"Interesting, he actually came to Sumeru Mountain?" Neji was slightly startled. At that moment, two more Chakras suddenly entered his sensory range.
"What's going on?" Neji felt a bit bewildered after sensing the identities of the two".
"Brother Neji, what's wrong?" Hinata asked, a little concerned seeing Neji's furrowed brow.
"It's nothing. I'm going out for a bit, and I'll be right back."
With that, Neji vanished from sight with a "Piu!" right in front of them.
"So fast!" Kakashi exclaimed. Neji's departure speed was even faster than when he fought Hiruko. Even his Mangekyo Sharingan could only barely track his movements.
"Huh? Kakashi-sensei, you're awake." Sai said expressionlessly. Kakashi-sensei was truly pathetic, his chakra depleted to an extreme degree.
"Hahaha..." Kakashi chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. He subtly covered his Sharingan with his forehead protector to make it last longer.
"But Neji is really amazing, with four Kekkei Genkai." Lee marveled. Even someone like him, who believed effort could surpass genius, was filled with envy.
"Four Kekkei Genkai. As long as he develops them normally, he can become a 'Kage' at the very least."
"That's for sure. And the reason is, he already killed a Kage-level figure a long time ago," Shino said slowly, adjusting his glasses.
As for why Neji had four Kekkei Genkai, they told themselves that some things were better left unquestioned.
"He even learned Wood Style. Tsunade-sama will be very happy when she knows about this," Sakura said ecstatically, filled with excitement.
"Uh..." Kakashi was taken aback and hesitated to speak. Tsunade-sama had already seen Neji's Wood Style long ago.
While they were leisurely discussing, a fierce battle was raging in the dense forest below Sumeru Mountain.
"Itachi, you can't escape," Sasori said from within Hiruko, his deep, resonant voice like an old speaker.
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Itachi. Daggers shot out from his right hand, and spinning gears from his left, immediately converging to shred Itachi.
*Chii!*
Multiple daggers spun and pierced Itachi's body, but at that moment, his form dissolved into crows and scattered.
However, Sasori knew Itachi's abilities inside and out and was not surprised by this. Instead, he manipulated the Third Kazekage's puppet, conjuring a giant steel pillar formed from densely concentrated iron sand and swung it towards one of the treetops.
Iron Sand Gathering Assault!
As soon as Itachi reappeared, the massive steel pillar was already before him. With a boom, a pair of scarlet bone-like arms suddenly blocked Sasori's attack.
Itachi's eyes were now open, transformed into Mangekyo Sharingan. He was encircled by rings of red ribs, calmly gazing at Sasori.
Susanoo's initial form.
"Is that Susanoo?" Sasori's low voice echoed, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.
Before they departed, Pain had repeatedly warned him to be cautious of Susanoo, calling it the ultimate Ninjutsu that combined offense and defense, and the strongest defensive technique recognized in the ninja world.
"But!" Sasori's gaze sharpened. The steel pillar that had been aimed at Itachi suddenly dispersed and reformed into a sharp cone, stabbing towards Itachi again.
In the face of his eternal art, he refused to believe that any defense was absolutely unbreakable.
The Third Kazekage, possessing Magnet Release, could control iron sand. This densely concentrated material, if applied in a pinpoint Arrancar fashion, theoretically should be able to overcome any defense.
There was no change on Itachi's face. Another scarlet bone-like arm extended, and the two arms firmly grasped the cone, blocking it.
But at this moment, a giant white centipede suddenly crawled out from behind him and wrapped around his body.
"Haha, art is an explosion, drink!" Deidara, riding a giant bird in the sky, cackled. As his words fell, a deafening barrage of explosions erupted in the dense forest.
Instantly, startled birds scattered, trees collapsed in swathes, and billowing black smoke rose into the sky, obscuring the blue sky.
Affected by this, a tremor suddenly came from the summit of Sumeru Mountain. The intense explosion sounds reached everyone's ears, causing Kakashi and the others to stand up, on guard.
"The sound is coming from the foot of the mountain. Neji suddenly disappeared again. Could there be enemies near Sumeru Mountain?" Shikamaru pondered.
"That shouldn't be the case. Who would come to Sumeru Mountain at this time?"
"No matter what, let's go down and see." Kakashi took the lead, quickly charging downwards.
The others followed suit.
In the dense forest at the foot of the mountain, within the thick black smoke, a mighty aura suddenly swept through, dispersing it.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Immediately after, a giant, comma-shaped object, colored scarlet, shot out and instantly struck the Third Kazekage puppet, completely obliterating it.
"What?!" Deidara stared at the scene in disbelief. His clay explosion had been completely useless.
"Damn it, what is that thing? Huh?!" Deidara gritted his teeth, looking at the red skeleton that had completely enveloped Itachi. He couldn't believe this thing had actually blocked his explosive art.
Sasori, not angered by the destruction of the Third Kazekage's puppet, looked at Itachi not far away with a serious expression and murmured, "He's different from before."
At this moment, Itachi was covered entirely by the skeleton, his appearance taking on a nascent humanoid form. The scarlet bones were exceptionally tall, creating a visually striking impact.
This was Susanoo's first form.
"Hoo... hoo..." Itachi was not in good condition. His body felt weak, and he was breathing heavily. Days of fleeing, occasional skirmishes with Deidara and Sasori, coupled with his current serious illness, had all contributed to him being at a disadvantage time and time again.
Gently wiping the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Itachi closed his eyes and murmured, "There isn't much time left. I have to weaken them at least."
He forced his right eye open, a trickle of blood flowing down from the eye socket. His gaze immediately focused on Sasori.
"This... could it be... oh no!" Sasori's heart leaped. Chakra threads flowed through his hand as he quickly pulled up a decaying puppet that had just shattered on the ground, intending to use it as a shield.
But it was too late.
"Amaterasu!"
Itachi whispered. Instantly, black flames erupted on Hiruko, burning continuously. Before long, it was completely engulfed.
"Sasori!" Deidara yelled, spitting out a large number of winged birds from his palm and driving them towards Itachi.
However, Itachi did not dodge or weave, letting the clay explode on Susanoo, posing no threat to him at all.
*Bang! Whoosh!*
"Red Secret Technique: Hundred Machine Performance!"
Suddenly, a young boy with long red hair, burst forth from Hiruko. Simultaneously, he opened a scroll and summoned hundreds of puppets wearing red robes.
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