As he watched the distant figures rapidly approaching over the lake, the three-tailed Isobu awoke in a fury, triggering a colossal tsunami in an instant.
The violent waves threatened to engulf everyone in mere moments.
"Raiga, handle that one!"
Brandishing his executioner's sword, Juzo crouched low like a cheetah, racing across the turbulent lake surface.
His blade carved wide gashes in the water, channeling its fierce momentum like an infernal specter, roaring towards the monstrous foe.
"Your opponent has arrived!"
Juzo stomped fiercely on the water's surface, chakra erupting from his feet like buried explosives, propelling waves high into the air.
Boom!
The air erupted in a violent explosion.
Then, with chakra enveloping his body, he leaped high, scarlet eyes reflecting off the vapor trailing behind him, swinging his heavy executioner's sword with astonishing force!
"Decapitation Beheading Technique!"
The blade sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing sound.
In an instant, it cleaved through the atmosphere, its sonic boom echoing across the entire lake, even causing discomfort to the nearby Anbu operatives!
Empowered by his chakra, the executioner's blade descended upon Isobu's head with enough force to split mountains!
Clang!
Dazzling sparks flew amidst the misty water, the clash between sword and shell ringing out like a clash of titans.
The blade struck Isobu's head, leaving only a shallow white mark on its thick, resilient shell. Juzo's knuckles cracked from the immense recoil, nearly losing grip of his sword.
Suppressing the metallic taste of blood in his throat, Juzo steadied his tumultuous body.
Meanwhile, Isobu seemed merely annoyed by the blow, hesitating briefly before his massive eyes blinked in realization that someone dared challenge him. Enraged, he roared, a gust of wind-like pressure resembling a cannonball aimed at Juzo mid-air.
**Boom!**
Juzo was blasted away by the force of the wind, spewing a stream of blood into the air.
Like a kite with a broken string, he traced a perfect arc in the sky before plunging into the icy lake below.
"Impressive."
Uchiha Sogetsu observed the scene and couldn't resist giving a thumbs up.
If anyone ever called Danzo foolish again, he would be the first to disagree.
Was it audacious to stab Susanoo with a kunai? Absolutely not. Just look at Juzo—he dared to strike Isobu with a sword!
Would Danzo dare to confront the Nine-Tails in the same way? Clearly not. Few in the ninja world would possess such bravery.
In that moment, Raiga charged in from the side, wielding two lightning-wrapped swords aimed at Uchiha Sogetsu's neck: "Uchiha Sogetsu, I'm your opponent!"
Boom!
It all happened in an instant.
A flash of lightning in the air, accompanied by a faint crackling, closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
But just as the thunderous blade neared his neck, Uchiha Sogetsu shifted slightly, evading the strike. He regarded Raiga with indifferent eyes, then swiftly seized Raiga's ninja sword, disregarding the lightning, and deflected it sideways.
Bang!
Raiga took a blow to the abdomen, feeling a piercing pain as if his organs were jumbled together.
The intense pain blurred his vision, the sound of ribs cracking filling his ears. His grip on the thunder blade weakened, sending him flying dozens of meters away. He skidded across the ice, rolling over multiple times before finally halting with his other thunder blade embedded in the ice.
"Cough... ugh!"
Gasping, Raiga flipped over and knelt, clutching his throbbing stomach, sweat beading on his forehead, veins pulsating.
At that moment, he realized his mistake.
"Darn it. I shouldn't have engaged him in close combat!" Raiga grimaced, clutching the last thunder sword and rising unsteadily, gritting through the pain of his broken ribs.
His own carelessness had cost him the thunder sword, leaving Raiga, whose expertise lay in ninja swordsmanship, feeling uncertain.
"Take it back."
At that moment, Uchiha Sogetsu tossed back the thunder sword he had just seized.
Bang!
The thunder sword spun in the air more than ten times before landing solidly on the ice.
Staring at the thunder sword so close to him, Raiga stood frozen for over ten seconds. He looked up in disbelief at the man. "Why?"
He couldn't fathom why his opponent would easily return the thunder sword he had taken.
Could there be... a conspiracy?
The thought made Raiga suddenly vigilant. Despite the Thunder Blade being within reach, he hesitated to retrieve it.
"Instead of lingering here with me, why not help your comrades?" Uchiha Sogetsu turned his head to gaze at someone chasing the enraged Isobu in the distance, a playful smirk on his face.
"If you don't assist him, you might end up collecting his body later."
However, Raiga remained unmoved. He didn't even glance at Uchiha Sogetsu, his eyes fixed firmly on him. "Uchiha Sogetsu, don't think you can get rid of me like this. I trust Juzo!"
"Instead of stalling me here, isn't your aim to halt the three-tailed Isobu?" Uchiha Sogetsu tilted his head slightly, his tone meaningful. "Besides, even if you stop me, Juzo alone can't handle a tailed beast."
"Stop talking nonsense. Unless you kill me, you won't step out of here!"
Raiga's forehead pulsated, his lips tightly clenched, yet he avoided looking towards the ongoing battle.
He knew well that stopping the tailed beasts with just Juzo and a few Anbu was impossible.
But keeping watch on Uchiha Sogetsu was essential; this man's threat level, to some extent, rivaled that of the tailed beasts.
"In that case, let's call a truce."
With that, Uchiha Sogetsu crossed his legs, leaned back, and smiled faintly, resting his hands on his knees. "Don't worry, our goals align. I have no intention of fighting you for now."
"Our goals... align?"
Raiga frowned deeply, suddenly reacting with a change in expression. "Your target... is the Mizukage?!"
"Correct," replied Uchiha Sogetsu, casually supporting his chin with one hand. "But unfortunately, there's no reward for guessing right."
"You're insane! Completely insane!"
Even Raiga was taken aback by his audacity, his eyes widening. "Are you suggesting an assassination of the Mizukage to spark a full-scale war?!"
"Let me correct you. It's not 'sparking' a war," Uchiha Sogetsu retorted, wagging his finger slowly. "The war began the moment you allied with the Iwagakure to attack Konoha!"
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