated, he turned his attention to Chino, narrowing his gaze slightly.
Without delay, Itachi parried Chino's kunai, giving Tokuma some breathing room and a chance to focus on his fight with Nowaki. Surprisingly, Nowaki was able to exchange blows with Tokuma on relatively equal footing, using his Typhoon Release to match Tokuma's speed, precision, and Vacuum Palm. Their battle seemed evenly matched at first, but Tokuma was soon forced onto the defensive as he adjusted his strategy to counter Nowaki's relentless attacks.
The four combatants moved farther away from the trading location, leaving the eight unconscious children behind. Their battle intensified with each passing second, the clash of jutsu and steel ringing in the distance.
Amid the chaos, Hayama saw his chance.
He moved in quickly, slipping between the fallen children with precision. His hands worked fast, instinctively locking handcuffs on each one to make sure they couldn't escape.
Once the last child was secured, Hayama paused and took a deep breath to recover from the mental strain. The lingering effects of the Genjutsu clouded his mind, but he knew the battle wasn't over yet.
Meanwhile, En Oyashiro and Enso were locked in their own fierce battle. Unfazed by the chaos unfolding around them, En Oyashiro formed a pair of blood-red swords and charged at Enso.
However, to his surprise, the kid pushed him back more than once during their exchange. It quickly became clear that Enso's Kenjutsu skills were far beyond what En Oyashiro had anticipated from someone so young.
Despite the overwhelming power of the blood-red blades, capable of cutting through steel with a single strike, Enso remained unfazed. His Dynamic Blade Style, a blend of offensive power and fluid movement, kept him just out of reach of En Oyashiro's blood blades. He expertly parried and dodged, his footwork and agility keeping him one step ahead.
As the battle progressed, En Oyashiro's attacks grew more aggressive, and his blood manipulation techniques became increasingly intricate and powerful. His strikes were fast, each one carrying a deadly edge. However, Enso's superior speed and his unconventional use of the Wind Chakra style allowed him to maintain the upper hand. By employing Gale Palm, he disrupted his opponent's rhythm, keeping En Oyashiro off balance.
In a sudden shift, En Oyashiro raised his hand and swiftly formed a set of hand signs. "Water Release: Hail!" he called out. Instantly, the sky seemed to darken as water droplets began to fall, each infused with his chakra. The technique was so powerful that it even triggered natural rain, amplifying the effect of his jutsu.
Without hesitation, Enso activated his own technique, "Wind Style: Shield of Wind Count," summoning a powerful barrier of wind to block the onslaught of hail. The raindrops hit his shield with tremendous force, but the wind shield absorbed the impact, leaving Enso unharmed. However, En Oyashiro was not done yet. With a cold smile, he formed another hand sign.
"Water Release: Falling Rain Needles," En Oyashiro smirked, his gaze filled with malice. As he completed the technique, his chakra spread across the raindrops, transforming each one into an ultra-thin needle. These needles shot toward Enso in a relentless barrage. The sheer quantity and weight of the needles overwhelmed his defences. While they didn't cause significant physical damage, they succeeded in restraining Enso, holding him in place and preventing any free movement.
Enso gritted his teeth, realising that the situation was becoming increasingly dire. He couldn't let his guard down, not even for a second. En Oyashiro raised his hand once more, a dark grin crossed his face. "Drilling Blood Spear," he said. The blood spear shot forward with incredible speed, its tip spinning like a drill, aiming to pierce Enso's defences.
The spear crashed into Enso's wind shield with enough force to shatter it, sending him flying backward. The impact was so powerful that Enso felt his body slam against the ground. If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes and his use of "Tsubamaru: Sticky Spider Gold" at the last moment, he would have been impaled by the spear. Instead, the sticky substance enveloped him, cushioning the blow just enough to save his life.
For the first time, Enso experienced genuine shock. The attack was S-Rank, rivalling Kakashi's Raikiri in power.
Struggling to his feet and adjusting his dislocated shoulder, Enso felt the internal tremors from the impact, causing blood to leak from the corner of his mouth. His wind shield had failed, and he realised his usual tactics might not be enough to overcome the overwhelming destructive force of En Oyashiro's abilities.
En Oyashiro, standing tall in front of him, seemed almost smug. "It seems like you're not so invincible anymore, kid," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Tell me your name."
Despite the pain and shock from the previous attack, Enso remained calm. His expression was cold as he met En Oyashiro's gaze, then replied with a sharp question of his own, "Why does a dead man talk so much?"
En Oyashiro chuckled, clearly amused by Enso's response. He quickly formed a series of hand signs, and with a swift motion, eight makeshift blood tentacles shot out from his body, lashing toward him. In response, Enso slashed continuously, his blade cutting through the air with precision as he called out, "Vacuum Flash: Rampage!"
Enso quickly realised he had underestimated his opponent. He had assumed his immunity to Genjutsu would give him the upper hand, but En Oyashiro's S-Rank techniques and nearly equal blade skills proved otherwise. The versatility of his techniques and his fluid adaptation kept Enso on the defensive.
En Oyashiro calmly created eight more blood swords, using blood tentacles to close in on Enso. With the added limbs, his speed and mobility skyrocketed, making it increasingly difficult for Enso to maintain control.
Enso attempted a direct clash, but was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of blades. The battle shifted as En Oyashiro set the pace, using the octopus limbs to create a variety of attack combinations. Enso dodged most of the blows but knew that even a single strike from the blood blades could end the fight.
Forced to retreat, Enso stepped on air to escape the deadly reach of the blades. En Oyashiro, however, remained relentless. He formed a hand sign, and the blood octopus limbs transformed into blood wings, propelling him forward with speed rivalling Enso's Void Step.
Enso blocked the incoming attack and used his Ashigaru technique to absorb the impact, redirecting the force and creating some distance between them.
Enso didn't run aimlessly; his goal was clear—he needed time to heal his wound using Mystic Palm. The two combatants had landed back on the ground, but the difference was that Enso no longer suffered from internal injury.
"You're not the only one with S-Rank techniques," Enso said calmly, his voice steady despite the intensity of the battle. He decided it was time to test out his new Lightning Release. Inspired by Kakashi, he applied Lightning Nature Transformation to his 'Severing Blade.' Dark lightning flickered around his body, deadly and silent, as Enso condensed it into a new technique: 'Dark Lightning: Severing Blade.' The energy surged through his Vajra Blade with power that could cut through everything in its path.
This was one of the two techniques he had derived from Chakra Scalpel, the one his mother had forbidden him to use under normal circumstances.
En Oyashiro, sensing the imminent danger, quickly transformed his Blood Wings into eight octopus-like arms, each wrapping tightly around the blades. With a swift motion, he pointed them in eight different directions, unleashing his technique: "Blood Dance: Spinning Death." The blood-laced limbs spun with deadly intent toward his opponent.
Enso reacted instantly, matching the attack with his own: "Origin Flash: Rampage." His sword, now coated with the S-Rank 'Dark Lightning: Severing Blade,' collided with the blood arms and blades, evaporating them instantly with a surge of lightning release energy.
En Oyashiro felt the overwhelming danger of Enso's Vajra Blade and, sensing the battle's shift, leapt backwards to put distance between them. Without wasting a moment, he quickly performed a summoning jutsu.
Enso didn't let up, charging forward with a burst of speed, using 'Void Step' and 'Body Flicker.' His movement outpaced even Shisui's, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of En Oyashiro.
"Tsubamae Gaeshi!" Six sword slashes erupted in an instant. Enso had no concern for whatever En Oyashiro was summoning—he was confident that once he executed this technique, it would be the end.
Blood erupted like a fountain as a human body was sliced cleanly into six pieces. To his surprise, it wasn't En Oyashiro he had struck down, but Nowaki, the man who had been fighting Tokuma earlier.
Enso's eyes narrowed in confusion, he had made a mistake.
"Motherfucker, how dare you use a human as a shield for your worthless life," he roared, his voice trembling with fury. He had killed someone he was meant to protect—someone who had no reason to die here, not like this.
His fists clenched tightly around the hilt of his blade. He couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself. His overconfidence had cost a life. If only he had stopped the summoning process first, Nowaki wouldn't have had to die.
Saving those children had been part of his plan, and now En Oyashiro had ruined it. He had never expected a man of such skill to commit such a cowardly act, using a kid as a human shield. From the moment he had laid eyes on Nowaki and Chino, he had hoped to use the two to help build his organisation.
Enso gently closed Nowaki's eyes, staring at En Oyashiro with intense hatred.
"I'll torture him with your jutsu, Nowaki—just for you," Enso muttered quietly to himself as he absorbed the soul, gaining Typhoon Release in the process.
En Oyashiro tried to run with all his might. He could sense it—the sword technique had surpassed the confines of space and time. But one of the Vajra Blades flew from behind and struck his back leg with precision, pinning him face down to the ground.
The blade was so heavy that it completely immobilised him. Enso grabbed him by the hair, lifting his head to meet his gaze with eyes so cold they seemed to pierce the soul.
'Typhoon Release: Consecutive Bursting Strong Winds!' Enso struck the bird seal, summoning a ferocious gust that tore through En Oyashiro's lower half. The blast shattered his body and sent his Vajra Blade flying, embedding it deep into a nearby tree.