Chapter 231: Total Annihilation

In the corner of his eye, Raiga saw two figures rushing toward him. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and left his position.

“Why waste everyone’s time when you can just let us have a few cuts?” Nawaki said arrogantly, carrying Samehada on his shoulder.

It was classic psychological warfare. If he didn’t speak now, there might not even be a fight.

“Why don’t you let me have a few cuts?” Raiga’s face twitched in irritation. Was this kid even speaking a human language?

“Fine, if you’ve got the guts, come over here.” Nawaki smiled generously, inviting Raiga.

“This is too much,” Raiga snapped, unable to hold back his frustration. This was pure bullying.

“Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Tornado!”

He swung his dual blades, summoning a powerful dragon-shaped bolt of lightning that spun rapidly toward Nawaki.

“Are you crazy? Don’t you recognize what I’m holding?” Nawaki retorted, swinging Samehada. The blade absorbed the Lightning Dragon easily, restoring a bit of Nawaki’s Chakra in the process.

“Damn it,” Raiga growled, furious, and lunged to fight Nawaki to the death.

By then, Minato had already closed in. Raiga barely managed to avoid a fatal blow, but a deep wound was left on his chest.

“What are you doing?” Nawaki complained. He had been putting on a performance for nothing.

Raiga realized he had been played.

“Oops, my bad,” Minato said, smiling sheepishly at Nawaki.

“Get him,” Nawaki muttered, taking Samehada off his shoulder and pointing it at Raiga.

“Ninja Art: Lightning Strike Armour!” Raiga roared, fusing his dual blades and cloaking himself in lightning. The armor surrounded his body, allowing him to defend and attack simultaneously.

“He looks a bit like my brother-in-law,” Nawaki remarked, though his hands showed no hesitation. With one strike, Samehada absorbed the lightning completely, smacking its lips in satisfaction.

Minato followed through, plunging his blade into Raiga. The swordsman died with a grudge, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, felled by Samehada in the end.

It was an ironic fate—dying at the hands of one of the very weapons his group had revered.

"Could it be possible?"

“Minato, do you think I can suck my brother-in-law dry with this sword?” Nawaki asked, a frightening yet tempting thought flashing through his mind. He pictured Kawakaze’s dumbfounded expression as his Chakra was drained. The image made him chuckle twice.

"Sure, I've got your back—mentally," Minato replied with a faint smirk. "But it's not even dark yet; keep dreaming," he added, dismissing Nawaki's bold words as he hurried off toward Konan and Yahiko.

If this guy wants to die, don’t drag me down, he thought. If Nawaki pins this stupid idea on me, it’ll be completely unfair.

Just thinking about the days of being dominated by Kawakaze sent a chill down his spine. Kawakaze might not teach much, but when it came to fighting, he fought fiercely!

“Hey, hey, why are you running so fast?” He called out, chasing after Minato to keep up.

Meanwhile, four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had already been defeated.

The ongoing battle between Konan, Yahiko, and Jinpachi Munashi was a clash filled with constant explosions. The sound reverberated across the battlefield.

Konan’s Dance of the Shikigami protected her from harm, but her counterattacks barely scratched Jinpachi Munashi. Yahiko, having learned his lesson from being caught in an earlier explosion, shifted to long-range Water Release techniques. However, the results were disappointing—Kirigakure’s ninja were highly proficient in Water Release.

Jinpachi Munashi was an even greater master of the art, and Yahiko’s techniques had little effect.

The three were locked in a grueling struggle. If the fight continued to drag on, the odds of victory clearly leaned toward Jinpachi Munashi. His Chakra reserves far surpassed those of Yahiko and Konan.

“Senior Brother, Brother Nawaki,” Konan called out as she avoided another explosion. The shredded paper gathered before Minato and Nawaki.

“Okay, leave it to us,” Nawaki said confidently. He and Minato stepped past Konan, while Jinpachi Munashi remained on full alert, his focus shifting entirely away from Yahiko.

“Do you want to handle this yourself, or should we?” Nawaki asked, running his mouth again. Minato shook his head with a small smile—this guy really couldn’t help himself.

“Cut the crap,” Jinpachi Munashi snapped. Despite knowing he was outmatched, he charged forward with admirable courage. He swung his explosive blade, Shibuki, aiming for Nawaki with the side of the blade covered in Explosive Tags.

Nawaki instinctively blocked with Samehada, triggering a series of explosions. While Samehada’s massive body shielded Nawaki from the blasts, the damage wasn’t based on Chakra. The sword’s inability to absorb it resulted in pain and burning sensations radiating through it.

Annoyed, Samehada extended its blade handle and knocked Nawaki on the head a couple of times in protest, its actions almost human-like.

“Sorry, won’t happen again,” Nawaki said sheepishly, scratching his head. He quickly channeled Chakra into Samehada to heal it, soothing its anger.

Minato took advantage of the moment and launched an attack. He had no intention of confronting Shibuki head-on. Explosive Tags in large numbers were still incredibly destructive. Instead, he relied on his speed and an evasive fighting style to evade, managing to inflict several wounds on Jinpachi while sustaining only minor injuries himself.

Jinpachi’s strikes repeatedly missed, leaving gaping holes in the ground. Agitated by the pain, his attacks grew faster and more reckless.

“Blastsword Technique: Blasting Bridle Repeating Death!” Jinpachi roared. He flung Shibuki forward, sending its Explosive Scroll flying off the blade. The scroll unfurled in a circle, surrounding both Nawaki and Minato.

“Explode.”

A loud explosion echoed, and Munashi Jinpachi’s mouth curled into a sneer.

As the smoke and dust cleared, a massive crater several meters deep appeared where the explosion had occurred. Yet, no one was inside.

“What are you smiling at?” Minato’s voice came from nearby. He stood not far from Jinpachi, holding Nawaki by the arm. If not for the Flying Thunder God Technique, both of them could have been gravely injured.

“How is that possible?” Jinpachi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s because you’re out of practice. Die!” Nawaki growled, clearly losing his temper. No one could feel good about nearly being blown to pieces.

Samehada, massive in size but weightless in Nawaki’s hands, swung effortlessly. Before long, Jinpachi Munashi was struck, his already depleted Chakra reserves drained completely. Unable to even attempt a final move, he fell to his knees before collapsing entirely.

Nawaki didn’t hesitate. He raised Samehada and cleaved Jinpachi’s body in two.

Now, only two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist remained.

Elsewhere, the trio led by Shishi struggled against Jinin Akebino and Kushimaru Kuriarare. The two Mist swordsmen had adapted to the Nara Clan’s shadow binding technique after narrowly escaping it the first time.

The Shishi’s secondary blade had already been severed by the Kabutowari, while the Nuibari had left numerous wounds on their bodies. If not for their opponents’ wariness of Genjutsu, one of them might have already fallen.

Nawaki, still seething with anger, joined the battle alongside Minato, who had retrieved all his kunai. The tide instantly turned into a five-against-two skirmish.

Victory was swift.

Jinin Akebino, confused by the onslaught, fell victim to the shadow binding technique. Nawaki decapitated him with a single swing, leaving the Kabutowari—axe and hammer—clattering to the ground. Nawaki couldn’t help but feel a twinge of helplessness at the peculiar design of the weapon.

Meanwhile, Kushimaru Kuriarare attempted to set up traps using wire, but before he could activate them, Minato appeared beside him in a flash using the Flying Thunder God Technique. A single Rasengan pierced Kushimaru’s heart, ending his life instantly.

Thus, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were completely destroyed.