Everything in sight dissolved into black and white lines.
The sounds of the world stretched into a single, high-pitched ringing. Everything Ren could touch or perceive was suddenly swallowed by a blinding white radiance. It was as if hell itself were trembling; even the ocean was forced to let out a submissive cry under the weight of such power.
At the epicenter of the collision between the two colossal blades, the seawater was pushed back, sending skyscraper-high waves surging toward the horizon. Birds flying miles away were startled from the sky by the sheer thunder of the impact.
The civilians of the Land of Hot Springs looked up in unison, gazing in awe at the brilliant pillar of light that pierced the very heavens.
The gale was so fierce that even a stray swing from the combatants sent massive, exaggerated wind blades carving through the air. The Root ninjas, their faces pale with shock, scrambled to retreat. They could only stare, paralyzed, at the center of the storm where two titans wielded swords of myth.
One red, one blue.
The two giant blades traced exaggerated arcs, clashing within the white mist at a terrifying speed. With every impact, sparks exploded, painting the fog in brilliant shades of amber. Shadow and light reflected off the vapor, lingering long after the blades had moved on.
Then, from within the heart of the mist, came two roars of pure, unadulterated ecstasy—
"REN UCHIHAAA!!!"
"MANGETSU HOZUKIII!!!"
BOOM!
The blades collided once more. A shockwave of wind erupted, finally clearing the white mist. This time, the blue blade—fortified by the foundation of the Seven Ninja Swords—held the upper hand. It carved through the crimson fire sword inch by inch, descending with terminal force.
At the critical moment, Ren's shattered flame blade suddenly retracted, condensing into a sphere of pure chakra on his fist. His hand glowed like a rising sun.
One punch. The blade of light shattered.
Everything returned to zero.
The momentum of the battle had shifted.
Mangetsu stood on the water, leaning on his sword and gasping for air. He looked at Ren, who was now sprawled on the water's surface, panting like a dying dog, exhausted to his very core.
Mangetsu's expression darkened into a cold, sinister sneer as he unmasked the truth:
"Ren Uchiha..."
"That move you used on your fist... you can't use it anymore, can you?"
"You can't fight like this all day."
He gnashed his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury.
"You've been lying to me this whole time, you cunning rat!"
At the final moment, Ren had played him again. He had used that paper-thin flame sword and those flashy special effects to trick Mangetsu into exhausting all the chakra stored within Hiramekarei. Now, neither of them could unleash those terrifying, world-ending techniques.
"Heh... dumbass," Ren croaked, his lips curling into a smirk as he flipped Mangetsu the bird.
He immediately ordered the Little Zero-Tails to devour the dark emotions pouring out of Mangetsu, churning out Dark Chakra to fuel his Body Revival technique.
Mangetsu's forehead throbbed, veins bulging. He didn't know what that international hand gesture meant, but he knew it wasn't a compliment.
Mangetsu suddenly pulled his sword and charged across the water, laughing maniacally.
"Scheme all you want! In the end, you're back to this!"
"With your garbage swordsmanship, that illusory blade of yours is nothing but a reflection in a mirror! Brittle! Pathetic!"
Ren didn't bother with trash talk. After restoring his stamina with the forbidden jutsu, he sprang up from the water, looking refreshed.
He wove signs and pulled out a standard flame blade—one that couldn't change shape. He dove forward, meeting Mangetsu's Hiramekarei head-on.
Clang!
The flame blade, aimed at Mangetsu's vitals, was snapped in mid-air by the chakra-coated Hiramekarei. Ren's pupils shrank in shock.
The twin sword slammed into his chest like a massive iron door, sending him flying.
"Gah—!"
"Dammit... the gear gap is too real!"
Ren tumbled through the air, barely sticking the landing on the water before vomiting a large mouthful of blood. He looked at the legendary weapon in Mangetsu's hand, his heart skipping a beat.
Before he could recover, Mangetsu leaped into the air, bringing the blade down in a vicious overhead strike!
Under the pressure of death, Ren instinctively dispelled his flame blade.
His hands blurred through seals and slammed into the water.
Water Style: Water Fang Blade!
He pulled two whirling blades of water from the surface, crossing them to block the strike.
Screeeech—!
The water blades groaned under the crushing weight. Fire blades had no mass and were easily cut; water blades had mass and could block, but they couldn't harm Mangetsu while he was in his Hydrification state.
Ren's swordsmanship was no match for Mangetsu's. His defense was crumbling by the second.
Mangetsu pulled back, stepped onto Ren's water blades, and leaped into the air like a predator. He gripped Hiramekarei with both hands, spinning his body into a devastating horizontal whirlwind slash.
Ren had no choice but to perform a desperate roll across the water to dodge.
Mangetsu sneered. He liquefied his body to shift his momentum mid-air, reformed instantly, and caught his sword. Ignoring Ren's counterattack, he kicked toward Ren's eye before slamming his blade down toward Ren's arms.
Ren realized the intent too late. He submerged his head to dodge the kick and used his arms to spring off the water into the air. He hurled a water blade and fired every last senbon from his wrist-launchers at Mangetsu's position.
But when Ren wiped the water from his face and opened his Sharingan... Mangetsu was gone.
Suddenly, a blinding pain erupted in his back.
A blade pierced through him, lifting him high into the air as it skewered his chest. Simultaneously, the other half of the twin sword swung, cleanly severing Ren's left hand at the wrist.
Ren's eyes widened as he coughed up more blood. He turned his head with an eerie calm, looking back at his executioner.
Mangetsu's cold voice whispered from behind his head:
"Ren Uchiha..."
"A ninja who loses his hands and cannot weave signs is nothing!"
Mangetsu's gaze narrowed. He tossed Ren's severed hand far into the distance, then systematically severed the tendons in Ren's other arm and legs.
Holding the now-immobile Ren, Mangetsu's face twisted into a cruel, triumphant mask.
"You have reached the end of the line!"
Ren's eyes went wide.
Instead of despair, a wave of pure delight washed over him. Even as he hissed through the pain, he couldn't help but grin.
Holy shit...
That is the best news I've heard since I left the village!
It was perfect. Without hands, he couldn't weave signs. With a punctured heart, he couldn't maintain his Chakra Mode. This genius of the Mist had accurately identified every single one of his weaknesses and struck with lethal precision!
Mangetsu frowned, seeing Ren smiling despite being skewered. The boy's vitality was ghoulish.
"What a nuisance," Mangetsu muttered. "But if I take your head, I doubt you can grow a whole body back from just a skull."
Ren, while secretly using his forbidden jutsu to repair his tendons in a "futile" effort, looked at Mangetsu with shimmering eyes.
Magnificent! This guy even figured out how to counter the Immortal Body!
"So—"
Mangetsu raised Hiramekarei, aiming it at Ren's neck. His eyes glowed with fanatical excitement.
"THIS IS THE END, REN UCHIHA!!!"
He swung the blade in a terminal horizontal arc.
But at that exact moment—a familiar voice screamed from the right:
"HOLY CRAP! HOLY CRAP! HOLY CRAP!"
"YOU BASTARD, WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING AGAIN?!"
In the distance, Seiichiro was sprinting across the water, a massive scroll on his back, his eyes bulging out of his head. Seeing Ren about to be decapitated, his pupils shrank to the size of pinheads.
He was too far away. He couldn't reach them in time. He scratched his head in a frantic panic before his gaze turned fierce. He reached into his vest and pulled out a small, black-covered scroll embossed with the Uchiha crest.
"Screw it!"
Seiichiro twisted his body and put every ounce of strength into a desperate throw.
"REN UCHIHA—"
"TAKE THE SWORD!"