The two figures clashed in mid-air, blades colliding, eyes locked in a fierce stare!
The violent air currents whipped their clothes and hair wildly!
Haruto Saito's lips curled into a smirk, his previously weakened gaze turning sharp and cold. Hattori Ryuno felt a jolt of alarm in his heart—he realized he might have fallen into a trap!
BANG! BANG! BANG! ...
The two warriors exchanged dozens of blows, battling from the sky to the ground. Suddenly, Hattori Ryuno unleashed a terrifying blade light, sending Haruto Saito flying! However, while being blown backward, Haruto swiftly flung over a dozen Flying Thunder God kunai in all directions before vanishing into thin air!
In the next instant, Haruto reappeared atop a distant tree, grasping one of his thrown kunai.
Hattori Ryuno abruptly halted, holding his sword defensively in front of him. His senses were fully expanded, his expression dark yet laced with a sneer. "You lured me here to ambush me?"
"Nope!" Haruto shrugged, pulling out a stack of cards from his storage space and quickly consuming them!
His chakra recovered, and his wounds began to heal!
Hattori Ryuno couldn't see the cards, only Haruto making strange movements, stuffing something into his mouth. Haruto didn't mind him seeing it, because today, Hattori Ryuno had to die!
Otherwise, the dead man would be Haruto!
RUMBLE...
A sudden explosion echoed from the east, seemingly from several kilometers away. A terrifying battle had erupted there. Though far off, the immense chakra waves radiating from that direction sent chills down Hattori Ryuno's spine. He sensed an unfamiliar yet overwhelmingly powerful presence!
It was Kakuzu!
He had led his forces to ambush the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the battle had begun!
Hattori Ryuno quickly glanced in that direction before turning back to Haruto, narrowing his eyes. "You arranged an ambush for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
"A bit slow to catch on. You're so smart!" Haruto taunted, gazing at Hattori Ryuno with a teasing smile. "Surprised? Excited?"
"Heh... Quite the schemer!" Hattori Ryuno appeared to compliment Haruto, but his tone was dripping with sarcasm. "I hope you haven't underestimated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's strength..."
"Don't pretend like you don't care," Haruto grinned. "I know you're worried about your comrades, but you can't run back to save them, or I'll escape. So, you're putting on an act, pretending you're confident in them, aren't you?"
Hattori Ryuno couldn't win a battle of words against Haruto.
"Hmph!" Hattori Ryuno sneered, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
"Stop looking. Trust me, it's really just me here!" Haruto said coolly. "I came here today to kill you! Only one of us will walk away from this fight. It's time to settle this once and for all!"
Hattori Ryuno's expression turned strange. He couldn't understand where Haruto's confidence came from!
He wanted to laugh.
Laugh out loud!
He loved arrogant young fools like Haruto, who had no idea how outmatched they were. It made his job so much easier! If Haruto was truly alone, without someone like White Fang as backup, then today might just be Hattori Ryuno's lucky day!
Perhaps he should even offer incense to some deity in gratitude!
"Ha... Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!" Hattori Ryuno burst into laughter, staring at Haruto like he was already seeing mountains of gold and silver before him. "Haruto Saito... Red Eye... Tsk!"
Without warning, Hattori Ryuno disappeared!
He attacked immediately!
At that moment, Haruto felt an overwhelming sense of danger! Though he had appeared disdainful, deep down, he was cautious—he knew that Hattori Ryuno was one of the rare ninja who possessed all chakra natures and had mastered terrifying samurai techniques!
Both in close combat and ranged attacks, Hattori Ryuno had no weaknesses!
This was going to be a brutal fight!
"Let's go!" Haruto leaped, dual blades flashing!
The Heavy Mountain Blade struck with immense force, while the Swift Blade slashed with unmatched speed.
Hattori Ryuno appeared at Haruto's side, his sword flashing like lightning, yet unable to break through Haruto's dual-blade defense. Haruto enhanced his attacks with monstrous strength, consuming more chakra in the process. His blade skills still couldn't match Hattori Ryuno's, but with his many enhancements, he wouldn't lose easily!
Hattori Ryuno's reputation exceeded seventy thousand points!
Based on that alone, he was at the super-Kage level!
However, considering that reputation also included status and influence, it was hard to say whether his actual strength had truly reached super-Kage level. At the very least, he was stronger than Terado and on par with White Fang!
But his swordsmanship was definitely inferior to White Fang's, as White Fang's strength was entirely centered around his blade. Meanwhile, Hattori Ryuno's power included all chakra nature transformations and formidable ninjutsu!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Dual blades clashed against a single sword, flashing like shadows, sparks flying in every direction!
As they fought, they moved, destroying vast portions of the surrounding forest. Hattori Ryuno seemed unwilling to prolong the sword fight and suddenly withdrew, flashing away as he formed hand seals!
"Fire Release: True Flame Explosion!"
Hattori Ryuno exhaled a fireball only two meters in diameter, but it shot forward at an incredible speed. Haruto didn't dare take it lightly and instantly dodged. However, as the fireball passed him—
BOOM!
It exploded!
"You sneaky bastard!"
Haruto barely escaped being engulfed in flames, emerging a little singed and disheveled...
Hattori Ryuno played dirty!
"Earth Release: Spinal Piercer!"
Just as Haruto landed on a tree, Hattori Ryuno finished another set of hand seals!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
An A-rank Earth Release forbidden jutsu erupted, covering a hundred-meter radius. The ground split apart as towering spikes of earth shot upward, resembling the Dance of the Clematis, but with an Earth Release twist!
Haruto was caught in the attack—the tree beneath him shattered, forcing him to leap into the air.
WHOOSH!
"Earth Release: Falling Boulder Crush!"
Hattori Ryuno's hand seals were terrifyingly fast! Thunder rumbled from above as massive boulders plummeted from the clouds, threatening to crush Haruto!
Haruto quickly threw another Flying Thunder God kunai to escape the attack zone...
Hattori Ryuno was terrifyingly fierce!
Haruto could only unleash his full strength in a one-on-one battle, and the same applied to Hattori Ryuno. When surrounded by allies, Hattori Ryuno couldn't use his most powerful area-of-effect jutsu for fear of friendly fire!
From the ground, amidst the gaps between the earth spikes, Hattori Ryuno smirked coldly.
Hand seals—Shadow Clone!
Then, his true body soared into the air, forming more seals, unleashing a massive lightning attack... while his clone, hidden below, cast another jutsu...
Haruto tried to evade, grabbing another kunai to throw...
But at that exact moment!
A blinding bolt of lightning shot up from between the earth spikes, striking and shattering Haruto's Flying Thunder God kunai!
The attack was, of course, from Hattori Ryuno's clone!
And his true body was still unleashing an even more devastating lightning strike!
Haruto had no way to dodge in time!