"You're that shinobi from Sunagakure?!" The giant man with long orange hair, fluffy bandages wrapped around his neck, and green streaks painted on both cheeks exclaimed in shock and anger. This was none other than Fuguki Suikazan.
Beside him were two other individuals. One of them was Raiga Kurosuki, who had previously fought against Sōmi. The other man also had a striking appearance.
With short black hair and no eyebrows, he shared the same sharp teeth as the giant. A large cross-shaped scar marked his right cheek, and bandages wrapped around his ears and neck. His lower face bore red markings, and on his back hung a massive blade as large as a door.
The three appeared travel-worn and slightly disheveled, though they bore no visible injuries.
"Didn't expect to run into you here!" Raiga Kurosuki wasted no time, gripping his twin swords, the Kiba Blades, as arcs of silvery-white lightning crackled and danced along their edges.
"I don't know who you are, but since you're from Sunagakure, that makes you our enemy. Might as well take care of you here and now!" Jūzō Biwa unsheathed his Executioner's Blade, his eyes radiating unrestrained killing intent.
"We've come this far, but we need to finish this quickly. If that person catches up to us..." Fuguki Suikazan withdrew Samehada, his tone heavy as he warned the other two.
At his words, both Raiga and Jūzō's expressions changed. Whoever Fuguki was referring to seemed like a devil from hell, capable of striking fear even into such notorious individuals.
"Scorpion, let's move!" Sōmi's expression remained calm. Even though they were facing three members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, this time, he had Scorpion by his side.
Sōmi hurled his golden staff into the air above the enemy, releasing the sealing technique. The gold sand within burst forth like a dam breaking, a torrential wave engulfing the three in an instant.
Meanwhile, Scorpion retrieved several scrolls from his back. With puffs of white smoke, three imposing puppets materialized on the ground. Two of them immediately charged toward the enemy with creaking movements.
Crackle!
From the gold sand-covered ground, a surge of lightning erupted. The "Three Swordsmen" leapt high through the openings created by the lightning, landing on patches of ground untouched by the sand.
Clang! Thud!
The crisp sound of metal clashing and the dull thud of heavy impacts followed. Scorpion's two puppets had extended sharp blades, engaging Jūzō Biwa and Fuguki Suikazan in battle.
The third puppet, under Scorpion's control via Chakra threads, unleashed a ninjutsu of its own.
Earth Release: Earth Flow River!
The ground beneath Jūzō and Fuguki suddenly turned to a muddy swamp, flowing like a rapid river.
Scorpion's puppets, however, were unaffected. They leapt into the air, their scythe-like silver blades gleaming as they slashed down mercilessly at the two men.
Slash!
Both were seemingly cut in half at the waist by the sharp blades. But instead of blood and organs spilling out, water burst forth like a punctured balloon.
It was clear that their Water Clones had been expertly deployed. Their real bodies reappeared not far away, and as they exchanged glances, mutual wariness was evident in their eyes.
This Sunagakure shinobi, who controlled puppets, was undoubtedly among the strongest they had ever faced in battle.
Scorpion's expression remained indifferent as he maneuvered his puppets to close in once again.
On the other side, Sōmi faced Raiga Kurosuki. "This time, we can have a proper fight!"
Sōmi hadn't forgotten the near-death experience Raiga had given him before. For an enemy like this, Sōmi was determined to repay the favor—tenfold.
Raiga, too, knew that unless he dealt with Sōmi, returning to Kirigakure would be impossible.
"Hahaha! Bring it on!" Raiga cackled maniacally, swinging his Kiba Blades. A massive gate of lightning formed, its silvery-white arcs crackling and bouncing wildly within.
Zzzap!
The Lightning Gate surged forward at incredible speed, aiming to crush Sōmi. Fortunately, Sōmi had already summoned a massive amount of gold sand.
With a gesture of his right hand, the gold sand rose to form an impenetrable golden wall in front of him.
Boom!
The Lightning Gate collided with the golden wall, producing a sharp explosion and a burnt smell that filled the air.
The thick golden wall was clearly more than a match for the Lightning Gate. Sōmi, unwilling to prolong the fight, quickly formed hand seals.
Sand Burial: Extinction!
A deep rumbling sound echoed as cracks appeared beneath Raiga's feet, opening into a deep chasm that swallowed him whole.
Raiga, however, activated a layer of lightning armor around himself. His body glowed with blinding silver light, and the crackling sound of electricity was incessant.
At some point, his twin swords had combined into a single long blade. The sudden opening beneath him caused him to lose balance.
The chasm was exceptionally wide, as if a giant had torn a two-meter-wide rift into the earth.
This time, Raiga had no chance to stabilize himself by embedding his blade into the walls. His body wobbled before he fell helplessly into the abyss.
Sōmi's hand seals shifted again as gusts of wind swirled around him. His Chakra poured out without reservation, his aura becoming increasingly formidable.
The gold sand on either side of the chasm surged like towering waves, crashing down with a thunderous roar to bury the rift completely.
Golden Sand Prison Flow!
The gold sand began to rotate slowly, turning the ground into a massive grinding mill.
The mill gradually transformed into a funnel-shaped vortex. The rocks and soil beneath were ground into gold sand under the immense force, merging into the swirling mass.
The gold sand, like demons from the abyss, formed countless hands that dragged Raiga deeper, aiming to pull him into eternal darkness.
Crackle!
From the bottom of the vortex, a blinding beam of silver lightning erupted. The lightning was as thick as a barrel, its immense power evident.
Roar!
The lightning expanded, forming a massive silver-white thunder dragon. The dragon was lifelike, with crimson eyes that sent chills down one's spine. Its long whiskers swayed in the wind.
Raiga's figure appeared on the dragon's claw, held like a mere chick. Lightning Chakra continuously poured from his body into the dragon, enhancing its form.
Raiga's eyes burned with fighting spirit as he let out a roar. The lightning around him surged even more violently.
The thunder dragon, as if injected with adrenaline, let out a silent roar, its ferocious head lowering as it dove toward Sōmi with unstoppable momentum.