Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 359: Running-In

Meanwhile.

Sora and Kisame had already left the Land of Rain and entered the Land of Earth.

The two stopped to rest on a wasteland.

Kisame opened the mission scroll and carefully examined it.

"The first target, Iwagakure missing-nin ’Retsudo’, a former Iwa jōnin, skilled in Earth Release Hardening Technique and explosive tags, defected after killing three fellow jōnin from the same village, bounty thirty-five million ryō."

Upon hearing this, Sora’s eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.

Kisame continued.

"The second target, the wandering ninja ’Kagekari’, has no fixed village affiliation, specializes in assassination and poisons, once successfully assassinated the daimyo of a small country, bounty forty million ryō."

"The third target..."

Kisame paused, his tone becoming somewhat amused.

"Former Kumogakure jōnin ’Yotsuki Ryō’, a branch family member of the Yotsuki Clan, defected after the Third Raikage’s death, carrying some secret Kumogakure technique scrolls, bounty fifty million ryō."

Sora took the scroll and looked it over.

All three targets were tough customers, especially Yotsuki Ryō. As a member of the Yotsuki Clan, which consistently produced Raikages for Kumogakure, he was likely what Nagato called a Kage-level candidate.

The "test" Nagato had given this time was no small matter.

"Let’s start with Retsudo first."

Sora put away the scroll and looked into the distance.

"According to the intel, he’s been active recently around the mines in the western part of the Land of Earth."

Kisame grinned, hefting his massive sword onto his shoulder.

"Let’s go. The sooner we finish, the sooner we head back."

"This place’s weather is even more miserable than the Rain Country’s."

Their figures flickered and vanished at the edge of the wasteland.

---

Deep within an abandoned mine in the western Land of Earth.

A dark silhouette darted quickly between the rock walls.

Kagekari, a wandering ninja skilled in assassination and poisons, was currently fleeing at full tilt.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"

Sora’s voice echoed in the mine. Several sharp wind blades chased from behind, precisely sealing off all of Kagekari’s escape routes.

Kagekari’s expression changed. He formed hand signs rapidly.

"Poison Mist Technique!"

Purple poison mist spewed from his mouth, spreading instantly, corroding the surrounding rock walls with a sizzling sound.

The wind blades sliced into the poison mist. Though they cut through the vapor, their power was greatly reduced.

Taking the opportunity, Kagekari flipped into a side tunnel, his presence completely concealed.

At the mine entrance.

Kisame leaned against the rock wall, shouldering, and yawned.

"White Tiger-san, you sure you don’t need my help?"

Sora stood in front of him, his gaze sweeping over the deep, dark mine, and replied in a hoarse voice.

"Unnecessary. Just guard the exit."

"This guy specializes in assassination and poison techniques. The mine environment is complex. Having more people would just make it easier for him to exploit openings."

Kisame grinned.

"Alright then, I’ll just keep playing the bystander."

Despite his words, a glint of sharpness flashed in his eyes.

Over the past half month, the two had completed the first mission together—killing the Iwa missing-nin Retsudo.

In that fight, Kisame had participated, and their cooperation was fairly smooth.

But this time against Kagekari, White Tiger insisted on handling it alone, saying it was to familiarize himself with fighting this type of enemy.

Kisame pretended to believe it, but internally, he had his own judgment.

’Wondering if he’s running something in?’

He noticed that White Tiger’s fighting style had subtly changed over the half month.

At first, there was some awkwardness, as if his control over his body wasn’t perfect, but as time passed, his movements became smoother, and his technique transitions grew more natural.

It was like... adapting to a new body.

Kisame narrowed his shark-like eyes but didn’t pry.

In the Akatsuki, everyone had secrets.

As long as it didn’t affect the mission or the organization’s plans, he couldn’t be bothered to care.

Deep within the mine.

Sora walked slowly, pale green Wind Release chakra swirling around him.

The wind howled through the mine, feeding back every subtle air current into his perception.

’Thirty meters ahead left, behind the rock wall.’

Sora understood clearly.

Kagekari’s concealment skills were indeed exquisite, almost merging with the rock, but his breathing and heartbeat couldn’t be completely masked.

Especially when Sora was deliberately using Wind Release to sense.

However, he wasn’t in a hurry to act.

This fight was, after all, meant to refine the coordination between his clone and soul.

Sora decided to use Kagekari as a whetstone.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Rain!"

He formed hand signs. Black iron sand seeped from the rock walls, condensing into countless fine needles, shooting towards Kagekari’s hiding place!

"What?!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Kagekari was shocked, never expecting his position to be already exposed.

He hurriedly leaped from his hiding spot, simultaneously tossing several poisoned kunai.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The iron sand needles clashed with the kunai, sparks flying.

After landing, Kagekari didn’t pause, forming hand signs rapidly.

"Poison Needle Senbon!"

His black robe suddenly burst apart, revealing densely packed poison needle mechanisms strapped to his body.

The next moment, thousands of poison needles shot towards Sora!

Each needle shimmered with a blue-black luster, clearly coated with potent venom.

Sora didn’t dodge or evade. He clapped his hands together.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A violent gale burst from his mouth, instantly dispersing all the poison needles and sending them hurtling back!

Kagekari’s expression changed again. He quickly performed the Substitution Technique.

A log was riddled with poison needles, while he himself had already appeared on another side of the mine.

"This guy’s Wind Release and Magnet Release are both troublesome..."

Kagekari cursed inwardly.

Moreover, his opponent’s combat experience was extremely rich, always able to predict his movements.

"Can’t fight him head-on. Need to find a chance to use that technique..."

A ruthless glint flashed in Kagekari’s eyes. He pulled a black pill from his bosom and swallowed it.

Instantly, his chakra surged, and purple patterns emerged on his skin’s surface.

"Secret Technique: Poison Man Mode!"

This was his trump card. By overdrawing his life force, he gained a temporary surge in power, at the cost of a month’s weakness afterward.

But to survive, he couldn’t afford to care anymore.

"Die!"

Kagekari’s speed skyrocketed. He lunged at Sora as a purple afterimage!

His fingernails lengthened drastically, gleaming with a poisonous blue light.

Interest flickered in Sora’s eyes.

’A secret technique that unlocks potential, huh... Just right for testing the newly coordinated moves.’

He held back no longer, forming hand signs rapidly.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding!"

Both techniques activated simultaneously!

Intense wind pressure compressed from all directions, restricting Kagekari’s movement, while black iron sand surged from the ground, winding around his feet.

"Get lost!"

Kagekari roared, his poison claws tearing and shredding, managing to rip through the iron sand!

But the delay cost him a crucial instant.

And that instant was enough for Sora.

"It’s over."

He murmured, his form suddenly vanishing.

The next moment, he appeared behind Kagekari.

Kagekari’s pupils contracted sharply. He tried to turn, only to find he couldn’t move.

Unknown to him, several iron sand needles had already pierced key points on his back, sealing his chakra flow.

"Wh... when..."

Kagekari spoke with difficulty, black blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

The backlash from the Poison Man Mode was beginning.

"When you tore through the first wave of iron sand."

Sora replied calmly, a Wind Release Rasengan forming in his hand, which he pressed against Kagekari’s back.

Pfft!

The sound of flesh tearing rang out.

Kagekari’s gaze quickly dimmed, and he crumpled to the ground.

Sora withdrew his hand, looking at the body, reviewing every detail of the recent battle in his mind.

’Not bad. Synchronization improved a bit again, about sixty-seven percent.’

While summarizing, he began processing the corpse.

As per Akatsuki requirements, bodies should be brought back as intact as possible.

Sora used a sealing scroll to store Kagekari’s body, then turned and walked out of the mine.

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