Chapter 538: Ino vs. Kisame
Ino hadn't sensed the Second Tsuchikage at all; she only knew that the Second Mizukage had been reincarnated.
With the two Kage who had killed each other now joining forces to attack the Third Tsuchikage—and an old, frail, eighty-year-old Third Tsuchikage at that—the outcome of the battle was pretty much a foregone conclusion.
His defeat was only a matter of time.
For Ino to screw over the Third Tsuchikage was a politically correct move in Konoha; no one could say anything about it. But she couldn't just stand by and watch the old man die here.
If the oldest Kage in the ninja world were to die in the Hidden Rain Village, Ino's reputation as the commander in charge of the entire operation would take a considerable hit.
In her perception, the Third Tsuchikage had survived the explosion of the Steaming Danger Tyranny, but his situation was still dire. The old man was already fighting for his life.
Fortunately, as reincarnated ninja, Kabuto would not completely release their restraints. The two reincarnated Kage were fighting with shackles on and wouldn't be able to finish off the Third Tsuchikage anytime soon.
"Kurotsuchi, go help your grandfather. He's in danger." Ino sent a message to Kurotsuchi on the ground and transmitted a set of coordinates using her sensory transmission ability.
Kurotsuchi instinctively took three elite squads, a total of twelve Stone ninja, and charged out of the camp. She told herself she was concerned for her grandfather's safety, and not for any other reason.
Ino then sent a message to Yugito. "Big Cat, go search the vicinity. The user of the Impure World Reincarnation should be nearby. Find him and kill him."
Yugito was reluctant to move in the rain, but Ino's order was reasonable. If the Third Tsuchikage were to die because she had disobeyed orders, she would have to share the blame.
"Fine, fine, I'll go look."
Ino didn't think Yugito could find Kabuto, but the necessary actions still had to be taken.
Shikamaru and Choji were also assigned some tasks. Ino then brought her focus back to Kisame.
Her manually constructed pseudo-Tsukuyomi was different from the Mangekyo Sharingan's Tsukuyomi. For one, she didn't know how to compress time. She couldn't achieve the effect of seventy-two hours in the illusion passing in an instant in the outside world. The knowledge involved was simply too vast. The time flow in her pseudo-Tsukuyomi was about the same as in the outside world.
Observing the battlefield, transmitting orders to various places, and then returning her focus had only taken a dozen or so seconds.
She looked at Kisame, who was in a daze, and took out a sealing tag, intending to seal his chakra and capture the Mist rogue-nin alive.
Halfway through reaching out, she realized something was wrong and quickly retracted her hand.
She saw Kisame's shark head suddenly lunge forward, biting viciously at her arm. When it missed, the fins on his elbows became incredibly sharp, like bone blades, and slashed diagonally at her waist.
Ino's sensory abilities were astounding, and she was fast. The moment Kisame swung his arm, she had already jumped three meters away.
Kisame launched a furious assault. His fists, teeth, elbows, knees, and tail—his entire body was a deadly weapon.
Samehada continuously supplied its "brother-in-arms" with its own chakra. It was unknown what stimulus Kisame had received in the Tsukuyomi, but his blood circulation was accelerating, and according to Ino's observation, his adrenaline was now at an extremely high level.
His strength and speed were rapidly increasing.
Ino focused on defense and evasion, looking at Kisame.
"A brute like you actually broke my genjutsu? Hmm, it seems to have a hint of the Sharingan. Did Itachi use a Transcription Seal?"
To break her pseudo-Tsukuyomi, one would need a Mangekyo Sharingan of the same level. Obito wouldn't be so concerned about Kisame, so there was only one answer left.
It must have been Mr. One-vs-Seven, worried that his big brother would fall into a genjutsu, who had set up a countermeasure in advance.
"Itachi can't protect you forever, can he? Let's see how many Transcription Seals you have to use." Ino formed hand signs again to use a genjutsu.
A fierce, mocking grin appeared on Kisame's shark-like face. He reached out with his right hand and plunged his fingers into his own eyes.
Blood slowly trickled out. Kisame looked at her with two bloody sockets, as if mocking her. Genjutsu? Bring it on!
The genjutsu Ino was halfway through forming could no longer be used. Most genjutsu required eye contact. The Demonic Illusion: Dream Sound Chain was fine for teasing Hinata, but against the battle-hardened Kisame, its effect would be minimal.
"Destroying your own eyes can indeed defend against genjutsu, but I'm not a genjutsu-type ninja. Your response truly dishonors the name of a Mist rogue-nin," Ino said, feeling Kisame's response was a complete failure.
Kisame's face was a mask of madness. He slammed his hand on the water's surface. "Is that so? Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"
A translucent, shark-shaped water bullet shot out of the water, its sharp maw open, biting at Ino.
Knowing that this technique could absorb chakra, Ino took out her chakra staff, aimed at the water bullet, and, using pure physical strength, swatted away the chakra that formed it.
"Heh heh, did you know? In the water—" Before Kisame could finish his sentence, Ino used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear beside him, pressing a Rasengan into his back.
Samehada, to some extent, acted as Kisame's destroyed eyes, giving him an advance warning. He also heard the high-speed rotation of the Rasengan behind him.
He dropped to the ground. The Rasengan slammed into the wall behind him, sending debris flying. Kisame tried to continue forming hand signs, but Ino flew up and kicked him in the abdomen.
"You're tough!" Ino felt like she had kicked an iron plate. She had never put points into "Strength," and even though she was in her teens and her physical abilities were developing rapidly, there was still a limit to a woman's strength.
Not counting Tsunade, someone like Temari, who could blow away Madara Uchiha with a single fan swing, was probably the limit of a female ninja's normal strength.
However, Ino had an Advanced Sage Body. Through constant nourishment of her cells, her "Strength" had naturally risen to 7 points, nearly equal to that of a rigorously trained adult male.
A kick that she thought would send Kisame flying only made him stagger two steps. Ino swung her staff and smashed it onto Kisame's shoulder. It felt like hitting a piece of pig iron.
Samehada had, to some extent, endowed Kisame with some metallic properties.
Ino, relying on her superior speed, launched a continuous assault, but unfortunately, none of her attacks did much damage.
Kisame couldn't keep up with her speed and roared in frustration.
The man had brute strength. Without the Eight Gates or the Seven Heavens Breathing Method, just with his physical power alone, he grabbed a seemingly thick iron door from a nearby passage, and with a heave of his arms, swung the door panel at her.
Ino shot out a silver water arrow, cutting the thick iron door in half with a "Water Release: Water Severing Wave."
Kisame's defense was too high. She gave up on close combat, quickly formed hand signs, and used Boil Release, a combination of water and fire attributes.
"The game is over, Kisame Hoshigaki."
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
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