Chapter 186: A Clash of Titans
The former Uchiha district had become a hellscape. The ground trembled under the Nine-Tails' colossal weight, and the air was thick with the stench of ozone and dust. Uchiha Ren, the self-proclaimed avenger, stood as a conductor of chaos atop the demon fox, directing its rage against the shinobi of Konoha.
The Konoha defenders fought with desperate courage. Volleys of ninjutsu—fiery dragons, watery serpents, and earthen projectiles—slammed into the Nine-Tails' shimmering chakra form. But the difference in power was absolute. A wound carved by a desperate A-rank technique would close in seconds, the fox's regenerative abilities rendering their sacrifices meaningless. In contrast, every casual swipe of a massive paw or lash of a tail meant instant death for those too slow to escape. The Konoha line was being pushed back, a slow, bloody retreat.
"What a monster..." Kakashi muttered, grief and fury warring within him as he saw another squad vanish under a falling paw. We can't stop the beast itself. The key is the controller.
His Mangekyō Sharingan whirled, focusing past the raging chakra onto the figure of Uchiha Ren. If I can remove him, the Nine-Tails might revert to a wild state, or even disappear. It's our only chance.
*"Kamui!"*
The space around Ren distorted, swirling into a vortex centered on his chest. The air itself seemed to be torn apart as the gravitational pull of the dimensional rift seized him.
"Kakashi's Kamui?" Ren's voice was calm, almost bored, as his body began to be pulled into the void. "If the absorption speed were twice as fast, you might have succeeded. But now..." He offered a final, mocking smile directly at Kakashi before his form vanished completely into the rift.
Nani?! Kakashi's eye widened in shock. It can't be that easy... unless... the Flying Thunder God!
He dispelled the Kamui, his head whipping around, senses on high alert.
"Are you looking for me?"
The voice came from directly behind him. Kakashi's blood ran cold. He began to spin, hands flying to form a seal, but he was too slow. The cold, sharp tip of the Meteor Blade erupted from his chest.
Poof!
A log substituted with the blade, clattering to the ground.
"Hmph. These cheap tricks again," Ren scoffed, his eyes scanning the area with disdain.
*"Chidori!"*
The piercing cry of a thousand birds erupted from behind. Ren didn't bother to turn. He could feel the killing intent and the crackling lightning aimed at his back.
"Naive." The Meteor Blade in Ren's hand flared with crimson chakra. He spun on his heel, the blade moving in a horizontal arc meant to decapitate his attacker.
Kakashi, expecting the counter, dropped into a low slide, the glowing Chidori in his hand now aimed squarely at Ren's abdomen. But Ren's fluidity was terrifying. The sweeping blade, missing its target, was instantly reversed. Ren slammed the flat of the blade down like a shield, meeting the thrust of the Chidori with a shower of sparks. The two supreme lightning techniques clashed, locking them in a stalemate.
Knowing he couldn't win a contest of raw power, Kakashi disengaged, leaping backward to create distance. But Ren was like a shadow. The moment Kakashi's feet left the ground, Ren was already a blur of motion, closing the gap before Kakashi could even land.
Damn it! Kakashi thought, his hands already moving. *"Lightning Release: Lightning Hound!"*
The Chidori in his hand split into two beasts of crackling energy that lunged at the advancing Ren. Ren didn't break stride. With two precise flicks of his wrist, the Meteor Blade cut through the hounds, dispersing them into harmless sparks. His momentum unchecked, he suddenly accelerated, appearing directly in front of the still-airborne Kakashi.
The blade thrust forward, piercing clean through Kakashi's torso.
But there was no blood. Instead, a network of lightning erupted from the wound. Kakashi's body flashed with brilliant, dangerous light.
A Lightning Clone!
Ren's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He had no time to defend. *"Flying Thunder God!"* He vanished just as the clone detonated in a cataclysmic explosion that vaporized the ground where he had stood.
Reappearing a safe distance away, Ren's expression was one of pure irritation. "A Lightning Clone? Tricked again. Your bag of cheap substitutes and shadow clones is truly tiresome, Kakashi. I'm done playing hide-and-seek with you."
Hidden within the cover of a half-destroyed building, Kakashi watched, his mind racing for a new strategy. But the feeling of dread returned tenfold as he saw Ren place his hands together in a familiar seal.
That hand sign... It can't be!
Ren's voice echoed across the battlefield, calm and devastating. *"Wood Release: Birth of the Tree World."*
From the ravaged earth, life erupted with violent, unnatural speed. Massive trees and thick, snaking vines burst forth, weaving through the ruins and reaching for the sky. The very ground became a forest in seconds, a testament to a power not seen since the First Hokage.
Kakashi could only stare, his Mangekyō Sharingan reflecting the impossible sight. "The First Hokage's Wood Release... How is this possible?!"
The battlefield had been transformed once again. Now, against the backdrop of the rampaging Nine-Tails, a forest of death had risen, and Uchiha Ren stood at its center, a god of destruction wielding the powers of legend.
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