UCHIHA LIBERATOR (NARUTO X MALE UCHIHA OC)

Chapter 19

3RD POV

The wielder of Nuibari leapt down from his perch, landing gracefully on the forest floor. His presence alone radiated a chilling aura of death, and the way he held himself—straight and poised—only amplified his menace.

He was a thin, almost skeletal man, his tall and gangly frame giving him a haunting appearance. Long, unkempt straw-blond hair spilled over his shoulders, and his face was obscured by a white ANBU-style mask. A green triangle adorned the mask's lower half, and the symbol of Kirigakure was etched into its top, a stark reminder of his allegiance. His attire was as practical as it was ominous: a sleeveless black shirt, matching pants, and Kirigakure's signature striped wrist and leg guards. Bandages wrapped around his neck like a noose, adding to his foreboding look.

The Nuibari wielder tilted his head slightly, his eerie voice cutting through the forest's stillness. "I'll let you have the first move. It's no fun if I just kill you outright."

Ryuichi didn't waste a second. Forming a series of hand seals, he inhaled deeply before exhaling a massive fireball that roared toward the swordsman. Flames illuminated the dark forest, obscuring the Nuibari wielder in a wall of fire and smoke.

"Now!" Haru barked, and in an instant, the three genin vanished into the surrounding forest, their forms flickering out of sight.

The swordsman laughed, his voice resonating with dark amusement. "Good! A little game of cat and mouse makes it more satisfying." He casually waved his needle-like sword, his eyes scanning the area.

Suddenly, a barrage of kunai came hurtling at him from all sides, their sharp tips glinting in the firelight. He moved with unsettling ease, dodging and deflecting them with his blade, the kunai clattering harmlessly to the ground.

From the shadows, the wielder shot his needle-like sword in the direction the kunai had come from. The razor-thin weapon pierced through branches with frightening speed. Just as it was about to strike, a shimmering barrier erupted in its path.

Fuyumi stepped out from behind a tree, her palms pressed to the ground, her barrier halting the weapon in midair. The swordsman snarled in irritation, retracting the Nuibari and rushing at her with murderous intent.

Fuyumi ducked under his slashing blade, narrowly avoiding decapitation. With a quick flick of her wrist, she slapped a resistance seal onto his left leg. The swordsman's movement faltered for the briefest moment as the seal's effects began to weigh him down. But before Fuyumi could retreat, his right leg came crashing toward her, landing a devastating kick that sent her tumbling into the underbrush.

"Fuyumi!" Ryuichi shouted, leaping down from a tree while Haru emerged from another bush. The two genin charged at the Nuibari wielder, engaging him in close combat. Ryuichi's chakra-enhanced strength made the ground tremble with every strike, while Haru's precise Gentle Fist strikes aimed to disrupt the swordsman's chakra flow.

Yet the wielder of Nuibari was like a ghost—every attack they launched either missed entirely or grazed his armored limbs. His movements were effortless, a dance of evasion and counterattacks that left the two boys with shallow cuts on their arms and legs.

"You've got some impressive strength for a genin, kid," the swordsman remarked, his mocking tone directed at Ryuichi. "But raw power alone won't save you."

He took a step back, a cruel grin curling beneath his mask. "Maybe it's time I upped the ante."

With that, he gave a sharp tug on the thin wire attached to his sword.

Ryuichi froze as a sharp, searing pain shot up his left arm. He looked down in horror to see the Nuibari's chakra-infused wire digging into his flesh, slicing through muscle and bone with precision. The wire spiraled upward, twisting his arm into a grotesque vortex of blood and torn skin.