At the outer perimeter of Kiri village, Jigen had barely reemerged from a spatial rift when a fierce, whip-fast kick charged with immense Sage Chakra slashed toward his neck.
KABOOM!
Taken completely off guard, Jigen barely managed to raise his left arm to protect his neck.
His entire body was sent flying sideways like a cannonball under the tremendous force,
crashing through countless trees and boulders.
In the thick cloud of dust, Tsunade's figure swiftly followed up, unleashing her Heavenly Foot of Pain downward at the fallen Jigen.
WHUMP!
The spatial rift flickered and vanished.
Jigen reemerged atop the high walls of Kiri village.
Wiping blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, he looked toward Hikaku Uchiha, who was currently locked in battle against Izuna Uchiha, Onoki, and A, the Third Raikage.
Izuna, in the form of Partial-body Susanoo, kept launching relentless frontal attacks.
A's figure dashed through the battlefield, leaving behind streaks of powerful lightning arcs, striking at Hikaku's blind spots during Izuna's assault.
Old man Onoki floated midair, constantly shifting position while bombarding her with long-range Dust Release attacks, forcing Hikaku to divide her attention toward his movements.
Jigen took a deep breath. The fleeting suspicion he'd held toward Hikaku because of the ambush now faded.
Izuna's strength already surpassed that of ordinary Kage-level experts, and the might of Susanoo was unquestionable.
Even Jigen himself would have to be cautious when facing A's Hell Stab and Onoki's Dust Release.
Hikaku, despite being known as the ultimate weapon,
was clearly bound to face difficulties under their coordinated assault.
Jigen turned his gaze toward Tsunade, who stepped out from the swirling smoke.
Flawless Sage Mode, an extraordinary physique, and resilient chakra meridians.
Despite being a woman, the "vessel" would change along with the release of the "Kāma." Once his genetic influence overtook her body, he would eventually return to his once-perfect form!
Moreover, considering her relationship with Kei Yamanaka, his resurrection would carry practically no risk whatsoever.
"What a shame. That guy's too sharp," Jigen muttered.
He raised his right hand, and a Chakra Black Receiver over six feet long materialized within his grasp.
Activating his jutsu, he charged forward instead of retreating, launching a direct attack against Tsunade!
POOF!
The Chakra Enhanced Strength fist of Sage Mode clashed violently with the Black Receiver.
Tsunade shifted her right hand from a fist into an open palm, gripping the Black Receiver and sidestepping to evade Jigen's incoming right kick.
Her left arm sliced through the air with a loud whistling sound, transforming into a ferocious backhand strike aimed straight at Jigen's temple!
In close combat Taijutsu, who did she ever fear?!
Well... except for one beastly freak who used Sage Mode *and* opened all Seven Gates during their fight!
WHUMP—
A faint, eerie smirk tugged at Jigen's lips.
Without hesitation, he released the Black Receiver held tightly by Tsunade. Under Sage Mode, the Sage Chakra could easily resist the effects of the Black Receiver.
But what if it pierced through him and disrupted his internal chakra flow?
He paid no mind to the slap aimed at his temple.
Jigen swung his right hand, launching a series of Black Receivers that had been shrunk down by his dojutsu "Sukunahikona" to an even finer degree than needles as fine as ox hairs, shooting toward Tsunade's surrounding space!
Shwa~
In the blink of an eye—a brief spatial ripple—and Tsunade vanished from her spot.
The next moment, at the place where she'd stood, over ten two-foot-long Black Receivers appeared as if out of nowhere. Carried by inertia, they flew dozens of meters before burying themselves into the ground.
Thanks to the extraordinary spatial innate ability brought forth by [Interdimensional Traveler], Kei Yamanaka developed an entirely new application of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Anywhere Kei marked, he could pull the person or object there—even without appearing himself.
And on Tsunade's lower back, just left and right of her waist, were two Flying Thunder God Marks each reinforced with anti-theft measures.
As long as Jigen lacked reaction speed surpassing Kei's, there was no way he could harm Tsunade directly under Kei's protection!
"If I get hurt, you die."
Tsunade pushed away the arm Kei had wrapped around her waist.
This bastard! At a time like this, he even dared to grope her abs!
"To him, Jigen's body is merely a vessel. The moment those Black Receivers hit you, Kāma would also be implanted within her."
Kei withdrew his arm, locking eyes with Jigen while directly exposing the existence of the Kāma.
When Jigen simply shot him another cold glance, his expression remained indifferent, devoid of emotion,
Kei understood immediately—the man likely had other schemes in store.
"!!!"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade froze for a moment, then shot Jigen a look filled with revulsion, glaring at his entire body now covered in seal markings.
An adult man trying to steal her body!
How vile!
...
Name: Jigen (Isshiki Otsutsuki)
Occupation: Parasite / Gardener
Traits: Kinoto Royal Bloodline (Gold), Black Eye (Gold), Byakugan (Purple), One-Inch Sage (Purple), Brutal Slaying (Blue), Rambling Delirium (Blue), Collector (Blue), Cultivator (Green), Arrogance (White), Desperate Survivalist (Gray-Rank), Ruthless Tyrant (Gray-Rank), Riddled With Holes (Gray-Rank).
...
Kei skimmed across the traits interface displayed by his opponent.
If he wasn't mistaken, Kaguya Otsutsuki bore the golden-tier bloodline known as [Kagutsuchi Royal Bloodline].
In legends from past lifetimes,
During the ancient heavenly era governed by deities, Tenson held the title of supreme imperial clan, while Taruto ranked second only to them as noble kings.
As for Kagutsuchi, it originated when the daughter of the Taruto royal family married into the imperial household, becoming consort. The resulting prince carried this surname as a branch of the imperial line—still royalty, albeit secondary.
Since their bloodlines seemed of roughly equal prestige, why did Isshiki become a God Tree fruit harvester, while Kaguya was merely a sacrificial offering?
In Shippuden lore, Kaguya was called princess; yet Momo referred to her as little more than a servant.
"It seems there's quite the backstory hidden here."
Kei muttered inwardly but stopped himself from dwelling too much on their bloodline differences.
Judging purely by traits alone, Jigen clearly outclassed Tsunade!
But due to his host body nearing total collapse, even in [Kāma: Stage One], Jigen couldn't fully unleash his true power.
Moreover, her Natural Sage Body granted her an overwhelming advantage in Sage Mode against him, which explained why Tsunade had been overpowering him in battle earlier.
Knowing Tsunade's fighting style well, he had planned to use the illusion of his own death as bait, implanting the Kāma into Tsunade's body.
Unfortunately, his arrival once again thwarted the enemy's plan.
Despite having his plans fail one after another without showing even a trace of panic, had his focus now shifted to Kushina?
"Can't we just kill him outright? A dead body can still be studied!"
Tsunade hated schemers who dealt in shady plots and intrigues. What she hated even more were those who dared target her body!
As long as Jigen was alive, it felt like her breast ducts were blocked shut!
"Yeah, fine."
Kei Yamanaka chuckled lightly. He personally despised such underhanded, sneaky tactics as well.
More so when someone dared target those close to him.
POP!
Behind Jigen, A, the Third Raikage, landed a punch on Hikaku Uchiha's half-formed Susanoo, with assistance from Izuna Uchiha.
Hikaku Uchiha flipped midair and grabbed the Black Receiver hurled earlier by Jigen, evading the attack from the Dust Release: Split Detachment of the Primitive World Technique.
Performing a series of evasive maneuvers, he quickly closed the gap next to Jigen and whispered,
"Looks like your plan has failed."
"A solid plan always has multiple contingencies..."
PFFT!
Before Jigen could finish speaking, half of a Black Receiver impaled straight through his heart.
A stream of bloodstained tears trickled from the corner of Hikaku Uchiha's eye, and [Amaterasu] engulfed Jigen completely in flames!
"Traitors! Deserve nothing but death!"
Horns characteristic of the Otsutsuki Clan erupted from Jigen's head. Disregarding the blazing [Amaterasu] fire consuming his body, he abruptly looked up at where Hikaku Uchiha stood.
"I've never actually said I was on your side."
A grin spread across Hikaku Uchiha's face.
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