"Wait."
Just as Naruto and Sasuke were about to leap forward, two swift figures flashed past them, bringing a gust of wind. They stood steadily in front, blocking the path of the two.
Hamamaru and Shiryu's movements were as fast as lightning, and their aura instantly overwhelmed Naruto and Sasuke, clearly marking them as more powerful beings.
Naruto was slightly stunned, then frowned and was about to ask, but was stopped by Hamamaru's gaze.
The person on the left was clad in a dazzling armor, which was composed of countless meticulously carved golden plates. A faint energy luster flowed over the plates, which seemed to breathe and pulse as if alive.
The pauldrons were shaped like sharp scythes, their edges glinting with a cold light. The breastplate was engraved with complex and mysterious patterns through which golden energy flowed, highlighting an extraordinary origin.
This was Hamamaru.
The person on the right was also wearing an armor, this one primarily blue-gold with more fluid and sharp plate lines.
The pauldrons were shaped like stacked dragon scales, and two curved wing plates extended from the back, emitting a vigorous aura as they moved slightly with the wind.
This was Shiryu.
He stood tall, his black hair fluttering in the wind and his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, deathly locked onto the enemies ahead.
Hamamaru slowly turned his head and gave a slight nod to Naruto and Sasuke, his tone calm and firm, carrying an unquestionable power. "Leave this match to us."
"A battle against a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki requires more precise tactics and power control. Any slight mistake will affect the surroundings."
"You two rest for now and save your strength for the subsequent battles."
He knew well the destructive power of a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. If Naruto and Sasuke were allowed to act rashly and got caught in a bitter struggle, they would be at a disadvantage when facing the main battle later.
Shiryu added, "Don't worry, we will deal with them. We won't cause you any trouble."
Shun, hovering in the void behind them, nodded in approval upon seeing this, a hint of praise in his eyes. "Handle them carefully, their strength is not to be underestimated."
"As a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Ginga not only has a massive amount of Chakra and various Rinnegan abilities, but his Taijutsu has also reached the top level of the Otsutsuki clan. Akiru's Taijutsu is also just as good, specializing in grappling techniques that use the opponent's strength against them. Do not be careless."
His gaze swept over the armor on Hamamaru and Shiryu.
These two sets of armor were both products of the Ancestral Star's latest technology, forged from the rarest ore in the Universe.
They could not only store massive amounts of energy but also significantly enhance the wearer's defense, strength, and speed, as well as strengthen the impact of Taijutsu attacks.
They were powerful pieces of equipment for both offense and defense, and the key trump cards for the two to deal with enemies with high-level Taijutsu.
"Rest assured."
Hamamaru slightly clenched his fist, and the collision between his knuckles and the armor produced a crisp sound.
With his movement, the armor instantly lit up with a dazzling golden light, and the mysterious patterns on the breastplate were all activated. Golden energy flowed between the plates like veins, and his strength and speed suddenly surged, becoming several times greater than before.
"My goal has always been victory, I won't let any enemy cross the line. Moreover, this armor was originally prepared for dealing with top-tier Taijutsu experts."
Shiryu also slowly raised his hand, quickly injecting Chakra into the armor. The blue-gold plates instantly lit up with a lustrous glow, and the wing plates on the back unfolded slightly, swirling with a faint energy.
"Let's finish this quickly without dragging it out. No matter how strong their Taijutsu is, it won't be a match for the enhancement of our armor."
Before he finished speaking, Hamamaru and Shiryu moved simultaneously. Their speed under the enhancement of the armor reached the extreme, with the plates rubbing against the air to produce dazzling golden and blue-gold streaks of light.
Like two beams of light, they charged toward Ginga and Akiru, the armor plates whistling as they sliced through the void. They left two distinct afterimages in the void, and the surrounding energy turbulence was pulled by this extreme speed, forming small vortexes.
Ginga and Akiru's expressions changed slightly, they clearly hadn't expected the opponents to be so fast. They subconsciously tensed their bodies, preparing for battle.
Hamamaru was the first to arrive before Akiru, his right hand rapidly condensing energy. A golden scythe-shaped energy blade instantly took form, its body several meters long and its edges glinting with brilliant golden light. He swung it with a sharp whistling sound.
Scythe of Retribution!
"Hmph, just trash who only relies on weapons!" Disdain flashed in Akiru's eyes.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, with black Chakra swirling around his arms. The muscles in his arms bulged instantly as he threw a punch toward the scythe blade.
He excelled most in Taijutsu that involved catching weapons barehanded, confident that he could withstand the attack with his powerful physical body.
Clang!
The massive sound of clashing reverberated through the void. The sound waves spread out like physical matter, causing the distant floating wreckage of starships to tremble slightly.
Akiru's fist smashed heavily against the scythe. Black Chakra and golden energy collided violently, stirring up ripples of energy across the sky. They spread out in all directions like ripples in water.
He had originally thought he could shatter the scythe, but unexpectedly, Hamamaru's armor suddenly lit up with a dazzling light. The patterns on the breastplate flowed rapidly as if they had come to life, completely dissipating the impact force generated by the collision.
At the same time, the golden energy on the scythe surged into his body along his arm, crashing wildly through his Chakra pathways. This caused his figure to stall slightly, and a sensation of numbness spread through his arm.
Akiru was greatly shocked. "This armor can actually dissipate force and counterattack?"
Hamamaru spoke coldly, his tone carrying absolute contempt, "Your Taijutsu is decent, but you're not qualified to withstand the power of this armor with your bare body."
With a turn of his wrist, the scythe swept across in a horizontal strike, whistling with a fierce wind as it cleaved toward Akiru's waist. The blade left a golden trail as it sliced through the void.
Akiru's eyes narrowed. He cursed inwardly and exerted sudden force with his feet. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Simultaneously, his right leg kicked toward Hamamaru's wrist with a whistling wind, attempting to interrupt his attack. Faint black Chakra gathered at his toes, he clearly intended to score a success with this single strike.
Hamamaru had anticipated this. The gold plates on his left arm snapped shut instantly, forming a solid shield.
Clang!
He blocked the kick head-on. Only a shallow white mark was left on the plate, which immediately restored itself to its original state.
At the same time, Shiryu lunged straight at Ginga. He didn't rush to use Ninjutsu. Instead, taking advantage of the armor's speed, he instantly charged in front of Ginga.
His right fist, carrying blue-gold energy, smashed out fiercely. "Try my Taijutsu!"
"Come on!"
Fighting spirit surged in Ginga's eyes. What he despised most was a fight involving hiding and dodging, so he immediately threw a punch to meet him. His fist was covered in a thick layer of black Chakra, as if he were wearing a pair of black gloves.
The two fists collided with a roar, producing a muffled sound.
Bang!
The energy shockwave spread out from the two of them as the center, causing slight distortions in the space beneath their feet.
The surrounding energy turbulence was scattered and driven away.
The dragon scale patterns on Shiryu's armor lit up instantly, and blue-gold energy flowed rapidly, conducting part of the impact force throughout his body. This allowed him to stabilize his stance after retreating only three steps.
The black Chakra around Ginga also formed a buffer layer. He likewise retreated three steps, though his face turned slightly pale.
He hadn't expected the opponent's strength to be so powerful that they could contend with his Ten-Tails power using only their physical body.
"Your Taijutsu is somewhat interesting, being able to take a punch from me."
Ginga wiped the corner of his lips, his gaze becoming increasingly sharp as the contempt in his heart was gradually replaced by solemnity.
"But it ends here. You think you can beat me like this? Too naive."
As his voice fell, his figure moved again. His feet stepped rapidly through the void, leaving behind a series of black afterimages.
His fists smashed toward Shiryu like a violent storm, each punch containing the berserk power of the Ten-Tails. The punch speed was extreme, making the fists almost invisible. The wind from the punches carried the sharp sound of tearing space—this was the top-tier Taijutsu of the Ōtsutsuki clan, the 'Wild God Fist', where every move was lethal and targeted the enemy's vital points.
Shiryu's eyes narrowed. His footwork changed, and he dodged flexibly.
The wing plates of the armor vibrated slightly, helping him adjust his dodging angles.
At the same time, his hands parried rapidly, constantly colliding with Ginga's fists and producing a series of metallic clashing sounds.
The continuous onslaught failed to injure Shiryu in the slightest, making Ginga increasingly frustrated. He hadn't expected the opponent's evasion to be so flexible.
As a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Ginga's reaction speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. In the gap of Shiryu's next dodge, he sensed an opportunity. The black Chakra around him instantly condensed into a thick shield while he simultaneously raised his hand to activate a Rinnegan ability—Shinra Tensei.
"Get back!"
He let out a low growl as a powerful repulsive force erupted from his palm, forming an invisible barrier. It surged toward Shiryu like a tide, attempting to repel Shiryu's attack or even injure him.
This sudden attack caused Naruto, who was watching from a distance, to shout, "Watch out!"