Boom!
A massive magma hand, carrying the power to destroy everything, slammed fiercely toward the five Sand ninjas—determined to burn every enemy standing before Yoru into ashes!
Bang!
A deafening explosion rang out as the entire cave began to collapse!
The terrifying magma giant hand pierced straight through the mountain!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Five figures shot through the air!
These five Sand ninjas truly lived up to being elite shinobi of Sunagakure. Using their taijutsu and Body Flicker techniques, they narrowly avoided Yoru's attack.
Looking at the devastation behind them—even Ikeda Ryo broke out in a cold sweat.
If they had been even a fraction slower—
They would have already been crushed to death beneath that magma strike!
The five Sand ninjas rushed toward Yoru, attempting to break through his position. Otherwise, being trapped here would mean certain death!
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Morita Hideki rapidly formed hand seals, chakra surging violently through his body. His abdomen swelled as he expelled a powerful gale from his mouth, launching it straight at Yoru!
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
The remaining three Sand elite Jonin were no weaklings either. They quickly formed seals, sending three sharp wind blades slicing toward Yoru!
Crackle!
A towering column of magma erupted forth, instantly crushing the wind attacks into nothingness. Violent explosions echoed throughout the cave.
"Now!"
Morita Hideki shouted as Wind-attribute chakra gathered beneath his feet. His body shot forward at extreme speed—so fast it blurred into afterimages!
Creak! Creak!
A black figure carried Ikeda Ryo rapidly toward the cave entrance, moving at incredible speed!
The other three elite Jonin also unleashed everything they had, charging toward the exit in a desperate attempt to escape this terrifying place.
Slash!
Yoru's arms transformed into magma!
Using Observation Haki, he locked onto the three elite Jonin—
His magma fists pierced straight through their bodies before they could even comprehend what was happening!
Terrifying heat and explosive force erupted from Yoru's fists. The two Sand ninjas didn't even have time to scream—their internal organs were obliterated instantly and reduced to ashes!
At the same time—
A massive magma pillar erupted from beneath the ground, engulfing the final elite Jonin completely!
A miserable scream echoed from within the molten column—
Then fell silent.
All that remained—
Was a pile of charred residue.
In the blink of an eye—
Yoru had killed three elite Jonin!
However, Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo were peak Jonin-level fighters after all. Although Yoru's Observation Haki had locked onto them, their speed was simply too fast—
They managed to escape the cave!
Gasp! Gasp!
The two of them panted heavily.
The terrifying heat within Yoru's magma, along with the suffocating pressure it emitted, had turned the confined cave into a deadly environment, leaving them on the verge of oxygen deprivation.
Now that they had escaped, they greedily inhaled the fresh air.
Even so, their lungs still burned with pain.
Morita Hideki stared at the figure before him—the one who looked like a demon god.
His right arm was still in its magma state, boiling continuously.
He had expected Yoru to be powerful—
But he had never imagined that in a single exchange, three elite Jonin under his command would be slaughtered instantly!
"A true Kage-level powerhouse…?"
The thought surfaced in Morita Hideki's mind.
At this moment, his mouth felt dry.
People were like this—
Before seeing it with their own eyes, they always believed rumors were exaggerated.
How could a teenager possibly reach that legendary level?
But now—
After witnessing Yoru's strength firsthand—
He believed.
This terrifying Konoha Crimson Demon—
Was truly a Kage-level powerhouse!
A being standing at the very peak of the ninja world!
Beside him, Ikeda Ryo also stared at Yoru in shock. His puppet stood nearby—the same one that had carried him out earlier.
The overwhelming display of power had shaken him to his core.
The fanatic heat in his mind had been doused with cold water.
As clarity returned—
Fear appeared in his eyes.
Crack! Crack!
Yoru rolled his neck, producing crisp snapping sounds.
His gaze toward Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo was filled with overwhelming killing intent!
The two of them felt as though a god of slaughter was staring directly at them. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Fortunately, both were seasoned veterans. Biting down hard on their tongues, they forced themselves to regain clarity through the sharp pain.
Just how many people has this guy killed…?
For the first time, genuine fear surfaced in Morita Hideki's eyes.
That killing intent—
Even someone like him, a peak Jonin who had fought through countless battles, had nearly lost himself to it!
He was nearly forty years old.
And yet the terrifying Konoha ninja before him—
Was only in his teens!
How many lives had he taken—
To possess such overwhelming killing intent?!
"As expected of one of Sunagakure's renowned experts."
Yoru's eyes gleamed with interest.
"You're far better than those trash opponents."
"It seems I'll have to use a bit more strength."
"Magma—Death Flame Bullets!"
Yoru spread his magma-transformed right hand.
Countless magma projectiles roared toward Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo!
Compared to before—
These magma bullets were far larger!
And most terrifying of all—
Each one contained explosive power far beyond before!
"Puppet Technique: Jizo!"
Ikeda Ryo quickly pulled out a scroll, forming hand seals at high speed.
A massive puppet appeared before them, its back opening to form an enormous shield that blocked their path!
To summon and control a puppet this quickly—
Ikeda Ryo truly lived up to being a rare puppet genius of Sunagakure!
This Jizo puppet was completely different from the one used by Ize Yuuki earlier.
It was a top-tier masterpiece from the Sand Village's puppet warehouse!
Created jointly by multiple puppet masters—
Its strength and flexibility far surpassed ordinary Jizo puppets!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The magma bullets slammed into the massive shield!
Terrifying explosions erupted upon impact!
Ever since Yoru had reached the "Control" stage of his magma ability—
Every single magma projectile he launched now carried explosive force akin to a volcanic eruption!
Crack! Crack!
Under the horrified gaze of Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo—
The shield of this elite Jizo puppet—
Known as "absolute defense" within the Sand Village—
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