Half an hour can fly by. If you're watching something intense, it can feel like just a few seconds.
But if you're spending that half hour fighting, it's pure agony.
Every second is a life-or-death struggle—one misstep, and you're gone.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan stared as yet another comrade fell beside them. Their eyes burned red, their bodies radiating a terrifying aura. In just thirty minutes, three of their comrades had already fallen.
Now, only the three of them and two Akatsuki members remained on the battlefield.
Though the enemy's numbers had also dwindled, there were still over twenty of them. The five had been pushed all the way to the edge of a cliff.
Staring at the bottomless abyss ahead, Yahiko showed no panic—instead, a fierce determination lit his face.
"No way out, huh..."
"Nagato... you're the strongest. Take Konan and get out of here..."
Though his body felt heavy, Yahiko burst forth with incredible power once more and charged straight at the enemies closing in behind them.
"I'm not leaving you behind!" Nagato roared. His eyes flared a deeper red, the Rinnegan trembling in that instant.
Konan clenched her teeth, her eyes resolute. "Yahiko, save your breath. We're not going anywhere."
"Not me, not Nagato, not the Akatsuki—none of us are leaving."
The five stood firm as the enemy advanced.
Zetsu watched the scene and grinned. To him, this kind of crisis was the perfect chance to isolate Nagato. But he had to be careful—Nagato's eyes were the real prize, and they couldn't risk damaging them.
The kunai and shuriken were still invisible, but Yahiko and Nagato had already figured out the rhythm of the attack.
"Clang!"
Several sharp sounds rang out as all the shuriken were deflected.
But that was only the first wave. Another barrage followed quickly behind, yet something strange happened.
The new wave of shuriken—meant to reap lives like the scythe of death—suddenly lost all power and dropped from the air.
Zetsu froze for a moment, then quickly pieced it together.
"Muren's under attack? He wouldn't stop using his Dōjutsu otherwise."
"What's going on?"
"No matter. The plan continues."
The bowstring was already drawn—there was no turning back. Zetsu raised his arm and shouted:
"Take them out!"
With his command, the battle reignited.
...
At the same time, a figure stood before Muren Uchiha—Kazuyama, who had pursued him all the way and just now caught up.
They both sized each other up.
Black robe. Mask. Two Mangekyō Sharingan that Kazuyama had never seen before.
Seeing his opponent's appearance, Kazuyama's heart sank. A thought flashed through his mind.
Madara Uchiha's successor...
Unknown Mangekyō, unknown abilities...
The moment Muren saw Kazuyama, his eyes were filled with hatred and bitterness.
Fueled by Madara's indoctrination, Muren was seething with killing intent. He knew Kazuyama was no longer the boy who once mocked him and Ao Uchiha. That boy had grown stronger.
But that only made Muren more determined to kill him—to wipe away the shame in his heart.
Even if Kazuyama could defeat the Third Mizukage, he wasn't afraid.
"Strike first!"
"Water Release! Fang Cage!"
Kazuyama struck without hesitation. Several water tornadoes surged up around him, spiraling with devastating force as they barreled toward his opponent.
"Hmph! Kazuyama... I won't let you interfere with our plans."
"I'll end you right here."
Muren stood his ground, unmoving as the tornadoes approached. His eyes spun rapidly.
Just as the water tornadoes were about to reach him, they froze midair, stuck in place as if time had stopped.
Kazuyama was shocked. His jutsu hadn't been interrupted, and there was no barrier—yet the technique wouldn't move forward.
"A Mangekyō ability... space-related?"
"But this doesn't match anything I've seen before..."
Kazuyama tried to analyze the situation, but Muren didn't give him the chance.
With the tornadoes stalled, Muren launched his own attack.
"Fire Release, Lotus Technique."
Flames surged—still that eerie green, but far more numerous than before, blanketing the sky.
Kazuyama nearly had a panic attack. His trypophobia was screaming.
"Chōmei, help me watch with your chakra. His Dōjutsu's strange."
"Got it—wait, shit! Kazuyama, behind you!"
Chōmei's sudden shout jolted Kazuyama to his senses. Flames were already closing in around him.
Despite his sharp eyesight, he hadn't seen how the flames had appeared.
"Damn it! I'm out!"
He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique just as the flames exploded. Fortunately, he had already marked several coordinates nearby—a habit of his.
Watching Kazuyama escape using the Flying Thunder God, Muren scoffed, voice dripping with disdain.
"Just space–time ninjutsu."
"You really think you can dodge every time?"
His gaze swept across the field and quickly locked onto Kazuyama's location.
Flames erupted again, appearing instantly around him under some unknown control.
"It's just fire! You think I can't handle that?"
"Fire Release! Hiding in Ash and Dust!"
A thick cloud of smoke burst from his mouth, quickly smothering the surrounding flames. The clash of Fire Release against Fire Release sparked showers of embers.
The smoke also masked Kazuyama's presence.
Muren watched the smoke rush toward him but remained still.
Just like the earlier water tornadoes, the smoke stalled midair, held back by an invisible force.
Taking the opportunity to observe, Kazuyama decided to try something else.
He activated the Flying Thunder God again—this time appearing behind Muren, in his blind spot.
"One Thousand Years of Death! With extra pain!"
He lunged forward.
It was about to hit, but Muren suddenly turned and looked directly at him.
In that moment, Kazuyama was stunned. There were only a few dozen centimeters between them, but no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't make contact.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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