Chapter 21: Bakudō 81- Dankū!

"Nice work, kid!"

Jūzō Biwa let out a hearty laugh as he roared, his Executioner's Blade cloaked in chakra, cleaving down toward Uchiha Fugaku with overwhelming force.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly. With a swift motion, he raised a kunai to block the incoming heavy strike.

The two clashed in an instant—blades flashing, sparks scattering like a storm of fire.

Boom!!

In just a moment, Jūzō was sent flying backward, crashing beside Kurosuki Raiga. He coughed roughly as he stood, blood dripping steadily from his left hand—sliced open by the narrow edge of a kunai.

"Damn Sharingan…"

"You idiot. You really thought you could out-duel a member of the Uchiha clan in swordsmanship?"

Raiga gave him a glance, his face expressionless.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

When facing the Uchiha, one must always divide their focus—constantly stirring their chakra to resist falling under genjutsu.

That kind of multitasking might work against your average three-tomoe jonin, but against someone like Uchiha Fugaku—renowned as the Wicked Eye Fugaku—it was suicide.

At the highest level of combat, losing focus is a death sentence.

"We can't keep fighting. Our wounds haven't fully healed. Going head-to-head with someone like him is asking to die."

The two exchanged a look—and simultaneously moved into action.

Raiga charged straight toward Jiraiya, twin Lightning Blades crackling with blinding white-blue arcs of lightning that lit up the ground around him.

Meanwhile, Jūzō dashed toward Yoru, making subtle hand signs, signaling for a retreat.

Yoru and Suikazan Fuguki understood immediately and turned to flee at a staggering speed.

"Don't think you're getting away!"

A cloud of insects surged forward—only to be completely incinerated by Raiga's thunderous electricity.

But suddenly, the environment shifted unnaturally. A fleshy, organic mass manifested out of nowhere, engulfing the battlefield.

All four attempting to flee froze in alarm, finding themselves trapped—only Yoru managed to burst free at the last possible moment using a flash step, right before it closed!

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Bind!"

From within the living flesh, Jiraiya rose slowly, his eyes like ice, fixing his gaze on the three Swordsmen of the Mist before him.

"None of you are leaving today."

"Damn it…"

Suikazan Fuguki gripped his sharkskin blade tightly as the flesh barrier wildly expanded, trying to swallow them whole. "Looks like we really pissed him off."

Raiga slashed at the walls with his Lightning Blades, but the electric bursts only left faint, blackened scorch marks.

"This is a specialized barrier technique. There's no way we can break through it quickly."

"Kill the caster, and the barrier ends!"

Jūzō gripped the Executioner's Blade, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to remain calm. "Even if he's one of the legendary Sannin—so what? He's our target anyway."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Three-on-one—we've got the advantage!"

Each of the three gripped their swords tightly.

Jiraiya said nothing.

But those cold, unwavering eyes… had already sealed the outcome of this battle.

Meanwhile, outside the barrier—

Having forced his way out using Shunpo, Yoru barely landed before a pair of crimson, three-tomoe Sharingan met his gaze.

Bang!

His pupils contracted.

A sharp clang rang out as Yoru's kunai clashed with another blade—he barely blocked Fugaku's strike, only for the Uchiha clan head to spin and slam a punch toward his chest.

But it missed.

Yoru vanished again with another burst of Shunpo, reappearing on the rooftop of a nearby building, eyes narrowed cautiously at the man before him.

[Target Identified: S-Class — Uchiha Fugaku. Side Mission Triggered.]

Mission 1: Defeat Uchiha Fugaku — Reward: 50,000 points

Mission 2: Subdue Uchiha Fugaku — Reward: 80,000 points

Mission 3: Eliminate Uchiha Fugaku — Reward: 200,000 points

The system prompt echoed in his ear—identical to the evaluation for Jiraiya—confirming just how dangerous this man was.

Current Clan Head of the Uchiha. Wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Known throughout Konoha as one of its top-tier shinobi.

Uchiha Fugaku.

Jiraiya. Might Duy. Uchiha Fugaku.

Yoru was starting to wonder if he was incredibly lucky—or just hopelessly cursed to encounter every one of Konoha's monsters.

That deadly glint in Jiraiya's eyes was no bluff. The three Swordsmen were practically doomed.

And now… this Mangekyō wielder? This was a fight he had no chance of winning.

"Good luck, Swordsmen. I'm giving up on that 15,000-point mission."

Yoru gave Fugaku one last glance, then looked toward the now fully engulfed barrier holding the three ninja blades. Without hesitation, he burst into motion, fleeing at full speed.

"You stay here to support Lord Jiraiya. I'll pursue him."

Fugaku's voice was cold as he spoke to Shibi Aburame before vanishing in pursuit.

The reason he'd come with Jiraiya at all… was for Yoru.

Wind howled past his ears from his high-speed movement. Yoru glanced behind him, frowning.

"He caught up? With that kind of speed... You're the real Body Flicker Shisui, aren't you…"

Whoosh!

A shuriken sliced through the air toward him. Yoru tilted his head just in time to dodge it—but realized too late:

There were ultra-thin steel wires hidden behind it!

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

(Katon: Gōka Ryū no Jutsu!)

A massive dragon of fire roared along the steel wires, lunging toward Yoru.

"Bakudō #39 — Enkōsen!"

Yoru spread his fingers, forming a round, golden shield in front of him—just in time to block the incoming flames.

But before he could even exhale in relief, three more fire dragons burst toward him, each no weaker than the first.

Explosions rocked the area—billowing smoke and blazing flames engulfed the sky.

But Fugaku's Sharingan never wavered.

Through the smoke, he could see clearly: a transparent wall, like solidified air, had appeared—blocking all of his Fire Release techniques.

Every jutsu. Every explosion. Stopped cold.

Bakudō #81 — Dankū!

A high-level barrier that completely nullifies any energy-based attack.