A slash, condensed like a strand of dark red hair, tore through the air. It was faster than the eye could follow.
Behind it, Hanzo, who had just shaken off the shockwave of Conqueror's Haki, suddenly felt a soul-piercing sword intent lock onto him. Instinctively, he channeled chakra into the ground and into the scythe chain in his hand.
"Earth Release, Hardening Technique!" he roared in his heart. The soil beneath his feet hardened like iron. The chain wrapped around his arm, forming a crude makeshift defense.
Pfft.
A soft, slicing sound.
Ryo's figure passed through the steel plate and appeared on the other side.
Behind him, the half-meter-thick alloy steel plate split open without a sound, revealing a smooth, gleaming crack. The edges shimmered with a dark red light. The massive slab slowly parted down the middle, and within the reflection of the cut appeared Hanzo's stunned face.
His pupils shrank to pinpoints. Cold sweat poured from his body. That dark red strand of light, the sword aura that sliced through the steel, had lost none of its momentum as it shot toward the space between his brows.
On the edge of the battlefield, the Ame-nin who witnessed the steel plate silently split drew a sharp breath. Their eyes widened in disbelief. That massive alloy plate, thick enough to block ninjutsu, had been sliced through so casually and effortlessly?
"What... what kind of slash was that?!" Fear took root.
Too fast. Too close. No time to dodge.
"Ahhh!" Hanzo howled, pouring all his will and chakra into the chain on his right arm. The chain went taut, intercepting the incoming line of death.
Clang.
A sharp metallic explosion rang out. Sparks erupted like a blast.
The moment the iron chain came into contact with the sword aura, the clash lasted less than a blink.
Riiip.
The sound of tearing metal.
The chain snapped like rope, severed cleanly by the sword aura. Fragments flew in all directions. That casual swing unleashed overwhelming destructive power, sending shockwaves through the air.
Tsunade's pupils shrank. As a top-tier taijutsu user, she could clearly sense the pure and overwhelming destructive force carried within that slash. There was no flashy jutsu name, no signature technique. It was just a plain swing. "Just... just a basic slash?! That power..." Her fist clenched involuntarily, a chill creeping across her heart.
The sword that cut through the chain dimmed slightly but did not slow, heading straight for Hanzo's face.
The shadow of death loomed.
Hanzo stopped thinking. His body instinctively arched back into a full bridge.
The sword aura grazed the top of his breathing mask. A sharp, cold sting pierced the bridge of his nose.
Crack.
A soft sound echoed.
The helmet atop Hanzo's head, symbol of the Amegakure leader, along with its strap, was sliced off and sent flying. It shattered in midair. A few strands of hair floated down.
Hanzo collapsed in the cold, muddy water. His mask was askew, exposing his twisted face. A thin line of blood seeped from his forehead, trickling down along his brow and mask.
He survived. But the final dignity of the so-called "Demigod" fell with that helmet.
The entire exchange happened within a second. Only when Ryo appeared on the other side of the steel plate and the helmet shattered did Hanzo finish his bridge motion.
The battlefield went dead silent.
"H-Hanzo-sama's... helmet..." one Ame-nin stammered, voice hoarse as if his throat had been gripped.
Seeing the man they revered as a god be knocked into the mud, bleeding from the forehead, his symbol of authority shattered, it was like a hammer smashing through the hearts of every Ame-nin.
Fear, disbelief, and despair engulfed them all.
"N-No way... how could Hanzo-sama... end up like this..." someone muttered, teeth chattering. "That guy... used only one sword strike?!
One Ame-nin who had previously been shouting now muttered in a daze, completely broken. "A monster... he's a real monster..."
"Even Hanzo-sama couldn't block just one of his casual strikes?" Another jōnin let his weapon fall limply, his eyes filled with confusion and despair. "Is this... the enemy we're facing? That kind of monstrous strength..."
Despair seeped into every corner of their ranks like poison.
At that moment, the toxic chakra orb in Ibuse's mouth finally stabilized under its anguished roar.
"Rrraaaaaghhhh!" Ibuse screamed in rage. It sensed its master's humiliation and danger. Its golden pupils turned blood red.
No hesitation. It unleashed the unstable, deep purple poison orb toward Ryo and Hanzo's position. It was a full-area annihilation blast.
The poison scattered like rain, covering the battlefield indiscriminately.
"Watch out!" Tsunade shouted. Her fists, glowing with green light, smashed into the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Jiraiya formed seals and slammed his hands into the ground. Gamabunta's cheeks bulged.
Orochimaru blurred into motion, sliding along the ground to evade the poisonous downpour.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Walls of earth and water rose at the battlefield's edge to block the poison. The toxic liquid hissed as it corroded the surfaces, white smoke rising. Though diluted, it didn't break through immediately, but it consumed chakra and created pressure.
Ryo didn't form any seals.
He flipped his wrist.
The Kusanagi Sword reversed and rose, positioned above his head like a shield.
A layer of flowing black energy, Armament Haki, expanded outward, covering above him. It extended from his arm like liquid metal, forming a seamless barrier.
Splatter. Splatter. Splatter.
Thick droplets of poison splashed against the sword and the barrier, bursting into purple-black blossoms.
Corrosive hissing filled the air. The black barrier rippled slightly but deflected nearly all the poison. Only a few drops made it through, splashing onto Ryo's shoulder and sleeve. His clothes were slightly eaten away, but the poison couldn't penetrate his skin.
Ryo didn't move. His left arm hung loose at his side, while his right hand held the Kusanagi Sword high, like a divine umbrella.
The black Armament Haki flowed across the blade, absorbing light. His ice-silver eyes stared coldly through the rain and poison at the still-reeling Hanzo, who had barely survived.
"It's over, Hanzo." Ryo' said calmly.
He slowly lowered the sword. The tip hovered above the puddle of poison.
He sank into a stance, left foot stepping forward slightly. The black Armament Haki boiled over the Kusanagi Sword, radiating invisible sharpness.
Hanzo's breath stopped. His heart clenched like a cold hand had grabbed it. The energy gathering on that sword was even sharper and more terrifying than when it had cut through steel, armor, and chains. It wasn't chakra charging up — it was him simply adjusting his stance, preparing to strike again. The premonition of death had never been clearer.
"Next round."
"I'll send you to the Pure Land."
Before the words had even finished—
The mud beneath exploded. Ryo shot forward like a cannon shell, becoming a dark red blur tearing through the rain. He was even faster. The aura of finality followed him like a blade of judgment toward the staggered Hanzo.
Ryo weaved through the swamp between Hanzo and Ibuse like a phantom. Every step left cracks or craters behind. With pure physical strength and Observation Haki foresight, Hanzo's Body Flicker was no better than stumbling in mud.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Hanzo gave up on attacking entirely. His seals left only afterimages as walls of water, dragons, and earth rose rapidly in front of him to stop the death-bound blade.
His green-gray silhouette flickered between the gaps, each motion tugging on fresh wounds, blood dripping with every breath.
He didn't dare block even one strike. The Kusanagi Sword's casual swings carried a will to cut through all things. Its grand aura easily sliced through the defenses, leaving behind dark traces in space.
His scythe chain was broken. His arm guard had been cut. His defenses were useless. Only his movement techniques and elemental walls gave him time.
Tsunade stared at Ryo's darting figure. Those ice-silver eyes seemed to see through everything.
Tsunade had sparred with Ryo before. She knew how monstrous her so-called student was. But now, the level he stood on gave her a completely new understanding of what "absolute power" meant. This wasn't something ninjutsu could reach.
"Hanzo-sama..." the Ame-nin at the edge of the battlefield felt their hearts being pierced. Their faces turned ghostly pale.
They had never seen their godlike leader flee in such a miserable state.
Every close call, every crumbling defense struck at their hearts. Ryo's sword didn't look flashy, but each strike broke their faith.
"Why... why can't he block it?! It's just a sword slash!" Despair, like a creeping poison swamp, drowned them. A jōnin who had dropped his weapon now trembled uncontrollably.
Ibuse raged like a beast. Its massive body moved with thunderous impact. The poisonous swamp surged. Its huge tail swept down repeatedly at Ryo's position, splashing sludge high into the air. Its jaws crashed down. Paralytic smoke billowed across the field, increasing pressure.
Yet Ryo moved between the two threats with perfect ease. His movements were sharp, efficient, and deadly.
Facing a sweeping tail, he didn't resist head-on. He tilted his body slightly, letting it brush past. The Kusanagi Sword swung along the momentum, carving a deep gash into the slimy scales. A minor explosion followed as Ibuse roared in pain.
Hanzo found an opening and sent a high-pressure water whip slicing in. Ryo flicked his wrist, the sword tip striking the whip's weakest point.
Snap. The water scattered. The aftershock gouged the ground.
Ryo stopped not far away, not pursuing. He slowly raised the Kusanagi Sword and flicked the blade with his finger.
The sound spread across the field, declaring the final strike was coming.
That sword cry struck every Ame-nin like a hammer. Their last defenses collapsed completely.
They looked at Hanzo, staggering to his feet, breath fading, covered in mud like a stray dog. Then they looked at Ryo, calm and still, his aura growing stronger. The gap was insurmountable.
"It's over... everything's over..." one fallen shinobi muttered, eyes filled with fear.
No hatred. No unwillingness. Only a helplessness that came from the soul.
The man holding the sword was like a mountain they could never climb, coldly crushing every trace of pride and belief they held.
Fear became their reality.
Then, in that split second—
A faint chakra fluctuation with a unique spatial frequency pierced through the rain.
Ryo froze in mid-charge.
The Kusanagi Sword stopped less than half a foot from Hanzo's chest.
His pupils narrowed sharply.
That chakra... it was Mikoto.
And she was sending out a full-powered summons.
Something had happened.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)