"Uchiha, you find a way to hold him off, I'll provide cover."
"Understood."
Naraku responded, activating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan again, swiftly Shunshining to catch up to the target, and forming hand signs to attack.
Lightning Release: Lightning Net!
The giant net made of electrical arcs was incredibly fast, instantly enveloping Kurokō's head. The blood in his hand transformed into a long blade, which he used to cut an opening and leap out.
The next instant, he was heavily surrounded by shuriken burning with flames, coming from all directions.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Secret Technique: Crimson Claws!
Kurokō didn't have the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, so he couldn't deflect them one by one. His range of movement was also restricted, leaving him no choice but to control more blood to leave his body for defense to protect himself.
The moment metal and black-red blood collided, there were no sparks, no grating friction, only the faint, viscous sound of corroding blades, drowned out by the sigh of extinguishing flames.
A moment later, the now disfigured throwing weapons were all bounced away, embedding themselves into the ground like falling petals.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
While the target was stationary, Shimura Rō created an endless series of towering earth walls, enclosing a large area and isolating the three of them within it.
Seeing his hope of escape cut off, Kurokō's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Since so much blood had already been wasted, he Might as well fight with all his Might.
Blood Release: Dark Blood Manipulation Technique!
Blood needles, even larger and thicker than before, gathered around Kurokō like a flock of birds, swirling around him with a rustling sound, then shot towards Naraku and Shimura Rō.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Shimura Rō's defense was timely enough, but its solidity was far inferior to before, and several blood needles broke through.
Naraku casually deflected the stragglers with a Kunai, but then saw him clutch his arm and stumble back two steps, looking as if he had been hit.
— He's starting to act already, isn't he? Does it have to be so obvious?
Just as he was grumbling to himself, Naraku saw countless blood needles bypass the earth wall from above and the sides, then converge into a magnificent crimson giant python that lunged at him.
He dodged the "blood python's" charge, while behind him, Shimura Rō, using his "injury" as an excuse, became increasingly uncooperative, his Earth Release attacks against Kurokō growing weaker and slower each time, putting Naraku in an increasingly perilous situation.
Kurokō also seemed to notice some clues, and driven by his will to survive, he relentlessly pursued Naraku alone.
— Trying to let the enemy slowly wear me down? That's a pretty good plan.
Naraku deliberately showed a determined look, while drawing out a spare short blade, sliding his finger across it, filling the blade with dense Sealing Jutsu runes.
Immediately after, he held the blade in a reverse grip, formed hand signs, and cast a Ninjutsu.
Lightning Release: Myriad Lightning Kill Formation!
Dozens of thick, long lightning bolts erupted from beneath his feet, piercing into the clouds, spanning nearly a hundred meters, and dancing wildly around Naraku, completely indiscriminate. Any blood needles that touched the lightning snakes were instantly reduced to ashes.
Seeing this, Kurokō immediately retracted his blood needles, but Naraku had already completed the hand signs for his next Ninjutsu.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation Arrow!
Blazing flames condensed into nearly ten giant arrows, breaking through all obstacles and rapidly shooting towards Kurokō.
He dodged the first and second, but the third grazed his arm, the fourth sliced across his thigh, and the several huge arrows that followed immediately after completely engulfed him in flames.
By the time Naraku dispersed the smoke and closed in, Kurokō was no longer able to activate large Secret Techniques. Only a few small blood blades floated around his body, which Naraku easily swept aside, plunging a blade into his abdomen and pinning him to the ground.
Runes began to unfold and spread on the ground from where the blade pierced, firmly locking his limbs.
— This is Konoha's Uchiha…?
Kurokō's vision gradually darkened. With his last bit of sight, he looked at the young Ninja, who seemed to be less than ten years old, and realized that his previous twenty-odd years of life had truly been like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.
This was true innate talent.
— But even if he's a genius, what then? His companion still wants to use my hands to kill him.
— Indeed, the whole world is just like Yun Mu… filthy… Kurokō closed his eyes, completely losing consciousness.
Naraku panted heavily and released his grip.
Black Zetsu was very close, almost right under that tree not far away.
But someone was even closer than it.
The enemy no longer had the ability to resist, so Shimura Rō would have to do it himself, right?
As soon as Naraku stood firm, numerous Earth Spears suddenly shot out from the nearby ground. He cooperatively retreated two steps quickly, and at the last moment, slightly twisted his body, allowing the sharp blade stabbing from behind to graze his lung and heart as it passed through his chest.
"Cough… cough…" He spat out two mouthfuls of blood, turned to see the face of his attacker, and asked with an expression of disbelief, "W-why… Captain…?"
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun in his blood-red eyes, and cursed seals shot out from beneath his forehead protector, wrapping around his entire body, suppressing his rampaging Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power).
"Go to hell and ask the Shinigami, Uchiha!"
Just as Shimura Rō roared his malicious curse and tried to twist the blade, Naraku's Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) completely ran wild, forcefully operating despite the Healing Seal.
Against the backdrop of his eyes filled with blood and tears, the tomoe instantly transformed into a beautiful black pattern of intertwined crescent moons.
A giant pure white skeletal frame emerged around his body, and the boiling, violent Chakra stirred up a sandstorm, fiercely sending Shimura Rō flying, obscuring the sky and destroying everything in its path.
The fierce airflow also carried lightning and fire, pulverizing all the Earth-Style Walls, thick as city walls, that had previously surrounded the three of them in the distance.
"Why… why…!!!"
Huge bony arms swept wildly around, pounding the ground. The violent tremors caused the entire cliff to crack and collapse, rocks and earth shattering, falling piece by piece into the turbulent current below the abyss.
The bloodline limit sickness struck fiercely and quickly. He coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, and his vision repeatedly darkened.
It was time, he should let Black Zetsu come and pick up the corpse.
Naraku staggered a few steps towards the cliff, then controlled Susanoo's arms to slam heavily into the ground, directly smashing off the entire steep cliff, and he himself fell along with it… On the other side, Yagyu had already been restrained by Might Duy, his limbs broken.
But unfortunately, even though Naraku used the Cellular Extraction Jutsu to remove the poison for him, it was ultimately to no avail.
Zuotang had barely regained consciousness from his coma and was grieving Yagyu's departure.
The moment the ground tremors arrived, the Shadow Clone seemed to sense something and looked up, gazing at Might Duy as if asking for help.
"Senior Dai… my main body seems to be…"
Only managing to utter half a sentence, the Shadow Clone disappeared with a "pop."
"Naraku!" Might Duy immediately jumped up.
"Something must have happened over there!" Zuotang struggled to sit up, urging repeatedly, "Might, go quickly! Captain and the others need your help!"
"Alright!" Might Duy quickly helped Zuotang up and hid him in a concealed spot, leaving all his exploding tags. "Be careful on your own!"
With that, he immediately opened the Fourth Gate and rushed towards the source of the tremors.
When he reached the edge of the cliff, he just happened to witness the scene of the terrain collapsing and the cliff face crumbling.
He only managed to catch a glimpse of Naraku's clothing, which was then swallowed by the falling rocks and earth, disappearing from sight…
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