Behind the ice mirrors stood Suzuki Kaguya and Setsu Yuki, both already in battle stance.
At this moment, their expressions were grim. It wasn't just because their subordinates had been wiped out in an instant, but also because their reaction had played perfectly into the enemy's calculations.
As the leaders of the Kaguya clan and the Yuki clan, their strength was beyond question. Even against such a sudden self-destruction tactic, they could still protect themselves without worry.
But precisely because of their known strength, this plan had never targeted them in the first place.
"Shinobi of the Yuki clan, you already have no chance of victory. Why throw away your lives alongside Suzuki Kaguya?"
From the thick mist emerged Ranzuki. On her face had already appeared the markings of Sage Mode, while her pupils radiated with a strange sapphire glow.
A dōjutsu shinobi? Or perhaps a genjutsu type?
Even as he observed, Setsu rapidly formed hand seals in front of his chest. Under his chakra's influence, the surrounding mist condensed into a vast array of ice mirrors, encircling Ai Tachibana and Taki Tachibana while also saving two of his subordinates.
"Since we've taken on this mission, our clan will see it through to the end." With that, Setsu's figure blurred, and using the reflections of the ice mirrors, he swiftly merged into the maze surrounding Taki Tachibana.
Ranzuki stood still, paying no mind to Setsu chasing after Ai and Taki.
Her target was only the bounty and Suzuki Kaguya. The rest didn't matter.
Meanwhile, within the ice mirror trap, Ai's expression grew extremely serious. "Taki, be careful. This is the Yuki clan's kekkei genkai secret technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."
"So this is the Yuki clan's secret ultimate jutsu? First time I've seen it." Taki glanced around. "Doesn't look like much. Watch me smash it with one punch."
Before his words even finished, Taki transformed into a streak of lightning and charged at one of the mirrors, fist ready to shatter it.
Yet just as his punch was about to land, every ice mirror suddenly flared with blinding light. Under the dazzling glare, Taki's vision was inevitably blinded.
At the same time, an ice blade appeared from one of the mirrors—Setsu's figure stepping forth with disdain across his face, swinging to end Taki's life.
But just before the blade struck, Taki's body stopped abruptly, violating all common sense. In an instant, he went from extreme motion to complete stillness.
The lethal slash grazed past his neck, leaving only a shallow cut.
"You!"
Startled, Setsu instantly retreated back into the mirrors. Expecting a counterattack that never came, he looked back to find Ai clutching Taki's shoulders firmly, forcibly halting him.
So that was it.
Frustrated at missing the perfect opening, Setsu hid once more, seeking another chance.
Inside the mirrors, Ai and Taki pressed back to back, watching the shifting reflections carefully.
"Don't be careless, Taki. This is no ordinary enemy."
"Got it, brother," Taki replied with lingering fear. "But… that brat Ranzuki—can she really handle that monster Suzuki?"
Ai's gaze darkened as he scanned the mirrors. "That's up to her alone."
...
On another part of the battlefield—
Suzuki Kaguya stared at Ranzuki with a look of puzzlement.
"Why is it… that I feel fear from your eyes?"
"Who knows."
Ranzuki tilted her wrist, and a kunai shot toward Suzuki with tremendous speed. But he was no simple opponent—he saw through the kunai's trajectory instantly.
With a flicker, he evaded. Yet in that same moment, Ranzuki had already closed in, the Tenseigan's overwhelming insight letting her predict his movements. Her foot lashed out, aiming straight for Suzuki Kaguya.
Her sudden burst of speed was terrifying—so much so that even Suzuki Kaguya, with his formidable taijutsu, couldn't react in time. He could only cross his arms to block the strike.
But the power of a single Sage Mode kick was unreasonable. The moment their bodies clashed, Suzuki was sent flying.
Ranzuki instantly Body Flickered forward, chasing him without pause.
Through the Tenseigan's vision, Suzuki's chakra signature was painfully obvious. The thick mist did nothing to hinder her pursuit.
After smashing through dozens of giant trees, Suzuki finally managed to halt his flight. Though his instincts had helped him disperse much of the force midair, what he felt inside left him deeply shocked: this unfamiliar kunoichi's taijutsu was so overwhelming that a single kick had shattered most of the subcutaneous bone layer of his Shikotsumyaku armor. This was the reinforced calcium defense second only to his strongest spear technique. For it to break so easily proved her monstrous strength.
Such brute power… could she be from the Senju clan?
Then from behind him came that same youthful voice.
"Why keep running? Wouldn't it be better if I just killed you?"
"Kill me?"
Though battered, Suzuki sneered, refusing to yield. "Do you think you can?"
"What do you think?"
Her voice sounded at his side in the very next instant.
His heart lurched. Overcome by a powerful sense of danger, Suzuki instinctively leapt high, trying to avoid the attack that exceeded even his perception. At the same time, he activated his Shikotsumyaku, forming a bony shield at his side.
But the massive force shattered his hastily formed bone shield instantly, and even cracked the secondary layer of hardened bone beneath his skin—nearly striking his organs.
Blasted away once again, Suzuki no longer dared hold back. Ranzuki had already appeared above him.
She gathered sage chakra into her foot and unleashed a downward kick. This wasn't ninjutsu—just a taijutsu strike born of instinct.
Feeling the threat to his life, Suzuki reacted desperately.
"Dance of the Larch!"
Dozens of hardened bones shot from his chest, the density heightened for maximum defense. They barely managed to stop her kick.
But even as he was sent flying, Suzuki pointed all ten fingers at Ranzuki.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Like bullets, ten sharpened bones fired from his fingertips, each honed into conical projectiles imbued with both wind nature transformation and shape manipulation. Their speed and penetrative power rivaled A-rank ninjutsu.
With narrowed eyes, Ranzuki drew a Vacuum Blade wind sword from her back. Infusing it with wind chakra, she struck in a blur, deflecting every bone bullet in an instant.
The scattered projectiles pierced through mountain ridges and rocks alike, leaving behind perfectly hollowed holes.
Though she'd neutralized his assault, Suzuki had no chance to breathe.
Ranzuki sheathed the wind sword, wove hand seals, and spat out a razor-thin blue wind blade from her mouth.
"Sage Art: Wind Release—Wind Cutter."
The approaching blade was so sharp and lethal that even Suzuki, with his powerful defenses, instantly realized he could not withstand it head-on.
At the last moment, he pulled his spine from his body, hooking it to a nearby rocky outcrop. With a desperate tug, he yanked himself sideways in midair, narrowly evading the devastating wind blade.
"It's not over yet."
Before he could recover, Ranzuki hurled a specialized kunai. Her hands clapped together.
"Sage Art: Wind Release—Gale Palm!"
Her sage-enhanced chakra enveloped the kunai, magnifying its speed and destructive power to terrifying levels.
"So fast…"
Suzuki's eyes widened at the incoming kunai streaking like a falling star.
"Dodging is impossible. I'll have to take it head-on."
His chakra surged violently, far beyond that of an average jonin.
"Flower."
A colossal spiral bone spear grew rapidly from his arm, reinforced to its strongest state and infused with cutting wind chakra.
In the next instant—
The wind-imbued kunai collided with the massive bone spear.
Zzzzzzzzz…
A sharp, grating screech of high-frequency friction shrieked between them as the two forces clashed head-to-head.