A shroud of white mist drifted across the battlefield, swirling around the ruined buildings.
Lakes, rubble, shattered timber, and broken tiles—all framed by the chaotic, violent struggle raging in the background. From deep within the fog, the distant, agonizing screams of fallen ninjas echoed.
Birds took flight in terror as the pale sunlight reflected off the carnage, illuminating the center of the conflict. There, two "warriors" faced each other, swords drawn for the sake of their own conflicting ideals. It was a scene straight out of a legendary Ukiyo-e painting.
Ren Uchiha closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He gripped the flaming Kusanagi Sword with both hands, exhaling the stale air from his lungs. Reversing his grip on the hilt, he rested the blade against his arm and dropped into a low, coiled lunge.
His eyes snapped open.
The scarlet Sharingan burned bright, two black tomoe spinning as they tracked his opponent's every micro-movement.
Opposite him, Mangetsu Hozuki licked his lips. He raised his legendary blade into a ready stance, his gaze sharp and predatory—like a hunter staring down a prize catch.
No words were needed.
They charged. The flaming sword and the massive cleaver traced lethal arcs through the air before clashing with a violent metallic roar!
Clang!
Sparks erupted as steel met fire.
Ren immediately broke the clinch, stepping back and leaping into the distance to let the heavy Hiramekarei swing harmlessly through the air. In the same breath, he triggered the Kusanagi's extension, thrusting a beam of intense fire toward Mangetsu's heart.
Mangetsu remained eerily calm. He kicked the flat of Hiramekarei upward to parry the fire-blade and instantly flooded his weapon with chakra, severing the crimson extension.
Following the momentum, he gripped the hilt with both hands and spun the blade into a diagonal downward slash, aiming to cleave Ren in two from shoulder to hip.
Ren's head snapped toward the incoming strike, his Sharingan leaving a trail of red light in the air. He didn't retreat. Instead, he twisted his body to take the blow on a non-vital path, letting Hiramekarei carve a shallow gash from his shoulder to his abdomen.
Simultaneously, he swung the Kusanagi in a horizontal counter-slash.
He aimed to bury the blade in Mangetsu's side and ignite his flames to burn the man to a crisp from the inside out!
Surprise flickered in Mangetsu's eyes. He forcibly wrenched his torso back, changing his slash into a tactical retreat. Ren's horizontal cut scraped against the wide surface of Hiramekarei.
Screeeech!
The ear-piercing sound of grinding metal tore through the air.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Every strike, every parry, was fueled by the intent to kill.
Soon, the fog was filled with arcs of cold light as the blades collided again and again. Clang! Clang! Clang! Blood splattered—always Ren's.
But Ren didn't care about the wounds Mangetsu inflicted on him. He fought with zero regard for defense, relentlessly pressuring his opponent's sword path. He only needed one hit. Just one successful strike would decide the battle.
Mangetsu's heart skipped a beat. This style of fighting... it felt disturbingly familiar.
Ren swung again.
Mangetsu tore Hiramekarei out of Ren's abdomen and raised the blade to block the incoming fire-slash, stepping back in a frantic retreat. Cold sweat dripped down his temple.
The more he fought, the more unsettled he became. He wanted to curse.
Because this kid... he was using Mangetsu's own moves!
The secret swordsmanship of the Hozuki clan had remained uncopied for years because it was designed to be used in tandem with the Hydrification Technique. By turning into water, a user could ignore physical attacks and focus entirely on offense, making their style twice as lethal as any ordinary swordsman.
And yet, this boy was using his unkillable body exactly like the Hydrification Technique!
He ignored defense and focused purely on the kill, utilizing the very techniques Mangetsu had showcased during their previous encounter at the castle.
The "Evil Uchiha Brat" had used those "Evil Eyes" to copy his family's legacy. It was an absolute outrage!
Mangetsu gnashed his teeth, his mind racing for a solution.
Ren, meanwhile, was trembling from the sheer agony of his wounds. His teeth were clenched so hard they shook. But he kept his eyes wide, his face a mask of primal fury as he continued to swing.
He had no other choice. His own swordsmanship was basic at best; to duel Mangetsu, he had to rely on his eyes to mirror the man's every move. He fought like a demon possessed, using his own flesh and blood to learn the path of the blade.
Ren charged again, blade screaming through the air.
Mangetsu countered with a breathtakingly elegant strike, severing Ren's calf before swinging the flat of Hiramekarei like a flyswatter.
The impact sent Ren tumbling through the air, his chest, face, and limbs warping under the force of the blow.
"Gah! Cough!"
Ren spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision spinning as stars danced before his eyes.
Suddenly, a notification flickered in his vision:
[Skill Acquired: Hozuki Style Swordsmanship (Level: Beginner, B-Rank)]
In that instant, everything clicked.
A mental image of a miniature Mangetsu appeared in his mind, endlessly practicing the Hozuki style. Every form, every stance, and every transition connected into a cohesive, logical flow.
He could predict the next strike. He knew how Mangetsu would change his stance, and how he would react if Ren lunged at him.
Ren's eyes lit up with a brilliant, predatory light!
He slammed onto the water, forcing his body to stabilize as his wounds began their itchy, painful repair. He swung the Kusanagi a few times, testing the weight.
With those two swings, the light in his eyes grew even more intense.
A savage grin spread across his face, revealing blood-stained teeth.
"Mangetsu Hozuki," he chuckled darkly. "Under these eyes, I've seen through you completely!"
He bit down on the hilt of his sword and dropped onto all fours, lunging forward like a feral beast.
"IT'S TIME TO END THIS!"
Mangetsu flinched.
Ren was a terrifying sight—covered in blood, one foot still reattaching itself, crawling and lunging across the water like a twisted, shadowy ghoul. Mangetsu couldn't read his movements at all.
As Ren closed the distance, his leg finally fused back together.
He leaped high into the air, pulling the Kusanagi from his teeth and extending the flame blade. He gripped the hilt with both hands and spun into a vertical downward slash!
Cloud Style: Deceptive Slash!
Mangetsu narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Cloud Style? Pathetic. That move won't work on me!"
He raised Hiramekarei to parry, but mid-air, Ren shifted his form from Cloud Style to Uchiha Style.
The blade traced a brilliant, dazzling arc—bright as the midday sun.
Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!
Mangetsu's face paled. He realized too late that he couldn't react in time.
I have to liquefy! He desperately triggered his Hydrification to protect the area about to be hit, while simultaneously preparing to counter and sever Ren's arms.
But Ren only grinned.
With a flick of his fingers, Ren pulled two obsidian threads hidden beneath the water's surface. He used the tension to shift his trajectory mid-air, spinning his body.
He didn't slash. He threw the flaming Kusanagi Sword with everything he had!
"TAKE THIS! NINETY-NINE THOUSAND HORSEPOWER—BRICK-FLOWER SWORD!"
Mangetsu's jaw dropped. What kind of swordsmanship is that?! That's just a dirty trick!
But the sword was like an arrow shot by a god—impossibly fast. In a flash of fire, it was already at his chest.
Mangetsu gnashed his teeth and swung Hiramekarei, just barely managing to deflect the blade away from his vitals. The sword buried itself in his shoulder instead, hissing as it scorched his flesh.
He didn't have time to liquefy.
Ren, landing on the water, saw his opening.
He yanked his fingers back.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
The invisible threads he had laid out snapped taut, forming a forest of razor-sharp lines. They coiled and constricted around Mangetsu, pinning the Mist genius in place with the smoking Kusanagi still lodged in his shoulder.
Ren's hands blurred through a series of seals.
Snake—Dragon—Rabbit—Tiger!
A savage, triumphant laugh escaped Ren's lips.
"You lose, Mangetsu Hozuki!"
"FIRE STYLE: DRAGON FIRE JUTSU!!!"
The threads ignited. A torrent of draconic flames roared down the lines!
In the face of the incinerating inferno, Mangetsu's eyes widened in sheer terror. The genius of the Mist, the man at the threshold of Kage-level, had finally been stripped of his defenses.
At that exact moment, a single word appeared before Ren's eyes:
[DING!]