Ninja Ice House

Chapter 522 Fateful Showdown

Deidara's original ninjutsu system was entirely built around explosive clay, and even now that he has become a sentient intelligent puppet, it's still not that different.

In the original timeline, after being defeated by Itachi Uchiha, he was single-mindedly focused on defeating his nemesis. The combat techniques he developed afterward were all centered around countering the Sharingan... or rather, in his belief that they could counter the Sharingan.

That's not the case now. In fact, after becoming the puppet of the young commander Kosugi Bokusui, Deidara's combat power was greatly enhanced, and his ninjutsu system also changed. While strengthening the power of his explosive clay, his aerial combat ability was greatly improved. His integrated offensive and defensive combat style made his deterrent power extremely terrifying.

While becoming a semi-puppet, it retained a high level of intelligence.

It's hard to say what Deidara's current condition is, but in terms of fighting ability, almost everyone in Konoha Village, young and old, has experienced it.

Even so, fighting against several powerful masters, one against many, is still beyond Deidara's current capabilities. Even with Mizuki and the others not using their full strength and having reservations, it was still a struggle.

Superficial advantages do not necessarily indicate a tendency to win or lose.

After unleashing C4 Garuda, Deidara, who occasionally engaged in direct confrontations but mainly used kiting tactics to stall for time, was already planning to slip away when the best opportunity came. The best opening was when Konoha and Sunagakure were almost entirely focused on Gaara, whose soul had died but whose body was still alive.

It must be said that Gaara's qualities and talents are top-notch to be able to become the Fifth Kazekage. If he didn't have such abilities, he wouldn't have been chosen by his father, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, to be the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast.

Meanwhile, more than ten kilometers away, Sora, who was preparing to join forces with his teammates to deal with a powerful enemy, was blocked by a strange man who was completely wrapped in a black cloak and whose face was covered by a straw hat.

"Who are you, and why are you an enemy of Konoha Village?"

"It's ridiculous that you, who were instilled with the idea that ninja villages are bad from a young age, would become a lackey of Konoha Village. I have to say, it's ironic how fate has arranged things."

"how do you know?"

Kong vaguely sensed that the person in front of him was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recognize him at all. He unconsciously revealed his Sharingan, and the three tomoe spun rapidly. His perception was enhanced to the extreme, and his chakra flow and thinking speed also increased.

Finally, the person opposite sighed softly and said:

"As expected, it's the Sharingan. To think you possess such abilities is truly impressive. You were originally nothing except for your murderous aura and the Nine-Tails' chakra that you couldn't control. Yet you've grown to this level. Did I misjudge you, or is that person... truly remarkable!"

"It was...you?"

Trembling and shaking, Kong pointed her finger at the opposite side.

"Not dead? That's impossible, he clearly..."

"My temperament is still lacking. As expected, my aptitude is still limited. Is my current success solely due to a series of coincidences? It seems I've been overthinking it!"

The strange man, as he spoke, lifted his straw hat, revealing a face that Kong found unforgettable, heartbreaking, hateful yet somewhat nostalgic.

"Father?"

"It's been a long time since anyone called me that. It's really... there's a kind of wicked pleasure in it, even though I should have lost all human emotions and the warmth of human nature."

Judging from the chakra reaction, this man, who was once named Kazuma, had countless aliases, and was determined to be an enemy of Konoha, should be like a block of ice with no temperature. Yet, I felt a chilling sense of dread.

Having recently fought a major battle, and although he had recovered considerably after emergency treatment, he reassured his comrades not to worry, saying he would take over the situation, and then said with a hint of indignation:

"Am I... really your son? Why would you treat your own family like this?"

"What should I say?"

After moving his neck, which was almost devoid of flesh and resembled mechanical joints, making a slight "click-clack" sound, Kazuma muttered a complaint about Sasori of the Red Sand not being attentive enough, and then revealed a almost emotionless, programmed smile.

"I have no meaning for my descendants by blood, or rather, I can't think of a better way to use them besides their tool value. Of course, at a higher level, bloodline itself is a derivative of personal will, so it does have some use, but I'm not powerful enough to reach that level yet. I should at least be at the level of the Three Legendary Sannin..."

"You're not that strong yet? Haven't you already fought against people of the same level, with both sides winning and losing?"

"You're overthinking it! Besides, this isn't about whether we can fight or who's stronger; it's about a leap in the level of life itself. You wouldn't understand even if I explained it further. As for you, possessing the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Nine-Tails' power, even if it's just a part of it, is already quite remarkable. It's just that your aptitude is limited. Even with all the fortuitous circumstances that have brought you to this point, you still can't fully develop the potential of your power. What a pity..."

"Now that things have come to this, is this all you want to say?"

Kong, trembling with rage, seemed to feel the pain in his body subside. His dark blue chakra, mixed with sparks of fiery red flames, rose upwards, making him appear as if he were on fire.

"As expected, anger will dissipate reason and further stimulate the Nine-Tails chakra within you. In addition, the Sharingan, the amplifier of emotions, seems to have even more room to play its role."

It must be said that a Sage Body is needed to contain the Nine-Tails, but the Sage Eyes are needed to fully utilize the power and characteristics of the tailed beast.

"However, the strong need even stronger minds; otherwise, they are merely beasts controlled by power. You, indeed, are still so naive..."

The teammates around him were all busy dealing with Deidara and Gaara, as well as preventing any potential powerful enemies from appearing. Because Kazuma, this strange guy, did not show any intention of interfering in the main battlefield, but was only settling his personal grudges with Sora, no one paid much attention to this side for the time being.

Thus, when the Earth Release: Useful Transformation controlled the terrain cage, trapping the already somewhat irrational Kong within, he was completely unprepared for the consequences of being imprisoned.

One by one, strange-looking earth-escape puppets rose from the ground, surrounding the sky that burned like fireworks.

Beneath her feet lay a rugged mountain path strewn with jagged rocks. The strong winds that occasionally swept by carried sharp blades that sliced ​​through the tough Nine-Tailed Rainbow Robe, tearing open the hollow skin of her body. Strands of blood seeped out, staining her entire body a bright red, even more terrifying than when she was seriously injured in the previous all-out battle.

With a sigh of emotion, Kazuma looked down at them, quietly channeling his chakra through his feet into the ground, merging it into the ninjutsu sealing array.

Seeing that his own son would be unable to escape for the time being, Kazuma turned his attention to the distant sky.

Deidara and Gaara hovered like two master hunters, manipulating their prey below. A large number of young and middle-aged Jonin and their students, including the Anbu, had no room to maneuver and could only resort to harassment tactics to deplete their opponents' chakra, hoping to achieve final victory in this way.

"Boring, all these pointless scenes!"

Just then, a short girl with long, wine-red hair and a mouthful of sharp teeth appeared not far away, revealing a malicious smile.

The human puppet Jiang Tu frowned and said with great displeasure:

"What brings this 'Wild Lightning' from the Eight Heroes Gathering here? Surely you're not here just to admire the scenery!"

"Why not? You're looking for fun anyway, and I just happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd come and take a look..."

As she spoke, Ringo Ameyuri looked down at Sora, who was struggling with the earth golem, and smiled with great interest.

"That looks like an interesting toy, should I go and give it a few whacks..."

That cruel, bloodthirsty expression, completely disregarding human life, made even the heartless Kazuma somewhat impatient.

"This toy is mine. If you want to have fun, do it yourself and don't bother me."

"Don't be so stingy. In a way, we're on the same side too..."

"Who is your family?"

Kazuma retorted without any politeness.

If it weren't for the powerful figure above them who was impossible to resist in any way, these world-destroying monsters, who were even more terrifying than ordinary S-rank rogue ninjas, would never have been able to stand together and have a proper conversation.

Regardless of whether they are from the same organization, have the same mission, or share the same goal, they are like tigers that coexist peacefully for the time being, and will not arbitrarily invade each other's territory unless there are special circumstances.

Clearly, the current situation is not ordinary.

"Itachi's side is too slow. Those two brothers are really favored. Is it because of the Uchiha clan? We've almost mobilized all of us to prevent anyone from interfering with their fateful duel..."

"Who knows! If you don't want to, you can just show up without putting in any effort. Anyway, the young governor doesn't care what we do behind the scenes. As long as we complete the task, that's fine."

"You idiot whose brain has been burned by natural energy, you can actually say a few human words. But... since we've run into you, let's test you a little and see if there are any unexpected surprises."

He weighed the Thunder Blade Kiba on his shoulder, his eager expression causing Kazuma to instinctively adopt a defensive stance, fearing that this bloodthirsty rogue ninja might attack at the slightest provocation.

Although the puppet won't die even if it's gone, it's still the weapon that best suits his fighting style. If it were really gone, not only would repairs be troublesome, but getting Sasori of the Red Sand to help wouldn't be an easy task either.

"Your reaction is too much. I was just a little itchy and wanted to test Itachi's strength. Sasuke is actually very strong, but... I always felt he was lacking something, not the kind of person who could unleash his full power."

"It doesn't matter, you can go and see it up close!"

"Forget it, there's no need! If we get targeted, we might have a good fight, but the young commander might make things difficult for us afterwards, and that wouldn't be fun."

While the two were chatting, they both noticed that Karin, Yakumo Kurama, and Usami had broken away from the group and were heading in the direction that Itachi Uchiha had gone.

"This... seems unexpected. Should we stop them?"

Ringo Ameyuri said curiously,

"I haven't had a proper, serious match with them yet, it should be really interesting!"

"Forget it, the match over there... is almost over!"

Beyond sight, in the distance where even a ninja's chakra perception is somewhat blurred, Itachi Uchiha, controlling half of his Susanoo, swung his giant skeletal hand and slammed Sasuke Uchiha, who was covered in black smoke and looked like a madman, aside.

A cold and detached tone drifted on the wind.

"You can't win like this. Is this all the magnanimity you've got?"

Having been deeply corrupted by the Demon Sword Onikiri, his entire body was enveloped in black smoke containing natural energy. Coupled with the increased activity of the Cursed Seal Chakra stimulated by the magic, Uchiha Sasuke now resembled a true demon, with a blue face and fangs, black wings growing from his back, and his legs bent backward. The hilt of the Onikiri sword, which was originally dull and lackluster, transformed into sharp claws and fangs, piercing into his flesh and merging with his right forearm.

Seeing his younger brother, who had almost completely lost his mind, Itachi Uchiha didn't even frown. What he was thinking is unknown, but he maintained a steady offensive posture, defeating Sasuke Uchiha in a very "energy-efficient" and effortless manner.

At first, relying on sheer momentum, the boy launched a sharp counterattack and fought Uchiha Itachi to a standstill, but gradually he began to falter.

With similar talents, a five-year age difference can indeed significantly widen the gap in fighting ability between the two brothers.

Without activating the Mangekyou Sharingan, this form would certainly greatly enhance Sasuke Uchiha's fighting power. However, the blurred will actually hinders significant emotional fluctuations, making it less likely that the Mangekyou Sharingan will be activated.

Turning his gaze to the powerful demonic sword that was almost fused with Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi took a step forward and slowly stepped forward. Using the energy of his transformed Susanoo, he suppressed the demonic power that was somewhat exhausted but still frantically suppressing its physical potential. After isolating the external energy supply and cutting off the natural energy pathways, he finally cleared the eyes of Uchiha Sasuke, who had lost all thought.

"Instead of seeking the truth and striving for revenge through your own strength, you resort to uncontrollable external forces to try and take shortcuts. I don't remember a child of the Uchiha clan being such a coward. You... you really are just like that!"

"No way! No matter what, it shouldn't be someone like you who says that!"

Perhaps the Uchiha clan itself had problems, or Itachi Uchiha himself had his own unavoidable difficulties, but no one can deny the reality that he genuinely attacked his own family.

No matter how justified one may be, patricide is unforgivable, especially when one is spared simply because one is too weak. For the Uchiha clan, who have always valued their honor, this is unforgivable.

Susanoo is not fire, but its corrosiveness is stronger than lava. Uchiha Sasuke, who has grown strange organs and limbs due to the enhancement of foreign energy, is like being soaked in the hot magma of a volcano. Fortunately, his senses are not so sharp now, and his tolerance for pain is also very strong.