To ensure his "salvation" truly sent Jinpachi Munashi to the afterlife—
Uchiha Akira didn't just stab the kunai into his heart.
He twisted it.
Hard.
The blade churned inside his chest—
Turning flesh and bone into a mangled mess.
Jinpachi's pupils trembled—
Filled with shock and disbelief.
He stared at Akira—
As if unable to accept that he had fallen like this.
But the light in his eyes faded quickly.
His life—
Slipping away.
His body twitched weakly—
A final surge of instinct trying to hold on.
But it was useless.
Moments later—
He went still.
Dead.
Akira pulled the kunai free—
And turned.
Only two remained.
The once-feared Seven Ninja Swordsmen—
Elite executioners of the Hidden Mist—
Had faced him for less than half an hour.
Now—
Three had fled.
Two were dead.
Only two stood:
Jinin Akebino.
Mangetsu Hōzuki.
Jinin was already crippled—
His legs ruined by Akira's precise strikes.
Now—
Fear filled his eyes.
He dragged himself backward—
Trying to escape.
From a distance—
Might Duy, Might Guy, Genma, and Ebisu watched in stunned silence.
"This Uchiha youth… is extraordinary."
Duy sighed quietly.
"These are the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen… and yet…"
"He might not be weaker than Uchiha Shisui…"
Genma added.
As they spoke—
Akira had already appeared in front of Jinin.
"You damned Uchiha…"
"The Hidden Mist will remember this!!"
Even at death's door—
Jinin showed no fear.
Only hatred.
"If it weren't for you—"
"I would've killed all four of them already!"
"You Konoha dogs would've paid the price!"
"But it's fine…"
"We've already slaughtered dozens of your ninja…"
"Some of them—Uchiha!"
"Too bad…"
"I didn't get to kill you…"
He kept talking.
Provoking.
Trying to enrage Akira.
To anyone else—
It made no sense.
But Mangetsu understood.
"…He knows he's going to die."
"He's trying to provoke Akira into finishing him quickly…"
"…I might end up the same."
Mangetsu glanced at the kunai in his hand—
Hesitating.
Then—
Jinin roared:
"Erase the intel in our brains!"
"Don't forget your ANBU training!!"
With that—
He forced himself up—
And charged.
His body began to glow.
Light intensified—
Blinding.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion tore through the forest.
Blood.
Flesh.
Nothing remained.
Jinin Akebino—
Gone.
"This… this guy…"
Guy, Genma, and Ebisu stood frozen.
A member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—
Had just blown himself apart.
Just to try and kill one man.
"Is… is he okay?!"
Ebisu searched frantically.
"Don't worry."
"He's mastered Body Flicker to near perfection."
Duy smiled calmly—
Looking toward a tree.
There—
On a thick branch—
Akira stood unharmed.
"…Blowing yourself apart just to take me down?"
"How desperate."
His voice was cold.
His gaze shifted—
Locking onto the final opponent.
Mangetsu Hōzuki.
"I recall…"
"The Hydrification Technique has a weakness."
Akira smiled faintly.
Mangetsu's eyes narrowed—
But he said nothing.
He raised his kunai—
Pointing it forward.
"Enough talk."
"Uchiha Akira."
"If you can…"
"Kill me too."
In the next instant—
Two water clones formed.
Three identical figures—
Rushed forward.
"…Childish."
With Akira's perception—
And his three-tomoe Sharingan—
Such tricks were meaningless.
Still—
Mangetsu was skilled.
In less than a tenth of a second—
He had combined substitution and cloning.
Against most opponents—
It would have worked.
But—
Akira saw through everything.
All three charging figures—
Were clones.
The real Mangetsu—
Was already underground.
Waiting.
For a killing blow.
The Hydrification Technique—
Was troublesome.
It nullified physical attacks.
Even Akira's perfect kunai—
Were ineffective.
But—
It had one weakness.
Lightning Style.
A liquefied body struck by lightning—
Would be paralyzed instantly.
Even more effective than genjutsu.
At that moment—
Akira began recalling Lightning Style techniques.
He only knew the basics.
And then—
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
The system activated.