Wood Release Takes On the Sharingan Head-On

A blood moon hung high overhead.

In the strange black-and-white world, Chenshu Senju was tightly bound to a massive cross.

Before him stood countless expressionless Itachi Uchiha, each holding a cold, long blade.

"In the world of Tsukuyomi, time, space, and matter are all under my control."

Itachi's voice seemed to come from every direction.

"For the next seventy-two hours, I will use this blade to carve you apart inch by inch..."

Before he could finish.

Chenshu Senju picked at his ear.

Even the iron chains binding his wrists rattled with the motion, completely failing to restrain him.

The countless Itachi Uchiha froze.

It was like a precisely functioning computer program had suddenly encountered a bug.

Chenshu Senju sighed and listlessly looked around at the lifeless surroundings.

What kind of mental torture was this?

This little bit of visual stimulation wasn't nearly as impactful as when Tayuya accidentally snapped the garter at the top of her thigh while wearing that tight nurse outfit last night.

If you wanted to launch a mental attack, you should at least conjure several hundred well-endowed Tsunade with no clothes on, lined up to do pole dances for him.

No wonder a bunch of old bachelors like Akatsuki couldn't recruit anyone.

Chenshu Senju grumbled inwardly.

"Your mental strength..."

For the first time, a trace of disbelief appeared on Itachi's eternally expressionless face.

The next second.

The vast, boundless chakra of Chenshu Senju's Sage Physique erupted like an indescribable, terrifying flood.

Crack.

A fissure appeared across the blood-red moon.

Then, the entire mental realm shattered inch by inch like fragile glass beneath the crushing force of absolute power.

The real world.

Only an instant had passed.

Itachi Uchiha grunted, abruptly clutching his left eye as crimson blood flowed through his fingers.

His breathing became extremely ragged.

The backlash was severe.

This monster's mental barrier was as thick as if the entire Hidden Leaf Village's walls had been plastered onto it.

"Mr. Itachi!"

Kisame Hoshigaki's expression changed drastically.

This was the first time he had seen someone confront Tsukuyomi head-on and make Itachi suffer such a crushing loss.

They could not drag this out any longer.

Kisame swung Samehada, wrapped in bandages, as immense chakra surged forth and smashed fiercely into the sealed azure giant trees around them.

"Be good and let me drain you dry!"

Bang!

Samehada struck a thick wooden vine solidly.

The expected sight of the vine withering did not appear.

Instead.

That azure giant tree seemed like a shark that had smelled blood, countless dense, tiny tendrils instantly sprouting across its surface.

"Grrrk—"

Samehada suddenly let out an incomparably shrill cry, its entire blade convulsing violently.

Kisame's expression changed abruptly.

He felt an utterly terrifying suction force wildly pulling at the chakra within his body through the hilt.

This was not absorbing the other party's chakra at all.

It was being drained in reverse.

In the blink of an eye.

Samehada's once swollen body rapidly shriveled like a punctured balloon.

A huge amount of Kisame's own chakra was dragged away with it, making even his legs tremble uncontrollably.

A mocking smile hung on Chenshu Senju's lips.

He couldn't even handle this little bit of suction.

This crappy sword's juicing ability wasn't even as efficient as the top masseuse at the massage parlors in Tanzaku Town.

And it called itself a tailless tailed beast. What blatant false advertising.

He thought.

"Let go!"

Kisame roared, forcibly tearing apart Samehada's barbs before stumbling backward in retreat.

Kisame Hoshigaki, who had always treated others as charging stations, thoroughly experienced the frustration of being treated as a free battery today.

There was no way to fight.

How the hell were they supposed to fight this?

Not only was his chakra vast enough to inspire despair, but even Kisame's most prized absorption ability had become a joke before this thing.

This was no aberration. This was the Sage of Six Paths himself appearing in the flesh.

Itachi covered his bleeding eye and made a snap decision.

"Retreat."

Just then.

A nauseating sound of flesh squirming suddenly rang out.

"You beat up someone from the Hidden Leaf Village and think you can just leave like that?"

Jiraiya slammed both hands heavily onto the ground.

Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Bind.

The hard inner walls of the Wood Release cage around them were instantly covered by a sticky layer of dark-red flesh.

The entire space turned into a massive stomach.

Their escape route was completely sealed.

Even the cracks were packed shut tight.

"Let's see where you can run now."

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief and sneered smugly.

Although he had not even gotten a chance to make a move earlier and Chenshu Senju had stolen all the spotlight, that did not stop him from jumping in to seal off their escape.

Kisame looked at the stomach walls constantly closing in around him, his face darkening to the extreme.

Ahead was a ridiculously powerful Wood Release monster.

Behind him stood Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.

Akatsuki's interception had turned into a ridiculous suicide mission.

In midair.

Itachi Uchiha took a deep breath.

His Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly once more.

Pitch-black flames ignited without warning at the weakest point where the flesh wall connected to the Wood Release.

Amaterasu.

The ultimate physical attack, said to be capable of devouring even flames.

Even Sage Art Wood Release and the stomach of a Mount Myoboku toad were swiftly burned through by the intense heat of those black flames, opening a gap just large enough for two people to pass through.

"Go."

Without pausing for even a moment, Itachi turned and darted toward the opening.

Kisame immediately followed.

But one second before passing through the gap.

Itachi Uchiha's gaze passed over Jiraiya and lingered deeply on Chenshu Senju, who stood where he was.

There was no emotion in his eyes.

Only a low voice drifted over on the wind.

"The true shadow hides behind a spiral-shaped mask."

"Watch your back."

Whoosh.

The two figures vanished completely into the burning black flames and dense mist.

The forest fell silent once more.

Having lost their target, the burning black flames were gradually suppressed and extinguished by the remaining Sage Art chakra.

Jiraiya quickly dispelled the summoning technique and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Those two monsters are finally gone."

Chenshu Senju ignored Jiraiya.

With one hand in his pocket, he stared thoughtfully at several charred wood fragments near the opening.

The true shadow.

A spiral mask.

What was that supposed to be?

A tsundere undercover agent's parting advice?

Looks like this famous little-brother fanatic had gotten some other ideas after seeing his absurd Wood Release. He wanted to use him to test that lunatic Obito.

For some reason, he felt no fear at all now. Instead, he was even more excited.

A masked man?

That was a walking super-sized experience treasure trove. He had been craving that Kamui Sharingan for a long time.

Next time they met, he would strip that guy clean, right down to his underwear.

"Let's go, you old pervert."

"If we don't get to Tanzaku Town soon, your fat sheep will gamble herself away at the casino and become someone else's foot-washing maid."

At those words, Jiraiya's mouth twitched.

"Cut the crap, kid. Tsunade isn't that easy to deal with."

"But..."

Jiraiya paused.

He gave the boy before him a deep look, the absurd sight of Wood Release crushing the Sharingan resurfacing in his mind.

This kid's strength had completely surpassed all common sense.

"But what?"

"Nothing. Let's get moving."

The two set off down the muddy path side by side once more.

This time.

Jiraiya did not take out his telescope again, nor did he grumble about the long journey.

He only felt that the sky of the shinobi world might truly be overturned by the monster beside him.