In a forest within the snowy plains of the Land of Iron, a fierce battle was unfolding, pitting master swordsmen against each other in a clash of exquisite blade techniques!
Clang, clang, clang.
The sharp sound of metal striking metal pierced through the howling blizzard, echoing endlessly through the woods.
Moments later, with a spray of blood, another armored samurai from the Land of Iron fell to the ground. Steaming blood seeped from the gaps in his armor, staining the pristine snow red.
If one zoomed out, they would see the forest littered with the bodies of Land of Iron samurai, sprawled haphazardly across the ground.
Swish.
With a light flick of his blade, 'Kyokokukamusari,' Upper Moon Two slung a trail of blood onto the snow, leaving a crimson streak.
His expression cold and stern, Kokushibo addressed the samurai leader Mifune, who had been relentlessly hounding him. "Are you still intent on throwing your life away?"
Mifune, undeterred by the deaths of his comrades, declared, "This old man will never allow a vile creature like you to run rampant in the Land of Iron!"
"Vile? Hmph."
Kokushibo let out a dismissive snort.
Though he scorned Mifune's stubbornness, he didn't dare underestimate a swordsman of Mifune's caliber.
While the samurai of the Land of Iron in the shinobi world hadn't mastered the 'Breathing Technique' of the Demon Slayer world, their speed and strength, enhanced by chakra, were no less formidable than the Demon Slayer Corps' swordsmen.
Mifune, the standout among them, was a true rival!
Whoosh. Boom.
At that moment, a firework exploded in the distant sky.
A surviving Land of Iron samurai, seeing this, exclaimed with joy, "It's a signal flare from Hidden Stone Village! Their shinobi forces are nearby!"
Kokushibo also noticed the signal firework in the sky.
The thought of the Third Tsuchikage, that troublesome old man, brought a flicker of wariness to his eyes. The Tsuchikage's 'Dust Release' was simply too overbearing, disintegrating matter into a molecular state—something even the strongest flesh couldn't recover from.
In previous encounters with the Third Tsuchikage, Kokushibo had not only fled in disarray but also lost significant amounts of his fleshly power, which was why his condition had been poor. Confirming the Tsuchikage's position, he abandoned any pretense of pride and, without hesitation, turned and plunged into the snowstorm.
"He… he fled?"
The remaining Land of Iron samurai exchanged stunned glances.
Even Mifune hadn't expected Kokushibo to flee so decisively—almost frantically—upon seeing the Hidden Stone's signal flare.
One samurai asked, "General Mifune, should we pursue?"
Mifune pondered briefly before shaking his head. "With only our strength, I'm afraid we can't eliminate Upper Moon Two. Let's regroup with Hidden Stone's shinobi forces first!"
...
On the Snowy Plains.
Despite the snow reaching past his knees, Kokushibo maintained an astonishing speed as he dashed through the plains.
During his days on the run, he had gradually learned who he could provoke and who he couldn't, allowing him to evade multiple factions' pursuits time and again.
The Land of Iron's perpetual blizzards provided the perfect hiding spot for demons like him. Even during the day, the area was shrouded in gloom, with sunlight barely penetrating.
Suddenly, Kokushibo came to a halt.
His right hand rested on his sword as he warily eyed two figures blocking his path in the blizzard ahead. Though the snow obscured their features, he could make out the distinctive red-cloud cloaks billowing in the wind.
"Is the Akatsuki trying to use me as a test subject again!?"
Recognizing the cat and hawk masks as belonging to Akatsuki's 'A' and 'E'—who had hunted him before—Kokushibo's rage erupted.
The Akatsuki had toyed with him repeatedly, using him as a test subject, severely wounding his pride.
The last time, he had been sealed by their mysterious technique, only for them to deliberately release him and test another drug on him.
Such humiliation was unbearable!
Across from him, Sasuke also spotted Upper Moon Two's figure in the blizzard. The memory of nearly being killed by the demon last time filled him with shame and anger.
"Shinji, Yakumo, Upper Moon Two is mine!"
Muttering to himself, Sasuke raised his hands, preparing to unleash a ninjutsu.
Whoosh.
But before he could act, Kokushibo, without so much as a word, erupted with all his chakra and fleshly power, transforming into a streak of light and slashing toward Sasuke.
Caught off guard by the demon's preemptive strike, Sasuke was momentarily thrown off balance.
Clang.
In an instant, a piercing, ear-splitting sound rang out across the snowy plains!
When Sasuke saw the golden 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' enveloping him, barely blocking Upper Moon Two's all-out strike, a look of fear flashed across his masked face before twisting into a ferocious snarl. "Damn it!"
Having failed to land the blow, Kokushibo didn't linger. He swiftly fled the battlefield, disappearing into the blizzard with a few bounds.
Shinji dispelled his 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' and glanced at Sasuke.
It wasn't entirely Sasuke's fault for reacting slowly.
Sasuke was unaware that Shinji and Shion had later used Upper Moon Two for another drug test, which explained why the demon reacted so intensely, going all-out the moment they met, skipping even the usual pre-battle banter or probing.
Sasuke, having stayed at the Shinobi Academy, lacked combat experience and couldn't keep up with the relentless pace of a fugitive like Upper Moon Two, which was understandable.
Sensing Shinji's gaze, Sasuke said nothing, merely activating the 'Body Flicker Technique' with a whoosh and chasing after Upper Moon Two's escape route.
"Heh."
With a light chuckle, Shinji's figure flickered as he followed.
He had been slightly concerned that Upper Moon Two's poor condition might affect the drug test, but it seemed the demon had recovered somewhat—perfect for testing.
...
At the same time.
Mifune, the samurai leader of the Land of Iron, rendezvoused with the Hidden Stone shinobi forces led personally by the Third Tsuchikage.
After exchanging intelligence, the combined force immediately set out across the snowy plains, tracking Upper Moon Two's trail.
In another direction, the Fourth Raikage led Hidden Cloud's shinobi forces in a pincer movement.
At that moment, a Hidden Cloud intelligence ninja landed before the Raikage and reported, "Lord Raikage, we've just received word that Hidden Stone's forces have also arrived on these plains and are searching for Upper Moon Two's tracks!"
Without a moment's hesitation, the Fourth Raikage waved his hand decisively. "All forces, move out! We cannot let Upper Moon Two fall into Hidden Stone's hands!"
"Yes!"
The Hidden Cloud shinobis responded with a thunderous roar!