The movement of the Kusanagi sword reminded Yamazuki of a man clad in bright green spandex. The style bore an uncanny resemblance, yet the word "Konoha" was absent from this particular technique.
Facing the whip kick, Sasuke made no effort to evade. Instead, he turned and launched a counter whip kick. Their calves collided with a resonant thud—Sasuke was overpowered and sent flying backward again.
Strong. As expected of a Jōnin!
Sasuke, though sent reeling, only grew more exhilarated. By nature, he was aggressive, yet due to Uchiha Setsuna's past assassination attempt, he had chosen to remain at the Konoha Ninja Academy for six years. Those years had left him feeling stifled—internally smothered.
He had initially assumed this mission would be a one-sided slaughter. He never anticipated encountering such an unexpected challenge. Now, with his battle lust fully awakened, he didn't even feel the need to draw his Zanpakutō just yet. The thrill of the fight was enough.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
Lightning surged from Sasuke's hand as he pointed at the Kusanagi user, who had been knocked into the wall nearby. Now, only he and the Jōnin remained standing.
"You've clearly activated a forbidden technique," Sasuke observed. The bulging veins on the man's neck gave it away.
"None of your business!" snarled the Jōnin before lunging forward with a kick.
Sasuke sidestepped cleanly, the enhanced perception of his Sharingan guiding his reflexes.
"Then I'll have to kill you before the backlash sets in," he said coldly. He had no interest in striking down a helpless foe whose strength had burned out. That would be unbearably dull.
"Hmph! What an arrogant brat!" spat the Jōnin as he launched a lightning-quick punch.
Sasuke raised an arm to block and was knocked back several meters. The Jōnin pressed the assault and kicked again.
"Bakudō #8: Seki!"
The glowing blue shield flared on Sasuke's hand and repelled the strike, just barely managing to block the Jōnin's vicious kick.
Seeing this, the Jōnin followed up with another punch, forcing Sasuke back even further.
But now, the Jōnin was panting—clearly the effects of his forbidden technique were creeping in.
"Use your strongest move now, or you'll miss your chance," Sasuke warned flatly.
The Jōnin frowned, a "井" bulging on his forehead. Though clearly displeased, he took Sasuke's advice to heart.
He removed the grass village forehead protector and tossed it aside.
"To be honest, I envy you Konoha ninja," the Jōnin muttered. "Living in the sunlight… performing missions with righteousness, doing it for the sake of the village. Meanwhile, people like us have to do things that even we despise."
He clenched his fists tightly.
"Most people have no idea how filthy this world really is. How pathetic our roles become."
Sasuke said nothing. He simply listened.
"You're a real genius," the Jōnin said with a bitter smile. "Among all of Konoha's youth, you shine the brightest. If only—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence, a flicker of memory passing through his eyes.
"Forget it. I've said enough. Kid, this last move… it'll either kill me—or both of us. Ready yourself!"
As he finished speaking, electric arcs crackled across his body. His hair stood on end, and cracks webbed across the stone beneath his feet.
This looks like the Lightning Release Armor Technique from Kumogakure…
Yamazuki, watching from the side, thought the same. The Jōnin's transformation mirrored the Lightning Release Chakra Mode used by the Raikage—though this version was cruder, smaller in scale, and perhaps more self-destructive.
"Lightning Body Art: Thunderclap Flash!"
He moved—fast!
So fast, even Sasuke's Sharingan could barely keep up. All he saw was a blur, a streak of lightning barreling toward him.
The Jōnin's fist came straight for him, coated in flickering arcs of bluish-white lightning.
"Bakudō #39: Enkosen! Bakudō #73: Tozanshō!"
First came the circular shield of Enkosen, which shattered in an instant. Then came the inverted cone of Tozanshō. The Jōnin's lightning punch collided with the barrier, screeching like metal scraping metal.
But he couldn't break through.
The Jōnin froze in place, unable to force past the spiritual barrier.
Crack!
The Tozanshō shattered with a final pop of light. The Jōnin stood revealed—his eyes lifeless, arcs of lightning fading from his body, smoke rising from his charred skin.
He couldn't control it… the technique consumed him.
Sasuke now understood what he meant by, "Either I die, or we both die."
The Jōnin had used Lightning Release to push his body past its limits—enhancing his reflexes and destructive power by stimulating his cells to the brink of destruction. But in doing so, he had destroyed himself.
"Hadō #54: Haien."
A disc-shaped purple flame formed in Sasuke's hand and drifted onto the corpse. It ignited on contact and consumed the body completely.
Sasuke gave a respectful nod. The man had shown conviction at the end—but that didn't change the fact that he was an enemy. An enemy who attacked first.
Sasuke reflected for a moment, mulling over the Jōnin's final words. They didn't sound like something a regular Kusagakure shinobi would say.
More like… a member of Root.
But unlike the usual Root operatives, he didn't seem brainwashed. He had retained his sense of self. Perhaps he was part of some offshoot or experimental squad. The truth was unclear.
"Hmph. Not a bad mission," Sasuke muttered. A black crow descended and perched calmly on his shoulder.
He walked out of the ruined hall, withdrawing his Zanpakutō.
"All things in the universe turn to ash—Blades Like Fire!"
He swept his sword. Flames erupted and engulfed the structure behind him. Such places—filled with corpses—risked spreading plague if left alone.
As he descended the mountain path, far below at its base, a pair of eyes watched through the eyes of a summoned crow.
Itachi Uchiha had observed the entire battle. Several times, he had almost stepped in—but Sasuke's strength had dispelled his worries.
My little brother… has grown.
He let out a silent sigh.
Beside him, Sai lay unconscious, his body battered and bloodied from a previous skirmish.