Uchiha's Taijutsu Supreme

"…"

Speechless, terrified, shocked, and horrified—these emotions flickered across the faces of the ninja on Orochimaru's side. Ultimately, however, only silence prevailed.

Even though many of them knew that the Sky Ninja, apart from their advanced tools, weren't particularly formidable—at best, a group of Chunin with a few Jonin sprinkled in—it was still a terrifying sight to witness hundreds, if not thousands, of highly mobile ninja reduced to ashes in an instant.

Their flesh was stripped away by bloodlust and black smoke, their bones drained and crumbling as a roaring crimson-black dragon swept through the battlefield, mercilessly harvesting the remaining Sky Ninja struggling to resist.

The massacre continued until no living breath was left within the domain.

If these ninja had fallen to some traditional large-scale jutsu, such as an all-consuming Fire Release or a Water Release capable of drowning valleys, it might not have been as shocking.

After all, such displays of power had occasionally appeared throughout the history of the ninja world.

But Fuma's techniques exuded an air of the unknown. In the thousands of years of ninja history, no one had ever wielded jutsu like his. That alone ignited panic among the observing Mist Rogue Ninja.

The unknown has always been the deepest source of fear.

"This must be some kind of sealing technique, right? I've heard that the Uzumaki clan had methods to summon spirits and trap them within barriers. My grandfather told me once…"

"I doubt it. It looks more like an advanced genjutsu. Maybe everything we're seeing is an illusion. Did you notice his eyes? Those are the Uchiha clan's Sharingan!"

"How could it be genjutsu? Don't be ridiculous. Just wait—once that domain dissipates, we might get a clue…"

The Mist Ninja whispered among themselves, desperately trying to decipher the source of Fuma's power.

Though Fuma had eradicated the Sky Ninja that had plagued them for so long, these rogue ninja understood their place. As tools of circumstance, they knew Fuma's attitude toward them remained uncertain.

He could very well turn his wrath upon them next. From the look of things, they understood one thing clearly: if they were to face Fuma, they had no chance of victory.

Despite this, they clung to the desire to understand his power—perhaps to find some solace in knowing what would kill them if it ever came to that.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Fuma's lips. He was quite satisfied with the effects of combining his [Predator's Malice] with [Blissful Gluttony].

Years ago, Fuma had been concerned about his inability, as a taijutsu specialist, to deal with groups effectively.

But with the successive evolution of his abilities, he had finally developed a technique that placed him among the elite of the ninja world in terms of raw destruction.

"Hoo... hoo…"

The serpentine black dragons coiled in the air, growling in dissatisfaction as if protesting they hadn't eaten their fill. However, they soon obediently dissolved into black smoke and bloodlust, retreating back into Fuma's black wings.

As the smoke and blood dissipated, the once-chaotic battlefield fell silent, as if nothing had happened.

Except, the ground that had been enveloped by the domain was now marked with patches of unnatural grey and black—lifeless, desolate, and drained of vitality.

Kushina swallowed hard, clutching Minato's arm tightly. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke:

"It's not just the enemies—he even drained the life out of the land… What kind of jutsu does Fuma-sensei possess to achieve this?"

"And why can't my Kagura's Mind Eye sense any chakra within that bloodlust and black smoke?"

Minato, however, remained calm. Gently massaging Kushina's fingers to soothe her, he furrowed his brow and replied:

"Fuma-bro's training system has always been like this—rarely reliant on chakra. That's probably how he's been able to climb so far as a taijutsu ninja. He has a unique talent…"

"Don't worry. Despite his appearance, Fuma-bro's mind is always clear. He just looks… a bit intimidating."

Though Minato reassured Kushina, he couldn't help but feel awed himself. As Fuma's senior disciple, Minato had always admired and compared himself to his master, though he had never harbored ambitions of surpassing him.

It was the natural pride of a genius—while Minato had mostly come to terms with staying in Fuma's shadow, a small part of him still burned with competitive spirit.

Through his own efforts, Minato had developed a technique using Flying Thunder God kunai to instantly eliminate dozens of enemies in a short span. It was his trump card, meant to surprise Fuma.

But now, seeing the sheer destructive power of [Gluttony Hell], Minato couldn't help but feel his technique fell short in both scale and potency.

Pressing his lips together, Minato glanced toward the Mist Ninja with Kekkei Genkai, recalling a conversation he had once had with Fuma about creating new jutsu. A sense of urgency stirred within him.

"I've made no progress in studying Kekkei Tota. And without a chance to face someone like Onoki, who wields Dust Release, I can't move forward. Perhaps these Mist Ninja could provide some inspiration…"

"Instead of rushing to merge three chakra natures, I should focus on mastering combinations of two. Take it step by step. After all, under Fuma-bro's protection, I've been through smooth sailing for years. It's only natural to encounter setbacks now…"

With a soft sigh, Minato reflected on his previous arrogance and resolved to approach things more humbly.

Noticing Minato introspection, Orochimaru sidled up to him, pulling him aside for a quiet conversation.

Thus, the two men—once competitors for the Fourth Hokage position—found themselves drawn closer by their shared interest in the Mist Ninja's Kekkei Genkai.

Kushina sighed as well. As a girl with a penchant for aesthetics, she preferred Minato's elegant fighting style. Fuma's brutal methods were difficult for her to accept.

Still, that was merely personal preference and didn't diminish her respect for Fuma. Shaking her head, she jogged over to Minato and Orochimaru, eager to contribute to their discussion.

Meanwhile, in the shelter, the Mist Ninja watched Fuma's towering figure in the sky with reverent awe.

At that moment, many of them silently branded Fuma as a devil sent to punish the world—far more ominous than even the Tailed Beasts.

Fuma closed his eyes, sensing the chakra he had absorbed, and shook his head slightly.

"The chakra from these ninja is far too inferior—it doesn't provide any noticeable nourishment to my body…"

"After feasting on treasures like Shukaku, the Box of Ultimate Bliss, and Indra's chakra, it's hard to go back to nibbling on scraps…"

"Well then, since I've already cosplayed as a curse user today, I might as well go all out. Time for a rare indulgence!"

"Zzzzt!"

Placing two fingers to his forehead, Fuma began to concentrate an enormous amount of chakra, forming a tightly compressed sphere of brilliant blue light.

Slowly, he aimed it at the distant floating fortress, his voice filled with nostalgia as he declared:

"Special Beam Cannon!"

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