Chapter 31: I Am the Strongest Kazekage

Shukaku unleashed massive wind bullets like a cannon, but Itachi calmly raised the Yata Mirror. The bullets struck the mirror, only to disintegrate like eggs shattering against stone, vanishing in an instant.

"Itachi's really under pressure here!" Kisame noted.

"Deidara, aren't you going to make a move?" Kisame and Deidara, shielded by the protective shell of Susanoo, advanced alongside Itachi.

Deidara glanced at Itachi, whose eyes were beginning to bleed. With a shrug, he replied, "This is just a clay clone. My combat ability is limited, so I have to wait for the right opportunity."

"In that case, let me take the lead! My kenjutsu is just as good as my Water techniques!" Kisame declared, leaping out of Susanoo with the Samehada in hand, charging straight at Rasa.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"

Rasa manipulated waves of gold dust that surged toward Kisame. However, Kisame darted through the dense attacks with nimble footwork.

"No matter how powerful the technique, if it doesn't hit, it's useless!"

"How about this?" Rasa countered, sweeping his hands forward. The gold dust, mixed with sand, formed a massive tidal wave that bore down on Kisame.

"Ha!"

Suddenly, two giant sandworms erupted from the ground, breaking a gap in the wave of gold dust.

"Good timing, Deidara!" Kisame shouted as he dashed through the opening and slashed at Rasa.

Splat!

Samehada struck only sand. A wall of gold-dusted sand had risen to block Kisame's attack, forcing Rasa to retreat. Taking the opportunity, Rasa climbed aboard a wave of gold dust and soared into the air.

"Hey! Deidara!"

"He's in your domain now," Kisame grumbled, frustrated as he watched Rasa take to the skies.

"What's the point of fighting if I can't even reach him?"

"I've got this." Deidara mounted his clay bird, taking to the sky in pursuit. He extended his right hand.

"Clay Hydra!"

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted as Rasa enveloped himself in a protective sphere of gold-dusted sand, blocking Deidara's attack.

"Rise!" Rasa commanded, summoning waves of sand from the ground that surged upward like living creatures, chasing after Deidara.

As Rasa's sand pursued him, Deidara closed in, engaging in an aerial cat-and-mouse game.

Meanwhile, Kisame returned to Itachi's side.

"Itachi, the Kazekage's preoccupied. Let's finish this bijuu first, then team up to deal with him. There's no way we'll lose!"

"Shut up, Kisame."

Kisame: "…"

At that moment, Shukaku prepared a dark chakra sphere in its mouth.

"Try my Tailed Beast Bomb, you puny humans!"

"Die!" Shukaku roared, launching the devastating attack. The force of the Tailed Beast Bomb tore through the sandstorm and collided with Susanoo's shield. The resulting explosion forced Itachi to take several steps back, cracks appearing on Susanoo's armor.

Cough! Itachi coughed up blood. Though powerful, Susanoo had its limits, especially since Itachi's body was already weakened, and his Mangekyo Sharingan hadn't evolved into the Eternal Mangekyo. If it had, only the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb could've posed a threat.

"Itachi, are you okay?" Kisame asked, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine."

"At this range… I can use it."

Itachi's right eye widened, and black flames erupted, igniting the sand surrounding Shukaku.

"Amaterasu?" Shukaku flinched at first but then burst into laughter. "Your fancy flames won't work on me! This body is just a shell made of sand. Burn it all you want—there's plenty more where that came from!"

"Tch. Using Amaterasu here…" Deidara shouted from above. "Itachi, use genjutsu, damn it!"

Annoyed, Shukaku swiped a massive sand claw toward Deidara in midair.

"Let me teach this pesky brat a lesson for interrupting my fun!"

Beating up an Uchiha was satisfying, but a chance to crush someone else? Even better!

"Rasa! Are you useless? You can't even catch a kid like this?" Shukaku bellowed.

Feeling insulted, Rasa straightened. "If that's the case, I'll get serious."

He stopped retreating and faced Deidara directly, raising his hands.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"

More gold dust surged forth, enveloping the sky like a colossal maw aiming to swallow Deidara whole. Its speed was far greater than before.

"What the hell did Rasa take just now?! He's stronger than Shukaku!" Deidara yelled.

This was nothing like the so-called "weakest Kazekage."

Deidara launched clay bombs, but they barely left a dent in the gold dust. His current clone didn't have the chakra to make more powerful explosives.

Just when it seemed like there was no escape, black flames suddenly scorched through the gold dust, creating an opening for Deidara to slip through.

Cough! Itachi coughed again, clutching his right eye as his body slumped slightly. Using Amaterasu twice had taken a heavy toll.

"Hey, Uchiha brat, are you seriously distracted while fighting me?"

"Here's another Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Boom!

The explosion forced Itachi back even further, but his enemies didn't let up.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"

Boundless gold dust swirled toward Susanoo, while Shukaku's sand chains immobilized Itachi in place.

"You're not escaping!"

"Let me join the fun!"

"Tailed Beast Bomb!"

In the nick of time, Itachi's left eye flared.

"Tsukuyomi!"

Shukaku's eyes transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan pattern. The Tailed Beast Bomb it was preparing veered off course, hurtling toward Rasa instead.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Wall!"

The explosion resounded as Rasa's gold dust shield absorbed the impact. He emerged unscathed, gazing at his hands with a mixture of awe and exhilaration.

"With this power, I am the strongest Kazekage in history!" Rasa declared, his voice brimming with confidence.

"Not even Shukaku's attacks can harm me. I'm invincible!"

"Now, behold the true extent of my power!"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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