On the other side—
Hase Ichiro, having narrowly dodged Aomei's previous attack, had barely regained his footing when another figure appeared suddenly before him.
Who else could it be but Aomei?
In an instant, an overwhelming sense of danger engulfed Hase Ichiro.
As soon as Aomei reappeared in his vision, he struck without hesitation, slashing downward with his blade in a fluid, seamless motion. Every move radiated practiced precision, showing how thoroughly he had mastered the Shun Sword Technique.
Indeed, Aomei's proficiency with this technique had vastly improved.
Thanks to the battles from two days ago and relentless practice since, his mastery level of the Shun Sword Technique had advanced from Lv6 (5500/10000) to Lv6 (8100/10000)—just shy of reaching Lv7, the brink of its pinnacle.
At Lv7, the technique would essentially achieve perfection.
This proximity to mastery allowed Aomei to execute it with remarkable ease, placing Hase Ichiro in an increasingly precarious position in a matter of moments.
However, killing his opponent would require a more decisive approach.
A thought flashed through Aomei's mind as his crimson Sharingan locked onto Hase Ichiro's gaze. Without delay, he activated the Genjutsu: Sharingan.
In an instant, chakra infused with mental energy surged through the ocular connection, invading Hase Ichiro's mind.
Aomei intended to disrupt his opponent's senses to create an opening for the kill.
But Hase Ichiro, a sensory ninja of considerable skill, quickly noticed the disturbance. Without a second's hesitation, he closed his eyes to sever the connection.
Moreover, his actions didn't falter—he instinctively raised his kunai in defense, guided solely by his acute intuition and the residual memory of Aomei's movements.
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring reverberated as Aomei's blade collided with the kunai.
The strike was successfully blocked.
However, Hase Ichiro deliberately avoided fully committing to his block, wary of exerting too much strength and risking an opening for Aomei's deadly follow-up. Instead, he allowed the force of the impact to propel him backward, trying to widen the gap between them.
Unfortunately, his plan to create distance fell flat—Aomei refused to give him any breathing room.
Noticing Hase Ichiro's closed eyes, Aomei's grip on his blade loosened slightly to reduce its power. In the same breath, he surged forward, rapidly closing the gap.
With his free hand, Aomei unleashed a surprise attack—a faintly glowing blue orb of chakra, carefully compressed and spinning fiercely.
The moment the Rasengan struck Hase Ichiro, unbearable pain overwhelmed him.
His eyes snapped open as he vomited a mouthful of blood. His once-confident demeanor instantly wilted.
The Rasengan wasn't a flashy new move, but its effectiveness lay in its simplicity and devastating impact. Having honed it to Lv7, Aomei wielded it with near-flawless subtlety and execution.
It was a technique designed for decisive moments, and time and again, it had proven fatal against even the wariest of enemies.
Hase Ichiro was no exception.
Watching his opponent's anguished expression, Aomei sidestepped to avoid the spray of blood and activated Genjutsu: Sharingan once more.
This time, Hase Ichiro couldn't evade.
In an instant, his vision filled with the menacing red of the Sharingan. By the time he realized he was ensnared, it was too late.
Shing!
Aomei's blade slashed cleanly across his throat, severing the air supply that kept him alive.
The sharp pain jolted Hase Ichiro back to consciousness, but he was already on death's door.
"Guh… Gah…"
Choking, Hase Ichiro emitted guttural sounds as he clutched his throat, eyes filled with fury and helplessness as he stared at Aomei.
Stumbling backward a few paces, his strength gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
A dull thump echoed.
Aomei spared his fallen foe a final glance before shifting his gaze to the surroundings. His eyes quickly locked onto another enemy—an upper-ranking Kirigakure shinobi who had been collaborating with Hase Ichiro to fight a Konoha jonin.
Whoosh!
A streak of green light cut through the battlefield as Aomei once again employed his Shun Sword Technique, speeding toward his next target.
From a distance, Itou Shohei had been monitoring Aomei's movements ever since the latter began his battle with Hase Ichiro.
Seeing Aomei dispatch Hase Ichiro so quickly and then direct his attention toward himself, Shohei's heart sank.
As Aomei closed in, Shohei attempted to disengage from the Konoha jonin he was fighting, hoping to regroup and rethink his strategy.
But his opponent wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip by.
Sensing Shohei's desperation, the Konoha jonin intensified his assault, forcing Shohei to stay engaged in their clash.
To press the advantage further, the Konoha shinobi adopted an aggressive strategy, willing to risk mutual injury to pin Shohei down.
Caught between Aomei's impending arrival and his opponent's relentless attacks, Shohei found himself in a grim predicament.
After a moment of internal struggle, he chose to stay and fight, deciding it was the lesser of two evils.
Aomei arrived moments later.
Without hesitation, he joined forces with the Konoha jonin to launch a coordinated offensive against Shohei.
Shohei, already struggling against a single opponent, now faced an unwinnable two-on-one battle.
Within minutes, his defenses began to crumble.
Seizing an opening, Aomei's blade slashed across Shohei's arm, leaving a shallow but ominous wound.
The first injury marked the beginning of the end.
From that point onward, Shohei could do little but focus on defending himself. Counterattacks became nearly impossible as more and more wounds accumulated on his body.
As Shohei's life hung by a thread, reinforcements finally arrived. Whether it was due to Yasuda Akikiku's strategic adjustment or his realization of the dire situation, two Kirigakure jonin were dispatched to support Shohei.
However, two reinforcements were hardly enough to intimidate Aomei.
Upon seeing them approach, Aomei handed Shohei over to the Konoha jonin and turned to face the newcomers.
The clash began the moment they closed in.
A symphony of clashing metal filled the air as Aomei's blade met their kunai, sparks scattering in the fray.
Relying solely on his swordsmanship and Sharingan, Aomei completely suppressed the two Kirigakure shinobi.
Under the unrelenting assault, they could only defend, rarely finding opportunities to counter.
And, as always, prolonged defense eventually led to mistakes.
While Aomei's endurance, bolstered by a 19 Constitution, kept him unfazed, his opponents visibly began to falter.
Recognizing their exhaustion, Aomei ramped up his offensive.
First, he used the Genjutsu: Sharingan to force one of them to retreat.
Then, disregarding the injury he sustained to his shoulder, he delivered a decisive strike to the other.
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