Brothers' First Clash

Whether it was due to his Wood Style Body or Lin Mu's own innate talent, he seemed to possess a unique ability for the precise control of chakra.

The blade in his hand constantly shifted in length, changing in endless ways.

From time to time, sharp wooden spikes would extend from other parts of his body, thrusting toward Kisame Hoshigaki.

Caught off guard by this bizarre fighting style, Kisame Hoshigaki found himself slightly on the defensive.

"This is... Wood Style?!"

Itachi Uchiha, who usually stood as cold and detached as a god, showed a clear ripple of emotion.

Wood Style—that was the technique of the Senju Clan!

And the Senju Clan were the sworn enemies of his Uchiha Clan.

"I suppose... if he didn't have something unique, why would he be kept by the side of Jiraiya, one of the Sannin?"

Itachi Uchiha quickly composed himself; anyone who could catch the eye of Jiraiya was naturally no ordinary person.

"So amazing!"

Naruto Uzumaki, who had been pushed into the room, could not help but poke his head out to watch the battle between Lin Mu and Kisame Hoshigaki.

The last time he saw Lin Mu fight was in the forest, but the opponents in these two battles were worlds apart.

One was two genin who barely possessed the strength of chunin, and the other was an S-rank criminal wanted by every nation!

The gap between these two encounters was beyond description!

Lin Mu... had his strength really improved this quickly?!

"Kisame, stop wasting time! Time is limited; it will be troublesome if Jiraiya returns!"

"Understood!"

Kisame Hoshigaki replied, his aura suddenly shifting to resemble that of a violent beast.

Seizing an opportunity, he swung his massive blade with force, slamming it into Lin Mu.

Given Lin Mu's current strength, he naturally could not withstand the monstrous power of Kisame Hoshigaki head-on.

He crossed his arms to block the blow, but was instantly sent flying through the wall by the force of Samehada, landing outside the inn.

"Hehehehe!"

Kisame Hoshigaki glanced at Itachi Uchiha, then leaped directly through the hole Lin Mu had created to continue his pursuit.

"Lin Mu!"

Naruto Uzumaki's eyes grew anxious, and he wanted to rush out to see how Lin Mu was doing.

But in the next second, his body stiffened, for the blood-red Sharingan of Itachi Uchiha had locked onto him.

Naruto found it difficult even to move.

Itachi Uchiha... was too terrifying!

"Long time no see... Itachi Uchiha!"

A cold, masculine voice drifted over.

Upon hearing this voice, Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan trembled almost imperceptibly.

This was... the voice of Sasuke Uchiha!

Itachi Uchiha?!

Upon learning the identity of the terrifying man before him, Naruto was shocked once again.

"He has the same Uchiha surname as Sasuke..."

Sasuke Uchiha's gaze turned fierce; although his Sharingan was not yet fully developed, possessing only two tomoe, the chill radiating from him was no less intense.

"Itachi Uchiha, I am going to kill you!"

Cold sweat broke out on Naruto again as he recalled what Sasuke had said to him when he was severely injured during that mission.

"That man... before I kill my brother... I had clearly resolved that I must not die!"

This guy was the man Sasuke had spoken of wanting to kill!

The atmosphere gradually stagnated, and for a long time, no one spoke.

Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha, these two brothers, closed their eyes at the same time.

Swish! Swish!

As if by some unspoken agreement, both of their eyes snapped open simultaneously, both a blood-red hue, both carrying the same bone-chilling light!

This was... brothers destined to kill one another!

Glaring fiercely once more at the cold man before him, Sasuke Uchiha gritted his teeth, his tone suggesting he wanted to tear Itachi apart alive:

"I did as you said—I harbored hatred for you! I loathed you! And it was only to kill you that I..."

Sasuke Uchiha's left hand was enveloped in powerful electrical currents; as the electricity surged, it sounded like the chirping of countless birds, piercing and deafening.

"I... I have lived until now just for this!"

Sasuke Uchiha's expression was incredibly ferocious; as he swung his left hand in a rage, even the wall of the inn was torn apart.

"Chidori..."

A faint glimmer flickered in Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan as he recognized the name of the technique.

Yet, his face remained completely devoid of expression.

It was as if the powerful electrical current about to strike his body were nothing more than a gentle, mild breeze.

"I'm going to kill you!"

Sasuke roared, charging forward as the electric current on his left hand surged wildly, carving a massive gash through the entire wall.

A sudden surge of excitement welled up in his heart.

The man before him—the man who slaughtered his parents and kin, the man he had dreamed of countless times, the man he hated and loathed—was about to die right before his eyes!

"Die!"

The electrical current in Sasuke Uchiha's left hand had condensed to its limit.

He thrust his Chidori toward Itachi Uchiha with all his might.

BANG!!!

A single palm reached out nonchalantly, accurately and unerringly seizing Sasuke Uchiha's left wrist.

The lightning, brimming with terrifying destructive power, was redirected into the wall, instantly tearing a massive hole through the entire structure.

"Urgh..."

Cold sweat beaded on Sasuke Uchiha's face as he exerted every ounce of strength to pull his left hand back.

But his hand felt as if it were clamped in a steel vice, unable to move in the slightest!

Zzzzzzzzzzz...

The current surging wildly on Sasuke's hand, sounding like chirping birds, gradually dissipated.

The formidable pressure also faded into nothingness.

"W-what... what is going on?"

Standing behind Itachi Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki was dumbfounded, wearing an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

"Sasuke's ninjutsu was actually countered so easily?!"

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!

How can I help Sasuke?

Naruto Uzumaki racked his brains, but faced with such a terrifying gap in strength, he could see no way out!

The battle between the brothers, Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, had already ended.

However, Lin Mu and Kisame Hoshigaki had fought further and further away, now reaching the woods outside the Post Town.

"Kid who uses Wood Style, do you think you can defeat me by relying on the trees just because we've come into the forest?"

Kisame Hoshigaki's monster-like face revealed a look of disdain.

"In the face of an absolute gap in strength, this little bit of help is completely insignificant!"

"Hehehehehehe... tell me, should I blow off your hands first, or chop off your feet?"

Kisame Hoshigaki laughed in a somewhat neurotic manner, swinging Samehada continuously and creating waves of oppression.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo... hoo..."

Lin Mu leaned against a large tree, his chest heaving violently; his stamina was now severely depleted!

His chakra was also running on empty!

Sigh, I really need to develop my Wood Style Body as soon as possible!

The chakra inside Lin Mu's body was almost completely exhausted, with only about ten percent remaining.

However, observing Kisame Hoshigaki, he noticed the man was only slightly out of breath, meaning he likely still had a vast amount of chakra left.

He truly lives up to the name of the Tailless Tailed Beast!