Crisis struck in an instant! Ahead of Ling, Kisame burned his dark chakra in a desperate lunge; behind him, the "Sacred Lord's" will gnawed coldly at him as countless dark tentacles closed in. He seemed trapped with no way out!
Yet, at that critical moment-
Time seemed to pause.
No, it had not truly stopped. This was an extreme distortion of perception! Everything around Ling-Kisame's savage expression, the swinging Samehada, the incoming dark tentacles, even the surging will of the "Sacred Lord"-seemed to ripple like water struck by a pebble, turning blurred and unreal.
Only Ling himself and a figure who had appeared unnoticed in the shadows of the cabin remained perfectly clear.
The figure wore an Akatsuki cloak. He was tall and slender, his handsome face marked by an unshakable coldness and weariness. Most striking were his eyes-three black tomoe slowly revolved within his scarlet irises before merging into an eerie, pinwheel-shaped pattern.
Uchiha Itachi!
He stood quietly, seemingly detached from the chaos around him. He did not look at Ling. His gaze rested on Kisame as he lunged forward in a frenzy.
"Enough, Kisame."
The simple words seemed to carry a strange power. Kisame froze mid-lunge. The scarlet hue and frenzy in his eyes ebbed like a retreating tide, replaced by bewilderment. Then his body sagged, and he dropped to one knee, panting heavily as though he had just awakened from a nightmare. Even the turbulent dark chakra within him subsided for the moment.
The "Sacred Lord's" will deep within the cabin seemed deeply wary of Itachi's presence. It let out a soundless roar of frustration and abruptly withdrew like a startled viper, taking the dark tentacles with it. More than half the ominous presence aboard the Ghost Ship faded.
Ling was shaken to his core! *Was this