Chapter 62: Iai Slash
In an instant, sixteen black ritual spears cut through the air!
Tsukasa's pupils suddenly contracted, and he closed his eyes, instinctively predicting the jet-black spears' trajectories.
The next moment, he immediately activated Earth Release: Earth Spear, channeling earth-attribute chakra to the areas of his body about to be struck,
Hardening them locally!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sixteen powerful dark spears struck Tsukasa with resounding impacts like metal striking stone.
Though they caused no actual damage, the momentum drove his feet backward through the ground, carving two furrows over a meter long.
Tsukasa opened his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Tch, my momentum's been stopped."
Furthermore,
Earth Release: Earth Spear—a B-rank ninjutsu that maximized defensive power—also had its drawbacks.
Hardening his body inevitably caused it to become rigid and inflexible.
Without time to dwell on this, the sixteen Jashin Cult elites drew their dark spears again, preparing for a second barrage.
Almost simultaneously, footsteps echoed from behind.
The twelve Jashin Cult elites from the fortress wall had already caught up, trapping him on the short, flat stretch between the underground cave entrance and the outer wall.
Without advantageous terrain, he couldn't use wire threads to pull himself forward or burst into high-speed movement—he could only charge straight ahead.
But why were the twelve people from the wall now in front of him?
"Shadow Clones, or Transformation Jutsu?"
Tsukasa frowned slightly, then focused his gaze on the sixteen ahead.
His two-tomoe Sharingan, already possessing enhanced perception,
Revealed the truth.
The twelve behind him showed normal chakra flow with nothing unusual about them in his vision.
However, twelve of the sixteen ahead wore a disguise—a thin veil of chakra coating them, likely indicating Transformation Jutsu.
To confirm his intelligence assessment, he mentally accessed the system notifications and took a quick glance.
As expected, the Heart of Steel's combat log indicated that twenty-eight Jashin Cult members had expressed hostility toward him.
In other words, a total of twenty-eight Jashin Cult members—all real combatants.
Add to that the massive forces on the fortress walls.
Tsukasa took a deep breath, shock surging through his heart.
This was clearly abnormal.
How could a small cult organization grow this large and powerful in such a short period?
Besides the Five Great Nations, the only other faction Tsukasa could think of that could gather this many ninja in the Land of Hot Water so quickly was the village known as "the village that forgot war"—
Yugakure.
Had the Jashin Cult recruited all of Yugakure's forces?
But Tsukasa clearly remembered that in the original timeline, only Hidan had appeared as a Jashin Cult member.
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes and exhaled deeply. He had no time to investigate these deeper mysteries and immediately began formulating a counterstrategy.
Now, surrounded from both sides, if he simply defended, he would only waste time here, ultimately unable to reach the boss, let alone complete his mission.
To break through, he had no choice but to charge forward—which
Meant he couldn't rely on Earth Spear that would stiffen his body.
So,
He had no choice but to gamble!
With determination blazing in his eyes, Tsukasa decisively drew the katana hanging from his left hip.
A running slash capable of deflecting projectiles—this was a technique Tsukasa had witnessed before!
It was similar to a technique from legends—a swift blade technique.
It was the same arc of light wielded by Uchiha Setsuna, the Great Elder, that night they'd traveled to the Land of Hot Water.
That crescent-shaped blade light. Tsukasa
Quickly formulated his battle strategy.
It was simple, no frills.
Straight gamble! A bet on whether he could, in a short time, replicate that devastating strike
That his Sharingan had recorded!
Win, and he'd break through enemy lines and advance to the boss chamber for a true one-on-one death match!
Lose, and he'd have to retreat in tears.
He shifted his stance slightly, closed his eyes, and gripped the katana's handle with both hands, dragging the blade tip against the ground as he slowly moved forward.
A hazy sensation washed over him,
As if he were transported back to that night when their three-man team sat silently around the campfire.
This time, he stood in Uchiha Setsuna's position.
He watched the two young ninja's argument with detached calm, then, at the climax of their conflict, slowly grasped the sword at his side.
Drew his blade, stepped forward, and swung!
Whoosh!
Tsukasa leaned forward, sword in hand, charging ahead!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sixteen pitch-black spears tore through the air, covering fifty meters in an instant, hurtling toward him with overwhelming force!
Opening his eyes, the twin tomoe within spun rapidly.
Tsukasa leaped high, instinctively unleashing a powerful overhead slash!
The blade descended, deflecting an incoming pitch-black spear for leverage, then twisted again.
Clang!
Sparks flew everywhere!
Tsukasa's hand gripping the handle felt slight numbness. He sensed something faint, but it wasn't enough. The condensed arc of chakra dissipated as soon as it formed.
Perhaps his chakra distribution along the blade was uneven.
Landing again, he instinctively rolled across the ground, dodging seven or eight pitch-black spears.
The spears embedded in the ground. Tsukasa grasped one by its smooth handle and used it to launch himself up, dashing forward once more.
By then, the twelve Jashin Cult elites were already in position behind him.
Tsukasa suddenly felt a tingling at the back of his skull and ducked his head.
A Wind Release: Wind Cutter blast shot past,
Followed by a barrage of ninjutsu and pitch-black spears.
Tsukasa gritted his teeth and launched four shuriken.
The shuriken pulled Earth Grudge Fear threads, entangling one of the pitch-black spears and creating an opening for him to roll through.
Seeing this, the leading Jashin Cult elite narrowed his eyes and immediately commanded,
"Volley fire! Two consecutive rounds!"
He then personally drew a jet-black spear,
Glaring at Tsukasa while infusing the black spear with Lightning Release chakra, preparing to deliver a fatal strike.
As soon as he finished speaking,
A rain of spears descended upon Tsukasa in two consecutive waves.
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes slightly, leaning forward to meet the storm of black spears. He gripped the katana handle tightly with both hands. Chakra, flowing through the Chakra Flow technique, surged through the blade, illuminating a blue arc like moonlight.
Draw the blade, step forward, and swing!
One more time!
A notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[You have mastered Uchiha-Style: Iai Slash (Beginner, B-Rank)]
At that moment,
Behind the Jashin Cult elite formation, a girl with long, auburn hair emerged from beyond the fortress wall, leaping down while forming rapid hand seals in mid-air.
Ox-Boar-Tiger-Ox-Rat-Dragon!
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"
Then, she formed the final seal and struck the ground fiercely. A youthful voice, clear as a silver bell, rang out across the battlefield.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide!"
The next instant,
The ground from her palm's point of contact to beneath the Jashin Cult members' feet shattered into fragments, rock and soil lifted by tremendous force surging from below.
A vast, corrosive river of Lava Release, billowing white acidic steam, erupted forth!
End of Chapter 62
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