"Damn it… Who has the audacity to attack the Hokage Building?!"
Elder Homura Mitokado sprinted through the streets with dozens of shinobi from the Mitokado clan.
His expression was dark and twisted.
How many years had it been?
Never—not once—had anyone attacked the Hokage Building so blatantly.
The political core of Konoha, the symbol of its face and authority—
This was a direct slap across the village's cheek!
Unforgivable!
Pupupupupu—
Under the deepening night, countless tendrils of black iron sand suddenly whipped forward from the darkness, slamming straight into his clan's formation.
Several Mitokado shinobi reacted too slowly.
They were skewered instantly, their corpses dropping like ragdolls.
Homura barked out, "Dodge!"
"Oho?"
A hoarse, quiet voice echoed from the shadows.
"Your reaction's not bad. Much better than that old hag."
A figure stepped out of the darkness.
The grotesque demon mask made Homura's heartbeat stutter.
"So… you're the one attacking the Hokage Building?"
"You tell me."
Evan chuckled.
"Who are you?" Homura demanded, brows tightening. "Why would you attack Konoha?"
"Does who I am even matter?" Evan sounded genuinely bored. "I've already killed this many of your people, and you're still asking pointless questions?"
Homura glared.
"You think one person—just one—can stand against all of us? You're courting death!"
"Old man."
Evan sighed impatiently.
"Is your hometown Dunhuang?"
"…What?" Homura blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"So many wall paintings."
"…Huh?"
BOOM!
Evan didn't bother explaining.
He swept his arm—
and a tide of iron sand surged forward.
"AAAH—!"
More Mitokado shinobi were swallowed instantly.
"Enough!"
Homura's hands blurred through seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A massive torrent of blazing fire roared from his mouth, the heat so intense it distorted the air as it swallowed Evan whole.
Homura snorted.
"Hmph. Pathetic trickster."
The Konoha shinobi beside him relaxed visibly.
"Elder Homura is incredible!"
"A Fire Release of that scale… worthy of a disciple of the Second Hokage!"
"We're nothing compared to him…"
BZZZZ—
A sharp sword cry split the night.
Everyone's heads snapped toward the sound.
Homura's heart lurched.
The sea of flames he had unleashed—
Was being split open.
"What…?!"
The shinobi stared, stunned.
The roaring fire was cleaved right down the middle, parted by some unstoppable force.
In the gap, a lone figure stood quietly.
Evan.
Holding a long sword entirely formed of black iron sand.
And in that instant, something clicked in Homura's memory.
A sword that could slice through elemental ninjutsu…
A sword technique powerful enough to carve flames apart…
Only one person in the entire village used such swordsmanship.
An absurd, impossible idea surfaced in his mind.
"Y-You… you're—"
His finger trembled as he pointed at the masked figure, face draining of color.
A Konoha shinobi… attacking Konoha?
Slaughtering his own comrades?
Has he gone insane?!
Evan swung his sword lightly, scattering stray flames.
"As expected—swords feel much better. Iron sand is still a little lacking."
He looked at Homura.
"Oho. You recognized me."
Then he muttered to himself:
"Well, that means you can't live."
"You can join your old partner Koharu."
"Y-You—!"
Homura froze. "What did you do to her?!"
Evan didn't answer.
He simply flicked his fingers.
The sword in his hand shuddered—
rose into the air—
and began floating on its own.
The blade slowly tilted, its point aligning with Homura's forehead.
A chill ran down Homura's spine.
Like a venomous serpent had set its fangs against his skin.
Fragments of intel flashed unbidden through his mind—
The rumored bloodline technique capable of controlling flying swords.
So it's true…
SWISH!
With a flick of Evan's finger,
the sword shot out like a streaking meteor—
straight toward Homura's face.
It was impossibly fast.
Homura didn't dare hesitate.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
His figure blurred aside—
barely skimming past the blade.
The killing pressure had his hair standing on end.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.
He hadn't felt danger like this since long before Hiruzen became Hokage.
This Evan—
He was a lunatic.
A complete madman.
He had to report this.
Only the Fourth Hokage and Hiruzen could face this monster.
Having guessed Evan's identity, Homura no longer intended to fight.
But just as he shifted to retreat—
Evan's finger twitched again.
Homura's heart froze.
No—!
A whistling sound screamed through the night behind him.
The flying sword had turned.
"It… it can turn?!"
PUFF—
Blood sprayed.
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