The death of that Mist Ninja caused the eyes of the remaining guards to shift instantly. They drew their kunai one after another, dropping into combat stances.
Regardless of whether the person before them was a "Konoha brat" or not, one thing was certain: the boy's swordsmanship was incredibly lethal. A single lapse in concentration would mean their end.
"Who exactly are you?" one of the Mist Ninjas couldn't help but ask.
At such a young age, and as a ninja of Konoha, he had to be one of those world-renowned geniuses.
"Who am I?" Tianyuan smiled faintly. "Konoha Jonin, Tianyuan."
"Konoha Jonin... Tianyuan?" The Mist Ninjas gasped in shock.
Although many in the Hidden Mist Village had scoffed at Tianyuan's supposed strength, his battle records had nonetheless etched themselves into the minds of every ninja within the village.
So this was him. But weren't the Hidden Mist Village and Konoha currently at war? They had heard Tianyuan was deployed to the front lines, so why had he suddenly appeared here?
Then they remembered his earlier words: he intended to destroy the Hidden Mist Village.
"Do you really think you can destroy the Hidden Mist Village?" one of the Mist Ninjas asked involuntarily.
"Of course. It is to bring this war to a swifter end. Perhaps you will even thank me for it," Tianyuan replied calmly, his hand resting on his Zanpakutō.
"You're dreaming! You think you can achieve such a thing alone? That is impossible!" another Mist Ninja barked.
The Hidden Mist Village was their home; they would never allow Tianyuan to destroy it.
"Then come at me," Tianyuan said, looking at the group.
The ninjas here were only at the Chunin level, with a few Elite Chunins among them. For the current Tianyuan, Chunin were nothing more than fodder. Even if he were facing Jonin, if Tianyuan fought seriously, they wouldn't be able to withstand his assault.
"Kill him!" The Mist Ninjas charged. Among all the villages, the Hidden Mist knew the least of Tianyuan's true terror.
For that ignorance, they would pay the price.
Tianyuan's figure flickered constantly among the ninjas, his Zanpakutō rising and falling in a rhythmic dance of death.
A few seconds later...
"This... how... how can this be?" At the gate, the sole remaining Mist Ninja stared at Tianyuan in absolute horror.
All around him lay the bodies of his comrades, their blood pooling and flowing across the ground. They were silent, their life force completely extinguished.
In a mere matter of seconds, Tianyuan had claimed all their lives.
The survivor knew deep down that he was only alive because Tianyuan had chosen not to strike him.
"Why? What do you want?" the ninja stammered, trembling with fear.
"I already told you: I am here to destroy the Hidden Mist Village," Tianyuan said, looking at the man with a detached gaze. "I spared your life so you could go and inform your village. Well? Get moving. Tell the powerhouses of the Mist to come out."
"I... I..." The ninja's body shook violently.
"Go." Tianyuan's voice was soft, but to the Mist Ninja, it sounded like the whisper of a demon.
With a terrified scream, the ninja turned and fled into the village, seeking some semblance of safety within its walls.
"The Hidden Mist Village..." Tianyuan's footsteps were slow and measured as he walked inside.
The entire village was shrouded in a thick, heavy mist. Tianyuan simply stood at the inner entrance, holding his Zanpakutō.
Shortly after, alarms began to blare throughout the Hidden Mist Village. News of Tianyuan's intrusion had already reached the highest levels of leadership. Many Jonin of the village began to gather toward his location.
About ten minutes passed. Countless Mist Ninjas had surrounded Tianyuan, with dozens of Joninthe strongest experts of the villagestanding at the front of the crowd.
"Tianyuan, do you intend to destroy the Hidden Mist Village just to secure a victory for Konoha?" a lean, middle-aged Jonin asked, stepping forward.
"You're clever. That is exactly what I intend to do," Tianyuan said, glancing at him.
"To face an entire village alone... that is something even Madara Uchiha or the First Hokage would not dare to attempt," the Jonin countered. "If you do not wish to be buried here, you may leave now. We can act as if this never happened."
In truth, the Mist Jonin knew that if a war broke out within the village, the power of Tianyuan's Mangekyo or Wood Release would cause catastrophic damage. Even if they succeeded in killing him, the Hidden Mist Village would be left in ruins.
"That won't do," Tianyuan said, shaking his head.
The Jonin's face darkened. This was a blatant refusal of their mercy.
"In that case, Tianyuan, do not blame us for what comes next," the Jonin said. He made a hand signal to the ninjas behind him. Suddenly, a barrier that looked like flowing water began to rise around the perimeter of the Hidden Mist Village.
"Trapping me inside a barrier... won't that just lead to more destruction for your village?" Tianyuan watched the scene unfold without any attempt to escape.
Many of the Mist Ninjas sneered.
"Within this barrier, Water Nature Chakra becomes exceptionally active," the Jonin explained. "This is our home turf. Furthermore, we know you possess Space-Time Ninjutsu. This barrier serves an additional purpose: it seals space."
"Even though maintaining this costs the village an enormous amount of chakra and it can only be sustained for a short time, it is a price worth paying to eliminate you," the Mist Ninja said solemnly.
"Is that so?" Tianyuan remained remarkably composed. "Then I suppose this place has become a prison for you as well."
"Come! Will you use the power of your Mangekyo, or your Wood Release?" The surrounding ninjas prepared themselves for Tianyuan's counterattack.
"Mangekyo... Wood Release..." Tianyuan let out a small smile. "No. I won't be using either of those powers today."
"What?" The Jonin blinked, stunned. "Do you mean to say you have another power?"
"The destruction of the Hidden Mist Village is already a certainty." Tianyuan scanned the ninjas, whose eyes flashed with murderous intent.
He brushed his left hand over the blade of his Zanpakutō, feeling the restless, surging power within it.
"You are the first ninjas who will witness this power," Tianyuan declared.
"All things in the universe, turn to ashes! Ryūjin Jakka."
The Shikai command was spoken.
For the first time, the power of the Bleach world was unleashed upon the Naruto world.
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