At the same time as the Thunder Release Ninjutsu was unleashed, another masked creature on Kakuzu's back spewed forth a massive, scorching fireball.
The searing heat from the attack seemed capable of reducing everything in its path to ashes. With the enhancement of Wind Release Ninjutsu, the range and intensity of the Fire Release technique expanded several times over.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield was engulfed in a raging sea of crimson flames, swallowing everything in its wake. The inferno spread across the road leading to Konoha, cutting off any escape route.
The sheer destructive force generated by these three ninjutsu—Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work, Wind Release: Pressure Damage, and Lightning Release: False Darkness—shook the battlefield. Even those already locked in fierce combat, such as Hidan and Tsunade, momentarily diverted their attention.
"Hahaha! That stitched-up bastard, Kakuzu, has already lost two hearts!" Hidan cackled, showing no concern for his partner's predicament. "I never thought I'd see the day he got pushed into such a desperate situation! This is hilarious!"
Despite seeing his comrade struggle, Hidan showed no worry—only amusement at the unfolding chaos.
"Hmph! You won't be laughing for long! You're next!" Tsunade declared, her sharp amber eyes narrowing with determination.
She pulled back the string of her chakra-infused bow, launching another green-hued chakra arrow straight at Hidan.
"Tch, what an annoying woman!"
Hidan swiftly raised his scythe to deflect the incoming projectile. Their previous battle had already frustrated him—Tsunade had been using her chakra arrows to suppress his movements, making it nearly impossible for him to obtain her blood and activate his Jashinist ritual.
If he couldn't draw blood, he couldn't initiate his deadly curse technique.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, he snarled, "Damn it! If it weren't for that damned bow, I would've already sacrificed you to Lord Jashin!"
Tsunade didn't bother to respond with words. Instead, she commanded the massive Katsuyu beneath her to surge forward, closing the distance between her and Hidan. Their battle reignited in a flurry of clashes, neither side gaining an immediate upper hand.
Kakuzu unleashed three powerful B-rank and higher ninjutsu simultaneously.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage.
Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work.
Lightning Release: False Darkness.
Each of these techniques alone was enough to instantly kill a jōnin-level ninja. But when combined into a compound ninjutsu, their destructive power reached terrifying new heights.
The ground was consumed by a towering sea of flames, reducing the battlefield to a blazing inferno. Above, blue-white lightning arcs flickered violently before streaking down unpredictably, blasting deep craters into the earth.
This was no ordinary ninjutsu—it was an S-rank composite technique.
Kakuzu had once used this exact combination to defeat a powerful Kage-level opponent head-on. And now, with confidence in his overwhelming might, he was certain that his opponent wouldn't survive.
"Compound Ninjutsu: Flame Thunder Chaos!"
The air trembled with the force of the combined elements. The roar of the firestorm, the crackling of electricity, and the howling wind all merged into a chaotic symphony, like an unstoppable cavalry charge rushing toward its target.
The inferno surged skyward, piercing the darkness, illuminating the battlefield in a blinding red glow. For a brief moment, everything was silent—then came the earth-shattering explosion.
The sheer devastation left five distant onlookers—Sunflower, Qing, Haidao, a Konoha scout, and Shizune—frozen in shock.
Now, they finally understood why Captain Mingyu had forbidden them from participating in this battle.
Against such overwhelming ninjutsu, their strength was insignificant. If they had stepped onto that battlefield, they wouldn't have lasted a single round before being annihilated.
One word surfaced in their minds.
Hell.
Yes, this was hell on earth.
A battlefield of fire and lightning, where death was inevitable.
The legendary Eighteen Levels of Hell couldn't compare to the carnage before them.
Swords of flame. A sea of fire. Thunder crashing down from the heavens.
A chill ran down their spines.
Especially for Ao and Haidao…
Seeing the two figures before them, clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds, a cold shiver ran down their spines.
Back when they were running the underground casino, they had considered themselves untouchable. But now, just recognizing the symbols on those cloaks made their bodies tense with fear.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down.
Thank the heavens.
Thankfully, when they had stormed the casino earlier, they hadn't encountered these two men in person.
Thankfully, their captain, Kazuki, had arrived in time to pull them out of danger.
Now, looking back, they could only feel regret gnawing at their insides.
Reckless. Completely reckless.
They clenched their fists, cursing themselves silently. Captain Kazuki had been right all along. If not for his intervention, they would have been nothing but corpses buried beneath the rubble of their former operation.
Water Breathing – Twelfth Form: Endless Flow!
A deep azure glow enveloped Kazuki. His Nichirin blade shimmered like a river under moonlight, a ribbon of water coiling around him as he assumed his stance. The chakra within him surged, his breathing steady and precise.
Water Breathing – Twelfth Form: Endless Flow!
One slash. Two. Three. Ten. Eleven. Twelve!
Kazuki's eyes locked onto the enemy charging toward him, an overwhelming wave of fire and blades cascading forward—a jutsu of sheer destructive force, like something pulled straight from the depths of hell.
Yet, a faint smile touched Kazuki's lips.
So what if it was high-level ninjutsu?
He wasn't the only one who could wield devastating techniques.
His Nichirin blade, tempered through relentless battle, could carve through even this inferno!
Even in the world of Demon Slayers, where the strongest swordsmen had refined their techniques across generations, this particular form of Water Breathing had never been fully developed. But Kazuki had gone beyond its limits—he had created a lost technique, a move never before witnessed.
A form of Water Breathing that did not exist to attack—
But to endure.
To last.
To survive endlessly.
On the battlefield, Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, scanning the smoke and embers that lingered in the aftermath of his jutsu.
Kazuki had vanished.
Buried beneath the inferno.
"Hah… hah…"
Kakuzu exhaled heavily. Unleashing three consecutive B-rank jutsu had taken its toll, draining a significant amount of chakra from his vast reserves. But so far, no one had survived his attacks—no shinobi, not even those at Kage-level, had ever walked away unscathed.
Yet this boy…
Earlier, he had wielded a hammer, then a gauntlet, then some sort of barrier technique—his abilities were unpredictable and seemingly endless.
Kakuzu shook his head.
No. He could no longer call him a mere "boy."
This was the man they called the Black Shinigami. A warrior strong enough to destroy two of his hearts already—a feat few could claim.
Regret? No. Kakuzu felt no regret.
The kid was dangerous. If given another chance, he might truly become a threat.
That's why Kakuzu hadn't held back. He had unleashed the strongest jutsu at his disposal, ensuring there would be nothing left of his opponent—no body to retrieve, no heart to harvest.
It was over.
Or so he thought.
Clang!
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
No deafening roar of destruction.
Just the whisper of a blade slicing through resistance, like a knife gliding through silk.
If anyone had been able to witness what unfolded next, their eyes would have widened in sheer disbelief.
Because no one—no one in this world—had ever used a blade in such a way.
Ripples of deep blue water surrounded Kazuki, flowing like an intricate melody. They danced around him, coiling and uncoiling like ribbons caught in an invisible current, layer upon layer of defensive movement.
At first, it seemed almost… gentle.
But look closely—
Every time the rotating sword energy passed through the battlefield, the flames and lightning that had threatened to consume him weakened, flickering before fading altogether.
Kazuki had not just blocked the attack.
He had dissolved it.
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