"Akatsuki!?"
"Damn it!"
"We're in trouble now!"
As the two Akatsuki members approached leisurely, the expressions of the Cloud shinobi shifted from grim to terrified!
Facing just Upper Rank Two, they might have taken their chances.
After all, the Upper String's techniques and near-immortal regeneration were no longer secrets. Since Cloud had come to hunt Upper Rank Two, they were prepared.
But adding two Akatsuki members changed everything.
While the Cloud shinobi sized up the Akatsuki, Haku and Sasuke, emerging from the shadows, assessed the scene.
Undoubtedly, the two Akatsuki members at the border of the Land of Earth and Land of Waterfalls were Haku and Sasuke.
Without the protection of the mysterious Lampbearer from the Demon Slayer world, all demons invading the shinobi world were transparent to Shinji, the shinobi world's Lampbearer.
If he wished, he could activate his Susanoo Tomoshibi to pinpoint their locations at any time.
He hadn't dealt with these demons earlier because he had more pressing priorities. Now, with the Type-2 aging agent complete, it was time for these demons to serve their purpose.
"These Cloud shinobi are here to hunt Upper Rank Two as well? The corpses on the ground seem to all be Hidden Rock shinobi…"
Haku observed silently, piecing together the situation with near-perfect accuracy.
Sasuke, meanwhile, relished the wary, panicked looks from the Cloud shinobi. To him, their fear wasn't hostility—it was acknowledgment!
His gaze then shifted to Upper Rank Two, Kokushibo. "Just as the rumors say, Upper Rank Two is a monster with three pairs of eyes!"
As Haku and Sasuke closed in, the Cloud shinobi cautiously retreated, clearing the battlefield.
For them, their only hope of survival was praying that Upper Rank Two and the Akatsuki members ignored them.
Haku and Sasuke had no reason to attack the Cloud shinobi, and their presence drew Upper Rank Two's attention, allowing the anxious Cloud shinobi to safely withdraw.
After retreating, a Cloud shinobi asked their Jonin leader, "Captain, what now?"
The Cloud Jonin replied, "This distance isn't safe enough. Pull back further and immediately report to the village: Upper String and Akatsuki are clashing again!"
With the Cloud shinobi gone, only Upper Rank Two, Haku, Sasuke, and the scattered remains of Hidden Rock shinobi remained.
The lingering stench of blood, coupled with the dim, mottled moonlight filtering through the canopy, made the battlefield eerily oppressive.
But this didn't faze Sasuke. He fixed his gaze on Upper Rank Two. "Your legend ends by my hand!"
Kokushibo glanced at Sasuke and slowly drew his cursed blade, Kyokokushinge, from his waist!
Instantly, Haku and Sasuke's attention was drawn to the blade.
Its chilling edge, covered in eyeballs, sent shivers down the spine, exuding an unsettling, malevolent aura.
"Careful!" Haku warned Sasuke.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this guy!"
Sasuke stepped forward, his Mangekyo Sharingan flaring to life, its scarlet pupils glowing with an eerie light.
Haku leaped back onto a tree, clearing space for Sasuke.
Having witnessed Mangekyo Uchiha battles many times, Haku knew Sasuke, with his Susanoo Tomoshibi, had little to fear from Upper Rank Two. He chose to observe the fight, waiting for the right moment to inject the Type-2 aging agent into Kokushibo to secure victory.
On the field, Upper Rank Two and Sasuke didn't face off for long. With a swish, Kokushibo swung Kyokokushinge at Sasuke.
"So fast!"
Even with his Mangekyo Sharingan active, Sasuke could only catch a blurred shadow rushing toward him. His heart raced, and he instantly summoned Susanoo Tomoshibi.
Clang, clang, clang!
The moment Sasuke activated Susanoo, Kokushibo's strike arrived. As the purple skeletal frame enveloped Sasuke, Kyokokushinge slashed against it, producing a series of piercing clangs!
Protected by Susanoo, Sasuke exhaled in relief, but his eager expression gradually turned serious.
The opponent's speed exceeded his expectations. Even fully utilizing his Mangekyo Sharingan, he couldn't fully track Kokushibo's movements, only watching as the demon darted like a specter around his Susanoo, slashing furiously!
Crack!
A sharp sound reached Sasuke's ears.
He spun around, spotting a noticeable crack in the Susanoo behind him from Kokushibo's relentless strikes.
"Damn it!"
Now thoroughly enraged, Sasuke abandoned hesitation and poured all his Mangekyo Sharingan's dojutsu power into action.
Roar!
As Sasuke's dojutsu power surged, his Susanoo let out a furious bellow. The skeletal half-body form sprouted muscle textures, donned thick armor, and drew a bow and arrow, glaring fiercely!
Kokushibo ignored the transformation, continuing to wield Kyokokushinge in a frenzy of slashes!
"I see it! I finally see it!"
Sasuke's lips curled slightly.
By unleashing his Mangekyo Sharingan's power without restraint, not only did his Susanoo evolve into an armored, bow-wielding half-body, but his Sharingan's dynamic tracking ability also surged. The once-blurry, ghostly figure of Upper Rank Two gradually became clear in his vision.
Swish!
The moment he locked onto Kokushibo, Sasuke didn't hesitate, commanding his Susanoo to fire an arrow!
The arrow shot forth like thunder. Startled, Kokushibo instinctively raised Kyokokushinge to block.
Crack!
With a shattering sound, Sasuke's Susanoo arrow pierced Kokushibo's body, pinning him firmly to the ground.
In Kokushibo's lowered hand, only half of the broken Kyokokushinge remained.
Sasuke snorted. "Nothing special!"