Haru sized up the monk before him, Master Voidheart. Under the sunlight, the man's bare upper body shone with a bronze sheen. The most eye-catching thing about him was his well-developed biceps, and he was a full head taller than Haru.
He really was a powerfully built man.
"This humble monk is Voidheart of the Fire Temple. Greetings, Hokage."
Master Voidheart offered Haru a Buddhist salute to show respect, though his eyes kept drifting over Haru from time to time.
This was the Hokage?
Seriously?
Those deep sunken eye sockets, the heavy dark circles, the unsteady steps... at a glance, he looked completely drained from excess.
Voidheart had seen plenty of young men like that back at the Fire Temple. To say every young master from the noble families of the Land of Fire suffered from weakness might have been unfair, but if you lined them up and called every other one a spent wreck, there definitely would not be any innocent victims among them.
"Hokage, are you feeling unwell today?"
Looking at Haru's appearance, Voidheart openly showed a trace of disdain.
It seemed Konoha's strength had truly been worn down by the First Great Ninja War. Even someone like this could become Hokage now.
Heaven really was blessing the Fire Temple!
The monks of the Fire Temple were not some detached saints with no worldly desires. They wanted progress too. They wanted more funding too. They wanted the Fire Temple to grow stronger too!
It was not only Konoha that could be patriotic. The Fire Temple could negotiate with the Daimyo too. The Fire Temple could love the country too!
"No. I was just a little tired yesterday."
"Weren't you the one who wanted to spar with me?"
"Then come on."
Haru waved his hand, paying no attention at all to Voidheart's concern.
The monks of the Fire Temple really had no manners. Could he not at least try to hide that contempt? The attitude was far too obvious.
"In that case, this humble monk will not hold back."
The moment those words fell, the air instantly filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Standing to one side, the Daimyo wore a delighted smile, happy to watch everything unfold. He would have loved nothing more than for Haru and Voidheart to beat each other senseless.
These ninja absolutely could not be allowed to become too united. There had to be some friction between them.
"In that case, let the two of you exchange pointers. Remember to stop at the right moment. Do not damage the harmony between you."
The Daimyo offered a few hypocritical words of caution, then withdrew from the training ground. As an ordinary man, he understood very well the principle that a wise man did not stand beneath a collapsing wall.
Before long, only Haru and Voidheart remained standing opposite each other in the training field.
Ha!
With a loud shout, Voidheart assumed a strange stance. One hand formed a symbolic gesture while the other faced downward. A powerful surge of chakra erupted from his body, and behind him, the phantom image of a Bodhisattva actually appeared.
What a strange battle art. He did not even need hand seals. Was this the so-called special power known as Sage Talent?
Under normal circumstances, Haru might have tested the monk before him a little and tried to learn more about this unfamiliar combat system.
But not today.
Haru's gaze shifted toward the Daimyo, who was standing outside the training ground and watching the show.
That bastard was probing Konoha's true condition.
If Konoha's strength had declined too much, then forget asking him for more funding next time.
He might directly start backing some brand-new ninja village instead.
Haru had to crush this monk completely.
Voidheart saw Haru looking at the Daimyo and not taking him seriously at all.
And he still dared to let his attention wander?
Voidheart gathered strength in his legs and shot forward in an instant. The Bodhisattva behind him immediately took on the wrathful aspect of a guardian deity, several fists smashing down toward Haru.
"Curse your unlucky fate for not having the Sharingan."
Haru murmured under his breath.
The moment Voidheart heard those words, his eyes had already met Haru's Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Tsukuyomi."
A thin line of blood slipped from the corner of Haru's eye, and his consciousness entered the world of Tsukuyomi.
Inside Tsukuyomi
A blood-red moon hung high in the sky, and the ground below was covered in crimson water.
Voidheart was currently receiving the treatment of a martyr, bound to a cross while his mind remained in a daze.
"Hello there. Welcome to my world of Tsukuyomi."
"This is a genjutsu?"
"When did you cast it?!"
Voidheart struggled desperately against the chains binding him, but no matter how hard he tried, it was useless.
"Fighting an Uchiha, and you still dared to stare me in the face at point-blank range. I don't know whether that makes you ignorant or brave."
"Idiot."
Haru let out a mocking laugh, and the harsh sound made Voidheart's face flush red.
With a casual wave of Haru's hand, a blade appeared out of thin air and pierced Voidheart's arm. His scream instantly echoed through the entire space. Then came another strike, and another, and another.
"The flow of time here is completely under my control. One second outside can mean a month here. Two months. Maybe even a year or two."
"I'll keep stabbing you until you can't endure it anymore."
"This is my first time using this technique, so I still don't know how long a person's mind can truly last. I hope you can hold out a little longer. Don't make me look down too much on the monks of the Fire Temple."
Haru explained everything with a smile on his face, yet his hands did not slow down in the slightest.
His voice was gentle, but to Voidheart it sounded like the whisper of a devil.
There was actually a ninjutsu this terrifying in the world?
Was this the Avici Hell spoken of in the scriptures?
Was this the strength of Konoha's Hokage?
Voidheart was filled with terror. He had never even heard of such a method. With just one glance, Haru could drag a man into hell itself. Was that something a human being could do?
His regret did not last long.
Endless agony soon drowned out everything else in his mind.
A full day passed, and Voidheart's spirit completely collapsed. His consciousness sank into endless chaos.
Not bad.
He lasted an entire day.
Haru nodded, acknowledging Voidheart's willpower, then released the world of Tsukuyomi.
Back in reality
Voidheart's fist was just about to come down when he suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
Haru remained calm and composed, every bit the lofty master. From beginning to end, he had not moved an inch.
What had just happened?
Had the Hokage done something?
The Daimyo, who had been watching from the side, stared in utter disbelief.
He had personally seen how powerful Voidheart was. An ordinary jonin was no match for him at all, and the phantom Bodhisattva behind him made his combat power even more overwhelming.
The Daimyo had expected a fierce battle.
And this was it?
His expression turned grave at once.
It was not that Voidheart was too weak.
It was that the current Hokage was too strong, so strong that he could completely crush Voidheart.
Was Konoha really still this powerful?
The Daimyo had originally thought that such a long and exhausting war would have badly weakened Konoha and left it with a broken generation.
Now, however, his hopes had been completely shattered.
The little thoughts he had just begun to entertain regarding Konoha immediately died in the cradle.
In an instant, the Daimyo replaced his expression with a broad smile and walked toward Haru while clapping his hands.
"As expected of Konoha's Hokage!"
"..."
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]