Samehada flew over.
Kitazawa directly threw out a kunai.
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique! He formed hand seals, Chakra surged, and the kunai flickered, then rapidly multiplied.
In the blink of an eye, countless kunai filled the sky. Like an enormous monster, they devoured Samehada and, following the chain, surrounded Fuguki.
Fuguki was enveloped by the shadow of the kunai. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Only after truly fighting Kitazawa did he realize that Kurosuki Raiga and Ameyuri Ringo had not died in vain.
But there were also differences among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. He was the strongest one!
Fuguki pulled the chain, and Samehada returned. Under his control, Samehada spun in front of him. All the kunai were deflected.
He suddenly let out a soft exclamation. Because after all the kunai dispersed, Kitazawa vanished from his original spot.
Fuguki reacted quickly. He flicked his right hand, and Samehada flew out again. This time, it was aimed at Kurenai.
Kitazawa appeared out of thin air, Zangetsu and Lightning crossing, blocking Samehada.
"I knew you'd come out!" Fuguki sneered and said, "For a Ninja, emotions are the most useless thing."
He flashed forward, condensing a stream of water in his left hand, and swung a water blade at Kitazawa. With a bang, Kitazawa turned into smoke.
"Shadow Clone?" Fuguki couldn't help but be startled.
Just then, he felt a scorching aura from behind him. He turned his head and saw Kitazawa with Zangetsu, burning with flames, in his hand.
"What?" Cold sweat broke out on Fuguki's forehead.
His left hand instinctively pulled back, blocking Zangetsu with the water fang blade.
Lightning Release: Supervibrato Lightning Release Sword!
Kitazawa had anticipated this; Zangetsu suddenly trembled, imbued with lightning. The water blade in Fuguki's hand abruptly shattered. Zangetsu slashed towards his arm.
Fuguki was greatly alarmed, pulling back his left hand while gripping Samehada with his right and slashing forcefully. Blood splattered out. But it wasn't Kitazawa's; it was Fuguki's.
"Bastard! I'll kill you!" A deep, bone-visible gash appeared on Fuguki's left arm. His face was pale, and he stared at Kitazawa, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"That depends on your ability," Kitazawa said calmly.
"Kid!" Fuguki was enraged by his attitude, "When I became famous, you were just a little brat!"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly slashed Samehada at himself. The expected clean cut did not occur; Samehada fused with Fuguki.
Fuguki's head turned into a fish head, and fins appeared on his arms, making him look like a merman.
This was the Samehada Fusion form. In this state, Fuguki could swim freely in water and possessed the ability to devour Chakra.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. He had thought that only Kisame Hoshigaki could fuse with Samehada, but he didn't expect Fuguki could as well.
But thinking about it, it made sense. The Samehada Fusion form was a function of Samehada. Theoretically, anyone holding it could fuse with it.
"Die!" Fuguki clapped his hands.
Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu! Massive Water Release Chakra surrounded him, and in an instant, it flew into the air, forming a huge water dragon.
Kitazawa's expression tightened. In this Samehada Fusion form, did Fuguki's Water Release Ninjutsu receive an additional boost?
Kitazawa swung his sword. The blade of flame clashed with the water dragon but was extinguished in a flash. He immediately put away Zangetsu and formed hand seals.
Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere! The huge wind sphere burst forth, and the howling wind blocked the water dragon.
Seeing this, Fuguki arrived in front of Kitazawa with extreme speed.
Samehada: Erasing Slash! His arms were like blades, slashing out one to the left and one to the right.
Rasengan! Kitazawa raised his hands. Chakra swirled and rotated, forming two Chakra spheres.
The two Rasengan struck Fuguki's arms. Even with the protection of Samehada, the skin on the surface of his arms inevitably twisted. Fuguki endured the pain and quickly retracted his arms.
Water Release: Water Fang Blades! As he dodged the Rasengan, he gripped the water blades with both hands and slashed fiercely at Kitazawa.
Heavenly Foot of Pain! Kitazawa kicked out.
Surging Chakra enveloped his right leg, and with a terrifying gust of wind, it hit Fuguki before the water blades. Fuguki was sent flying.
Lightning Release: Chidori! Brilliant lightning condensed in Kitazawa's right hand. The piercing sound transformed into a fierce aura.
Kitazawa darted forward, his right hand like a blade, cutting towards Fuguki's heart.
Fuguki's hair immediately stood on end. The intense sense of danger sent his adrenaline soaring. He raised his arms to block in front of him.
Lightning Release: Chidori immediately cut through his skin. Blood gushed out. But Fuguki was currently in Samehada Fusion form, with tough skin and flesh.
He endured the pain and activated his Chakra-devouring ability. The lightning, like the chirping of a Chidori, immediately vanished without a trace.
Seeing this, Fuguki quickly distanced himself. He looked at the blood gushing from his arms, both shocked and angry.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind echoed. A figure rapidly approached from a distance. It was Uchiha Itachi.
He glanced left and right and couldn't help but be startled. Kurenai and Kabuto and the others being at a disadvantage was still within his expectations.
But had Fuguki been pushed to this extent? His arms were covered in blood, clearly having suffered greatly.
But why did he look so strange?
"Konoha Anbu?" Fuguki was momentarily stunned, but he didn't care.
Even if a Jonin came, it wouldn't change the course of the battle. But Uchiha Itachi's appearance reminded him that if he dragged this on, more Konoha Village Ninja would arrive.
"You three, quickly deal with them!" Fuguki's face darkened as he shouted.
After speaking, he looked at Kitazawa. He had thought that using the Samehada Fusion form would allow him to easily deal with him, but now it seemed it still wasn't enough.
As things stood, he could only bring out his true trump card: his Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique and Silent Killing, which he hadn't used in a long time.
The reason Fuguki hadn't used them was simple: he could defeat enemies without needing to. Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique and Silent Killing were for sneak attacks.
He would only use them when encountering an enemy of equal strength or stronger than him.
"Kid, this is the end!" Fuguki clapped his hands, and a large amount of mist rapidly spread out from him.
"It is indeed time for it to end." Kitazawa, seeing that Uchiha Itachi had arrived, no longer held back.
Senju Chakra Mode!
Mist rolled. Behind him, Fuguki suddenly attacked.
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
As if Kitazawa had eyes on his back, he turned and threw a punch.
Fuguki's eyes widened, and he was sent flying. He landed on the ground, feeling sore all over, as if his body were falling apart.
If it weren't for the Samehada Fusion form, Kitazawa's punch could have knocked him unconscious.
But Fuguki was even more shocked by how fast Kitazawa's reaction was. Could Kitazawa see him through the mist? Impossible!
Fuguki quickly got up and dodged the roaring water dragon. The mist became quiet again.
Fuguki silently crept towards Kitazawa. Kitazawa stood in place, wearing sunglasses, as if he hadn't noticed anything.
Fuguki seized the opportunity, his right hand like a blade, stabbing towards Kitazawa's heart. A bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face.
Kitazawa was Tsunade's student, and his own strength was immense; if he could kill him, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement.
But the next second, his smile instantly froze. Kitazawa extended both hands and grabbed his arms.
Fuguki instinctively wanted to pull his arms back. Kitazawa joined two fingers and touched the Chakra point on his arm.
"How do you know Gentle Fist?" Fuguki noticed the stagnation of Chakra in his arm and immediately showed a ghostly expression.
"I have two Hyuga Clan students, so I know a little about it."
Kitazawa took this opportunity to hit another Chakra point on Fuguki's arm.
"Get lost!" Fuguki felt something was wrong.
He raised his leg and kicked out. Kitazawa stepped back, avoiding his attack. Fuguki couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But then his body suddenly trembled twice, and he exited the Samehada Fusion form. Fuguki realized what had happened, grabbed Samehada, and disappeared into the mist.
He breathed as lightly as possible. The two Chakra points Kitazawa had just touched, whether intentionally or accidentally, had released his Samehada Fusion form.
Fuguki felt a level of difficulty he had never encountered before. Although his Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique was effective, once he got close to Kitazawa, Kitazawa would react.
Fuguki looked at Samehada in his hand. A flash of inspiration gave him an idea. Since close-range attacks would be reacted to, he would use long-range attacks.
Fuguki twisted Samehada. The moment it flew out, he took a step ahead and formed hand seals with both hands.
Hair Needle Senbon! His hair quickly hardened and flew out like senbon.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!
The reason Kitazawa could react so quickly was entirely due to his Byakugan. His Byakugan, boosted by a 30% Byakugan purity bonus, far surpassed the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
The only drawback was that, within the Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique, he could only see clearly within three meters. But that was enough.
A wall rose, blocking Fuguki's hair. But in an instant, Samehada smashed through the earth wall. Those hairs pierced Kitazawa's body like a porcupine.
"It worked?" Fuguki's face lit up with joy.
With a bang, Kitazawa's body turned into mud.
"Damn it!" An alarm bell rang in Fuguki's heart, and he quickly pulled Samehada back with force.
Compound Ninjutsu: Strange Mask Exploding Flame!
Kitazawa watched Samehada quickly retreat and immediately formed hand seals with both hands.
He leaned back and spat out a ball of flame. The moment the flame landed, it rapidly spread, turning into a sea of fire.
As the sea of fire appeared, high-pressure wind spheres exploded, causing the flames to spread like fireworks in an instant.
"No!" The moment Fuguki grabbed Samehada, he was completely engulfed by the boundless flames. Screams erupted. He wanted to run, but it was too late.
The fire, fueled by the wind, spread incredibly fast. The mist dissipated, replaced by roaring flames.
Kitazawa's Byakugan swept across, locating Fuguki's position.
He drew his blade, Zangetsu, and delivered a single slash. A blade of fire flew into the sea of fire, hitting Fuguki. The screams abruptly stopped, and he fell down.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade! Kitazawa delivered another slash.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade injects Wind Release Chakra into a kunai, but injecting it into a Ninja sword produces a similar effect.
After cutting through the sea of fire, he immediately ran forward and pulled Fuguki out. Although his movements were incredibly fast, Fuguki was still burned beyond recognition, completely unidentifiable.
As soon as Kitazawa set Fuguki down, he saw Samehada scuttling away like a dark crawler, moving at no slow pace.
He stepped forward, stomped on its hilt, and formed hand seals with both hands.
Five Elements Seal! Chakra transformed into black talismans, covering Samehada and rendering it immobile.
Kitazawa stroked his chin. To be fair, Samehada was formidable.
Among the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, it was arguably the most useful. Just its Chakra absorption ability alone was terrifying.
In the original work, it could even absorb the Chakra of Tailed Beasts.
But Kitazawa was a traditionalist; he wasn't used to wielding a living sword. Moreover, Samehada might not even recognize him. This sword was very selective.
Even if it recognized him, encountering a Jinchuriki could still make it defect.
Kitazawa couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. Jinchuriki? Then for Naruto?
"Good heavens!" Kitazawa exclaimed. He suddenly realized that this choice was actually quite advantageous.
Naruto's Chakra—aside from Senju Hashirama—was among the strongest in the entire Ninja World. Of course, Six Paths Sage and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya were exceptions.
Kitazawa was certain that Samehada would greatly enjoy Naruto's Chakra. Conversely, Naruto would probably appreciate Samehada as well.
After all, Samehada was sentient, wise, and could be kept as a perfect companion. Although Naruto had many friends, he certainly wouldn't mind one more.
Thinking this, Kitazawa bound Samehada with bandages. Being a living entity, it couldn't be stored in a Summoning Storage Scroll; he could only carry it with him.
"Kitazawa!" A fragrant breeze signaled Kurenai's arrival.
Kitazawa glanced at the other three Hidden Mist Village Jonin—like Fuguki, they were already lying on the ground, incapacitated.
"Are you alright?" Kurenai asked, worry etched on her face.
"I'm fine," Kitazawa replied, shaking his head. "What about you all?"
"Izumi and Torune are a bit injured; Kabuto is treating them," Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief.
"My apologies for being a step late," Itachi said apologetically.
"It's nothing; you arrived just in time," Kitazawa assured him, then added with a smile, "Itachi, your strength is truly impressive—you dealt with three Jonin in one go."
"I had the help of Kurenai-senpai and the others; it wasn't my achievement alone," Itachi replied sincerely, looking at Fuguki. "I am far inferior to you."
"Alright, now is not the time to discuss this; let's leave quickly," Kurenai reminded. "If we delay too long, other Hidden Mist Village Ninja might rush back."
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. Having just used Senju Chakra Mode, engaging in another battle would be risky.
However, with Itachi present, it was still manageable. Even with three enemy Jonin just now, he hadn't yet exposed his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kitazawa used a Summoning Storage Scroll to store the bodies of Fuguki and the other three Hidden Mist Village Jonin. The group then headed toward the Konoha Village Main Camp.
After they left, a figure suddenly appeared. It was the Hidden Mist Village Anbu Ninja who had previously informed Fuguki.
"It's over! Something big has happened!" The Anbu Ninja trembled.
Fuguki was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and the deputy commander of this war. His death would undoubtedly deal a huge blow to Hidden Mist Village.
The Anbu Ninja quickly regained his composure and left to report to Ao.
[Current Mission: Stop or kill Fuguki.]
[Mission Reward: Two-fifths of a card of Chakra Upper Limit.]
[Host has completed the mission; reward issued.]
Kitazawa, running ahead, paused briefly, glancing at the three lines of text before him. A surge of Chakra flowed into his body.
The Chakra he had expended using Senju Chakra Mode had recovered considerably. His current Chakra had already exceeded four cards. In terms of pure Chakra, only a handful of Jonin had more than he did.
The group returned to the Konoha Main Camp. It was already dusk, the sun's faint glow hanging low on the horizon.
"How are things?" Tsunade asked proactively.
Nara Shikaku and Hyuga Hiashi, inside the main tent, also looked at Kitazawa, particularly Hiashi. The mission to stop Fuguki's Team had originally been assigned to the Hyuga Clan but had not succeeded.
"I have not failed my mission," Kitazawa said with a slight smile.
"Well done!" Tsunade's lips curved into a smile.
"These are the four corpses of Fuguki's Team," Kitazawa said, taking out a scroll. "There's a lot of blood."
Tsunade paused, then handed the scroll to Nara Shikaku without looking at it.
"You killed all four of them?" Shikaku widened his eyes.
Fuguki's status was extraordinary; his death could cause a major stir in Hidden Mist Village.
"As expected of Lady Tsunade's student!" Other Jonin murmured in amazement.
They had thought Kitazawa's Team had repelled Fuguki's Team, but hadn't expected all four to be killed. The difference in difficulty between the two sides was as vast as sky and earth.
"Haru," Tsunade glanced at Kitazawa. "Pass this information to the Old Man."
"Yes," Anbu Ninja Haru immediately responded.
"Shikaku, make arrangements to prevent retaliatory actions from Hidden Mist Village."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shikaku replied, turning and leaving the main tent.
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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)