The several figures that appeared were somewhat blurry at first, but quickly came into sharp focus.
Kirigakure's Nagato, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Hyuga Neji.
Konoha's Yamashiro Aoba, Hatake Kakashi, and Uzumaki Naruto.
Sunagakure's Baki, Temari, and Kankuro.
When Uchiha Obito and the others clearly saw who had arrived, Nagato's group had also spotted them.
The encounter between the two sides was far quieter than expected. But that silence was soon shattered by a loud shout.
"Sasuke!!!"
Naruto's face was a mix of excitement, complexity, and other indescribable emotions as he let out a tremendous roar.
That voice carried Naruto's unfiltered relief and joy he could no longer conceal.
Seeing Uzumaki Naruto rushing toward him from afar, Sasuke's eyes flickered slightly. But his face showed no change in expression whatsoever, remaining utterly cold.
And Naruto's sudden shout served as a signal of sorts.
The instant both sides fully entered each other's field of vision, neither had any intention of wasting words. They moved almost simultaneously.
Hoshigaki Kisame was the first to charge out from the group, his face brimming with excitement as he locked onto Kakuzu across from him.
Water Release: Water Shark Bullet!
Hoshigaki Kisame leapt into mid-air, his hands rapidly forming seals. A stream of water condensed entirely from chakra materialized before him.
The water current formed a shark-shaped projectile that enveloped Hoshigaki Kisame, allowing him to glide through the air as he surged toward Kakuzu.
Seeing Hoshigaki Kisame's move, Kakuzu, who had also started moving, curled his lip with a flash of disappointment.
"I originally wanted to fight Nagato, but it looks like I'll have to take care of you first!"
Kakuzu's rapidly advancing body came to a sudden halt. He hunched slightly, his face twisted into a cold, murderous grin.
The two had once been comrades in Akatsuki. Now, meeting again, both sides unhesitatingly unleashed their terrifying killing intent!
This didn't mean their past relationship had been particularly bad. Quite the opposite!
Both Hoshigaki Kisame and Kakuzu regarded each other as a true rival, an opponent who must be killed with everything they had!
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
Kakuzu's hunched body suddenly straightened. He opened his mouth wide, and a high-pressure wind sphere rapidly condensed between his jaws.
In the blink of an eye, it formed into a terrifying vortex of gale force that blasted toward the airborne Hoshigaki Kisame.
Kakuzu was well acquainted with Hoshigaki Kisame's abilities, especially the Great Sword Samehada. Once Hoshigaki Kisame got into close range, failing to finish him quickly would only make the man stronger.
Meanwhile, his own chakra would be continuously drained, weakening him in the process.
Therefore, Kakuzu intended to suppress Hoshigaki Kisame with Ninjutsu right from the start!
The violent wind pressure instantly collided with the water shark bullet gliding through the air. After only a brief stalemate, the water current was torn apart by the wind pressure!
Hoshigaki Kisame, who had been enveloped by the water shark bullet, quickly raised the Great Sword Samehada in front of him. Using Samehada's special properties, he managed to block the wind pressure.
Even so, after landing from mid-air, Hoshigaki Kisame still couldn't help but stagger back a few steps.
"You really don't hold back, do you, Kakuzu!"
Hoshigaki Kisame shook his arm slightly, baring his sharp teeth with unconcealed excitement on his face.
As his words fell!
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Hoshigaki Kisame let out a low shout and opened his mouth, spraying forth a surging torrent of water.
With Hoshigaki Kisame at the center, the water formed a small lake in mere moments.
Such an astonishing sight instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, everyone quickly moved to the side to avoid being caught in the crossfire of Hoshigaki Kisame and Kakuzu's battle.
These two were a terrifying pair. One possessed monstrous chakra from birth, earning him the title of "Tailless Tailed Beast."
The other had a special ability, hiding five hearts within his body, each capable of producing chakra.
The amount of chakra inside both of them was staggering. Once they started exchanging Ninjutsu, anyone nearby would absolutely be caught in the devastation.
Even those unfamiliar with the two fighters saw everyone else moving away and naturally weren't about to stand there like fools.
"What terrifying chakra!"
Hatake Kakashi glanced toward Hoshigaki Kisame from the corner of his eye and couldn't help muttering under his breath.
Beside him, Yamashiro Aoba nodded in agreement, a grave expression on his face.
"Gaara should be down in the valley. I can sense the Tailed Beast's violent chakra fluctuations."
Yamashiro Aoba whispered to Kakashi, pointing toward the bottom of the valley.
Kakashi's eyes lit up and he was about to say something when his body suddenly tensed.
It wasn't just Kakashi. Yamashiro Aoba felt it too. Both simultaneously sensed that they had been locked onto by a chakra.
Swish! Swish!
Suddenly, both Kakashi and Aoba leapt away from their positions, jumping to the side.
The instant they left their spots, an iron chain shot up from exactly where they had been standing.
"Oh my, you dodged it?"
Uchiha Obito also emerged from underground, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Kakashi and Yamashiro Aoba, his tone carrying a note of mock regret.
That was what he said.
But both Kakashi and Aoba could tell that the regret in his voice was little more than teasing.
"This is trouble."
Kakashi and Aoba exchanged a glance as they faced Uchiha Obito blocking their path, their hearts sinking.
Their opponent possessed space-time Ninjutsu. Anyone facing such an adversary would find it a headache.
"If you two aren't going to attack, then I'll go first. I hope you don't die too quickly."
Uchiha Obito let out a low chuckle, shook the iron chain in his hand, and spoke coldly.
The next moment.
A red flash flickered in Uchiha Obito's one visible Sharingan eye as he charged straight at Kakashi.
In the blink of an eye, the three were locked in combat. Under Uchiha Obito's bizarre space-time Ninjutsu, neither Kakashi's nor Aoba's attacks had any effect whatsoever.
In a short span of time, both Kakashi and Aoba were completely suppressed by Uchiha Obito, forced into a steady retreat.
On the other side.
Sunagakure's Baki, Kankuro, and Temari were intercepted by Sasori alone.
Though he was also a puppet master, the usually proud Kankuro was utterly outclassed by Sasori's puppetry, beaten so thoroughly that he began to question his entire existence.
If not for Baki and Temari's assistance, Kankuro would likely have been defeated within moments of engaging Sasori.
BOOM!
"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel!"
Temari wielded her fan, generating a violent storm along with countless invisible vacuum blades that blasted fiercely toward the enemy.
Using Temari's explosive Ninjutsu as cover, Sasori manipulated Hiruko as it leapt backward, temporarily separating from Kankuro.
Kankuro knew Temari was helping him and quickly retreated. Remembering the opponent's attack just now, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
(End of Chapter)
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