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Ringo Ameyuri slowly stepped out of the drifting smoke.
Behind her trailed a swarm of summoned ninja beasts. Every one of them possessed third-tier strength. Among them was even a water-style ninja.
"HAHAHA!"
Ringo burst into wild laughter.
Her body was splattered with dark, mottled blood, and severe internal injuries weighed on her. But at this moment she didn't care about any of it.
All that mattered was the hatred burning inside her.
Akira could feel it clearly.
"Ringo Ameyuri!" he shouted.
"Heh. Call my name all you want," Ringo sneered. "It won't save you. Today, I'm cutting your head off."
She raised her right hand and slammed it down toward the ground.
"BOOOOM!"
The earth shattered. Soil and gravel erupted and rolled across the battlefield.
Akira exhaled quietly.
Good…
Luckily, she hadn't used ninjutsu to attack him. Otherwise he wouldn't have escaped so easily. From the looks of it, Ringo must not have enough strength left to cast large techniques.
If she did, there was no way she would've let him off that lightly.
"You're pretty sharp, Akira," Ringo said, wiping the blood from her cheek.
She raised her head and fixed him with a cold stare.
"But do you really think that's enough to keep you alive?"
Akira's pupils shrank.
Suddenly, Ringo's aura exploded upward.
Her eyes turned red. The robes on her body shifted to a strange green hue.
"Water Style: Super Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
She thrust both hands forward.
A massive torrent of water surged out, condensing instantly into a gigantic water dragon. The creature roared forward under crushing pressure as it charged straight at Akira.
Akira narrowed his eyes.
The aura coming from that dragon was terrifying. The density of the water itself was abnormally high.
This won't be easy.
"Raikiri!"
Without hesitation, lightning erupted around him.
Crackling arcs of electricity wrapped around his body as he shot forward like a bolt of thunder, appearing directly in front of Ringo. Twin blades of lightning formed along his arms and slashed outward.
CRACK!
Akira clasped his hands together. Lightning crossed violently between them and struck Ringo, sending her flying backward.
Taking advantage of the opening, he immediately leapt away.
Only after landing did he finally process what had just happened.
His eyes widened.
"She… tanked my Raikiri head-on?!"
How was that possible?
The water surrounding her body felt incredibly dense. Was that the reason she could withstand the attack?
Akira frowned deeply as he stared at the spot where Ringo had vanished.
"Her water-attribute chakra is incredibly rich… but her life force feels weak."
"What's going on here? Did I already defeat her?"
But the way she had looked earlier didn't resemble someone who had lost.
Akira couldn't make sense of it.
Still, there was no time to dwell on it. His own condition wasn't good either. His body was already struggling to endure the immense power he had used.
"As expected… I can't casually use that technique."
"If I keep pushing it, the damage to my body could become irreversible."
He muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a faint blue figure appeared within his field of vision.
"That woman!"
Akira instantly became alert.
Ringo Ameyuri stepped forward again, a twisted grin spreading across her face.
"Hehehe… Akira, you know something?"
"I once had a dream."
"That dream was to defeat you… and make you kneel at my feet and beg for mercy!"
Her expression twisted with madness.
"But now that dream is already fulfilled. I've gained unmatched power."
"Now I can finally kill you with my own hands!"
Akira stared at her silently.
Yes, this woman was insane.
But insanity alone wasn't enough to defeat him.
He snorted coldly.
"You crazy bitch. I suggest you give up this revenge fantasy."
"You're never beating me."
He bent his knees and shot forward.
Right now, he needed to vent the fury boiling in his chest. Otherwise he might explode from holding it in.
The two clashed again.
The battle raged for a while.
Then—
"BOOM!"
Akira stomped down, shattering the rock beneath his foot.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing fireball roared toward Ringo.
"Hah! Konoha Style: Wood Release—Tree World Descent!"
Ringo formed hand seals without hesitation.
SWOOSH!
Halfway across the battlefield, the soil around her suddenly melted and reshaped itself.
Gigantic trees erupted from the ground one after another, towering into the sky. Their razor-sharp branches shot toward Akira like spears.
Shock filled Akira's eyes.
He couldn't understand why the land around Ringo had suddenly become so hard and controlled. This was ordinary soil… yet it had been transformed completely.
Cracks began spreading across the skin on Ringo's arms.
But she didn't care.
As long as Akira died, any price was worth paying.
Ignoring the damage to her own body, she charged forward.
Akira rushed to meet her.
Their fists collided.
BANG!
The impact sent Akira flying backward. He slammed into the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He struggled to stand.
When he looked up, Ringo was smiling at him with a sinister expression.
His resistance had clearly angered her.
"I told you," she said softly.
"I'm going to kill you myself."
Her lips curved upward.
WHOOSH!
She lunged again.
BANG!
CRACK!
Akira's arm muscles bulged as he blocked her punch.
But Ringo's strength was terrifying.
The immense force in her fist traveled through his arms and into his body. His chest felt like it was being torn apart.
"Cough!"
Akira couldn't stop himself from coughing.
He grabbed her fist tightly. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"My true enemies were never trash like you."
"I'll knock you down… then slowly torture you."
"I'll rip your soul out, trap it forever in darkness, and turn your body into a specimen."
BANG!
Ringo responded with a vicious whip kick.
The power behind it was overwhelming. Akira couldn't block it in time.
He was sent flying through the air, crashing straight through a house before tumbling into the rubble.
Ringo walked slowly toward the place where he had fallen, her eyes icy.
Suddenly—
PFFT!
A scorching bullet shot toward her forehead.
But it was stopped by a thin membrane of chakra before it could reach her.
"Too slow."
"You'll never catch me at that speed," Ringo said with contempt.
She glanced dismissively at Akira and turned away, already searching for her next target.
Akira was far faster than ordinary people. That was why he had always been called a ninja prodigy.
But Ringo had her own advantage.
Her physical strength was monstrous.
On the battlefield she was an exceptional sniper.
And at the same time, a deadly swordswoman.
When Akira saw her look away again, his teeth clenched.
Damn it… this bastard is actually mocking me.
BOOM!
A shell suddenly exploded beside him, forcing Ringo to retreat.
"Who's there?!"
She glared forward angrily.
She knew someone had attacked from the shadows. If her guess was correct…
It had to be Akira.
"Heh."
"You haven't even seen my real power yet."
Akira snorted coldly.
His legs tensed and he burst forward.
His speed was astonishing.
Within seconds he had already closed the distance and appeared right in front of Ringo.
Her pupils shrank sharply.
She swung her right arm forward like a spear. A green glow wrapped around it, revealing protective armor.
"HA!"
Instead of retreating, Akira surged forward and grabbed her arm.
At the same time, chakra condensed in Ringo's left hand, forming a short blade.
Akira seized the moment and swept his leg low.
WHAM!
Ringo was knocked off balance and thrown back.
Akira immediately pressed the attack.
He rushed forward and threw a punch toward her face.
But Ringo was faster than he expected. She grabbed his collar and yanked him back.
"Haha. You idiot."
"That punch was never going to land."
She tossed him aside.
Akira slammed into the ground and instantly felt dizzy.
He forced himself to lift his head.
Then he saw it.
Electric serpents crackled around Ringo's hand.
Crackle… crackle…
Lightning snakes coiled around Ringo Ameyuri's hands and lashed out, striking Akira square in the chest.
"Ah!"
Akira cried out. Pain exploded through his body, as if every bone had been knocked out of place.
"Ha! So? Ready to admit defeat?" Ringo Ameyuri said smugly. "If you surrender now, I might spare your life."
Akira stared at her coldly.
Then his figure slowly faded from right in front of her eyes. At the same time, a dangerous presence appeared behind her.
Ringo Ameyuri reacted instantly, springing into the air and narrowly avoiding the lethal strike aimed at her back.
Akira burst through the window and landed on the other side of the wall.
Ringo Ameyuri frowned. "Not bad. His escape skills are pretty good."
A hint of excitement appeared on her face. Even though Akira had slipped away skillfully, she was still confident she could drag him back.
Lightning gathered in both of her hands. With all her strength, she hurled a thunder bomb into the air.
Boom.
It exploded overhead, sending thick smoke and dust spreading across the area, completely obscuring Akira's vision.
"Heh heh."
Ringo Ameyuri revealed a sinister smile. She flicked her finger through the air and a long spear appeared in her hand. Then she hurled a kunai straight into the dense smoke.
Bang!
The smoke gradually cleared.
Akira stood there, covered in wounds. His body was riddled with cuts, and a kunai had pierced straight through his abdomen. Blood poured out uncontrollably.
"Hm?"
Ringo Ameyuri frowned in confusion. She couldn't sense Akira at all. With injuries like that, he should have collapsed already… maybe even died.
"Did he faint from fear?"
Holding her spear, she slowly walked toward him.
Suddenly, a kunai shot toward her from behind.
Ringo Ameyuri twisted her waist and barely dodged it.
Clack!
A shuriken struck her shoulder.
"Who's there?!" she snapped, instantly on guard.
"Don't bother guessing," Akira's voice came from behind her. "You've already lost."
Ringo Ameyuri spun around instantly and lashed out with a whip-like kick.
Only then did she notice the black windbreaker draped over Akira's body.
Her kick collided with Akira's iron-hard fist.
The next moment, sharp pain shot through her ankle. It felt like a spike had pierced straight into the bone. The pain surged up her leg so violently that she nearly dropped to her knees.
"Damn it! What kind of power is this?!"
Ringo Ameyuri roared. The stabbing pain in her ankle slowed her movements.
Whoosh!
Akira seized the opening and drove a kick straight into her stomach.
"Ugh!"
Ringo Ameyuri let out a muffled groan and was knocked flat onto the ground. Her expression twisted in frustration. Akira's strength was far greater than she had expected.
"Damn it!"
She pulled a dagger from her waist and stabbed toward Akira's throat.
Clang!
Akira tilted his head slightly. The blade missed and slammed into the floor instead, a faint wisp of smoke rising from it.
"As expected of a man with the Mangekyō Sharingan," Ringo Ameyuri said coldly. "You actually avoided my killing move."
"Hmph. I do have the Mangekyō Sharingan, after all."
Akira snorted. Red light gleamed in his eyes.
His ocular technique was the Mangekyō Sharingan's ability—Tsukuyomi.
Ringo Ameyuri fell instantly into an illusion.
Akira's hand sliced forward like a blade, slashing toward her neck.
A chill ran across Ringo Ameyuri's throat. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment, and blood burst from her mouth.
"Damn it… I refuse to accept this…"
After those final words, she closed her eyes.
Her breath faded away.
No sooner had the battle ended than another figure appeared before Akira.
The leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Mangetsu Hōzuki.
"As expected of Uchiha Akira," Mangetsu said with a savage grin. "You wiped out all my subordinates."
His hands quickly formed seals.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive tidal wave roared toward Akira.
Akira didn't flinch. His hands moved just as quickly.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A towering wall of earth erupted from the ground, blocking the raging wave.
The clash of water and earth exploded violently, shaking the entire area.
"What terrifying power…"
Mangetsu narrowed his eyes.
He hadn't expected his technique to fail—let alone put him at a disadvantage.
His gaze toward Akira grew serious.
"Interesting… When did the Uchiha clan produce another monster like you?"
"Hmph. Just got lucky once," Mangetsu sneered.
But deep down, a sense of danger was rising in his chest.
Akira was already one of the most outstanding young shinobi in the world. Even Konan and Naruto Uzumaki, disciples of the Hokage, couldn't compare with him.
He had to eliminate Akira now.
If not, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Mangetsu stomped forward. Violent chakra erupted from his body as a fierce gale blasted outward, blowing away the lingering smoke.
Akira refused to back down. Chakra surged through his body and gathered in his fist before he threw a straight punch.
Their fists slammed into each other.
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed.
Akira's expression shifted slightly. Intense pain shot through his hand, and his arm went numb.
Even worse, his chakra couldn't suppress the powerful surge of chakra inside Mangetsu's body.
"Hahaha! Akira, you're finished! Do you know that?!" Mangetsu laughed wildly.
"No. You're the one who lost!"
Akira roared, his left fist smashing forward and cutting Mangetsu off mid-sentence.
"Damn it!"
Mangetsu's face darkened. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and took the blow head-on, his body flying backward dozens of meters.
His eyes locked onto Akira's right fist.
It was badly swollen.
"Damn brat…"
He cursed inwardly.
Although Akira hadn't fully recovered his strength yet, he could still unleash more than half his combat power.
Combined with his physique, that already surpassed most elite jōnin—reaching a level comparable to a mid-tier ninja.
His physical body was even tougher than ordinary jōnin. Even a chūnin would be injured facing him.
"Heh… that just makes things more interesting."
Mangetsu smiled coldly.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
He bent his knees slightly, then shot forward like a spring. The kunai in his hand transformed into a roaring water dragon that charged toward Akira.
"Lightning Release: Luxurious Flash!"
Facing the incoming water dragon, Akira didn't retreat. Brilliant light burst from his eyes as violent lightning surged forward and collided with it.
Crackle.Sizzle.
The water dragon vanished the moment it tangled with the lightning.
"Damn it… what kind of bloodline limit is that?!"
Mangetsu gritted his teeth in frustration.
He knew he was at a disadvantage now. But he had no choice except to fight with everything he had.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
He unleashed the technique again, waves surging outward.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Akira's body flickered.
In the next instant, thousands of razor-sharp blades appeared around him.
A dense web of swords descended, engulfing Mangetsu from every direction.
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