Chapter 265: Scorch Release – Flash Piercer
This was how wars between shinobi were fought.
The moment both sides met, there were no words—just immediate action. A coordinated jutsu to clear the field was launched right away, using a large-scale combo attack to seize the advantage.
If the enemy reacted too slowly, they'd be overwhelmed from the start.
But evidently, Kirigakure's response was anything but slow.
Kisame Hoshigaki, wielder of the Greatsword Samehada, and possessor of chakra rivaling that of a Tailed Beast, no longer concealed himself. Leaping into the air with his massive blade on his back, he quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Release – Great Waterfall Technique!"
A terrifying volume of water gushed from Kisame's mouth, forming a floodwave that spanned five hundred meters—just like the sea of fire before it—and slammed violently into the flames. It was far more powerful than the earlier Water Release he had used.
Clearly, he had been holding back.
BOOM!
Fire and water collided. The Fire Release, enhanced by Wind, was not suppressed. The two techniques neutralized each other, producing an enormous plume of white steam that billowed out in all directions.
"Scorch Release – Heat Pressure!"
Before the steam could roll over them, Pakura extended her right hand. A high-temperature heat wall formed twenty meters ahead, evaporating all incoming steam instantly.
She understood immediately—any enemy capable of launching large-scale Water Release in the desert was no ordinary foe.
She couldn't allow the white mist to create a pseudo-Hiding-in-Mist scenario.
Her chakra sensory skills were weak. If visibility dropped, the enemy would have the upper hand.
Whoosh!
A glint of cold steel flashed. Pakura 's caution was well-founded. Taking advantage of the obscuring steam, Kushimaru Kuriare struck—his long blade Nuibari shot forward across dozens of meters.
Had Pakura not evaporated the steam in advance, she might've been caught off guard and injured.
Now, she leapt backward, avoiding the attack and simultaneously hurling a Scorch Release fireball forward.
BOOM!
The fireball exploded violently, devouring most of the remaining steam and revealing the scorched, blistering desert floor.
The Kirigakure shinobi had already spread out—they avoided the blast.
Step step step...
Thanks to their opening attack, the enemy had now surrounded Pakura and her team.
The full force of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist revealed themselves, surrounding her with smirks, eyes gleaming with amusement.
They clearly saw her as prey already caught—served on a platter, too stunned to escape.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
The three Suna squads and the three rescued shinobi instantly formed a defensive circle. Seeing the legendary weapons in the enemy's hands, all their expressions darkened.
Pakura was strong, but the Seven Swordsmen were legends in their own right.
Over the past year, the Seven Swordsmen had gained infamy across several battlefields. In one case, three of them working together had slain the head of one of Suna's Ten Great Clans.
Now all seven were here.
Everyone felt the tension rising. Rumor had it that when working together, the Seven Swordsmen could even kill a Kage.
"Heh... Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
Pakura , however, remained unfazed. She turned and glanced at the so-called swordsmen. Seeing the arrogant expressions on their faces, she sneered, "You really think a few fancy blades are enough to defeat me?"
How naive.
I am no longer the person I once was.
With that, Pakura formed hand seals. The Seven Swordsmen responded quickly.
"Move!"
"Duck!"
Kisame and the Suna squad leaders gave simultaneous orders.
The Kirigakure shinobi lunged forward.
Meanwhile, Pakura 's allies instantly ducked low.
Clap!
In that split second, Pakura completed her hand seals and slammed her palms together. Her piercing gaze locked onto Kisame, who charged from the front. She smirked.
"Not good!"
His heart froze. The warning didn't come from himself, but from Samehada. It sensed mortal danger and transmitted it to Kisame, urging him to dodge immediately.
"Scorch Release – Flash Piercer!"
Ssssst...
From between Pakura 's fingertips shot a compressed beam of searing, blood-red heat.
It moved so fast that even with Samehada's instinctive alert, Kisame couldn't evade. His abdomen was pierced instantly.
Fwoosh...
Pakura spun in place, sweeping the beam in a full arc like a red laser.
In an instant, fifteen Kirigakure shinobi failed to react in time and were sliced cleanly in half at the waist.
Only the other six members of the Seven Swordsmen reacted in time—either jumping or ducking.
It helped that Kisame had been the first target. That brief moment gave them a chance to avoid death.
"Was that… Scorch Release?!"
Kisame wasn't dead. Though his abdomen had been burned through, Samehada's massive chakra allowed him to regenerate quickly.
Still, Pakura 's attack had shaken him deeply.
Of the pursuing Kiri forces, only the Seven Swordsmen remained standing. Everyone else had been bisected.
"Retreat!"
The seven survivors instinctively leapt back, putting distance between themselves and Pakura .
"What…"
"No..."
"Ahhh…"
"Help me…"
Thud thud thud...
The severed upper bodies of the fallen Kiri shinobi writhed on the sand, crying out.
But they were beyond saving.
"What kind of jutsu is that?"
"Why was there no intel about this?"
Zabuza was drenched in cold sweat. He had been one second from getting split in half.
The reports on Pakura 's Scorch Release hadn't mentioned anything like this. Was this a new jutsu, or something else entirely?
"Kisame, what about Samehada?" Raiga Kurosuki demanded.
Kisame's face was grim. "That attack was like a high-temperature, compressed heat ray. Samehada couldn't absorb it."
Samehada wasn't omnipotent—it couldn't absorb every type of chakra.
Some highly compressed techniques, especially heat-based ones, couldn't be absorbed quickly—or at all.
And that woman's jutsu? Not only was the chakra refined and compressed, the temperature was terrifyingly high.
It didn't just burn—it instantly vaporized his flesh the moment it touched him.
Too dangerous.
That kind of attack...
Kisame stared hard at Pakura . If she so much as flinched, he would respond immediately.
Because there was no dodging that beam if caught off guard.
"What's the matter? Scared already?"
Pakura looked at their wary eyes and mocked them mercilessly.
Behind her, the Suna shinobi gazed at their comrade with awe and reverence.
So strong.
So reliable.
Pakura 's power inspired deep respect.
The Seven Swordsmen bristled at her taunt, but none of them charged. That last attack had been far too fast.
Rushing in blindly would only get them killed.
"If you're not coming, then I'll come to you!"
Pakura signaled to her allies. Then, she formed a blazing, compressed heat-blade and charged at the Seven Swordsmen.
"Jinno! Haihara! You take Mubu and the others and fall back. Our squad will stay and support Lady Pakura ."
"But—"
"No buts!"
"...Understood."
Of the three support squads, two retreated with the rescued survivors. One stayed behind to aid Pakura .
The battle erupted.
(END CHAPTER)
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