Chapter 82: Swordsmanship.

Konoha's Guest House — Sunagakure Delegation

Although Konoha Village was already in chaos, the Sunagakure shinobi stationed at the guest house remained calm. They stayed in formation, adopting a defensive posture, choosing not to intervene in the current turmoil.

Ebizo returned carrying the sealing artifact—the Cauldron—and immediately rallied the Sand shinobi to prepare to rendezvous with the Kumo-nin.

Both Sunagakure and Kumogakure possessed sealed artifacts. Ebizo believed that joining forces was the best strategy under the circumstances.

Soon after, Ebizo, Roshi, and Killer B regrouped with their respective squads.

From a distance, Arakawa Zenkichi approached slowly, walking beside Tsunade. Seeing the gathering, he chuckled.

"Tsunade, looks like you were wrong," he said.

"The shinobi of Suna, Kumo, and Iwa have some spine. But the Konoha shinobi…"

He glanced sideways at Tsunade with a smirk. She snorted, clearly irritated.

"Maybe they're just not ready yet," she replied, but even she didn't sound convinced.

Killer B narrowed his eyes and questioned sharply, "Tsunade-hime, what's the meaning of standing beside Zenkichi?"

"Has Konoha sided with Kirigakure now? Are you speaking for the Leaf?"

Zenkichi replied casually, "No need to overthink it. Right now, she only represents herself."

Tsunade gave a faint nod, her expression unreadable as she glanced at Zenkichi.

"Be good and wait on the sidelines," Zenkichi said, patting her head with a grin. "Let me handle this rabble."

"Don't get cocky!" Ebizo snapped.

He pulled out a sealing scroll, and barrel-shaped puppets spilled from it, connecting end to end until they formed a massive serpent-like construct.

A blade protruded from the puppet python's mouth, glowing with a poisonous blue hue.

Ebizo's chakra threads extended from his fingertips as he controlled the massive puppet, lunging it toward Zenkichi.

"Remember your promise—not to use your light powers!" Ebizo shouted, trying to provoke him.

"You really think I need that to beat you? How naive."

Zenkichi sighed and dashed forward, a golden lightsaber forming in his hand. In a flash of light, the puppet python was cleaved cleanly in two, its parts clattering to the ground.

"What swordsmanship!"

"Even without his light-speed ability, he's still top-tier!"

"Don't forget, he killed the Third Hokage with that sword!"

"Stay alert!"

Killer B's voice boomed across the battlefield.

"Zenkichi, are you keeping your word?" he asked.

Zenkichi didn't respond. Instead, he swung his sword with a backhand motion, unleashing a wave of energy like a tsunami.

"Trying to catch me off-guard with that amber purification pot trick? Think I wouldn't notice?"

"Damn it!"

Killer B cursed as crimson chakra surged from his body—the Eight-Tails' power awakened.

Even so, his tailed beast cloak in its first form was no match for Zenkichi's attack. A fierce shockwave forced him into his second form, where the cloak turned a deeper, denser red, offering better protection.

The enhanced defense barely withstood the sword energy, but Killer B was still sent skidding backward under the impact.

"It's not over yet!"

Ebizo roared. Chakra threads shot out from his fingers as he hastily reassembled the broken puppet.

Once restored, the serpent puppet charged again, its jaws open wide.

Inside its mouth were intricate black markings—sealing jutsu.

"So that was your plan," Zenkichi said coolly. "Then I'll smash it completely."

He danced forward with a flurry of sword strikes, his golden lightsaber slicing the puppet into hundreds of pieces.

The sealing technique embedded within it was shattered alongside the puppet.

"Puppet Formation—Seal!"

Though his primary puppet was destroyed, Ebizo didn't falter.

He barked an order, and his subordinates—all puppet masters—summoned their own constructs. Strange and varied puppets emerged around him, quickly combining into a unified formation.

Each puppet bore sealing markings, revealing Ebizo's plan to restrain Zenkichi using a coordinated seal array.

"A puppet formation?" Zenkichi scoffed. "How terrifying."

With a mocking tone, he raised his golden blade and brought it down.

"Thanks for the effort. But it's useless."

"As a reward for trying—let me wipe them all out."

In a blink, he appeared before the formation. His blade swung in a shining arc, unleashing a radiant wave of energy that lit the night sky.

The sword energy tore through the puppet formation instantly, reducing it to rubble.

"Seal—"

Ebizo activated the cauldron artifact, releasing spell-forged chains aimed directly at Zenkichi.

"Still not giving up? Your will is impressive."

"Do you hate me that much? So scary."

Zenkichi smirked dramatically and with a single slash, shattered the incoming spell chains.

Then, raising a hand, golden light particles condensed into a piercing arrow.

It shot forward, piercing Ebizo's chest and ending his life in an instant.

"Since you miss your sister Chiyo so much…" Zenkichi muttered indifferently, "I'll send you to see her."

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