Wen Lan's left hand rested lightly on the sword hilt, while his right arm hung loose at his side. His fingertips idly traced the patterns carved into the scabbard, yet his gaze never left the mist ahead.
Before long, heavy footsteps drew closer.
More than fifty shinobi wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors burst out of the water fog.
At their head was a tall man gripping a ninja blade that gleamed with cold light.
Wen Lan's left thumb pressed against the tsuba, slowly pushing the blade half an inch out of its sheath. A faint metallic ring echoed from within the scabbard.
"It's Konoha ninja!"
The Kirigakure jōnin at the front was visibly startled when he saw Wen Lan. When his eyes landed on the forehead protector tied around Wen Lan's upper arm, his expression darkened.
He clearly hadn't expected to encounter Leaf ninja here.
"When did Konoha start meddling in this region?" he asked coldly, suspicion evident in his eyes.
Wen Lan didn't answer.
He simply drew the blade another inch, his gaze sharp as steel, silently locking onto his opponent.
The air froze. The two sides faced off amid the swirling mist.
Shing—!
The sword left its sheath.
Cold light sliced through the fog as lightning erupted from Wen Lan's body. His figure vanished like a ghost, reappearing instantly in front of the Kirigakure jōnin.
"So fast!"
The jōnin's pupils shrank violently as he hurriedly raised his blade to block.
Lightning scattered in all directions. The clash of steel screeched as sparks flew. The Kirigakure jōnin was forced back several steps, shock flashing across his face.
"Attack!"
At his command, the remaining Kirigakure shinobi began forming seals. Water Release Technique surged to life, roaring toward Wen Lan like ferocious beasts.
"Water Release · Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive wave—like a tsunami—crashed forward!
Wen Lan advanced instead of retreating, charging straight into the torrent.
His blade carved an arc through the air, splitting the oncoming water in two.
Lightning raced along the edge of his sword. Wen Lan's silhouette became a streak of gold within the torrent, rushing straight toward the Kirigakure formation.
He tapped the water's surface and dashed forward, blade slashing again and again, forcing the jōnin into a desperate retreat.
Mist and water churned as figures crossed and clashed—the battle instantly reaching its fiercest stage.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Suddenly, piercing sounds tore through the air.
Shuriken and senbon shot out from the surging water, streaking toward Wen Lan's vital points from every direction.
His Sharingan spun wildly—but there were too many.
He couldn't dodge them all.
If I can't avoid everything—then I'll avoid part of it.
Wen Lan's left hand flashed through seals.
"Fire Release · Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
He inhaled sharply and exhaled in one explosive breath.
The instant the flames left his mouth, they coalesced into a blazing fire dragon that roared forward, instantly melting the incoming shuriken and senbon into molten iron.
At the same time, his right hand spun the ninja blade at high speed, smashing aside every projectile coming from his right.
But the ones from his left—
He couldn't avoid them.
Pshk—pshk—pshk!
Three dull sounds of steel piercing flesh rang out.
Wen Lan frowned slightly as he looked at his left arm—two senbon and a shuriken were embedded deep within it.
Blood seeped down his arm.
Yet Wen Lan showed no sign of pain. His movements remained lightning-fast as he slashed forward, forcing nearby Kirigakure ninja back.
At that moment, the Kirigakure forces suddenly retreated in unison.
Wen Lan paused, puzzled—but did not pursue.
The Kirigakure jōnin stood at the rear, sneering.
"Brat, your swordsmanship is impressive—but swordsmanship alone won't keep you alive.
"You've been hit by Kirigakure's secret poison. Even with the Sharingan, it's useless!"
Wen Lan raised an eyebrow and looked down at his wounded arm.
The blood flowing from the wounds was no longer red—
It was black.
"Wen Lan!"
Yūhi Kurenai cried out.
"Damn it! We didn't bring any antidotes!"
Genma Shiranui broke into a cold sweat.
Wen Lan's expression darkened slightly as numbness rapidly spread up his arm.
"Heh."
He chuckled coldly and looked back at the Kirigakure jōnin.
"It's just an arm. If you like it—take it."
His right hand spun the blade and brought it down in a clean arc.
Slash!
His entire left arm, senbon and shuriken included, fell to the ground.
Blood sprayed violently from his shoulder.
Everyone froze.
For a shinobi, what was most important?
Ninjutsu.
And ninjutsu required both hands.
Yet this boy had just severed his own arm without hesitation.
The Kirigakure jōnin's face changed drastically, disbelief flooding his eyes.
Wen Lan kicked the severed arm midair, sending it flying straight into the center of the Kirigakure formation.
The Mist shinobi instinctively backed away as the arm landed among them.
Wen Lan's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Blood Demon Art · Blood Explosion!"
The severed arm suddenly swelled.
Blood within it glowed crimson.
The Kirigakure shinobi realized something was wrong—but it was already too late.
The arm detonated.
It burst apart into a cloud of blood mist, and within that mist, chain explosions erupted one after another!
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
Thunderous detonations echoed endlessly. The battlefield was swallowed by blood-red fog as screams pierced the air.
Kirigakure ninja were blasted apart, bodies torn and flung in every direction.
The blood mist behaved like countless fragments of explosive powder, detonating upon contact with anything alive.
Even the Kirigakure jōnin was blasted off his feet, coughing blood as he barely managed to stay standing.
When the explosions finally subsided, the stench of blood filled the air. Numerous Kirigakure shinobi lay motionless on the ground.
Everyone stared in shock.
When the jōnin looked back at Wen Lan, his pupils shrank violently.
"Your arm—?!"
Pakura, Kurenai, and the others stared as well, stunned beyond belief.
Wen Lan's left shoulder—
The wound had completely healed.
A brand-new arm had already grown back.
The only difference was that it lacked a sleeve.
Wen Lan flexed his regenerated arm lightly. Chakra flowed beneath the skin, and it felt even more responsive than before.
"Let's continue the game."
He sheathed his blade, took a deep breath, and spoke calmly:
"Thunder Breathing · First Form—Thunderclap Flash · Sixteenfold!"
The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly.
Wen Lan transformed into a streak of golden lightning, surging straight toward the Kirigakure ranks!
The lightning tore through the lingering blood mist, shooting directly toward the jōnin's face.
The jōnin hurriedly formed seals to defend—
Too slow.
BOOM!
The lightning struck.
His head flew into the air.
Wen Lan didn't stop.
His body accelerated even further, appearing beside the remaining Kirigakure ninja.
To everyone watching, golden lightning traces hung in the air. Each time the lightning changed direction, another Kirigakure head was severed.
The battlefield flashed again and again—
Until, finally, the golden lightning halted behind the last Kirigakure shinobi.
Wen Lan reappeared.
Clang.
The sound of a blade returning to its sheath echoed softly.
The final head fell to the ground.
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer