Battle of a Cornered Beast

With a whooshing sound, Suikazan Fuguki's round body rolled aside, dodging the Golden Eagle's attack from behind.

By then, the battle had already been going on for ten minutes. Besides the Great White Shark Ninja, several more animal ninjas had found their way there.

As for Suikazan Fuguki, one of the last surviving members of Kirigakure's older generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he no longer looked as mighty and imposing as before. His body was covered in tiny wounds, his breathing was ragged, and his expression was haggard.

The blood flowing from his wounds carried a faintly dark tint, while his lips and the corners of his eyes had turned somewhat purple. These were classic signs of poisoning.

"Damn it, just what kind of monsters has Orochimaru created?"

Suikazan Fuguki gasped urgently, feeling it grow harder and harder to breathe. The potent poison seemed to have caused inflammation and swelling in his airways, leaving him nearly unable to draw breath.

As for Samehada, it looked listless as well. While fighting a three-headed Snake-Human Hybrid, Samehada had absorbed some strange Chakra and had been left in this state afterward.

The moment Suikazan Fuguki saw that Snake-Human Hybrid, he knew it had to be Orochimaru's work. Clearly, Orochimaru now knew Samehada's abilities very well and had used a special method to directly cripple his greatest trump card.

Slowly rising to his feet, Suikazan Fuguki swept his gaze around with a gloomy expression, an uneasy premonition stirring in his heart.

There was the Great White Shark animal ninja that had emerged from the river, the Golden Eagle animal ninja that had been launching aerial ambushes, the Octopus Ninja with camouflage abilities and venomous tentacles, the Sea Turtle animal ninja with astonishing defenses, and the Pangolin Ninja that had remained concealed underground, occasionally launching sneak attacks.

In terms of actual strength, these five were only Chunin at most. Their constitutions and Chakra were merely somewhat stronger than average, but after gaining the ability to transform into animals and combining it with those animals' advantages, they had become exceptionally difficult to deal with. Their strength was now roughly equivalent to that of Special Jonin.

Five Special Jonin joining forces would have been enough to kill an ordinary Jonin. However, Suikazan Fuguki was no ordinary Jonin. Even among Elite Jonin, he stood at the very peak, among the strongest below Kage level.

Under normal circumstances, even if Samehada had been sealed, Suikazan Fuguki would not have fallen into a disadvantage against five Special Jonin. Forget escaping—he might even have had a chance to kill them in return.

But... Suikazan Fuguki looked up at the bizarre half-human, half-snake ninja with three heads. This creature was the greatest obstacle to his escape.

Chakra reserves nearly comparable to those of his subordinate, the Kirigakure monster Kisame Hoshigaki; strange soft-body modifications; three heads that could extend and retract; a powerful physique that suffered only minor injuries even after being smashed by Samehada; three heads that could see in every direction...

This was absolutely an Elite Jonin-level ninja. Even in a one-on-one fight, without the greatsword Samehada, Suikazan Fuguki could not guarantee victory. Much less now, when he was being ganged up on.

"Hehehe, Lord Orochimaru and Dr. Vegapunk's abilities are beyond anything you can imagine! You should surrender quickly, Suikazan Fuguki!"

With a hint of fanaticism, the ninja in Snake-Human Hybrid form said excitedly,

"I saw you on the battlefield before! One of Kirigakure's Ninja Swordsmen, and even one of the strongest among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen! Back then, I was only a Chunin. I shouldn't even have caught your attention, and I was terrified you might casually kill me!"

"But now, I can stand before you and carry out the mission to hunt you down! I only underwent some bodily modifications, yet I am already completely different from before!"

"You want me to surrender? Keep dreaming! You upstart!"

With an angry roar, Suikazan Fuguki suppressed the shock and fear in his heart after hearing that astonishing information. He swung Samehada and charged forward once more.

He was no longer thinking of escaping into the water. Compared to animal ninjas like the Great White Shark and Octopus Ninja, he would have no advantage at all underwater. He could only carve out a bloody path.

Although Samehada had been left listless after being fed that strange Chakra and had temporarily lost its ability to absorb Chakra, it could still be used as a hard Spiked Club. Since Suikazan Fuguki possessed Samehada, a top-tier ninja blade even among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, his swordsmanship was naturally nothing to scoff at.

However, the animal ninjas facing him showed no fear whatsoever. Animal genes had given them powerful instinctive reactions and extraordinary physiques, with Taijutsu benefiting the most. Relying on their tough hides and durable bodies, they fought in a completely different manner from ordinary ninjas. Both sides charged at each other like warriors and clashed head-on.

The Octopus Ninja's venomous tentacles, the Sea Turtle's hard shell, the Great White Shark's sharp teeth, the Golden Eagle's blade-like wings, and the Pangolin Ninja's sharp claws formed a three-dimensional assault system, nearly surrounding every inch of space around Suikazan Fuguki.

One look at Suikazan Fuguki's build was enough to tell that he had never been known for agility. Facing the animal ninjas' attacks, he swung Samehada without hesitation and smashed it down in an exchange of wounds.

With a wet tearing sound, the Great White Shark Ninja tore a chunk of flesh from Suikazan Fuguki's shoulder before Samehada crushed its chest.

Apart from the Great White Shark Ninja's final strike, all the other ninjas' attacks were blocked by a layer of Blood Armor covering Suikazan Fuguki's body. It had been formed by mixing Suikazan Fuguki's own blood with Chakra.

However, after using this ability, Suikazan Fuguki's face turned extremely pale. Aside from the loss of Chakra, the loss of his own blood placed tremendous strain on him.

Inside a hidden base, Orochimaru and Vegapunk sat before a monitor, watching the ongoing battle. Orochimaru was the one who spoke.

Every test subject had been marked with Chakra. Using the ninjutsu and technology developed by Vegapunk, they could be monitored anytime and anywhere.

Just as Orochimaru finished speaking, Suikazan Fuguki erupted at the same time. Both his speed and strength became far greater than before, and he almost instantly forced the others back again and again.

Watching the blood aura rise from Suikazan Fuguki's entire body, Vegapunk stroked his chin. "I remember Kirigakure and Konoha fought a war before, didn't they? Did Suikazan Fuguki have this move back then?"