Jinin Akebino did not feel this was inappropriate at all; a surge of passion burned within him. He looked at Ryun, his eyes filled with fighting spirit!
This was a clone of a prominent figure in the ninja world, adorned with a bunch of shiny golden titles. Even if he only managed to kill this clone, it would bring him immense prestige.
How could he possibly share such an opportunity with others? Besides, it was just a clone! Even if it could fight, how long could the chakra within it last?
But what Jinin Akebino did not know was that Ryun was a man with cheats. Even twenty percent of his chakra was beyond what he or the other Seven Ninja Swordsmen could match.
Jinin Akebino raised the Kubikiribōchō with one hand, pointing it at Ryun from a distance. He thought he looked cool, but in reality, Ryun was completely unperturbed, instead looking at this chuunibyou man as if he were an idiot.
Fuguki Suikazan did not speak, only mentally cursing, "What an idiot." Although he did not make a move, he also wanted to see Ryun's true strength. On the surface, he underestimated his opponent, but inwardly, he was extremely cautious.
His two small, bean like eyes stared fixedly at Ryun without blinking, and even the chewing motion of his mouth as he ate his onigiri slowed down.
Jinin Akebino raised his large sword and charged at Ryun, delivering a heavy slash. Ryun sidestepped, easily dodging it.
The blade of the Kubikiribōchō struck the ground, tearing it apart. The sword energy surged forward thirty or forty meters, demonstrating both its sharpness and the sheer force Jinin had put into that strike.
Ryun smiled slightly. Not impressive at all. But then, Jinin Akebino executed a second strike in a surprising manner: he gripped the hilt with both hands and spun a full circle!
The Kubikiribōchō easily shattered the ground, kicking up dust that shot toward Ryun's eyes! At the same time, the large sword had already rotated 270 degrees in the air, with the final ninety degrees aimed at Ryun's waist!
Cheap move! Ryun was disgusted. He pulled out the Uchiha Flame Fan and planted it on the ground, closing his eyes!
The Kubikiribōchō struck the Uchiha Flame Fan with a metallic clang, then was immediately repelled. A shockwave spread outward from the point of impact.
Ryun stood motionless, his robes fluttering and his hair swaying rapidly from the force. In contrast, Jinin Akebino was sent flying back a hundred meters by the shockwave, his hands trembling and the skin between his thumb and index finger split open, bleeding.
The Kubikiribōchō also suffered some nicks, but after absorbing the blood from Jinin's wounds, it recovered slightly. From a distance, it seemed fine, but up close, flaws were visible.
Jinin Akebino breathed heavily, his hands shaking so badly he could barely hold the Kubikiribōchō. His heart raced. Although that move of his was somewhat questionable and underhanded, it was one of his trump cards.
Its practicality had allowed him to kill a veteran jōnin back when he was still a chūnin! Since then, it had claimed countless heads. Yet today, it had failed!
Ryun slowly opened his blood-red eyes, frowning deeply. After checking that the Flame Fan was undamaged, he breathed a sigh of relief. The corners of his eyes were red with anger—he never expected one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to resort to such a cheap trick as throwing sand.
He was furious. Putting away the Flame Fan, he drew his ninjato and threw a kunai! "Raishin'i, ka!" Flying Thunder God Slash! The very same technique Tobirama Senju used to kill Izuna Uchiha!
Jinin Akebino had no chance to dodge. He could only watch as Ryun thrust toward his right side! He closed his eyes in despair, but the expected pain never came.
Did Ryun miss? He opened his eyes and looked. It seemed so! But upon closer inspection, he noticed a steel wire wrapped around Ryun's blade.
The wire reflected the pure white moonlight, less than a centimeter from his eyes! That's right, Rōga Kurosuki had pulled with all his might, managing to divert Ryun's Flying Thunder God Slash by just a centimeter!
Rōga's hands were now bleeding. The force he had exerted exceeded what his gloves could handle. Those who use steel wires to kill understand: force works both ways. Without proper protection, your hands bear the same intensity!
Jinin Akebino quickly retreated, slashing at Ryun. Ryun sighed. It seemed their teamwork was beginning to take shape.
Letting go of his ninjato, Ryun retreated. Rōga also got a breather and released the steel wire. Looking at his cut hand, he was shocked. Ryun's strength was absurdly high.
So high that even after using clever force to deflect it, his palm was still cut! After realizing this, he disappeared and reappeared next to Fuguki Suikazan.
First, he raised his right hand, showing the cut palm to Fuguki. Fuguki's pupils constricted. He wasn't stupid. He usually stayed close to all his teammates, so he understood what this meant!
Rōga leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words, making Fuguki's face turn even paler. He looked at Jinin Akebino on the field and urgently shouted, "You idiot, get back here! You can't take him alone!"
Jinin Akebino was kicked flying by Ryun right toward Fuguki Suikazan! The Kubikiribōchō was seized by Ryun.
Ryun examined the Kubikiribōchō in his hand, took out a phone with Orochimaru's technology, snapped a photo, and posted it on his moments: "Folks, this is the Kubikiribōchō, one of the seven ninja swords of Kirigakure. It's now in my possession!"
"Vice-Hokage-sama, 666!"*
"Vice-Hokage-sama, why are you fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Isn't that overkill?"
"Vice-Hokage-sama, how's your health?"
Ryun began typing: I'm a clone, not the real one!
The comments section exploded: "666!"
"Awesome!"
Although Fuguki Suikazan didn't understand what Ryun was doing, he could tell that Ryun seemed to be in a better mood!
Ryun put away his phone, cleared his throat, lifted the Kubikiribōchō, swung it a few times, and nodded in satisfaction. Not bad! A good weapon!
A fine steed deserves a hero. The Kubikiribōchō emitted a metallic hum, as if clinging tightly to Ryun. It did not want to return to its previous owner! Too embarrassing!
Ryun was taken aback and looked at Jinin Akebino. "Your sword tells me it doesn't want to follow you anymore. With you, it starves nine times in three days! What's going on, Jinin Akebino? How do you treat your weapon!"
Jinin Akebino, already severely injured, trembled violently upon hearing this. Struggling to stand, he slowly raised a finger to point at Ryun. Just as he was about to say something, he spat out a mouthful of blood!
Rōga Kurosuki supported Jinin Akebino, sighing inwardly. Actually, Jinin was a good guy with a warm heart—he just sometimes rushed headlong into battle for glory, caring too much about fame and fortune. But toward his teammates, he was generous and straightforward.
This was also why Fuguki Suikazan hadn't let Jinin Akebino die unnoticed. After all, they were teammates. Although Jinin's strength was relatively weak, his personality was reassuring. In a word, he was an honest man!
It was fine to use him, but abandoning him? That was out of the question.