On the battlefield, Mangetsu Hozuki's brow furrowed at the sound of Seiichiro's desperate roar.
His gaze turned freezing. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung Hiramekarei downward in a violent, crushing arc. Ren Uchiha's tendons had just been shredded; if he wanted to end this, the time was now!
Under the frantic, agonizing repair of the Body Revival technique, Ren had only just managed to reattach the sinews of his limbs.
He looked up at the descending giant blade and let out a sharp, mocking sneer.
"Who said a ninja without hands can't cast jutsu?"
"Watch closely!"
Ren flung his right hand open. His middle and ring fingers snapped toward his palm, and a thick, obsidian thread shot from his wrist like a strike from a viper. It coiled around a floating roof tile drifting on the water's surface.
With a violent flick, the tile whistled through the air, carving a beautiful arc before snagging onto the eaves of a ruined attic nearby. The thread snapped taut!
Ren clenched his fist around the line. Bubbles of water rose from his feet and back—Water Style: Water Surface Slice. By minimizing the friction against the water, he yanked the thread with explosive force.
He surged forward like a petrel skimming the waves, sliding across the surface at a blinding speed!
Even in a death trap like this, he was still struggling. He was still fighting!
The moment he escaped the range of Mangetsu's strike, Ren used one hand to vault off the water. His Sharingan locked onto the black scroll tumbling through the air.
He performed a 720-degree mid-air twist, using his threads to snag the scroll before it could hit the water. He caught it in his teeth as he landed.
Moving with eerie efficiency, he picked up his severed left hand and pressed it against the gushing stump of his wrist.
Tiny, tentacle-like black threads drifted from the wound, perfectly stitching the hand back into place.
In a sense, Ren's immortality was far more complete than the cultists of Jashin. He didn't have their curse abilities, but he possessed a synergy that would define the future "Zombie Combo": limb repair, ninjutsu resistance, surviving a pierced heart, and perfect suturing.
It was a miracle born of the Earth Grudge Fear and an Immortal Body.
"Tch... a total monster," Mangetsu muttered. Even though he had expected something like this, seeing it with his own eyes made his skin crawl.
Mangetsu scanned his surroundings. Unlike their last encounter at the castle, this wasn't his home turf. On the contrary, this was Ren's territory.
Ren had allies like that loud-mouthed Uchiha, and a pack of Root ninjas was lurking in the shadows. The Mist's hunter-nin would likely arrive soon after hearing the commotion of their battle.
If he couldn't kill Ren just now, he had already technically failed. If Ren chose to run, Mangetsu wouldn't be able to catch him.
But then, he looked at the boy across from him.
Ren's eyes were burning like an inferno. Mangetsu's lips curled into a smile as a fierce warrior's spirit rose within him. He had to admit—he was having a blast.
The "Greater Good" of the Mist, the bright future of his village, even his new boss Yagura... all of it was pushed to the back of his mind. No peer had ever pushed him to this limit.
He believed—without any logical reason—that a man like Ren Uchiha would never run away.
The outcome of this war would be decided in the next exchange of steel.
Ren flexed his left wrist, feeling the gears turn perfectly. His body parts felt like assembly pieces for a Gundam—plug them in, and they worked. It wasn't scientific, but it was very "ninja."
After fixing his hand, he spat out the scroll and tore away the binding strap.
He was curious. Seiichiro had screamed for him to "take the sword," but what kind of blade was inside?
A gift from the wealthy Uchiha Clan... would it be the legendary Muramasa once held by Izuna Uchiha? Or maybe the Great Elder had pulled out something insane, like the Futsu-no-Mitama, the Totsuka Blade, or the Kusanagi?
Ren wiped a smear of blood onto the summoning seal and pulled out a cold, metallic object.
"Now," Ren smirked at Mangetsu. "We're back on even ground!"
"With this sword, I'm going to end you!"
However, when Ren finally pulled the object out of the scroll, Mangetsu's eyes bulged. He stared at the item in Ren's hand and snarled in fury:
"Ren Uchiha! Are you mocking me?!"
Ren froze. He thought he'd pulled out a masterpiece; why was this guy offended? Then he noticed the weight felt wrong. It was too light.
He looked down, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
In his hand, he was clutching... a pair of fishnet stockings?
Actually, it wasn't lingerie—it was a formal piece of ninja gear: Kusari-katabira, or chainmail mesh. A standard defensive garment for ninjas.
"My bad! One more time!"
Blushing with embarrassment, Ren stuffed the stockings into his pocket and reached back into the scroll. This time, he grabbed the real deal.
It was a sword with no handguard and a straight hilt, encased in a pitch-black scabbard.
Ren gripped the hilt and drew it slightly.
A brilliant, chilling light flashed! The blade gleamed like autumn water under the sun, its edge so sharp it felt like it could cut through the very air.
Ren's brow jumped. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.
Wasn't this the Kusanagi Sword held by Sasuke in the future?
Sharp, indestructible, and famous for the "Chidori Katana" legend... a blade that would one day cut down thieves and stab Madara Uchiha himself.
It was a weapon that surpassed any modern chakra-metal forging—a top-tier masterpiece capable of perfect chakra conduction.
Ren was confused. This blade should have been with Orochimaru; why was it in an Uchiha scroll?
But now wasn't the time for questions. He cleared his mind. With a legendary blade in hand, the gear gap between him and Mangetsu had vanished!
Now, it was time for a true clash of swordsmanship.
Ren's gaze turned sharp as flint. He hooked the scabbard to his waist and drew the Kusanagi with a reverse grip, spinning it into a cold, elegant flourish.
His heart ignited once more, fueling a localized Fire Style: Chakra Mode that surged from his chest to his right hand.
Violent fire chakra poured into the divine relic. Unlike Sasuke's lightning-infused Chidori blade, the entire sword—from hilt to tip—erupted in a dance of unyielding flames.
Red and white fire intertwined, throwing off sparks as a gale whipped around the blade. The searing heat dyed the cold steel, transforming it into—
Kusanagi Sword: Blade of the Flaming Sun!