Uchiha Kin had no intention of wasting any more time.
His subordinates' abilities had already been fully demonstrated.
Hyuga Kiyoshi was the weakest, but his age left room for growth—though he needed time and to break free from the Hyuga clan's influence. After all, he had developed several jutsu on his own without the main family's teachings.
Next was Hizure. His strength was mediocre even among jōnin, and his physical potential had peaked with no room for further growth. Without perfecting the Kigero (Demon Sprout Technique), his power would stagnate here. However, once fully developed, Kigero might allow him to surpass others later.
The strongest, of course, was Kakuzu. His mastery of the five nature transformations, combined with his five lives—now four—made him a match for Hanzo of the Salamander. However, Kakuzu hadn't learned the Basic Internal Energy Technique, as it was still primarily circulated among the major villages.
Kin felt it was enough for them to understand each other's capabilities.
His gaze turned to the distance, where an underground bounty exchange lay. The commotion had already drawn their attention, and shinobi figures were appearing in the surroundings. Continuing this battle served no purpose.
It was time to end it.
Kin watched Hanzo, waiting for his response while subtly making hand signs behind his back—a universal shinobi communication method. The others understood.
Kakuzu silently retreated to join Hyuga Kiyoshi and Hizure, who snorted coldly. The three turned their attention to the fight.
"Despair?" Hanzo's eyes darkened as he stared at Uchiha Kin.
Who understood despair better than him? The destruction of the Land of Rain had plunged him into hell.
"Then let me show you what true despair is."
Hanzo had no more patience for this arrogant fool. Gripping his sickle, he charged forward, closing the distance in just a few steps.
As the gap between them narrowed rapidly, wooden branches erupted from the ground, forcing Hanzo to leap back and slash through a few. The relentless growth of the wood intertwined, soon engulfing Kin where he stood.
Countless wooden strands wove together, surging upward—forming massive feet, legs, a torso, and finally, a solemn, towering head.
A fifty-meter-tall wooden giant now stood upon the earth.
Kin appeared atop its head, looking down at Hanzo below.
"Wood Release: Wooden Human Technique!"
Uchiha Kin had already reached the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
Hanzo swallowed hard as he stared at the colossal figure.
"This... this is cheating!"
"Konoha?" Hanzo rasped after a long silence, still gripping his weapon tightly.
Even among Kage-level fighters, most relied on jutsu to reach that tier. Hanzo's strength came from the Land of Rain's natural terrain, his salamander summon Ibuse, and his poisons. Combined, they barely qualified him for the title of Kage. Against a Kage unfamiliar with toxins, he was confident in a stalemate.
But facing this? His confidence wavered.
Yet even knowing he couldn't win—
Hanzo sprinted toward the wooden giant.
"For the Land of Rain!"
"I'll still try!!"
"Ibuse!"
The ground split as the massive salamander burst forth, its claws reaching for the wooden colossus. Despite its size, the giant moved with surprising agility, kicking Ibuse away before it could latch on. But the salamander twisted midair, grabbing the wooden leg and holding on stubbornly, resisting the giant's attempts to shake it off.
The giant could only stomp down repeatedly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ibuse was crushed again and again, spewing toxic blood as its bones creaked under the pressure.
"Ibuse!!" Hanzo's face twisted in grief, but he had no time to mourn. Seizing the moment while the giant was distracted, he dashed up its body, racing toward Kin at the summit.
A massive wooden hand swiped at him, the wind pressure alone slicing cuts into Hanzo's face. He leaped upward, dodging the strike and shortening the distance.
His target grew closer.
Kin stood like a demon king awaiting a hero, watching coldly as Hanzo closed in.
"I will defeat you!!"
With a final push, Hanzo kicked off the giant's torso, launching himself at Kin with all his strength.
At that moment—
He saw a pair of crimson eyes, three tomoe spinning rapidly.
"Sharingan!!"
An Uchiha?!
Since when could an Uchiha use Wood Release?! He'd never heard of any marriage between the Uchiha and Senju clans!!
Then came the black, skeletal half-figure.
Susanoo!
Even without the Mangekyō, Kin could manifest a partial Susanoo through sheer ocular power and chakra.
The black skeletal figure drew its blade.
Aimed at the charging Hanzo.
The next instant—
It slashed downward.
The wind pressure alone forced Hanzo to the ground before the blade even struck.
The colossal black sword descended mercilessly.
Pinned by the gale, Hanzo could only lie prone.
His life flashed before his eyes.
A childhood as a test subject. The isolation caused by his toxins, leading him to wear a respirator for others' safety.
As he grew, the very poison that tormented him also granted him strength beyond others—yet he remained unsatisfied.
He trained relentlessly in ninjutsu, but the Land of Rain's limited techniques stifled his growth. So he turned to kenjutsu and taijutsu, drilling day after day until he reached the level of an elite jōnin from the great villages. With Ibuse's aid, he even touched the pinnacle of shinobi power.
Just as a brighter future seemed within reach—
War came.
The Land of Rain became a battleground for greater nations. He heard his people's suffering, felt his country's cries. To save it, he rallied every Rain shinobi to defend their home with their lives.
He succeeded—driving out all invaders, even earning enough fear to keep them from returning.
Yet he also failed, for the Land of Rain was left with nothing.
Now, none of it mattered.
His life was about to end.
Perhaps...
Dying alongside his nation was the best outcome.
As he closed his eyes, awaiting death—the pain never came.
Hanzo opened his eyes to find the black blade halted just above his head.
Kin stood coldly in the distance.
"Submit or die."
...
Read 50 advance at patreon.com/CNBLUE
(End of Chapter)