The fighting continued until evening, the setting sun staining the horizon a deep, bloodlike red.
It was as if the sky itself had been slaughtered.
Midway through the battle, Yagami swallowed his final Senzu bean.
In an instant, every aspect of his body returned to its peak. Strength, stamina, chakra—everything surged back to full.
Fear followed.
The Sand Shinobi fell one after another beneath his blade.
The seven hundred Sand Shinobi who had once surrounded Yagami had now been reduced to just over three hundred.
Blood pooled across the battlefield, forming a viscous, dreadful stream.
The stench in the air could no longer be described as "strong."
It was thick.
Every breath felt heavy, suffocating, as though blood itself had filled their lungs.
Puff. Puff.
Blood continued to spray.
The battle continued.
Yagami panted once more.
His stamina was draining again.
The Armament Haki coating his body shrank, retreating back to the surface of his skin.
His samurai robes were completely soaked, dyed crimson, blood still dripping steadily from the fabric.
It was as if he had been dragged straight out of a pool of blood.
The prolonged slaughter only deepened the murderous, brutal aura surrounding him.
Combined with the dark red of his battle suit, he looked less like a man—
—and more like a ghost crawling up from hell.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
Clatter!
A Sand Shinobi roared as he charged forward, shinobi sword raised high.
The moment the blade swung down—
Yagami caught it with his bare left hand.
Silence fell.
The Sand Shinobi surrounding them froze.
Because from Yagami's palm—
A thin line of blood slowly slid down the blade.
"He… he's hurt?!"
"Am I seeing things?!"
"No… he's really bleeding!"
Voices filled with disbelief rippled through the Sand Shinobi ranks.
After confirming it wasn't a mistake, cheers suddenly erupted.
Though the injury was insignificant—barely worthy of being called a wound—it was enough.
Hope ignited.
Yagami could bleed.
Which meant...
He could die.
"Kill him!!"
"Charge!!!"
The remaining Sand Shinobi surged forward with renewed frenzy.
Puff! Puff!
Yagami lifted his heavy arms once more and continued his merciless slaughter.
The violent aura eroded his emotions, leaving only fearlessness behind.
He didn't want to retreat.
He felt he could keep killing.
—
"No… I'm going to support him!"
Atop the walls of Kikyō City, Kushina watched Yagami fight on despite his exhaustion, anxiety flashing across her face.
Yagami had said earlier—he only had three Senzu beans.
He had used one himself, and during the battle, had recovered twice.
Which meant—
He had none left now.
"Wait—stop. I have a plan!"
Just as Kushina prepared to leap from the wall, Yuhi Shinku quickly reached out and stopped her.
Under her puzzled gaze, he pointed toward the rear of the Sand Shinobi formation.
"Even if we all rush in now, we'll still be at a numerical disadvantage."
"But their attention is completely focused on Yagami."
"So why don't we take this chance to circle around and capture Ebizō instead?"
"…!"
Kushina turned to look at Yagami, still fighting alone within the encirclement.
Then she lifted her gaze toward the Sand Shinobi rear.
After a brief hesitation, she gritted her teeth and nodded.
Breaking through the encirclement to rescue Yagami directly was far too difficult.
But if they could strike Ebizō—
The dozen or so Sand Shinobi guarding him wouldn't stand a chance against the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Seeing her agreement, Yuhi Shinku moved quickly.
He left two-thirds of the defending forces on the city walls under his deputy's command.
Then, leading just over thirty shinobi—
He and Kushina circled around the right side of the battlefield.
With the Sand Shinobi fully focused on the brutal slaughter at the center, and dusk darkening the sky, no one noticed them.
They slipped behind enemy lines with ease.
"Ebizō—are you ready to die?!"
"Your end is here, Ebizō!"
Their shouts rang out from the rear, meant to relieve some of the pressure crushing Yagami.
The Sand Shinobi surrounding the central battlefield turned in horror.
A Konoha force of more than thirty shinobi had somehow appeared behind them.
Straight toward Ebizō.
"Quick! Fall back and defend!!!"
Panic erupted.
The Sand Shinobi surrounding Yagami scattered instantly.
The pressure on him eased at last.
Yagami, breathing heavily, finally had space to stand.
—
"Lord Ebizō, run—!"
A Sand Shinobi guarding Ebizō shouted desperately while resisting Konoha's assault.
Before he could finish—
A chakra chain pierced straight through his body.
He was flung aside like a rag doll.
Worried for Yagami's safety, Kushina unleashed her full strength.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains danced freely through the air.
The Sand Shinobi guarding Ebizō were cut down in rapid succession.
It's over…
As the chains rushed toward him, despair filled Ebizō's heart.
He had been too focused on the battle ahead.
Just as he braced himself for death—
The chains wrapped tightly around his limbs instead, hoisting him high into the air.
"Don't move! Or I'll tear your Sunagakure elder into pieces!"
Kushina turned back, seeing Sand Shinobi still attempting to surround Yagami.
Her roar thundered across the battlefield like a furious guardian's cry.
"Ki—kill him! W-we must kill him…!"
We must get rid of the problem named Yagami.
Ebizō tried to shout orders, desperate to have them ignore him and finish Yagami instead.
But before he could speak another word—
The chakra chains tightened, completely sealing him.
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