439 The Shimura Has Ice Release

What does death feel like?

Takeshi, who had already died once, could no longer remember. After coming to this world, as he grew older, he had forgotten many things.

Sometimes he wondered whether, after dying in this world, his soul would travel to another world or be accepted into the Pure Land of the Sage of Six Paths.

There were times when he worried that the world after death might be nothingness—close his eyes, and he would lose consciousness completely, and no matter how the world continued to run, it would have nothing to do with him.

Whenever he thought of this, cold sweat would break out across his body, and his breathing would quicken in fear.

He was undoubtedly afraid of death, Takeshi thought.

As for why he was thinking about this in the middle of battle, the reason was simple—the difference in strength between the two sides was visible to the naked eye. Takeshi was now relying solely on willpower and the Gyūki within him to keep up with Isshiki.

He wouldn't be killed, but he was about to get beaten senseless.

As Takeshi's mind drifted and he showed an opening, Isshiki seized the chance and delivered a powerful kick, sending Takeshi crashing toward the ground. Isshiki himself dove straight down, aiming to carve Kāma into Takeshi the moment he was heavily wounded.

He had already shaken off Obito and the others. All he needed was to regroup with Sasori while carrying Takeshi, and this little mishap would end perfectly.

This was exactly the moment Takeshi had been waiting for.

Using the tailed-beast cloak to withstand the impact of landing, Takeshi rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding Isshiki's fatal strike, and threw Flying Thunder God kunai toward three positions.

As the kunai struck the ground, three already-prepared shadow clones appeared at each point, forming a massive triangle.

Isshiki's expression changed sharply, then relaxed.

"So it's another sealing technique? It won't work on me. Besides, you're inside the range as well."

"Is that so? Sealing Technique."

Takeshi ignored him and focused on the shadow clones completing the seal.

The moment the seal activated, Isshiki sensed something indescribably strange.

Then, as if realizing something, he tried to use space–time ninjutsu.

"You sensed it? That's right. We are no longer in the same space as before."

Struggling to stand, Takeshi explained to him with a crooked smile.

"In here, space–time ninjutsu is useless. Between you and me, only one of us dying completely will let the survivor leave this space."

Isshiki ignored Takeshi and fired several black rods toward the clones.

He then watched as the rods, upon touching the clones, were blocked by some kind of barrier and could not move forward at all.

"Lower lifeforms have developed chakra and natural energy to such an extent…"

Confirming that the barrier truly existed, Isshiki spoke with genuine admiration.

"No helping it—I happen to have an exceptionally brilliant scientist."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his finger, Takeshi drew the White Fang blade behind him for the first time in front of Isshiki.

"You said something wrong just now. To leave here, it doesn't necessarily have to be the way you described."

Isshiki looked calmly at Takeshi, who now pointed a blade at him.

He slowly took a few steps forward, examining Takeshi's body up and down.

"I can carve Kāma into you, then reincarnate using your barrier. That would let me conveniently avoid the attacks of your companions."

Here, Isshiki chuckled.

"After all, your foundation has nothing left except that natural energy sealing technique you just used, does it not?"

"That's not certain."

Takeshi looked up at the sky.

At some unknown moment, dark clouds had already covered the entire sky.

"Dark clouds… because of the earlier battle?" Isshiki also noticed the change.

"Yes… and no." Takeshi shook his head. "It's not just here that fighting broke out. Sasori, who alone is loyal to you, Victor running his company outside, and those few who managed to flee—they are all targets of this operation."

Just as Takeshi said, Obito was so exhausted that he couldn't join the battle directly because he had used his eye technique to bring in many squads.

Not only from Konoha—even Ōnoki and Dodai, Kage who lived relatively close to Hoshigakure, had been summoned by Takeshi, attacking the Inner Circle base of the Akatsuki Organization from two directions.

As for Pakura and Yagura, they continued leading the units outside, launching the final assault on the daimyō's mansion.

"At this moment, those daimyō are probably washed up and fast asleep."

"Asleep, hmm? Lower lifeforms remain insignificant."

Isshiki paid no attention to Takeshi's words. As he spoke, he raised his hand and attacked.

In front of Takeshi, the black rods returned to their original size—only to be cut cleanly in half.

The severed edges were unnaturally smooth.

"Wind, fire, lightning, water, earth, and yin and yang—combine these attributes and you get Kekkei Mōra—the so-called great power of your Ōtsutsuki clan."

Takeshi swung the blade in his hand, and his tailed-beast cloak also changed.

The original red gradually shifted to blue, then became transparent, as if it had vanished.

Only Isshiki could sense that the tailed-beast cloak, originally formed of pure chakra, had transformed through mixing with a massive amount of natural energy.

Though it looked dispersed, it was simply taking another form to protect Takeshi's body.

The blade also contained this same energy.

"Natural energy alone can't defeat you, and chakra alone can't defeat you. But what if I fuse the two?"

With a sharp swing, Takeshi unleashed a wave of transparent sword energy, carving a trench in the ground as it slashed toward Isshiki.

Isshiki lifted his hand to block; several short, thick black rods appeared in his palm as he forced himself to take the strike head-on.

"You're impressive, lower lifeform."

Looking at the wound on his palm, Isshiki once again praised Takeshi.

"However, what you call Kekkei Mōra is just your interpretation. And you still haven't reached that realm."

Isshiki exposed Takeshi's lie in an instant.

"You forcibly gathered seven attributes and natural energy, but you didn't succeed completely. The ratio of natural energy far exceeds chakra—you can't maintain this state for long."

Takeshi's expression didn't change. He had already rushed right up to Isshiki.

"But you're short on time too, aren't you?"

Isshiki's expression twisted instantly.

Yes—he was running out of time as well.

After being repeatedly worn down, the time his body could remain stable was less than two days.

It had to end soon.