"What do we do now?" another Sand ninja stammered, cold sweat soaking his palms.
So far, the enemy hadn't even used their full strength, yet several of their comrades were already wounded—and one dead. If it kept up like this, they'd all die here.
"To deal with the Sharingan, there are only two options!" Chiyo-baa's forehead beaded with sweat. The Uchiha name was not an empty legend. She had guessed the man's identity, but guesses were useless now.
They were enemies—so they had to fight.
"What options?" Temari asked tightly.
"One-on-one—run. Two-on-one—strike from behind," Chiyo replied.
"What do you mean?"
"One-on-one, you have zero chance of winning, so retreat. Two-on-one, if one falls under genjutsu, the other circles around to strike the caster's back. Hitting the real body breaks the illusion. Even if you miss, you'll hit your ally and snap them out of the genjutsu."
"So, with three of us, if one engages head-on and the other two flank, we have a chance?"
"We can only try."
At her command, Chiyo and another ninja rushed in while Temari circled behind with her iron fan.
Their coordination was sharp. To an observer, it looked like a frontal assault—but at the last second, Chiyo flicked her hands. Several puppet hawks shot forth, and Temari with the other ninja looped back to her side.
It was a feint, a decoy maneuver.
The puppet hawks darted in from all angles, beaks lined with steel thorns. They spun midair, striking from above, below, and both sides, forming a deadly cage around Uchiha Itachi.
As long as she avoided his eyes, Chiyo believed her puppets were immune to genjutsu.
If the controller stayed clear-headed, the puppets would never be affected.
"Katon (Fire Release): Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)!"
Itachi finally moved. He spread his stance and expelled a massive fireball.
The flames swept outward, igniting Chiyo's flying puppets in a blazing inferno.
In the next heartbeat, he turned and lunged directly at the trio.
On the other side, Kisame toyed with his opponents. Baki was already injured.
"Hahaha! I thought Sunagakure's shinobi would be impressive—but you're nothing." Kisame grinned, eyes gleaming with contempt.
Baki's palms were slick with sweat. He formed signs. "Fūton (Wind Release): Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)!"
"I told you—you're weak." Kisame sidestepped and kicked Baki square in the waist.
The other two Sand shinobi seized the chance to attack.
Kisame swung Samehada (Shark Skin) in a low arc, slashing for one man's midsection.
The Sand ninja could have dodged—but instead, he chose to risk it all.
He didn't evade. He lunged straight forward, kunai aimed for Kisame's heart.
Watching from the tree, Shigeo raised an eyebrow. "Huh? A suicidal move?"
The kunai struck true—but so did Samehada.
Even wrapped in bandages, the sword's crushing power cracked bone with a hideous crunch.
Shigeo winced in sympathy.
The Sand ninja fell into the water, writhing in pain.
But Kisame's form dissolved into liquid—just a Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone).
The man had been tricked and crippled in one blow.
Eight Sand ninjas remained—now only five.
They finally realized the truth: if this continued, none of them would leave alive.
Baki gestured to the remaining two. "Together! Focus on him!"
"Who are you?" one shouted, voice trembling, as Kisame loomed through the mist.
From the tree, Shigeo's eyes narrowed. His attention shifted slightly to the left—where Chiyo, Temari, and another ninja still struggled against Itachi, their movements tense and defensive.
"You don't deserve to know my name!" Kisame sneered. "Now—die!"
He surged forward, water swirling under his feet. The tide itself seemed to answer him.
Every sweep of Samehada smashed through wind and sand alike.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The three Sand ninjas were sent flying in succession.
Kisame's grin widened. "So you're the leader, huh?"
He looked up at the youth on the tree. "Then die first!"
Dragging a wave of water behind him, Kisame charged toward Shigeo.
Shigeo blinked, stunned. "What the hell? Which of your eyes told you I'm their leader?!"
Across the field, Itachi turned at the sound of his voice. His expression didn't change, but his crimson Sharingan flickered toward the tree.
Kisame, his thirty-percent chakra projection crackling faintly, rushed through the current, murderous aura rising. "I could tell from the start. Compared to these weaklings, you're the commander. Kill the head, and the body dies!"
He swung Samehada in a killing arc.
Shigeo slipped aside, movement fluid.
One step, and he was behind the sharkman, lips curling into a faint smile.
"Are you sure I'm their leader?"
Wooden spikes sprouted from his fingers. He thrust them toward Kisame's back.
"Mokuton (Wood Release): Mokushi (Wood Spike Technique)!"
Kisame spun to evade, but not completely—his ribs tore open under the strike.
"Ha! Now that's more like it. Someone worthy of a name. I'm Kisame Hoshigaki. You?"
Even wounded, he laughed in delight—clearly unhinged.
Shigeo just stared at him. "You're insane."
Kisame gathered chakra. "Suiton (Water Release): Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Shark Bomb Technique)!"
Several water sharks materialized in the surging flood, hurtling toward Shigeo.
Kisame followed close behind, swinging Samehada for the kill.
"Katon (Fire Release): Karyū no Jutsu (Fire Dragon Technique)!"
Shigeo countered. A fiery dragon burst forth, colliding head-on with the watery assault.
Samehada crashed down through the steam—and Shigeo raised his hand, gripping the blade directly.
Kisame smirked darkly. He knew what would happen. Samehada would drink the chakra from anyone foolish enough to touch it.
In his mind, victory was already his.
(End of Chapter)
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