The rain, which had paused briefly at 7:20, began to fall once more. This time, there was no prelude; raindrops the size of soybeans hammered down directly.
The battlefield, once thick with swirling sand and billowing dust, was washed clean by the downpour and began to turn into a muddy mire. Black soil, splintered wood, and gravel were swept by the rain into the countless pits and craters riddling the ground.
Then—tap! tap! tap!
Rhythmic footsteps rang out. Five elite members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist dispersed into five different directions through the rain. Brandishing five peculiar blades, they charged simultaneously toward the center of the battlefield, toward Hyūga Yu, who held Kuriarare Kushimaru by the throat!
Killing intent surged!
Even the seemingly restrained seventh swordsman, Kuriarare Kushimaru, swung a lethal final blow at Hyūga Yu in the last moments of his life!
However, everything reversed in the instant a pale bolt of lightning streaked across the sky!
Crack!
Accompanied by the rumbling thunder, the world—bleached white for a second—resumed its course. At that moment, Suikazan Fuguki's pupils suddenly contracted. In his field of vision, the countless raindrops pouring down from the high heavens had, at this very instant, frozen mid-air.
Yet, the rain soaking his body and flowing in constant streams told him otherwise—the rain hadn't stopped; it was actually getting heavier!
A faint sense of unease rose in his heart, but at this stage, the arrow was already on the string and had to be fired. He didn't stop, his gaze piercing through the "rain curtain" suspended in mid-air to look at the Byakugan youth standing in the center. Then, he noticed something even more bizarre. In this torrential downpour drenching the Nameless Forest, the Crow Forest, the Kusunami Coast, and even the entire eastern Land of Fire... there wasn't a single drop of rain on that brat's head!?
He jerked his head up, his beady eyes widening in shock. He let out a desperate roar to the others:
"Watch the sky!"
His warning was cut short. The other four turned their heads in confusion; they heard "watch out," but missed the rest as a much louder sound drowned it out:
"—BOOM!!!"
Just as all seven members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen entered a thirty-meter radius around Hyūga Yu, and just as the Longsword Nuibari was about to pierce his throat—while cruel smiles still lingered on their faces—Byakugan: Pressure was unleashed!
This technique utilized the pre-prepared environment above the user, using Wind Style chakra to expand high-altitude air pressure and causing it to drop vertically. The sudden, massive pressure forced opponents to kneel, faint, or rendered them unable to move. It formed a high-pressure tornado around the user, blocking incoming attacks while quietly altering the environment.
The four Swordsmen finally realized something was wrong and looked up. They saw a high-pressure mass, visible to the naked eye as a pale white orb about sixty meters in diameter, manifesting in the sky. The moment it appeared, it began to rotate frantically!
Like a chalice filled with nectar thrown by a king!
Tons of rainwater poured out!
The "nectar" swirled along with the "chalice," and a rotating pillar of air—carrying a massive volume of water—cascaded from the sky! Simultaneously, the high-pressure field slammed down!
The five Swordsmen halted abruptly, feeling as if their body weight had increased by a thousand pounds in an instant. The sudden surge in pressure made even standing a monumental task!
The raindrops that had been "suspended" now began to "fly" upward unnaturally. Countless droplets spiraled toward the sky within the invisible pressure field, condensing into a silvery-gray curtain. As the massive, pale-white vortex neared the ground, the pressure continued to climb. Soon, those "reverse-flowing" silver curtains transformed into thousands of twisting water snakes, carving savage arcs in the air. It was as if a giant dragon were brandishing a sharp sword to fight in the rain!
On the ground, the standing water was pulled into dense circular ripples before exploding into a mist of spray!
With a clatter, the Nuibari fell at Hyūga Yu's feet. Its wielder, Kuriarare Kushimaru, was splayed out like a crushed spider, crawling on all fours in the most humble posture before Yu's shinobi boots. His bloodshot eyes lost their last glimmer of light, turning hollow and vacant.
Kuriarare Kushimaru of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen: Dead.
Having neutralized the lethal threat, Hyūga Yu stood in the center of the burgeoning high-pressure tornado. He narrowed his eyes at the five approaching Swordsmen, a look of gravity in his gaze. "Now then, how do you intend to solve this jutsu?"
Wind Style: Heavenly Subjugation, Wind Style: Vacuum Sky Attraction, and Byakugan: Pressure—the three techniques were linked one after another, building high-pressure, low-pressure, and high-pressure environments in sequence. If the cycle couldn't be broken, Hyūga Yu could simply start the round all over again. A truly "broken" mechanic.
Meanwhile, Munashi Jinpachi, who had been sidelined at the edge of the field for quite some time, saw his teammates arrive and shouted a warning:
"Careful! Those transparent 'rings' have appeared around that kid again!"
"He's about to use that large-scale Wind Style again!"
Suikazan Fuguki realized how troublesome their opponent was and frowned deeply. He didn't understand the principles behind these Wind Style attacks, but his vast experience told him they were interconnected—each technique prepared the way for the next.
After gradually adapting to the crushing environment, Fuguki adjusted the chakra frequency at the soles of his feet. He took his first action, barking a sharp reminder to the other Swordsmen:
"Adjust the chakra distribution on your feet! You can manage to move in this environment!"
Then, he began to command calmly:
"Kurosuki Raiga, release the Hidden Mist Jutsu! Akebino Jinin, and the one from the Hōzuki clan—get to the front and try to attack!"
"Kushimaru..." Fuguki paused, glancing at Kushimaru's corpse lying at Yu's feet. Without a trace of emotion, he continued: "Biwa Jūzō, you take Kushimaru's place. Use your Silent Killing Technique and stand by to assassinate the brat!"
Finally, he turned back and roared at the stunned Munashi Jinpachi:
"Idiot, get over here! Stand with Raiga!"
Despite the orders, the five didn't move immediately. They looked back at Suikazan Fuguki. In truth, with their experience, several had already figured out the chakra trick on their own. However, they stayed still to hide the fact that they could move, ready to sell out their teammates to escape at any moment.
Fuguki knew exactly what they were thinking, so he chose to speak plainly. As they looked at him, his face darkened, and he shouted:
"What are you looking at?! Get into position! I'll release a Water Style to rewrite the terrain!"
"No matter how many times he can use those jutsu, one thing is clear, isn't it?"
"He's been standing in the same spot the whole time!"
As he spoke, Suikazan Fuguki raised his hands and began to weave signs!
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