Chapter 72: The Final Strike

As Hui sprinted through the dense forest, he pushed his speed to the limit, appearing as though he was desperately fleeing for his life. 

Behind him, Kamizuru Ishigawa, filled with rage over the loss of so many of his men, pursued him with equal determination.

But a small smirk tugged at the corner of Hui's mouth. This was exactly what he wanted—Kamizuru Ishigawa to chase him relentlessly, exerting every ounce of his strength. 

Once Kamizuru was caught in this cycle of exhausting himself, Hui would have the opportunity to either escape or, if fortune favoured him, turn the tables and defeat him.

Hui's mind briefly flashed back to an incident years ago, when he had used his near-unlimited stamina to outlast a Kirigakure Jonin, eventually wearing him down before delivering a lethal strike. 

Now, with a similar situation unfolding, his ambitions soared.

"Why stop at just escaping?" Hui thought. "What if I could make sure Kamizuru Ishigawa never leaves the Land of Fog?"

The two sped through the forest, their movements swift and precise, with Kamizuru steadily closing the distance. 

Hui's heart sank slightly. Kamizuru was adapting to the darkness faster than expected, and as a Kage-level ninja, especially one who led the Iwagakure Anbu, he had no weaknesses. 

His stamina was exceptional, and if this continued, Hui feared he would be caught before Kamizuru's energy was drained.

"I need another plan," Hui thought, his mind racing as he cleared a small hill. Then, his eyes widened, and his body tensed.

Ahead of him, the environment changed dramatically. 

Beyond the hill, the trees thinned out, leaving only a few scattered saplings. 

An open clearing lay ahead, with patches of grass dotting the ground. And at the far end of that clearing... a vast ravine stretched out.

"The Abyss Crossing!" Hui immediately recognized the location.

He had seen it on the map of the Land of Fog during one of his studies. 

During his earlier sprint through the forest, he hadn't been able to confirm his exact location, but now he realized where he had ended up.

The Abyss Crossing was a massive ravine within the Land of Fog, stretching several kilometres across at its widest point. 

On average, it was around 300 meters wide, with some areas reaching depths close to a thousand meters. The ravine was straight, cutting through the landscape like a scar.

Several Legends surrounded the Abyss Crossing.

Some said it was a natural formation, while others believed it was created by the Sage of Six Paths or the result of a battle between ancient deities. But Hui knew better.

This is no natural formation, he thought. It must have been left behind by one of the Otsutsuki battles, either during Kaguya's war or the conflict between the Sage's sons.

But none of that mattered now. What mattered was that he was trapped—an endless ravine in front of him, and a Kage-level opponent behind him.

"Looks like you've run out of options!" Kamizuru Ishigawa's voice rang out, filled with glee.

Under the moonlight, Kamizuru could see Hui's small figure standing at the edge of the ravine. 

A grin spread across the Iwagakure commander's face. Fortune had finally turned in his favour.

"To think the one who killed so many of my men would be so small," Kamizuru mocked as he approached. 

"No wonder you've been so good at hiding. It must be easy with a body like that, But now I'm curious—what's under that mask of yours? Is it the face of a dwarf? Or perhaps a child? No matter. Tonight, you're not going anywhere."

Kamizuru's voice was filled with cold confidence as he closed in on Hui.

Hui said nothing in response. Instead, he tightened his grip on his sword and dashed toward Kamizuru. 

There was no escape now. If the only way forward was to fight, then he would face this Kage-level opponent head-on.

Kamizuru sneered at Hui's charge. He drew his kunai, prepared to end the fight swiftly.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In an instant, their weapons clashed in a flurry of strikes. Sparks flew as Hui's blade met Kamizuru's kunai, the sound of metal against metal ringing out in the night.

As they exchanged blows, both combatants analyzing the other.

Kamizuru had the advantage in physical strength, speed, and experience. Even their reaction times were nearly equal, but in every fundamental aspect, Hui was at a disadvantage.

Kamizuru Ishigawa truly lived up to his reputation as the Iwagakure Anbu commander and a Kage-level ninja.

However, Hui had one advantage—his endurance and ability to heal quickly. If he could avoid being overwhelmed early, the longer the fight dragged on, the better his chances of survival.

Clang! Clang!

The two continued their fierce exchange of strikes, but Hui was mostly on the defensive, with few opportunities to launch a counterattack. When he did manage to strike, it had little effect.

Still, Hui remained patient, biding his time as he searched for the perfect opening.

Minutes passed, and under the pale moonlight, Kamizuru's eyes fully adapted to the darkness, making his attacks even more precise.

Slash!

Hui grimaced as Kamizuru's kunai grazed his arm. 

It was a shallow cut, but blood began to seep from the wound, affecting his movements slightly. The more they fought, the clearer it became that the difference in strength was putting Hui in greater danger.

"You're nothing special under the light," Kamizuru sneered, his confidence growing. 

He could feel that victory was within his grasp. Still, he remained cautious. Both were shinobi, after all, and neither had yet employed their full arsenal of ninjutsu.

Slash!

Another strike from Kamizuru landed, adding another wound to Hui's body.

The situation was growing more precarious for Hui. Kamizuru had already familiarized himself with Hui's sword techniques and was able to predict each strike with eerie precision.

Every time Hui attacked, Kamizuru's eyes locked onto his blade, reading his movements before they even happened.

Then, just as Hui swung his sword again, he noticed Kamizuru's eyes narrowing, tracking the sword's trajectory. This was the moment Hui had been waiting for.

"Light Release: Flash!"

A blinding white light exploded from Hui's sword just as it descended, stunning Kamizuru.

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