The clash between Mochizuki Hui and the Third Kazekage had ended in Hui's favor.
In truth, the Third Kazekage's power was comparable to Ōnoki's three years prior—whom Hui had already defeated back then.
Although both Ōnoki and the Kazekage had grown stronger over the years, their progress was limited; they were nearing their peak, soon to plateau or even decline.
Hui, however, had grown tremendously in those three years.
Young and full of potential, he had many more years of growth ahead of him. Against the Third Kazekage, Hui hadn't even needed to use his full arsenal.
The battle ended quickly, almost as if to say, "I barely tried, and you've already fallen."
As he glanced at the unconscious Kazekage sprawled on the ground, a slight smile played at Hui's lips.
"One down. I wonder how the main body is faring," he muttered, confirming that the Kazekage was fully incapacitated before dragging him out of the crater and heading off in a specific direction.
Meanwhile, the battle between Hui's main body and Ay raged on. Unlike the Kazekage, who relied on ranged jutsu, Ay fought like a berserker, all raw strength and physical prowess. Their battle was a ferocious exchange of taijutsu—a true clash between warriors.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode… what a technique," Hui murmured after another collision, eyeing the towering figure clad in crackling lightning chakra.
The enhancements to Ay's body in this mode were immense, bolstering not only his attack power but also his defenses.
For Hui, the defensive benefits of this mode were especially interesting. He had more than enough offensive techniques at his disposal, sometimes too many to choose from.
Hui thought to himself, It's the author who can't remember all my abilities!
But what he lacked were defensive techniques that could enhance his body's durability, rather than relying solely on external defenses.
While he possessed formidable regenerative abilities, his physical resilience was comparatively low. In a world where most shinobi focused on offense, achieving a balance of high defense and regeneration could make him nearly invincible.
"Who would've thought the Ghost of Konoha, known for his ninjutsu, could match me in taijutsu? You're more powerful than anyone realized, Mochizuki Hui!" Ay said, his voice full of wonder as he looked at the young shinobi before him.
Ay had assumed his own mastery in taijutsu was unrivalled, a skill nearly at its zenith. Yet this young shinobi, known for assassination and jutsu, was more than capable of holding his ground.
Not only did Hui match Ay's speed and reaction time, but his monstrous strength even surpassed Ay's in certain moments. Ay also knew that while Hui had only been using taijutsu so far, he possessed a vast arsenal of deadly jutsu.
In Ay's eyes, this boy was practically a perfect shinobi—flawless, with no apparent weaknesses.
"To inherit the super strength of the Senju is one thing, but for you to possess such power at your age… it's terrifying. I understand now why Ōnoki wants you dead so badly," Ay said grimly.
"If you're given the time to mature, you might well reach the same heights as Hashirama Senju and dominate the entire shinobi world. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that doesn't happen."
With a focused gaze, Ay raised his hand, bringing his four fingers together, and concentrated chakra into his palm.
Hell Stab: Four-Finger Thrust!
In a flash, Ay launched himself like a bullet toward Hui, his speed tearing up the ground beneath him. This was his strongest technique, the one that had fractured Uzushiogakure's protective barrier with ease.
Hui's eyes narrowed as Ay closed in. Even he knew better than to face the full force of the Hell Stab head-on.
Despite their previous taijutsu exchanges, Hui had been somewhat cautious, recognizing Ay's extreme defences. In their clashes, Hui's super strength had barely scratched him.
Even attacks like Naruto's Rasenshuriken in the original storyline had failed to kill him. Ay had single-handedly fought the Eight-Tails to a standstill, exhausting both himself and the tailed beast.
He'd even managed to hold off ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi on his own, only falling after three days and nights of relentless battle.
For most shinobi, defeating Ay would seem impossible.
But Hui had a solution. The concept of Ay's "strongest shield" and "strongest spear" was a paradox that reminded Hui of a technique Naruto would one day use to defeat him: using his own attack against him.
As Ay charged in with the Four-Finger Thrust, Hui's eyes sharpened, and a mysterious pattern appeared in his pupils.
His enhanced vision, now rivalling the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan or the Hyuga's Byakugan, allowed him to track every nuance of Ay's movement with precision.
He could feel his eyes evolving, as though they were on the verge of awakening new powers.
With his Heavenly Eye fully active, Ay's movements slowed in Hui's perception, and his path became crystal clear.
Summoning a Rasengan, Hui met Ay's charge head-on.
Ay's expression shifted with satisfaction. His Four-Finger Thrust could be adjusted in an instant—Hui was walking into his trap.
At the last moment before contact, Ay narrowed his eyes and withdrew three fingers, changing his technique.
Hell Stab: One-Finger Thrust! The single-fingered thrust was Ay's ultimate attack, a lethal spear of chakra powerful enough to pierce anything.
In that moment, Hui sensed the deadly intensity of the chakra spear. Taking this attack head-on would shatter his arm and rip through half of his torso.
But Hui's eyes gleamed with determination. He twisted his body at the last possible instant, dodging the spear by a hair's breadth, and drove his Rasengan directly into Ay's wrist.
The impact bent Ay's arm inward, forcing his thrust to turn against himself, and Ay's own spear impaled his right chest.
"Urgh!" Ay staggered, his eyes wide with disbelief as he collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from his mouth.
"It seems that while your shield is strong, your spear is deadlier," Hui remarked quietly, standing over the fallen Ay.
This battle was his victory.
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