The intense burning sensation finally subsided from Gato's charred body. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki immediately realized the surface-level nature of the damage. The attack, which should have pulverized a conventional ninja, had barely caused a flesh wound.
"Hehehe," Gato muttered, a disturbing light in his eyes, as if consumed by self-hypnosis. A strange, twisted blush spread across his soot-covered face. "That Lord was absolutely correct. The power I wield surpasses that of ninjas, surpasses this entire world! Yes, I am stronger than you... I am stronger than you!"
Driven by this manic self-suggestion, Gato's initial fear was replaced by a ferocious, twisted desire. He no longer sought escape; he craved to use this power to utterly destroy the two figures before him. The thought of them crying and begging for mercy before their demise sent uncontrollable tremors of sick excitement through his small frame.
He suddenly crouched low, adopting an awkward, almost animalistic stance.
"Here he comes!" Itachi Uchiha sensed the change in Gato's fighting spirit—the transition from cornered animal to apex predator.
Before Itachi could fully deploy his Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin), Gato roared, pushing off with his legs and launching forward at terrifying, unreadable speed. Kisame Hoshigaki, unwilling to let Itachi expose himself to this unknown close-combat threat, rushed forward to intercept.
Gato's strategy was simple and effective: engage in brutal, relentless close quarters combat, denying the enemy any opportunity to form hand seals or utilize Ninjutsu.
The moment their exchange began, Kisame knew something was fundamentally wrong.
Nails, elbows, even teeth—Gato, with his newly sprouted four arms, fought like a rabid dog, clawing and biting with devastating force. He disregarded his own minor injuries, focusing purely on offense. Kisame, already hampered by the unexpected limbs, sustained multiple new wounds in mere seconds.
"What bizarre martial art is this?" Kisame Hoshigaki had never encountered such a fighting style.
Gato offered no explanation. This was the Crazy Fist—a style born of instinct and desperation, perfectly suited to Gato's lack of combat experience, leaving only a wild impulse in his mind.
Shen Mo, watching the intense live feed, was completely engrossed. His investment in Gato wasn't purely monetary; he was testing the maximum potential of a "non-warrior" personality when suddenly armed with overwhelming power.
A novice player versus a professional. Even with similar specifications, the chasm in combat awareness is vast. It's difficult for a single Jar purchase to compensate for a lifetime of experience.
Gato still hasn't fully utilized his potential to crush them.
Though Kisame Hoshigaki seemed to hold his own, Itachi Uchiha was providing crucial support. He flicked his hand, and dozens of kunai sliced through the air with a sharp, lethal whistle.
Pfff! Pfff! Pfff!
A series of tearing sounds indicated flesh being pierced. Gato was now a berserker, instinctively covering his most vital areas but otherwise ignoring his defense.
Yet, the pain only amplified his ferocity. Not a single kunai fully penetrated his dense body; they were all caught and deformed by the incredibly hardened muscle beneath the charcoal skin. The steel kunai were actually being bent and compressed by the impact.
"What kind of monster is this...?" Even Itachi Uchiha was visibly shaken.
He could clearly perceive that Gato was using no energy—no Chakra, no Ki—to block the blades; he was relying solely on the sheer, intrinsic strength of his physique. It was a phenomenon unheard of in the ninja world.
"Kisame!" Itachi barked.
"Hmph!" Kisame instantly grasped the tactic. He risked taking several heavy blows to gather his Chakra, then unleashed a powerful surge, kicking Gato away from him.
He swiftly initiated hand seals.
Water Release: Water Prison Technique!
A massive, spherical cage of water materialized, instantly enveloping the airborne Gato, leaving only a human-sized aperture open at the top.
Itachi Uchiha appeared instantly before the opening. The speed of his hand seals blurred into afterimages.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
The giant water prison, containing the trapped Gato, was instantly struck by a colossal fireball, exploding with a thunderous roar.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Gato's scream of searing pain echoed, trapped within the aqueous sphere.
The success of the coordinated attack was undeniable. Trapping the mad dog and bombarding him relentlessly—but then...
Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki exchanged looks of profound shock.
They were unsure if even they could survive such a sustained bombardment, yet Gato, despite his ear-splitting screams, was still raging within the prison, his internal energy high, showing no signs of fatal injury.
Itachi halted his attack. He needed to assess the damage.
As the internal steam and flames subsided, Gato's silhouette appeared.
He was a tragic sight. His clothing was incinerated, his body resembled charcoal, and thick, dark red blood oozed from every pore.
But the sheer fact of his survival was miraculous.
"It hurts! Ahhh!"
Gato was still shrieking, but his small eyes were now burning with immense, focused rage.
"You forced me to do this!"
Gato pointed a shaky finger and shrieked hysterically, his voice raw with agitation. The energy that had been wildly fluctuating in his body suddenly became focused and still.
He aimed the index finger of his top right arm directly at Kisame Hoshigaki's head.
A bad feeling! Itachi Uchiha felt a wave of icy dread, but his warning was too late.
Kikoho (Tri-Beam)!
Gato unleashed his most destructive acquired ability, condensing his internal energy to a single point at his fingertip before firing it.
The concentrated blast—like a crimson laser cannon beam—instantly pierced the Water Prison Technique, slamming directly into Kisame's body.
It passed through Kisame without impedance, continuing its path to slice through several trees behind him.
"What...?"
Kisame Hoshigaki stared down at his chest in disbelief.
A fist-sized, perfectly cauterized hole was where his heart should be.
"Puh—"
Blood gushed from his mouth. He pressed his hand to the wound, but dark crimson fluid continued to seep between his fingers.
The Water Prison Technique, dependent on his concentration, immediately collapsed.
Gato staggered to the ground, but he erupted in wild, maniacal laughter: "Hahaha! This is the greatest power I was given! Damn, it hurts so much! You will all die! Die!"
He raised his finger again, the tip faintly glowing with residual energy.