Ebizo had intended to use his three "Buddha-Dharma-Sangha" puppets in tandem with his Drill-Pole Blades to kill Ren Uchiha once and for all.
However,
When he saw that scorching sun rising from the desert sands,
When he looked up at that colossal blade of flowing flame, reaching between heaven and earth, a visual shock so profound it stole his breath—
Ebizo swallowed hard, his face filled with disbelief. His hands, mid-command, froze in place.
"What in the hell is this?!"
"How can he still use a technique of this magnitude?!"
Tonight, this Uchiha brat had handed him more shocks than he had experienced in his entire life combined. According to the intelligence gathered in the Land of Hot Springs, this move was undoubtedly a Forbidden Jutsu that bypassed the conventional limits of ninjutsu grades.
Furthermore, reports suggested he should only be able to use it twice at most!
Based on the research he'd ordered his subordinates to conduct—scouring archives and interviewing clans with Secret Techniques—he thought he understood the mechanics of this burst.
Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!
It was a technique that had surfaced in the Warring States period, long before the hidden villages existed. It was a strike capable of burning through a mortal frame to deliver a blow comparable to a god!
Granted, the power Ren held now was at least one level weaker than the historical accounts, which likely explained why he could use it more than twice.
But even for a "weakened" version... how many times had this kid swung it tonight?!
Before they had even met, the horizon ten miles away had turned red three separate times. That meant three strikes. Three strikes that had wiped out three hundred Sand shinobi, leaving not a single soul to report back.
And now, this was the fourth.
Did this inhuman technique have no cooldown? No cost? Was there no law of physics, no balance of power left in this world?
Ebizo bit his lip, hesitating for a fraction of a second before withdrawing. He pulled his three puppets back and fled to the side. As he ran, he formed the "Ram" seal, commanding his dense Lion puppet array to surge forward and intercept.
It wasn't that he couldn't counter such a move—his ultimate Wind and Puppet techniques could produce even greater power—but this strike was clearly aimed at breaking his formation. There was no need to take it head-on and waste his final defensive trump card.
Retreating and repositioning was the logical choice. Besides, he didn't believe for a second that this kid could manage a fifth one.
As Ebizo abandoned his advantageous position, choosing to sacrifice his sealing array to save himself, the youth standing within the sun's core smiled.
Yes, Ren Uchiha smiled.
"I've won!" he declared with absolute certainty.
His eyes, flowing with molten flame, watched the fleeing Ebizo. His lips curled high.
With his current chakra reserves, Ren estimated he had: four Orochimaru-Style Substitutes, two Sage Arts, one full-burst Fire Style: Chakra Mode, and a handful of basic ninjutsu or genjutsu. (One substitute was roughly equivalent to the chakra cost of four Great Fireball techniques).
If Ebizo had chosen to stay and clash—countering the giant flame blade to protect his formation—Ren would have been forced to use his substitutes to brute-force his way through. He likely would have exhausted all his "extra lives" before even reaching the elder.
Based on his mental model of Lady Chiyo (Ebizo's sister), Ren estimated the old man still had two hidden trump cards up his sleeve. A direct clash would have made the outcome uncertain.
But Ren chose to gamble.
He gambled that his "visual effects" were more intimidating than Ebizo's. He gambled that even with intelligence reports in hand, the sight of a god-like blade of flame would strike primal fear into the old man's heart.
He won.
In this long night of the ambush, the fourth blade was the decisive hand.
"Hahahaha!"
"Old man, eat my Sure-Victory Dragon-Ascending Sword!"
Ren laughed as he swung the hilt. The heaven-piercing flames crashed down with the weight of the sun!
BOOM!
The blade swept across the desert, creating a sky-scorching wildfire that pulverized, charred, and shattered the "impenetrable" Lion shield wall. A mushroom cloud erupted from the dunes, and a visible ring of shockwaves expanded outward!
Ren and Ebizo were both sent flying by the backdraft, crashing through three sand dunes and triggering a localized sandstorm. Ren slammed into the side of the barrier, creating a network of cracks in its surface.
Silence fell—a terrifying, hollow silence beneath the falling rain of sand.
In that silence, Ren Uchiha reached up mid-air to wipe the blood leaking from his ruptured eardrums. He flicked two kunai into the sand, using the attached wires to spin 720 degrees and stick a landing. His hand dug deep into the sand, dragging a trench to kill his momentum.
He immediately looked up, his serpentine Sharingan locking onto Ebizo, who was hiding behind a Puppet Style: Shield of Chakra Seal.
Ren dug his toes in, exploded off the sand, and charged like a rabid dog, sword gripped in both hands.
"Old man, just die!"
Ebizo was still reeling from the shock of the strike. Even at a distance, he'd barely avoided the shockwave. Hearing the boy's roar again, his white eyebrows twitched. He looked up to see the youth charging through the open gap.
This time, there was nothing between them.
A surge of panic and disbelief rose in Ebizo's chest—which he immediately converted into explosive rage. He was a high-ranking official of the Great Sand Village, the commander of the Land of Rain front! To be hunted like this by a twelve-year-old... it was a humiliation beyond words!
But he had to endure. Close-quarters combat was not his strength. He needed to run!
Reset the distance, set up a new formation, and then play this brat to death!
Ebizo deactivated his shield and began to sprint, his three puppets following.
However, under the enhancement of the Cursed Seal, Ren's speed was now far superior. There was no room left for tactical maneuvering. Ebizo was being forced into a raw, masculine brawl where only steel and blood mattered.
Realizing he couldn't outrun him, Ebizo skidded to a halt. He turned back, his face a distorted mask of shame and fury, his wrinkles twisting with the pressure of being driven to the edge.
"EBIZO!!!"
Facing the ecstatic, blood-hungry roar of Ren Uchiha as he slammed into melee range, Ebizo's internal dam finally broke.
His body trembled, his face twitched, and his teeth chattered with rage. Finally, he reached for the scrolls at his waist.
"Damn you, Uchiha brat!!!" he screamed. "I'll show you the pinnacle of puppetry!"
"Summoning Jutsu: The Five of Chikamatsu!"
He ripped the scrolls open and slammed his palm onto the sand. From the smoke, five demonic-looking figures soared into the air, flanking him.
Six shadows lunged forward as Ebizo's voice cracked with fury:
"Forbidden Art · White Secret Technique: Dance of the Accompanying Puppets!"
Note: Support me and get early access to chapters on Pat reon.com/XareonMTL