Mugen Rikai!
Uchiha Sogetsu parted his lips slightly, and his voice echoed clearly by the lakeside.
His slender fingertips gently pressed against the Tailed Beast Ball, freezing time and space in that moment.
"Huh?"
White Zetsu's eyes widened, confusion crossing his face.
The Tailed Beast Ball halted, seemingly arrested by a single finger. The scene was utterly shocking.
What just happened?
It was certain that Lord Sogetsu had employed a visual jutsu.
The process was mysterious, making it impossible to discern the exact nature of the technique.
To stop a Tailed Beast Ball on the verge of explosion so effortlessly—it was unheard of!
"How is this possible?!"
Raiga Kurosuki stared in horror, eyes bloodshot.
He couldn't fathom that Biwa Juzo's life-for-life exchange, aided by the ultimate power of the Tailed Beast Ball, would end like this!
"It's quite simple, isn't it?"
Uchiha Sogetsu remarked lightly, the Tailed Beast Ball reflected in his Mangekyo Sharingan, countless glimmers swirling.
Through his eyes, the entire Tailed Beast Ball, from its basic structure to the intricacies of its chakra composition, all its information and secrets, were laid bare as if a naked girl, exposed and revealed directly to him.
"The weakness lies here."
He spoke, lightly tapping it with his finger.
Pop!
A faint sound, like a bubble bursting.
Then, the several meters-wide Tailed Beast Ball seemed to deflate like a bubble under his touch. There was no explosion, no damage whatsoever.
It was as if... he had returned the Tailed Beast Ball to the chakra from which it was synthesized and compressed.
And this was the power of his right Mangekyo Sharingan, and the ocular technique bestowed upon it—Mugen Rikai!
It could discern the essence of all things and comprehend their fundamental structures, enabling the reconstruction or destruction of anything—a phenomenon mastered and understood by him.
However, such a potent ocular technique also came with significant side effects.
Each time he comprehended and deconstructed unknown entities, his ocular power was greatly depleted. Without careful control, there was a risk of blindness in fewer than ten uses.
Attempting to grasp concepts far beyond his own existence and of a higher order would diminish the likelihood of deconstruction while intensifying the drain on his ocular power. There was even the peril of permanent blindness with the Mangekyo!
"Please, use it sparingly from now on."
Uchiha Sogetsu took a deep breath to restore his eyes to normal. He gently covered his right eye, which throbbed slightly, and sighed helplessly, "The drain on my ocular power is immense. Deconstructing the Tailed Beast Ball alone consumed a tenth of it. Were it not for the first-Hokage cells, a few more uses would have left me blind."
High risk, high reward.
Despite this, he was reluctant to employ it.
At least, compared to his right eye's ability, he found the technique of his left eye more suited to him.
It was regrettable that circumstances prevented him from using his left eye's technique elsewhere, as he would have employed it long ago.
"What exactly did you do?"
Raiga Kurosuki couldn't contain his curiosity and blurted out, "How did you make the Tailed Beast Ball disappear?"
"Didn't you witness it all?" Uchiha Sogetsu turned to face the bewildered Raiga Kurosuki and smiled faintly, "As you observed, I converted the Tailed Beast Ball back into chakra."
"Of course I saw that!" Raiga Kurosuki's frustration was evident as his veins bulged on his forehead.
His gaze fixated on Sogetsu as if he were staring at a formidable being, unsure if he was more frightened or amazed, "What kind of ninjutsu can revert a pre-formed ninjutsu into chakra?!"
He had encountered numerous ninjutsu, some peculiar, but never one capable of undoing a previously cast ninjutsu into raw chakra.
If such a ninjutsu existed that could restore chakra from formed ninjutsu, it would be too terrifying!
"No. I must inform the Mizukage about this!"
Raiga Kurosuki trembled all over. He immediately realized that if the Mizukage remained unaware of this information, he might truly face death!
But just as this thought crossed his mind,
Swish!
Uchiha Sogetsu suddenly appeared in front of Raiga Kurosuki.
"Since you've witnessed my pupil's technique, I can't let you leave here."
As he spoke, his palm gently brushed against Raiga Kurosuki's neck.
Swish.
A thin line of blood slowly appeared on his neck.
It dawned on Raiga Kurosuki, and he panickedly covered his neck, his pupils dilating suddenly.
When he tried to speak, blood gushed from his mouth, his neck bleeding. Horror filled his face as he instinctively took two steps back, attempting to say something, but with his trachea and aorta cut, he could only produce meaningless "ho ho" sounds.
He reached out to grasp his assailant, but his attempts were feeble, his hand waving helplessly in the air.
In the end, Raiga Kurosuki's eyes dimmed, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Plop!
With Raiga Kurosuki's death, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were officially declared extinct.
"Lord Raiga!!!"
The Mist Ninja's Anbu cried out in sorrow at the sight.
Today, they witnessed the fall of two swordsmen. Henceforth, the Hidden Mist Village would no longer have its Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
"Now, it's your turn."
Uchiha Sogetsu fixed his gaze on them, advancing step by step.
Dealing with these minions required little effort. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he swiftly moved past and snapped the neck of one of the Anbu.
One, two, three.
As the last Anbu realized escape was futile, he was hoisted by the neck.
"Stop—!"
An enraged voice echoed from behind.
"Stop! Stop!"
A glimmer of hope flickered in the Anbu's eyes.
Yet Uchiha Sogetsu seemed oblivious. With a slight squeeze of his fingers, he twisted.
Crack!
The Anbu's neck snapped abruptly.
Hope extinguished as quickly as it had appeared. The Anbu, with a lingering desire in his eyes, took his final breath reluctantly.
Uchiha Sogetsu tossed him aside, then turned casually, adjusting his glasses with his index finger and offering a restrained smile. "Ah, my apologies. You were speaking too slowly; I misheard and accidentally broke his neck."
"Uchiha Sogetsu!"
A man with long black hair, wild like a demon, approached.
"Here I am."
Uchiha Sogetsu chuckled modestly. "Pleasure to meet you, Third Mizukage."
"Very well, very well. Look at what you've done!!!"
The Third Mizukage's gaze swept across the battlefield, noting the fallen Biwa Juzo and Raiga Kurosuki.
His already grim expression darkened further, eyes brimming with intense fury. His voice turned cruel and cold. "Uchiha Sogetsu, I will see you die here, buried with them!"
"Of course."
Uchiha Sogetsu smiled faintly and beckoned with a finger. "But only if you can manage it."
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