The blizzard on the snowy plains grew even fiercer, disorienting to the point where it was nearly impossible to distinguish north from south, up from down.
Trailing behind Kokushibo, who was scrambling on all fours like a wild beast, Shinji had no need to worry about losing his way.
The trail of blood and occasional clumps of decayed cellular tissue scattered across the snow told him that Kokushibo's body was still being ravaged by the Type-4 Aging Potion.
"With this amount of blood loss, a normal person would have died a hundred times over!" Shinji remarked, then calculated, "By my estimate, it's been nearly fifteen minutes since the injection."
Shinji's expression relaxed slightly.
Fifteen minutes wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. If a high-ranking demon like Upper Moon Two couldn't metabolize the Type-4 Aging Potion in that time, it suggested that even the mysterious Demon King would be affected by it to some degree.
But Shinji quickly reined in his thoughts and continued the pursuit.
It was too early to let his guard down. Only by confirming the final extent of the Type-4 Aging Potion's destructive power on Kokushibo's body could he determine if the optimization was truly successful.
At the other end of the plains, the intensifying blizzard was also interfering with the battle between Sasuke and the Fourth Raikage.
The Fourth Raikage, not being a dojutsu Bloodline Limit user, was facing a mysterious and formidable Akatsuki member. With his vision obscured by the blizzard, no matter how unwilling he was, he didn't dare act too recklessly.
Sasuke seized the opportunity, leaping into the storm and slipping away from the Raikage.
"As expected of the Raikage—his speed and strength are outrageous!"
Sasuke reflected on their brief clash as he fled.
Fighting the Fourth Raikage was a rare experience, one that neither the Shinobi Academy nor Hidden Leaf could provide.
"Joining the Akatsuki is thrilling!" He paused, then mused, "I'm starting to get used to the Raikage's speed. Next time we meet, I might be able to beat him!"
As he escaped, Sasuke encountered several Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud shinobi, as well as Land of Iron samurai.
In the extreme weather, these elite forces, bold enough to join the hunt for Upper Moon Two, all chose to avoid Sasuke, clad in his Akatsuki garb, without exception.
This boosted Sasuke's mood, washing away the frustration that had been weighing on him.
At that moment, Shinji's voice reached his ears.
Undoubtedly, Shinji was guiding him through 'Jikibi.' Sasuke's expression sharpened, and after quickly orienting himself, he sped toward Shinji's location.
After a while, pushing through the storm, Sasuke finally spotted Upper Moon Two, Kokushibo, scrambling across the ground like a beast.
"Found you!"
A smirk curled Sasuke's lips.
He had already learned that Upper Moon Two had been dosed with the aging potion, so in his mind, this was the perfect chance to take down the demon and make a name for himself in the shinobi world.
With a flash of movement, he lunged forward.
Almost simultaneously, Kokushibo noticed Sasuke.
Devoid of sanity and with his body deteriorating, Kokushibo didn't choose to dodge or retreat. Instead, he charged at Sasuke.
Centuries of combat experience, ingrained in every cell of his body, allowed him to make the most instinctive decisions even without conscious thought!
In an instant, Sasuke and Kokushibo clashed once more in the storm!
"Go to hell!"
Sasuke sneered.
His Mangekyo Sharingan had already caught every detail of Kokushibo's body—the decay, the rot, all laid bare before his eyes. Combined with Kokushibo's beast-like, four-limbed posture, it was clear that this fearsome figure, dreaded across the shinobi world, had likely lost all rationality.
In this state, Sasuke was confident he couldn't lose!
Seizing an opportunity, Sasuke suddenly drew several kunai from his ninja pouch and hurled them in all directions.
The kunai wove through the air, embedding firmly into the snow.
Kokushibo, his mind gone, paid no attention to the kunai and continued his ferocious assault. But as the fight went on, his speed slowed, until he could barely move.
"Heh!"
Sasuke let out a soft chuckle.
Undoubtedly, the kunai he had thrown were tied with specialized steel wires, which intertwined to form a hidden web across the battlefield.
With the blizzard obscuring visibility, the mindless Kokushibo failed to notice the web. Under Sasuke's guidance, he became increasingly entangled, layer upon layer of wires binding him until he was completely immobilized.
Sasuke strolled up to the trapped Kokushibo and said, "A beast should stay obediently in its cage!"
With that, he stepped back, preparing to unleash 'Amaterasu' to finish off Kokushibo, whose body was already ravaged beyond recognition by the Type-4 Aging Potion's toxicity.
Swish, swish, swish.
But at that moment, countless blades suddenly erupted from Kokushibo's body, each covered in eyes—his blade, 'Kyokokukamusari.'
Undoubtedly, 'Kyokokukamusari' had fused with Kokushibo's flesh, capable of constant repair and regeneration. Even if discarded, it could reform, practically an extension of his body.
As the countless 'Kyokokukamusari' blades burst forth, Kokushibo, bound by the steel wires, violently spun his body. The wires were instantly severed by the protruding blades, and he lunged at Sasuke like a malevolent demon.
"What!?"
Though shocked, Sasuke, tempered by days of battle, didn't panic. He instinctively formed hand seals, unleashing 'Chidori' to meet the attack.
Whoosh.
The two passed each other in a flash!
Kokushibo was struck by Sasuke's 'Chidori,' half his body obliterated, with faint blue electric arcs still flickering on what remained.
Yet, his demonic resilience shone through. With only half his body left, he bolted into the blizzard once more.
Sasuke moved to pursue but froze after taking a single step.
Looking down, he realized that while his 'Chidori' had hit Kokushibo, the blades protruding from Kokushibo's body had also wounded him.
His abdomen and legs bore eleven wounds of varying severity. Even with the Mangekyo Sharingan's insight, he had barely survived that clash. Without it, Kokushibo would likely have killed him.