Chapter 77: The Sky Cleared, The Rain Stopped—Uchiha Tsukasa Feels Invincible Again!
The massive water construct roared toward the heavens!
Its enormous, hunched body suddenly straightened, instantly piercing through the domed ceiling and demolishing the castle walls!
Bricks, stone fragments, shattered wooden beams, and glass shards rained down like a deadly storm, glittering with rainbow colors in the brilliant light of the rising sun!
Facing what seemed like a natural disaster, there was nowhere to run.
No need for words—only battle!
Tsukasa separated his hands, gripping his sword in one while reaching behind his waist with the other.
A flick of his fingers, a twist, and a throw!
Four shuriken trailing black wire threads shot through the air, embedding themselves firmly into the roof that had been pierced by the water monster.
He pulled the threads taut and stepped back twice to secure them.
Then he drew a kunai, tied the ends of all four threads to its ring, and drove it through the floor beneath his feet to anchor it.
Tsukasa stared intently at the four wire paths leading upward.
Without hesitation, he leaped onto the threads—which angled nearly seventy degrees—and began sprinting upward!
Facing the hail of debris and bricks, he maneuvered along the four threads, his blade flashing as he charged forward like a battering ram pushing through a storm!
His water-enhanced blade carved arcs of moonlight through the air, shredding every obstacle in his path.
Finally, he surged forward!
He reached the edge of the hole in the castle roof, ascended to the summit, and planted his feet firmly on the barrel vault.
He locked eyes with Mangetsu, who stood atop the massive water construct.
The tomoe in his crimson Sharingan spun rapidly, tracking Mangetsu's position, calculating available attack routes, and predicting his next move.
However, Tsukasa's brow quickly furrowed.
Facing Mangetsu—who wielded Kabutowari and Samehada on his back while gripping the twin lightning blades Kiba—he couldn't predict what technique the swordsman would unleash.
Even during the Fourth Great Ninja War, when Mangetsu Hōzuki had been resurrected by Kabuto Yakushi's Impure World Reincarnation, he had fought using only his Hydrification Technique, never even touching a single ninja sword. Moreover, no one had managed to seal him before the jutsu was released.
For Tsukasa—who possessed extensive knowledge about most Kage-level shinobi in the ninja world—the most frustrating aspect of this opponent was that he was a complete intelligence black hole.
His abilities were pure guesswork. He could suddenly unleash a Boil Release technique, an Explosion Release attack, or some other unpredictable ability, leaving Tsukasa completely in the dark.
Shinobi battles are intelligence battles.
Honestly, this was completely different from fighting Kakuzu—a Kage-level powerhouse whose techniques and weaknesses were well-documented.
And now, the only confirmed weakness of his opponent was that the Hydrification Technique could be countered by Lightning Release.
Lightning Release's paralyzing effect prevented complete liquefaction of the body.
Tsukasa narrowed his gaze at the lightning blades in his opponent's hands, then tilted his head slightly to look at the thick storm clouds overhead.
A daring idea took shape.
If he could seize the lightning blades from Mangetsu, could he use their natural lightning-attracting properties to replicate Sasuke Uchiha's Lightning Release: Kirin?
The Kirin technique had been clearly demonstrated by Sasuke in the original story.
The reason it was classified as an S-rank jutsu lay primarily in controlling the direction and trajectory of natural lightning, and preventing it from striking the user.
Tsukasa possessed the Sharingan, so tracking the lightning's path would be no problem—he simply needed to complete the summoning sequence.
Whether it struck him or not... well, that was of little concern now.
By provoking Mangetsu with words and then actually defeating those five Hunter-nin with his blade, Tsukasa had accomplished everything he'd set out to do.
He had opened a door for Mangetsu—a chance to meet Yagura Karatachi and participate in Kirigakure's coup d'état.
For a prodigy destined for this path, it was an offer impossible to refuse.
With this done, Mei Terumi's fate could be left in the care of her future Mizukage. At least until he met Yagura, Mangetsu would likely refrain from attacking her again.
The inspiring speech Mei had been forced to deliver—like drinking bitter medicine—had also served this purpose.
And having achieved all this, Tsukasa could finally charge toward death without any burden weighing on his conscience!
Let's do this!
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes. Standing beneath the dark storm clouds and howling wind, his lips curved into a fierce grin as he shouted:
"Genius of the Hidden Mist—have you ever seen a jutsu that descends from the heavens?!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu's brow furrowed slightly, wondering what trick this brat was planning.
However, having suffered two consecutive losses to Uchiha Tsukasa—even having one eye blinded by a surprise attack—Mangetsu was now on maximum alert.
He had summoned his ultimate weapon and equipped himself with the village's finest legendary blades with one goal: to crush this brat completely!
Eliminate all variables at the earliest opportunity.
With this thought, he raised his hand slightly.
The water construct beneath him instantly formed a gigantic palm composed entirely of water. Raising it high overhead, it swung down to swat Tsukasa like a fly!
But that wasn't all.
Mangetsu's eyes turned cold as chakra rapidly concentrated in his raised palm, condensing into bullet-like projectiles at his fingertips.
Water Release: Water Trumpet!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
High-pressure water bullets launched in a deadly arc, blocking every escape route!
Facing this overwhelming assault, Tsukasa crouched low, cracking the bricks of the barrel vault beneath him. He leaped high into the air, evading the giant palm's strike.
Gripping his sword with both hands, he faced the incoming water bullets head-on. Using his Earth Grudge Fear body reinforcement technique, he hardened his skin, then with a powerful overhead strike, he slashed directly toward Mangetsu's head!
Seeing this, Mangetsu's lips curled into a cold smile.
He'd been waiting for exactly this moment!
After using that hardening technique, the brat's body would inevitably become rigid for a split second—and that was the perfect opportunity to kill him!
Meanwhile, on another earth-shattering battlefield—
A massive purple tail swept down, toppling countless trees and sending up thunderous clouds of dust and debris.
Orochimaru wielded the Kusanagi Sword, his body flowing like liquid as the blade extended and retracted unpredictably, attacking the bloodied Shinnō from multiple angles.
Shinnō, however, showed no fear. After taking a direct hit, the massive wound on his body healed in the blink of an eye.
He weathered the assault, then smashed the ground with devastating force. Lifting a boulder the size of a house, he leaped high and hurled it toward Orochimaru, who stood atop his summoning—the giant snake Manda.
In response, the massive and imposing Rashōmon gate rose from the earth!
Not far from the rumbling battlefield of this fierce combat, in a stretch of devastated forest—
Uchiha Seiichiro sprinted toward the Jashin Cult's headquarters, his eyes bloodshot with determination.
He carried an enormous scroll nearly as tall as a man on his back and wore a high-collared robe emblazoned with the Uchiha clan crest—a red and white fan.
Seiichiro's awakened Sharingan blazed, constantly scanning the road ahead and the sky above.
Debris, massive trees, violent whirlwinds of dust, and the flaming remains of summoned snakes rained down like a storm.
He had no idea why the aftermath of distant battles had suddenly reached this far, nor did he care.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with hatred and regret.
The two tomoe in his scarlet Sharingan spun wildly—and in one eye, a second tomoe had already transformed into a third.
"Wait for me—I'll be there soon!"
"This time I won't run away. This time I'll definitely save you!"
"Tsukasa!"
End of Chapter 77
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