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Ugo glared fiercely at Midorima. "Do you take me for a fool? Not just any medical ninja can harm me! I can still tell the difference between you and Tsunade."
Midorima raised his eyebrows—he was being underestimated.
But he couldn't blame Ugo.
Midorima had a clear understanding of his own abilities. Right now, he truly couldn't compare to Tsunade.
"Then let's test that theory… Tsunade-nee, those black tentacles can attack from a distance. I suggest targeting the masks on them first—destroy those, and they'll collapse. Otherwise, as long as they're around, you won't be able to kill that ugly thing," Midorima said.
"Got it." Tsunade's eyes locked onto Kakuzu. "Seems like you've already gathered some useful intel from probing them earlier."
"Of course. Otherwise, how would I deal with both of them?" A faint smirk crossed Midorima's face as he faced Ugo. Against an opponent like him, ordinary attacks were useless—the most effective weapon would be the chakra scalpel.
Ugo's gaze sharpened as he watched Midorima's chakra scalpel extend. He despised these damn medical ninja, but not just any medic could hurt him.
Seeing Midorima charge toward him, Ugo didn't dare hold back. His hands flew through a series of hand seals, and from his mouth, he spat out a barrage of fireballs aimed straight at Midorima.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Water surged beneath Midorima's feet, and his speed instantly increased.
Even if ordinary ninjutsu couldn't harm Ugo, it could still be used for support—like the "Wave Riding Attack."
Using the burst of speed, Midorima weaved through the incoming flames, closing the distance in an instant. Just as he was about to reach Ugo, the enemy ninja unleashed another fire technique.
Three fiery dragons erupted from Ugo's mouth, roaring toward Midorima from the left, center, and right—completely sealing off his escape routes.
Midorima twisted his body, barely avoiding the flames, but the scorching air itself felt like it was burning, making it hard to breathe.
High-level ninjutsu!
The thought flashed through Midorima's mind as he immediately countered with "Water Release: Water Pillar."
The collision of fire and water sent a shockwave of scalding steam billowing outward. The intense heat forced Midorima to shut his eyes.
[Analysis Lab activated. Analyzing "Fire Dragon Flame Bullet." Difficulty: B-rank. Success rate: 50%... Analysis complete. Technique deciphered.]
Midorima hadn't expected the Analysis Lab to successfully break down the "Fire Dragon Flame Bullet."
While this technique was nearly useless against Ugo, it would be invaluable in future battles.
Gritting his teeth against the searing pain of the steam, Midorima pushed forward—only to find over a dozen explosive-tagged kunai flying straight at him.
Ugo smirked. "Did you really think just any medical ninja could hurt me?"
"Then what do you think of this?!" Midorima's voice came from behind Ugo as his chakra scalpel stabbed into the enemy's back.
Ugo was sent flying several meters before crashing to the ground. Though his body showed no wounds, a sharp pain radiated from his chest, spreading through his entire body.
'Damn it… It's been so long since I've felt this kind of pain.'
Ugo clutched his chest, but before he could fully recover, Midorima was already in front of him again. The chakra scalpel had lengthened further, now resembling a short sword, and every slash aimed for a vital point.
"You're a medical ninja—how are you this good with a blade?!" Ugo blocked frantically, struggling to keep up.
By closing the distance, Midorima had rendered most of Ugo's fire techniques unusable. And with Midorima's speed surpassing his own, Ugo couldn't shake him off.
What shocked Ugo even more was the sheer ferocity of Midorima's attacks—far beyond what he had anticipated.
After barely deflecting a strike with his kunai, Ugo skidded back another four or five meters, exhaustion finally creeping into his movements.
"Seems like you really didn't do your research on me," Midorima said, cracking his neck. "I may be a medical ninja, but two months ago, in Kirigakure's selection tournament, I made it to the final 12. If I hadn't been framed by Igawa, I'd have had a 50% chance of becoming one of the new Seven Ninja Swordsmen. I'm a medic—but not just a medic."
If he hadn't been holding back his Wind Release to conceal his strength, advancing to the top 12 wouldn't have been so difficult.
Ugo's face darkened.
Of course he knew of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Even though four had died in battle against Konoha, that didn't mean they were weak. On the contrary, as Kirigakure's elite, their strength rivaled the strongest ninja of any village.
This damn brat… Not only is he a medical ninja, but he's also this strong?! Is this really a 25 million ryo bounty target?!
Ugo tried to create distance again, hurling a dozen kunai. When Midorima dodged them effortlessly, Ugo swiftly drew two shuriken and flung them the moment Midorima closed within two meters.
The spinning shuriken ignited mid-flight, flames growing larger as they neared Midorima.
Just as Midorima moved to evade, Ugo opened his mouth—a straight-line torrent of fire engulfed him.
"Hah…" Ugo exhaled in relief as he watched Midorima disappear into the flames. His nerves finally relaxed.
The Fire Dragon Technique had unmatched power and speed—its only flaw was its linear trajectory, making it easy to dodge.
But by using the shuriken as a distraction, the real killing blow had been the Fire Dragon.
Even if it didn't kill Midorima, it would at least take him out of the fight.
"Midorima!" Tsunade's voice rang out in alarm as she saw him collapse. "Are you alright?!"
"Tsunade, you don't have time to worry about others!" Kakuzu seized the moment of distraction, black tendrils erupting from his back like steel needles, lashing toward her.
Tsunade had no choice but to refocus.
If Midorima was down, she'd be left fighting two opponents alone—a situation even she would struggle with.
Panting heavily, Ugo staggered toward Midorima's motionless body, kunai in hand, ready to deliver the final blow.
For some reason, ever since fighting Midorima, his body had grown unbearably fatigued. After finishing the kid off, he'd need to rest—otherwise, his body wouldn't hold up.
Suddenly, a gust of wind carrying sand and grit blasted into his face. It didn't hurt, but it forced his eyes shut. Instinctively, he took a step back, peering through his fingers at the spot where Midorima had fallen—
Only to find the body gone.
What the—?!
At that moment, a voice whispered in his ear.
"I've been waiting for this chance."
"Wha—?!"
Ugo's kunai slashed backward on reflex—but hit nothing but air. Then, from below, Midorima's crouched form shot upward, his chakra scalpel piercing Ugo's abdomen.
Ugo gasped for air, but it felt like his breath had been stolen. His body was suddenly wreathed in flames.
Midorima's eyes widened. Is he trying to self-destruct?!
Before he could react, one of Kakuzu's masked beasts appeared behind him, launching a storm of black tendrils.
Midorima barely dodged—but the tendrils impaled the now-frenzied Ugo instead.
"Shit!" Midorima's heart dropped.
He'd been so focused on avoiding conventional ninjutsu against Ugo that he'd forgotten about Kakuzu's presence.
*****
T/N: Please leave a comment if you enjoy this chapter