The massive water monster roared toward the sky!
Its hunched body suddenly straightened, bursting through the dome and shattering the castle structure. Tiles, broken beams, and shards of glass fell like rain, shimmering in the colors of the rainbow under the morning sun.
In the face of this natural disaster, there was no room for words—only combat.
Ren Uchiha split his hands; one gripped his sword, the other reached for his back.
Flick. Spin. Launch!
Four shuriken, trailing black wires, tore through the air and embedded themselves firmly into the roof ruins above the monster. Ren stepped back, pulling the wires taut. He then drew a kunai, tied the ends of the wires to the ring, and slammed it through the floorboards at his feet.
Without hesitation, Ren leaped, charging up the wires at a 70-degree angle!
Amidst the falling debris, he dodged and wove between the four wires like a high-speed truck, his water blade carving out crescent-shaped paths through any obstacle. He reached the rim of the dome's crater and stood atop the cylindrical vault.
He stared directly at Mangetsu Hōzuki, who stood atop the water monster's head.
Ren's Sharingan spun, locking onto Mangetsu's position and calculating every possible path. However, Ren soon frowned. Facing a Mangetsu equipped with Kabutowari (Blunt Sword), Samehada (Great Sword), and the Kiba (Thunder Swords), he couldn't predict the man's next move.
In the original history, Ren thought, Mangetsu was an information black hole. No one knew his full limits. But I know one thing: Lightning Style counters his liquefaction.
Ren glanced at the Thunder Swords in Mangetsu's hand, then up at the heavy storm clouds gathering above. A bold, reckless idea took root. If I can steal those Thunder Swords, can I use their lightning-attraction property to replicate Sasuke's... Kirin?
To Ren, it didn't matter if the lightning hit him too. He had already achieved his goal: he had opened a door for Mangetsu to join Yagura's coup. Mei's safety was now the Mist's problem.
Now... Ren could finally go to his death without any burdens!
"Prodigy of the Mist!" Ren laughed, standing under the dark clouds and howling wind. "Have you ever seen a ninja art that falls from the heavens?!"
Mangetsu frowned. What is this brat up to now? Having been blinded in one eye by this kid already, he wasn't taking any chances. He raised his hand.
The water monster beneath him formed a massive palm and swung it toward Ren like swatting a fly. Simultaneously, Mangetsu fired a volley of Water Pistols to seal Ren's escape.
Ren lunged forward, leaping over the giant palm. Facing the incoming water bullets, he didn't dodge. He hardened his skin and swung his blade down in a "Split-the-Mountain" strike aimed straight for Mangetsu's head!
Mangetsu smiled savagely. I've been waiting for this! Using hardening causes stiffness—and that's when I'll kill you!
On another part of the battlefield...
The ground shook as a massive purple tail leveled ancient trees. Orochimaru, using the Kusanagi sword and his softened body, attacked Shennong from every angle. Shennong, however, simply regenerated any wound instantly. He smashed the ground, lifting a boulder to hurl at Orochimaru atop Manda, only for the towering Rashomon gates to erupt from the earth!
Not far from this titanic struggle...
Uchiha Seiichiro, eyes bloodshot and filled with regret, was sprinting toward the headquarters. He carried a massive scroll on his back, his cloak bearing the red-and-white Uchiha fan.
His Sharingan spun violently; one of his eyes had already evolved from two-tomoe to three-tomoe.
"Wait for me!" he hissed, dodging falling debris. "I won't run this time! I will save you!"
"Ren Uchiha!"