On a desolate sand dune, Itachi and Kisame sat cross-legged to rest.
The three-day sealing was extremely mentally taxing, especially considering that he had to divert his Chakra to use the Shapeshifting Technique halfway through.
This is a huge burden for someone like Itachi who doesn't have much Chakra to begin with.
" Kisame, you should leave first."
"Hmm." Kisame nodded without asking why.
The two aren't always together; sometimes they handle their personal matters separately, as everyone needs their own space.
Not long after Kisame left, space distorted, and Tobi appeared in front of Itachi.
What do you want?
Now, Itachi no longer feels the same fear he had when facing Madara; in fact, he even looks down on him. In his eyes, Madara is just a loser.
First, he was defeated by the First Hokage, then his Nine-Tails' Disturbance was stopped by the Fourth, and he failed again in the power struggle within Akatsuki.
Completely demystify it!
How could Obito not see Itachi's change in attitude towards him? The series of defeats had shaken his mysterious persona.
"You should have noticed that Xiao is gradually slipping out of my control."
"So what..."
" The Tailed Beast capture plan has begun and will soon affect the Nine-Tails. Pain will then personally take action. With the power of the Rinnegan, what can Konoha use to resist?"
"When did you start caring about the village?"
"Of course I don't care, but that's the place you sacrificed your entire clan to protect, Itachi. Now that things have come to this, let's open our hearts and talk."
Don't try to fool me, you can't do anything about it, can you?
Seeing that Itachi did not respond, Obito said, "Zetsu has been secretly monitoring Orochimaru to ensure Sasuke's safety. This is my sincerity."
What a great show of sincerity!
"Hehe..." Obito chuckled awkwardly; he really thought highly of Sasuke.
Finally, Itachi relented and said, "Tell me your plan."
"Help me regain control of Xiao; our original agreement still stands."
"You're going to attack the leader?" Itachi shook his head. "The abilities of the Rinnegan user are unknown, and the Azure Dragon hurdle won't be easy to overcome."
"That's why we need to rely on external forces. When Pain was capturing the Nine-Tails, we used the people of Konoha to deplete his Chakra first."
"As long as you hold off Aoki Tsuki, leave the rest to me. This is your only chance."
You must think I'm an idiot.
Itachi replied expressionlessly, "If you really want to cooperate, show some sincerity and don't engage in meaningless tests."
"I have some information here that might be helpful to you. Danzo was assassinated by Aoki Tsuki, as you probably already know."
Itachi nodded. It was no secret that Orochimaru and Aoki Tsuki were colluding; he had tried to stop them before the operation but failed.
Danzo's death meant that Shisui's other eye had fallen into Aoki Tsuki's hands.
Tobi doesn't dare to show his face in Akatsuki anymore.
"In addition, when capturing Tailed Beast, I will also appropriately increase the resistance to them. Although it may not be effective, it can expose more of their abilities."
As far as I know, he held back somewhat when he fought you; I have all the relevant information here.
"What is your purpose in reviving the Ten-Tails?" Itachi suddenly asked.
Obito was prepared for this, saying, "My original purpose in creating Akatsuki was for peace, Pain wanted to create the ultimate weapon of war for his own ambitions."
As ninjas from the Land of Rain, their hatred towards powerful nations may stem from their own tragic past.
Believe it or not, it was all his own doing; I never intended to achieve peace through war.
This statement is essentially meaningless; it clearly indicates an unwillingness to reveal the true purpose.
Itachi didn't expect Madara to tell him the truth, so he said, "I want to see your concrete actions before we talk."
"Of course, that's one of our agreements." Obito's figure disappeared into the void.
Meanwhile, Sasori and Deidara were facing a friendly barrage of Tailed Beast Bomb.
"So beautiful, this is art."
Faced with death, Deidara relaxed and instead began to admire the super bomb.
Those with chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) are not afraid of death.
"Shut up, art is eternal."
On matters of personal principle, Scorpion will not budge an inch, even if he is about to die.
call out!
A whooshing sound came from behind them and stopped behind them.
Scorpion paused slightly, then said, "It seems I don't have to die."
" Summoning Technique - Diamond Dharma Realm "
Rumble...
Seven stone pagodas rose simultaneously from all around, supporting a hemispherical white barrier.
The 'Five Elements Pagoda - Vajra Realm' requires mastering five Chakra natures, Aoki Tsuki added two additional yin and yang natures to enhance it.
boom!!
The Tailed Beast Bomb slammed violently into the hemispherical barrier, causing it to shatter instantly. However, the Tailed Beast Bomb was also bounced away by the curved surface of the spherical barrier.
A distant mountain peak bore the brunt of the consequences, utterly destroyed in the Kakkō.
In the current ninja world, no one can directly withstand Tailed Beast Bomb. Even Pain used the ' Sealing Technique: Absorption Seal ' to neutralize it, and Shinra Tensei can only deal with small Tailed Beast Bomb.
There's more than one type of Tailed Beast Bomb; some are as big as a soccer ball, others as big as a mountain—even Hashirama couldn't catch them.
"He bounced off? This guy seems to be..." Kakashi's heart sank. "This is troublesome; we've got a tough opponent."
Yamato hurriedly asked, "Senpai, what should we do?"
"Huh? This person looks familiar; I feel like I've seen them somewhere before."
Might Guy frowned and thought for a long time, but still couldn't remember.
"Guy, Sakura, you two take Gaara to meet up with Rock Lee Yamato Tenten. Yamato, come with me to subdue Naruto later."
"Hi!!"
Might Guy and Sakura turned and left with Gaara's body; rescuing the Kazekage was their primary objective.
"Looks like a formidable opponent has arrived."
Seeing Kakashi's hurried retreat, Chiyo speculated, "What exactly is Akatsuki up to? Even someone as unruly as Sasori is willing to join them."
"Senior, what brings you here?"
Deidara was very interested in this Akatsuki senior, feeling that they were both artists.
"I'm not far from here, just passing by. By the way... the Nine-Tails ' power seems stronger than I expected."
The Six Paths used Yin-Yang Release to create Nine Tailed Beasts. Each of the other Tailed Beast received an ability, but the Nine-Tails received the most Chakra and therefore had no special abilities.
There's a saying that one force can overcome ten techniques; in a world full of numerical monsters, strength crushes all superpowers.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Naruto only showed six tails; they are far superior to the Six-Tails. Trying to outmuscle him is not a wise strategy.
"You're right, this guy is tough to deal with. He destroyed all my puppets," Scorpion said.
"You all step back and let me handle him."
Whoosh!
As they were speaking, a red shadow appeared in front of them, its sharp claws aimed straight for his throat.
"I was prepared for this."
Aoki Tsuki took a step back, raised his left hand to activate Uzumaki Seal Array, and released Natural Chakra impact on Naruto was standing close by.
Rumble!!
The white energy transformed into a circular halo that exploded, unleashing a beam of energy that blasted Naruto, now in his Tailed Beast Transformation, several miles away.
If it were anyone else, they would have been killed on the spot, but for the Jinchūriki who Tailed Beast Transformation, it was just a minor incident, and they quickly returned.
"They're here!" Aoki Tsuki secretly became wary.
This move looks cool for only three seconds. The energy accumulation of the Uzumaki Seal Array takes time, making it suitable for initial kills. However, it's not effective in high-frequency battles.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Red energy projectiles rained down, no less powerful than the air projectiles launched by the Morning Peacock.
"Come to welcome· Thousand-Hand Kill "
Aoki Tsuki immediately activated the Thousand-Armed Kannon, using his fists to directly counter the attack and block it. Upon seeing this, the opponent quickly changed their attack method.
Instead of energy projectiles, laser beams were used in an attempt to slice open the Buddha statue.
Splash...
With a change of hand gestures, the lotus platform at the feet of the Buddha statue instantly split into lotus petals, which then reformed into armor on the body of the Thousand-Armed Kannon.
Danzo's breach of his defenses last time made Aoki Tsuki realize the weakness of the Thousand-Armed Kannon's body; as the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy.
Clang!
The lotus-shaped armor blocked the laser beam's cutting effect.
Upon seeing this, Nine-Tails immediately created Tailed Beast skeletons around Naruto to enhance his defenses, intending to engage in close combat.
Whoosh, and in the next second, he appeared directly in front of his opponent.
The air was torn open like water, creating a long white channel that slowly unfolded to both sides.
"So fast!!"
Aoki Tsuki was taken aback; this speed was comparable to when he used Taijutsu -type Body Flicker Technique.
"Little fox, approaching humans at will is a very dangerous thing, Void Realm· Greedy Wolf."
With a thousand arms exerting force together, Naruto, in his Tailed Beast Transformation, was compressed along with the air. Under such high-density pressure, Naruto, trapped in the middle of the sphere, couldn't even move.
Click... click...
The exoskeleton could not withstand the pressure and shattered on the spot.
"Roar..."
boom!
Naruto was launched like a cannonball, and it would probably take him a while to run back. Aoki Tsuki released the spell.
We must outsmart them.
As another burst of sound rang out, Naruto, on all fours, reappeared in sight.
" The Great Waterfall Technique "
Aoki Tsuki Hand Seals and spat out a tornado-shaped stream of water that rushed towards the oncoming Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto.
Naruto dodged the water's impact with an S-shaped movement, then suddenly accelerated to circle behind Aoki Tsuki and launch an attack.
Whether it was Nine-Tails's consciousness or Naruto's consciousness that was in control at this moment, neither seemed very bright and had no idea how treacherous people could be.
Swish...
The blue-haired man launched a sudden attack without warning, binding Naruto in an instant like a venomous snake, with black runes climbing and sealing him off.
That wasn't all. Lightning rings appeared around Aoki Tsuki, and he unleashed another barrage of electric shocks on Naruto through his hair.
You'd better just behave yourself.
"Ahhh..." Naruto's body convulsed uncontrollably.
" Lightning Blade!"
Kakashi has excellent eyesight and can always seize fleeting opportunities.
Little did they know that Aoki Tsuki's mental power had already broken through, creating a 360-degree Transparent Domain around him, making him extremely difficult to ambush.
In the instant they passed each other, a gleaming blade flashed upwards, cleaving Kakashi in two.
Sizzle... sizzle
" Lightning Clone?!"
Just then, several vines sprouted from the ground on all sides, trying to entangle Aoki Tsuki's body, but he swung his sword and cut them off.
Thud...
The ground exploded, Kakashi rushed forward with his Kunai, Lightning Blade, aiming straight for his throat, but Aoki Tsuki dodged it by tilting his head back.
"Using clones to draw attention while the main body hides and launches a sneak attack, Kakashi, you've used this trick to death."
"That's not necessarily true!"
Snap...
Aoki Tsuki slapped Kakashi in the chest with his left hand, sending him flying. Kakashi felt his hair vibrate.
"Um??"
Turning around, I saw that Yamato had taken advantage of the moment to use Wood Release to entangle Naruto and drag him away.
"Don't underestimate this old woman!"
Chiyo immediately manipulated the remaining three puppets of the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets, namely Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, to form a battle formation in front of her.
Aoki Tsuki said helplessly, "Old man, you should stay in the village and enjoy your retirement. Why bother trying to roam the Shinobi World like young people? Your era is long gone."
If it weren't for Scorpion's sake, would you be allowed to jump around here?
"You stole the Sunagakure's Tailed Beast, which is tantamount to cutting off the village's foundation. I have no choice but to fight."
" The Tailed Beast are the source of chaos, causing countless tragedies and fostering unhealthy ambitions. We are trying to help you."
"Ah..."
Kakashi was curled up on the ground, screaming in agony. The veins on his body bulged out, like red chains, and he was completely unable to move.
"Senior!"
Yamato approached Kakashi, glanced down at him, and asked, "Is this a cursed spell?"
He quickly Hand Seals, and two vines sprouted from his shoulders, rapidly enveloping Kakashi. Then, the blood vessels in Kakashi's body slowly returned to normal.
Wood Release has an innate sealing ability, giving it an edge over all other players.
"Phew... Phew... Thank you."
Kakashi gasped for breath; the pain from his opponent's curse was bad enough, but it almost made him suffocate. He quickly said, "This guy has gotten so much stronger! We're no match for him! Let's retreat!"
Click... click...
The vines binding Naruto had developed dense cracks due to his fierce struggle, and he was about to break free from the Wood Release's binding power.
Kakashi, ignoring his weakness, hurriedly took out the sealing talisman that Jiraiya and stuck it on Naruto's forehead.
Buzz...
The runes on the talisman lit up, quickly activating the power of the Eight Trigrams Seal on Naruto's stomach, slowly suppressing the Nine-Tails ' power back into his body.
"Roar..."
Unwilling to be sealed, Nine-Tails struggled fiercely. At the critical moment Chakra necklace around Naruto's neck lit up, turning into a green line that suppressed Nine-Tails.
"Let's go." Kakashi and Yamato turned and ran off with Naruto.
Chiyo glanced at Sasori, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She then left; she was getting old and wanted to see her grandson before she died.
Now that she has seen it, she has completely given up on the idea. Scorpion's choice to become a puppet was a huge blow to her.
"Are we just going to let them go like that?" Scorpion asked.
"According to the order, the Nine-Tails is the last one, so we can't touch it for now. Otherwise, Konoha will definitely panic, and then we'll be facing a joint attack from the Five Great Nations."
"Okay, you guys go ahead, I need to collect the puppet's parts."
Scorpion suffered heavy losses in this battle; almost all of his puppets were used up, which was extremely distressing.
"Don't worry about it, Brother Scorpion. In a while, I'll send you the corpse of a powerful expert covered in deadly poison."
That old man could poison everyone around him with just his breath; he would have to wear a breathing tube all the time. If he were made into a puppet, his opponents would collapse before they even knew what was happening.
"Really?"
"The body is with the leader. I'll ask him later; it should be fine."
Thank you.
The Third Kazekage's Human Puppet was Sasori's most important trump card, but now that it's been destroyed, it desperately needs a replacement. If what Aoki Tsuki said is true, that's not bad either.
The puppeteer's most powerful technique is actually poison.