[60] Battle

Thud! Thud!

The sound of heavy objects falling echoed. The Kiri-nin surrounding Tengen spurted fountains of blood.

Red lines appeared across their chests, their upper bodies sliding off and crashing to the ground, followed by their lower halves collapsing.

Tengen's terrifying kenjutsu had dismembered the four Kiri-nin in a single, lethal strike.

While Tengen's ninjutsu might still lag behind other Jonin, his taijutsu and kenjutsu had reached an exceptionally high Jonin level.

Taijutsu and kenjutsu complemented each other perfectly.

The Pseudo-One Punch Man training method and Armament Haki gave Tengen unparalleled prowess in close combat, not to mention the Eight Gates.

With Senzu Beans still in his possession, Tengen's power with the Eighth Gate fully opened would be unimaginable.

Suppressing a tailed beast with raw strength would be well within his reach.

"You okay, Tengen?" Anko and Shizune rushed over. The dead Kiri-nin had received their due punishment.

"I'm fine." Tengen said with a slight smile, glancing at Jurin and Anko's fights. Jurin, with his Sharingan activated, handled his Kiri-nin with ease. Anko struggled more but still held the upper hand.

After Tengen effortlessly killed their comrades, the remaining Kiri-nin were shaken, terrified that he might turn on them next.

With their morale shattered, their performance faltered. It was only a matter of time before Anko and Jurin finished them.

Tengen saw no need to intervene further.

Moments later, Jurin and Anko dispatched their opponents. The team searched the fallen Kiri-nin and found two scrolls.

"Another Earth Scroll." Anko exasperated.

"We have a Heaven Scroll." Shizune offered. "Why don't we give it to you?"

"Shizune, don't be silly. If we need a Heaven Scroll, we'll take it from an enemy." Tengen said with a laugh. "Keep your Heaven Scroll safe. Here, take this Earth Scroll too."

Tengen tossed the spare Earth Scroll to Shizune.

"But what about you?" Shizune asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry, Shizune. With my strength, do you think I can't get a Heaven Scroll?" Tengen said, grinning.

"Right." Shizune and Kurenai nodded firmly, accepting his gesture.

They could see Tengen's strength was at the level of a top-tier Chunin.

"Alright, Shizune, Kurenai, recover your chakra and tend to your injuries. In your current state, the Forest of Death is dangerous." Tengen said, looking at them.

"Thanks, Tengen." Shizune said softly.

As Shizune and Kurenai restored their chakra, Tengen turned to Anko. "You two don't need a break?"

"Nah, that guy was already scared witless by you. He barely put up a fight." Anko shook her head.

Anko knew that, with her current skills, taking on a ninja with chunin strength was tough. But her opponent had already burned through much of his chakra and was rattled by Tengen's slaughter of his comrades, leaving him unable to fight effectively.

Seizing an opening, Anko had killed the Kiri-nin with minimal effort.

"Speaking of Kiri-nin, that girl we saw before was from Kirigakure too, right?" Anko said.

"Yeah, she's Kirigakure. But she's not here." Tengen said with a smile. Suddenly, his expression sharpened.

"What's wrong, Tengen?" Anko asked.

"Someone's coming." Tengen said, a grin spreading. "And you might've jinxed it."

Rustling sounds approached, and three Kiri-nin appeared, led by a brown-haired girl.

"Tengen." The girl said, her eyes locking onto him. She was Terumi. Her pupils narrowed as she spotted the corpses of her village's ninja.

"You killed our ninja." Terumi said, her gaze cold. Her village's ninja had been slain, and she couldn't stand idly by.

"I did." Tengen stepped forward and signaled Anko and Jurin to hold back.

"Then I can't let this slide. I'll defeat you." She declared, her voice clear and resolute.

"Defeat me? Not kill me?" Tengen chuckling. He'd suspected her identity earlier, and now it was confirmed, she was Terumi Mei, the future Fifth Mizukage.

"I…" Terumi faltered. Could she admit she held no fondness for her village's ninja?

Or that she felt an inexplicable draw toward Tengen?

"Step back." Terumi ordered her teammates.

"Anko, Jurin, you too." Tengen was waving them off.

"Let's have some fun." Tengen said, his figure blurring as he appeared before Terumi, his right fist slamming forward.

The punch carried a thunderous force, the air crackling. Terumi's expression shifted, her arms rising to block.

The immense power still sent her flying. As Tengen moved to press the attack, a kunai shot toward him, forcing him to pause.

Her grasp of timing was impressive, and Terumi's strength was undeniable.

"Water Release: Water Shockwave."

Terumi didn't charge in. She knew her taijutsu was no match for Tengen's, a fact confirmed by their brief clash.

Towering waves surged toward Tengen, who stepped back slightly.

The technique wasn't highly offensive but it created an environment ideal for Water Release ninjutsu.

Now, both Tengen and Terumi stood on a watery surface.

"This is my domain now, Tengen." Terum forming hand signs. She unleashed a Water Release technique far more terrifying than the earlier Kiri-nin's, amplified by the water around them.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu."

***

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