Losing the five Bloodline Limits, Hiruko's monstrous body deflated like a leaking balloon, rapidly shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye until it finally returned to its original form.
"Give them back to me!!!"
The power he had finally obtained had been beaten back to nothing by Ryoma, and overwhelming fury surged from the depths of Hiruko's heart.
His originally calm expression twisted into something grotesque, like a demon crawling out of hell.
With a boom, a crimson storm of chakra erupted from his body, surging upward and blasting straight through the palace ceiling.
At the same time, the entire palace trembled violently as powerful shockwaves spread in every direction.
Sand and debris flew everywhere as the surging air pressure carried thick clouds of dust outward from the palace.
Then the structure began to collapse under the strain.
Cracks rapidly spread across the walls and ceiling. Rumbling sounds echoed everywhere as stones rained down and entire sections of the palace collapsed.
Kakashi had just lifted Obito onto his back when the shockwave slammed into him.
"Kakashi, this place is about to collapse. Get out of here!"
Ryoma stepped forward, blocking the impact for him.
The fierce wind lifted the bangs on Ryoma's forehead, revealing his cold, indifferent eyes.
In the next moment, several Wood Release shadow clones leapt out of his body, each carrying away one of the Bloodline Limit ninjas.
"Teacher, please be careful."
After saying that, Kakashi immediately ran toward the palace exit.
"Who said you could leave?!"
Hiruko formed a one-handed seal. In the next instant, his body shot toward Kakashi like an arrow released from a bow.
Through the Scorch Release he had absorbed from Pakura, Hiruko could push his speed to the extreme, leaving afterimages as he sprinted forward.
Just as his hand reached toward Kakashi—
A powerful arm suddenly grabbed him.
The overwhelming force made Hiruko feel a sharp pain shoot through his arm, and he could not advance even half a step. The impact of their collision sent a shockwave that shattered the palace floor beneath them.
"You'd better stay here."
Ryoma tightly gripped Hiruko's arm, then casually swung him away.
Hiruko was sent flying at a speed even greater than his previous charge, crashing straight into a massive statue in the distance.
Boom!
The huge statue shattered the moment Hiruko slammed into it.
Amid the smoke and debris, Hiruko slowly rose to his feet, staring at Ryoma with a grave expression.
"This Ryoma… his speed is unbelievable."
A moment earlier, Hiruko had already pushed his speed to the limit, yet he still couldn't clearly see Ryoma's movements.
Ryoma had appeared in front of him as if he had teleported. Before Hiruko could even react, he had already been thrown away.
Since speed alone wasn't enough, then he would strengthen his body instead.
"Steel Release: Tempered Body!"
Hiruko's skin instantly took on a metallic sheen. This was the Steel Release Bloodline Limit he had taken from the Iwagakure ninja Shinokari, granting him tremendous strength and defense by turning his body into metal.
Hiruko stepped forward.
The hard stone floor instantly cracked beneath his foot, leaving a deep footprint.
Then Hiruko launched another attack.
His fully metalized body surged forward like an indestructible battering ram, crashing straight toward Ryoma.
Ryoma remained where he stood and answered with a single punch.
Boom!
The collision sounded like a missile detonating.
The ground beneath them sank again, the impact spreading outward from the point where their fists met.
The thunderous explosion drew the attention of Tsunade and the seven shinobi who had arrived as reinforcements.
Tsunade was the first to reach the area. When she saw the palace reduced to ruins, her eyes widened in shock.
Just how powerful would someone have to be to cause this level of destruction?
At that moment, a figure suddenly rushed out of the thick smoke.
"Who's there?!"
"Don't come any closer!"
The man's clothes and hair were covered in dust, making him look like someone who had just escaped a battlefield.
When Tsunade and the others saw his face, they immediately moved toward him.
"Kakashi, are you alright?"
"Is Lord Ryoma still inside?"
Choking on the smoke, Kakashi coughed several times before pointing toward the smoke-covered ruins.
A moment later, five more figures shot out from the dust.
They were Ryoma's Wood Release shadow clones.
"Ryoma-sama!"
Everyone hurried over. After taking the injured shinobi—including Pakura—from the clones, Tsunade quickly asked:
"Where's Hiruko?"
"With the real one."
Ryoma's shadow clone turned and pointed toward the lingering smoke ahead.
At that moment, the dust slowly began to disperse, gradually revealing the battlefield within the ruins.
"The medical team will take the wounded away first," Tsunade ordered. "Everyone else, come with me!"
"I'm going too."
The voice came from Kakashi, who had just received basic treatment from a medical ninja.
"Kakashi, you're injured. Stay back."
"No, Tsunade-sama. I'm going."
Kakashi's eyes burned with anger.
Two of his seniors in the Anbu had died at Hiruko's hands. If he couldn't witness Ryoma defeating that man himself, he knew he would never be able to accept it.
(End of Chapter)
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