Reiichi stared at the vacuum sword energy—created purely from the power of Hoshiyomi's physical body tearing open the air—with disbelief written all over his face.
But he had no time to stay shocked. Hoshiyomi had already rushed in like a blue comet.
Seeing this, Reiichi didn't dare show the slightest carelessness. With a flick of his hand, one of the green-glowing Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him flew into his palm.
With a rapid shift of intent, the orb transformed into the shape of a long spear. Without hesitation, Reiichi hurled the Truth-Seeking Spear forward.
At the same instant, he activated his Shikotsumyaku. The familiar Dance of the Larch burst forth in an instant—the forest of bone spikes spiraled around him as he shot toward Hoshiyomi at maximum speed.
Hoshiyomi didn't dare underestimate the incoming spear. He poured sage chakra into the blade of Mikazuki Munechika, causing blue–silver light to burst forth along its edge.
Gripping the blade tightly, Hoshiyomi swung upward to meet the oncoming black spear.
A sharp CLANG! rang out as the glowing sword and pitch-black spear collided violently.
Sparks scattered everywhere as the blade of Mikazuki Munechika and the spearhead screeched against each other.
As expected, sage chakra could counter Truth-Seeking Orbs. Despite the tremendous force behind the spear, Mikazuki Munechika remained completely unscathed, and Hoshiyomi's powerful swing knocked the spear away.
But the real danger hadn't been resolved—Reiichi was already rushing at him like a missile.
While airborne, Reiichi spun rapidly like a top—clearly intending to use the bone spikes of Dance of the Larch to grind Hoshiyomi into mince.
Hoshiyomi frowned and raised Mikazuki Munechika to block. The reinforced Dance of the Larch—empowered by Tenseigan chakra—clashed violently against his sword.
The repeated clanging was sharp enough to pierce eardrums, and the shower of sparks stung the eyes.
Though Hoshiyomi successfully blocked the attack, both his arms throbbed with pain. Even so, he refused to retreat. His eyes sharpened as he noticed Reiichi's rotation slow—an opening.
He launched a powerful kick.
Even before the kick landed, the pressure from the wind alone made Reiichi's skin sting.
Though his Tenseigan allowed him to track Hoshiyomi's movements, Reiichi's taijutsu ability was still lacking. Faced with such an abrupt strike, he had no time for a proper response and could only raise his arms to block.
The power of Hoshiyomi's kick might not equal Evening Elephant, but it wasn't far off. Reiichi was sent flying across the battlefield.
Fractures spread across the bone spikes reinforcing his arms. Though the kick hadn't landed squarely on his body, the impact alone made his blood churn violently.
Hoshiyomi's right leg had been torn open by Reiichi's bone spikes, leaving blood flowing down. But thanks to Sage Mode's rapid regeneration, the bleeding stopped instantly. The wound looked severe but wasn't actually a major concern.
Seeing Reiichi struggling mid-air and unable to maneuver, Hoshiyomi tried to pursue and finish the fight. His figure flickered as he closed the distance—but a Tenseigan was still a Tenseigan. Even if Reiichi was inexperienced, he could still use its abilities instinctively.
Watching Hoshiyomi flash toward him, Reiichi's pupils constricted. Almost by pure instinct, he thrust out his hand:
"Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"
Reiichi's remaining eight Truth-Seeking Orbs shot to his front and began spinning rapidly, forming a green ring.
With a sudden push of his hand, the terrifying wind pressure contained within erupted all at once and violently swept toward Hoshiyomi.
Facing such incredible speed, Hoshiyomi—still recovering from his clash with Reiichi—didn't even have time to use Dance of the Startling Swan before the Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion blasted him away.
The force was so great that even in his current enhanced state, Hoshiyomi couldn't help but spit out blood. He crashed heavily into the ruins of the Ōtsutsuki clan's settlement, carving out a massive crater over a hundred meters wide.
Even Reiichi himself was stunned. He hadn't realized his accidental attack carried such overwhelming power. For a moment, he simply stared blankly at his own outstretched right hand.
Inside the crater, Hoshiyomi wasn't in danger of dying, but he had taken considerable damage. After coughing up a mouthful of clotted blood, he finally felt his chest lighten. He sliced apart the debris pinning him down and climbed out of the pit.
Feeling his dislocated ribs, Hoshiyomi gritted his teeth and forced them back into place. Then he looked up toward Reiichi floating in the sky, slowly sheathing Mikazuki Munechika.
His time in Sage Mode and the Seventh Gate was nearly up. He needed to end the battle immediately.
Since Kimimaro was right there watching, Hoshiyomi wasn't worried about Reiichi's life being in danger. Feeling his dwindling chakra, he clenched his teeth and activated his Ultimate Slash.
He took the Grass Long Sword, Kusanagi Blade from his back. With Mikazuki Munechika on his left and Grass Long Sword, Kusanagi Blade on his right, Hoshiyomi crossed his hands on the hilts, sank his center of gravity, and slowly assumed a perfect iaido stance.
Seeing Hoshiyomi holding his breath in that stance, Reiichi felt a twinge of fear. He hesitated and chose not to rush in recklessly. Instead, he extended one hand to use gravitational force while gathering green chakra orbs with the other, hoping to disrupt Hoshiyomi's incoming sword technique.
But once the Ultimate Slash was activated, it became a strike executed beyond conscious thought—guided purely by the body's instinct and surpassing its limits. How could such a technique be interrupted?
Even as Reiichi's gravity pulled him forward and green chakra orbs shot toward him, Hoshiyomi's posture never shifted. His body swayed like a willow in the wind, impossibly light, dodging every single orb—all while maintaining his iaido stance with his eyes closed.
Seeing all his attacks miss, a look of indignation flashed in Reiichi's eyes. His Shikotsumyaku surged violently, and he infused massive amounts of chakra into it. He was preparing to use his most powerful Shikotsumyaku technique:
Dance of the Seedling Fern.
A white bone hell with a two-hundred-meter radius! He didn't believe Hoshiyomi could evade that this time!
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath them shook violently as countless sharp bone spikes erupted from below in chaotic patterns. The spikes were so dense there wasn't a single safe place to stand. In moments, Hoshiyomi would be impaled like a sieve.
But just before the bone spikes struck him, Hoshiyomi suddenly opened his eyes.
At that exact moment, a flicker of astonishment flashed through Kimimaro's eyes. His figure vanished instantly.
Both figures disappeared at nearly the exact same time.
In the next second, two silhouettes reappeared in the field. Hoshiyomi had materialized outside the two-hundred-meter bone forest.
Kimimaro had appeared at its very center, shielding his son.
With a stomp of Kimimaro's foot, two massive bone arms erupted from the ground, enclosing and protecting both Kimimaro and Reiichi.