Greatly Reducing Vision

Kakuzu stared at the colossal, terrifying figure before him, his pupils contracting sharply, his very soul shaken.

The Karasu Tengu simply stood there, motionless, yet the terrifying pressure emanating from it was enough to make one's heart tremble. What kind of power was this?

This pressure was silent, yet more suffocating than any killing intent. It felt like thousands of cold senbon piercing Kakuzu's body.

Kakuzu swallowed, disbelief flooding him. Such power could actually be unleashed by this brat before him. He suddenly understood why the Uchiha were called weapons of war on the battlefield.

"Wh-what..." His body trembled uncontrollably, a sign of excitement. "What power, what a heart!"

He couldn't wait to dig out Sora Uchiha's heart and place it in his own chest.

Fear? A little, yes, but ever since witnessing Hashirama's terrifying power, his fear of the current Karasu Tengu was only a tiny bit.

Sora Uchiha felt as though his body was about to explode at any moment. He possessed extraordinary power that didn't belong to him, without the corresponding strength to match it. The burden of the Karasu Tengu felt like a mountain pressing down on him.

Blood trickled from his eyes, drop by drop...

In the Karasu Tengu's hand, a massive sword forged from Chakra appeared.

"Ah! Ahhhh!" Suddenly, Sora Uchiha clutched his eyes, his face contorted in a pained scream. Unbearable agony surged from the depths of his eye sockets.

He knew he couldn't maintain the Karasu Tengu Susanoo for long. A few breaths? Perhaps a few seconds? He didn't know.

This battle had to be decided quickly!

"Hahaha, it seems you can't handle this power." Kakuzu laughed upon witnessing Sora Uchiha's agony. The four masks around him lined up, their hands forming seals at lightning speed.

"Wind Style: Wind Pressure."

"Water Style: Water Curtain."

"Lightning Style: False Darkness."

"Fire Style: Headhunter."

"Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear!"

In an instant, the ninjutsu of different affinities were spat out from the mouths of the four masks. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, storms and flames intertwined, and the light of the four-colored ninjutsu flickered wildly, savagely attacking the Karasu Tengu.

Sora Uchiha endured the searing pain in his eyes, staring fixedly at Kakuzu without making a move. The Susanoo was known as the "Absolute Defense," let alone the Karasu Tengu form, whose defense was greatly enhanced in its third stage.

Although Kakuzu's strength was formidable, a true all-rounder, his offensive power was insufficient to break through the Karasu Tengu's defense.

As expected, although Kakuzu's attacks appeared terrifying, they felt like mere tickles against the Karasu Tengu, unable to breach its defense.

This was the monstrous nature of Susanoo; for those who couldn't break it, there was simply no way to fight.

However, while the Susanoo's defense was maxed out, its offensive power was also terrifying. The purple longsword in the Karasu Tengu's hand slashed out with such speed that Kakuzu couldn't react...

"Three." Blood flowed from Sora Uchiha's eyes as he spoke calmly. After this short period, he could now endure the pain; as long as he didn't make drastic movements, it was within his tolerance.

The next instant, the deceased Kakuzu came back to life, his expression grim. But before he could react, The next moment, a terrifying giant hand slammed down, engulfing him.

"Two." Sora Uchiha spoke again, retracting the giant hand.

Kakuzu revived once more, only to be met by a massive fireball. The Great Fireball in its Karasu Tengu state was no longer the harmless jutsu it once was.

"One." Sora Uchiha didn't even lift an eyelid. His appearance at this moment was horrifying, the striking Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes pale.

BOOM!

Kakuzu, revived again, unleashed terrifying power. Fire Style, Water Style, Lightning Style, Wind Style, and Earth Style erupted simultaneously, actually leaving a gaping crack on the Karasu Tengu's armor.

"You've reached your limit." Kakuzu leaped out from the explosive dust, staring intently at Sora Uchiha.

"Perhaps. Want to bet?" Sora Uchiha asked calmly, raising his longsword again.

Kakuzu's expression flickered. Bet? Of course, he didn't dare. Although his instincts told him Sora Uchiha's body had reached its limit, what if?

What if he could last a few more moves? He had already died four times, with only one life left. If he died this time, he would truly be dead.

Having lived a long life, he cherished it more. He dared not gamble.

He gave Sora Uchiha a deep look, memorizing the young, immature face.

"I will come for your heart."

With that, without the slightest hesitation, he bolted towards the exit.

Sora Uchiha didn't stop him, quietly watching Kakuzu's retreating back until he disappeared from view.

The Karasu Tengu vanished with a roar. Sora Uchiha immediately collapsed to his knees, the Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes fading, returning to their normal black and white. However, the bloodstain running from his eye down to his chin was a gruesome sight.

He dazedly held out his hands. In his vision, his hands seemed blurry, as if a third hand, a fourth hand...

The third stage of Susanoo, the Karasu Tengu. In just ten breaths, his eyesight had significantly deteriorated. He had a premonition that one more time, he would go blind.

He let out a wry laugh. "This time, I really lost big."

He wasn't worried about Kakuzu making a comeback. This money-grubbing bounty hunter cherished his life immensely.

He slowly raised his head, looking around. Illuminated by Chakra, the cave was in ruins, with pits of various sizes on the ground and walls. It was a miracle it hadn't collapsed.

"So tired..." he muttered, before promptly passing out.

After a while, a figure arrived at the scene. It was Tsunade, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion. She illuminated the Chakra lamp and scanned the surroundings, her pupils contracting violently.

"Damn it, that brat isn't dead, is he!"

It wasn't surprising she thought this, given the devastating, earth-shattering state of the area. It was as if Kage-level powerhouses had fought here, and she couldn't imagine what Sora Uchiha had gone through.

"Lady Tsunade, he's over there," the Slug reminded her.

Tsunade's gaze snapped towards that direction.

On the ground, soaked in blood and littered with rubble, a figure lay still, unmoving.

Her pupils contracted sharply, and Tsunade's heart tightened. Sora Uchiha's condition was truly dire, with more than a dozen wounds all over his body. Especially the terrifying bloodstain on his face—she couldn't fathom the kind of battle this young man had endured.

Tsunade's breathing grew rapid. Carefully, she placed her hand near Sora Uchiha's nose to check for breath.

She let out a long sigh of relief.

"He's alive, thank goodness he's alive!"

"Slug, hurry and heal him."

"Yes!"

Immediately, several Slugs crawled onto Sora Uchiha's various wounds to treat them. Tsunade also placed her hand on Sora Uchiha's chest, using medical Ninjutsu to heal him.

However, after only a moment, the Slug said urgently, "Lady Tsunade, someone is coming!"

"Damn it, why now."

Tsunade's body trembled. Without much thought, she picked up Sora Uchiha and hid in the darkness