Chapter 107: Death is Imminent! Uchiha Tsukasa, Catch the Sword!
Everything before him vanished into black and white lines.
Everything within his ears merged into a single, piercing roar.
Everything within his reach, everything within his senses, was drowned in brilliant white light.
As if the earth itself were shaking, the ocean was forced to wail under such power.
From the center of the collision between the two great swords, the waters parted—a surge rising to the heavens!
Birds flying across the sky were startled and dropped by the resounding boom.
The civilians of the Land of Hot Water, having suffered countless disasters, simultaneously raised their heads, gazing at the radiant pillar of light rising from ground to sky!
A fierce wind surged, and the battlefield's center suddenly blazed. A single clash from the combatants unleashed massive wind blades!
The Root operatives' expressions changed drastically as they fled in haste.
The scene exceeded all measure, and they could only stare blankly at the two warriors clashing with giant swords at the battlefield's center.
Two great swords—one red, one blue—drew exaggerated arcs, colliding at breakneck speed through the white mist.
With each collision, sparks flew through the dense fog, tinting entire areas brilliant yellow.
Then two long, crescent-shaped arcs formed, their light and shadows refracting through the mist.
Then, from within the fog, they heard two roars of utter, exhilarated joy—
"UCHIHA TSUKASA!!!"
"MANGETSU HŌZUKI!!!"
Then—BOOM!
The two great swords clashed once again. A violent gust erupted from the battle's center, and the white mist suddenly parted!
This time, the more condensed blue blade—with one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist as its foundation—clearly had the upper hand.
Inch by inch, it sliced through the fiery red sword, slashing downward!
At this crucial moment, the broken red sword suddenly retracted, transforming into a surge of chakra that converged on Tsukasa's fist.
Making that fist shine like the rising sun.
With one blow, the blade of light shattered!
Everything returned to square one.
However, the situation had completely changed.
Mangetsu stood on the water's surface, leaning on his sword, panting heavily.
He looked at Tsukasa, who was already sprawled on the surface, breathing heavily, exhausted like a dead dog.
His face darkened with cold rebuke.
"Uchiha Tsukasa,"
"You can no longer use that technique in your fist."
"You can't fight me like this all day."
He gritted his teeth, glaring.
"You cunning liar!"
At the last moment, Tsukasa had tricked him again—using that brittle, paper-thin Flowing Flame Greatsword with fancy special effects to trick him into unleashing all the chakra stored in his ninja sword.
Now neither of them could use such terrifying techniques.
"Haha, idiot!"
Tsukasa grinned and flipped him off.
He quickly instructed the Zero Tail to absorb the dark emotions emanating from Mangetsu, generating dark chakra to fuel the forbidden technique: Physical Regeneration.
Mangetsu's forehead twitched, veins bulging.
He didn't know what Tsukasa's gesture meant, but he sensed it wasn't good.
The next moment, Mangetsu suddenly drew his sword and charged across the water, smirking:
"No matter how cunning you are, you'll still end up like this."
"With your shoddy kenjutsu, the illusory blade you created through ninjutsu is nothing but a reflection in water!"
"It's worthless!"
Tsukasa, not wanting to waste time on trash talk, used Physical Regeneration to restore his strength and immediately rose from the water looking refreshed.
He formed hand seals, clasped his hands, and drew out a common flame sword that couldn't transform.
He lunged forward and met the incoming Hiramekarei with a single strike.
However, the flaming sword aimed at Mangetsu's vitals was cut off mid-air by the chakra-enhanced Hiramekarei!
Tsukasa was startled, his pupils contracting sharply.
Then he saw the twin-bladed Hiramekarei coming at him like a door panel, striking his chest.
Tsukasa was directly knocked away by the blade.
"Gah!"
"Damn, the difference in ninja tools!"
He twisted his body mid-air and landed, vomiting a large mouthful of blood.
Looking at the ninja sword in Mangetsu's hand, Tsukasa couldn't help but curse.
However, before he could finish being surprised, Mangetsu had already leaped over and slashed down!
In the crisis, Tsukasa's pupils shrank. He subconsciously dispersed the flaming sword in his hand.
Then he formed seals, pressed down on the water, and drew forth two swirling Water Release: Water Fang Blades, holding one in each hand.
They crossed and blocked Mangetsu's attack.
The water blades spun, making strange straining sounds.
The flame blades lacked mass and could be cut.
While the swords created by Water Fang Blade possessed mass, the combined force could barely block Mangetsu's strike—but they were powerless against someone possessing the Hydrification Technique.
Furthermore, if this continued, Tsukasa—whose kenjutsu was inferior—would be overwhelmed in seconds!
Immediately, Mangetsu withdrew his ninja sword, stepped on Tsukasa's Water Fang Blades, and leaped up. Grasping Hiramekarei with both hands mid-air, he spun around and launched a horizontal slash.
Seeing this, Tsukasa rolled to avoid the blow.
Mangetsu sneered, transforming into water to redirect his momentum. He suddenly dropped, then reformed to catch his ninja sword.
Ignoring the incoming water blade, he stabbed at Tsukasa's eye, then slashed at his hands.
Tsukasa immediately realized what his opponent was planning. He ducked his head beneath the water to dodge, braced against the surface, then arched his back and leaped into the air. He swung out a water blade with his backhand, then unleashed the senbon launcher from his wrist, firing all remaining senbon at Mangetsu's position.
However, when Tsukasa wiped the water from his face and reopened his Sharingan, he saw the now-dead Mangetsu before him!
Then—sudden pain in his back as a blade lifted him high and pierced his chest!
The other blade of Hiramekarei cut Tsukasa's left hand clean off at the wrist.
Tsukasa's eyes widened as he vomited another mouthful of blood.
Then, as if shocked, he turned his head to look behind in horror.
Mangetsu's sneer echoed faintly from behind his head.
"Uchiha Tsukasa,"
"A ninja without an arm, unable to form hand seals, is nothing!"
His gaze hardened as he flung Tsukasa's severed hand away, then cut the tendons in his limbs.
Holding the now-immobilized Tsukasa, he wore a cruel expression and pronounced coldly:
"Your death is imminent!"
Tsukasa's eyes widened, surprise filling them.
He grimaced in pain, yet couldn't help but smile.
This was truly the best news he'd heard since leaving the village!
Indeed—a severed hand meant he couldn't form seals or perform ninjutsu, and a pierced heart meant he couldn't use Fire Release: Chakra Mode.
This genius from Kirigakure had truly pinpointed all his weaknesses and delivered a fatal blow!
Mangetsu frowned slightly at Tsukasa, who despite being stabbed through the heart remained conscious.
His vitality was almost supernatural.
He shook his head and sighed:
"What a hassle."
"But if I cut off your head and take it away, you surely won't be able to regenerate your entire body from just a head."
Hearing this, Tsukasa—while using Physical Regeneration to repair his tendons in vain—couldn't help but look at Mangetsu in amazement.
Amazing! This guy even figured out a counter to my immortality!
"So then—"
Mangetsu raised his blade, threw Tsukasa onto the surface, then aimed his Hiramekarei at Tsukasa's neck.
His eye filled with extreme excitement.
"This is it, Uchiha Tsukasa!!!"
With that, Mangetsu's expression darkened as he swung his sword down!
However, at that moment—a voice all too familiar to Tsukasa suddenly rang out from the right:
"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!"
"You bastard, why are you fighting again?!"
Across the water in the distance, Seiichiro's eyes bulged as he desperately rushed forward, carrying a massive scroll on his back.
His pupils contracted to pinpoints as he watched Tsukasa's head about to be severed!
However, the distance was still too far. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find a way to save him. He ran, scratching his head frantically, anxious beyond measure.
The next moment, his eyes hardened. He pulled out a small, jet-black scroll with the Uchiha clan crest from his chest. He gritted his teeth:
"Forget it!"
Then Seiichiro Uchiha bent low, twisted his stance, and simultaneously exerted force from his waist and back—
Hurling the scroll fiercely toward Tsukasa!
At the same time, he shouted:
"UCHIHA TSUKASA—"
"CATCH THE SWORD!"
End of Chapter 107
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