Chapter 344: Shocking Strength

"This… this is…"

Everyone on the bridge was stunned by what was happening before their eyes. The strongest among them, Kakashi, widened his crimson Sharingan and stared intently at the figure emerging from the mist.

"That kid just now really seems to have the ability to sense danger…"

"But Kurosuki Raiga is dead too. The previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmens of the Mist is now disbanded…"

The figure in the mist, accompanied by a wavering sound, drew closer and closer. The outline became clearer: a tall, silver-haired, handsome young man with amber eyes…

What was most terrifying was that behind him followed a figure emitting a scorching red light, with magma boiling and rolling all over, like a fiery devil devouring everything.

Is this… magma?

Feeling the intense heat waves and terrifying pressure coming towards him, Kakashi stared incredulously at the approaching figure, his Sharingan wide open. This was definitely not something an ordinary ninja could achieve.

"Long time no see, Kakashi."

Finally, Yu emerged from the mist and came before everyone, his deep and sharp gaze briefly scanning the surroundings.

"You…"

When Kakashi finally got a good look at the figure before him, he was shaken to the core and found himself unable to speak.

"How… in just seven years, have I changed so much that you don't recognize me?"

Seeing the shocked expression on Kakashi's face, Yu's lips curled into a slight smile, as if reminding him of something.

"Yakushi… Yu?!"

Fixing his gaze on the figure, Kakashi finally uttered the name, which had become a taboo in Konoha.

"How could it be you… How are you here?!"

After uttering the name as if it were poison, Kakashi looked at the young and handsome ninja before him with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and even fear.

"Yakushi Yu?!"

"You're Scarlet Yu?!"

Hearing Kakashi's address, Aoi Rokusho, a rogue ninja from Konoha, gasped in shock, nearly dropping his Sword of the Thunder God.

In that moment, both Aoi Rokusho and Kakashi recalled the shocking rumors from four years ago. Almost instinctively, they both swallowed hard.

"Don't look so surprised…"

"The one who should be surprised is me. I didn't expect that a rogue ninja from Konoha would end up working with the Seven Ninja Swordsmens of the Mist…"

Seeing the shocked expression on Aoi Rokusho's face, Yu smiled faintly. He hadn't anticipated that after killing the Mist's Demon, Momochi Zabuza, Gato would hire Kurosuki Raiga and Konoha's rogue ninja Aoi Rokusho to intercept Kakashi and his team.

Aoi Rokusho—formerly a Chunin from Konoha, who after stealing Konoha's Sword of the Thunder God, defected to the Village Hidden in the Rain in the Land of Rain and became a Jonin.

And the Sword of the Thunder God—legend says it was a personal weapon of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, from Konoha in the Land of Fire. It is one of the sharpest ninja tools, possessing immense lightning power, and, when combined with the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, is said to be invincible.

"In the rumors, you had already left Konoha and were no longer a Konoha ninja…"

"Now you suddenly appear in such a small country… You're not planning to help them, are you?"

After recognizing Yu's identity, Aoi Rokusho's voice trembled, as no one knew better than him, someone from Konoha, what this young and handsome ninja represented, especially since he had just eliminated one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmens of the Mist, Kurosuki Raiga, with a single blow.

"You don't have the right to know my intentions…"

"But you, on the other hand, almost messed up my plans…"

Glancing at Naruto, Sasuke, and the other injured kids nearby, Yu spoke in a casual tone, easily deciding the fate of the rogue ninja from Konoha, "So today, neither heaven nor earth can save you."

Run!!

Without any more unnecessary words, Aoi Rokusho turned and fled. After hearing Yu say he would die here today, Aoi Rokusho desperately used Body Flicker Jutsu, cursing his parents for not giving him an extra pair of legs.

Damn it…

To encounter such a terrifying figure here…

The scenery on both sides was rapidly receding. As he looked towards the end of the bridge in front of him, Aoi Rokusho realized just how long this newly built bridge seemed.

Originally, with the Sword of the Thunder God in his hands and the ninjutsu he obtained from the Village Hidden in the Rain, he was confident he could hold his own even against Konoha's famous copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi. But Scarlet Yu…

Just thinking about the terrifying rumors about that guy in the ninja world, and the dreadful power that had left all of Konoha's heroes powerless when he left, Aoi Rokusho couldn't entertain any hope of confronting him. He only wanted to escape as far and as fast as possible.

"Running away, a wise choice…"

"He's a smart guy. No wonder he could steal the Sword of the Thunder God from Konoha…"

When the people on the bridge finally realized that Aoi Rokusho had fled without a fight, that guy had already used Body Flicker Jutsu to nearly reach the end of the bridge. Standing still, Yu seemed to be admiring the situation.

"But the extent of this country is only so large. Even if I let you run a marathon, what of it?"

"God… Killing… Spear!!"

After uttering these words lightly, Yu's mouth formed a few more words, causing everyone on the bridge to widen their eyes in shock.

Light, an indescribable white light, filled their world. All they could see was Yu, standing in place, pointing, and the entire air in front of him was torn apart.

Countless sharp, razor-thin lines converged into a white pillar of light that pierced through everything. The indescribable force and cutting power seemed to cleave through the world in front of them. In less than an instant, moving at over 500 times the speed of sound, it caught up with Aoi Rokusho, who had used Body Flicker Jutsu to escape to the end of the bridge.

Boom!!

The body was blasted through by the terrifying God-Killing Spear, creating a huge hole. Konoha rogue ninja Aoi Rokusho fell at the end of the bridge with a face filled with disbelief, and everything ultimately returned to calm.

At this moment, only the shocked gazes of Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura on the bridge, and their somewhat rapid breathing, signified that everything was not calm.

"It's over…"

Yu murmured softly as if bidding farewell to a friend. After instantly killing the Konoha rogue ninja Aoi Rokusho, the all-encompassing God-Killing Spear dissolved into countless sparkling white lights in the air, making Yu appear like a fallen, magnificent, and powerful angel.

This is the suppression of levels. With Yu's God-Killing Spear reaching speeds up to 1000 times the speed of sound and extending 26 km, combined with the locking of Observation Haki, Aoi Rokusho didn't even have a chance to react before being pierced and killed.

"Unexpected gain…"

After instantly killing the Konoha rogue ninja Aoi Rokusho, Yu moved his fingers lightly, sending out a blue Chakra Thread to retrieve the Sword of the Thunder God, which was then brought into Yu's hand, bypassing everyone's view.

Examining the sword in his hand, which radiated golden lightning, Yu threw it into Kaio's alternate space. "An innocent man may suffer from having valuable things. A weapon like the Sword of the Thunder God falling into the hands of such a small fish is a waste of a heavenly treasure…"

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