Mangetsu Hozuki's first strike featured a blade eight meters long—a juggernaut crushing everything in its path like a truck at 180 mph.
But this second time, as Ren measured it precisely with his Sharingan... the blade was, at most, six meters.
Still long, but that "unstoppable" majesty had taken a massive hit. Ren knew the secret: in the original lore, the Twin Sword: Hiramekarei gains power by absorbing chakra as it defeats enemies. It's a weapon that grows stronger the longer the battle lasts.
Mangetsu's massive chakra reserves, combined with the Mist ninjas he had already cut down, allowed him to unleash those devastating strikes. But that power had a limit. As Mangetsu repeatedly "released" the sword, consuming its stored chakra, the potency of the light blade would inevitably dwindle.
If it shortened by two meters every time, he had maybe three swings left.
And Ren? He knew his own limits better than anyone.
He could only pull off that "Shattering Fire Punch" twice more.
In terms of raw power, even with the "Heart of Steel" buff, Ren was still outmatched.
But that didn't matter.
This was a ninja battle!
Ren had the intel on the sword; Mangetsu had zero intel on Ren's new mode.
So, Ren did what a ninja does best: He started lying through his teeth.
As long as Mangetsu believed Ren could keep up this pace all day, he would fall headfirst into the trap Ren had carefully laid.
Outside the clash, the Root ninjas were forced to retreat. The shockwaves of this battle were too intense for them to intervene directly. Their mission was to keep Ren alive, and since Ren was currently counter-attacking, they did what Mei Terumi did—they watched from the sidelines, waiting for a single opening to strike.
Aburame Ryoma, currently locked in a stalemate with Yagura, watched Ren's reconstructed arm with a pensive gaze.
"I see... so that's why Orochimaru took him as a disciple," Ryoma mused. He let out a faint, amused huff. "One seeks immortality, the other is completely unafraid of death. What a matching pair."
Across from him, Yagura Karatachi was equally impressed. Despite being enemies, he couldn't help but call out:
"That technique is incredible! High-speed regeneration paired with a powerful Fire Style Nintaijutsu... is this the foundation of a clan with a thousand-year history?"
Yagura's brow furrowed slightly. "But why call it 'The Immortal Asura-aaa'? What a bizarre name."
His admiration quickly shifted back to killing intent. He finally understood why Mangetsu was so obsessed with killing this boy. To see a sapling of such dangerous potential from an enemy village—and an Uchiha at that—was terrifying. If he was this capable with two tomoe, a three-tomoe Ren would be unstoppable.
"You're not getting past me," Ryoma said, adjusting his shades. "If you want to know why..."
"It's because—I am strong."
"Hmph!" Yagura chirped, backflipping to create space. He clapped his hands into the Snake seal and laughed. "You're wrong. It's not that you're stopping me... it's that I'm keeping you here!"
"You underestimate Mangetsu. If that brat only has those tricks..." Yagura's eyes flashed. Two water dragons erupted from beneath his feet. "Water Style: Double Water Dragon Bullet!"
Back in the center, Mangetsu's face was twisted as he stared at Ren's brand-new right hand. He had to admit he'd underestimated the boy. But he took a deep breath, his killing intent flaring once more. Even if Ren was telling the truth, Mangetsu was confident he could win.
He analyzed the "regeneration" details. It's not perfect, he thought. The speed is actually quite slow. The boy uses those black threads to gather the shattered tissues from the water and stitch them back together before the healing kicks in.
Conclusion: Dismember him and scatter the pieces where the threads can't reach.
Mangetsu knew Ren's basic taijutsu and swordsmanship were, frankly, "shit." If he saved three Hiramekarei releases to counter the Fire Punch, he could buy enough time to win.
He only needed ten moves. Within ten moves, using the secret Hozuki Style Kenjutsu, he would cut Ren Uchiha into pieces that could never be reassembled!
However, as Mangetsu charged forward with a fanatical, confident grin, Ren let out a sinister, low laugh.
The moment Mangetsu started "calculating," he had already swallowed the bait.
Ren was no longer the boy who had to scrape by with minor tricks. He now possessed the tools to truly hurt a genius like Mangetsu.
Ren slammed his palm against his heart once more. The brilliant flames surged.
Fire Style: Chakra Mode—ON!
Clad in a mantle of white-hot fire, Ren's crimson Sharingan blazed. The two black tomoe began to spin at a dizzying speed as they tracked Mangetsu's every vibration.
His hands blurred through seals: Rabbit—Ram—Snake!
Water Style: Water Fang Blade! (Modified)
With a hiss of steam, a six-foot-long blade of concentrated fire erupted from his grip!
Ren gripped the flickering, illusory hilt with both hands, his feet planted shoulder-width apart. He wore a savage, predatory grin. The prey had finally walked into the trap.
Now... it was time to feast!