Far away, in the Land of Rain—
Within Amegakure, rain fell endlessly.
Obito Uchiha spoke calmly, his masked face unreadable.
"If Itachi and Kisame were forced to call for help, then their opponent can only be the Peacock King."
His tone grew heavier.
"Otherwise… they wouldn't even have time to retreat."
Even he was wary of Chen Xing's strength.
"I'll go myself," Obito said.
His Sharingan spun, space distorting as he vanished.
---
On the battlefield—
The black flames of Amaterasu shot toward Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki—
But suddenly—
A massive crimson figure appeared.
A skeletal warrior formed from chakra, surrounding them both.
Susanoo.
The flames struck—but were blocked completely.
Kakashi and the others were stunned.
"What… is that?"
---
Inside the Susanoo, Itachi knelt slightly, blood trailing from his eyes.
Even for him, activating this power carried a heavy burden.
Kisame stood beside him, equally shocked.
"So this is your hidden card…" Kisame muttered.
---
The Susanoo began to evolve—
Flesh formed over bone, then armor, creating a towering warrior of blazing chakra.
Though incomplete, its pressure was overwhelming.
Chen Xing watched calmly.
"So you've reached this stage already…"
---
He raised his hand.
The Amaterasu flames dispersed.
There was no point continuing an ineffective attack.
---
Kakashi and the others stared in disbelief.
Even they understood—
This battle had far surpassed their level.
---
Chen Xing formed hand seals.
"Ice Style…"
The lake beneath them froze instantly, spreading outward at incredible speed.
"Ice Release?" Kakashi's eyes widened.
That was a kekkei genkai associated with the Land of Water.
---
Chen Xing slammed his hand onto the ice.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Boom!"
A massive stone construct emerged—
A towering humanoid statue, over twenty meters tall, clad in heavy armor.
Its crimson eyes glowed coldly as it stared at Itachi's Susanoo.
Chen Xing stood atop its shoulder.
---
"Itachi," Chen Xing said calmly,
"let's see if your Susanoo can withstand this."
At the mention of its abilities, Itachi's gaze sharpened.
He understood—
Chen Xing knew about the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror.
---
The stone giant moved.
Despite its size, its speed was terrifying.
It swung its leg—
A massive strike aimed at Susanoo.
---
Itachi responded instantly.
The Susanoo raised its arm and struck back.
"Boom!!!"
The collision shook the entire battlefield.
A violent shockwave erupted outward—
The frozen lake cracked, trees bent under the force, and even Kakashi's group struggled to remain standing.
---
For a moment—
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Two colossal forces stood against each other.
Neither yielding.
---
The battle had reached a new level.