129 Escaped?
Their clash was swift, their hand-to-hand combat a graceful dance of Taijutsu. Itachi, known for his impeccable finesse and Kai, for his brute strength and agility, their styles meshed yet clashed simultaneously.
Kisame, seeing an opportunity, brandished Samehada and let the sword thirstily absorb chakra from the air. "You might dodge my attacks, but can you avoid Samehada's hunger?" he growled. With a swift surge, a wave of water encompassed Kai, trapping him momentarily. But with a swift release of Lava Jutsu, Kai turned the water into a steamy mist, obscuring vision. Kisame charged through, but Kai used the Kamui to teleport a short distance away, appearing right beside Konan.
She, with an almost instinctual reaction, transformed into a whirlwind of paper, aiming to slice Kai from every angle. He countered with Swift Release, making his movements a mere blur to the naked eye. Each sheet of paper fell to the ground, failing to find its target.
In the meantime, Minato, observing Kai's phasing ability, realized the similarity with the masked man from years past. Throwing his special marked kunai towards Kai, he teleported instantly. "Got you!" But Kai, having seen the technique before and learning quickly, countered with Rinnegan's Push, sending Minato flying back.
Kai's analytical prowess came to the fore as he observed the onslaught from all directions. Hidan, in his ritualistic fervor, swung his scythe, aiming to draw blood. But Kai merely sidestepped, watching as Hidan stumbled forward. With a pull from his Rinnegan Technique, he brought Hidan crashing into Kakuzu, momentarily putting both out of commission.
Deidara's explosive art lit up the cave as clay spiders crawled towards Kai. Sensing the imminent detonation, Kai used Earth Release to raise a protective dome around himself. The explosion was muffled, and when the dust cleared, the barrier crumbled, revealing Kai unscathed.
Kai, poised with an unrelenting focus, shifted his gaze toward the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. The stalwart figure called forth the gargantuan Wood Golem, its creaking joints echoing through the cave as it lumbered toward Kai. Kai deftly navigated around the colossal entity, his body melding with the shadows as he maneuvered. Hashirama, raising his eyebrow in mild surprise, commented, "Impressive."
Kai unleashed a surge of Lava Release. The molten lava collided with the golem, scorching its wooden frame. Hashirama narrowed his eyes and countered, enveloping his creation with more wood to douse the molten fire.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, with water enveloping his form, launched a torrential assault of water dragons towards Kai. Kai observed, analyzed, and swiftly mirrored the Water Release technique, their dragons colliding and merging in a storm of water.
Meanwhile, the Third Raikage, his body cloaked in his ultimate armor, charged at Kai, his movements a tempestuous blur. Kai, unflinching, met the Raikage's charge, his body phasing through as he teleported a distance away. The Raikage's eyes narrowed, "You're slippery."
A swirling mass of sandy wind appeared as the Fourth Kazekage summoned his Gold Dust. The particles hovered, poised to strike. Kai, with precision, sent forth a gust of Wind Release, scattering the gold particles before they could congeal into a form. The Kazekage frowned, recalculating his strategy.
"Your tactics are futile," remarked Kai calmly.
Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, appeared from the ground, his Particle Style ready to disintegrate everything within range. Kai, without a moment's hesitation, deployed Earth Release, creating a massive barrier between him and the imminent threat. The Particle Style clashed against the dense rock, a radiant flash illuminating the cavern.
"You are intriguing," Mu murmured, his invisible form scrutinizing Kai.
The Second Mizukage, his mirage at the ready, tried to deceive Kai with his optical illusions. However, Kai, with meticulous observation, saw through the illusion, avoiding the tangible threat of the Mizukage's water clones. The Mizukage let out a frustrated sigh, "Such discernment."
Minato having regained his bearings, once again hurled his marked kunai. The air rippled as he teleported instantly, but Kai, having learned the technique's nuances, already dissipated into thin air, appearing behind Minato.
Sudden flare illuminated the cavern as Deidara's explosive art erupted once more. Kai, his reaction almost instinctual now, used Earth Release to shield himself. The cavern vibrated, dust, and debris filling the air, but when it settled, Kai emerged, unharmed.
Kabuto, lurking in the shadows, his eyes darting from one combatant to another, murmured under his breath, "This wasn't the plan, he's adapting too quickly."
Pain exchanged a brief, mutual glance with Kabuto, receiving a decisive nod in response. "Deidara, it's your turn!" he commanded.
Deidara's lips curled into a malevolent smirk, his animosity for Kai burning fiercely within him. "Time to die! Ultimate C0!" he proclaimed. The subsequent explosion would obliterate everything in its immediate vicinity. Kabuto presumed this would force Kai to employ a long-range teleportation or phasing technique, rendering him incapable of pursuing them. Abandoning the thought of withdrawing any Edo Tensei since their immortality served them well, Kabuto and the others retreated hastily.
Kai's piercing eyes followed their retreat but made no move to chase them. Instead, he gripped Itachi's arm gently, and in the blink of an eye, they were transported to his exclusive dimension. The Five Kage were engrossed in discussion, while Tayuya and Fu sat nearby, attentively listening. Kai's sharp gaze shifted briefly to the six-tails host, Fu, noting that Tsunade had already administered first aid to her.
Tsunade's gaze lifted, meeting Kai's, a silent conversation passing between them. "They're planning something big, aren't they?" she asked softly.
Kai looked at the Five Kages, his posture erect and imposing. "In the cave," he began, eyes briefly flickering to Tsunade, "the Akatsuki assembled. They have formed a dangerous alliance and with Kabuto's Edo Tensei, they've summoned some of the strongest shinobi from our past."
The Hokage stiffened, clearly affected. "Who did they bring back?" she asked.
Kai nodded slightly to himself, organizing the details in his mind. "Among them were the first, second, and fourth Hokage. There was also the second Mizukage and Tsuchikage, the third Raikage and Kazekage, and a few others we've come across previously – Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu."
The Raikage's voice thundered across the room, "My father? The Third Raikage?!"
Kai turned to face him, confirming with a brief nod. The Raikage clenched his fists, the weight of the situation sinking in.
"The others," Kai continued, "included the third Kazekage." The Kazekage's eyes sharpened. His predecessor, a man of immense power, had been under Sasori's control once, and now, he was back under the thumb of another puppeteer.
Kai's eyes then settled on Gaara. "The Fourth Kazekage too," he added. Gaara's expression remained unchanged, but the air around him grew heavy.
The Tsuchikage, an old man with experience etched into every line on his face, broke the silence. "This is an abomination. Using the dead, especially our predecessors and family, against us? It's unthinkable."
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