Chapter 135: Naruto vs. Kisame Hoshigaki
The Dōjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan could already be considered a weapon of mass destruction at this stage; moreover, some Dōjutsuwith bizarre abilities remained equally applicable even in the Late Stage.
Having taken down Kakashi Hatake with a single Tsukuyomi, Uchiha Itachi, having achieved his goal of deterrence, signaled Kisame Hoshigaki not to get entangled in the fight, and the two quickly retreated.
After Kakashi Hatake was incapacitated, Kurenai Yuhi and the others wanted to pursue, but fearing their lack of strength and hindered by Jiraiya's secret intervention, they merely confirmed that Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki had left Konoha before escorting Kakashi Hatake to Konoha Hospital.
"Uchiha Itachi!!!"
Seeing an enemy made one's eyes burn with hatred. With Danzo Shimura providing convenience from the shadows, he was also using this to demonstrate his power to Uchiha Itachi: if Uchiha Itachi could come to Konoha to flaunt his force, then he, Danzo Shimura, could also play Uchiha Sasuke in the palm of his hand!
The outcome of their unspoken game of chess aside, the biggest victim was undoubtedly Uchiha Sasuke.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
The iconic chirp of the Chidori rang out once again. The two-tomoe in Uchiha Sasuke's eyes spun wildly. Locking onto Uchiha Itachi, he sprinted forward, rushing toward him at an extreme speed.
"Wha..."
Before Uchiha Sasuke could finish his shock, Uchiha Itachi grabbed his wrist and pulled it down hard. While destroying the ground beneath his own feet, he lifted his right leg and stomped Uchiha Sasuke under his foot!
"Ugh...!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Uchiha Sasuke's mouth. He looked up in despair, wanting to see Uchiha Itachi's face clearly.
"Smack!"
But that was just wishful thinking. Uchiha Itachikicked Uchiha Sasuke right in the cheek. As Uchiha Sasuke's face quickly swelled up, Uchiha Itachi did not forget to rub salt into his wounds.
"My foolish little brother, do you think that with just a two-tomoe Sharingan and that half-baked Chidori you learned from Kakashi Hatake, you could defeat me?!"
Uchiha Itachi rarely showed an arrogant and crazed expression. "It seems your hatred for me is not deep enough; your growth speed is truly unsatisfactory!"
He kicked Uchiha Sasuke away again. Uchiha Itachiwaved his hand with a lack of interest. "You are just trash with a two-tomoe Sharingan. Not only am I too lazy to kill you, but I feel like it would be an insult to myself!"
"Sasuke! Live your pathetic life carrying the hatred, despair, and fear I have given you. Only when you have eyes like mine will you be qualified to stand before me! As you are now, you are not good enough!"
"Uchiha Itachi!!! I will kill you!!! I will kill you!!!" Uchiha Sasuke lay on the ground, roaring in impotent rage.
"Itachi, I really didn't expect that you, who are usually so calm, would act like this when it comes to your brother." Kisame Hoshigaki, carrying the samehada, smiled. "It's a bit cruel..."
"Let's go. Don't worry about it; we have already wasted enough time on this waste of space." Uchiha Itachi returned to his usual demeanor. "If we don't leave now, it will be too late. I don't want to get caught in a bitter fight."
"That's true, we..."
"You aren't going anywhere!"
Naruto's main body suddenly appeared. He squatted down to check on Uchiha Sasuke and, after confirming that he had completely passed out under the dual blow to his body and mind, flashed over to block their path.
"Yo! The brats in Konoha don't put the older generation of Ninja in their eyes anymore, huh!" Kisame Hoshigaki revealed his full set of sharp teeth. "Leave this brat to me!"
Without waiting for Uchiha Itachi's reply, Kisame Hoshigaki drew the samehada from his back and smashed it down toward Naruto in a crushing overhead strike.
"Clang!"
The ninja sword on Naruto's back suddenly unsheathed. After slightly shifting his body, the ninja sword traced a bizarre and lightning-fast trajectory, bypassing the samehada to strike directly at Kisame Hoshigaki's armpit.
"Dang!"
Kisame Hoshigaki's reaction was very quick, and his speed in turning to block was not slow. After all, as the wielder of the samehada, Kisame Hoshigaki was definitely a master of the blade.
But then, Kisame Hoshigaki's eyes widened suddenly. The sheath of the ninja sword in Naruto's hand rapidly grew in his field of vision. He only had time to tilt his head slightly before feeling a sharp pain in his left shoulder.
Version 0 Two-Headed Dragon Flash!
"What heavy force!"
Kisame Hoshigaki sighed inwardly. He was very confident in his physical fitness, which was something he was even more confident in than his swordsmanship, Chakra reserves, or Water Release Ninjutsu.
But after taking one heavy blow from Naruto's scabbard, Kisame Hoshigaki's legs actually buckled, and he almost stumbled to his knees. This left Kisame Hoshigaki shocked, but also feeling a sense of humiliation.
How could he lose in a contest of pure physical strength to a yellow-haired brat!
Just as Kisame Hoshigaki was stunned and preparing to launch a counterattack, Naruto, having landed the hit, did not remain idle. He utilized his height advantage to the fullest, bending his waist and lunging forward to slip past Kisame Hoshigaki's body.
"Rip!"
A long, thin cut was opened under Kisame Hoshigaki's ribs. After the wound reacted for a moment, blood suddenly began to stream out, making Kisame Hoshigaki doubt life once again.
"What a fast blade! And I've fallen behind in a swordsmanship contest once again!"
At this moment, Uchiha Itachi was also slightly stunned. Naruto's growth speed had far exceeded his expectations!
But no matter how shocked the two were, Naruto's attacks continued, and his performance remained stunning. As they passed each other, Narutosmoothly sheathed his blade, and while turning to face Kisame Hoshigaki's back, his body suddenly left behind eight afterimages!
Version 0 Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!
Kisame Hoshigaki, unable to gain an advantage in swordsmanship, was very decisive. Moreover, Ninjas were inherently fighting machines that would use any means necessary, and there was no such thing as winning unfairly.
Not having time to turn and block, Kisame Hoshigaki utilized the advantage of the Samehadato almost instantly cast a large-scale Water Release Ninjutsu. The overwhelming Great Waterfall Technique crashed toward Naruto with immense force.
However, Kisame Hoshigaki still did not know what he was truly facing...
In the next instant, Naruto's eight phantom images merged into one. Nine massive blade beams, carrying a massive amount of Chakra, formed nine gigantic Chakra slashes. The Great Waterfall Technique was like a hot knife cutting through butter, sliced into nine segments without any resistance, and instantly lost its previous power.
"Splash!"
The massive splash was like a reservoir floodgate opening. The rapid flow instantly submerged the land around the three of them, forming a small, man-made lotus pond. From this, one had to marvel at Kisame Hoshigaki's Chakra reserves and his mastery of Water Release.
"A Chakra slash that cuts through Ninjutsu!" Uchiha Itachi, watching the battle, saw it clearly, and his assessment of Naruto in his heart rose to another level. "Truly terrifying swordsmanship..."
"This is impossible!" Kisame Hoshigaki, who was in the middle of the fight, was not as calm and objective as Uchiha Itachi. "How can there be such swordsmanship! Even the White Fang of Konohafrom the past couldn't achieve this level!"
But regardless of whether it was possible or not, the facts were as they were. Even if he couldn't believe it, the scene before his eyes was ultimately not an illusion, and Naruto's attacks had not yet ceased.