"Die!"
Mizushima Kenzō charged forward with fierce momentum, determined to avenge his earlier defeat.
Maruboshi Kosuke's eyes turned cold. He raised his ninja sword and lightly swung it. No one noticed as countless illusions of the blade emerged, blending together like willow branches dancing in the breeze.
"Huh?!"
Kenzō was shocked to find his body suddenly immobilized by an unknown force.
Genjutsu!
The next second.
Maruboshi Kosuke vanished instantly, reappearing with his blade already slashing across Mizushima Kenzō's neck. Kenzō collapsed, his lifeless eyes frozen in terror.
An effortless kill.
This was Kosuke's ultimate technique — Leaf-Style Willow — a combination of genjutsu and swordsmanship. With one move, he instantly killed Mizushima Kenzō before anyone could even react.
"Third brother!"
Shin'ichi Mizushima and Hideji Mizushima were furious beyond words after witnessing the scene.
"Kill him!"
Without needing their orders, the group of Mizushima Clan ninja stormed forward with killing intent, aiming to tear Maruboshi Kosuke apart.
Seeing this, Kosuke quickly pulled out a shuriken from his ninja tool pouch. Facing the charging Rain Village ninja, he threw it straight ahead.
At the same time, his hands moved rapidly through hand seals — Ox, Dog, Dragon, Rat... finally ending with Tiger. The seal completed!
[Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!]
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
In an instant, the single shuriken thrown by Kosuke multiplied midair — one became two, two became four, four became eight... until hundreds of shuriken filled the sky like rain, pelting down upon them all.
Amidst continuous screams of pain, over forty Mizushima Clan ninja were pierced through, transformed into human pincushions.
The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique was an A-rank jutsu created by the Third Hokage, who held the title "Professor of Ninjutsu." It was most suitable for situations where one fought against many, inflicting massive casualties unexpectedly.
After Kosuke killed dozens of enemies in one move, the Mizushima Clan ninjas were deeply shocked. For a moment, no one dared to step forward.
Why? Why is this Konoha genin capable of such terrifying ninjutsu?
They stared in horror, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
However, before they could recover, a surge of powerful chakra burst onto the battlefield.
It was Might Duy.
"My years of training will finally be put to the test today, Might Duy!"
Might Duy said slowly. At this moment, he had already opened the Eight Gates' Opening Gate, Healing Gate, and Life Gate. His body flushed red from increased blood flow, radiating surging waves of green chakra.
"Young Master Heiyan, I'll go assist Senior Kosuke and hold off these enemies. You make your escape quickly!"
Might Duy turned back toward Heiyan, flashing that signature smile of his as he revealed a row of white teeth. Then he turned his head again, replacing the smile with a fierce battle aura.
Harm Gate — OPEN! Limit Gate — OPEN!
Might Duy immediately forced open up to the fifth gate. His skin flushed deep crimson, surrounded by a fierce aura of green chakra. His rising battle pressure resembled a wrathful war deity glaring down at the world.
His gaze locked onto Mizushima Hideji in the crowd.
Boom!
He stamped the ground and vanished in an instant. The sheer speed of his movement stirred up the air and lifted debris from the surface beneath him.
The Mizushima ninja in his path were thrown into chaos, scattered like pins before a bowling ball.
"What?!"
Before Hideji could react, Might Duy was already upon him. Bending low with half his body lowered to the ground, he launched upward with a powerful kick aimed straight at Hideji's jaw.
[Shadow of the Dancing Leaf]!
Duy sent Hideji soaring high into the sky before leaping after him. As Hideji helplessly flailed midair, Duy clenched both fists together into a hammerfist strike and slammed downward.
Boom!
Hideji crashed down like an artillery shell, smashing into the earth with a craterous impact that left his body twisted beyond recognition—undoubtedly dead.
A perfect combo had taken out another opponent instantly.
Of the Mizushima brothers, yet another had fallen. In an instant, only Mizushima Shin'ichi remained.
"Burn!"
Roaring toward the heavens, Might Duy charged back into the fray at speeds beyond the eye's tracking, leaving behind only a streak of green mist hurtling across the battlefield like a jade-furred predator.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As dull impacts echoed across the scene, Mizushima clan ninja flew backward like sacks of potatoes. Not a single one could endure so much as a single strike from Might Duy.
"Kill that brat first!"
Terrified by Kosuke Maruboshi and Might Duy, the remaining ninja shifted their focus toward Heiyan, hoping to either kill or capture him as leverage against the two warriors.
In their minds, though Kosuke and Might Duy were officially still Genin, their ages suggested they might be hiding their true power—potentially surpassing ordinary Jonin.
But Heiyan appeared barely teenage, fresh-faced and inexperienced looking. Surely he couldn't possibly rival those two?
Yet the truth soon shattered their assumptions.
Actually, Heiyan's sensor abilities had long detected the approaching Mizushima force. If he'd warned them in time, there was no way their trio would have been surrounded.
That is, assuming they were willing to abandon these villagers.
Heiyan knew without a doubt that neither Kosuke nor Might Duy would ever do such a thing.
Moreover, Heiyan understood clearly that given their combined strength, this seemingly mighty Mizushima clan—despite its impressive numbers—posed little actual threat.
Indeed, the overwhelming combat prowess demonstrated by Kosuke Maruboshi and Might Duy had already confirmed this.
Now, it was Heiyan's turn to act.
Thus, facing dozens of Rain Village ninja, Heiyan slowly unsheathed his ninjato, channeling Lightning Release chakra into it. Instantly, the blade glowed with brilliant blue light.
[Chidori Blade]!
His eyes swept the battlefield, finally settling on a Chunin positioned near the edge of the conflict.
"Zzzzt!"
The next moment, electricity surged around his legs. With a deafening crack, his figure vanished, reappearing right beside that Chunin.
[Chidori Shunshin]!
Like a ghost materializing out of thin air, Heiyan slashed downward with incredible force.
Panicked and caught off guard, the Chunin hastily raised a kunai to block. Yet faced with a blade enhanced by Chidori Blade, the kunai snapped clean in two with a sharp "kacha!"
Moreover, after slicing through the kunai, Heiyan's blade continued its relentless arc and struck down the Chunin. Blood erupted into the sky.
However, at such close range, not a single drop splattered onto Heiyan.
Because in the instant he killed his opponent, he immediately activated [Chidori Shunshin], transforming into a streak of lightning that reappeared on the other side of the battlefield.
"Ahh!"
Another Chunin screamed as he fell beneath Heiyan's sword.
Heiyan had learned swordsmanship from Kosuke Maruboshi. With the enhancements of Chidori Blade and Chidori Shunshin, his skills surpassed even his teacher's, forming a unique fighting style of his own.
His techniques, while not as flashy as those of Kosuke Maruboshi or Might Duy, were equally deadly.
Additionally, Heiyan possessed one major advantage—endurance.
With Sage Transformation, his vitality and regeneration abilities were extraordinary. He barely felt fatigue. Dozens of enemies meant nothing to him; even surrounded by hundreds, he would still feel no fear.
Whoosh!
Like a Shinigami, Heiyan casually wove between enemies. Each time he appeared, he claimed another life with his ninja blade.
Within just a few minutes, he'd already taken down over thirty ninjas from the Mizushima Clan.
At that moment, Kosuke Maruboshi, Might Duy, and Heiyan cut through the chaos, each carving his own path—until they finally converged, three forces now united as one unstoppable force.
Forming an even more formidable strength.
"Fighting alongside you is truly my honor!"
Though visibly exhausted, Kosuke Maruboshi looked radiant.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined both Might Duy and Heiyan possessed such astonishing power. Especially Might Duy—the visual impact of the Eight Gates was simply overwhelming.
Right now, under their combined assault, the number of Mizushima Clan ninjas had dropped from over a hundred to only about twenty remaining.
Of the three Mizushima brothers, two had already fallen, leaving only Shin'ichi Mizushima as the last survivor.
"Curses! Where did these Konoha Genin come from? Are they all monsters?"
Shin'ichi Mizushima stepped backward, his face pale as he cursed angrily.
"Retreat!"
Shin'ichi Mizushima growled lowly. Completely abandoning any thoughts of avenging his brothers, he fled like a beaten dog, leading only a handful of surviving subordinates.
"Don't rush."
Kosuke Maruboshi stopped the hot-blooded Might Duy. Though victorious after fierce combat, they'd also suffered considerable exhaustion. Chasing recklessly would be too risky.
Once Shin'ichi Mizushima and his men crossed the border into the Land of Rain, they'd use the familiar terrain to their advantage. They could easily lose their pursuers—and even turn the tables with a counterattack.
As the old saying goes: never chase a desperate enemy.
Heiyan agreed with Kosuke Maruboshi's judgment.
Because suddenly, he sensed an extremely terrifying chakra rapidly closing in on their location.
Furthermore, that chakra had locked onto everyone present...
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