Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 176 Cloth Knife and Jade Fate

"I'll go first!"

After the Jonin battles, Yotsuki A stepped forward with the Murakumogiri, becoming the first Kage-level fighter on his side to engage in combat.

Although his chakra hasn't broken through yet, his powerful physique combined with Lightning Release ninjutsu allows him to unleash Kage-level combat power. In addition, with a supreme weapon like Murakumogiri, he can easily defeat a Kage-level powerhouse in a short time.

Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to have Uchiha Hikaru use genjutsu to hypnotize him, blocking out pain from the level of mental consciousness.

Although I've adapted a lot these past few days, I'm still not fully adapted and need illusion hypnosis to help me.

"Naka, get ready."

Seeing that Yotsuki A was the first to fight, Uchiha Myōkyō thought for a moment and then decided to fight himself, while reminding Uchiha Naka.

"I won't fall for your illusions this time."

Yotsuki Ai grinned maliciously, then his body crackled with electricity as he charged toward Uchiha Meikyo, wielding the massive Murakumogiri.

Uchiha Myōkyō immediately created three shadow clones to assist in the battle, looking for an opportunity to use genjutsu on Yotsuki A.

The last battle showed that the opponent's illusion immunity has its limits, and it is far from being as unsolvable as that of Tamura Hao. All I need to do is make eye contact with him.

Seeing through Uchiha Meikyo's intentions, Yotsuki Ai remained completely calm.

These past few days, he's had Uchiha Hikaru spar with him many times, specifically to deal with surprise attacks from Sharingan genjutsu.

Compared to Uchiha Hikari, who possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, Uchiha Myokage was far inferior in terms of speed and suddenness.

Of course, Uchiha Meikyo is still very strong. In addition to genjutsu, he is also very strong in taijutsu, swordsmanship and ninjutsu, especially fire release ninjutsu and wind release ninjutsu.

At this stage, all he can do is engage in a protracted battle with his opponent, but that is exactly what he seeks.

Fighting against such a strong opponent is more beneficial for honing one's skills, especially in a life-or-death battle.

Although he had been beaten up by his father and others many times before, they would never really kill him. The fights were usually just a friendly spar, and the effect was far less than this kind of real life-or-death battle with the enemy.

"Even Lord Mingjing couldn't subdue him quickly?"

Jiraiya's heart sank. Although he had received the information beforehand, he was still quite surprised when he saw the fighting power displayed by the Raikage's son.

"They have something in their eyes that can greatly weaken visual illusions. In addition, there seems to be something like a seal in their brains that can forcibly break through illusion control."

The shadow clone of Kurenai Yuhi explained that she was still quite frustrated about that battle.

The Red Sunset is a secret technique passed down for hundreds of years by their Yuhi clan, and they are not afraid of even the strongest Uchiha.

But when it came into his hands, it was first forcibly broken by White Fang's swordsmanship, and then broken free by the people of Kumogakure.

Of course, the illusion was greatly reduced because of the thing on the other person's eyes; otherwise, even with a seal in their brain, they wouldn't have been able to break free.

"Is it only targeting visual illusions?"

Fukasaku's heart skipped a beat. They also possessed illusions, and they were the strongest of them. Moreover, these illusions were not visual but auditory, which was perfect because they were not targeted or countered by them.

Shima thought the same way, which was perfect for restraining the other party.

Regardless of their individual thoughts, the battle between Yotsuki A and Uchiha Akemi on the battlefield turned into a protracted war, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

Moreover, having experienced their first duel, both sides were much more cautious.

After fighting fiercely for half an hour, both sides had to stop and retreat because their chakra was being used up and their condition was starting to decline. If they continued fighting, they might really die.

Of course, overall, Yotsuki A is at a disadvantage. Apart from taijutsu and swordsmanship, Yotsuki A is not good in other aspects, and his overall combat strength is much worse than Uchiha Meikyo.

"White Fang, may I have some guidance?"

Fukai stepped forward, sword in hand, staring intently at Hatake Sakumo.

He had long been eyeing that Konoha White Fang. Their fighting styles were similar, primarily using Lightning Release and secondarily using Wind Release. Moreover, the other was a swordsman who had mastered the unity of man and sword.

A duel with such a being would surely yield great rewards.

He has now reached the limit of Jonin. One more step and he will become a Kage. Combat is the best way to break through, and the better the opponent is, the better the effect.

All eyes turned to Sakumo Hatake, even Mifune, who was a witness, looked over.

The moment he first saw that person, he could tell that the other was also a swordsman who had achieved perfect harmony between man and sword, and who had his own samurai beliefs.

If I weren't currently serving as a witness to the duel, I would love to have a friendly exchange with him.

Is this guy going to make a move today too?

Ignoring Fukai's challenge, Hatake Sakumo kept his eyes fixed on the boy, who was his true opponent today.

Seeing that Hatake Sakumo's gaze wasn't on him, Fukai followed the other's gaze and looked back, understanding the situation.

"The weakest one, come up and play with me."

His gaze swept around for a moment before finally settling on Uchiha Naka, whom he decided to take as his opponent.

Of the remaining few, Jiraiya has two toad sages who are not to be trifled with, and I am definitely no match for him.

Uchiha Chiri's genjutsu is even stronger than Uchiha Myōkyō's; she absolutely cannot withstand it.

Fugaku Uchiha's Susanoo is too powerful and too big; we still can't cut it down.

That leaves only Uchiha Naka, who is a suitable opponent for this match.

"hateful!"

Hearing that weakest explanation made Uchiha Naka's forehead veins throb and his killing intent surge.

"Stay calm, he's deliberately trying to provoke you."

Upon returning, Uchiha Myōkyō offered a reminder, not wanting Uchiha Naka to let his emotions affect his performance in battle.

They've already lost Balu, and if they lose Naka as well, they won't be able to fight.

Uchiha Naka remained silent, his face contorted in a grimace as he strode out.

However, he was cautious and serious, and immediately created two shadow clones to assist in the battle.

Although he also disliked the Second Hokage, the Shadow Clone Technique he developed was very useful.

Combined with the twin swords formed from Amaterasu flames, their close-combat strength is not bad.

It wasn't that he didn't want to use ninjutsu, but rather that his best ninjutsu was fire-style, and the opponent was too fast to lock onto.

Fortunately, Fukai's burst speed was far inferior to that brat's, so there was no need to activate Susanoo to deal with it.

Although Susanoo is powerful, it also has significant consumption and side effects. The last time I used it, my eyesight deteriorated.

He didn't want to go blind too early.

Fukai was very wary of Amaterasu's flames. He could temporarily seal Amaterasu's flames with the Fire Sealing Seal or use his armor to defend himself and escape.

However, the other party happens to have a Kagutsuchi who can control Amaterasu's flames, so getting tainted by it would be fatal.

The two clashed instantly, but the battle quickly turned into a protracted war.

Neither could gain the upper hand, much like the previous battle between Yotsuki A and Uchiha Myōkyō.

"He seems to have improved again."

The shadow clone of Kurenai suddenly said something. Although it was not obvious, he had a feeling that Fukai had become a little stronger.

"The improvement and breakthrough of swordsmanship depend more on actual combat, especially life-or-death battles."

Sakumo Hatake explained that he had grown up through countless battles and understood the significance of life-or-death combat for swordsmen.

"Is Kumogakure really using us as a whetstone?"

Jiraiya was also annoyed; the Hidden Cloud Village was too arrogant.

Everyone looked rather grim; the Uchiha clan had never been used as a whetstone.

No matter how annoyed they were, everyone could only suppress their anger. After all, the Cloud Ninja were powerful now, their high-ranking experts were no weaker than their own, and their ninja army had an overwhelming advantage in numbers. In particular, the existence of the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki was even more difficult to deal with.

Add to that the Third Raikage who could appear at any moment, and it's really a headache.

Fukai and Uchiha Naka clashed for half an hour before stopping when Uchiha Naka's eyes started to hurt again.

Both of them were in a sorry state. Fukai's hair was much shorter and had many burn marks. Even his Manda snakeskin coat had come off because it had been stained with a little bit of Amaterasu flames.

Only the snakeskin of the Thousand Serpents was tough enough and had high magic resistance, which gave Fukai a brief opportunity to shake off the leather and escape.

Of course, Uchiha Naka was also in bad shape. Not only were his eyes extremely sore from overuse, but he even shed two lines of bloody tears.

He had multiple cuts from wind blades on his body, and his clothes were stained red with blood.

"It's finally our turn."

Vanilla Whirlpool was very excited. She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the battle itself, but she really wanted to improve her strength so that she could better help her master.

Real-world experience is the best way to improve yourself.

"Who will be our opponent this time?"

Kushina Uzumaki is looking forward to her next opponent. She needs a strong opponent to test her Tai Chi Rasengan to the next level.

Moreover, after the previous two duels, they had a sufficient understanding of the combat information of those individuals, so there was no need to deliberately choose opponents to target.

This randomness is what makes people tougher, since in real life-or-death battles you can't actively choose your opponent; most of the time you'll be targeted by the enemy.

"It's him."

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku emerge from the opposite direction, Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Kaoru became even more serious. They immediately extended their Adamantine Sealing Chains, with a large Rasengan at the end of each chain. The Six Yang Seals and the Yin Seals were activated simultaneously, causing their chakra to surge.

"A whirlpool!"

Seeing the surge of chakra emanating from the two men through his Mangekyou Sharingan, Fugaku Uchiha was astonished by the sheer amount of chakra they possessed.

Their Uchiha ninjas have significantly more chakra than ordinary ninjas, but they are far inferior to Uzumaki ninjas.

Furthermore, sealing techniques can store chakra, and once unleashed, the amount of chakra is astonishing.

With his thoughts racing, Fugaku Uchiha also unleashed his power quite quickly.

Without using ninjutsu or genjutsu, he directly activated Susanoo and upgraded it to the third form in one go.

The thirty-meter-tall Susanoo stands tall, holding a giant axe in its hand.

Faced with that ranged attack and the immense destructive power of the chakra ball, Fugaku Uchiha did not intend to withstand it head-on. Only Susanoo could block it and forcibly break through it.

Although it was his first time fighting against these two girls, he had absolute confidence.

However, they quickly realized something was wrong. After Kushina and Vanilla fused together to create the Tai Chi Rasengan, they each fired their remaining two Adamantine Locks, which bound and entangled the massive Susanoo.

That wasn't all. The moment it was bound, the golden Vajra Lock turned purple-gold, and even the unstable Tai Chi Rasengan turned purple-gold.

That's right, it was the two women who absorbed the star energy.

The energy of meteorites can activate chakra, thereby enhancing the power of form transformations.

The Rasengan is the ultimate form of shape transformation, and now the power of the Tai Chi Rasengan has been elevated to a new level.

"Die!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the two women each controlled a Vajra Seal, and charged towards Uchiha Fugaku while bearing the weight of the Tai Chi Rasengan.

This Fugaku Uchiha has always harbored murderous intent towards that big bad guy; he's no good person, and it would be best to kill him here.

"The chakra has changed."

Seeing the Taeguk Rasengan turn into a purple-gold color, Fugaku Uchiha realized something was wrong and quickly manipulated his Susanoo to swing his axe and slash.

However, the energy of the stars not only enhanced the Tai Chi Rasengan, but also the strength of the Vajra Lock.

Susanoo tried to swing, but its arm was bound by four Vajra Seals, restricting its movement and even hindering the flow of chakra within, which began to be sealed layer by layer.

Before the giant axe could strike the Tai Chi Rasengan, the Tai Chi Rasengan hit Susanoo's chest and abdomen first.

However, this time, under the control of the two, the Tai Chi Rasengan did not explode to launch a wide-range attack. Instead, it focused on a powerful attack on the chest and abdomen, aiming at Uchiha Fugaku inside like a drill.

They knew very well that breaking Susanoo was secondary; the key was to injure Fugaku Uchiha, or better yet, kill him.

The explosion of the Tai Chi Rasengan disperses its power, which is fine against the second form of Susanoo. However, Fugaku Uchiha's Susanoo is now in its third form, with armor protection, greatly enhancing its defensive capabilities.

The only option is to concentrate the destructive power.

And indeed, after a while, the concentrated Tai Chi Rasengan finally pierced through the Susanoo's abdominal armor.

Although the chakra inside was exhausted after drilling through, it did break through the armor's defense.

This scene made Fugaku Uchiha's face darken. Susanoo was his most relied-upon power, but now it was being destroyed time and time again.

Before he could even activate his eye power and chakra to repair that part of the armor, two Adamantine Locks, each topped with a Rasengan, suddenly shot out from the ground and wrapped around his feet. At the same time, the Rasengans drilled downwards towards his vital points.

Sensing the deadly crisis, Fugaku Uchiha used his dojutsu, which he had never used before.

"Think it all!"

As the pupil technique is activated, the brain and mental consciousness instantly become active, and the speed of thinking is greatly enhanced.

This is the effect of his eye technique, which can enhance thinking speed. Combined with the powerful dynamic vision of the Mangekyou Sharingan, everything around him appears to be frozen in his senses.

At the same time, brain cells will be more active, which will help with thinking and reaction, and will also have a good effect on combat assistance.

With the aid of his eye technique, he quickly completed the fire attribute transformation without hand seals, imbuing his ninja sword and kunai with the fire attribute to counter the wind attribute of the Rasengan, thus deflecting it.

But that was all he could do. Then his legs tightened, and his body was pulled out of Susanoo, where another Tai Chi Rasengan came crashing down on him.

Fortunately, Fugaku Uchiha had used another eye technique beforehand.

Cloth, knife, jade—life is destined!

This is a special eye technique that allows one to foresee the future; the further one can foresee the future, the greater the eye power consumed.

He just had a glimpse of what would happen in the next three seconds; knowing the future naturally allows him to better cope with it.

He manipulated the axe in Susanoo's hand and flung it out, not only severing the Vajra Lock that bound his legs, but also using the huge axe to block the Taiji Rasengan.

The weapon is the strongest in the Susanoo system; even the Tai Chi Rasengan cannot destroy it.

Once freed, Fugaku Uchiha immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat, while keeping a close eye on the Vajra Blockade.

"He actually cultivated four Vajra Sealing Techniques."

In the previous two battles, the two girls each used only three Vajra Seals, but this time they used a fourth one and attacked from below. If it weren't for the enhancement of my pupil technique, I would have really died.

"You avoided it?"

The two women were puzzled. This fourth Vajra Seal had only been activated recently; it was a killing move they had prepared specifically for this battle, yet it had been evaded.

Although surprised and puzzled, he acted swiftly, manipulating the Vajra Sealing Technique to pull back the out-of-control Susanoo and the axe, and then used a sealing technique to seal them away.

These were created using the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan and chakra; their Sharingan needs just that kind of nourishment.

Of course, it needs to be filtered by that big bad guy first.

Seeing his Susanoo sealed away, Fugaku Uchiha's face darkened.

Although his pupil power could be restored with the help of his right arm, such a large expenditure would take quite some time.

At least for this battle, he will not be able to use the third form of Susanoo again, while the opponents each have four Adamantine Seals and are also equipped with a Rasengan.

We're too passive!

"Four Vajra Blockades!"

Fukasaku, perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, looked more serious. He knew very well the origin of the Uzumaki clan's Adamantine Sealing Technique. Although it was not as powerful as that world-destroying monster's, it had a strong suppressive effect on ninja chakra.

Just like the suppression of the Sharingan and Wood Release, one also has chakra within their own body, and once they face it, they will find it difficult to escape suppression.

Moreover, the four Vajra Seals are even stronger, capable of suppressing even tailed beasts for a period of time.

"Only Sage Mode can counter it."

Jiraiya was well aware of the power of the Adamantine Sealing Barrier, and that his own chakra would be no match for it; he would have to use Sage Mode chakra.

"Honey, there seems to be natural energy in that Vajra Lock, a completely new kind of natural energy."

Shima suddenly said that the Vajra Locket felt strange.

"There is a certain amount of natural energy reaction, but it is very weak and has not formed Sage Chakra. It seems to be a Sage talent from the monk lineage."

In addition, there is another strange energy.

After carefully sensing the situation, his expression became even more solemn.

"A talent from the celestial race!"

Shima was equally somber.

"Big Sister, what exactly is meant by 'talented immortal'?"

Jiraiya was puzzled, and the others around him also looked over.

"That's a secret technique unique to the monk lineage. It can utilize natural energy to a certain extent, but it cannot be absorbed into the body to form Sage Chakra."

Shima gave a brief explanation but didn't say much more.

In fact, the sage techniques of Mount Myōboku originally came from the lineage of human monks, but they were later modified according to their own circumstances, and were able to be integrated into the body for cultivation.

For this reason, there is a temple at the deepest part of each of their three holy lands, where the Great Toad Sage lives. The temple was originally built by a lineage of human monks.

However, they would naturally not reveal these secrets to outsiders, but the talents of the Immortal Clan are a power system that needs to be guarded against.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(In Japanese mythology, Omoikane is the god of wisdom and literature. He is also worshipped during the first axe ceremony when building a house, so it is reasonable for him to use an axe.)

Fukuto no Mikoto is the progenitor of ritual divination, and the Onmyoji system is said to have originated from him. Fugaku Uchiha claimed to have seen the future and even willingly died at his son's hands; it's quite reasonable for him to possess a means of precognition.

(End of this chapter)