"Phew... I'm still not practiced enough!"
This move was truly a hassle. Its small-scale strangulation control was incredibly strong, making it impossible for enemies to guard against or escape.
However, once the range became too large, problems started to arise. The same applied to the Time · Annihilation in his right eye; the preparation time was long, even if the power was staggering.
I still need more training!
He didn't expect it to be instantaneous, but it needed to erupt in the shortest time possible. Otherwise, once an enemy figured out the pattern, it would become somewhat redundant.
He couldn't afford to stop after killing only a few people every time he used it. If he encountered a massive army, he would exhaust himself to death.
"Gulp..."
Although Ronin made no further move, the surviving Mist Ninja watched him as he shook his head. They swallowed hard, their eyes bulging with tension.
In that second, no one dared to step forward and shout for his death. Their previous fury had been utterly replaced by boundless terror.
If Ronin had killed those people through a direct, constant assault, they wouldn't have felt this level of dread. But for one single move to wipe out so many at once... that was enough to strike fear into anyone's heart.
"Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!!!"
The enemy was afraid, but Ronin wasn't about to stop. A massive sphere of swirling chakra appeared in his left hand. To the already terrified Mist Ninja, only one thought remained:
Run!!!
In this day and age, fleeing a battle wasn't considered shameful. As long as there was no absolute order to stand, running away when outmatched was only natural. No one was crazy enough to fight a losing battle to the death unless they had to.
Furthermore, the commanding Third Mizukage had yet to arrive, which only fueled the panic.
While Ronin couldn't quite match the freakish speed of Minato or the Third Raikage, he was still faster than the vast majority of people when using the Body Flicker Technique. Strictly speaking, this was Ronin's first time using the Rasengan against an actual enemy.
"Damn it!! He's coming again!!!"
A Ninjutsu that could be used without hand seals nearly made the Mist Ninjas' eyes pop out of their heads. Even with just a slight sensation of its power, they knew how great a threat the thing was.
Boom!!!
Ronin rushed into the crowd with a cold sneer. The Rasengan detonated directly, sending a dozen Mist Ninja who had huddled together in their nervous attempt to evade flying amidst a chorus of screams.
Some of the ninja further back didn't die instantly, but they were left covered in wounds, lying on the ground and wailing in agony.
These continuous screams only served to spread the pervasive sense of dread.
"Summoning Technique!!!"
At the rear of the crowd, Mangetsu Hōzuki quickly bit his finger and slammed his palm onto the ground. A massive scroll appeared.
"Hiramekarei!!!"
No one could have guessed that Mangetsu, this genius of the Hidden Mist Village, possessed the ability to summon the weapons of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Few people paid attention to him; most only knew him as a genius destined for an early grave, and his true abilities remained largely a mystery.
"Huh...?"
Ronin, who was in the middle of hunting down the demoralized Mist Ninja, suddenly came to a halt. He turned his head and stared at Mangetsu at the back of the crowd, specifically at the weapon in his hand the dual-bladed Hiramekarei!!!
Ronin remembered clearly that this thing should have been in Konoha!
Of the five blades captured, Ronin had taken the Kubikiribōchō for himself. The other weapons, aside from the two taken by the survivors, had basically stayed behind. Yet now, Hiramekarei had appeared here.
"Mangetsu Hōzuki?"
Looking at the man who bore a striking resemblance to Suigetsu Hōzuki, Ronin thought of that specific person the Mist genius with the scroll capable of summoning the ninja blades.
No wonder he could summon Hiramekarei. If that was the case, he could summon the other blades as long as he wished, including the Kubikiribōchō in Ronin's own hand.
"You know me?"
Mangetsu tightened his grip on Hiramekarei, looking at Ronin with total vigilance. Unlike others who might carelessly underestimate Ronin, Mangetsu would not.
The strength Ronin had just displayed was enough for Mangetsu to treat him with absolute seriousness.
"I know of you," Ronin said with a slight smile. Covered in blood, his grin looked nothing short of hideous and terrifying.
"A genius of the Hidden Mist... it's a pity you don't have long to live. The taste of being haunted by illness isn't pleasant, is it?"
Ronin only knew about Mangetsu because of his younger brother, Suigetsu, during Sasuke's time in his past life. That was the only way he found out the Hōzuki Clan had such a genius, though he died young.
Others might not know, but Ronin knew this guy was the type to die early, just like Kimimaro under Orochimaru.
Heaven was jealous of geniuses; he was plagued by a terminal illness and was destined to die in dejection!
Of course, the fanatic Kimimaro was an exception. Even as Orochimaru prepared to take his body, he remained willing to fight to the death for him.
Does Orochimaru really have that much charisma? Why haven't I felt it?
"You!!!" Mangetsu's eyes widened! He couldn't believe Ronin knew something that only a few close relatives were aware of that his health was failing.
"Hiramekarei... what a shame. Konoha just locked it up, and now it's back in your hands. I suppose even this Kubikiribōchō can't be kept forever. How's that for a headache?"
Ronin's words caused the Mist Ninja to tremble even more. In their hearts, they cursed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who had gone to the rear of the Land of Fire to carry out sabotage. Mangetsu had only stayed behind because of his health; otherwise, he would have been among those being cursed.
"Is that so? I don't find it particularly troublesome," Mangetsu replied calmly, lifting Hiramekarei without a hint of fear. "In fact, I think using it against Konoha ninja will be much more interesting."
"Interesting fellow."
Ronin laughed heartily, then raised the Kubikiribōchō and slammed it hard into the ground.
Clang!!!
Because of Ronin's immense strength, the blade of the Kubikiribōchō vibrated violently, making it look as if it might snap at any second.
"Tell the Third Mizukage that this is my gift to him. No need to thank me. Also, deal with these corpses properly. I know you're used to being surrounded by rotten fish and seafood all year round, so you might not care, but starting a plague would be bad. After all, you've traveled thousands of miles to get here; if an epidemic breaks out, a lot of people might die!"
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