It seemed as if the entire space before him had been engulfed in a torrent of azure sword energy.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
Whoosh!
The overwhelming surge of water, unleashed by Kazuki's horizontal slash, surged forward like a tidal wave. But in an instant, it was cleaved apart with a single stroke of the blade. The sky-high waves split cleanly down the middle under the ninjas combination attack, cascading down from midair like a torrential downpour.
Kazuki remained still, his blade held in its finishing stance. The water that once filled the sky collapsed before him, vanishing as if it had never existed.
The sheer spectacle of the scene was staggering.
After years of relentless sword training, Kazuki had fully mastered the intricate forms of Water Breathing. His skill with the sword had long surpassed that of Tanjiro Kamado, his blade striking with precision beyond the reach of ordinary swordsmen. And now, with the fusion of his swordsmanship and chakra, he had broken past the limits of Demon Slayer's world.
His power had reached an unfathomable level—one that could shake the very fabric of existence.
In the next moment, Kazuki sheathed his Nichirin Blade.
Beneath his mask, his eyes gleamed with an icy sharpness as he gazed upon the remaining enemies ahead. He lowered himself to one knee, shifting his weight and channeling chakra into the light-forged boots at his feet.
A deep azure glow flickered across them.
Full Speed.
With a burst of motion, Kazuki shot forward, crossing the battlefield in an instant. His form blurred into an afterimage, moving so fast that even the elite special Jōnin could not track his movements.
Before they could react, Kazuki was already among them.
Without a word, his sword flashed.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
Boom!
A devastating wave of sword energy—over three meters long—erupted from the strike. It tore through the air, cleaving through nearly a dozen special Jōnin at once.
Two of them barely managed to react, casting a substitution jutsu in the nick of time.
The others were not so fortunate.
In a mere heartbeat, they were bisected midair, their expressions frozen in shock and disbelief. The battlefield was suddenly drenched in blood, and broken bodies fell to the ground.
"No… Impossible!"
"Our combined Water Release jutsu… was blocked so easily?!"
"Could he be… a captain of the Konoha Assassination Squad?!"
The surviving Jōnin and special Jōnin recoiled in horror. They had arrived in force—over fifty shinobi strong. This was supposed to be a swift, decisive battle.
Yet now, fewer than ten of them remained.
And Kazuki had not suffered a single scratch.
Without wasting words, Kazuki vanished once more, his figure flickering as he advanced on the remaining enemies. His blade slashed ruthlessly, sending a cascade of azure water into the air, washing the blood clean from the blade.
"Defend now!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
The remaining shinobi were no mere foot soldiers. Though overwhelmed by Kazuki's speed, they still retained the composure of seasoned warriors. Unlike those who had been instantly slaughtered, they reacted without hesitation.
As Kazuki's blade came down once more, multiple stone walls erupted from the ground. The earthen barriers fused together, forming a massive defensive structure, reinforced to rival the might of an A-rank Earth Release technique—Earth-Style Fortress Wall!
Boom!
The battlefield trembled as steel met stone.
Would Kazuki's sword break through?
Or had the defenders finally found a way to withstand his assault?
Like an indestructible fortress towering over the battlefield, the massive Earth Flow Wall stood firm.
Boom!
A sharp blade of sword qi slashed against its surface, carving a deep notch into the rock. Yet, the structure remained unshaken—unyielding against the attack.
Kazuki's Sun Wheel Blade gleamed as it sliced through the air with extreme speed and precision. However, against such an immense earthen barrier, his swordsmanship was effectively neutralized.
"With that level of defense… has he actually blocked my sword qi?"
"Good, his blade is being restrained by this technique."
"Now's our chance! We need to escape and report this to the higher-ups. These Konoha Anbu are far stronger than we anticipated, and we've already lost too many men…"
The shinobi hidden behind the Earth Flow Wall exhaled in relief, their tension easing as they prepared to retreat.
But then—
"Trying to run?"
A smirk formed on Kazuki's lips.
"Did I say you could?"
A sudden burst of white light flickered in his palm, and in the next instant, a massive black forging hammer materialized out of thin air.
This was no ordinary tool—it was the same hammer Kazuki used to craft weapons, now repurposed into a devastating ninja weapon of his own design. The moment he infused it with chakra, its power multiplied tenfold.
Ten times the force.
For a shinobi like Kazuki, whose raw physical strength was monstrous even at just twelve years old, this was a terrifying prospect. His body could already withstand a weight of one thousand pounds, and his hammer strikes, even under normal conditions, exerted more than two thousand pounds of pressure.
But with the black hammer enhanced by chakra—
The impact force surged beyond twenty thousand pounds!
Ores that once resisted forging crumbled into dust beneath this hammer's might. Hardened steel meant nothing to it.
Now, he lifted the weapon high—
And brought it down.
Boom!
"Haaaa!"
The first impact struck the Earth Flow Wall, sending deep tremors through the structure. Cracks spread across its surface.
Boom!
"Haaaaaaaa!"
A second hammer strike followed. The once-imposing wall splintered, fractures webbing across its entire foundation.
Boom!
The third strike shattered it completely!
The Earth Flow Wall exploded into debris, rock fragments flying in all directions. A shockwave rippled outward, engulfing the battlefield. The shinobi who had hidden behind the barrier were caught in the blast—
Pfft!
Blood sprayed from their mouths as they were violently thrown backward, their bodies convulsing from the sheer force.
And then—
Kazuki vanished.
With a burst of speed from his Light Boots, he reappeared in front of them, his hammer swinging down in a relentless assault.
Boom!
With the Earth Flow Wall obliterated, nothing stood between him and his enemies.
Some of them attempted to activate their secret life-saving techniques—desperate to escape. But against the raw, crushing power of Kazuki's strikes, their defenses crumbled instantly.
The battlefield was left in ruins.
The earth beneath them cracked apart, fissures spreading in all directions, swallowing the last remnants of resistance.
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