Chapter 430: Golden Thread Crushing Ice Dragon
Mugetsu's chakra erupted from his hands as he hurled three kunai toward the Mist shinobi.
There was no Nature Transformation on them. They were ordinary kunai, nothing more. Yet the moment those blades flew, every Mist shinobi tensed up, wary expressions flashing across their faces as they used whatever methods they had to block the kunai's path.
Then a fourth kunai whistled in from the flank, fired from a large tree.
Someone caught the sound, but the speed was brutal. The distance was short. Before anyone could properly react, the blade was already in their space.
Whoosh!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
Mugetsu instantly moved to their flank using the Flying Thunder God kunai his Shadow Clone had thrown earlier, then snapped his wrist and tossed a shuriken.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The shuriken multiplied mid flight, splitting again and again until a dense rain of blades swallowed the Mist shinobi.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome!"
Reiki reacted first. Ice Release chakra condensed in an instant, thick ice walls sealing around him.
The Mist shinobi who were quick enough also defended or dodged, but most of them could not handle a shuriken net at this range.
Some swung sharp blades, barely managing to bat aside three shuriken before more pierced through, killing them on the spot. Others tried to Body Flicker away, only to be punched full of holes when their speed failed them.
Reiki's brows tightened.
Two thirds of the Mist shinobi died to that single Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. Among the survivors, several were already bleeding and wounded.
"He even sent a Shadow Clone ahead of time to hide nearby."
Reiki's conclusion hardened instantly.
Mugetsu had to be defeated as quickly as possible. If this dragged on, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and every subordinate he brought would be picked off one by one.
"Ice Release: Cold Tide!"
Reiki converted a massive amount of chakra into Ice Release chakra, then released it all at once. A terrifying cold burst outward from his body.
Crack! Crack!
The ground froze at a visible speed, spreading outward with Reiki at the center.
The living Mist shinobi were not affected. Reiki deliberately controlled his Ice Release chakra around them.
But he did not care about the dead.
The corpses were sealed in ice without hesitation, and the spreading frost surged toward Mugetsu's feet.
Mugetsu directly entered Flame Breathing Chakra Mode. High temperature flames spilled off him, pushing back the low temperature cold air.
"What kind of jutsu is this?" Reiki's eyes narrowed, surprised that Mugetsu could stand still and resist the cold tide head on.
Still, Reiki did not dwell on it. He never expected this technique to freeze someone truly strong. The cold was not fast enough for that.
He had not used it to finish Mugetsu.
He used it to set the stage for what came next.
"I should have retreated with Juzō and the others," Mangetsu thought bitterly, regret twisting in his chest.
He had assumed that with Reiki's strength, no one could threaten them.
Then a shinobi suspected to be the Yellow Flash appeared.
Mangetsu could only pray the enemy would make a mistake, that he would stay inside the Cold Tide's range and not use Flying Thunder God to escape. If that happened, Reiki might be able to seize an opening and land a heavy blow.
With that in mind, Mangetsu fired a chakra light ball at Mugetsu, actively trying to restrain him. The other surviving Mist shinobi also launched attacks one after another.
"I have to find a way to get close and cut him once," Jinin thought.
He did not join the barrage. He simply stared, watching Mugetsu casually block attacks with Fire Release, waiting for the exact moment Mugetsu showed a flaw.
Shinobi died if they were killed.
No matter how strong Mugetsu was, his body was not iron. If Jinin cut him even once, Mugetsu would either die or be crippled.
"Ice Release: Ice Dragon Kill!"
Reiki opened his mouth and spewed a vast amount of Ice Release chakra.
An ice dragon formed around him, spiraling upward, its presence oppressive. Under Reiki's control, the ice covering the ground surged toward the dragon, feeding it, strengthening it.
In an instant, it grew enormous.
So enormous that anyone looking up at it could not help but feel small.
The ice around Mugetsu did not fly into the dragon. Instead, it gathered into a sharp ice cone that stabbed straight toward him.
"Good thing we're not in the Land of Snow," Obito complained as he stared at the massive ice dragon. "Feels like this guy would get half again stronger for free over there."
Even so, Obito felt the outcome would not change. The environment could affect combat power, yes, but that depended on who you were facing.
Against the omnipotent Mugetsu Immortal, Reiki had no chance, whether in a glacier or a desert.
"No," Kakashi said, his gaze snapping sharp. "His target is us."
The ice dragon suddenly turned, shifting its head and charging straight at Kakashi's group.
Reiki's mouth curved into a smile.
He was a shinobi, after all. His earlier request for a one on one was real excitement at meeting another Ice Release user from a different village.
But in a real battle, he would use any method that produced victory.
He was not stupid. The ice dragon's range was huge, but landing it on a Flying Thunder God user was still too difficult.
So instead of aiming at Mugetsu, he smashed it toward Kakashi and the others, forcing Mugetsu to take the dragon head on.
"Eight Gates, Sixth Gate, Gate of View, Open!" Might Duy barked, reacting instantly as the threat closed in.
"Uncle Dai, no need to rush yet," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
Reiki's attack was clearly not simple. Even with the Sixth Gate open, Might Duy could not block something like that.
And he did not need to.
Mugetsu was still here.
If Mugetsu were not present, Kakashi would have ordered everyone to scatter immediately. With their exhaustion, they could not survive that impact. Even in perfect condition, it would have been difficult to stop.
But Mugetsu was here, and there were still multiple enemies on the field. Kakashi chose to trust Mugetsu's judgment.
If Mugetsu needed them to do anything, he would have said so. Since he had not spoken, then everything was still within his control.
Because Kakashi and the others carried Mugetsu's Flying Thunder God kunai, Mugetsu used Flying Thunder God to return to their side.
Reiki's expression turned into one of satisfaction, as if he had expected this.
"You lost because you weren't ruthless enough," Reiki thought, confidence surging. "I've won."
As the fight progressed, Reiki had already realized that in pure one on one combat, he was no match for Mugetsu. In a true duel, he would most likely lose.
But there was no if.
He had support. Four Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Chunin and jonin subordinates.
Mugetsu only had injured and exhausted subordinates behind him.
If Reiki and Mugetsu swapped positions, Reiki would retreat.
Not just for himself, but for the bigger picture. A few jonin and chunin could be replaced. The death of someone like him would shake the entire battlefield.
"Step back a bit," Mugetsu said with a smile as he condensed chakra. "There might be a lot of ice shards soon."
Kakashi and the others nodded and retreated several meters.
Mugetsu faced the approaching ice dragon and shifted from Flame Breathing to Rock Breathing, reinforcing his body.
He pushed Rock Breathing to its limit and activated Transparent World.
Then he raised his left hand in front of his body, drew his right hand behind his waist, and extended his index and middle fingers.
Guy's eyes lit up instantly.
He recognized that stance.
Teacher Mugetsu was preparing to use Golden Skyline.
"He can use that move against something this big too," Guy said, excitement flashing across his face.
He had no doubt in Mugetsu's ability. He was simply eager to see what kind of light Golden Skyline would carve across the battlefield with a giant ice dragon as its backdrop.
"Golden Skyline!"
With Transparent World active, Mugetsu could precisely control every fraction of strength in his body. When everything aligned, his chakra burst outward and he charged straight forward.
As Mugetsu and the giant dragon closed in, every shinobi on the field stared without blinking at the lone figure running toward that massive beast.
In front of the dragon, Mugetsu looked absurdly small, like a praying mantis trying to stop a cart.
Then, at the moment of impact, Mugetsu swung his fingers in a sword drawing posture.
A thin, beautiful golden line flashed past.
Bang!!!
A violent explosion shook the battlefield. White ice dust erupted outward, and chunks of ice in every size blasted in all directions at extreme speed.
Rumble!!!
Shockwaves tore across the ground, blasting craters open. Leaves rattled violently, and the wind pushed everyone's hair backward.
Reiki stared at the center of the blast, disbelief written on his face.
The enormous ice dragon was gone.
All that remained was a pile of shattered ice.
"How is this possible?" Reiki's mind reeled. "My full power Ice Dragon Kill was broken head on, and by taijutsu."
His technique, shattered by bare handed power.
How could taijutsu reach this level?
"It's the same taijutsu as that green brat," Mangetsu muttered, unable to stop himself from gasping, "but the power is completely different."
Guy's Golden Skyline had already shocked them.
The first time, it nearly killed Fuguki instantly. The second time, under a siege, it tore through defenses, snapped steel wire, broke Kubikiribocho, and left Juzō incapable of fighting.
But compared to Mugetsu's Golden Skyline, Guy's looked like a small witch meeting a great one.
If Mugetsu had used Golden Skyline against them earlier, not a single one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would have survived.
Reiki did not lose his composure for long.
As a true strong fighter, he reacted immediately, trying to Body Flicker away and retreat.
But Mugetsu had already predicted that thought.
The instant Reiki tried to withdraw, wind blades from Mugetsu's Shadow Clone forced him back.
Reiki could not escape in time.
And without an immediate escape, he lost the right to flee.
Because Mugetsu had already arrived in front of him.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome!"
With no hope left, Reiki made one last desperate defense, raising an ice wall in front of himself.
Crack!
Mugetsu's fingers pierced straight through the ice wall, then through Reiki's body.
Reiki died on the spot.
It was not that no one tried to stop Mugetsu.
They simply could not stop him while he moved at full speed.
"How can this be… Lord Reiki actually…" The Mist shinobi under Reiki froze, lost and shaken as they watched their leader fall.
Reiki had many flaws, but his strength was real. None of them expected him to be killed so easily.
"I need to train harder," Guy thought, his fighting spirit reigniting like fuel catching flame. "This is what Golden Skyline is supposed to look like."
Compared to Mugetsu's Golden Skyline, his own was far behind. His body needed more strength. His mastery needed more refinement.
"This move really is terrifying," Kakashi thought, a quiet sigh in his chest. "It might be the most frightening taijutsu in the ninja world."
He could not help comparing it to the Third Raikage's Hell Stab, the Lightning Release body technique hailed as the strongest spear in the ninja world.
Kakashi felt Golden Skyline might not be inferior.
That thought gave him a headache.
How were they supposed to fight the next civil war?
If Guy's Sixth Gate and Rock Breathing Chakra Mode became normal for him, Kakashi felt it might take all three of them together just to have a chance.
"Die!"
At this final moment, Jinin finally moved.
He seized the timing when Mugetsu's arm was still extended through the ice wall and burst forward, slashing toward Mugetsu's neck.
Whoosh!
Mugetsu vanished.
Jinin's heavy blade slammed into the ice wall, blasting ice shards outward.
In the next instant, Mugetsu appeared beside Jinin with a kunai in hand and drove it into Jinin's heart.
Jinin stared at Mugetsu, confusion filling his eyes.
Then he collapsed, dying with that doubt still in his gaze.
Until the end, he could not understand why Mugetsu could instantly move to his side when there was no Flying Thunder God kunai here.
"Sometimes dead people are quite useful," Mugetsu said, glancing at Reiki's corpse.
When he killed Reiki, he had conveniently left a Flying Thunder God mark on Reiki's body.
Mangetsu watched Mugetsu kill Reiki and then kill Jinin like they were nothing and reached back without thinking.
His clothes were soaked through with sweat.
He did not hesitate.
Mangetsu turned and ran.
At this moment, he had lost all desire to fight.
He believed he still had a chance to live. Even if he could not outrun Mugetsu, he could outrun the other Mist shinobi.
J
The idea was good.
Unfortunately, he ran into Mugetsu.
When the remaining Mist shinobi realized how wrong everything was and tried to retreat, two Shadow Clones sealed off the area and cut down the fleeing Mist shinobi.
Mangetsu was caught by Mugetsu's main body.
A Rasengan slammed into his chest, killing him outright.
After the enemies were wiped out, Mugetsu quickly cleaned the battlefield, collecting the ninja swords and sealing the bodies of Reiki and the others into a scroll.
This time, Mugetsu did not plan to conceal the battle the way he had before.
First, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Reiki were all major figures on the eastern front, and Konoha would be watching them closely.
Second, Mugetsu's displayed strength was already not low. He no longer needed to restrain himself and hide as he did earlier. Letting these achievements spread would raise his reputation.
A shinobi who clearly possessed great strength, yet deliberately held back and stayed low key, only made others more curious.
Mugetsu's concealment was never thoughtless, fake humility.
He wanted concealment that matched his identity, strength, and persona, so nothing felt off and no problems could be discovered.
After finishing up, Mugetsu led his disciples back to camp.
His strength still was not enough to ignore everything on the battlefield. No matter how powerful the techniques were, they still required chakra.
When they returned, Mugetsu checked his panel.
The life mission rewards for his disciples had been settled.
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