Chapter 138

Words : 1281 Updated : Oct 6th, 2025

Chapter 138 - 138 "Oh, I saw you guys rushing like crazy when I went out to buy groceries, figured something must have happened, so I followed." As Natsuki spoke, he took out several sunglasses and handed them to Kakashi. "Here, senpai, distribute these to everyone. As long as you wear them, it'll be harder for the enemy to sense our line of sight, which makes it less likely for us to fall into their genjutsu." Wait... that works too? Everyone was stunned for a moment, but after thinking it through, it did make sense. Sunglasses were dark enough that detecting eye contact would be tricky. While there was still a chance of getting caught in a genjutsu, the risk was significantly reduced. Kakashi and Sasuke even thought: We used to think Natsuki wore sunglasses just to imitate Yamashiro Aoba and look cool... turns out there's more to it! Kisame bared his sharp teeth in a grin. "Oi, Itachi-san, this brat's pretty clever, huh?" Itachi remained silent, but his gaze lingered on Sasuke. It had been years since they last met, and seeing his younger brother's growth brought a hint of satisfaction to his heart. But... in this cruel world, that wasn't nearly enough. After everyone had put on their sunglasses, Natsuki spoke again. "I'll take care of the fish-man. You guys handle the other one. When I make my move, don't hesitate—strike immediately!" The others didn't fully understand what Natsuki meant, but out of trust, they nodded. Natsuki took a horse stance on the water's surface, placing his hands in a sword-finger gesture against his temples. It was clearly a technique none of them recognized. The next moment, a dazzling flash erupted from his body. "Taiyōken (Solar Flare)!" Buzz! The Taiyōken made its debut in the ninja world! Because Itachi and Kisame had been staring at Natsuki, they were immediately blinded by the sudden burst of light. Their eyes instinctively shut, vision filled with blinding white spots. Both their hearts sank. "Crap! Our vision...!" "Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates Released Formation)! Sixth Gate: Keimon (View Gate), Open!" Without hesitation, Natsuki unleashed the sixth gate and flashed toward Kisame. Kisame reflexively raised Samehada to block, but Natsuki was too fast—he had already zipped behind Kisame and sent a powerful kick that launched the shark-man into the sky. The moment Natsuki opened the Eight Gates, Sasuke, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai immediately understood the plan. No wonder Natsuki told them not to hesitate when he moved—he had used a blinding flash to rob the enemy of their vision. And with their sunglasses, they were minimally affected. Wasn't this the perfect moment to attack?! In an instant, the four charged at Itachi. Sasuke was the fastest, his short sword crackling with lightning as he lunged straight for Itachi's neck. Seeing the blade about to sever his enemy's head, he felt an overwhelming sense of triumph. His heart raced with the thrill of imminent vengeance. But the next second, a sharp clang rang out. The short sword was blocked by... something red? Looking closely, it was a skeletal armor formed from red chakra! "What... what is this?! What kind of ability is that?!" Sasuke's mind was reeling. Not only had his attack failed, but Kakashi's kunai and Asuma's chakra blades had no effect either. Meanwhile, back in the sky, Natsuki, after knocking Kisame into the air, surged up again. "Morning Peacock (Asa Kujaku)!" A barrage of blazing fists erupted midair, each strike blooming with sparks like fireworks. Kisame was left scorched, crashing back down into the water, smoke rising from his body. "One down!" Natsuki descended, unfazed by the result. After all, Kisame was supposed to get wrecked by Guy's Sixth Gate Morning Peacock—he had simply swapped in. With his current physical strength, Natsuki wasn't inferior to Guy at all. Itachi, hearing the sounds of battle, knew something was wrong. His vision was still hazy, struggling to recover. "Are you okay, Kisame?" But there was no reply. That silence told Itachi all he needed to know—his partner was down. For a brief moment, he couldn't help but feel surprised. He hadn't expected Natsuki—someone roughly Sasuke's age—to possess such strength, defeating Kisame in a single exchange. Looks like... his time away from Konoha had left him out of touch with the village's situation. But while he was momentarily distracted, Natsuki had already surged forward again, unleashing a ferocious kick that slammed into the skeletal frame of the Susanoo. Crack! Crack! A network of fractures spread across the Susanoo's bone armor, then boom! A chunk of it shattered. Sasuke seized the moment, dashing in with his short sword aimed at Itachi's arm. Squelch! Blood spurted. But when Sasuke landed, he felt frustrated. Itachi, reacting on instinct, had managed to dodge slightly, and Sasuke's blade had only grazed his arm—barely a scratch. He had placed all his hopes on Natsuki breaking through the skeletal armor, and just as he expected, it shattered. He had grasped the perfect opportunity. But he was still too slow! "Damn it! If I had been just a bit faster, I could've taken his arm!" The Susanoo didn't care about Sasuke's complaints. The skeletal arm swung down, forcing both Sasuke and Natsuki to dodge together. Just as Natsuki prepared to follow up with another kick, a sudden movement nearby caught his attention—Kisame had recovered! Judging by the shark-man's appearance, it seemed Samehada had autonomously merged with him, reviving him. Kisame quickly formed hand seals, moving at a decent speed, then opened his mouth and released a massive surge of water. "Suiton: Daikōdan no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique) Boom! A torrent of water engulfed the area. Natsuki and the others could only brace themselves for defense. By the time the flood receded and they looked up, Itachi and Kisame were gone. Sasuke clenched his fists in frustration. "Damn it! They got away!" But instead of flying into a blind rage, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and think rationally. This reaction surprised even Kakashi. And more than that, he felt a sense of relief. Sasuke was growing up. Natsuki deactivated the Eight Gates, turned to Kakashi, and asked, "So, what's the plan now? If there's nothing else, I'll head home and cook—my girlfriend's waiting." This guy... even now, he couldn't resist flexing his relationship status! Sasuke, however, spoke up. "Uchiha Itachi and... that fish-man—weren't they after Naruto? Even though Jiraiya-sama is with Naruto, isn't it a bit risky? Shouldn't we send someone to support them?" Kakashi nodded in agreement. "You're right. We should send someone. Natsuki, you go." "...Huh? Kakashi-senpai, I need to get home to cook for my girlfriend, you know? You're single—cough cough, I mean, you're stronger and a jōnin. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to go?" Asuma and Kurenai couldn't help but snicker. Natsuki's blunt remark about Kakashi being single just felt so... amusingly brutal. Kakashi's dead-fish eyes rolled. "Itachi obviously used genjutsu on you just now, yet you weren't affected at all. That means your resistance to genjutsu is high. Plus, you just beat Kisame. With your strength, you're the best choice to provide support. Stop throwing a tantrum—just go." Natsuki sighed. "Kakashi-senpai, have you awakened the Byakugan or something?" (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]

Chapter 138

Comments (0)