This structure provided excellent protection while leaving enough space for high mobility. He was Espada-class Four's Kyougan, formed with the soul of Fugaku Uchiha as the core and fused with the souls of the Uchiha Clan Undead. Compared to that previous night, his Susanoo had become far more solid, filled with the violent and cold aura unique to Crimson giant, and his movements were far harder to predict.
His opponent was a humanoid Guai creature completely wrapped in miserable pale bone. Thick bone armor covered his entire body, sharp spurs jutted from his joints, and his form constantly shifted into blades, drills, or whips. A bone mask hid his face, revealing only a pair of crimson eyes burning with pure battle madness and murderous intent.
This was the Fifth of Espada-class, known as Corpse Bone, created with Kimimaro's soul as the core and fused with the souls of the Kaguya Otsutsuki clan. His abilities were now fully mastered, with bone hardness, regeneration, flexibility, and lethality reaching an absurd level. Every movement showed how far he had grown.
"Not enough, not enough, too weak," Corpse Bone shrieked with manic laughter. "Is this all No. 4 can do? Then hand over your position already, bastard." He stomped the ground, and the pale bone beneath his feet multiplied wildly, turning into a forest of sharp spikes that stabbed toward Kyougan from all directions.
At the same time, the bone of his right arm twisted into a massive spiral drill several meters long, screaming as it tore forward toward Kyougan's chest. Kyougan stayed silent as his Mangekyo Sharingan tightened in an instant. His figure vanished, and the spikes bursting from the ground shattered midair into countless fragments as if the moment of impact had been erased.
Ti Ze Nv Ming and Ti Ze Nv Ming activated together. In a flash, Kyougan appeared behind Corpse Bone, the huge crimson bone hand opening wide and closing in to crush his body. The strike carried no mercy.
"Ha ha!" Corpse Bone did not dodge and instead laughed in delight. The bone armor on his back split open, spraying countless needle thin bone spikes that glowed with a sickly green light. "Yin Killing Ash Bones."
The crimson hand slammed down, producing a grinding, teeth aching crash as bone fragments flew everywhere. At the same time, the dense corrosive spikes swarmed in like insects, piercing through the crimson ribs and driving straight toward Kyougan's body. His Mangekyo Sharingan spun in his eyes as he twisted at impossible angles to avoid them.
Most of the spikes missed, but a few struck home and left sizzling wounds that refused to heal. Ordinary damage could have been erased instantly with Ti Ze Nv Ming and Ti Ze Nv Ming, but Yin Killing Ash Bones eroded the soul itself and could not be easily stopped. Kyougan's gaze darkened as he tightened his grip and smashed Corpse Bone down with full force.
Corpse Bone's body emitted a harsh screech as more bone fragments scattered. "Again, again," he laughed wildly, new bone quickly filling the cracks in his armor. He stomped the ground once more, and the entire hall floor cracked and spun into a pale bone streak that rushed straight at Kyougan with tearing force.
It was another exchange that invited mutual destruction. Corpse Bone did not care about defense and chased only the thrill of battle. "Mad dog," Kyougan finally said coldly from beneath his bone mask.
Now that his reason had returned, his fighting style was steady and eerie. He hated this kind of reckless, instinct driven attack that ignored all self preservation. Still, no matter how annoyed he felt, retreat was not an option.
Within the Void Realm, the hierarchy of Espada-class was strict and cruel. Rank determined ownership among Crimson giant and priority access to food, and higher rank meant more souls and greater power. The only way to change rank was through Huanwei Xuezhan.
Any member of Espada-class confident in their strength could challenge someone above them at any time. The winner rose, and the loser fell. Ever since being named by that lord and brought into Espada-class, Corpse Bone had become the most fanatical follower of this rule.
He had not even started by challenging Kyougan next to him in rank, but went straight for Naruto Uzumaki at the top. The result was obvious, as both Naruto Uzumaki and the sharply lethal Ryoma stood far beyond ordinary members. Corpse Bone was crushed quickly and decisively.
Only when facing the third ranked Puppeteer did his suicidal ferocity let him last a bit longer. Even then, he was toyed with and bound by invisible threads, humiliated until he lost all ability to resist. Now he had set his sights on Espada-class Four instead.
Their strengths were indeed close, and after a long battle neither could claim victory. The palace shook as crimson and pale bone figures slammed together, claws and bone blades grinding with shrill noise. As they were flung apart once more and prepared to charge again, a figure suddenly appeared between them.
Bright blood red hair spread through the air as he calmly raised both arms to either side. Two dull impacts sounded almost at the same time. Naruto Uzumaki caught Corpse Bone's descending bone hammer with his left hand and casually stopped Kyougan's bone arm with his right.
Corpse Bone's killing intent flared as his attack was halted, and his other arm twisted into a sharp spear ready to strike again. At the instant he tried to exert force, his joints cracked with a harsh sound marked by kacha. His body stiffened as if pulled by invisible strings, lifted into the air in a twisted pose.
Looking closely, thin threads could be seen wrapping precisely around his wrists, ankles, elbows, and knees, stealing control of his body. "How cute," Puppeteer said with a teasing smile from atop a nearby pillar. She sat with legs crossed, chin in hand, fingers lightly twitching as she spoke.
"You," Corpse Bone struggled, a colder aura pouring out of him. "Enough," Naruto Uzumaki said calmly, his quiet voice carrying unquestionable authority that suppressed his raging presence at once. He continued evenly, "The Huanwei Xuezhan ends here for now. I have sensed a new Ryoma Clan being born in the Shinobi World, in the Land of Wind."
The words made Corpse Bone freeze, while Kyougan narrowed his eyes. Even Puppeteer and Ryoma paused slightly. "I will go," two voices said almost at the same time, and Kyougan and Corpse Bone locked gazes again.
"Corpse Bone, you go," Naruto Uzumaki said, pressing down the renewed hostility. "If you fail to bring it back, Kyougan will take over, and your rank will belong to the new member." Corpse Bone clicked his tongue in annoyance but did not argue.
He shouted toward the woman on the pillar, "You woman, are you done playing? Let me go already." Puppeteer pouted in boredom and flicked her finger. The invisible threads vanished, and Corpse Bone fell heavily to the ground.
He sprang up without a glance back, raised a bone claw, and tore into the empty space before him. With a ripping shriek, space split open into a jagged black tear. "The Land of Wind, huh," he snorted and leapt straight into the rift, vanishing from sight.