Naruto: I have Ten Skill Bars

Chapter 452 451: Kisame vs Ōtsutsuki

Although Kisame appeared relaxed on the surface, he was anything but at ease.

From the clash just now, he could clearly sense that the people in front of him possessed an extremely strange power within their bodies. It was overwhelmingly strong.

Ordinary enemies facing his sudden strike would either die on the spot or be left half-dead. Yet that man had taken the blow head-on without even defending and still managed to withstand it.

That alone said everything.

This opponent was not someone easy to deal with.

"A nobody dares to attack us?"

"Are they companions?"

"They hid themselves well. I didn't notice them at all before!"

The Ōtsutsuki clan members spoke as terrifying chakra fluctuations erupted from each of their bodies.

At that moment, Kisame suddenly shouted, "Kakashi! Protect the Hokage!"

Kakashi was briefly stunned, but immediately moved to Tsunade's side.

"Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"

Rumble!

A massive surge of water erupted instantly, sweeping outward in all directions. The torrent expanded rapidly, forming towering waves that crashed down upon the battlefield.

The Ōtsutsuki members, though individually powerful, were caught off guard by the large-scale ninjutsu. While it might not deal significant damage, blocking such an overwhelming attack was far from easy.

Boom!

As the raging current surged, Kisame moved through the water like a predator, darting forward at high speed. Wielding Samehada, he lunged at the nearest Ōtsutsuki and slashed down fiercely.

The blade's barbs tore through the opponent's clothing, but in the next instant, Samehada failed to pierce his skin.

So tough…

Kisame's eyes narrowed. Just what kind of bodies did these people have?

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Now! Chōjūrō!"

In an instant, a chakra-infused slash tore through the water, striking the Ōtsutsuki member from behind. His back split open, leaving a deep, bloody wound.

Blood seeped out, staining the surrounding water red.

So they could be injured. They could bleed.

That made things much simpler.

Kisame's grin widened.

"Mei!"

Mei Terumī emerged from the water, her ninja blade releasing intense heat. Even submerged, bubbles rapidly formed around it as the temperature rose.

Despite the dampening effect of the water, her technique remained powerful.

"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"

She followed the wound created by Chōjūrō and struck cleanly through the opponent's body, slicing him in two.

The first Ōtsutsuki fell.

The surging water gradually receded, unable to remain suspended without terrain to contain it.

At that moment, the remaining dozen or so Ōtsutsuki showed clear shock in their eyes. They had not expected these shinobi to actually kill one of them.

Even with chakra absorption through the Rinnegan, their defenses had not been enough to completely negate the coordinated assault.

And the chakra stored within them was limited.

"Damn it! These three suddenly appeared and killed one of us!"

"You lowly beings dare to kill a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan? You're courting death!"

More than a dozen Ōtsutsuki moved at once.

The situation instantly became dangerous.

Yet Kisame only grew more excited. Although a single strike was not enough to kill them, as long as they seized the right moment and coordinated their attacks, these enemies were far from invincible.

There was still a chance to bring them down.

"Then come at me, you pale-faced freaks!"

Since the Ōtsutsuki clan members all had gray-white skin, Kisame mockingly referred to them as pale-faced ghosts.

Meanwhile, near Konoha.

Kujō was quietly infiltrating the village alongside Haku, Zabuza, and Ringo.

Compared to pursuing enemies outside, sneaking into Konoha was far more dangerous. If they were discovered, they would immediately be surrounded by hundreds of enemies.

On top of a ruined building, Kujō stared in a fixed direction for a long time.

"Kujō, do you sense it too?" Haku asked from behind.

Kujō nodded. "Yeah. Don't you feel that massive power coming from over there?"

"I do… but I can't tell what it is."

In that direction stood a strange structure, something that looked like a temporary facility built by the Ōtsutsuki clan. Through its gaps, faint flashes of golden light could be seen.

Within that golden glow, Kujō sensed an unprecedented and terrifying power.

"I don't know exactly what it is," Kujō said slowly, "but look closely. Those Ōtsutsuki are lining up to enter that place… and then coming back out."

Haku paused, slightly confused. "What are you getting at?"

Kujō's expression turned serious.

"Before going in, they look exhausted, and their chakra isn't particularly strong. But after coming out… it's completely different."

Haku froze for a moment. He had been focused on the overwhelming aura from the golden light and hadn't noticed the change in those people.

"You mean…"

Kujō nodded. "That thing is probably extremely important. I suspect it's the reason why these Ōtsutsuki were able to push Konoha to this point."

He turned to Haku.

"If we can destroy it, then these Ōtsutsuki might not be a threat anymore."

Haku thought about it carefully. Kujō's reasoning made sense, but—

"Our mission isn't that," Haku said firmly. "We're here to rescue Konoha's shinobi. Most importantly, we need to find someone named Ino."

"This isn't part of the mission."

Even so, Kujō couldn't let it go.

If they could destroy that source of power, they might be able to cripple the entire Ōtsutsuki force. That would mean the Mizukage, Shigure, wouldn't need to take risks personally.

As one of the Mizukage's guards, it was his duty to shoulder that burden.

Every time he left things to the Mizukage, Kujō felt like he had failed in his role.

"No," Kujō said decisively. "I'm doing this."

The others looked at him.

"You three adapt to the situation when the time comes. Whether I succeed or not, I'll create a disturbance big enough to draw all the Ōtsutsuki to me."

He glanced back at them.

"That will give you the chance to find the person Lord Shigure wants."

Seeing his resolve, Haku could only sigh. There was no stopping him now.

At that moment, Ringo suddenly spoke.

"Look. There are Konoha shinobi over there."

Everyone turned.

Several Konoha ninja were being dragged away. What stood out was that they weren't being killed—they were being taken alive.

What were the Ōtsutsuki planning?

The captured shinobi were brought before one of the Ōtsutsuki clan members. A green glow appeared in his hand, and moments later, the Konoha ninja stood back up.

Their expressions had completely changed.

They looked at the Ōtsutsuki with absolute obedience and respect… as if they had become his subordinates.

(End of Chapter)

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