Chapter 25: Who Exactly Are You?
Uchiha Dali had always been puzzled—how did three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist manage to survive against Might Duy, who had opened the Eight Gates Formation?
That technique was so powerful that even Uchiha Madara was nearly kicked to death.
Now, he finally understood the reason.
Biwa Jūzō, Fuguki Suikazan, and Kurosuki Raiga simply had no intention of fighting to the death.
At the first sign of trouble, they immediately retreated and ran.
That was how they managed to survive after Might Duy activated the Eight Gates Formation.
On the other hand, those who stayed behind to fight head-on—Munashi Jinpachi, Kagura Karata, and Jinin Akebino—were the first to be slaughtered under the Eight Gates Formation.
But this time, it wasn't Might Duy who killed them—it was Uchiha Dali.
With no support from Fuguki Suikazan or Biwa Jūzō, even though Kagura Karata, Munashi Jinpachi, and Jinin Akebino fought desperately to resist, they underestimated the power of the Advanced Body Flicker Technique.
"Speed is the essence of all martial arts."
When Uchiha Dali went all out and activated the Advanced Body Flicker, he became an almost untouchable gust of wind.
"This strike will pierce your kidney."
His voice rang out like a death sentence, and at the exact moment the words reached his target's ears, a sharp kunai drove into Munashi Jinpachi's lower back from the side.
However, upon impact, Uchiha Dali realized that his target's body felt oddly soft, as if there was no resistance at all.
It was like he had struck water instead of flesh.
Sure enough, as he glanced down, he saw Munashi Jinpachi's body turning into liquid.
"The Water Substitution Jutsu can neutralize all physical attacks! Die, Uchiha brat!!"
From behind, Jinin Akebino swung his massive hammer-like weapon, the Kabutowari, raising it high before bringing it down with the force of an avalanche.
If it connected, it would split his enemy clean in half.
But just as the strike was about to land, Uchiha Dali vanished.
"Damn it… This guy's speed is a real problem!"
Jinin Akebino cursed under his breath.
This was already the nth time he had failed to land a hit.
Being toyed with like this—chasing but never catching—was beyond frustrating.
"Move! Let me deal with him with this!!"
Kagura Karata bellowed at her companions.
She prepared to unleash a massive explosive tag formation across the battlefield, aiming to obliterate Uchiha Dali completely.
"Let's see you dodge this!"
Kagura Karata shouted a final warning to his allies, telling them to stay clear.
But then—
Suddenly, her body stiffened.
"Impossible… When did this happen?!"
Her body froze as if petrified, and in that moment, she realized she had fallen into a trap.
"A Binding Illusion Technique? Tch, that little brat got you too, huh?"
Jinin Akebino, seeing Kagura Karata's condition, immediately understood what had happened.
He rushed over to try and disrupt the genjutsu by restoring his comrade's chakra flow.
But just then—
Two kunai shot out from the darkness, silent as ghosts.
Thud. Thud.
Jinin Akebino's body tensed, then collapsed forward.
He had already sustained injuries earlier from Uchiha Dali's attacks. His wounds were only held together by bandages and his strong constitution.
After fighting for so long, those injuries had already weakened him.
Now, with two more kunai striking true, he was finally down for good.
With Jinin Akebino out of the fight, only Munashi Jinpachi remained.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Munashi Jinpachi reformed from his liquid state, and as he did, a thick mist began spreading across the battlefield.
The dense fog obscured all vision.
His voice echoed from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.
"Even if you remember my name, you won't have the chance to tell anyone. But still, I'll grant you that much before you die."
"I am Uchiha Dali."
Even within the dense mist, Uchiha Dali easily locked onto his target using his heightened senses—sound, scent, and sight all combined to create a three-dimensional perception of the battlefield.
As he answered Munashi Jinpachi's question, he had already silently moved behind him.
Yet Munashi Jinpachi remained oblivious.
Still believing Uchiha Dali was in front of him, he crept forward cautiously, his movements laughably clumsy in Dali's eyes.
Finally, Munashi Jinpachi reached his target's supposed location and swung down his Shibuki.
Swish!
It struck nothing but air.
He was shocked.
"Are you looking for me?"
A voice suddenly whispered from behind him, filled with amusement.
A shiver ran down Munashi Jinpachi's spine.
"No way…"
His body locked up in terror.
Cold sweat streamed down his face.
"This time… can your Hydrification Technique save you?"
Uchiha Dali smirked, his hands already forming seals.
With a deep breath, he exhaled a massive fireball straight at his opponent.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The inferno generated an intense heat.
In an instant, the thick mist evaporated completely, clearing the battlefield.
At the same time, the scorching flames disrupted Munashi Jinpachi's water-based transformation, forcing him back into his solid form.
"Don't underestimate me!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
Using the momentum from being blasted backward, Munashi Jinpachi flipped mid-air and unleashed a powerful water jutsu against Uchiha Dali.
A massive torrent surged forward, like a flood sweeping away everything in its path.
But Uchiha Dali had no intention of engaging in a direct clash.
Instead, he turned toward the immobilized Munashi Jinpachi, whom he had trapped in his Binding Illusion Technique earlier.
"So many explosive tags… This sword must be worth a fortune, huh?"
"I'll be taking it then."
Like a demon whispering in the dark, Uchiha Dali casually grabbed Shibuki, the Explosive Blade, from Munashi Jinpachi's hands.
And at the same time, he drove a kunai straight into his enemy's chest—piercing his heart.