Whether it was a blade or a sword, in the end they were nothing more than tools for a ninja to wield. Yet Haseo seemed to have misunderstood this... Right now, he was treating Samehada as his main target while regarding Hozuki Nagatsuki, its user, as nothing more than an optional accessory.
The razor-thin, high-pressure water blade of Water Dragon Blast sliced into Samehada like sashimi, cutting off nearly a third of it in an instant. He only stopped at the last second—otherwise, he would've split that famed weapon clean in two with a single cut.
For a fleeting moment after the cut, the exposed cross-section looked like dense, marbled meat—visually striking. But in the next instant, dark red blood sprayed out.
Haseo below inevitably got splattered, but fortunately Samehada wasn't just any ordinary creature—the blood carried absolutely no fishy odor. Judging by its appearance and scent, it could certainly qualify as A-grade culinary material.
Samehada was a living weapon, so the intense pain from nearly being split in two made it shriek instantly. That piercing wail sounded like a cat being run over by a cartwheel—grating on the ears.
Could this actually be a giant salamander? Then again, even giant salamanders aren't really fish in the first place.
No matter how pitifully the blade cried out, there was no hope of Haseo developing any sympathy toward it. With both hands gripping the weapon, he jammed the blade beneath Samehada's sharp barbs before yanking it upward, hoisting the wide ninja tool into the air.
Unwilling to let go, Hozuki Nagatsuki stumbled forward involuntarily as well, nearly losing his balance.
Hozuki prided himself on physical strength, but Haseo was a Dual-channel Ninja—he had no shortage of power either.
After lifting Samehada, Haseo didn't stop moving. He swung the long sword overhead in a full circle, then held the blade upward once more, applying Wind Release: Tengaippa's aura directly onto the edge.
With both hands thrusting upward, the invisible blade pierced Samehada's front like a chainsaw. This time, the attack wasn't absorbed—it smoothly penetrated straight through. Though slightly slower than the Water Dragon Blast, the results left no room for doubt.
The harder something's exterior is, often the softer and more vulnerable the inside becomes.
Samehada absorbing chakra equated to feeding—a technique actively used rather than passively triggered. Now, still reeling from the wound inflicted by the water blade, there was no way it could focus enough to suck in any chakra.
Like a cat getting crushed under another wheel, the poor thing screamed even more miserably. Haseo twisted his wrist, rotating the sword along with it. What had been a clean cut instantly transformed into a gaping semi-circular gash.
Next, surges of Lightning Release flowed through the blade and spread throughout Samehada's entire body from inside out.
Whether dead or knocked out cold, Samehada went eerily silent in an instant.
Releasing both hands, Haseo casually kicked the pommel of his sword with his foot. His blade, still impaling Samehada, spun slowly and heavily through the air in an arc before embedding itself deeply into a distant wall.
Now there's no need to worry about that thing causing a headache anymore.
Well then, Haseo no longer had his sword in hand, and neither did Hozuki. On the surface, it seemed pretty fair. But Haseo's lack of a blade didn't really affect his overall strength. What about Hozuki?
The two had just fought within a range of two sword lengths, but now they stood even closer.
Hozuki Nagatsuki possessed the basic quality of a Jonin. Although he'd been disarmed in an instant, he understood there would be no opportunity for him to retrieve his weapon now.
There was only one path forward—keep fighting.
Only the victor would earn the right to reclaim his weapon.
Hozuki stepped forward, swung his forearm, and hurled a kunai straight from his fingertips.
Haseo shifted sideways, evading the simple yet sharp stab. At the same time, his hands came together, fingers shifting rapidly until forming the single "Tora" (Tiger) hand seal—an effortless execution without wasting a second.
He took a slight step back as a burst of chakra surged through his chest. Then came a deafening boom as pressure exploded outward, flames erupting once more.
[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!]
Well, technically speaking, it was still the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet from earlier. The only difference was that Haseo had increased his chakra output significantly. After all, he wasn't the kind to run out of chakra so easily that even blinking too hard would land him in the hospital for a week.
At such close distance, blasting fire directly at point-blank range—there was absolutely no chance this technique would miss. Haseo had released the Ninjutsu after forming just one hand seal; even if his opponent possessed escape techniques or countermeasures, there hadn't been enough time to perform any seals.
Instantly engulfed by the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, Hozuki Nagatsuki's thick body was blown away like a small boat overturned by ocean waves, rolling violently backward.
Then, his entire form resembled a foam board shoved into a furnace—melting rapidly under the intense heat.
You think Fire Release can't kill people? That's ridiculous. No way this technique missed… Haseo hadn't even finished proving the effectiveness of his Fire Release when a sizzling sound began to rise from the center of the flames. Soon afterward, the red fire transformed into white vapor, which started to spread throughout the street.
Before long, the mist had consumed the flames completely.
Hmm... Hozuki Nagatsuki was, after all, a ninja from Mist Village. I mean, it's not weird for Mist ninja to know one or two Water Release techniques, right?
It was a case of elemental suppression.
Yet although water could suppress fire, did it mean the damage from Fire Release had been neutralized completely? Hozuki's Water Release hadn't even created a small whirlpool—it simply evaporated alongside Haseo's Fire Release, turning into lingering mist.
Haseo moved forward, reaching out to push aside the scorching hot airwave ahead of him, then strode step by step toward where Hozuki lay.
The man had barely managed to rise to his feet when… his whole body had turned pitch black. Large areas of burnt skin combined with the stench of charred flesh radiating from the inside clearly indicated that this man no longer had any chance of survival.
Even the Second Mizukage survived the Steam Imp unleashed by the Second Tsuchikage—but not everyone in this world is like that old bandaged-up Kage.
Either let the agony drag on for hours or end it swiftly and cleanly… Haseo was a humanitarian, so he helped his opponent make the choice.
He drew the other longsword, "Stellaron Maiden," from behind and pierced through the opponent's chest with it.
It felt like slicing into a medium-rare steak.
No, more like cutting through an overcooked one.
Even though Hozuki had extinguished [Fire Release], hesitating just a moment too long rendered his effort useless. By the time Haseo moved in for the finishing blow, Hozuki could no longer mount any meaningful resistance.
The white mist quickly dissipated in the chilly night air, revealing once again that isolated corner of the battleground where chaos had briefly hidden it from view.
Almost immediately, someone noticed the corpse of Hozuki Nagatsuki.
"Hozuki!"
A scream full of grief, fury, and pain shot straight into Haseo's ears, followed by the sight of another burly ninja charging forward like a madman, stumbling as he ran toward the scene.
The man was already covered in blood and wounds, clearly barely hanging on. What could he possibly gain by charging toward the body now? Was he planning a suicide attack?
Remaining alert and cautious, Haseo prepared to eliminate this charging figure at the first opportunity.
"Another Hozuki? Or perhaps they were brothers?"
Killing both brothers, wiping out their line — this was part of a ninja's duty.
Yet as the man approached within striking distance, Haseo suddenly sensed something strange about him.
Violent lightning began flashing and pulsing violently along the muscular ninja's left arm.
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