Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

The massive white sword projection clashed with the enormous fireball.

Before the fight began, Natsuro might have hesitated against such an attack, unsure of his strength. But now, after his breakthrough, those doubts had vanished. Whether it was ninjutsu or taijutsu, his power had exceeded his expectations.

The Vacuum Slash, despite incorporating elements of the Wind Release: Vacuum Wave, retained its identity as a sword-based technique, augmented with unparalleled cutting power.

The supposed elemental disadvantage of wind against fire meant little to Natsuro. The Vacuum Slash was his refined taijutsu technique, not mere wind ninjutsu.

The anticipated explosion of clashing forces didn't occur. Instead, the immense fireball conjured by Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation was cleanly split in two by the sword's white energy. The remaining force of the sword slash continued hurtling toward Itachi, unabated.

Seeing the incoming attack, Itachi's Sharingan evolved into its Mangekyō form, its intricate design spinning. A fiery orange glow manifested before him as Susano'o partially activated.

"Susanoo, huh?" Natsuro observed calmly. "It's useless."

In the past, Natsuro had already proven he could cut through Itachi's Susano'o with his Vacuum Wave. Now, with the enhanced Vacuum Slash, even a fully manifested Susano'o was meaningless.

Meanwhile, Kisame, who had just launched his Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique, noted Natsuro's lack of evasion and commitment to countering the fireball. The colossal shark-shaped water attack surged toward Natsuro, its gaping maw threatening to engulf him.

Natsuro swiftly conjured a Lightning-Enhanced Rasengan and hurled it directly into the shark's mouth. The rasengan detonated with violent force, shredding the shark's form from within. Electrified currents surged through the fragmented water, scattering it harmlessly.

"Good thing I wasn't inside that water jutsu," Kisame thought, his usually unshaken demeanor showing a rare hint of unease. If Natsuro had trapped him in such a setup, he might have been electrocuted instantly.

Itachi's Susanoo, though incomplete, successfully activated the Yata Mirror, a legendary defensive artifact said to nullify all attacks. The shield absorbed the force of Natsuro's slash, preventing any harm from reaching Itachi.

But the effort came at a cost. Itachi, already physically weakened, coughed violently as his body struggled to sustain Susanoo. Even calling forth the Yata Mirror inflicted immense strain on his fragile condition.

Natsuro furrowed his brow, the radiant sword aura dissipating into the cavern's dim light. His sword returned to its regular, unassuming appearance as he momentarily paused his assault.

Kisame quickly retreated to Itachi's side, concern etched across his face. "You alright, Itachi?"

"I'm—" Itachi began, but his words were cut short by a sudden, searing pain in his arm and side. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down to see his severed arm on the ground and the Samehada embedded in his abdomen.

The realization hit him like a thunderbolt: Kisame had swung the Samehada and struck him.

The betrayal was almost incomprehensible. Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan glared at Kisame, the pain barely registering as he processed what had just happened.

The blade hadn't fully bisected him, but the attack was deliberate, leaving one of his arms severed and a gaping wound across his side.

"Why…" Itachi gasped, his voice weak yet steady. "Kisame… you—"

Kisame, whose usual shark-toothed grin was absent, hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking.

"I don't take pleasure in this, Itachi," Kisame finally said, his voice low and uncharacteristically serious. "But orders are orders. You've become a liability."

Before Itachi could respond, Kisame yanked the Samehada free, leaving Itachi to stagger and collapse onto his knees.

Natsuro, who had been silently observing the scene, narrowed his eyes.

"Kisame," he called out, his voice calm but laced with curiosity, "I wonder… is this betrayal for real, or is there something more to this act?"

Kisame turned to face Natsuro, the usual mirthless smile returning to his face. "Wouldn't you like to know, hero? Don't worry, you're next."

At that moment, Natsuro's instincts screamed. He felt a subtle yet undeniable shift in the air. Focusing on Itachi, he noticed the faintest movement of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Tsukuyomi…"

A dark, oppressive force surged toward Natsuro, threatening to pull him into the illusory world of Itachi's most feared genjutsu.

"Click!"

A sound of frustration escaped 'Kisame Hoshigaki's' lips.

Under normal circumstances, Kisame's strength should have been enough to cut Itachi cleanly in half, but...

At this moment, 'Kisame' was not Kisame at all. His body had been taken over by Natsuro's Spirit Possession Technique!

Natsuro's sword strike had been without mercy, yet Kisame's consciousness exerted a subconscious resistance, preventing the full execution of the attack.

Had it gone as intended, Itachi would at least have been sliced into three distinct sections—upper torso, lower body, and a severed arm.

Itachi, now severely wounded, had no time to process why Kisame would suddenly betray him. The blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes whirled rapidly, locking onto 'Kisame's' gaze.

Realizing what was about to happen, Natsuro, still in control of Kisame's body, felt a instant sense of alarm. There was no time to avert his gaze... He was caught.

The next moment, Natsuro found himself in a dark, surreal space.

However, unlike what one might expect, he could move freely.

Surveying his surroundings, Natsuro saw Itachi standing a short distance away. To his surprise, a bound and crucified Kisame could also be seen, hanging on a massive black cross.

Natsuro blinked in confusion before breaking into a cheerful grin. He casually waved at Itachi.

"So this is… the Mangekyō Sharingan's Tsukuyomi? Fascinating."

Natsuro quickly assessed the situation.

His immunity to genjutsu was not absolute, especially against a technique as potent as Tsukuyomi. At the moment, one of his souls was fully ensnared by the illusion, while the other remained conscious and unaffected.

Under normal circumstances, the state of one soul would dictate the other's, keeping both either fully awake or fully controlled.

However, Tsukuyomi was different, it forcibly drew part of his mental essence into a constructed spiritual domain.

The result? Natsuro discovered he could still act freely within the illusion. His unaffected consciousness allowed him to maintain clarity, even while immersed in the illusionary world.

Testing his movements, Natsuro found that his body within the space was not under Itachi's control.

In the fabricated realm, Natsuro turned to the bewildered Itachi and smiled broadly.

"Nice place you've got here, Itachi. Mind showing me around?"

For the first time in a long while, Itachi's stoic expression cracked.

The legendary composure of the Uchiha prodigy faltered as he stared at Natsuro.

After activating Tsukuyomi, Itachi was confident in his ability to dominate the space and control everything within it. Yet, here was Natsuro, walking around casually, entirely unbound by his influence.

Even more perplexing, Kisame's consciousness had also been dragged into the illusion, proof that Kisame had not actually betrayed him.

Itachi realized with growing dread that his carefully prepared Tsukuyomi was not only ineffective but actively working against him.

Drained from the exertion of maintaining the technique, Itachi released the genjutsu. Both Natsuro and Kisame were ejected from the illusory space.

In the real world, Natsuro, still possessing Kisame's body, stepped back from Itachi. Meanwhile, Itachi staggered, widening the gap between them.

Across the battlefield, the Immortal Duo, Hidan and Kakuzu, stared at the unfolding chaos in stunned silence.

"What the hell just happened?!" Hidan yelled.

Kisame, who had seemingly betrayed Itachi moments ago, now stood still, as though confused. Itachi was bleeding profusely, missing an arm, and in critical condition.

"Oi, Kakuzu, shouldn't you be helping Itachi now? His arm's off, and he's got holes all over!" Hidan hollered.

Kakuzu, ever the pragmatist, was silent. He had just finished patching up Hidan after the earlier beating from Natsuro, and now another patient required urgent attention.

Surveying the situation, Kakuzu realized how dire things had become:

Hidan, while technically immortal, was still incapacitated and in need of extensive repairs.Itachi was grievously injured, with no ability to continue fighting effectively.Kisame… or whatever he had become, was an unpredictable variable.

And standing before them, completely unscathed, was Natsuro, likely the strongest threat they'd ever faced.

Kakuzu glanced at his allies and felt an urge to curse aloud.

Was he now supposed to face Natsuro and Kisame-turned-traitor alone?

He clenched his fists, his frustration mounting.

"Forget this! I signed up to make money, not die for this lunacy!" Kakuzu growled under his breath.

For the first time, the immortal bounty hunter considered cutting his losses and retreating.

At this moment, Natsuro had already opened his eyes. Having been struck by Tsukuyomi once and confirming that it had limited effect on him, he now felt confident enough to look directly without hesitation.

Tsukuyomi did work on him, but only partially. For it to truly incapacitate him, Itachi would have to use the technique consecutively, hitting both of his souls. Only then could Itachi drag his entire consciousness into the illusory space, rendering Natsuro powerless.

But given the state of Itachi's body, performing Tsukuyomi twice in succession? That was less likely than Itachi outright committing suicide.

Not to mention, hitting both souls consecutively? That was practically impossible.

Now, looking at the severely injured Itachi, Natsuro couldn't help but feel some regret. The best opportunity to kill him had already passed.

Using the Spirit Transformation Technique to occupy Kisame's body and approach Itachi had been the best, and perhaps only, chance. But, unfortunately…

It had failed.

Kisame wasn't so easily and completely subdued. Especially in the moment Natsuro moved to strike the fatal blow against Itachi, Kisame's subconscious resistance had surged, preventing Natsuro from finishing the job.

Now, why was there no further opportunity? The answer was clear. The battle had shifted decisively: two of the enemy's combatants were heavily injured, and Kisame's body was still under Natsuro's control.

The only complete combatant on their side was Kakuzu.

In other words, their meticulously planned ambush to eliminate Natsuro had failed utterly.

Instead, it was Natsuro who had critically injured one of their strongest members...

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Currently on Chapter 255 - The Caged Bird