"Uchiha Fugaku, today will be your death!"
Nagato said with murderous intent, looking at Uchiha Fugaku.
The capture of the Tailed Beasts was his current top priority. Originally, he planned to collect all nine Tailed Beasts before going to Konoha to get rid of Uchiha Fugaku.
But since they had already met, he didn't mind eliminating Uchiha Fugaku here and now.
"You don't have that ability yet."
Although Uchiha Fugaku felt a tinge of fear, he didn't let it show in his words.
Nagato was indeed far more difficult to deal with now. A foe who could simultaneously wield the power of the Six Paths was much stronger than the time he had fought using six bodies.
But Fugaku, too, had improved significantly since that encounter. Who would win or lose would only be revealed after battle.
"Corpse Bone Vein: White Bone Forest—"
Uchiha Fugaku quickly formed seals and pressed both hands onto the ground.
A mass of white bone surged from his palms and drilled into the earth.
Puff, puff, puff!
Massive and sharp white bones, each tens of meters long, erupted from underground like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
In moments, the surrounding terrain transformed into a bone forest.
In his prime, Senju Hashirama could create forests with a wave of his hand using Wood Release. Now, Uchiha Fugaku could form a forest of bones with the Corpse Bone Vein.
This Corpse Bone Vein jutsu, powerful enough to reach Super Kage-level, was one he had developed himself.
Swish, swish, swish—
Nagato fell into the encirclement of the bone forest. The trees grew rapidly around him, their surfaces covered in sharp spikes, striking from all directions.
"A Super Kage-level... Corpse Bone Vein?"
Nagato was slightly surprised.
He knew Uchiha Fugaku could copy Kekkei Genkai with his dōjutsu, but he didn't expect the copied Corpse Bone Vein to retain such immense power.
Still, he wasn't panicked.
"Sealing Technique: Absorption Seal—"
He activated the Sealing Technique: Absorption Seal, forming an invisible barrier around his body to nullify the incoming ninjutsu.
This sealing technique could render ninjutsu ineffective by absorbing them—it was considered their natural counter.
He believed that, no matter how powerful Fugaku's technique was, it would be useless against his Absorption Seal.
But something unexpected happened.
The bone spikes nearest to him touched the invisible barrier—and instead of being absorbed or nullified, they continued to pierce forward.
The Absorption Seal didn't work!
His face changed instantly.
Without time to think, he swapped techniques and unleashed Shinra Tensei.
Boom—
A shockwave of repulsive force burst outward indiscriminately.
The attacking bone trees snapped and flew away, a large section of the forest collapsing in the blast.
Within a wide radius around Nagato, no bone trees remained standing.
But it had been a rushed defense.
Before the Shinra Tensei could activate fully, the bone spikes had already pierced Nagato's body.
Blood trickled from shallow puncture wounds, soaking into his cloak.
"The Corpse Bone Vein really can bypass the Absorption Seal..."
Uchiha Fugaku pulled his hands from the ground, satisfaction showing on his face.
His hypothesis had been correct.
The Sealing Technique: Absorption Seal was potent—it could absorb chakra-based jutsu and make them vanish. But it wasn't absolute.
He had deduced two ways to bypass it.
First: Taijutsu. The Absorption Seal only worked on chakra-based ninjutsu, not physical attacks.
Second: Non-chakra constructs. Jutsu that were not composed of chakra.
The Corpse Bone Vein didn't form bones out of chakra; it stimulated real bone material to grow at rapid speed.
Thus, the jutsu couldn't be absorbed—it wasn't made of chakra.
"It's a pity Nagato reacted too fast. Even though he was wounded, the damage wasn't deep."
Fugaku felt some regret.
He'd hoped to take Nagato by surprise and seriously injure or even kill him.
But as expected of a Super Kage-level shinobi, Nagato adapted quickly and swapped to Shinra Tensei in time.
"A ninjutsu that cannot be absorbed..."
Nagato's expression turned grim.
The wounds weren't fatal—but it was still blood spilled.
He had believed his power now surpassed Fugaku's. But he'd been injured in their first exchange.
Fugaku had given him a harsh reminder that the Sealing Technique: Absorption Seal had weaknesses. Against techniques like the Corpse Bone Vein, it could be bypassed.
Nagato now understood clearly: Uchiha Fugaku had grown stronger too—and remained a dangerous opponent.
"Uchiha Fugaku, you truly are not to be underestimated."
His eyes locked onto Fugaku. The air around him grew heavy, like the ocean itself was pressing down.
"Hmph—"
Fugaku wasn't intimidated. He released a pressure equally fearsome.
Their auras clashed like two tornados colliding. The air warped and crackled between them, on the verge of bursting.
Suddenly—
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound of blood falling reached Nagato's ears.
He turned his head—and his face twisted.
The Fourth Mizukage, whom he had captured, was now critically wounded due to Fugaku's Corpse Bone Vein technique.
If not treated immediately, he would die.
Nagato didn't care about the Mizukage's life—but if he died, the Three-Tails would die with him.
Its resurrection would take years—delaying the entire Akatsuki plan.
"Uchiha Fugaku, I'll finish you next time!"
Nagato had no choice but to abandon the fight.
He shot into the sky, disappearing into the wind.
"Stop!"
Fugaku understood why Nagato was retreating and wouldn't allow it.
If he could delay him just a little longer, the Fourth Mizukage would die from his wounds.
If that happened, the Three-Tails would perish and not return for years—crippling Akatsuki's plans.
"Perfect Susanoo—!"
Fugaku summoned his Perfect Susanoo, a towering figure over 100 meters tall. Its wings flapped as it soared after Nagato.
"Shinra Tensei—!"
Nagato had anticipated this.
A wave of repulsive force slammed into the airborne Susanoo.
Boom—
The colossal warrior was blasted back hundreds of meters, crashing into the sea and causing a massive tidal surge.
Fugaku guided the Susanoo back out of the water, but Nagato had already vanished over the horizon.
He was now only a tiny black speck—and in the next moment, he was gone.
Fugaku was no sensory ninja—he had no means to track a retreating enemy through the sky.
Unable to pursue, he returned to shore and dismissed Susanoo.
"What a shame... If I'd delayed him longer, the Fourth Mizukage would've died, and the Akatsuki plan would've collapsed."
Fugaku sighed in frustration.
But he also knew: even if his power wasn't weaker than Nagato's, he couldn't stop someone like Nagato if they were determined to flee.
Just as Nagato couldn't stop him if he chose to retreat.
At that moment, he noticed a pool of blood.
His eyes lit up as he walked over.
"This is the Fourth Mizukage's blood."
Nagato had only sustained minor wounds, not enough to leave behind blood. This had to belong to the Fourth Mizukage.
"Even if I couldn't stop Nagato from escaping, this blood might still kill the Fourth Mizukage."
Not long ago, Fugaku had melted down Hidan's body and gained both immortality and the Death Curse Technique.
Now, with this blood in hand, he could curse the Fourth Mizukage from afar—kill him, and force the Three-Tails to die with him.
It would be a fatal blow to the Akatsuki's ambitions.
The only uncertainty: was the Mizukage still close enough for the curse to work?
"I have to act fast!"
Fugaku dipped a finger in the blood and licked it.
Then, with his feet, he used the remaining blood to draw a large curse circle on the ground.
Standing in the center, his body began to transform.
Black and white pigments spread across his skin, emanating an eerie aura.
Puff—
He pulled out a kunai and stabbed himself in the chest, piercing his heart.
Any normal person would die.
But with Hidan's immortality, Fugaku only felt a sharp pain—no blood loss.
"I don't know if the Fourth Mizukage is too far... but the curse is cast."
He pulled the kunai from his chest and initiated the Death Curse Technique.
Let it be worth it.
(End of this chapter)
***
If any of y'all want to read more than 60 chapters then take a look at my patreon.
https://www.patreon.com/John_smith_