Chapter 17: Scorch Release Displays Its Might
As Pakura's voice fell, three tomoe-shaped flames eerily appeared beside her. With a flick of her slender hand, the orange-yellow flames began to rise, surging upward with violent force.
There was an old saying—reputation is never undeserved. Pakura was hailed as a hero of Sunagakure not only because of her battlefield achievements, but more importantly, because of her strength. As a wielder of the Kekkei Genkai Scorch Release, no one dared to underestimate her.
At this moment, Hōzuki Kōgetsu also understood this clearly. Feeling the overwhelming pressure emanating from those tomoe-shaped flames, he was certain of one thing—if even a single spark touched him, he wouldn't have time to react before being burned into a dried corpse, all moisture in his body evaporated. Forget resistance—even the Hydrification Technique wouldn't be able to save his life.
Pakura's expression turned cold. She formed a one-handed seal with her left hand while slowly raising her right. Finally, with her palm facing the sky, she stood tall as if holding up the heavens.
The three fireballs responded as though summoned, spiraling upward and merging into an even larger mass of flame above her head. At that instant, Pakura's presence reached its peak.
Meanwhile, Chizuki, standing nearby, was suffering in silence. Waves of scorching heat surged toward him one after another. Being this close to Pakura, every second felt like standing in hell itself—utterly unbearable.
After gathering himself, Chizuki gave a dry cough and called out to Pakura in front of him.
"Pakura, this is the front line of the Land of Water. If you unleash a large-scale, high-level jutsu like that, you'll attract even more Mist ninja. When that happens, our situation will only get worse!"
That was no exaggeration—Chizuki knew this all too well. He had just transmigrated into this strange world, summoned a Servant, and immediately attracted a squad from Kirigakure. He had barely managed to escape, without even a moment to rest, and then Pakura's last desperate counterattack had dragged him straight into this mess.
At this point, Chizuki felt like his nerves were stretched to the limit. He couldn't handle another storm. If another group showed up, he'd turn around and leave immediately—forget the mission, forget the rewards. Even if the system handed him a Gate of Babylon, he wouldn't want it. He'd just walk away without looking back.
System: "Huh?"
"…Nothing, nothing. Just joking…" Chizuki replied irritably in his mind.
Hearing Chizuki's warning, Pakura paused slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing across her face as she let out a soft tsk.
"Got it, kid. Stay out of the way."
The moment Chizuki heard that, his eyes lit up.
Perfect. That's exactly what I was waiting for.
"Alright, big sis, you go ahead—I'll just… spectate from the sidelines."
With that, Chizuki quickly retreated to the side. If this Hōzuki Kōgetsu ended up like the previous Mist captain—trying to trade his life for one last attack—then things could get messy. At this level of battle, his involvement would only cause trouble.
Hōzuki Kōgetsu felt the burning pain spreading across his body, shock flashing across his face. Gritting his teeth, he made a decision—rather than passively endure, he might as well take the initiative. There might still be a chance. After all, running isn't an option. It'll chase him either way.
With his resolve hardened, his expression became firm. He pushed off the ground with force, letting out a roar as his body transformed into a stream of water and shot forward.
Watching Kōgetsu charge toward her, Pakura's lips curled slightly in mockery. With a gentle tap of her finger, violent air currents erupted, whipping the surroundings into a storm. In an instant, the massive tomoe-shaped flame split into countless small, bird-shaped flames that surged forward.
Like a flock migrating—like hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix.
Wherever the flaming birds passed, the ground cracked apart. From afar, even the air itself seemed to warp under the intense heat.
"Scorch Release — Parched Bird Execution!"
A sharp screech echoed ahead. Kōgetsu's face grew grim, but his momentum didn't falter. As the dense chakra energy closed in, a glint flashed in his eyes. His right hand drew his blade slightly back, assuming a draw-cut stance mid-air.
With a fierce shout, he unleashed his attack.
"Hōzuki Secret Art — Severing Cascade Style — Moon-Splitting Torrent Slash!"
All of his chakra converged into the broken blade in his hand. Clearly, this weapon was a chakra-conducting ninja tool. Wisps of mist surrounded it, water currents swirling up and down, creating an almost dreamlike scene.
The Severing Cascade Style — Moon-Splitting Torrent Slash was a secret sword technique of the Hōzuki clan. Only those with exceptional talent in kenjutsu could learn it. It was said that this style was created after their ancestors studied the combat methods of the Seven Ninja Swords.
In other words, once mastered, one could wield all seven blades freely without suffering their backlash.
"A sword technique?"
Pakura's eyes showed a trace of confusion—but more than that, surprise. Using close-range swordsmanship to clash head-on against her Scorch Release… it was simply unbelievable.
In the blink of an eye, the flock of flame birds collided mid-air with the charging Kōgetsu. Compared to the overwhelming inferno created by Scorch Release, Kōgetsu looked like a lone boat on the verge of being swallowed by towering waves.
"So this is… a battle at the jōnin level…? This is insane… If that's the case, then Madara's fights later on would be completely absurd. Actually… wasn't Madara always fighting in the sky anyway…"
From a safe distance, Chizuki stood beside Jack, muttering to himself. His eyes burned with excitement, his blood heating up—it was the kind of thrill that made him wish he were the one standing there, unleashing ninjutsu.
"One day, I'll become this strong… No—I'll surpass this. I definitely will!"
Clenching his fist tightly, Chizuki fixed his gaze on Pakura's graceful figure and silently made that vow in his heart.
"Die, Pakura!"
Back in the battle, Kōgetsu roared as he charged into the incoming firebirds, his veins bulging across his weathered forehead. Ignoring the overwhelming flames, he locked his gaze onto Pakura and plunged straight into the inferno.
"Using Water Release to form a protective layer around yourself? Don't underestimate me."
Pakura lifted her chin slightly, snorting coldly as her hands formed a seal.
Like a man charging to his death, Kōgetsu held his blade horizontally. As flames broke through the water screen surrounding his body, there was no fear on his face—only a savage grin.
He burst into laughter.
Then, engulfed by the sea of fire, his body dissolved into mist, vanishing into the air.
"Hahaha… Got you!"
With a loud shout, the dried earth in front of Pakura suddenly exploded. A figure burst out from underground, short blade raised high, slashing down at her with fierce killing intent.