https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-184-Is-There-a-Feathered-Moonlit-Night-/12553426/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-186-Women-Should-Still-Be-Gentle/12553431/
Chapter 185: Collateral Damage
Chapter 185: Collateral Damage
At the Southern Shrine of Namika, the once dilapidated yet still standing buildings were reduced to ashes by the rampage of Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo.
"Uchiha Fire Formation!"
A deep crimson barrier, imbued with scorching flames that even tailed beasts couldn't break through in a short time, rose up and enclosed the massive Susanoo within.
Compared to before, Sasuke and the others, now injured and halved in number, were scattered around the perimeter of the Uchiha fire formation, their hands pressed against the barrier as they continuously channeled chakra to maintain its existence.
Boom!
The Sword of Kusanagi struck the barrier, but instead of causing damage, it stuck to the fiery barrier, and the blade ignited.
Uchiha Itachi watched this outcome expressionlessly and didn't continue to drive his Susanoo.
Even if he could break through the fire formation, it would consume a considerable amount of time and his limited chakra.
Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan spun, and the massive Susanoo gradually dissipated, leaving only a portion of its ribs to protect his body.
Since they wanted to drag this out, he would play along.
He turned to look at Sasuke, about to say something.
Suddenly,
A violent cough erupted uncontrollably from his mouth.
Uchiha Itachi clamped his hand tightly over his mouth, but the thick, fresh blood still seeped relentlessly through his fingers.
"Thud."
Uchiha Itachi knelt weakly on the ground, and the Susanoo ribs surrounding him vanished.
"A trap? Or is it real?"
Outside the barrier, Uchiha Izuna, upon witnessing this scene, asked uncertainly.
"It's real," Uchiha Izumi said, gazing deeply at Uchiha Itachi. "I know him well enough to know he wouldn't play such a trick, feigning weakness to lure us in."
Uchiha Sasuke shared the same sentiment.
And so, the Uchiha fire formation dissipated.
Sasuke, the fastest among them, was the first to rush to Itachi. The Chidori blade in his hand, crackling with electricity, slashed forward mercilessly.
Shred!
The black-clad Akatsuki uniform with red clouds split in two, and a streak of blood sprayed across the sky.
When Sasuke looked again, Uchiha Itachi, dressed in ninja attire and with a long bloodstain on his chest, had already retreated ten meters away.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Uchiha Izuna and Uchiha Izumi quickly caught up.
With the same hand seals, two gigantic fire dragons leaped up, one on the left and one on the right, charging towards Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Itachi forcibly endured his physical discomfort and dodged again.
Just as Sasuke and the other Uchiha ninjas were about to pursue, Itachi, barely sidestepping one of the fire dragons, formed a single-handed seal.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
A large flock of crows scattered in all directions, transforming into dark clouds that rushed towards the crowd.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
"Fire Style..."
Knowing full well how troublesome the crows could be when combined with Uchiha Itachi's abilities, Sasuke and the others immediately unleashed fire-style ninjutsu, incinerating the crow flock.
Soon, wave after wave of fiery infernos rose from the ruins of the Southern Shrine.
Taking advantage of this moment, Uchiha Itachi barely managed to suppress the issues within his body.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of a stranger whom he had met only once—Kaguya Kimimaro.
They both possessed extraordinary bloodline limits and suffered from grave illnesses.
Even on the brink of death, Kaguya had wanted to fulfill his mission, but in the end, he had only met with regret.
Now, Uchiha Itachi found himself in a similar predicament, but he refused to accept the same fate.
Uchiha Itachi lifted his head and saw Sasuke charging towards him once more.
His Mangekyo Sharingan in his right eye socket spun.
Fresh blood trickled down from the corner of his right eye.
"Perfect," Yuyi Xuan Yue's shadow clone muttered, picking up a 'Sky' scroll and an 'Earth' scroll, holding them for a moment before putting them down again. "Ceremonial value is important!"
"Now the system should recognize that I've smoothly passed the written test and the Forest of Death trial. After all, I participated in the whole process and fulfilled all the passing conditions. The rest is up to the main body."
With its task complete, the shadow clone of Yuyi Xuan Yue didn't linger and automatically dispersed with a 'bang'.
At the same time, the related memories flooded into Yuyi Xuan Yue's mind.
"Is it done?" Yuyi Xuan Yue asked, withdrawing his gaze from the fiery Susanoo and the once-scarlet but now rapidly dissipating flames at the Namika Southern Shrine. He glanced at the new memories in his mind and nodded in satisfaction.
Next up were the opponents in the preliminaries and the formal tournament.
With that in mind, Yuyi Xuan Yue looked towards the dense forest from which they had come.
Kisame Hoshigaki, who had volunteered to clear out the insects, was still in there.
"If he doesn't come back now, it'll be difficult for him to return later," Yuyi Xuan Yue said with a faint smile, as if talking to himself.
As if in response to Yuyi Xuan Yue's words, a deafening "boom" reverberated through the air.
Kisame Hoshigaki went flying like a human cannonball, knocking down a dozen or so trees in succession and leaving a long trench in the muddy ground before finally coming to a stop beside Yuyi Xuan Yue.
Although it didn't seem voluntary, he had returned nonetheless.
Kisame, with his Akatsuki uniform in tatters, pulled his legs free from the mud and shook his left hand, which was still trembling. Turning to Yuyi Xuan Yue, he grinned and said, "As expected of the Hokage. That woman packs a punch!"
"Tsunade herself came? Makes sense. The only one in Konoha who could punch you this far is her," Yuyi Xuan Yue said calmly, his eyes fixed on the forest.
After a moment, a familiar figure clad in a green jacket with the character for "gamble" on it emerged from the forest. It was the voluptuous and well-endowed Tsunade. Close behind her was Jiraiya.
Following them were numerous individuals Yuyi Xuan Yue knew well: Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Shino Aburame, Inoichi Yamanaka, and other elite jonin. There were also the newly promoted chunin from the Konoha 12, including Rock Lee, Tenten, Shikamaru Nara, and Neji Hyuga.
But that wasn't all.
Yuyi Xuan Yue's eyes scanned the horizon, where a large group of ninjas, numbering at least five hundred, were marching towards them.
In a short time, they had gathered such a substantial force, befitting the ninja world's largest village.
Seeing the overwhelming numbers ahead, Kisame, standing beside Yuyi Xuan Yue, began to break out in a cold sweat.
"Hey, this is too much! Why did they all have to come? It's overkill!" Kisame exclaimed, feeling like he had been caught in the crossfire. He turned to Yuyi Xuan Yue, hoping for some reassurance.
(End of Chapter)
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