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Chapter 291 - Chapter 186 I Am the Sharpest Blade

In the year 39 of Konoha, in the southwestern region of the Fire Country.

"Damn it…"

Katō Dan leaned against a large tree, his face pale and his eyes betraying his exhaustion.

He was in a dire state, with splintered wood sticking out from his shoulder, and a gaping wound on his left wrist, likely damaging a tendon. Vivid red blood dripped continuously like a leaky faucet.

His chakra was nearly depleted, and his silver-gray hair was stained red with blood.

He tore off a piece of cloth, biting down on one end, then tightly wrapped his injured left arm with his right hand. With a swift tug, he completed a hasty bandage.

The makeshift treatment was far from perfect, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. Five tall, gaunt figures in black cloaks had already surrounded him.

Behind the puppets, like the moon surrounded by stars, stood a figure cloaked in black. As the two puppets shifted slightly, it revealed the puppeteer controlling them.

"Are you still trying to struggle?"

The dark-cloaked figure slowly lowered his hood, revealing a head of crimson hair and a ruggedly handsome face.

"Akasuna no Goro…" Dan focused intently, uttering the name of his opponent.

Goro spoke coolly, disdain evident in his voice. "Did you really think that disguising yourselves as a supply transport unit would bait us into a trap? You're the ones who bit the hook!"

Faced with such blatant humiliation, Dan didn't respond. Instead, he took a series of deliberate deep breaths, secretly gathering chakra, ready to unleash a deadly counterattack.

"Katō Dan, considering your despicable behavior on the battlefield, I should just kill you right here."

Goro's expression turned cold. "However, your ability to eliminate enemies from miles away with your soul and your powerful sensing techniques pique our interest. If you willingly hand them over, I might spare your life!"

"Dream on!" Dan spat out a mouthful of blood, firmly refusing.

"The 'Spirit Technique' is not just a reward I obtained after enduring great hardships, but a unique, precious forbidden technique of our village. There's no way I'd just hand it over!"

"Ha ha, are you still struggling?"

Goro surveyed the area, noting the bodies of fallen Konoha ninjas one by one. "Take a good look; if you don't agree to my terms, you'll end up just like them—dying namelessly here!"

"They are not nameless. Dying for their village is a great honor!"

Dan stared directly at Goro, exhaustion switching to steely resolve as he slowly formed seals hidden within his sleeves.

In the briefest instant, an invisible spirit darted out from his forehead and shot straight towards Goro's brow.

This was a gamble for his life.

"Buzz!!!"

Just as the spirit was about to pierce Goro's forehead, the three puppets beside him shifted in ominous unison. Their hearts glowed with a green light—this indicated that the barrier stones were embedded within their cores.

This glowing green light flickered and connected in a triangular formation, summoning a translucent barrier that shimmered like ripples on water.

Dan's spirit was instantly repelled, almost as if he had slammed into a wall after sprinting a hundred meters, shooting back into his body.

"Cough, cough!" His complexion turned deathly pale as he uncontrollably coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

It was only then that Goro realized what had happened, his fury escalating.

"You're dead! Secret Technique: Thousand Kill!"

He lifted his palm and quickly pulled back his fingers. The three black-cloaked puppets opened their jaws simultaneously, countless shuriken shooting out like a silver rainstorm, aiming to turn Dan into a pincushion.

Dan gritted his teeth and mustered the last bit of his strength, rolling away to escape the center of fire. However, dozens of shuriken still struck his back and calves, slamming him onto the ground with a thud.

"We've fought for over a year, sacrificing so many comrades. Do you really think their deaths were in vain?"

Goro was fuming, and with a beckoning gesture, one of the puppets advanced, thrusting a steel hook through Dan's shoulder to hoist him off the ground.

"We know all about your abilities. If you cover yourself with a barrier technique, your spirit won't have any effect!" Goro's voice turned even darker. "This specially created puppet is designed just for you!"

Dan gritted his teeth as pain shot through his shoulder, his face turning as white as paper. He almost saw stars from the agony, but he refused to utter a sound.

"Don't expect your comrades to save you!" Goro's expression was terrifyingly grim. "To deal with him and that damn short sword, we've put in no less effort than you!"

As Goro raised his arm, the puppet lifted Dan even higher, its jaws stretching wide, ready to clamp down on his head.

"I'm done asking. Last chance: hand over the secret technique, or… die!"

Seeing Dan still refusing to open his eyes, adopting a stubborn attitude as he awaited death, Goro's face twitched. He brought his arm down hard.

"Die!"

At that moment, a brilliantly shining short blade pierced through the air, like a white swan gliding, its frigid gleam flashing past Goro's eyes. With a "bang," it embedded itself into the tree, quivering in place.

"What!"

Goro's expression changed drastically; the blade's speed was too fast. In an instant, the chakra lines connecting to his fingertips were severed!

This meant that the two attacking puppets had lost control.

He gazed intently, catching sight of a ghostly figure.

With silver hair and a white tail, the cold gaze belonged to Hatake Sakumo!

Without hesitation, he quickly scooped up Dan's injured body, landing safely on the ground.

"How did you end up here?!" Goro asked, his heart racing, almost losing composure.

But Sakumo ignored the question, focusing solely on him. "This fight should come to an end."

Only then did Goro notice that Sakumo's hands were completely empty, a flicker of malice glinting in his eyes. He yanked the puppet controlling the defenses and with a swift motion, unleashed a torrent of poisoned needles—like a silver downpour—blocking all of Sakumo's escape routes.

"Without that sword, you can die peacefully!"

Sakumo remained calm and didn't attempt to break away. Instead, he stood his ground, emitting a faint blue electric arc around him as he infused lightning chakra throughout his body.

Over the past two years, he had traversed two battlefields, slaying countless enemies, and faced life-and-death crises time and again. But his blade had not dulled through hardship; rather, it had sharpened even further, honing his skills to perfection!

In countless battles, he broke through the brink of death and awakened his potential. At this moment, he was no longer the same.

As the poisoned needles converged, he swiftly pulled out a short blade identical to his "White Fang," lifting it to meet the onslaught, the cold arc slicing through the sea of needles!

With a flick of his wrist, the blade spun wildly, transforming into a luminous disc spinning around him.

"Clang! Clang!"

Amidst the hail of sparks, he deflected all the projectiles, and with a crescent-shaped blade slash, severed one of Goro's defensive puppets in half!

"You seem to have misunderstood something." Sakumo stood firm, staring at Goro's astonished expression. "I am the sharpest blade."

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