Dead?
Hearing Haori's words, none of the Iwa-nin present were willing to believe it.
They all knew Kari's reputation—an elite of the Explosive Corps. How could someone like that possibly die at the hands of a mere brat?
Yet they had no way to refute it.
Kari had indeed taken part in this interception mission, and these brats really had broken through.
More importantly, everyone noticed Haori's crimson eyes—silent proof that only strengthened his claim.
The power of the Sharingan was something no one dared to doubt, even when wielded by a child.
"Are you afraid?"
Haori continued to walk slowly toward the Iwa-nin. As he moved, he subtly made a hand signal while steadily adjusting his breathing.
Behind him, Kakashi and the others—who had originally wanted to stop him—froze in place and did not act rashly.
"Looks like you really are scared."
Haori kept advancing. His presence grew heavier, his chakra boiling within him.
The three tomoe in his eyes began to spin rapidly, and at that moment his vision became extraordinarily sharp.
To push the Sharingan to its limits, the best method was intense mental stimulation.
But that kind of stimulus didn't work very well on Haori—perhaps he had yet to encounter pain he truly couldn't bear.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained at two tomoe for so many years in the Land of Whirlpools.
Aside from mental stimulation, there were other paths: cultivating Yin Release to strengthen one's spiritual power, studying texts to fill in theoretical gaps, and tempering oneself through battle.
Aoba had taught Haori some basic Yin Release training, but there was no time for that on the battlefield.
So for now, only the last option remained.
When I get back, I really need to calm down and train properly…
And I wonder what that so-called Uchiha ultimate weapon will bring me…
As Haori thought this, his power surged to its peak.
BOOM—
In the distance, Namikaze Minato's summoned toad was still locked in a frenzied battle with the Five-Tails.
The ground trembled endlessly under the clash of these two monsters, the thunderous sounds never ceasing.
Amid that rumbling, Haori's steps gradually quickened. His crimson eyes seemed to glow with an eerie light.
Oppressive pressure spread among the Iwa-nin ranks.
The distant roars, the trembling earth, and the sweep of those red eyes all made their hearts pound with dread.
As Haori drew closer, the mocking words he'd spoken earlier seemed to echo again in their ears.
"Attack! Kill him!"
Finally, one Iwa-nin cracked under the pressure and roared.
With that shout, all the Iwa-nin erupted at once.
Weapons were drawn, and with furious cries they charged straight at Haori.
"Guy, Aoba—move now!"
Seeing this, Kakashi immediately pulled out a scroll and shouted.
"I'll support Haori. The task of blowing up the bridge is yours!"
"Wha—"
Guy and Aoba hadn't expected Kakashi to decide so decisively, but they quickly took the scroll and nodded.
"No problem—leave it to us!"
Haori's earlier hand signal had been meant for this very moment: he would draw the enemy's attention while they acted.
The two of them took a deep breath, found their timing, and moved immediately.
With Haori attracting the bulk of the enemy, they didn't have to face many opponents. As long as Haori held them back, they were confident they could complete the mission.
"Then…"
Kakashi formed hand seals, lightning crackling once more as Chidori gathered in his palm.
He felt anxious deep down. Haori's method of drawing all the enemies onto himself was effective—but it also put him in grave danger.
And Kakashi couldn't believe that one person alone could really do that much.
Though these Iwa-nin weren't elite—most of the real power was on the front lines—their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
I have to support Haori as fast as possible, or else—
Kakashi thought silently.
But just as his Chidori finished forming, he witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
"This feeling…"
Watching the Iwa-nin rushing toward him, Haori felt something strangely familiar.
He could see their movements—clearly see the actions of most of the Iwa-nin present.
Not perfectly, and not to the point of instantly grasping all their intentions—
But he could roughly predict their attack directions, sense the trajectories they were likely to take.
For him, that was already more than enough.
"Ah!"
Figures crossed.
An Iwa-nin let out a scream—his chest had been pierced by a kunai before he even realized it.
And that scream was only the beginning.
Once Haori fully plunged into the crowd, such cries rang out again and again.
Despite facing dozens of enemies, Haori moved among them like a roaming dragon.
His movements were pared down to the extreme, yet within every twist and turn he struck decisively.
From afar, it looked almost like an elegant dance.
And yet, any Iwa-nin who made contact with him was instantly taken down.
Haori also saw Guy and Aoba advancing.
He knew he had to be even more ruthless.
In the crowd, he nimbly dodged an attack in front of him, while his kunai pierced into the body of another Iwa-nin beside him.
He grabbed that corpse and pulled it behind himself as a shield, then snatched the fallen man's kunai with his free hand.
Clang—
Metal rang out as Haori blocked an incoming strike with his kunai.
Behind him, the body he was using as a shield was pinned with several flying kunai.
Driving his knee forward, he slammed it into the attacker's abdomen. The man doubled over in agony—
And the next instant, felt a chill at his throat.
"Die!"
As that Iwa-nin fell, another appeared at Haori's side, blade raised high and chopping down!
Haori frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm.
Though his back and flanks were still blind spots, his reaction speed—and his own movement—more than made up for it.
With a quick spin, he dodged the slash. Dropping low, he avoided another strike from above.
Sliding forward in one smooth motion, he appeared in front of an Iwa-nin.
Before the man could react, Haori drove his kunai upward.
Thud!
With a dull sound, the kunai pierced straight through the man's jaw.
Forming seals with one hand, Haori's crimson eyes flickered.
Substitution and genjutsu activated at once.
An Iwa-nin who had just rushed at him froze in place—
And in the next moment, he had swapped positions with Haori.
"Let me borrow your sword."
Without hesitation, Haori tore the ninja blade from the man's hands.
That Iwa-nin was immediately cut down by his own comrades.
Moving freely among dozens of enemies, Haori looked utterly at ease.
Even when he seemed to be in danger, he never once lost control of the battle.
Under his assault, the Iwa-nin were wounded or killed one after another, their morale collapsing completely.
They couldn't understand it—
How could so many of them be rendered helpless by a single person?
ROAR—
In the distance, the Five-Tails continued to bellow, the earth still trembling.
But now, it wasn't just the ground that shook—
It was their hearts.
"Is this all you've got?"
After knocking down another Iwa-nin, Haori stopped and looked at those who no longer dared to charge.
He could feel the fatigue setting in.
Maintaining intense focus and pushing the Sharingan at full power left him slightly dizzy.
Still, he kept his calm posture, quietly giving himself a moment to recover.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—
Suddenly, a chain of explosions erupted.
Dust and debris filled the air, flames scattering—
And behind them, the massive bridge began to collapse!
The earth shook even more violently.
Everyone present understood exactly what that meant.
Amid the smoke and firelight, Haori casually tossed aside the ninja blade.
Crossing his arms over his chest, his crimson eyes stared coldly at the ashen-faced Iwa-nin.
"It seems everything is over."
"You people from Iwagakure… really don't have anyone left after all."
~~--------------------------------
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