Chapter 198: The Fever Pitch
Danzō's Vacuum Wave slammed against the Susano'o's crossed arms. The defense held, but the impact reverberated through Sasuke's body, a fresh wave of exhaustion washing over him. His muscles screamed in protest, and his breathing came in ragged gasps. The toll of maintaining the Mangekyō and the colossal chakra construct was immense.
But he had forced a result. Six of the ten Sharingan on Danzō's arm were now closed, their light extinguished. Only four remained.
The Susano'o is too durable, Danzō thought, his mind racing. Dodging its arrows is precarious. I need to gamble. Seeing Sasuke's evident fatigue, he knew the younger Uchiha was nearing his limit. The key was to break the divine warrior's defense.
Making his decision, Danzō bit his thumb and smeared blood on his palm. He slammed it onto the ground. "*Summoning Jutsu!*"
BOOM!
A cloud of smoke erupted, accompanied by a deep, resonant cry. When the smoke cleared, a massive creature stood revealed. It had vibrant orange fur, powerful limbs with sharp claws, and most notably, a long, prehensile trunk—a Baku, the dream-eating tapir.
So this is the Baku Ren warned me about, Sasuke noted, gritting his teeth. It's even larger than I imagined.
The Baku didn't hesitate. It opened its cavernous maw, and a tremendous gravitational pull erupted, sucking in everything nearby. Even the mighty Susano'o was dragged forward, its feet scraping grooves in the stone floor.
Tch! Sasuke grunted. Forced onto the defensive, he willed the Susano'o to plant one armored hand firmly on the ground, anchoring itself against the irresistible suction. But in doing so, he left his back completely exposed, and the Susano'o was immobilized.
"Perfect," Danzō muttered. "Immobilized by the Baku's pull, I can enhance the power of my Wind Style... *Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!*"
He surged forward, his hands a blur of seals. He took a deep breath and exhaled, not a single blade this time, but a rapid volley of compressed air projectiles aimed directly at the Susano'o's undefended back. The combination of the Baku's suction and his own jutsu created a devastating synergy; the wind blades flew faster and hit harder than ever before.
SHRRRIP!
The enhanced attack tore through the Susano'o's outer armor, exposing the chakra skeleton beneath. The defense was critically compromised.
"This is Susano'o's weakness!" Danzō exulted, leaping through the breach he had created, aiming straight for the exhausted Sasuke within.
But Sasuke had anticipated this. His hands flashed. "*Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!*"
He didn't aim at Danzō. He aimed the massive fireball directly into the Baku's open mouth. Propelled by the creature's own suction, the inferno shot down its throat in an instant. The Baku's wail was cut short as flames erupted from its mouth and trunk. The intense pain broke its concentration, and the gravitational field vanished.
The Baku, its insides scorched, dissolved into a puff of smoke, returning to its summoning realm.
Freed from the pull, the Susano'o regained its mobility in an instant. Sasuke spun it around, its massive fist already swinging in a devastating arc.
Danzō's eyes widened in shock. He had committed fully to his attack and couldn't alter his momentum. The armored fist connected squarely with his body.
BOOM!
The impact sent Danzō flying like a ragdoll. He smashed into a far wall with crushing force, the stone buckling and collapsing on top of him, burying him in rubble.
Sasuke slumped within his construct, sweat pouring down his face, his chest heaving. The immense chakra drain forced the Susano'o to regress, the armor fading away until only the skeletal ribcage remained.
But he knew it wasn't over. His eyes, burning with strain, scanned the debris pile.
"Using the Baku's suction to empower your Fire Style... a clever counter," a voice remarked calmly from behind him. "But ultimately, futile."
Sasuke turned slowly. Danzō stood there, unharmed once more. Another Sharingan on his arm had closed. Only three were left open.
"When the ten eyes are all closed," Sasuke stated, his voice hoarse but clear, "your technique will end."
Danzō stiffened. "You... you even know about Izanagi?"
"Hn." Sasuke offered no explanation. Instead, the skeletal Susano'o lunged forward, its right fist smashing down where Danzō stood. Danzō leaped away, but the Susano'o's left fist was already waiting, intercepting his trajectory mid-air and swatting him across the chamber.
The battle had reached a fever pitch. Both combatants were pushed to their absolute limits—one fueled by stolen eyes and cold calculation, the other by burning hatred and dwindling strength. Neither would yield until the other was dead.
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