Ch134- Jugo vs Kisame
Kai was neither impressed nor horrified; his interest was purely clinical. As he analyzed the flow, he noticed how Yugito's blood worked as a tracker, a beacon that allowed the monstrous Jashin-sama to pinpoint its target. It was a grim GPS, guided by malevolence. Though the creature lacked sensory organs, this didn't seem to impede its ability to locate and bind to its intended victim. What interested Kai was that once this bridge was formed, any harm inflicted upon Hidan would reflect onto Yugito, completely bypassing any natural defenses she might have had. It was an elegant, if malevolent, bypass system, built on a foundation of faith and the occult.
Kai's attention then shifted to Hidan's immortality, another facet of this dark covenant with the monstrous entity. His form could sustain injuries that would be fatal to others, yet he remained unbroken, even in the face of decapitation or dismemberment. This quality rendered most conventional attacks meaningless, forcing opponents to think outside the box.
Hidan's ritual was deeply ingrained into his chakra flow. A specialized circle had to be drawn for the technique to activate—a focus point for the ritual. It was as if Hidan was the conductor of a dark orchestra, guiding the macabre symphony with every move he made within that circle.
Understanding the technique, Kai waved his hand dismissively, unraveling the complex interplay of chakra that constituted Hidan's ritual. Black and white symbols that had been swirling around Hidan abruptly vanished, as if snuffed out by an invisible hand.
Hidan looked at himself in disbelief. The ritual was severed just like that? The circle, his conduit to Jashin-sama, had disappeared. He was no longer connected to Yugito, or his dark deity. For the first time, doubt corroded the pillars of his faith. Could this man truly sever his link to the divine?
Kai then shifted his gaze toward the monstrous entity of Jashin-sama. It was on the verge of dissipating, its tendrils retracting as if preparing to withdraw back into whatever abyss it had come from. Kai found himself at a crossroads. He could finish this here, but instead, he opted for a different path. With a mere thought, he allowed the creature to vanish. Haku deserved to fight Hidan at full strength; it would be an essential trial for his pupil.
"You can start now," Kai declared, the atmosphere shifting at his words.
A pulsating ripple emanated from his hand, and the invisible scales binding Hidan's movements shattered. Released from his forced stasis, Hidan could only watch as Kai took a few steps back and calmly sat on a large boulder, his eyes revealing nothing of what he was thinking.
Jugo and Haku exchanged glances before taking their positions, the tension in the air crackling like static electricity. Upon Kai's subtle command, Haku and Jugo took to motion, selecting their adversaries with a clarity that spoke of understanding and trust. Haku swiftly moved toward Hidan, his steps elegant yet determined, while Jugo faced off against Kisame, his frame emanating a silent challenge.
Kisame, wielding Samehada, grinned, his sharp teeth contrasting against the darkness of the cave. "A battle of raw power, is it?" he quipped, sizing up Jugo.
Jugo merely stared, his eyes unyielding, waiting for the right moment to strike. There was no need for words; his intent was clear.
Jugo's stance shifted, his feet finding their grip on the rocky terrain. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts before moving. In the blink of an eye, the two clashed. Metal met skin, with Kisame's Samehada gnashing against the raw power Jugo was known for.
Their first exchanges were measured, a series of quick jabs, kicks, and blocks. Kunai flew, arcing through the dim light, only to be deflected by a swift swing of Samehada or blocked by Jugo's reinforced arms.
Suddenly, Kisame lunged forward, water chakra swirling around him, morphing into a series of sharp, projectile-like sharks. But Jugo was ready. With a roar, he released a burst of chakra, morphing his arm into a massive shield that deflected Kisame's water ninjutsu.
Kisame's grin widened, intrigued. "Impressive," he remarked, swinging Samehada with renewed vigor. But Jugo was not to be underestimated. Channeling his chakra, he shifted his arms into elongated forms, reaching out like tendrils, attempting to ensnare Kisame. The Akatsuki member danced around, dodging the appendages, but it was clear the tide of the battle was shifting.
Kisame's tactics turned more devious. Luring Jugo toward a seemingly empty patch of ground, he smirked as Jugo found himself caught in a water prison, chains of liquid chakra binding him. But Jugo's immense strength was unmatched; with a primal shout, he shattered the watery cage, sending droplets flying.
Switching tactics, Jugo hurled a series of shurikens, each laced with his unique chakra, making them more potent. Kisame deflected them easily. In retaliation, he used a water dragon technique, sending a spiraling torrent towards Jugo.
Jugo, in response, dug deep into his chakra reserves, the markings on his body glowing a vibrant shade. The water dragon crashed into him, but he held his ground, pushing against the mighty current.
With a grunt, Jugo channeled his chakra to his feet and lunged forward with incredible speed, crashing into Kisame and sending him skidding across the floor.
Sensing that he couldn't hold back any longer, Kisame released Samehada's bindings, revealing the blade's grotesque, scale-covered form in all its fearsome glory. The sword seemed alive, its mouth opening and closing in anticipation. With Samehada fully unleashed, Kisame's aura shifted; it became more menacing, a deep blue hue enveloping him.
Jugo braced himself, his senses acutely aware of the danger posed by that living blade. He could feel the malevolent thirst of Samehada, eager to drain chakra from its next victim.
The two charged at each other once again, this time with increased intensity. Jugo's powerful fists met with the gnashing teeth of Samehada. Sparks flew, the clash echoing throughout the cave. Kisame's movements were fluid, like water, as he weaved between Jugo's attacks, his sword always ready to strike or parry.
Kisame then sent a barrage of water bullets at Jugo. The projectiles were swift and sharp, but Jugo deftly dodged most of them, his body moving in a graceful dance. The few that hit were absorbed by his unique chakra, preventing any severe injury.
However, Kisame was far from done. He quickly formed hand seals, summoning a massive wave that swept across the cave floor. Jugo, taken off guard, found himself submerged. In this watery domain, Kisame had the advantage. Samehada's teeth gleamed menacingly as it moved like a shark, cutting through the water with ease.
Suddenly, a sharp chill permeated the water, turning the torrential wave into a cascading wall of ice. Caught off-guard, Kisame's predatory advance faltered. Turning their heads, both combatants saw Haku, standing at a distance. While engaged with Hidan, he had managed to manipulate the battlefield with a swift maneuver, freezing the entire wave in an instant, turning the tables in Jugo's favor.
The ice wasn't an impediment for Jugo; his chakra-fueled strength easily allowed him to shatter it with every step. But for Kisame, who thrived in the fluidity of water, the transformation of his weapon of choice into a rigid, cold structure was a significant disadvantage.
Taking the opening, Jugo surged forward, each step causing the ice beneath to crackle and break. The condensed moisture in the air swirled around him, refracting light and creating a surreal environment of shimmering brilliance.
Watching Kisame's increasingly erratic movements, Jugo felt a stirring within him—a latent power waiting to be tapped. Deep breaths steadied him as he called upon Kai's Gift: the Lotus Seal.
With the subtlest of gestures, he activated the first facet of the Lotus Seal: Nature's Pulse. The environment responded almost instantly; a palpable wave of energy rippled outward from him, and the very ground beneath their feet vibrated in resonance. The sporadic shurikens and debris from Haku and Hidan's ongoing battle seemed to hang in the air momentarily, influenced by this pulse. The resonance was brief but powerful enough to throw Kisame off balance, even if just for a second.
Jugo didn’t let the moment go to waste. Flexing his hand, he transformed it into a dense, chakra-laden fist, marked with the emblematic fiery lotus symbol: the Crimson Lotus Fist. Swinging forward with devastating force, he aimed squarely at Kisame, who, sensing the impending danger, managed to sidestep. Yet, the mere graze of the punch left a burning imprint on his flank, sapping his chakra continuously.
Kisame grunted, feeling the sting and drain of the fiery imprint. "Clever technique," he admitted, attempting to regain his stance. However, the battle was far from one-sided. Kisame quickly formed hand signs and launched a series of water bullets, which Jugo deftly dodged. But, instead of dissipating, these bullets turned into water clones, surrounding Jugo.
Now cornered, Jugo decided to tap deeper into the Lotus Seal's offerings. Formless Shift came into play. His limbs extended, fluidly shifting from one form to another. A hardened forearm here, an elongated tendril there—each movement was both a defense and an attack. A water clone approached, and Jugo’s arm morphed, becoming a sharp spear that pierced right through it. Another clone lunged from behind, but Jugo's back sprouted chakra tendrils that ensnared and dispelled it.
Kisame, observing this, smirked. "Shape-shifter, huh?" He readied Samehada, charging forth.
As they collided again, the surroundings became a cacophony of crashes, grunts, and the whistling of weapons cutting the air. Off to the side, the skirmishes between Haku and Hidan added to the chaos, with stray kunai and shuriken flying dangerously close.
As Kisame tried to land a strike with Samehada, Jugo deftly used the Chakra Tendril aspect of his Lotus Seal, projecting tendrils of pure chakra. These ensnared Kisame's arm, momentarily hindering his movement. But Kisame was no novice. With a mighty heave, he pulled Jugo towards him, aiming to land a critical hit. Jugo, however, had anticipated this. His back sprouted wings, allowing him a sudden aerial vantage.
Hovering above, Jugo looked down at Kisame, his silhouette framed by the dim light filtering from the entrance of the cave. Kisame, undeterred, gathered a massive amount of water chakra and released a spiraling water dragon toward Jugo.
In a show of power and confidence, Kisame initiated the Samehada Fusion technique. His body and the sentient blade began to merge, evolving him into a hybrid monstrosity resembling a human-sized shark. Muscles rippled and bulged as scales enveloped him. His newly acquired, larger-than-life jaws brimming with rows of razor-sharp teeth grinned menacingly. As the transformation concluded, a fluid tail emerged, twitching with anticipation.
But Kisame wasn't done. Channeling his enhanced abilities, he rapidly expelled a massive stream of water from his mouth, flooding the cave's interior. In mere moments, Jugo found himself submerged within an enormous water sphere—a water prison of monumental proportions. Within this aquatic realm, Kisame was king. The fluidity of his movement, enhanced by his shark-like attributes, gave him an unparalleled edge.
While Kisame believed he had cornered Jugo within the water sphere, thinking his adversary's movement would be constrained, he was soon to realize that assumption was far from accurate. Jugo's mastery of the Lotus Seal allowed him a unique adaptability. With a thought, he activated the Formless Shift aspect of his seal, granting his body a malleability akin to water. He no longer felt confined but moved with ease in the submerged environment.
The water around Jugo rippled and shimmered as his arms fluidly extended, reaching out like searching serpents. They wound around the water clones, crushing them effortlessly. Kisame, taken aback by the unexpected maneuver, barely had time to react. From the corner of his vision, a stray kunai from Haku's battle whizzed by, narrowly missing him, further emphasizing the unpredictability of the situation.
Kisame, undeterred, countered with a series of chakra-infused water bullets. These projectiles, however, found themselves caught by Jugo's tendrils before they could strike their target. In the dim light of the cave, the spectacle resembled a dance of shadows and silhouettes—fluid forms gracefully clashing in the submerged world.
Jugo, seizing the moment, transformed his legs into powerful fins. With a strong kick, he jetted through the water, aiming straight for Kisame. Kisame, tapping into his fusion technique's enhancements, met the assault head-on, their combat now a blur of fists, kicks, and agile maneuvering.
The nature of the underwater battle had changed; it was less about raw power and more about momentum, conservation of energy, and exploiting vulnerabilities. Jugo, leveraging the Nature's Pulse ability of the Lotus Seal, sent vibrations through the water. These oscillations disoriented Kisame momentarily, but his fused form's heightened senses soon adjusted. Yet, it provided Jugo with a critical opening.
Capitalizing on the momentary distraction, Jugo closed the distance and launched a rapid succession of punches, each imbued with the Crimson Lotus Fist technique. Kisame parried most of them, but a few found their mark, leaving burning imprints on his scaled skin. Each imprint began to siphon his chakra, weakening him slightly.
Kisame growled in annoyance, the sound distorted and eerie underwater. Relying on the Chakra Sensing ability from his fusion technique, he anticipated Jugo's next move. As Jugo lunged, aiming for another strike, Kisame used his tail to ensnare him. But Jugo, with his Formless Shift, effortlessly slipped from the grasp, morphing his form to evade capture.
The cave's confined space meant that neither could escape the other's range, creating an environment of relentless engagement. The battle's ebb and flow saw neither gaining a significant upper hand for long. For every move Kisame made, Jugo had a counter, and vice versa.
Suddenly, a chilling gust swept through the cave, making the water sphere's surface ripple with ethereal blue-white light. The temperature plummeted, and in an instant, the entire expanse of the water sphere was engulfed in delicate ice petals—Haku's technique, the Frozen Petals Surge.
The petals whirled around Jugo and Kisame, their delicate appearance deceivingly deadly. Each shard, despite its ephemeral beauty, was as sharp as any kunai. They danced in the water-turned-ice, creating a mesmerizing, balletic display of power and precision.
Jugo, sensing the change in his surroundings, flexed his muscles and expelled a burst of his chakra. The sphere, which had become a solid ice prison, shattered instantly, sending ice shards in all directions. The Frozen Petals Surge had not only solidified the water but had imbued it with an unyielding cold that bit into Kisame's fused form.
Kisame, usually comfortable in aquatic environments, found himself disoriented. The sudden freezing had caught him off-guard. The cold burns left by Haku's technique hindered his movements, making each action feel sluggish.
Seizing the opportunity, Jugo lunged forward with a speed Kisame couldn’t match in his current state. With precision, he tapped into the Serenade of the Beast aspect of the Lotus Seal. Jugo's inner beast resonated with him, harmonizing their desires. A low growl echoed from within him, amplifying as he closed in on his prey.
Kisame tried to defend, swinging Samehada in a last-ditch effort, but Jugo's movement was fluid and swift. Using the Formless Shift, he dodged and weaved around Kisame's attacks, appearing almost like a shadow.
Jugo's Chakra Tendrils emerged, wrapping around Kisame, siphoning off the Akatsuki member's chakra with every passing second. Kisame grunted, feeling the drain, his strength waning rapidly. Samehada, sensing its wielder's distress, tried to absorb Jugo's chakra in retaliation, but the Crimson Lotus Fist imprints hindered its effectiveness.
Kisame, despite his dire situation, managed to muster a smirk. "Impressive. But don't think this is the end." He attempted to rally, drawing more chakra from the depths of his reserves.
However, Jugo wasn't about to give him that chance. With a roar, he channeled his nature chakra into a devastating blow. The very air seemed to warp around his fist as he unleashed the full might of the Crimson Lotus Fist.
The impact was cataclysmic. Kisame, despite his best efforts to defend, was sent flying, crashing into the cave wall with a force that resonated throughout the cavern. The fused form of Kisame and Samehada started to unravel, their chakra connection fraying at the edges.
Jugo, standing tall, his breathing steady, looked down at his defeated opponent. "It's over," he stated, his voice firm.
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