A colossal dragon of golden lightning intertwined with raging flames burst forth with a deafening roar, as if heaven itself were collapsing. Its might far surpassed anything before it!
Jinpachi Munashi's pupils shrank violently—an overwhelming sense of impending doom surged through him!
BOOM—!
The thunder-flame dragon smashed through Kushimaru Kuriarare's hastily erected defenses. Scorching heat and crackling lightning detonated simultaneously, ripping the air apart and shattering the ground like brittle glass.
The fused power of lightning and fire swept the battlefield like divine punishment, engulfing the four figures head-on!
A massive explosion erupted, a towering mushroom cloud rising into the sky. Hurricane-force shockwaves tore through the surroundings—trees were uprooted and snapped in half, and everything within a hundred-meter radius was erased by thunder and flame!
Almost everyone froze mid-battle, staring in disbelief at the region swallowed by destruction.
Amid the rolling heatwaves, Wen Lan stood like a god, his eyes sharp and resolute.
Before him lay five charred, headless corpses, black smoke curling from their remains—each still clutching a bizarre ninja blade.
Before anyone could recover from the shock, Wen Lan suddenly turned, his gaze lightning-sharp as it locked onto the remaining two—
Zabuza Momochi and Kisame Hoshigaki.
Zabuza's expression changed instantly. He shouted at Kisame, "Run!"
Without hesitation, he turned and fled.
Kisame's face also changed drastically. After blasting Shisui away with his hair, he grabbed Samehada as it crawled back to his side and bolted—his massive body retreating at full speed!
Seeing this, Asuma Sarutobi was startled and immediately shouted at Wen Lan:
"Go after them—now!"
Wen Lan turned his eyes on Asuma.
The sheer killing intent in that gaze made Asuma's heart skip—his body unconsciously stepping back half a pace.
"…Are you giving me orders?" Wen Lan asked, his voice low and dangerous, sharp as a blade.
Asuma froze, then gritted his teeth, forcing down his unease.
"This isn't the time for infighting! If you don't chase them now, we'll lose the chance!"
Wen Lan stared at him for a moment. A faint, unreadable smile tugged at his lips—but he didn't move.
The air grew tense, as if it might explode at any second.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from afar, breaking the standoff.
Wen Lan slightly tilted his head, cold eyes sweeping toward the noise. The killing intent hadn't faded—but there was a flicker of hesitation.
Asuma seized the moment and shouted, "What are you waiting for?!"
Wen Lan slowly turned back, his gaze icy.
"Teaching me how to do things?"
Then, with biting contempt:
"If you're so capable, you go yourself."
Asuma's face darkened with fury.
"I'll report this to my father!"
"Go ahead," Wen Lan replied as he sheathed his blade, his face full of disdain.
"A useless piece of trash who only knows how to run home and cry to his parents.
A lump of mud that'll never stick to the wall."
Asuma's face turned livid. His fists clenched until his knuckles cracked—but in the end, he didn't step forward again.
At that moment, a large force of Uchiha reinforcements arrived.
It wasn't that they were slow—this area was simply too far from the front-line camp. If Wen Lan's patrol team under Shisui hadn't been nearby, Asuma and the others would likely have been wiped out before help ever came.
At the head of the group was Elder Uchiha Sen.
The instant he landed and saw the battlefield—now resembling purgatory—his expression changed.
The land within a hundred meters had been reduced to scorched earth. The ground was blackened and cracked, and the air reeked of burnt flesh and ash.
Elder Sen's eyes swept the scene gravely. When he noticed Asuma, he paused slightly, then shifted his gaze to Shisui.
Before Shisui could speak, Wen Lan stepped forward and said flatly:
"Elder, please have Senior Duy and Senior Chokura sent back immediately for emergency treatment. They're critically injured.
"As for Senior Bo…"
His voice faltered. His left hand trembled violently on the scabbard. After a moment, he forced the words out.
"…He's fallen in battle. Please retrieve his body."
Elder Sen's face tightened with grief. He gave Wen Lan a deep look—lingering on the three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes—then nodded and immediately issued orders.
Several Uchiha moved quickly, carefully carrying away Duy and Chokura.
The five ninja swords were collected as well.
Wen Lan watched their retreating figures, a trace of exhaustion flickering across his eyes.
Asuma left with the support unit, leaving behind only Wen Lan, Shisui, Elder Sen, and Might Guy.
"What exactly happened?" Elder Sen demanded sternly.
Might Guy stepped closer to Wen Lan and said softly,
"Asuma's gone. You don't have to force it anymore. Opening the Sixth Gate puts an enormous burden on the body."
The moment Guy finished speaking, Wen Lan's body collapsed.
If Guy hadn't caught him in time, he would've hit the ground.
The next second, Wen Lan spat out a mouthful of blood, his spirit visibly fading as he leaned against Guy.
"Wen Lan—!" Shisui and Elder Sen rushed forward, supporting him. Shisui's eyes were filled with worry, while Elder Sen stared grimly at the scene.
"What happened?!" Elder Sen roared at Shisui.
Shisui clenched his teeth.
"We rushed over after seeing the distress flare. The enemy was the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
"We entered the fight hastily—Senior Chokura was gravely wounded. Senior Bo and two ANBU were killed.
"Wen Lan used some kind of forbidden technique. His strength skyrocketed—almost reaching Kage level.
"He killed five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen… with a single move."
"Are you insane?!" Elder Sen shouted.
"He's five years old! Five! Kage level?!"
Shisui's gaze was firm, his voice heavy.
"I don't know what that technique was. But he really did it.
"I saw the power of that attack with my own eyes—so fast even the Sharingan couldn't fully track it.
"The five died instantly. There was no struggle."
Elder Sen trembled, shock and disbelief flooding his face.
"This… this defies all reason!"
Might Guy spoke quietly,
"It's my father's forbidden technique—the Eight Gates. We can talk later. He's already unconscious."
Only then did Shisui and Elder Sen react. They carefully lifted Wen Lan and rushed him back to the camp.
The moment they arrived—
Wen Lan was immediately taken into emergency treatment.
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