At this moment, Ren Uchiha—who was currently busy "experimenting" (read: shoving things) into his own body—remained blissfully unaware that the Third Mizukage was just a short distance away, fully armed and preparing to launch an assault.
He had reached a critical juncture. After striking his heart with the five-fingered flame to trigger the Uchiha Flame Formation, Ren realized something crucial:
He had overplayed his hand.
Once the Fire Release: Chakra Mode combined with the Two-Tails' chakra was initiated, the Sage Chakra—formed by merging natural energy and the Eight-Tails' chakra—constructed an Uchiha Flame Formation around his heart that even a Tailed Beast-level attack couldn't breach.
This barrier carved into his body was tough. Just how tough?
Even a direct hit from the Hell Stab: One-Finger Spear Hand wouldn't be able to crack this defense. It was essentially a localized version of the Third Raikage's full-power Lightning Style Armor! From this day forward, Ren never had to worry about someone ripping his heart out again.
His heart was now as hard as a diamond—literally.
But that was where the problem started. Ren had focused so much on defensive power to suppress the potential rampage of concentrated natural energy that he overlooked a fundamental law: the Uchiha Flame Formation cast as a Sage Art is made of natural energy and chakra. Trying to use the same density of natural energy to restrict natural energy was a bit of a pipe dream.
While the Flame Formation had formed a self-sustaining cycle based on his Fire Release: Chakra Mode—effectively giving his heart a suit of armor that could expand to his skin and even beyond—it wasn't actually "sealing" the vast amounts of natural energy as intended.
"The problem is energy compatibility!"
Ren scratched his head, his expression grim as he flared his Sharingan to glare at his own chest. Through the vision of his eyes, he could monitor the chakra flow of the formation. Currently, natural energy was drifting in and out of his heart as if it were a public park.
"Looks like I hit a dead end... I got blinded by the boosted defensive power of the Sage Art. I shouldn't be using Sage power to contain natural energy; I should be using the Tailed Beast-natured chakra to form the seal!"
"Wait... there's still a way!"
Ren's hands immediately began to weave signs again. Since a Sage Art couldn't restrict it, he would build a second layer—or even multiple layers—of sealing jutsu inside the Uchiha Flame Formation, powered strictly by Tailed Beast chakra.
And as it happened, he knew a high-level, high-difficulty sealing art that fit perfectly:
Super Death-Match Barrier (S-Rank, Mastered).
This sealing art, derived from the Uzumaki clan's Regeneration Barrier, possessed the ability to constantly regenerate. While its raw defense wasn't the highest, its unique properties—and the mastery granted by his Omni-Martial Arts talent—made it ideal for this purpose. Combining the two would complete his "Sage Heart," granting him both absolute defense and the functions of a Strength of a Hundred Seal.
However, just as he was lost in his research, Ren's world suddenly went dark.
Under the moonlight, a massive shadow loomed over him! A ship so large its stern was invisible crested an eight-meter-high wave. Then, from the giant vessel, a series of agile figures leaped down!
The leader was a hulking man with a mane of orange, needle-like hair, wielding an exaggerated sword the size of a door. With a violent swing, the blade whistled through the air, aimed diagonally at Ren's shoulder!
It was Fuguki Suikazan.
Fuguki was currently tense, his eyes locked on Ren's shoulder and waist. His mind was racing:
The key to surviving this unkillable brat is to never let him use that terrifying Fire Release! I have to hit him in one go and crush his heart!
According to the latest intel, this kid has an Earth Style hardening technique. This first strike likely won't finish it, but that's fine. I've already ordered Kisame to ambush him from behind and pierce his heart once my Samehada hits and absorbs the hardening chakra from his surface.
If the second strike succeeds, I might actually survive this!
Indeed, Fuguki Suikazan's only goal was survival. After hearing how two Jinchuriki had fallen to Ren, he had no delusions about winning, even with the chakra-absorbing Samehada. Furthermore, having already betrayed the Third Mizukage to join Yagura's faction, he had zero intention of dying for the old man. His plan was to survive his own "suicide charge," fake a heavy injury, and leave the monster kid to the Third Mizukage.
But unlike what Fuguki expected...
Ren, seeing a door-sized blade flying toward his head, felt a surge of panic. At this moment, his personal chakra was tied up in the formation, and the Eight-Tails' core was busy constructing the Regeneration Barrier. The natural energy was locked inside his heart and couldn't be used to buff his speed.
Without chakra or natural energy to boost him, his raw physical speed... couldn't dodge this blade! He had to take it head-on!
However, while his body couldn't react, his Sharingan's perception was off the charts. Fuguki's movements looked like a slow, frame-by-frame slide show. The question was: how should he brace for the hit?
Relying on his Combat Instinct, Ren's usual move was to shift slightly to avoid fatal wounds to his core organs. But today, Ren was shocked to find that as the blade hurtled toward his heart, his instinctual "danger alarm" didn't trigger at all.
It was as if... standing perfectly still was the best way to handle it.
These thoughts flashed in a microsecond.
Fuguki Suikazan swung the massive handle of Samehada, the wide blade drawing a sonic boom as it hacked downward!
Swish!
The blade bit into Ren's left shoulder!
Puchi!
Flesh and blood sprayed instantly, and bone was crushed under the savage force!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
With almost no resistance, the blade sliced through the shoulder and pulverized the bone, slamming directly toward Ren's heart!
Seeing this, Fuguki's breath hitched.
Ghost! Why didn't he dodge? Am I actually going to hit? Am I actually going to hit! Dammit, am I in a genjutsu?!
He had landed a hit on an impossible foe, but Fuguki felt no joy—only a sense of surreal loss. Was it really this simple? One hit to explode his heart and kill his Fire Release?
However, in the next instant—
—CLANG!!!
As if he had struck a block of solid adamantite, the rebound force sent a shudder through Fuguki's fatty face. He felt like Tom the Cat hitting a bell—vibrating from head to toe in a stunned trance!
The shock reflected from the heart, combined with the terrifying heat that spread the moment they touched, left Fuguki horrified. He instinctively kicked off Ren, letting go of Samehada—which had turned glowing red from the heat—as it clattered to the deck.
He stared at Ren in pure terror.
"Wh-What the hell?!"
"Why can't I cut it?!"
Ren blinked. He pondered the question of the fat man who had just hacked into him, then replied with a deadpan expression:
"You idiot."
"Isn't it common sense?"
"The heart is the strongest muscle!"
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