Asuma gripped his trench knives tightly, his gaze fixed on the Black-Robed Man as he exchanged looks with Masahiko.
Immediately... the two of them attacked together, charging toward the Black-Robed Man.
Masahiko's hands formed seals, and he quickly spat out a small fireball from his mouth. However, just like the previous Great Fireball, the Chakra in this one was highly concentrated and unstable.
Asuma quickly flanked from the other side.
Flames bombarded, and wind blades slashed.
However.
As they moved, the opponent remained calm and unhurried, standing in place waiting for their assault.
Just as Asuma closed in, his trench knives, condensed with azure Chakra, spread out like wings and slashed toward the Black-Robed Man's head.
In that instant, a rush of water surged up from beneath the opponent's feet.
Water Release: Water Wall!
The rising wall of water obscured Asuma's vision and path of attack, and he immediately chose to retreat.
However.
At that moment, the water wall split apart, and a figure emerged from the water, arriving in front of Asuma in an instant.
Boom!
The fireball was still exploding, but it clearly couldn't keep up with the opponent's speed.
In his ear, Masahiko's anxious voice rang out: "Senior, watch out!"
Boom!
A punch landed, but Asuma leaped back lightly to avoid it, slashing back with one hand as blood spilled from the opponent's fist.
But at the same time... Swish!
A tiny bone bullet erupted from the opponent's fingertip.
Asuma's pupils shrank, and his other trench knife immediately slashed diagonally.
Chakra erupted.
An invisible wind blade instantly shattered and deflected the bone.
A crisis was averted.
However.
In the next moment... a blade came slashing diagonally from behind.
So fast!
Asuma was shocked and was about to counterattack when he heard a "Clang"—
Behind him, Masahiko's blade had blocked the opponent.
Bang!
Masahiko's arms bent, and his feet sank into the rock.
The force of this strike was heavy!
"Nice moves!"
The opponent looked into the distance and gave a light chuckle. "That's enough. Everyone, let's spar again the next time we meet."
With that, the Black-Robed Man used a Body Flicker, immediately pulling back a great distance.
And then... water surged.
A massive wave swept across the surroundings, the surging water propelling the Black-Robed Man away.
Asuma leaped onto a stone pillar, but he could only see the receding water; the opponent's figure was nowhere to be found.
His face turned ashen: "This guy..."
"Oh no! Naruto!"
"Yagyu Masahiko's" expression changed drastically. He immediately tried to rush toward Naruto, but after just one step, he clutched his arm... "Hiss!"
"What's wrong?"
Asuma gave up on the pursuit and quickly jumped down from above.
"That strike was too heavy, my arm..."
Masahiko clutched the arm that had taken the blow, struggling to form seals with his left hand as he gathered medical Chakra. "I need to treat it for a moment."
"I'll go support Naruto's side first. You... be careful."
"Yeah."
Masahiko nodded solemnly.
Asuma didn't have time to pursue and rushed toward the direction where the Nine-Tailed Chakra had erupted earlier... Meanwhile, at the place where they had previously encountered Orochimaru.
A giant snake had been torn apart, struggling in agony on the spot.
Orochimaru's eyes were full of excitement:
"Yes, that's it!"
"You don't have to hold back."
"Vent all your anger, grievances, and resentment!"
Naruto's face showed pain. Behind him, the tail formed from condensed Chakra was swaying, seemingly about to split into two.
Not far away, lightning shrieked in Kakashi's palm.
However.
In front of him, the previously silent Itachi finally spoke.
"Lightning Blade?"
"I'm sorry, but before he finishes what he's doing, I can't let you pass."
The tomoe in Itachi's eyes shifted.
Kakashi stared at Itachi and said, "Itachi, have you really joined forces with these Rogue Ninja?"
"So-called Rogue Ninja... that's just your definition. We're simply tired of the Village's ways."
Itachi spoke slowly.
He gazed forward and said, "If you don't make a move, I can choose not to act."
Instantly, Kakashi's gaze swept downward, avoiding Uchiha Itachi's eyes, and then he quickly charged forward.
Lightning Blade!
His speed reached its absolute limit at this moment.
Uchiha Itachi's eyes darkened, the fingers of his left hand twitched slightly, and his other hand drew his blade from its sheath.
In the next second, as Kakashi's lightning flashed past, Itachi's body split into several crows.
He turned and slashed—
Clang!
The blade was snapped cleanly by the strike, turning into fragments.
Itachi pulled back and discarded the hilt.
So this is what it feels like to encounter the Lightning Blade.
With a solemn expression, he leaped back, forming seals. Flames erupted from his mouth as shuriken were launched into the fire... Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Nail Crimson!
Kakashi also formed seals with both hands.
An earth wall rose, blocking the flame-shrouded shuriken one by one.
On the other side, Kurenai Yuhi scrambled up from the ground and rushed toward Naruto and Orochimaru once more.
Orochimaru looked up and sighed softly:
"Young girl of the Yuhi family... a temporary retreat is not cowardice, but a smart move to assess the situation."
"Masahiko entrusted Naruto to me, so I must protect him!"
Kurenai Yuhi muttered to herself, as if cheering herself on.
Her gaze gradually became resolute.
Orochimaru was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly and said no more. One hand was absorbing the Tailed Beast Chakra, while the other was raised... snakes slithered out from his sleeves.
Kurenai Yuhi was immediately bitten by a snake.
Another snake coiled around her, binding her so she couldn't move.
Just as he was about to make a move, his brow suddenly twitched as the scene before him shifted.
"Genjutsu?"
The illusion shattered instantly.
Orochimaru looked up to see that Naruto had already broken free of his restraints and was right in front of him.
"Aaaahhh!!!"
Naruto roared fiercely, his fists striking Orochimaru like flying bullets.
Kurenai Yuhi opened a scroll and formed seals—
Unseal!
"Yagyu Masahiko" emerged from the scroll.
He looked up, glanced at Orochimaru, then at Naruto and Kurenai Yuhi.
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled up slightly.
"Fine, your Genjutsu is decent, but..."
"I'm about done too."
He cut off the Chakra absorption, kicked Naruto away, and immediately appeared beside him with a Body Flicker, pressing his hand onto Naruto's stomach.
In an instant, the Tailed Beast Chakra on Naruto's body slowly receded.
Five Elements Seal!
"I said I have no intention of killing, I just want to take a little something."
Orochimaru gave a cold laugh and tossed Naruto toward Masahiko.
Masahiko blocked and caught him, forming seals as Water Jellyfish covered Naruto's body.
Kurenai Yuhi was panting heavily.
Not far away, Orochimaru had already vanished into the ground.
Kakashi panted and said, "Itachi, it seems you've been sold out!"
"No, as he said, the time is simply up."
Itachi replied calmly.
In the next moment, he looked up, the tomoe in his eyes spinning.
Kakashi's intuition told him something was wrong... Behind him, Masahiko had already formed seals ahead of time, turning all his Chakra into a massive water wall that encompassed everyone there.
Water Release: Water Wall!
Kakashi used Body Flicker to dive into the water screen.
In the next second, pitch-black flames burned upon the Water Wall.
Simultaneously—
A massive explosion sounded from outside.
When the water screen fell, they only saw Asuma kneeling in a wretched state, while not far away was a deep crater from an explosion.
In the distance, crows circled.
Itachi had already departed.
Kakashi's expression was grave: "Was that... a Dojutsu?"