Chapter 14: Fierce Battle! God-Tier Wire Manipulation, Dragon Fire Prison!
Amid the ruins, the battlefield split in two. A towering cylindrical barrier trapped Uchiha Takanotsume inside.
"Tch, one got away," Moroi said, his icy gaze landing on Takanotsume, a twisted sneer curling his lips. "No matter. I'll make your death quick."
Takanotsume studied the ninja in a red coat, with yellow hair and a scruffy beard, his eyes narrowing.
He recognized this guy from the original story.
During the Fourth Ninja World War, this man set up 36 regenerative barriers on Dragon Island, stalling Naruto and Killer B from reaching the battlefield.
The barriers' defenses were terrifying, only broken by Naruto and B's combined efforts.
He was Kumo's Barrier Corps captain back then—a ninja specializing in powerful sealing techniques.
But that was then. Now, he was just a special jōnin.
Facing him, Takanotsume felt a twinge of doubt.
Did a sealing specialist really have offensive power?
Still, the guy was a special jōnin. His taijutsu alone would crush Takanotsume, and Seiichiro had mentioned he was skilled with a blade.
That should be enough to kill me, right?
"What's with that look, kid?" Moroi drew the long blade from his back, pointing it coldly. "You're out of luck. A useless genin who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan, meeting a master like me so early in your ninja career."
His tone was flat, as if victory was assured: "One swing, and you're dead."
[Your enemy, Moroi, is taunting you.]
Ignoring the floating text, Takanotsume grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "Nice one, Kumo bro! I like the sound of that!"
"Don't hold back later. You know, even a lion goes all out against a rabbit!"
"Throw every move you've got at me—leave me no room to counter."
His tone grew grave, warning: "And remember—"
"Whatever you do, don't let this drag into a war of attrition!"
"Good! You've pissed me off, kid!" Moroi's brow twitched, rage surging. Was this brat looking down on him?
Mocking his stamina? Saying he couldn't last?
Still, Moroi didn't take Takanotsume's words too seriously. As a barrier ninja, he had basic sensory skills.
In his view, Takanotsume's chakra was clearly genin-level.
The kid was likely just stalling to buy time for his teammate, sowing doubt.
With a sneer, Moroi glanced dismissively at Takanotsume.
In a flash, he twisted his stance, tucking the blade under his arm and forming Body Flicker seals.
Whoosh! He vanished, reappearing above Takanotsume's head.
Gripping the blade with both hands, he channeled force from shoulder to elbow, swinging it in a brutal arc toward Takanotsume's neck!
Moroi's eyes gleamed with malice. A special jōnin like me cutting down a puny genin? Too easy.
The blade, sharp enough to slice hair, carried the force of a howling wind!
The imminent threat of death sent a chill through Takanotsume's scalp.
The hairs on his neck stood on end.
At the critical moment—
A surge like electricity coursed through his limbs, overriding fear and seizing control of his body.
He ducked and tilted his head, the blade grazing his cheek. His eyes flashed, fingers instinctively reaching for his tool pouch.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three black shadows shot upward, forcing Moroi to snap his blade back to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Moroi parried the three kunai, Takanotsume widened the gap.
Gauging the distance, his heart sank, a wave of frustration hitting him. He glared at Moroi, barely holding back a curse: "I told you to throw everything at me all at once!"
"You're a damn barrier ninja—why the hell are you playing with taijutsu?!"
"Why won't you listen?!"
Moroi's jaw clenched, fury boiling over. He charged, thrusting his blade at Takanotsume's vitals. "Playing dumb? Die!"
Takanotsume's eyes sharpened at the move. He flung eight shuriken, each arcing from different angles to lock onto Moroi.
Moroi froze, halting mid-step as the shuriken whizzed past him.
Before he could act, his vision darkened.
Takanotsume yanked open a scroll, hurling it forward.
Dozens—hundreds—of kunai erupted from the scroll in a storm, leaving Moroi on the verge of cursing.
What the hell? Are genin this rich now?
Buying tools by the ton—are you even human?
Under the onslaught of wealth, Moroi could only swing his blade to deflect the kunai.
After a grueling moment—
Kunai littered the ground around him like a forest.
Moroi panted heavily. Chasing the Uchiha team at top speed had already drained him.
Now, facing Takanotsume—this prickly hedgehog with shuriken skills far beyond a genin's—tested him further.
Just when he thought he could catch his breath and close in for the kill—
Takanotsume twitched his fingers, pulling back.
The kunai scattered across the ground suddenly gleamed with fine, taut lines.
As the lines lit up, the surrounding ruins—walls, ground, withered branches—crumbled like tofu under a blade.
Dust billowed. Moroi felt a sting on his cheek.
Bloodied wires snapped tight amid the debris' dust explosion.
Moroi touched his cheek instinctively.
His palm dripped with bright red blood.
Frowning, he traced the converging wires around him.
A dense web of ninja wires, now visible, crisscrossed into a sprawling net encircling him!
Wires wove a forest, slicing wind and flesh!
Moroi swung his blade at them.
But the blade bounced back, repelled by the net-like structure of interlocked wires.
"What—what the hell is this?!" Moroi recoiled, staring at Takanotsume in horror.
"How's this possible?! So many wires, woven into this pattern!"
"How'd this kid pull it off so fast?"
Takanotsume shook his head.
A special jōnin fighting a genin, botching a sure win. No wonder they call Kumo barbarians.
This guy's brain really isn't cutting it.
The eager spark in Takanotsume's eyes faded to indifference.
"Pay for your arrogance."
His hands slowly formed four seals—
Snake - Dragon - Rabbit - Tiger!
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu!
He inhaled sharply, eyeing Moroi, trapped like a lamb in the web.
His finger twitched, and dragon flames roared!
Surging fire raced along the wires, engulfing the horrified Moroi in a blazing inferno!
Ever the craftsman, Takanotsume ensured the finishing blow.
His hands wove seals again—
Rat - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Rabbit - Tiger!
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
And he wasn't done.
After the Tiger seal, he drew eight shuriken from his pouch.
Pairing them with the spat-out Phoenix Flower flames, he hurled the spinning shuriken, merging them into the fireballs.
Wind fueled the blaze, the shuriken slicing air with a piercing phoenix cry.
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Red!
Then, Takanotsume tugged the wires again!
The net of ninja wires snapped taut, creaking as it strangled toward Moroi at the center!
In that moment—
Dragon flames formed a prison, phoenixes wailed!
Takanotsume gazed coldly at the heart of the fire, delivering a flat farewell: "Ja na!~ (See ya)"