Countless explosive tags detonated at once, the deafening roar tearing through the night.
Flames burst skyward as Rukawa was swallowed whole by the massive explosion.
A towering mushroom cloud surged upward. The shockwave obliterated every nearby building.
Even the surrounding Root shinobi were forced to fall back.
Fortunately, the nearby civilians had already been evacuated earlier in preparation for tonight's purge.
If not, this single blast could've killed hundreds.
"...Is it over?"
A Root agent muttered hesitantly, eyes locked on the thick wall of smoke.
"Of course it is! No way anything survived that! He's got to be ash by now!"
"Yeah, no one could live through a blast like that. Not even a tailed beast could tank it!"
Fūton – Great Breakthrough!
One ninja, impatient to confirm the kill, unleashed a wind-style jutsu.
A sharp gust scattered the lingering smoke…
…revealing a massive crater—and standing at its center, a lone figure.
All at once, the Root agents' eyes widened in disbelief.
"What… what the hell?!"
"He survived?! After all that?! Is he even human?!"
"Even a tailed beast doesn't have that kind of defense!!"
Behind their masks, jaws hung slack.
"This explosion... was that supposed to tickle?" Rukawa muttered, brushing dust off his shoulder.
He casually shook out his long black hair, then patted down the shredded remains of his clothes.
Besides getting his outfit blown to bits, he was completely unharmed—not even a strand of hair was out of place.
"...Yeah, I really need a custom battle suit or something," he mused.
"Can't keep ending every fight in just my boxers. Not exactly the image of dominance."
His defense wasn't just from two doses of Super Soldier Serum.
He'd taken four total.
Before arriving, he'd used the three sign-in rewards from Itachi's mission:
Two vials of serum and one… expired bottle of poison.
(Not exactly a jackpot, but not bad.)
"…Ninjutsu! Use ranged attacks! Don't let him close in! Hit him with everything we've got!"
A squad leader barked orders from a rooftop, hands flying through seals.
– Katon: Great Fire Dragon Technique!
He took a deep breath, preparing to unleash a massive blaze—
THWIP!
SPLAT!!
A pebble, launched like a bullet, pierced clean through his forehead and exited out the back.
His head exploded into a fountain of gore, and his corpse tumbled from the rooftop.
"Talk too much and that's what you get," Rukawa said, flicking another pebble between his fingers.
Once again, the Root agents were frozen in shock.
A tiny rock. Just a rock.
And yet it hit harder than their kunai ever could.
This guy wasn't just strong—he was inhuman.
If not for the cursed "Root Tongue Seal," most of them would've fled already.
Fear, after all, is primal.
Hmph!
Danzo clicked his tongue, scowling.
Even after his brutal training regimen, some of his tools still feared death?
Clearly, he needed to revise his methods. They weren't broken enough yet.
BAM!
He slammed his cane down, eye burning with fury.
"Anyone who retreats—dies."
"Now ATTACK! I don't care if you die trying—FIND HIS WEAKNESS!"
THWIP!
Even before he finished yelling, another stone flew at Danzo's face—
SPLAT!
Only it didn't explode in blood.
Instead, his body puffed into white smoke—a shadow clone.
"Tch. Cunning old dog," Rukawa muttered, eyes narrowing.
He'd hoped that one pebble would finish Danzo off.
Too easy, huh?
All around him, the Root agents sprang into action.
– Fire Style: Great Fireball!
– Lightning Style: Ground Shock!
– Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!
– Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!
– Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!
In mere seconds, they unleashed a storm of elemental jutsu—
Fire, lightning, earth, water, wind—a rainbow of destruction surged toward Rukawa from all directions.
"Tch."
Rukawa spat to the side and… stood his ground.
Arms folded across his chest, he didn't even flinch.
He wanted to test how far his defense had come.
Besides, with Amenotejikara (Heavenly Hand Power), he could teleport at any moment.
No real danger.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The entire crater erupted in fire and smoke as dozens of jutsu struck at once.
The blast zone lit up like daytime, rubble scattering in all directions.
"He's… he's GOTTA be toast now!"
"Yeah, no one could survive THAT."
All eyes were glued to the crater, nerves taut.
But as the smoke cleared—
There he was.
Standing tall in the center of the pit.
Rukawa calmly exhaled, blowing out a small flame on his shoulder.
Aside from some scorched tips on his hair, he looked completely unharmed.
"Not bad…" he murmured, flexing his arms.
At this point, conventional jutsu were all but useless against him.
Only high-tier S-rank attacks might break through—and even then, maybe not.
He smirked.
"Wonder if my body's ready to tank a Susanoo sword now..."
Only one way to find out.