"Amatsumikaboshi no Inochi!"
Urashiki swung the Red Light Fishing Rod, its slender hook splitting into three mid-air like crimson lightning—erratic, unpredictable—and in the blink of an eye, it shot toward the trio.
Faced with such an elusive attack, Kakuzu couldn't be bothered to dodge. Instead, he formed the "Snake" hand seal and activated Doton: Domu, hardening his body as an inky darkness spread across his skin.
Hikari's lips parted slightly as a surge of heat erupted, flames coalescing into a blazing wall that shielded her completely.
"No good! This thing ignores ninjutsu!"
Kamihane tried to warn her, but it was too late. Sidestepping the hook, his fingers flicked, and Shimotsuki no Isshin unsheathed with a clear, dragon-like hum, transforming into a streak of azure light that shot in front of Hikari.
Just as Kamihane had anticipated, the hook pierced through the fire wall as if it were air, clanging against the blade. With a look of shock, Hikari watched as Shimotsuki no Isshin and the hook were both sent flying, embedding themselves into a nearby tree, the hilt trembling faintly.
Kakuzu wasn't so lucky. Struck by the hook, his body went limp in an instant, his chakra drained before his eyes as Urashiki reeled it in.
Urashiki dangled Kakuzu's chakra before him—five flames of varying colors, tightly bound by the hook, struggling in vain.
"A full-property shinobi? Not bad, not bad. I'll take this for now." With a smirk, he swiped his hand, absorbing the chakra into the Red Light Fish Basket on his back.
Swinging the hook in a wide arc, he flicked his wrist, and Amatsumikaboshi no Inochi activated again. Countless crimson hooks rained down like a storm!
Realizing the hooks' terror, Hikari swiftly drew the Gunbai from her back, retreating while deflecting. The hooks couldn't penetrate the fan's surface; instead, she batted them far away.
Kamihane nodded slightly. The Gunbai was the Uchiha clan's treasured heirloom, passed down through generations. According to Madara, it was forged by their ancestor Indra using a fragment of the Divine Tree—its origins no less legendary than the Sage of Six Paths' sacred tools.
Facing the onslaught of hooks, Kamihane moved with ease. His Eternal Mangekyō's enhanced perception allowed him to track each hook's trajectory and predict its landing.
His right hand clenched, and Shimotsuki no Isshin, embedded in the cliff, vanished, reappearing in his grip.
Kamihane's slashes were blindingly fast. The Mikazuki no Tachi spun in his hands, its pale-blue blade leaving afterimages as it transformed into a swirling tempest of light around him. Sparks flew as every hook was deflected.
"Hajime Tsuyu!"
Water-like chakra infused the blade, illuminating it with an emerald glow. Kamihane unleashed a flurry of strikes toward the sky—sword beams roaring like dragons, tearing through the air!
Urashiki's smirk never wavered. He tilted his head, leaned back, and twisted mid-air, effortlessly dodging every slash, letting the azure energy dissipate into the clouds.
A gust of wind scattered leaves as Kamihane vanished, the ground beneath him exploding.
Urashiki crossed his fishing rods, blocking just in time. A blur of motion resolved into Kamihane's figure, his cold gaze meeting Urashiki's as his blade flashed horizontally, slamming into the Red Light Fishing Rod!
"Oh?"
Urashiki's eyes widened briefly. A monstrous force traveled through the rod, sending him flying. By the time he regained his footing, he was a hundred meters away.
The rod trembled violently, its resonance lingering. Even a glancing blow had sent shockwaves through his arms, his wrists shaking uncontrollably.
"Subarashii!" Urashiki's excitement wasn't personal—it was the Ōtsutsuki bloodlust, the thrill of conquest.
"You're strong, but alas, mortals are just mortals!"
He upended the Red Light Fish Basket, unleashing a torrent of blue lightning that weaved into a net, coalescing into a dozen colossal thunder spears.
"Do you even know who you're facing? I am Ōtsutsuki Urashiki—a god!"
With a flick of his wrist, a high-pressure wind sphere amplified the spears, a storm of wind and thunder hurtling toward Kamihane.
On the ground, Kakuzu staggered to his feet, staring dumbfounded at the celestial battle. "That's… my technique?"
Kamihane crouched slightly, a watery barrier forming beneath him. The blue lightning illuminated his calm, unreadable eyes.
His strategy was simple: draw the fight skyward. The Ōtsutsuki had no regard for collateral damage, and he refused to let Hikari get caught in the crossfire.
Hikari's Mangekyō hadn't been used in years—conserving its power was paramount.
Transparent ripples spread beneath him as he shot forward like an arrow, a surge of black energy erupting like a tide. In an instant, the storm was torn apart, the thunder snuffed out like candlelight.
Clad in an obsidian skeleton, Kamihane appeared before Urashiki like a war god.
The Mikazuki no Tachi flipped in the darkness, its blade slicing through the air toward Urashiki's neck.
Urashiki dodged, but a shadow sealed his retreat—a massive skeletal arm shot out like a black serpent, crushing him in its grip.
"Enton: Kenen!"
"Amaterasu!"
The black flames exploded like dynamite, engulfing Urashiki in an inferno.
Kamihane's eyes narrowed. The skeletal hand loosened—countless red paper cranes fluttered from the flames, slipping through its fingers and vanishing.
He spun, his blade arcing in a crescent, deflecting a near-invisible hook with a spray of sparks.
Urashiki reappeared behind him, leaning back to evade the slash before floating away, his Byakugan now replaced by the azure depths of the Rinnegan.
A glance at Hikari below reassured him.
If Kamihane wanted distance, so did he.
That woman possessed a dōjutsu capable of transferring chakra. If she and Kamihane combined forces, they could harness the chakra of the entire shinobi world—a scenario far too troublesome.
"Zzzzt—"
A sharp hum filled the air as Kamihane materialized beside Urashiki, a Rasengan aimed at his back, his right Mangekyō glowing crimson.
Urashiki grinned. Space folded—a black void yawned like an abyss, swallowing them both before snapping shut without a trace.
"Gone… just like that?!" Kakuzu stared at Hikari in disbelief.
Hikari's expression was oddly serene. "Let's go. We need to retrieve Kirito first."
"Wait, aren't you worried about Kamihane?"
Hikari sheathed the Gunbai with a graceful motion. "Worrying is pointless. All we can do is our part—ensure he has nothing to fear when he returns."
She gazed at the horizon where the void had vanished. "Besides… I believe in him. That kind of opponent won't kill him."
Kakuzu sighed. Today had been one revelation after another.
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