Chapter 535: The Abandoned Pawn
To search for the Akatsuki, the Allied Shinobi Forces used every method at their disposal: sensory abilities, the Inuzuka clan's ninja hounds, and Earth Release to demolish buildings and churn the soil.
The constant rain in the Hidden Rain Village rendered the ninja hounds useless, and the numerous lodestones buried underground interfered with sensory abilities.
The next day, Shikamaru came to report.
Ino asked, "Any leads on the Akatsuki?"
Shikamaru nodded. "Yes. There's a barmaid named Taguna. She said her husband is a Rain ninja, and he's been missing for three days now."
Ino: "???"
Taguna? What kind of name is that?
A quarter of an hour later, she met Taguna, a woman with a figure comparable to a dairy cow.
Two quarters of an hour after that, the Allied Shinobi Forces found an entrance to the Rain Village's underground in Taguna's husband's notes. The main force stood guard outside while an elite squad entered the underground structure.
Yugito disliked the rainy weather and was feeling lethargic, so the search was primarily led by Konoha and the Hidden Stone.
The terrain of the underground passages was extremely complex. Ino and the Third Tsuchikage personally led the search, while Kurotsuchi, Shikamaru, and others remained outside on alert.
The Rain ninja underground were fanatical supporters of the Akatsuki. There was nothing to be said. The moment the two sides met, a fierce battle erupted.
Under the attacks of Ino and the Third Tsuchikage, the Rain ninja, who had no particularly strong members, were quickly crushed. Their painstakingly established defensive lines offered no resistance against "Dust Release."
Deep underground.
Obito's transfer of the Gedo Statue had entered its final stage. Although his actions were a classic case of last-minute preparation, he was working very hard. A job he had estimated would take three days was now nearly complete in two.
However, the prolonged use of Kamui, even with Hashirama's cells, had caused crimson tears of blood to stream from his right eye.
Zetsu glanced at him but didn't disturb him. Instead, he approached Kisame Hoshigaki.
He said, "We need you to buy us some time. Are you ready?"
Kisame didn't speak. He shouldered his ninja sword, and a ferocious grin spread across his shark-like face.
Zetsu nodded and let him walk alone into the tunnel entrance. He treated him like a tool, not giving him a second glance.
Kisame walked into the shadows. He gently stroked the "South" ring on his finger, which symbolized the Southern Star, and murmured, "Itachi-san... I'm coming to join you."
Obito was reluctant to let Kisame go to his death. He was the only general he had left. He forcibly diverted some of his focus and, breathing heavily, said, "Contact Kabuto. He has plenty of 'manpower'."
Zetsu nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll contact him now."
After Ino and the Third Tsuchikage led the elite squad to break through the Rain's final line of defense, the view before them suddenly opened up.
Kisame Hoshigaki, wielding Samehada, was guarding the tunnel entrance. The man known as the "Tailed Beast without a Tail" attacked, summoning a surging sea of water.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
The torrential water filled the underground passage, shattering numerous load-bearing walls. The ceiling collapsed, and the ground-level buildings, having lost their support, rained down debris.
"Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!"
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!"
Ino and the Third Tsuchikage simultaneously used Earth Release ninjutsu, one to support the ceiling and the other to create obstacles to block the water.
When fighting underground, the primary objective is to prevent the enemy's ninjutsu from causing a large-scale collapse. This was a lesson taught in the Ninja Academy. The ninja they led were all elite and did not panic.
Kisame's Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave had been ineffective. He wasn't flustered. Instead, he looked at his enemies with great interest, his gaze shifting back and forth between Ino and the Third Tsuchikage. Finally, he fixed his target. It's you, Konoha ninja.
"What? You want to test your skills against me?" Ino gathered the surrounding water and rapidly spun it into a water javelin, then hurled it forward.
"Water Release: Hard Vortex Water Blade!"
Kisame swung his massive ninja sword, Samehada, and shattered the water javelin with a single blow.
But he hadn't expected this technique, which came from the Second Hokage, to have a secondary effect. The moment the shattered javelin made contact with Samehada, it transformed into a surging water tornado, attempting to pull him in.
"Is that all you've got!" Kisame unleashed his brute strength, tearing the water tornado apart from the middle. Samehada took the opportunity to absorb some of the Water Release chakra.
The deep blue, scale-covered Samehada opened its massive maw, revealing what looked like a smile. The taste of the Water Release chakra was good; it was very satisfied.
Just as Kisame looked toward Ino, he suddenly discovered that the supposedly strong, and indeed strong-looking, Konoha kunoichi had vanished.
Ino had activated the third stage of "Water Release: Hard Vortex Water Blade."
Her Flying Thunder God mark was hidden within the shattered water. She instantly teleported behind Kisame, formed two hand signs with one hand, and the water reconverged into a javelin, stabbing toward his back.
Kisame was an experienced fighter. The moment he saw her disappear, he reacted.
He lunged forward two steps, and with a powerful swing of his right arm, he swung Samehada behind him.
When strength is pitted against ninjutsu, ninjutsu usually wins. Human strength has its limits and often cannot contend with ninjutsu.
Kisame was an exception. The man was a monster of brute force.
With a sudden burst of power, Samehada shattered the Hard Vortex Water Blade a second time.
Ino used the Water Body Flicker Technique she had just learned to evade Samehada's frontal sweep and threw a Flying Thunder God kunai.
Kisame didn't even try to block. He directly released his ninja sword, Samehada, and merged with the chakra-absorbing blade, transforming into a half-shark man. Then, with a splash, he jumped into the water.
A ninja needs to hold their breath underwater. He did not.
In the water, his swimming speed was comparable to a shark's. With a kick of his feet and a flick of the fins on the back of his head and elbows, he was in the midst of the Konoha ninja. He opened his bloody maw and, with a snap, bit off the neck of a Konoha chunin. The fins on his elbows became sharp blades, and with a swing to the left and right, two more ninja were killed.
Ino quickly used Water Release: Water Colliding Wave, trying to flush him out from the bottom, but Kisame was cunning. He completely avoided engaging with Ino, focusing solely on killing ordinary ninja and demolishing the structure.
Ino gave chase for a bit but couldn't catch him. The man's swimming speed was too fast.
She quickly formed hand signs, took a deep breath, and unleashed her own massive "Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
The torrent of water completely turned the underground passage into a water world, but the powerful current also slammed Kisame, who had been waiting for a chance to ambush the Konoha ninja, into the side wall.
"Little girl, nicely done! I'll be on my way!" The Third Tsuchikage was preoccupied with the Gedo Statue, wanting to retrieve the Four and Five-Tails as soon as possible. Seizing the opportunity while Ino was engaged with Kisame, he used his small stature to slip past Kisame's side and into the passage. The old man didn't even use the main entrance; he blasted his way through with Dust Release.
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