Chapter 26: A Resolve to Die Fighting
To ensure his physical "sending-off" would help Munashi Jinpachi meet his maker more effectively, Uchiha Dali plunged his kunai into his opponent's heart and gave it a vicious twist.
This way, Jinpachi's chest cavity would turn into a pulp.
Munashi Jinpachi's pupils were filled with terror and shock as he stared at Uchiha Dali in disbelief. He couldn't accept that he had been defeated by such an opponent.
But the light in his eyes quickly dimmed.
His life was slipping away at an alarming rate.
His body trembled slightly—his last desperate struggle as his adrenaline surged in a futile attempt to revive his body and maintain his vital functions.
Yet, within moments, Munashi Jinpachi fell completely still.
Only then did Uchiha Dali withdraw his kunai and turn to face the remaining two enemies.
The legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—renowned throughout Kirigakure, the Land of Water, and even the entire ninja world for handling the village's most difficult missions—had initially charged in, intending to inflict devastating retribution on Konoha.
But in less than thirty minutes of battle with Uchiha Dali, three had already fled, and two had died miserable deaths.
Now, only Kagura Karata and Jinin Akebino remained standing.
Jinin Akebino had already been injured earlier by Uchiha Dali's precise kunai throws.
His eyes now reflected a trace of fear as he struggled to crawl backward, desperately trying to escape.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Might Duy, Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu finally saw clearly where Jinin Akebino had been wounded—his lower legs.
"This young Uchiha is truly formidable!"
Might Duy was astonished to see the elite swordsmen of Kirigakure, who were supposed to be some of the strongest warriors in their village, reduced to such a miserable state.
"His strength might not be far off from that of Uchiha Shisui…" Shiranui Genma remarked.
As they spoke, Uchiha Dali had already stepped toward the fallen Jinin Akebino, who was still crawling backward.
"Damn Uchiha… Kirigakure will remember you!!"
Despite facing Uchiha Dali, who loomed over him like the god of death, Jinin Akebino remained defiant, putting on a tough front.
As if that wasn't enough, he sneered and continued, "If it weren't for you interfering, I would've already slaughtered all four of them and made Konoha pay a heavy price!"
"But it was worth it—before this, at least fifty Konoha shinobi had already fallen by our hands, including members of your Uchiha clan!"
"It's just a pity that I couldn't kill you too. What a shame…"
Even as Uchiha Dali closed in, Jinin Akebino switched to full-on provocation mode.
He taunted, mocked, and tried to provoke Uchiha Dali with his words.
To an outsider, this behavior seemed irrational.
However, as a fellow member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Kagura Karata understood Jinin Akebino's intent.
"He knows he's going to die, so he's trying to anger his opponent into finishing him off quickly… Sorry, but it looks like I'll be following in your footsteps soon."
Jinin Akebino pulled out a kunai and glanced down at it.
He hadn't yet decided whether he should end his own life.
Just then, Kagura Karata's voice rang out:
"Make sure to erase the intel in our heads, Jinin Akebino!"
"Don't forget the Anbu training!!"
With that, Jinin Akebino suddenly forced himself to stand and lunged at Uchiha Dali.
A blinding light erupted from his body.
Then—BOOM!
In a gruesome explosion, Jinin Akebino was utterly annihilated, his body reduced to countless tiny particles.
"This… this guy…"
Ebisu, Shiranui Genma, and Might Guy were dumbfounded as they watched a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen resort to self-destruction, using every single explosive tag he had in an attempt to kill Uchiha Dali.
"Is that Uchiha kid okay??"
Ebisu snapped out of his shock and immediately searched for Uchiha Dali's figure.
"Don't worry, he's mastered an almost perfect Body Flicker Technique…"
Might Duy chuckled, then turned his gaze toward a massive tree ahead.
There, standing unharmed on a thick branch, was Uchiha Dali.
"So, he was willing to blow himself up just to take me down with him? How insane…"
Uchiha Dali smirked slightly, his expression tinged with disdain as he shifted his gaze to the last remaining member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—Kagura Karata.
"I recall that the Water Substitution Jutsu has a weakness, doesn't it?"
Uchiha Dali said playfully, watching her with a knowing smile.
Hearing this, Kagura Karata's eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained silent. Instead, she slowly raised her kunai and pointed it at Uchiha Dali.
"Enough talk, Uchiha Dali."
"If you have the skill, then kill me too!"
With that, Kagura Karata created two water clones, rushing at Uchiha Dali in unison.
"What a boring trick."
To Uchiha Dali, this level of clone technique was nothing more than child's play.
With his enhanced perception and the insight granted by his Three Tomoe Sharingan, distinguishing between real and fake was effortless.
But deep down, Uchiha Dali couldn't help but respect his opponent.
In that brief fraction of a second when she had been speaking to distract him, Kagura Karata had already executed both a Substitution Jutsu and a Clone Jutsu in tandem.
This level of hand speed surpassed most ordinary shinobi.
Against someone with weaker perception, her plan would have likely succeeded.
But the truth was, none of the three "Kagura Karata" charging at him were real—all of them were water clones.
The real Kagura Karata had already hidden underground, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with a fatal blow.
A member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist was indeed troublesome.
Being immune to all physical attacks meant that even Uchiha Dali's unparalleled kunai accuracy wouldn't harm her in the slightest.
However, the Water-Based Jutsu had one fatal flaw—Lightning Release.
A single Lightning Release attack would paralyze a target in a hydrated state, rendering them completely immobile.
And unlike genjutsu, this paralysis couldn't be dispelled.
At this moment, Uchiha Dali began recalling all the Lightning Release techniques he had learned.
He had only mastered the most basic Lightning Release jutsu.
And just then, a notification sounded in his mind—the system had activated.