The pressure was suffocating and heavy. What exactly was it?
"Oh?"
"You can withstand my spiritual pressure? Impressive."
Kimimaro looked at the two with interest.
Spiritual pressure? What was that?
"Hey, Kimimaro!"
"This man is my opponent. You are not allowed to touch him!" Sasuke shouted fiercely.
Swish—!
Kimimaro's eyes flashed coldly as he glanced at Sasuke. With a single slap, he sent Sasuke flying through the air.
Sasuke tumbled across the desert like a kite with a broken string, kicking up plumes of yellow sand.
"Holding onto hatred is good."
"But if your strength falls short of your hatred, seeking revenge is just a death wish."
Kimimaro's face was indifferent.
He only listened and followed orders from Orochimaru and Ryujiro. Although he spent time with Sasuke and Gaara, he did not consider them friends.
Sasuke?!
Itachi's heart skipped a beat. Such terrifying power from a casual strike. Was Kimimaro another of Orochimaru's experiments?
Itachi knew well that Orochimaru had been conducting human experiments. To him, Kimimaro was no longer human but a product of Orochimaru's research.
Did Orochimaru realize what a terrifying monster he had created?
"Akatsuki, Gaara belongs to Ryujiro-sama. I can't let you take him." Kimimaro said flatly.
What?!
Kisame and Itachi's eyes widened in shock. Ryujiro again? Did he have ties with Orochimaru?
Was he working with Orochimaru?
Itachi's face remained taut with horror.
Meanwhile, Sasuke crawled out of the sand, his face contorted as he glared at Kimimaro.
Damn it!
How dare Kimimaro treat me like this!
Power!
Power!
What I lack is power!
Why won't Ryujiro transform me into someone like Kimimaro, even if it means no longer being human?
As long as he could kill Itachi and get his revenge, he was willing to pay any price.
Besides, in his view, Kimimaro had only changed in appearance, but fundamentally he was still human.
"Itachi, what should we do now?" Kisame asked deeply.
The immense spiritual pressure greatly restricted their movements. That feeling was not a reaction from their bodies but their souls!
"Retreat!"
As soon as the words fell, Itachi and Kisame disappeared one after another.
"You're quite fast at running away."
However...
Kimimaro raised his fingertip and aimed in a direction, condensing a red Cero with high-density spiritual pressure.
Swish!
The terrifying Cero shot out as a beam, causing a violent sandstorm. The explosion in the distance shook the earth, raising a massive mushroom cloud and a burst of blinding fire.
Even from kilometers away, the scorching temperature could still be felt here.
"Whether you survive depends on your luck."
Kimimaro coldly watched the distant fire, no longer excited by releasing a Cero. He knew it was his power, so there was no need to be surprised.
Sasuke stared in shock at the black smoke in the distance.
Was this Kimimaro's power?
Was this a human's power?
That red beam wasn't a ninjutsu!
Tsk tsk...
Gaara also clicked his tongue and looked on in astonishment.
Indeed, he's no longer a human. Even Shukaku's power was no match for this.
What kind of monster was Ryujiro, and how would he change the shinobi world?
The scorched earth, nearby trees, and plants had turned to ashes, with embers still burning.
A massive red giant stood in the center, protecting Kisame and Itachi. In an instant, the red giant vanished.
Itachi immediately knelt, coughing up blood.
"Itachi!"
Kisame hurriedly helped him up.
"What was that just now?"
At that moment, both he and Itachi felt the threat of death. If they hadn't been protected by this red giant, they would have died long ago.
"This is the Uchiha clan's ultimate power."
"But it comes at a great cost."
"Kisame, the situation has exceeded our expectations. We need to return to the organization."
The burden brought by Susanoo was not ordinary, and Itachi had recently been using the Mangekyo Sharingan's power excessively. His vision was starting to blur.
Kisame dragged Itachi away from the scorched earth.
Capturing the One-Tail Jinchuriki wouldn't be easy.
When Itachi, who was heavily injured, was dragged back to Akatsuki's base by Kisame, all the members of Akatsuki were shocked.
A man like Itachi was actually injured?
Pain frowned. "Kisame, what happened? Was Itachi hurt by the One-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Kisame shook his head. "No, the One-Tails Jinchuriki is indeed at Orochimaru's base, but his power alone wasn't enough to force us to flee."
"There's another monster in Orochimaru's base."
A monster?
"One whose power rivals, no even surpasses that of a Tailed Beast. Under his pressure, Itachi and I could hardly move."
What?!
The Akatsuki members were horrified.
Just the pressure immobilized Itachi and Kisame?
How was that possible!
The organization's medic ninja healed Itachi, but their expression changed instantly.
Glancing at Pain, the medic whispered something to him.
Pain's expression changed, looking at Itachi.
"Itachi, your body..."
Itachi, who had been treated for his injuries, stood up calmly. "I can still hold on."
Holding on, huh...
Indeed, human life is fragile.
Even a man like Itachi couldn't escape the torment of illness.
Kisame and Itachi reported the mission details to Pain.
Nagato, in the treehouse, was visibly shaken.
How could it be?
A human with a hollow void in his abdomen, yet alive?
And with power rivaling a Tailed Beast? That's not human.
What has Orochimaru done since leaving Akatsuki to create such a monster?
Such a creature could disrupt the balance of the ninja world. Orochimaru was a stumbling block on Akatsuki's path to everlasting peace.
"Nagato, what's wrong?"
Konan, who was taking care of Nagato beside him, saw Nagato's face change drastically and couldn't help but ask worriedly.
Nagato shook his head.
"I'm fine."
It seems I'll have to personally deal with the One-Tails Jinchuriki.
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