Ginkaku saw the mysterious patterns appearing on the left side of Fūmori Masaki's face and couldn't help but feel surprised. Although he was arrogant, he was also an elder Ninja who had lived through the Warring States Period; even with his vast experience, he had never seen anything like this.
However, there were plenty of strange things in the Ninja World. Due to the secrecy Ninja clans maintained regarding their own Ninjutsu, encountering something one had never seen before was common. Thus, Ginkaku was only startled for a moment; whatever it was, he would find out as soon as they clashed.
Ginkaku raised his hand and formed a seal. Suddenly, bolts of lightning erupted from his body, surging toward Fūmori Masaki from all directions. It appeared to be the same Rampaging Lightning Ninjutsu that Sora had used, yet the power was vastly different.
A Ninja does not necessarily have to complete every hand seal of a Ninjutsu; doing so is merely a way to maximize its power. Experienced Ninjas often simplify the seals to the point where only the most critical ones remain. Given their strength, the Ninjutsu is sufficient to kill an opponent even without its full power, so there is no need to waste time on unnecessary seals.
A Ninja of Ginkaku's caliber could perform Ninjutsu with just a single seal. No matter the Ninja, at least one seal is required; this is the limit for Ninjutsu that requires seals. The kind of seal-less Ninjutsu used by the Fourth Hokage had not yet appeared in this era.
Facing Ginkaku, Fūmori Masaki utilized his unique form of perception. He was gradually getting the hang of how to use it and was no longer as cautious as before. Before Ginkaku made his move, Masaki sensed the ripples caused by Ginkaku's hand and realized he was about to use Ninjutsu. Consequently, he performed his previous move again, drawing the surrounding flames toward him as if by a vacuum.
Sora noticed a subtle flow in the air that was driving the flames. She immediately understood that Fūmori Masaki was condensing a layer of wind around himself, similar in principle to the Lightning Release Armor, likely using the airflow to assist him and increase his speed.
The fact that that wind layer was imperceptible during combat showed that this man's control over Chakra was truly masterful. Sora was shocked; there had been signs before, as no one had ever noticed the Wind Release Chakra Fūmori Masaki condensed on his short blade, which was why the suddenness of the Wind Reversal was so effective.
However, the tactic of using flames to temporarily block Lightning Release and then diverting it with Wind Release wouldn't work here. Sora had to admit that the Rampaging Lightning Ginkaku unleashed with a single seal possessed power far beyond her own; the flames being drawn in had no chance of blocking Lightning Release of this scale.
Fūmori Masaki naturally knew this, yet he still drew the flames in. Simultaneously, the Rampaging Lightning collided with the flames, instantly causing a massive explosion. Violent winds scattered in all directions; had Fūmori Masaki still been inside, he would likely have been severely injured.
Ginkaku did not wait for the smoke to dissipate on its own. Instead, he changed his hand seal and spat a bolt of lightning from his mouth, which pierced through the smoke like a sharp arrow. Lightning Release is inherently the most volatile of the Chakra natures; while nature transformation is one thing, shape transformation is not something an ordinary person can easily achieve. That Ginkaku could condense Lightning Release to this degree showed that his skill was top-tier in the Ninja World.
The bursting lightning tore through the smoke, yet Fūmori Masaki was nowhere to be seen. Ginkaku certainly didn't think Fūmori Masaki had been vaporized in the explosion. He boldly drew his sword, and a flash of cold steel lit up around him, forming a defensive circle that directly knocked away the ambushing Fūmori Masaki.
—What incredible brute force!
Fūmori Masaki suspected that Ginkaku was likely a descendant of Ashura. Whether it was his body capable of adapting to Nine-Tails Chakra, his immense strength, or the inherited Six Paths Treasured Tools, it all pointed to this. It was truly difficult to understand why such a madman would appear among Ashura's descendants.
While Fūmori Masaki was still in mid-air, Ginkaku laughed and threw a sword. The cold light flew like an arrow. Normally, a person cannot change their posture in mid-air, yet Fūmori Masaki seemed to be pushed by an invisible force,
narrowly avoiding the sword thrown by Ginkaku.
Ginkaku hadn't expected the other party to somehow dodge his fatal strike, but he didn't stop. Lightning erupted across his body as he began to run at high speed. He picked up a sword from a fallen Kumogakure Ninja and, wielding a blade in each hand, swung a flurry of cold light toward Fūmori Masaki.
Logically, engaging a Wind Release Ninja in close combat is a disadvantageous choice, especially for a Lightning Release user. But Ginkaku relied on his innate brute force, powerful Lightning Release Chakra, and honed swordsmanship to form a near-perfect offensive. He did this out of confidence in his own strength, and also because he enjoyed the pleasure of crushing an opponent to death in close quarters.
Fūmori Masaki observed the ripples emanating from Ginkaku, dodging the lightning-fast attacks while looking for an opening to counter. However, his strikes were all blocked by Ginkaku's blades. Because of the opponent's brute force, Fūmori Masaki couldn't press his advantage and was pushed back, meaning his Wind Release didn't have time to destroy the Lightning Release on the swords.
He truly is a Ninja who survived the Warring States Period; his experience is vast, and both his offense and defense are impeccable. Fūmori Masaki felt that if he gave the opponent even one opening, he would die a miserable death on the spot.
Fūmori Masaki was currently using power at his previous level, not yet fully utilizing the condensed Senjutsu Chakra. He knew he only had one chance; if he missed it, he might not be able to take this man down. So, he had to wait—wait for that one opportunity.
Ginkaku noticed that Fūmori Masaki was gradually showing signs of exhaustion, appearing as though he couldn't hold on much longer. This kid's strength was decent enough to fight him to this point, but that was all.
In his triumph, Ginkaku's movements inevitably loosened. The opportunity Fūmori Masaki had been waiting for finally arrived. He snapped his eyes wide as the ripples from Ginkaku's body conveyed a wealth of information. Without hesitation, he injected the Senjutsu Chakra into his short blade. Transformed by the Wind Release Chakra, the short blade instantly became a long sword, its body nearly invisible and difficult to discern in the night.
—His sword...
In that moment of Ginkaku's hesitation, Fūmori Masaki struck with everything he had. In Sora's eyes, the figures of Fūmori Masaki and Ginkaku crossed paths. Distorted lines of light lingered faintly in the air, winding and twisting gracefully as they swept through Ginkaku's body. Ginkaku's twin blades snapped in two and fell to the ground.
Ginkaku's heart pounded. In that instant, he hadn't even been able to react; he had only struck out by instinct. He should have blocked the attack, even though his swords broke. But it didn't matter; there were plenty of swords on the ground, and those dead Kumogakure Ninja wouldn't be using them anymore.
Ginkaku was about to turn around and mock him, praising the sudden strike as a good effort but ultimately too naive. However, at that moment, he felt a breeze blow past him, and this wind carried a hint of warmth—
Ginkaku initially thought the warmth came from the fires. He indifferently continued his movement, but then he saw that the wind blowing past was tinged with a dash of bright red—a faint mist of a deep crimson that made his eyes sting.
Ginkaku finally realized what had happened. His right hand had been severed at some unknown point, and his right abdomen and left shoulder were both slashed open. Due to the volatile Lightning Release Chakra, his blood burst into a mist, surrounding him.
"My... my hand!" Ginkaku knelt on the ground in disbelief, staring at his empty arm with a face full of terror. He reached out to touch it, as if hoping he could still feel his hand there, but the result only brought despair.
Sora was equally unable to believe what she was seeing. One of the two brothers known as the "light of kumogakure" had been severely wounded in the blink of an eye. After losing an arm, Ginkaku would never be able to use Ninjutsu again—unless he practiced one-handed hand signs. Furthermore, the wounds on his abdomen and shoulder were bleeding profusely; if left alone, he would surely bleed to death.
Sora couldn't help but stare blankly at Fūmori Masaki as a chill rose from the bottom of her heart. This man could actually unleash this level of power; had he been holding back all along?
Fūmori Masaki, however, knew it wasn't that easy. He hadn't yet fully mastered this level of Senjutsu Chakra and could only use it as a last resort. Now, he could feel the backlash of the Natural Energy; his entire body was stiff and difficult to move. But he couldn't stop yet, because merely wounding Ginkaku like this wasn't his final goal.
Fūmori Masaki suddenly felt the Natural Energy in the surroundings shifting. He was slightly startled, feeling an ominous premonition.
As soon as Fūmori Masaki felt his body regain its mobility, he immediately turned around and rushed forward to deliver the final blow to Ginkaku. But his ominous premonition seemed to come true; a surge of crimson Chakra erupted from Ginkaku's body. That Chakra was so powerful and so evil that it made one's heart turn cold.
Ginkaku was heavily injured and shouldn't have been able to dodge Fūmori Masaki's attack, yet he did. Fūmori Masaki's strike passed through an afterimage and pierced the ground.
Fūmori Masaki made a split-second decision. He dashed toward the fallen Sora, grabbed her by the waist with one hand, and ignored her cries of "Let me go!" as he prepared to retreat. He instinctively looked back and saw Ginkaku, enveloped in crimson Chakra, standing not far away and glaring at him viciously.
"Unforgivable... unforgivable... UNFORGIVABLE!" Ginkaku muttered, his eyes bloodshot. His skin seemed to peel away, revealing blood-colored flesh. With a loud roar, his power exploded, and a layer of crimson cloak covered his body, with six tails swaying behind him.