Chapter 40: Annihilation
The killing intent emanating from Uchiha Raizen was so palpable it felt like a physical weight, giving the Kiri shinobi a moment of pause.
"Fifty men, you say?" Uchiha Raizen's voice was a low, deadly calm. "Then allow me to show you what a true Asura looks like." He glanced internally at his stockpile: 121 one-time-use ninjutsu. A confident, chilling smile touched his lips.
"Second Brother, we—" Uchiha Ryoken started.
"You two, stay here and protect the Yuki clansmen," Uchiha Raizen commanded without looking back. "Leave the rest to me. You don't yet understand the full extent of my ability, and that's fine. As long as their leader isn't here, I can handle this."
Hearing the absolute certainty in his voice, Uchiha Ryoken and Uchiha Natsume nodded and fell back, positioning themselves defensively in front of Yuki Aki and Haku.
Uchiha Raizen then drew the Muramasa blade from his storage space. He had the most Lightning and Fire Release techniques stored; these Kiri nin were already dead in his eyes, and he had no fear of them revealing his possession of the legendary sword.
Seeing the blade, the eight remaining Kiri shinobi tensed. "Uchiha! Do you truly think you can—"
"Fire Release: Blasting Bird! Tenfold Barrage!"
He didn't let them finish. Ten A-Rank Fire Release projectiles erupted from him simultaneously. While a single Blasting Bird wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, ten of them created a chain reaction of explosions, their combined force rivaling an SS-Rank technique. The area before him was instantly transformed into a roaring sea of fire.
"Uchiha Ryoken! Uchiha Natsume! Get them further inside!" Uchiha Raizen shouted over the inferno. "What comes next... I'll be using my full power."
They hurried the Yuki family deeper into the house.
Ten Blasting Birds. Three dead, five left. And more chakra signatures approaching. Their reinforcements are here, he assessed. The three he had previously injured were now incinerated.
"Uchiha Raizen, was it?" the Kiri leader spat, his clothes smoldering. "The Kiri Hunter-nin are not so easily defeated! Water Release: Water Dragon Projectile!"
The five remaining shinobi formed seals in unison, and five massive water dragons surged toward him.
A grin spread across Uchiha Raizen's face. They're just feeding me experience.
"Fire Release: True Fire Extinguishment! Fire Release: Fire Dragon Projectile! Tenfold!"
Ten waves of annihilating flame and ten fiery dragons met the water head-on. The collision created an immense, scalding cloud of steam that blanketed the battlefield.
"Hah! You've sealed your own doom!" the Kiri leader laughed maniacally. "Hiding in the mist you created? Mist Release: Corrosive Poison Fog!"
The five shinobi formed another set of synchronized seals. The white steam turned a sickly, venomous purple, and a potent, acidic stench filled the air as the lethal fog began to spread.
Uchiha Raizen's grin widened. They were playing right into his hands.
"Water Release: Rain Tiger Murder Technique!"
He raised his hand, and the poisonous fog condensed into thousands of sharp, purple needles. Then, a torrential downpour of chakra-infused rain shot forth, hurling the deadly needles back at their creators with unimaginable force. It was a technique more terrifying than any storm of hidden weapons.
When the rain subsided and the mist cleared, eight corpses lay on the ground, riddled with their own poisoned needles.
Uchiha Raizen felt no nausea this time, only a cold detachment. He quickly scanned the ground, selectively picking up the glowing orbs of chakra and ninjutsu that had dropped.
Just as he finished, the main force of fifty Kiri shinobi arrived, their forms emerging from the trees. They stopped short, staring at the scene of carnage and the lone Uchiha standing calmly amidst the bodies of their comrades.