"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
As Jūzō Biwa completed his hand seals, the Forest of Death was instantly shrouded in thick, suffocating mist. Everyone present lost sight of the battlefield within.
Guy, nervous, tugged at his father's sleeve:
"Dad, is Kuugetsu-senpai really going to be alright?"
Might Duy's expression grew complicated as he stared into the pitch-black fog where not even his own hand would be visible. To be honest, he knew nothing of ninjutsu. If he were in Kuugetsu's place, he would be completely helpless in this kind of smokescreen, blind and vulnerable.
In his case, the only option would be to forcefully open the Seventh or Eighth Gate and tear through the fog with brute strength.
But Kuugetsu was different. She was already a genius jōnin to begin with, and now, after awakening that strange power from her father's death, her strength had soared to a terrifying level. As much as Duy hated to admit it—even if he himself opened the Eighth Gate, he doubted he could defeat the Kuugetsu standing here today.
His own strength, in the end, was lacking. Even with the Eight Gates Released Formation, it would be difficult for him to reach the level Kuugetsu had just displayed.
So then—could she deal with this Hidden Mist Technique?
As Duy pondered, three voices suddenly rang out from within the fog, almost simultaneously:
"Lightning Style: Dragon Tornado!"
"Die, you bitch!"
"Did you think a technique like this could stop me?Fire Release: Dragon Flame Wild Dance!"
In an instant, blinding lightning and dazzling fire clashed within the mist, exploding with a force so intense that it blew Genma Shiranui and his two comrades off their feet on the sidelines.
When the three scrambled back up, supporting one another, the mist had already been completely dispersed by the blast—revealing the scene within.
Jinin Akebino lay charred and lifeless on the ground. Raiga Kurosuki was locked in a fierce duel with Kuugetsu. And further away, Jūzō Biwa and Fuguki Suikazan were already fleeing in panic.
The three youngsters turned in confusion to Duy:
"Dad / Uncle Duy, what just happened?"
Might Duy swallowed hard, eyes wide, and stammered:
"It… it was Fire Release. Just now, Kuugetsu used a jutsu that was practically S-rank. A dragon of pure flame—its heat not only evaporated the Hidden Mist in an instant, it also incinerated Jinin Akebino, who was trying to ambush her with his Kabutowari."
His voice trembled with awe.
"She's too strong. The Kuugetsu standing here now—she absolutely has the power of a Kage."
Indeed, within the mist, Kuugetsu had done exactly as he described. Harnessing Kagutsuchi's absolute control over flame, she unleashed Dragon Flame Wild Dance. The overwhelming heat vaporized Jūzō's mist and reduced Jinin to ashes before he even realized what had happened.
Raiga, who had charged forward, barely survived thanks to his Lightning Dragon's protection. But Jinin, caught off guard, had no such defense. He was burned alive on the spot.
And as for Fuguki Suikazan and Jūzō Biwa—their behavior was nothing short of disgraceful. While Raiga and Jinin had been pushed forward to clash head-on with Kuugetsu, those two had no intention of fighting fairly. The moment Jūzō cast the Hidden Mist, he bolted, using his teammates as fodder. Fuguki followed suit, fleeing without hesitation.
Deflecting the crackling arc of Raiga's Lightning Blade with a swing of her flaming sword, Kuugetsu sneered:
"So this is the so-called Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Sacrificing your own comrades as shields—you really know how to play your cards."
Only then did Raiga, locked in combat, realize that Fuguki and Jūzō had already abandoned him.
"Damn it!!!"
Raiga Kurosuki roared in fury, but there was nothing he could do. At this point, his only option was to defeat Kuugetsu head-on. But could he possibly overcome someone who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?
The answer, of course, was no.
Raiga had planned to unleash a powerful technique, push Kuugetsu back, and then seize the chance to escape. But before her Mangekyō, his every move was transparent. Kuugetsu never even gave him the time to charge his Lightning Blade—she rushed in close at blistering speed.
"Uchiha Style: Blazing Sword Leap!"
In that instant, Kuugetsu's speed climbed to yet another level. The Sword of Kusanagi: Chokutō in her hand, wreathed in fire, slashed with blinding precision. Before Raiga's two Lightning Blades could gather lightning, her blazing strikes suppressed him completely.
As Raiga focused all his attention on holding his defense, Kuugetsu's Mangekyō spun. She saw through his movement in advance—suddenly releasing the pressure on her blade. Raiga staggered forward, overextended, leaving himself wide open.
With a sharp motion, Kuugetsu pivoted and kicked him square in the waist. His body lifted into the air helplessly.
Then—whoosh!—the Sword of Kusanagi: Chokutō swept out, unleashing a crescent arc of flame like a stroke of fire across the night sky.
The sudden fiery slash caught Raiga completely off guard. With no time to block, his body was cleaved clean in half, his life ending instantly.
"Next… it's your turn."
Her gaze snapped coldly toward the two retreating figures of Fuguki Suikazan and Jūzō Biwa.
The Mangekyō pattern in Kuugetsu's left eye turned, and her body vanished from where she stood—only to reappear thirty meters away in an instant.
Even without her dojutsu, Kuugetsu was already faster than the fleeing swordsmen. With Higan's teleportation, she closed the gap again and again. After three consecutive uses, the distance between them had shrunk to less than thirty meters.
And that was well within her attack range.
The Sword of Kusanagi: Chokutō ignited once more. Flames roared along the blade as Kuugetsu's voice rang out, cold and merciless:
"Let's see where you think you can run now."
She swung the sword in rapid succession. Twelve flaming sword energy shot forth like blades of pure fire, cutting through the air toward Biwa and Fuguki.
The two panicked, dodging frantically. But then—something impossible happened.
The flaming sword energy… curved.
The sword energies twisted mid-flight, changing direction to track their targets like predators refusing to let go. No matter how the two ran, the sword energy followed relentlessly, hemming them in.
Seeing this, Fuguki's expression hardened. A look of grim resolve flashed across his face as he shouted:
"Jūzō! You go on ahead. I'll use Samehada to hold her off. It's still storing a massive amount of chakra. I'll snuff out these flames and then come find you.
But… if I don't make it—take care of my wife and children."
Jūzō's steps faltered. Those words hit him like a blow. He suddenly thought of Jinin Akebino and Raiga Kurosuki, who he had callously used, and who had died miserable deaths.
And now, Fuguki Suikazan—despite everything—was willing to sacrifice his life for him.
If he ran now, abandoning Fuguki too… then how would he be any different from a beast?