"Uchiha Fugaku, today will be the day you die!"
Nagato's eyes burned with killing intent as he fixed his gaze on Fugaku.
Capturing the Tailed Beasts was his top priority. Originally, his plan had been to gather all nine before heading to Konoha to eliminate Fugaku. But since fate had brought them face-to-face here, he didn't mind ending Fugaku now.
"You're still far from capable of that."
Though Fugaku felt a pang of caution in his heart, his words carried not a shred of hesitation.
Nagato was indeed troublesome—wielding the full power of the Six Paths made him far stronger than the last time, when Fugaku had only fought against his six bodies. Yet Fugaku himself had also grown tremendously over the years. Victory or defeat would only be decided after battle.
"Shikotsumyaku: Forest of White Bones!"
His hands blurred through seals before slamming into the ground. From his palms, masses of bone matter stabbed deep into the earth.
Pup! Pup! Pup!
Giant, jagged ivory bones, each dozens of meters long, erupted upward like a field of spears after the rain, until the battlefield was transformed into a dense forest of bone.
In his prime, Hashirama Senju could summon an entire forest with a single Wood Release. Now, Fugaku mirrored that feat—creating a forest of bone with Shikotsumyaku. This was his own invention: a super–Kage-level jutsu of the Kaguya bloodline.
Swish, swish, swish—
Nagato was caught within the expanding bone forest as the spiked trees grew rapidly, lashing in from all sides.
"A Shikotsumyaku of this scale… at super–Kage level?"
Nagato was surprised. He knew of Fugaku's eye technique that could copy bloodline limits, but he hadn't expected a copied ability to surpass its natural limits. Still, he showed no panic.
"Fūinjutsu Absorption Seal!"
A transparent barrier shimmered around his body. The absorption seal—his natural counter to ninjutsu—would nullify any technique made of chakra.
Or so he thought.
The nearest bone spike pierced the barrier… and kept going.
Nagato's face twisted. It wasn't absorbed!
No time to analyze why, he instantly switched to Shinra Tensei.
Boom!
A massive repulsive force exploded outward, blasting the bone forest apart in a sweeping wave. Trees of bone shattered and toppled for hundreds of meters in every direction, leaving a wasteland.
Yet, before it triggered, several spikes had already pierced Nagato's flesh. Blood seeped from shallow wounds across his body, staining his cloak.
Fugaku withdrew his hands from the ground, a sharp grin tugging at his lips."As I thought—Shikotsumyaku bypasses the Absorption Seal."
That technique, feared as the bane of all ninjutsu, could only nullify chakra-based attacks. Shikotsumyaku, however, wasn't chakra-made—it was real, physical bone accelerated by chakra growth. That distinction made it untouchable by absorption.
Nagato had avoided a fatal blow by switching to Shinra Tensei at the last second, but he was bleeding nonetheless.
"An attack my seal can't absorb…"
Nagato's face darkened. He had underestimated Fugaku.
Fugaku had taught him a painful lesson: his godlike absorption wasn't absolute. Taijutsu and unique techniques like Shikotsumyaku slipped through its net. Fugaku was still as dangerous as ever.
"Uchiha Fugaku… you truly cannot be underestimated."
A crushing aura surged from Nagato's body, locking onto his foe.
"Hmph—" Fugaku's own power flared in answer, colliding with Nagato's presence like two storms clashing.
But then—
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound of blood hitting the earth broke the standoff. Nagato turned his head sharply—his face paling.
The captive Fourth Mizukage lay gravely wounded, pierced by Fugaku's bone forest. If left untreated, he would soon die. Nagato didn't care about the man, but the Three-Tails sealed within him was another matter. If the Jinchūriki died, so would the beast, delaying its revival for years and stalling Akatsuki's plans.
"Fugaku, our fight ends here. Next time!"
With a rush of wind, Nagato shot into the sky to retreat.
"You're not leaving!"
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. If the Mizukage died now, Akatsuki's entire timetable would collapse.
"Perfect Susanoo!"
His colossal, hundred-meter Susanoo erupted forth, wings spreading wide as it launched skyward in pursuit.
But Nagato had anticipated this.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The sudden repulsion smashed into the giant warrior mid-flight, swatting it from the air and sending it crashing into the sea with a deafening roar. Waves surged violently before Fugaku climbed the Susanoo back to shore. By then, Nagato was already a black speck on the horizon—vanishing the next instant.
Chasing him further was impossible. Fugaku sighed."A shame. If I could have stalled him, the Mizukage would be dead, and Akatsuki's plans crippled."
Still, he knew: if Nagato truly wanted to escape, even he couldn't stop him. And the same was true the other way around.
Just then, his eyes caught a pool of fresh blood.
"The Mizukage's blood…"
Nagato was injured too, but not this badly. This blood was without doubt from the Fourth Mizukage.
Fugaku's eyes sharpened."Nagato escaped, but with this blood… I can still kill the Mizukage."
Not long ago, Fugaku had absorbed Hidan's remains, gaining his immortality and the forbidden technique Cursed Jutsu: Death Possession Blood.
Now, with the Mizukage's blood before him, he could use that curse to kill both Jinchūriki and beast at once—sabotaging Akatsuki's plans.
He dipped his fingers in the blood and licked them. Then, with his foot, he traced a ritual circle on the ground, standing at its center as his body transformed—half black, half white, exuding a chilling aura.
Squelch—
He plunged a kunai into his own chest, piercing his heart.
A mortal wound for anyone else, but thanks to Hidan's immortality, Fugaku remained standing, only wincing at the pain.
Pulling the blade free, he muttered darkly to himself:"The Mizukage is far from here… but let this curse strike true."
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