Chapter 116: Dragonite Dominates Itachi and Kisame

Roar!

Dragonite let out a deep growl, its golden eyes filled with excitement as it eyed the Akatsuki members.

It had been a while since its last real battle.

This group had just given it the perfect opportunity to unleash its power.

Whoosh!

With a flap of its wings, Dragonite shot forward, closing in on the Akatsuki members at an alarming speed.

The Akatsuki members tensed.

"Hah! You came at the right time!"

Deidara grinned wildly, forming a sphere of clay in his hands. He quickly molded it before hurling it toward the approaching Dragonite.

"C2—Dragon!"

The clay rapidly expanded, forming into a massive dragon roughly ten meters long.

As soon as it took shape, the clay dragon opened its mouth and began spitting out small clay spiders, each one streaking toward Dragonite.

"Dragonite, use Electromagnetic Wave. Clay explosives won't detonate when hit by electricity."

Ryo's calm voice carried through the battlefield.

Then, he simply stood back, watching without interfering further.

Hearing Ryo's words, Deidara's eyes widened in shock.

How does he know my weakness? That's impossible! No one should know that!

Regardless of his disbelief, the situation continued to unfold.

Dragonite nodded in response to Ryo's command.

It gazed at the approaching clay spiders before a surge of electricity rippled across its body.

Roar!

A soft but intense electric pulse spread outward from Dragonite, covering the entire battlefield.

Even the ground beneath them shimmered with weak currents of electricity.

The moment the clay spiders were touched by the electrical field, they froze midair.

Faint sparks flickered across their surfaces before they dropped motionless to the ground.

Dragonite wasted no time.

It shot forward in a blur, weaving through the battlefield and dismantling the remaining clay explosives with precision.

Sasori's expression darkened as he turned to his comrades.

"This isn't going to work. If we keep fighting like this, we're all going to die. That Dragonite is on a completely different level."

The others shared his grim sentiment.

Even Itachi, who had initially been reluctant to accept reality, had to acknowledge the gap in power.

Kisame clenched his teeth before speaking.

"I'll hold off the Dragonite. You two take care of its trainer."

"You won't last alone. I'll fight with you."

Itachi's voice was calm but resolute.

He locked eyes with Dragonite, his Mangekyō Sharingan gleaming with battle intent.

Sasori and Deidara exchanged glances before nodding, shifting their attention toward Ryo.

Dragonite seemed to sense their plan.

Its expression darkened, and in an instant, it was upon them.

Seeing this, Kisame and Itachi had no choice but to engage.

Dragonite's claws gleamed as it struck toward Kisame.

Boom!

The attack landed directly on Samehada, sending a deafening shockwave through the air.

"What insane power…!"

Kisame gritted his teeth, his arms shaking as he struggled to absorb the force.

Then—

Whoosh!

He was sent flying.

His body smashed through several massive trees before disappearing into the distance.

Itachi's expression darkened as he activated his Susanoo.

A skeletal frame of chakra wrapped around him, quickly forming arms that swung downward at Dragonite.

But Dragonite was too fast.

It vanished from sight—

Then reappeared behind Itachi.

With a flick of its tail, it coiled around Itachi's waist and flipped him through the air.

Boom!

Itachi was slammed into the ground, the impact shaking the entire mountain.

Crack!

His incomplete Susanoo shattered upon impact.

"Gah—!"

Itachi coughed up blood, his face pale as he lay in the crater Dragonite had just created.

His Sharingan eyes flickered with disbelief.

It broke my Susanoo with sheer strength alone…?

Even though it was just his initial-stage Susanoo, the fact that it had been shattered so effortlessly was difficult to accept.

Dragonite, however, had no time for his shock.

It spread its wings, ready to rush toward Ryo.

"Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"

A voice rang out from the forest.

A massive chakra-infused water shark shot toward Dragonite, blocking its path.

Roar!

Dragonite narrowed its eyes.

Water swirled around its tail before it lashed out in response.

Boom!

The colossal shark was split in two, dissolving into water upon impact.

Emerging from the forest, Kisame wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head.

"This mission is turning into a nightmare…"

Despite his words, his eyes gleamed with determination.

He rapidly formed hand seals.

"Water Style: Multi-Shark Bullet Jutsu!"

Dozens of enormous sharks materialized and surged toward Dragonite in a relentless wave.

Dragonite narrowed its eyes.

Opening its mouth, it began gathering energy—

The sheer pressure from its charged attack made even Deidara and Sasori stop their approach toward Ryo.

Their eyes flickered with unease.

What is that…?

The very air seemed to tremble as Dragonite's energy built up.

Then—

Boom!

It unleashed a devastating beam of energy directly at Kisame.

The force of the blast was so immense that the air itself seemed to flee from its path.

Kisame's expression froze.

A cold sensation crept over him.

For the first time in years—

He felt the touch of death.