Between life and death, Hyuga Seiran steadied his breathing, forcing his racing thoughts to settle.
"Anko, run. Find Shibi Aburame."
"What about you?"
"I'll hold them here." He exhaled slowly, fierce intent igniting behind his eyes. "Besides, I'm not completely helpless."
The white mist parted. The massive Kubikiribōchō was already in his hands.
At this distance, his railgun wouldn't fire in time.
A roar tore through the air. The tree ahead exploded into splinters, dust billowing skyward.
"Mari, your nose really is something. Fresh blood, just like I said."
Two figures emerged as the dust settled. One carried an enormous ninja sword across his shoulder, scarlet lines like fresh blood marking his sharp teeth. The other's laughter cut like nails on glass—a sound that made both Seiran and Anko shudder. Thick eyebrows and darker circles framed a cruel, sinister smile.
Juzo Biwa, wielder of the Kubikiribōchō and elite swordsman of the Kaguya Clan, squinted at a grain-sized gap running along his blade's edge.
"A Konoha ninja," he said, raising the sword horizontally. "My Kubikiribōchō actually has a nick. I suppose I'll just have to repair it with your blood."
He launched forward. The heavy blade descended like a guillotine.
Clang!
The force traveled through Seiran's arms, numbing them instantly. He staggered backward, boots scraping against earth.
Anko swallowed hard.
"I'm going to find Shibi."
She didn't wait for a reply. Understanding that staying would only be a liability, she turned and bolted into the forest.
"Oh no you don't!"
Juzo's eyes glinted. He swung the Kubikiribōchō in a wide arc toward her fleeing form.
The Fangs blade intercepted it dead-on, metal screaming against metal.
By the time the weapons locked, Anko had vanished into the jungle.
"Little brat!" Anger flashed across Juzo's face.
"Seriously, Juzo?" Mari Kaguya's sharp voice carried a note of mockery. "You can't even stop one girl?"
The anger deepened. "She's not my concern. This one is mine. Go after the other."
Juzo's gaze returned to Seiran, studying him with renewed focus. A realization dawned—the kid shouldn't have been able to block him. The strength disparity was too great. Yet something was pulling at his Kubikiribōchō, a constant drag that forced him to split his concentration just to keep the sword stable. It was the only reason Seiran had survived each exchange.
"No matter what secrets you're hiding, you'll only become a corpse under my blade!"
Blue chakra erupted from him, coating the entire Kubikiribōchō in violent energy.
Seiran's jaw tightened. Not good.
The power surging from the blade was immense. Juzo bore down with crushing force.
Whoosh.
Sparks exploded as the Fangs blade sank deeper into the Kubikiribōchō, pushed back inch by inch until it was completely submerged.
Juzo twisted his wrist.
Boom!
The sharp crack of breaking metal split the air. The Fangs blade shattered, fragments scattering like deadly rain.
The Kubikiribōchō, finally freed of resistance, smashed into Seiran's body. He flew backward like a kite with severed strings, crashing hard against the earth.
Seiran pushed himself up, breathing heavy.
Juzo stood motionless, staring down at his abdomen in disbelief. Several razor-sharp metal fragments were embedded deep in his flesh, blood seeping steadily from each wound.
"I finally understand where that resistance was coming from," he said quietly, eyes rising to meet Seiran's.
Recognition flickered in his gaze—dangerous, predatory.
"Magnet Release... You're a dual-Kekkei Genkai wielder."
It made perfect sense now. When the Fangs had shattered, the scattered fragments hadn't fallen randomly. They'd been guided—drawn like iron filings to a magnet, deliberately concentrated on his abdomen. A technique that required absolute control and rare bloodline power.
Dual-Kekkei Genkai users were myths, even in the shinobi world. A young one in the Leaf Village? This changed everything.
His mind raced. A Magnet Release user who can manipulate ninja swords at this age... if he lives to maturity, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are finished.
The decision was immediate: this boy would not leave this forest alive.
"Mari, forget the woman. I found something far more interesting."
"What?!" Mari's voice crackled with irritation. "You send me chasing, now you call me back? What am I, your dog?"
"This Hyuga Seiran is a dual-Kekkei Genkai wielder."
Mari's expression froze. His eyes narrowed as he studied Seiran from head to foot.
"You're joking. I've never heard of the Hyuga Clan producing a dual-Kekkei Genkai user."
"It's Magnet Release. No question."
"Really?" Mari's interest was now clearly piqued. "What are the intelligence agencies doing in the Leaf Village? How does a dual-Kekkei Genkai escape their notice?"
Juzo pulled the last fragment from his wound and wiped his palm across the injury. Blood smeared onto the Kubikiribōchō's surface.
The sword actually moved, as if alive. The gap in its blade sealed itself, disappearing completely.
He pointed the horizontal blade at Seiran, his eyes ice-cold.
"You're the first to force me to repair my sword with my own blood."
Seiran let out a quiet laugh. The shinobi world truly defied all logic. A sword this massive, repaired with a handful of blood? He couldn't help but admire the absurdity.
But his heart remained steady. No fear flickered in his chest—only the burning hunger for battle.
"Let's see how far that technique really goes."
His eyes slowly closed. Chakra surged violently through his body, impacting four precise pressure points in sequence. His aura exploded outward, a visible wave of power that set the air trembling.
When his eyes opened again, they blazed with electric blue.
Thunder arcs wrapped his entire form, crackling with unleashed potential.
Tyrant Mode: Electromagnetic Sovereign.
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