Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Bone Beast

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen are nothing more than this."

Taketori Nihi said with disdain, withdrawing the Bone Armor covering his body; it was this very layer of bone that had just withstood the lightning power of Thunder Burial.

"No wonder four of you seven were killed by a single genin from Konoha during the Third Great War. You are truly unworthy of your reputation."

Following this, the bone spurs protruding from Taketori Nihi's body, along with the Bone Whip on his left hand and the Bone Spear on his right, all retracted into his body, returning him to his normal appearance. In his eyes, the remaining Anbu of Kirigakure were not even worth his effort.

Just as Taketori Nihi relaxed, a massive wind bullet struck him from behind.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere."

Facing the sudden attack, the bone armor on Taketori Nihi's back had only covered halfway before being struck by the massive, high-pressure wind sphere.

"Bang!" Upon impact, Taketori Nihi's body was sent flying like a cannonball, tumbling for dozens of meters before crashing to the ground.

"The taste of this blood... who are you? Have you come to amuse me?" Taketori Nihi licked the blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, looking at the masked man before him; the salty, metallic taste reignited his desire for battle.

"My name is Uchiha Madara, and I am the only Mizukage Aide in this village."

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan behind the swirl mask locked onto his opponent. Ever since he began operating from the shadows to seize control of Kirigakure, Shimura Danzō had grown to despise anyone who challenged his authority.

"Even if your strength has broken through to the Kage level, you won't be escaping today." Danzō, who had been observing the battle from the shadows, realized that the opponent had actually achieved a breakthrough during the intense fight, crossing the threshold from elite jonin to Kage level.

Under the perception of the Sharingan, the chakra within the opponent was even stronger than his own.

"Surrender, and perhaps the Mizukage-sama might spare a sliver of your Taketori clan's bloodline. Otherwise, the Taketori clan will be completely erased from the ninja world today." Lacking the certainty of victory, Danzō did not rush to attack, hoping instead to trick the opponent into walking into a trap, though he knew the chances were slim.

"There are only Taketori who die in battle, no cowards who surrender."

As Taketori Nihi spoke, he stood up. At the same time, the bone armor on his body covered him completely once more. Danzō noted that this was a technique the opponent had only mastered after reaching the Kage level.

"Hehehehe, come, fight me with everything you have."

This time, Taketori Nihi did not enter the state of Dance of the Clematis; he had a better idea.

"Since you call yourself Uchiha Madara, I have heard that the Sharingan of your Uchiha clan can evolve to its highest level, opening the Mangekyō Sharingan and stepping into Kage-level strength. It just so happens that my inherited Shikotsumyaku can also unlock a new mode after entering the Kage level."

As he spoke, Taketori Nihi's aura climbed rapidly, and then the exoskeleton all over his body began to twist and deform.

Taketori Nihi's torso and limbs elongated, shifting from an upright stance to all fours.

His coccyx continued to extend and proliferate, growing into a steel-whip-like bone tail.

Sharp bone spurs sprouted from his shoulders and elbow joints, and bone claws grew from his palms and soles.

The bones along his spine even pierced through his skin, forming rows of bone barbs across his back.

As the bone armor covered his head, forming a ferocious beast-like skull, Taketori Nihi stood up once more, transformed into a killing beast covered in white bone.

His entire body was encased in a hard exoskeleton, and every part of him was covered in sharp bone spurs. While possessing extreme physical defensive capabilities, every part of his body could be used as a weapon for offense; this form was undoubtedly the nightmare of all close-quarters combatants and taijutsu users.

"This is my new Shikotsumyaku form: Dance of the Bone Beast."

Feeling the explosive power filling his entire body, Taketori Nihi could not wait to throw himself into the fight.

"This power..." Even before clashing, Danzō could sense that with the opponent's body brimming with explosive strength, every strike would likely be fatal.

Now that the opponent possessed Kage-level strength, Danzō himself had not yet unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan.

His own strength, bolstered by a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan, could barely reach the threshold of the Kage level, leaving a significant gap in raw power compared to someone who had achieved a legitimate breakthrough.

However, the opponent would not give Danzō any more chances.

"Come, kill me, or be killed by me!" Before the words even faded, Taketori Nihi's figure shot forward, lunging toward Danzō with overwhelming pressure.

Before Taketori Nihi even arrived, the shockwave he stirred up slammed into Danzō's face.

Danzō was no pushover; experienced as he was, he had already prepared his hand seals, and the ninjutsu in his hands was unleashed almost instantly: "Wind Style: Pressure Damage."

Danzō spat out a massive amount of high-pressure air, attempting to hinder Taketori Nihi's forward momentum.

"Too weak, break for me!" Taketori Nihi extended his two bone claws to meet it, the sharp tips piercing into the invisible wall of air before him, intending to tear it apart by force.

"Has his physical body actually been strengthened to such a degree..." To resist a B-rank ninjutsu with his bare body and shatter it head-on—Danzō had lived long enough to see everything today.

"Wind Style: Shuriken." Danzō infused wind-attribute chakra into his shuriken and flung them at the enemy. The shuriken, enhanced by wind-attribute chakra, spun rapidly, capable of easily slicing through rock; he wanted to test if Taketori Nihi's bones were harder than stone.

Facing the three wind-style shuriken, Taketori Nihi did not choose to take them head-on, but instead activated his new ability: "Shikotsumyaku: Tsukumogami."

Countless bone spurs flew from Taketori Nihi's body, assembling into a bone umbrella before him, blocking the attack of the wind-style shuriken.

The three high-speed spinning shuriken only managed to spark against the surface of the bone umbrella, failing to leave even a single scratch.

This bone umbrella was harder than rock.

Under such pressure, Danzō directly unleashed his most destructive technique at the moment.

"Summoning Jutsu: Baku."

"Baku, use Wind Style."

After summoning the Baku and using its terrifying suction to pin the opponent down, Danzō moved rapidly behind Taketori Nihi, simultaneously weaving hand seals: "Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves."

Danzō spat out a continuous stream of sharp, kamaitachi-like air blades from his mouth, their power further amplified by the Baku's suction. Capable of severing both the target's flesh and the chakra protecting their body, Danzō had even used this combo to break through the defense of Shisui's Susanoo.