Natsuhiko's expression remained calm.
He looked indifferently at the only remaining middle-aged man who still had the ability to fight.
The man's anger had clearly reached its peak.
His fists were clenched tightly, and the grief and fury radiating from him were unmistakable.
But Natsuhiko didn't care.
He had never had the habit of showing mercy to enemies—
Especially those who clearly intended to attack him.
Still… I should be a little careful. This guy obviously has decent sensory abilities.
From the beginning, Natsuhiko had suspected the man might be a sensory-type ninja.
Now, he was completely certain.
No wonder he had previously felt someone observing them in an extremely subtle way.
No wonder the man noticed the moment he made his move.
No wonder he sensed something wrong with the Shadow Clone earlier.
It was all because of this man's sensory perception.
But possessing sensory ability wasn't inherently terrifying.
Powerful sensory skills could be integrated into combat.
Average ones, however, were mostly limited to intelligence gathering.
For example, Kumogakure's C, or the Uzumaki clan survivor Karin—
They were typical intelligence-focused sensory ninja.
Combat-oriented sensory ninja, on the other hand, pushed perception to its limits and integrated it directly into battle.
Frankly, such people were extremely rare.
The only one Natsuhiko could think of was his own ancestor—
Tobirama Senju.
Tobirama's political skill was formidable, and his strength was not to be underestimated.
It could be said that his reforms were what propelled Konoha to its peak.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had merely inherited his legacy.
Though Tobirama was not as overwhelmingly powerful as his brother Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha—who could single-handedly challenge the entire shinobi world—
He had personally killed Izuna Uchiha.
Izuna was Madara's younger brother.
And he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
With extreme perception, the ability to copy ninjutsu, and unpredictable ocular techniques, he was theoretically the perfect counter to someone like Tobirama, who relied heavily on ninjutsu and taijutsu.
Yet Tobirama defeated him.
Aside from his solid fundamentals and countless techniques—
He relied on exceptional sensory perception to read Izuna's movements.
In the end, he used Flying Thunder God to land a decisive surprise attack.
Izuna died.
When it came to developing sensory ability, Natsuhiko intended to follow in that very ancestor's footsteps—
Even if that ancestor had "buried the entire clan in a pit," as some might say.
True, his current results were average.
In long-range detection, he couldn't compare to the Byakugan.
In visual perception and insight, he couldn't compete with the Sharingan.
But not being the best didn't mean it was useless.
The growth potential of sensory ability was enormous.
"Die!"
While Natsuhiko was thinking and quietly recovering his chakra, the middle-aged jōnin could no longer restrain himself.
Perhaps it was the screams of his dying comrades. Or the sight of those cut down by Natsuhiko.
Or the exposed white bones unearthed by the explosion. All of it assaulted his mind.
He could not control his emotions. So he chose to strike.
With a kunai in hand, he burst forward at full speed, thrusting fiercely toward Natsuhiko.
Faced with the attack—
Natsuhiko lowered his body slightly and sidestepped, cleanly evading the thrust.
Immediately after dodging, Natsuhiko twisted his body forward.
A kunai appeared in his left hand, stabbing steadily toward the man's ribs.
At the same time, his right leg locked against the man's left knee, while his right fist drove upward toward the man's throat.
The entire sequence flowed like water.
In the blink of an eye, he had already read through the man's attack pattern.
The middle-aged ninja hadn't expected such terrifying reaction speed.
But he remained calm.
Years of battle had forged strong combat instincts within him.
Chakra burst from his body—
The moment Natsuhiko's kunai struck, thick white smoke erupted.
His body transformed into a wooden log.
Substitution Technique!
At that same instant, the man appeared behind Natsuhiko like a ghost.
Without hesitation, he thrust his kunai toward the back of Natsuhiko's head.
"Dammit, not again!"
The moment his kunai pierced "Natsuhiko," his expression changed drastically.
He clearly sensed that the Natsuhiko before him had already become a clone.
Worse—
The turbulent chakra gathering inside it told him everything.
It was going to explode—
Just like before.
He used Body Flicker almost at his absolute limit, barely escaping the blast radius as the explosion detonated.
But Natsuhiko was already upon him.
Like a phantom, he closed the distance instantly.
Blue chakra—clearly Water Release in nature, yet extremely compressed—wrapped around his kunai as he thrust forward fiercely.
The middle-aged ninja had just forcibly executed Body Flicker.
His body was still stiff.
For a brief moment, he couldn't react. Yet he was still a jōnin.
Faced with this attack, he chose what was almost the only option available—
He charged forward.
And a kunai appeared in his own hand.
"Trying to trade lives?"
Natsuhiko immediately understood his intention.
He disliked such gambling tactics—
But he had no fear of them.
Not in Sage Mode.
"Slash!"
His kunai pierced straight through the man's chest.
Under Natsuhiko's precise control, it perfectly avoided the vital organs.
He still had questions to ask. Why would he kill him outright?
At the same time, as the opposing kunai stabbed toward him—
Natsuhiko suddenly raised his left hand.
And caught it directly with his palm.
The blade pierced clean through his hand.
He tilted his head slightly, preventing the kunai from continuing through into his skull.
"You've already lost your chance." Natsuhiko spoke calmly, as though his hand hadn't just been impaled. "It seems this fight to the death… I've won."
"Hmph..." The middle-aged ninja let out a strained snort.
His voice trembled.
The intense pain made even speaking difficult.
"Don't worry," Natsuhiko said indifferently. "You won't die. I avoided your vitals."
He casually pulled his left hand free from the kunai.
Blood dripped steadily onto the ground.
But the flow was visibly slowing.
Natsuhiko's recovery speed was fast.
Not as fast as his chakra regeneration—
But far quicker than an ordinary person's.
That was why he dared to catch the blade barehanded.
He had no real concern about the injury.
"What exactly do you want?"
The middle-aged ninja clenched his teeth.
He could already sense that Natsuhiko had another purpose.
"Very simple," Natsuhiko replied calmly.
"I need to know the location of Kubisaki Koza's grave."
He paused slightly.
"Or rather… where the summoning scroll of his beast is."