A White Zetsu Clone spread his hands, and a white eyeball appeared in the center of his palm—the Byakugan of Ao.
This was the pure bloodline inheritance of the Hyuga Branch House, free from the Caged Bird Seal. Though perhaps not entirely pure, it was still beautiful.
He pinched the bloodshot eye, raising it toward the sunlight as a twisted grin crept across his face.
"Gurgle!" A container squeezed out from his body, and the White Zetsu Clone placed the eyeball inside. Then, just like stuffing something into his pocket, he simply pressed the container back into his body.
Slowly, he himself sank into the ground, vanishing from this place.
There was no way he'd ever fight for real—never in this life, at least. He could only survive by playing it safe and seizing minor advantages.
At the original spot remained Ao—lifeless, one eye socket now a terrifying bloody hole—and several Mist ninja wrapped in white viscous liquid, their lives fading away.
These were supposed to be the elite ninjas of the Mist, but before the overwhelming strength of Saitama and the eerie presence of the White Zetsu, they were utterly powerless to resist.
...
Ephemeral continued launching attacks, each strike destroying one puppet, turning those indestructible mechanical bodies into flying fragments.
Of course, though supported by Six-Tails' Chakra, handling such a complicated and unpredictable situation still proved somewhat difficult for him.
Each time he shattered a puppet, there was a chance he'd get injured.
"Boom!" An enormous puppet suddenly dropped from the sky behind him, its hand holding a pitch-black hammer.
The hammer came crashing down toward Ephemeral, but Ephemeral, as if he had predicted it beforehand, despite having his back turned, cleverly dodged sideways with amazing agility.
The hammer smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater, raising clouds of dust into the air.
"Pizi pizi!"
The spot where Ephemeral had dodged became the next target.
It was countless poisonous spines!
As if Sasori had foreseen everything, at the very moment he controlled the hammer puppet to attack Ephemeral, he also commanded several other puppets skilled in hidden weapons to launch projectiles at that exact location.
[Water Release: Bubble Technique!] he shouted.
This time when he performed the ninjutsu, Ephemeral didn't use his flute; it had already been discarded somewhere during earlier battles.
"Shshsh!" Covering his mouth briefly with his right hand, he exhaled many yellow bubbles from his mouth.
The bubbles transformed into a wall of foam, tightly arranged right in front of him.
"Tch tch!" The hidden weapons, swift and sharp in angle, collided against the bubble wall. Instantly losing momentum, they hung motionless in the air before falling to the ground along with the bursting bubbles.
"Whoosh!" Ephemeral didn't stop, and neither did Sasori's puppets.
[Sasori's Puppet Art - Chain Strike Formation!]
With a swishing sound, several Chakra Threads extending from Sasori's chest thickened and tightened instantly.
Among the group of puppets, a few hidden ones suddenly accelerated, using other puppets for cover as they approached Ephemeral.
Ephemeral caught the movement, keeping a sharp eye even as he beat back the other attacking puppets.
"Boom!" He crushed an approaching puppet with a punch, then instinctively tilted his head slightly backward as if sensing something.
Sure enough, the next second a puppet slashed out from between the gaps in the puppet cluster. The blade skimmed past his forehead and cut backward.
"Tcha!" He leaned back just in time—Ephemeral's feet had rooted into the ground like tangled tree roots.
As the blade passed his forehead and moved away from his head, Ephemeral stomped on the ground with one foot and instantly turned around.
Yet in the next moment, another puppet descended from the sky. It clenched tightly onto a strange weapon covered in numerous barbs, holding it before its chest.
"Shreeee!"
The puppet's weapon pierced Ephemeral's chakra cloak but got no further—it couldn't break through.
Ephemeral twisted his torso, wrapping chakra around the weapon to pin it down. In one fluid motion, he spun and shot a punch straight ahead.
With a loud "Pom-Da!", the puppet flew backward, taking out several nearby puppets that couldn't dodge fast enough.
"Hehehe..."
Sasori didn't seem to care. He had expected this result, and besides...
"Poom!"
The earth beneath Ephemeral's feet cracked, and this time, the change was somewhat unexpected. Moreover, surrounding puppets swarmed toward him once again, momentarily making it difficult for him to respond to all sides.
"Hmph!"
He grunted under his breath, channeling chakra outward without losing composure.
The instant his chakra emerged from his body, it transformed into numerous tendril-like appendages that attacked the surrounding puppets in every direction.
"Crack!" "Boom!" "Whoosh!"
The extended chakra slammed into the puppets around him, sending them flying off at even greater speed.
At the same time, he rapidly brought both hands together, shaping his chakra into an enormous fist that came down from above, continuously gathering more chakra as it prepared to strike.
Inside the ground was another puppet—one possessing a particularly eerie facial expression: painted like a clown with rosy cheeks.
Just as the fist was about to strike the puppet, Ephemeral saw the puppet's face crack into a smile.
It was a stiff, emotionless grin.
Thinking of the Puppet Master's tricks, Ephemeral felt a chill run through him. Still maintaining his posture, he nearly struck—but quickly retracted his arm, apparently realizing something...
But in the next instant, long steel chains suddenly shot outward from both sides of the puppet's body, instantly blocking Ephemeral's retreat path. They rapidly contracted, wrapping tightly around him in an embrace.
"Creak-creak!"
The puppet's mouth creaked open as it groaned. Ephemeral thrashed left and right but couldn't pull free.
"Pom!"—he smashed the puppet's head with one punch, yet the puppet still clung firmly to him without showing any sign of loosening its grip.
[Sasori thinking:] "This puppet has been specially reinforced by me. Even a Jinchuriki won't be able to break free instantly."
"As for what comes next..."
Sasori smirked inwardly as he watched the scene unfold. Previously, his puppets had been treated merely as playthings by Ephemeral. But now, after waiting so long, he'd finally seized a rare opportunity.
"Boom!"
The puppet tightly embracing Ephemeral exploded. From within the smoke, the sounds of scattered puppet parts hitting the ground rang out.
...
"Terumi Mei, Kage's Aide!" Did you hear that, Ephemeral?
Kisame's narrow eyes glanced toward Terumi Mei, who stood solemnly at the bow of the ship.
He had just heard an explosion. Because of his unique physiology, his senses were much sharper than those of ordinary people.
"Nothing? What was that sound?" Terumi Mei turned back with a frown, asking cautiously.
They were not far from the location Ao had described. In the distance, they could already see the horizon.
"You heard it too, didn't you?" Mangetsu Hozuki walked over, Hiramekarei strapped to his back.
He'd also noticed the faint noise.
"Deputy, I'd like to move ahead first. My speed in water should be faster than this boat, and we're already quite close."
Kisame tightened the bandages around Samehada and leapt onto the ship's railing.
Though he asked for permission, his actions clearly showed his real intention—he would go no matter what. Telling her beforehand was just to keep things polite.
"All right, but be careful!"
Terumi Mei nodded. She understood Kisame's strength and unique abilities, so she agreed.
Splash! Kisame dove straight into the water without hesitation. On the surface, only ripples spread outward briefly, as if a fish had vanished beneath the surface, leaving not a trace.
"Terumi Mei-sama, I'm off as well!" Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes gleamed. With a stomp on the deck, he jumped into the sea too.
With his [Hydrification Technique], his underwater speed wouldn't fall behind Kisame's.
Terumi Mei glanced at the water one last time before returning her gaze to the horizon.
Beside her, Raiga Kurosuki wore a serious expression. Who knew what he was thinking? The closer they got, the more cautious he became.
Unlike hot-headed young men like Kisame and Mangetsu, he focused first on survival, then the mission.
Meanwhile, Ameyuri Ringo glared at where Kisame and the others had disappeared, clearly frustrated. She wanted to get there quickly too, but in the water, she wasn't nearly as fast as them. She lacked their special abilities.
"Increase the speed!" Terumi Mei called out firmly, ordering the ninja steering the ship to accelerate.
However, nearing the coast, the ocean current weakened, leaving wind alone to propel the vessel—far slower than before.
Swish! Kisame plunged into the water. With one kick, his speed instantly increased. On his back, Samehada twisted as if alive, slithering forward in front of him.
Snap! Grabbing Samehada by the tail, Kisame accelerated further, carving a vacuum trail through the water as he shot forward.
Hiss! Kisame sensed something and saw Mangetsu emerging from behind, nearly transparent, keeping up with him surprisingly well.
Mangetsu gave Kisame a slight smile but remained silent, focusing entirely on moving ahead.
It felt like a race now—who would arrive first.
...
The smoke from the explosion blocked Sasori's vision, but the next moment, a figure burst from the haze—Ephemeral, right in the middle of the blast earlier.
At this moment, Ephemeral looked quite disheveled, his upper body covered in burns and his hair slightly messy.
"Die!"
Ephemeral dashed straight toward Sasori. The previous explosion had been aimed at him, but the shockwave had cleared away the surrounding puppets, creating an open space. This gave Ephemeral a chance to quickly close in on Sasori.
Chakra from the Tailed Beasts began to gather on his arm. Just dozens of meters from Sasori, he leapt high into the air, and the chakra from his body suddenly extended outward like a nimble tentacle, reaching out to grab Sasori.
"Gash!" Several puppets blocked Sasori's real body, but only for a moment—they were smashed apart by the chakra tentacle and scattered across the ground.
Then, that tentacle continued its assault without slowing down!
"Damn it!"
Sasori's eyes narrowed. Because he was using the Regenerating Core to control the puppets, his own flexibility had greatly decreased, making it hard to dodge this attack.
Moreover, the speed of the tentacle was fast, seemingly blocking all his escape routes.
Glancing around, he noticed one puppet he intended to manipulate...
[Zzzrrt!]
A streak of blue-white arcs flashed through the air, as if a blade of pure lightning had appeared from nowhere, slicing downward.
[Thud!] The chakra tentacle created from Tailed Beast chakra was severed in one strike and fell heavily onto the ground.
"This is..."
Ephemeral quickly yanked his hand back, kicked off the ground, and leapt away. At the same time, his gaze shifted slightly, locking onto the figure wearing Akatsuki attire.
He recognized that face—he had encountered this person before in the Land of Fire, forcing him to leave the Land of Fire and move to the River Country.
[Shoo!]
Saitama landed expressionlessly beside Sasori, surrounded by faintly flickering Arcs of electricity, revealing his inner unrest.
"Another one again..."
Ephemeral stopped moving but didn't speak, his eyes fixed on Saitama, who had just arrived.
"Why are you here?" Sasori barked, hurriedly maneuvering his puppets back into formation around him.
"Something unexpected came up. Mist Ninja have shown up too, so I hurried over to help."
"Mist Ninja?"
"Yeah, I already dealt with a group. More Mist Ninja might come later."
"And besides, another Jinchuriki might show up as well."
Saitama revealed an eager smile as he looked at Ephemeral in the distance.
Upon hearing these words, Sasori didn't ask anything else. He just bowed his head in thought.
"Hey there, Ephemeral?"
Saitama raised one hand slightly, gesturing at the wary-looking Ephemeral.
The last time they met, back when he was near Konoha, circumstances hadn't been ideal, so he let him go.
But now… apologies for that!
"I'll help you deal with this Jinchuriki. You won't mind, right? Enemy reinforcements might arrive soon—we should take care of him quickly so we'll have time to handle others!"
Saitama slightly shifted his body, a flicker of crimson flashing in his eyes as three tomoe markings gradually emerged. His aura surged outward, pressing against everything nearby. Even the small stones at his feet trembled slightly.
"I don't care!"
Sasori's voice was calm yet firm. Truthfully, he couldn't quite figure out this Ephemeral opponent, especially since he had already lost two of his hidden strengths.
Thinking this, his gaze swept sideways, landing on Roshi and Third Kazekage far away. His eyes darkened.
"Fine then. You take a break. There might still be more fights ahead."
Saitama bent his knees slightly and said this.
"Saitama Uchiha, huh..."
Ephemeral noticed the tomoe swirling in Saitama's eyes, feeling a sinking sensation in his heart.
The Tailed Beasts' Chakra surging within him began to go wild. Even the Six Tails sensed Saitama's strength and granted Ephemeral even more power.
"I let you escape easily last time. This time, it won't be so easy for you."
Saitama smiled faintly, speaking with serious intent.
Whoosh! He vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a crackling sound—an unsettling zapping noise that made Ephemeral's scalp crawl.
"So fast!"
Ephemeral immediately spun around, clenching his right fist tightly and striking heavily toward one direction. With the Six Tails boosting him, he had managed to catch sight of Saitama.
Peng!
His fist crashed heavily into another fist suddenly appearing in the air, surrounded by blue electricity, creating an explosive impact.
"This is getting interesting!" Saitama could clearly feel Ephemeral's immense strength, which rivaled his own.
With a sharp crack, the fist instantly morphed into a palm strike. Saitama grabbed Ephemeral's fist directly, electric currents exploding along his arm as they surged forward.
[Electrical Surge!] Crackling sparks filled the air!
Ephemeral narrowed his eyes, seemingly having expected this change from Saitama beforehand.
At the moment Saitama grasped his fist, he raised his right leg. His knee was covered in solidified chakra, aiming straight for Saitama's abdomen.
He was wrapped in Tailed Beasts' Chakra—even if hit by Saitama's electrical attack, he felt confident he could endure it.
But whether or not Saitama could withstand his attack?
That was a different story entirely!
Trading blows—that was his chosen strategy.
He knew full well he probably couldn't beat Saitama. He had also heard how the Third Hokage had been killed by Saitama. Therefore, his only possible advantages might be his regeneration and endurance.
Hmph!
Saitama swung his left elbow downward, sending electric sparks crackling violently as it roared downward, smashing toward Ephemeral's leg.
He had no intention of letting go of Ephemeral's hand, countering with raw, bone-crushing force.
Meanwhile, his right hand gripping Ephemeral's fist further increased its chakra output.
Hong! A powerful chakra cloak erupted from Ephemeral's body. Behind him, a giant fist formed from chakra circled around and smashed fiercely into Saitama, who was locked in struggle with Ephemeral.
Whoosh! With no choice, Saitama released Ephemeral and quickly pulled back to avoid whatever attack came next—whether from Ephemeral himself or the tailed beast inside him.
"Lightning Release - Chidori!"
Regaining his footing, Saitama charged straight at the rampaging chakra fist.
"Crackle!" The jutsu sliced midair, severing the connection between the fist and Ephemeral.
Having done that, Saitama didn't slow down at all. He kept rushing toward Ephemeral without slowing down.
"Water Release: Bubble Technique!"
Ephemeral retreated, spewing countless yellow bubbles from his mouth, carrying a force that sent chills through Saitama's spine.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Technique!"
Frowning, Saitama scanned the densely packed bubbles before clasping his hands together in front of his chest, circulating chakra.
He took a deep breath, then unleashed a massive burst of tiny flames from his mouth straight toward the incoming technique.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The two techniques collided, exploding instantly and canceling each other out, leaving behind numerous craters from the blast.
"Whoosh!" Closing in on Ephemeral, Saitama radiated an almost transparent layer of chakra covering his entire body, somewhat similar to Ephemeral's tailed beast chakra cloak, yet distinctly different.
"That power… it is…"
Sasori, after hearing Saitama speak, truly became just a spectator, sealing away Elder Purpple and the Third Kazekage puppet again inside scrolls. At this moment, he witnessed Saitama's current state.
[Snake Sage Art - Sage Mode!]
Saitama used his ultimate move directly. He had no desire to continue prolonging the fight with Ephemeral. His strength needed to be saved for the reinforcements led by King from Mist Village.
"Faster again!"
Ephemeral's eyes narrowed. Before his hands could block, Saitama's fist was already in front of him.
"Bang!"
The punch slammed into Ephemeral's face. Before he could even fly backward, Saitama caught him with his left hand — and swung his right palm forward.
At his palm's center, a huge Rasengan appeared, its edges glowing with floating translucent chakra.
[Sage Art - Rasengan!]
Saitama narrowed his eyes slightly, golden streaks encircling the three tomoe visible within his pupils.
"Boom!"
"Ahh!"
The Rasengan tore through the chakra cloak surrounding Ephemeral, slamming into his chest and eliciting cries of pain.
"Swish!" Accompanied by extreme speed, Ephemeral's spinning body crashed into the rear rock wall, embedding himself heavily into it.
"Crackle!" Not stopping, Saitama immediately dispersed the Rasengan, instantly conjuring a long white lightning-covered spear emitting bright light in his hand.
[Sage Art - Lightning Spear!]
Twisting his waist for power, he hurled the jutsu straight at Ephemeral.
"Whoosh!" A brilliant bolt of lightning tore through the air!
"Crackle!"
Saitama watched as his jutsu pierced into Ephemeral's abdomen at a moment when evasion proved impossible, pinning him there!
Taking a long breath, Saitama started walking toward him, while Ephemeral clutched desperately at the lightning spear piercing his body, seemingly wanting to pull it out but lacking any extra strength because of the electrical currents coursing through him.
Seeing Saitama finally stop directly in front of him, Ephemeral wore a look of anxiety on his face.
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