"Summoning Technique!"
Sakura bit her finger and slapped it on the ground.
Amidst a burst of smoke, the massive form of Katsuyu rose up.
"Sakura, what's wrong?"
"Katsuyu, we have enemies. Use that move!"
Facing the Susanoo before her, Sakura's heartbeat quickened, and the smile on her face grew even wilder.
"Alright, I'm ready!"
Katsuyu straightened its body, wriggling as it opened its mouth.
Sakura, standing behind it, formed hand seals. Her Chakra boiled over, and she placed her hands on Katsuyu's body, injecting her Chakra into it.
Instantly, the potent acid infused with natural energy gathered within Katsuyu was shaped by Water Attribute Chakra into a special form.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
"Strong Acid!"
"Combination Jutsu: Corrosive Flow Technique!"
Katsuyu rapidly spat out an ultra-high-pressure stream of concentrated acid from its mouth. The high-density natural energy liquid, capable of corroding Chakra, shot straight toward Itachi.
"Hmph, it's useless!"
Itachi manipulated the Susanoo, commanding it to block with the divine artifact, Yata Mirror. The burning crimson shield instantly expanded, firmly protecting the entire Susanoo behind it.
Crack!
The Yata Mirror, which should have been able to adapt to all nature transformations, nullifying and reflecting any physical attack by altering its own properties, shattered.
A terrifying gap formed under the fluid's erosion, and a massive amount of acid carrying irresistible natural energy flooded into the divine silhouette like a torrent.
"What?!"
Itachi's consciousness froze for an instant. Instinctively, he formed a hand seal, and his body dissolved into crows, scattering to escape.
But before him, the layer of Genjutsu covering the area burst like a bubble, clenched and torn apart by a single hand.
The girl's face came into clear view, her smile growing even more delighted, "Don't rush off, Senpai!"
Frost silently spread, enveloping the forest, brushing against every breath, extending to every corner, turning the earth into a snow-covered land.
The drastic drop in temperature caused Itachi to falter slightly. In that instant, Sakura's roaring sword light screamed sharply, illuminating every inch of the faces watching her.
"Divine Departure!"
"Sword of Totsuka!"
Facing Sakura's high-speed slash, the Susanoo around Itachi drew a gourd, and a long sword imbued with sealing power extended from the illusory world of drunken dreams.
It met the sword energy tearing through the sky head-on.
Boom!
The blades collided, sword light and Chakra boiling and intertwining, rising like a shadow, blotting out the sky!
In an instant, the earth split, and the mountains shook.
The tremors traveled all the way into Takigakure behind the waterfall, causing many Missing-nin inside the village to stagger and fall.
"What's going on!"
The Kirigakure's Missing-nin, Kirisame looked up toward the village entrance, where the vast, chilling Chakra emanating from there was alarming.
"Probably the Uchiha have started capturing the Tailed Beast."
"We need to hurry too. If the other Jonin in the village return, it'll be bad!"
The Takigakure's Missing-nin, Suien, shook his head, grabbing a captured girl and pressing a sharp kunai against her neck.
"Shibuki, you must be nearby. Hand over the Hero Water! Otherwise, I'll kill one person every thirty seconds from now on!"
Suien's voice echoed, reaching the sacred tree hollow above Takigakure.
Shibuki was hiding inside, clutching the Hero Water he had retrieved from the base of the sacred tree.
An impatient Sasuke coldly asked, "So, what are you going to do?"
His anxiety was no less than Shibuki's, especially since Itachi was still outside battling Sakura.
He's a member of the Uchiha Clan, but he was powerless to participate in such a conflict. This stark sense of helplessness turned into violent flames, scorching Sasuke's heart.
"No, I can't let them get the Hero Water. It's a sacred item that can instantly multiply Chakra dozens of times. If they get it, the village will be destroyed!"
Pale-faced, Shibuki gritted his teeth tightly, holding the Hero Water even closer.
"Then go fight him! What kind of leader cowers like this?!"
Naruto, equally frustrated by Shibuki's demeanor, grabbed him by the collar in anger.
"I can't... I'm no match for him. I only inherited this from my father..."
Shibuki gasped for breath, sweat soaking the forehead protector on his head.
"Ten seconds left!"
Below the giant tree, Suien had already raised the kunai in his hand high.
"Ah, whatever, I'm going in!"
Seeing this, Naruto didn't hesitate. He leaped down from the top of the giant tree, grabbing onto vines as he swiftly charged toward Suien.
"Stop right there!"
"What?"
Suien hadn't expected anyone else to intervene. In his moment of confusion, Naruto kicked him square in the face.
Holding the little girl who had fallen from Suien's grasp, Naruto skidded to a halt, leaving a long trail on the ground.
"I'm going too. What about you? Do you want to drown in the memories of cowardice as a coward for the rest of your life, or be a hero for a few minutes and then die?"
Sasuke took out kunai and wire from his tool pouch, using the dense branches of the giant tree to dive into the chaotic battlefield below.
"..."
After the two left, a silent Shibuki stared expressionlessly at the Hero Water in his hands, pulled out the cork, and gulped it down in large mouthfuls.
"Water Release: Water Whip!"
The Kirigakure's Missing-nins kneaded their Chakra, shaping water streams into whips that they lashed out, relentlessly striking at Naruto and Sasuke as they dodged and weaved.
"Tch, brats from Konoha!"
Suien, clutching his swollen cheek as he got up, aimed his fingers at Naruto and Sasuke and rapidly formed hand seals.
After adjusting his Chakra output, his cheeks puffed up, and in the next instant, a torrent of water shot from his mouth.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The roaring water dragon opened its massive maw, diving down toward Naruto and Sasuke.
Sasuke's Observation Haki warned him, and he shoved Naruto aside, but in doing so, he became bound by the water whips of the other Kirigakure's Missing-nins, unable to move.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto's pupils contracted as he shouted.
At this critical moment, a whirlpool of water, created by Chakra, descended from the sky and collided with the Water Dragon Bullet, producing a sound like grinding steel.
Bang!
Water sprayed everywhere as Shibuki, visibly radiating Chakra Flames, landed on the water's surface.
"You've taken the Hero Water, but how long can this Chakra burn?"
Suien reached forward, and water droplets gathered in his hand, forming a sharp longsword.
[Takigakure Style: Watercutting Sword]
"None of your business! I'll do what I must!"
Amidst the roar, water swords clashed. The two danced amid a flurry of blades, their Taijutsu styles, born from the same roots, exchanging blows in a fierce, evenly matched struggle.
In the distance, the Kirigakure's Missing-nin, Kirisame, seized the opportunity to unleash a Lightning Release Ninjutsu on the water whips. The electric current conducted through the liquid, electrocuting Sasuke into unconsciousness.
A bloodthirsty grin spread across Kirisame's face as he drew a long sword and put all his strength into a swing aimed at Sasuke's neck.
As the blade swung through the air and Kirisame's ferocity peaked, a massive crimson outline abruptly materialized in the void.
Whoosh!
"Flying Thunder God: Guided Lightning!"
Accompanied by the girl's clear voice, a giant sword plummeted from the sky-
Blinding light surged across the land as the sealing sword wielded by the divine silhouette pierced Kirisame's body in an instant.
He was cut in half at the waist!
Then, raging flames spread wildly, while ice crystals danced across the sky. A girl adorned in frost and flames lightly touched down, dividing the battlefield into a hellscape of extreme cold and scorching heat.
"Ara~ra~, everyone's busy? Mind if we join in?"