Manro's Dance of the Seedling Fern was overwhelming, but Izuna showed not the slightest panic. He replied blandly, "In the end, it's an effect similar to Earth Release."
The bone-shaped Susanoo was rapidly coated in Chakra, thickening—then in the next instant it took on a humanoid form, and a heavy layer of armor wrapped over it, becoming armored Susanoo.
"That technique can evolve without limit?"
Taketori and the others clenched their teeth, voices low.
"Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi Sword!"
Izuna's right Mangekyo turned toward armored Susanoo's right wrist.
Raging Flames of Amaterasu formed into a sword of Amaterasu in its palm.
In the next moment, Susanoo swung that blade straight down into the ground.
Shatter this whole stretch of earth!
Rumble—
The ground collapsed at once, and everyone sank as the earth gave way beneath them.
The enormous bones anchored in the ground sank with the rapidly dropping soil.
Naturally, that included Susanoo under Izuna's control.
"This is a lunatic's way of fighting!"
Manro cursed.
In the next instant, he vanished from where he stood.
No—he hadn't vanished. He'd entered one of the massive bone spikes created by the Dance of the Seedling Fern.
It was somewhat similar to Flying Thunder God and Water Release.
The Kaguya clan could move at extreme speed inside the bones they created.
It was like how Senju Tobirama, in every battle, loved to use Water Release to flood and swallow the terrain around him—letting his speed and jutsu power grow geometrically.
Later, when Kisame went to capture the Eight-Tails, he'd used the same idea.
And Manro, having submerged into the bones, was like Senju Hashirama's Wood Release clone—something ordinary Sharingan couldn't see through at all.
In the next instant, Manro flickered out from a bone spike in a slumping chunk of ground, appearing behind Izuna's right shoulder.
"Take this! Dance of the Eightfold Sword!!"
This was a technique that could only be used in conjunction with the Dance of the Seedling Fern.
Compared to Senju Tobirama's Water Release-boosted movement—which already approached Izuna's Flying Thunder God—this had even more terrifying mobility and an even more brutal offensive power.
A true S-rank ninjutsu.
And with his body hidden inside the bones—those bones also carrying his Chakra—Sharingan couldn't detect him, so Manro had absolute confidence in this move!
In the later clash between Kimimaro's strongest spear and Gaara's strongest shield, Gaara had won.
And Izuna's armored Susanoo had defense that was unquestionably above Gaara's.
But Manro's strength was absolutely above Kimimaro's, and he could generate fresh bones faster than Kimimaro ever could.
If it really landed, it was hard to say.
Yet Izuna was still Izuna. He had no intention of stupidly playing spear-versus-shield head-on with Manro.
"Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi!"
Izuna twisted his head to the right. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly.
"What?!"
Seeing that ghostly Mangekyo, Manro startled. He raised his arm and turned the attack into defense.
Black flames ignited on the massive bone spear.
Manro gathered Chakra beneath his feet and leapt onto the rock wall, then tore the bone spear free and let it fall into the bottomless chasm.
Izuna dismissed Susanoo as well and jumped onto intact ground.
"How can you..."
Manro bit out through clenched teeth.
"Why I can see through your position, right?"
Izuna took over the sentence. His gaze tightened; his pupils abruptly expanded. "Because of the ocular power in these eyes of mine~~"
"So you're the [Pupil Emperor], Uchiha Izuna..."
Manro repeated Izuna's nickname under his breath.
Now he understood why people called him that.
"This battle can end now."
Tadpole-like markings spread along the corners of Izuna's eyes—his Cursed Seal. In the next second, he pressed the tips of his index fingers together.
"Sage Art: Blaze Release: Imperial Flame of Heaven's Mandate!!"
Boom, boom, boom!!!
Lightning-and-fire dual-nature Chakra interwove, forming a golden sea of Chakra flames that surged forward. The bones on the ground that tried to block it were burned into black charcoal in an instant.
They didn't turn to dust immediately—but that was only a matter of the wind blowing.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern!!!
Manro hurriedly slammed both hands to the ground again. Massive, dense bone spikes rose, forming a wall to block the flames.
This move, like Susanoo, was a jutsu that could both attack and defend!
Whoooosh!!!
But facing an S-rank Blaze Release, after only a few seconds of deadlock, the wall of bone spikes began to blacken from white to soot-dark.
The flames from Izuna's mouth weakened slightly—but his hands were already moving.
Bzzzz—
A shrill buzzing came from Izuna's palm. In only a few seconds, it condensed into a Chakra sphere studded with high-speed, rotating wind blades.
"Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
He tossed it.
The Rasenshuriken instantly cleaved the bone wall—already charred black—straight down the middle.
The moment it met resistance, the Rasenshuriken expanded explosively, becoming a colossal wind-blade space sphere over 100 m in diameter, filled with countless wind blades that carved at terrifying speed.
Manro's expression changed drastically. He could only force bones to erupt and spread across his entire body, using them as a shield against the wind blades' cutting.
It was like an enhanced version of how Kimimaro had countered Gaara's Sand Burial.
"But even so, it's going to hurt, isn't it?" Izuna teased with a light chuckle.
The Rasenshuriken persisted for a full dozen seconds before gradually dying out.
Manro's body crashed down heavily from midair.
The bones he'd used as a shield had been shredded into dust by the wind blades, and his skin was almost entirely ruined—there wasn't a single patch left unscathed.
"Clan Head!"
Taketori rushed forward.
In the instant before Manro hit the ground, Taketori caught him.
The other Kaguya ninja cried out and hurried over as well.
When they saw Manro's condition clearly, all of them sucked in a sharp breath.
It was absurd. If Shikotsumyaku hadn't protected him, he'd already have been minced into pulp.
But even with that, these injuries...
"We have to get the Clan Head back to the clan immediately for treatment!"
Taketori swiftly hoisted Manro onto his back.
"I held back."
Izuna's voice sounded like a death knell from hell. "Kaguya clan—don't forget what you said earlier."
Taketori forced out three words through clenched teeth. "Understood...!"
Then, carrying Manro, he led the Kaguya forces in a rapid retreat.
"Grand Elder, should we order a pursuit?"
Uzumaki Wakou glanced sideways at Uzumaki Hiro'umi.
More important than revenge was figuring out how the Kaguya had managed to appear out of nowhere so close to Uzushiogakure.
Otherwise, the Uzumaki would be living on edge every single day from now on.
"You can pursue if you want," Izuna said, strolling over with a faint smile. "But Grand Elder, come with me back to Uzushiogakure. Formally announce to the entire clan that Mito is betrothed to me."
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