...
"Ugh..."
Amid the shock and panic, Iwamoto couldn't stop himself from being dragged toward Hyuga Kagami.
Lying on the ground, Hyuga Kagami forced himself up, summoning his strength to unleash the Eight Trigrams Palm!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With a flurry of palm strikes, Iwamoto was sent flying by Kagami's Gentle Fist, landing harshly in a pool of mud not far away.
Cough cough...
After finishing the technique, Kagami coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Although he had intentionally taken a hit to lure Iwamoto out, the injuries he sustained were all too real. He hadn't expected Iwamoto's mud-whip technique to be so formidable. Slammed down with brutal force from midair, the impact had damaged his internal organs. Even now, he could feel his blood surging and his vision swimming.
After catching his breath briefly, Kagami said calmly, "Drop the act. I know you're not unconscious."
Iwamoto, hearing this, stopped pretending and sprang up from the mud, his face twisted in uncertainty. "Kid, what was that technique you just used?"
Kagami scoffed, "Tch, why would I tell you?"
"No problem," Iwamoto sneered. "I'll make you talk soon enough."
With that, he slowly drew a short blade from his waist.
As expected of an elite jonin from Iwagakure, Iwamoto had secretly used Earth Release techniques to harden parts of his body while being manipulated earlier. Though Kagami's Gentle Fist had blocked some of his chakra pathways, it hadn't inflicted real damage.
Even with limited chakra, Iwamoto was still an elite in both taijutsu and kenjutsu. And seeing Kagami's obviously injured state, he felt confident that the fight was still under his control.
Kagami, without another word, pulled out a scroll marked with the number "Three" and summoned the Third Kazekage Human Puppet right in front of Iwamoto.
"Is that...?"
Iwamoto stared, wide-eyed, at the floating cloud of iron sand hovering around the puppet.
Having survived two great ninja wars, Iwamoto's knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary shinobi. One glance was enough for him to recognize the Sand Village's unique kekkei genkai—Magnet Release!
Revealing the Third Kazekage Puppet in such circumstances was undoubtedly a risky move. Without wasting a second, Kagami commanded the puppet to attack.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!
In an instant, the iron sand transformed into countless sharp senbon that rained down upon Iwamoto like a storm.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The short blade in Iwamoto's hand danced, creating brilliant trails of motion. Amid the harsh clash of metal, he deflected most of the iron sand senbon!
Kagami frowned.
He had hoped sealing Iwamoto's chakra would allow for a quick victory, but Iwamoto's blade skills were exceptional.
Still, a single short blade couldn't hold out forever. Soon, Iwamoto's limbs and torso were riddled with senbon.
Gritting his teeth, Iwamoto shouted, "Secret Art: Bloodburst Technique!"
The Bloodburst Technique was Iwamoto's unique forbidden jutsu, temporarily flooding his body with chakra and breaking free from most genjutsu, bindings, and sealing techniques.
As the jutsu activated, his face turned crimson, as if he were drunk.
Sensing the danger, Kagami quickly retreated.
Through the Tenseigan's vision, Kagami saw Iwamoto's chakra burning wildly inside him like an uncontrollable flame.
The sensation reminded him of Might Guy in the Eight Gates state, but where Guy's chakra had structure, Iwamoto's was chaotic and frenzied—ready to consume him at any moment.
No doubt, this secret technique carried massive drawbacks, but it also granted terrifying power—a true trump card capable of flipping the battlefield.
In just a few breaths, Iwamoto had forced open his previously sealed chakra pathways. His hands blurred into afterimages as he rapidly performed seals.
"Earth Release: Mud Dragon Barrage!"
"Earth Release: Earth Spear Assault!"
"Earth Release: Mud Whip Binding!"
With murderous intent, Iwamoto launched three powerful Earth Release jutsu almost simultaneously.
Mud bullets roared in, silent earth spears shot up, and crackling mud whips lashed out from all directions, all targeting Kagami and the Third Kazekage Puppet.
Facing such a barrage, even with the Tenseigan, Kagami had no confidence in dodging everything—especially in his wounded state. Defense was his only option.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Defense!
The iron sand instantly formed a protective sphere around Kagami and the puppet.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless projectiles slammed into the sphere, producing deafening explosions.
Inside, Kagami crouched, calmly analyzing the situation.
A technique with such explosive output couldn't last long. If he could endure, the scales of victory would surely tip in his favor.
But this was a well-planned ambush by Iwagakure. There could be more enemies hidden nearby.
If additional Iwa-nin joined the fray, time could become his enemy instead of his ally.
Weighing his options, Kagami decided: even if it meant taking a risk, he had to end this quickly. The Third Kazekage Puppet was too sensitive a weapon. If word of it reached the enemy, it would bring major trouble.
Resolute, Kagami activated the puppet's strongest technique.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!
Most of the sand forming the iron sphere around him was drawn away, transforming into countless sharp spears that branched and stabbed toward Iwamoto.
Seeing the deadly barrage, Iwamoto's already twisted expression became even more maniacal.
He abandoned all defense, pouring every ounce of energy into his Earth Release jutsu—determined to drag Kagami down with him.
Kagami couldn't tell what Iwamoto was really thinking anymore, but at this point, there was no room for hesitation. In a fight between life and death, there was no room for indecision!
At nearly the same moment, both attacks struck their targets.
Iwamoto's right shoulder was pierced clean through by an iron spear. More spears impaled his limbs, hoisting his body like a grotesque puppet as blood dripped down into the muddy swamp.
Kagami, meanwhile, had overextended the use of Iron Sand World Method. The defense sphere had thinned, exposing his right side. Though he avoided most attacks, one earth spear slipped through, stabbing into his right thigh...