"One-Sword Style: Oni-Kiri!"
Uchiha Yusuke swept his blade across.
The Root genjutsu specialist was struck so hard he spat blood and flew backward.
Outnumbered, Yusuke still moved as if no one could stop him—Root's two squads were nearly collapsing.
"So the genjutsu plan failed too…"
"Damn it!"
After being effortlessly handled twice, the Root squad leader's face twisted with frustration.
Yusuke was far stronger than expected. If this continued, Root would be wiped out.
With that thought, the leader yanked out a signal flare and fired it into the sky.
After the flare went up, the assassins began shouting again.
"Uchiha Yusuke, you really are strong."
"But this ends here!"
"With that lord taking action personally, you'll die tonight!"
Yusuke's gaze flickered.
Danzo brought in outside help?
For Root to sound this confident, the backup had to be someone big.
Hiruzen Sarutobi? Orochimaru? Jiraiya?
Several names flashed through Yusuke's mind.
Those tied to Konoha who could still threaten him were basically just the Third Hokage and the Legendary Sannin.
Jiraiya was the first he ruled out.
That man didn't even reliably obey the Third Hokage—Danzo had no chance of "calling" him.
Next, Yusuke dismissed Sarutobi.
If the Third Hokage truly wanted him dead, he would never appear as Danzo's "helper."
Tsunade was also unlikely.
She was busy gambling in the Land of Hot Water—no time to assassinate anyone.
Orochimaru, though, felt suspicious.
He had worked with Root, and once served under Danzo.
Still, Yusuke's intuition said Orochimaru coming to kill him was improbable.
Orochimaru was obsessed with truth and research—he rarely cared for straightforward killing.
As Yusuke pondered—
a sharp sound tore through the forest.
The person wasn't visible yet, but the voice arrived first.
"Root sent out this many people… and still can't deal with one Uchiha brat?"
"Danzo really is getting worse with age."
The moment the words fell, a shinobi stepped through the moonlight—scythe on his back, breathing mask on his face.
Yusuke's pupils tightened.
Hanzō the Salamander.
Danzo's backup was him?!
Hanzō was the leader of Amegakure, famed as the "Demigod," regarded by many as standing near the top of the shinobi world.
In the Second Shinobi World War, he had suppressed Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade alone—and granted them the title "Legendary Sannin of Konoha."
Years ago, Danzo and Hanzō had worked together to crush the newborn Akatsuki.
Yahiko died; Nagato and Konan fell into darkness.
Hanzō was a genuine Kage-class powerhouse—by raw strength, he didn't lose to Orochimaru or even the Third Hokage.
Danzo bringing in someone of this weight showed how seriously he took this operation:
First kill Yusuke—then erase the Uchiha clan completely.
For the sake of climbing back into power, Danzo truly had no limits.
Even now, he still dreamed of becoming Hokage.
He could never imagine that even if the Uchiha were destroyed, the Hokage seat would never be his.
Tsunade. Kakashi. Naruto. Konohamaru—successors would come one after another.
Danzo would always remain the man holding the blame.
Under the moonlight, Hanzō stood with hands behind his back, staring at Yusuke.
He cleared his throat and spoke calmly.
"'Flame Demon' Yusuke. I've heard you defeated Kumogakure's A–B combo."
"I wonder… can you defeat me?"
Yusuke smiled faintly.
"The 'Demigod' said to stand at the summit of the shinobi world… you're certainly a heavyweight."
"But talent rises every era."
"Your age ended a long time ago."
It wasn't wrong.
After teaming with Danzo to destroy Akatsuki's first generation, Hanzō accomplished nothing major again.
From the moment he chose to sink into the same mud as Danzo—
the storm-driving "Demigod" became a politician drunk on power.
Time wore him down.
No matter how carefully he protected himself, he would still be breached in the end—his own base stormed by Pain's Six Paths, his guards annihilated, his life extinguished.
And worse—
he would die to mockery from the next generation.
Back in the Second War, Hanzō was already a peak monster.
Even the famed "Sannin" had once addressed him as "senpai."
By contrast, Yusuke's name rose during the end of the Third War.
Compared to Hanzō, he was clearly the younger one.
So Yusuke's sharp words irritated Hanzō.
Hanzō snorted.
"Young man. Your tongue is sharp."
"But can your strength match it?"
Yusuke replied with an easy laugh.
"If you want to know…"
"Then try me."
"I won't disappoint."
Two Kage-level titans stared each other down—chakra pressure shaking leaves loose from the trees.
Hanzō formed seals at speed.
A chain snapped out, catching and binding Yusuke's sword, while Hanzō swung his poisoned scythe in a sweeping arc.
"Sword Art: Chain-Scythe Two-Stage Slash!"
Yusuke tried to break free—failed.
So he shifted into elemental flames.
Clang!
Hanzō's scythe cut through nothing.
Using the opening, Yusuke tore free and countered instantly.
"One-Sword Style: Wave Cut!"
Hanzō reacted at once, palms clapping into a seal.
"Water Body Flicker!"
With those words, he vanished and reappeared back at his previous position.
Yusuke's flying slash missed, carving only a long trench in the earth.
Hanzō eyed him with interest, speaking like a judge.
"Unpredictable Fire Release."
"Overwhelming swordsmanship."
"You really do carry the Uchiha essence."
"Which means your ocular techniques won't be weak either."
"It seems I should prepare an answer for the Sharingan."
Uchiha were said to be "unbeatable one-on-one," but that never included monsters like Hanzō.
The Sharingan had limits.
If the opponent was too strong—or had special counters—then "one-on-one must flee" became nothing but rumor.
Hearing Hanzō's analysis, Yusuke felt genuine respect.
In one exchange, the man had read him nearly perfectly.
The title "Demigod" wasn't empty.
Hanzō lifted his chin, openly provoking him.
"Hey, Uchiha brat who talks too big."
"Show me your eye techniques already."
Yusuke launched himself forward.
"You want to see my eyes?"
"Then prove you're even worthy!"
Yusuke brought his sword down with storm-like force—
but Hanzō hopped back, sliding away.
Mid-slide, Hanzō slammed his right hand onto the ground.
"Fire Release: Explosive Flame Array!"
A carpet of paper bombs burst from beneath Yusuke's feet.
They spread insanely fast, crawling up and covering his lower body.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
A chain of explosions roared.
Black smoke swallowed the scene.
Hanzō slowly straightened and muttered:
"Did that finish him?"
The smoke thinned.
Yusuke stood inside a crater blasted open by the tags—his whole body blazing, completely unharmed.
Hanzō's eyes narrowed.
"Not bad, brat."
"Hit by my Fire Release and still unscathed."
"So 'Flame Demon' isn't just a reputation."
Yusuke snapped his head up—
his eyes now glowing scarlet.
Hanzō lifted an eyebrow.
"That gaze… genjutsu?"
The moment he saw the Sharingan, Hanzō widened the distance.
Sharingan genjutsu often required eye contact; from far enough away, most methods wouldn't land.
Yusuke twirled his sword, sheathed it, and switched to hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Hanzō responded without panic.
"Water Release: Water Barrier Wall!"
Water and flame collided, releasing thick, steaming mist.
As moisture rose, clear night sky gave way to rolling clouds.
Hanzō's lips curved into a smile.
"The rain cloud is finally complete…"
"And I have your fire to thank for it."
His hands formed seals in a blur.
"Rain-Curtain Barrier—Open!"
A thin, steady rain began to fall.
He wasn't a classic Water Release specialist, but in rainfall, Hanzō's advantage surpassed even Kirigakure's Seven Swordsmen.
Rumor said Hanzō's speed in rain was among the fastest in the shinobi world—so fast even past Mizukage and the Second Hokage's finest Water Release couldn't compare.
With the Rain-Curtain Barrier deployed, Hanzō was pushing his combat power to its peak.
"Water Release: Water Shock Break!"
Within the rain, Hanzō switched from defense to offense.
Against the "Flame Demon," water was the natural answer.
Waves surged toward Yusuke.
Yusuke didn't dodge—he simply let the water crash into his elemental body.
SPLASH—SPLASH—SPLASH!
Wave after wave struck—
yet none of it could extinguish the flame on Yusuke's body.
As the battle dragged on, the fog thickened further.
Hanzō seized the moment.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Fog stacked upon fog until visibility dropped to nothing.
Even with the Sharingan, Yusuke's sight was heavily restricted.
"Sword Art: Iaijutsu Slash!"
Hanzō rode the water forward at terrifying speed.
One swing of the scythe—
and Yusuke's body was cut clean in two.
WHOOM!
Flames erupted.
Yusuke's severed form fused back together instantly.
Staring into the blinding mist, Yusuke frowned.
Even with the Sharingan, he couldn't pinpoint the enemy—
yet Hanzō seemed to know his every movement.
That wasn't normal.
Is he sensing through the rain?
As the thought formed, Yusuke's expression grew heavier.
Rain and fog blocked his vision.
Hanzō moved freely.
Add the rain-boost to Hanzō's battle ability—
and if this dragged on, Yusuke could be forced into an increasingly bad position.
He wasn't afraid of Water Release.
But his chakra and stamina were not infinite.
Fighting inside the Rain-Curtain Barrier, he might not outlast a terrain-advantaged Hanzō.
So Yusuke decided:
Break the barrier.
He slowly closed his eyes and stood unmoving, letting rain wash over him.
Sensing Yusuke's "stillness," Hanzō smelled opportunity.
"Now."
"Die, Uchiha Yusuke!"
Hanzō whipped the chained scythe forward, aiming straight for Yusuke's throat.
At the instant he was about to succeed—
Yusuke's eyes snapped open.
"Mangekyō Sharingan—Open."
CLANG!
The scythe struck with a metallic crash.
It didn't cut Yusuke's throat—
it was blocked by a skeletal armor, bone-white like a ribcage.
Hanzō's pupils shrank.
"Th-this is—"
Yusuke answered him calmly.
"The Uchiha clan's forbidden ocular art…"
"…known as the power of the gods."
"Susanoo."
Hanzō's gaze sharpened with understanding.
"So that's it…"
"The legendary Mangekyō Sharingan."
"The same ocular art as Uchiha Madara—the Shinobi Asura…"
"I've been looking forward to this."
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