"Pssh, pssh, pssh..." After a series of muffled sounds, Nawaki's body was instantly pierced through. Yet his water-elementalized body was completely unaffected. Without changing expression, he continued reaching his right hand into the seal.
"Roar!" Half-transformed, Utakata let out a piercing beastly roar. A flash of ruthlessness and resolve passed through his eyes, and the originally red Tailed Beast Cloak instantly turned dark blue. The ninja technique Hiruma activated!
"Fsssh, fsssh, fsssh..." A piercing noise rang through the cave as several plumes of thick smoke rose. The iron chains binding Utakata's limbs were immediately corroded and liquefied.
At the same time, Hozuki Zangetsu's expression finally changed. He let out a miserable cry of pain. "Agh..."
Even his water-elementalized body seemed unable to withstand the corrosive acid. Large amounts of white smoke began pouring from his pierced wounds. Nawaki backed away with a pained expression, but Utakata, now free of his restraints, had no intention of letting him go. His six Chakra Tails wrapped tightly around the water-transformed body, sealing it up like a mummy.
"Urgh... aaah..."
"Hozuki Zangetsu" screamed as he continuously twisted his body into different shapes, but he could not break free. Thick white smoke kept billowing from the gaps between the Chakra Tails, while not a single drop of liquid leaked out.
As more and more white smoke rose, the volume of liquid within the Chakra Tails steadily shrank. "Hozuki Zangetsu's" voice grew weaker and weaker until his entire body completely vaporized and vanished.
"Whew! Hah! Hah..." Utakata released his tightly entwined tails. Staring at the empty air before him, he gasped for breath. The mental burden of those few short minutes far exceeded the physical exertion.
Once the danger had passed, Utakata's mind was immediately consumed by fear and unease. Everything that had just happened felt