"It seems this is as far as you go," Hui said, his gaze fixed on Shamon.
He could clearly sense that after using that last technique, Shamon's chakra reserves had been depleted by more than half, leaving him visibly exhausted.
In his current state, Hui knew he could easily kill Shamon.
However, he didn't act immediately.
That last technique had been entirely unexpected. Hui wasn't willing to assume Shamon didn't have any other tricks or hidden abilities up his sleeve.
This was the ninja world, where surprises lurked at every corner.
Like Orochimaru in the future—despite his deep knowledge of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he had been caught off guard and sealed by the Reaper Death Seal during the Konoha Crush.
Asuma Sarutobi and Yugito Nii also fell to Hidan's unconventional methods.
Hui had no intention of meeting a similar fate due to carelessness. A bit of caution could prevent major missteps.
So...
With a thought, two shadow avatars appeared beside Hui.
'This sort of task is better left to them,' he decided.
Shamon, seeing the two shadow avatars materialize, felt a sinking despair.
To be honest, he had entertained the idea of taking Hui down with him in a blaze of glory.
But now it seemed even that was no longer an option.
"Shadow avatars… you're certainly cautious, Hui. That doesn't match the confidence of a 'demigod,'" Shamon mocked, struggling to regulate his breath and gather himself for one final effort.
"After all, I'm facing the Kazekage of Sunagakure, one of the ninja world's most powerful figures," Hui replied calmly, unfazed by the provocation.
Life was precious, and caution was never misplaced.
"Well then, enough talk. It's time to send you on your way!"
One of the shadow avatars spoke as it charged at Shamon with incredible speed.
"You think a shadow avatar is enough to deal with me? Aren't you underestimating a Kage?" Shamon roared as he launched himself toward the avatar.
Although he had heard about the strength of Hui's shadow avatars, which were vastly different from ordinary clones and possessed nearly the same power as the original, he still believed he could handle it.
That belief shattered the moment they clashed.
The instant he engaged with the shadow avatar, Shamon realized his mistake.
Fighting this avatar was indistinguishable from battling Hui himself, he was completely outmatched.
Their brief exchange ended with the shadow avatar landing a powerful kick, sending Shamon flying and crashing to the ground.
Gritting his teeth, Shamon forced himself to stand, his body aching as the shadow avatar closed in step by step. A sigh escaped his lips.
It seemed this truly was the end.
To think that he, the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure, would meet his end at the hands of a clone of a boy not yet seventeen.
But perhaps it wasn't such a disgrace.
After all, this boy was the "Demigod" of the ninja world, destined to become the God of Shinobi, the strongest ninja of the future.
"I don't know if you have any trump cards left, but I'm going to unleash a powerful attack now. Let's see if you can withstand it," the shadow avatar declared, making its intentions clear.
While Hui's original body feared Shamon might have a self-destructive countermeasure, the shadow avatar had no such concern.
It was curious to see what Shamon's so-called ultimate move might be.
After all, watching a Kage's trump card in action might spark inspiration for developing new techniques.
At Hui's level, many powerful techniques were born from moments of sudden insight.
"If you're so curious, I'll oblige you," Shamon said with a sigh, fully aware that his life was at its end.
But he had made peace with that long ago, hadn't he?
"Alright, then. Here I come," the shadow avatar said. It formed a Rasengan in its hand, the sphere spinning rapidly and growing into a massive shuriken-like shape.
Senjutsu: Rasenshuriken.
Using this technique to deliver Shamon's final blow seemed a fitting end for the Second Kazekage.
All eyes on the battlefield, over 15,000 spectators, were fixed on this moment.
Even Mu and Mochizuki Hui's original body watched intently.
"Lord Second…"
Many of Sunagakure's ninjas averted their eyes, unwilling to see their leader's demise. Some had tears welling up, their grief apparent.
They wanted to rush forward and shield Shamon, to protect him from this attack.
But they knew it was impossible. Such an action would doom every Sunagakure ninja on the battlefield.
The Third Kazekage clenched his fists, his eyes wide with suppressed emotion. His breath quickened, but he too held back.
He wouldn't let the sacrifices of two Kage be in vain.
The shadow avatar charged with the Rasenshuriken, the whirring blade glowing ominously as it descended toward Shamon.
Under normal circumstances, Shamon might have evaded such an attack. But in his current state...
He used his last resort.
From where he stood, something shot into the air.
In an instant, Shamon's body vanished, only to reappear right beside the shadow avatar. His form transformed into sand, encasing the shadow avatar in a suffocating grip.
The sand coiled tightly around the shadow avatar, crushing it until it disappeared into nothingness.
With the shadow avatar gone, the Rasenshuriken detonated in a massive explosion of blue-white energy, a searing wind sphere erupting on the battlefield like a miniature sun.
When the light and fury subsided, Shamon's body lay motionless on the ground.
The Second Kazekage was dead, fallen at the hands of Hui, felled by a Rasenshuriken.
"Lord Second!"
The battlefield fell silent for a brief moment before anguished cries broke out, laced with sorrow.
Sunagakure's ninjas wept openly, their grief spilling out as they mourned their fallen leader.
Even the Third Kazekage, standing silently, let tears stream down his face.
Their leader, their Kage had died.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure's ninjas sighed, feeling a sense of kinship in tragedy. If Sunagakure's Kage was gone, then it was only a matter of time before their own Tsuchikage followed.
"It's certainly a powerful technique," Hui remarked.
Shamon's last move had intrigued him.
It appeared to be a form of sandification—a technique similar to the Hōzuki clan's water transformation, allowing the user to become sand and avoid physical attacks.
The concept was fascinating, like the Logia abilities from One Piece.
But unfortunately, Shamon hadn't perfected the technique.
As a result, while he had been able to neutralize the shadow avatar, he hadn't completely evaded the Rasenshuriken's devastating effects.
Still, it was undeniably a formidable and innovative jutsu.
"Shamon is dead. Now, it's your turn, Mu, the Second Tsuchikage."
Hui turned his gaze skyward to where Mu hovered.
His goal had been to kill both Shamon and Mu. Now that one half of his objective was complete, it was time to finish the job.
Mu looked down at Hui and his second shadow avatar.
Dealing with one Hui was already daunting, but now he faced a second entity with almost identical power.
He knew, deep down, that his journey as a shinobi was nearing its end.
The irony of it all struck him.
Before the war began, who could have imagined it would end like this?
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