As the scythe flew through the air toward Xu Wenwu, one of the Ten Rings on his left arm shot out to intercept it.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the air as the ring deflected Hidan's triple-bladed scythe, sending it spinning back, but not damaging it. Xu Wenwu frowned slightly, recognizing the unusual nature of the weapon.
Meanwhile, Charles Doyle, who was observing the battle from the rooftop, shook his head slightly.
Despite overwhelming Xu Wenwu, the Akatsuki members hadn't inflicted any serious damage on him. Their coordination was still a bit rough.
At that moment, a giant plant-like structure resembling a Venus flytrap erupted from the ground, entrapping Xu Wenwu inside. Suddenly, without any warning, Pain appeared on the battlefield.
The sudden arrival of Pain caught everyone off guard. Konan, Hidan, and Deidara all looked towards Charles Doyle on the rooftop for guidance. Zetsu, however, grinned in satisfaction.
Pain raised his hand, and a small black sphere of highly concentrated chakra appeared.
"Chibaku Tensei!" he declared.
In an instant, Xu Wenwu was pulled into the air by the gravitational force of the black sphere.
The earth below began to break apart as rocks, debris, and the ruins of the battlefield were all drawn upwards, forming a massive sphere that floated in the sky.
The debris continued to accumulate, increasing the size of the sphere and intensifying the pressure on Xu Wenwu trapped inside.
Xu Wenwu, caught off guard by the sudden attack, found himself unable to move as the gravity pulled him deeper into the growing mass.
He struggled to free himself, but the crushing force of the rocks left him powerless. The sealing properties of Chibaku Tensei prevented him from using the Ten Rings to break free.
As the rocks compressed tighter around him, Xu Wenwu realized too late that he should have focused his attacks on the black sphere at the center.
Now, encased in the massive floating boulder, he was completely immobilized, his body being relentlessly crushed by the ever-increasing pressure.
Nearby, Zetsu was breathing heavily, visibly exhausted from summoning Pain and supplying the chakra needed for the Chibaku Tensei.
The technique had drained nearly all of his chakra, and he was only able to complete the move thanks to his fusion with White Zetsu, which provided additional strength.
The small size of the Chibaku Tensei was a result of Zetsu cutting off the chakra supply as soon as Xu Wenwu was sealed. When the chakra flow ceased, Pain disappeared just as suddenly as he had appeared.
The Akatsuki members glanced at each other, then at Zetsu and Konan, their expressions a mix of understanding and curiosity.
They knew something was off but chose to remain silent for the moment. Instead, they all turned their gaze upward to the floating mass in the sky.
Though they had managed to seal Xu Wenwu, they still hadn't secured the Ten Rings, the true prize of this battle.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark had been watching the entire scene unfold. His worldview was once again shattered as he muttered to himself, "An artificial celestial body..."
"Jarvis, is the machine ready yet?"
"Sir, a suit has already been dispatched," replied Jarvis.
Tony nodded in acknowledgment, hiding in the shadows as he continued to observe the group. His plan was to make a swift exit once he got his hands on the Mark suit.
The Ten Rings headquarters had been nearly obliterated, and even its master, Xu Wenwu, was now sealed within the celestial body.
However, Tony couldn't help but silently critique the size of the celestial body—it seemed too small for what it was meant to do.
Just as Tony was making this observation, Xu Wenwu, trapped inside, realized that the crushing pressure of the rocks had ceased.
Blue energy coursed through the meridians in his arms, and in the next moment, the Ten Rings shot out from his hands, striking the surrounding rocks from within.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The members of the Akatsuki, who had been contemplating how to retrieve the Ten Rings, looked up at the noise.
Zetsu exclaimed, "This isn't good! I didn't use enough power—he's breaking out of the Chibaku Tensei!"
At that moment, Zetsu regretted cutting off the chakra supply prematurely. Had he continued, Xu Wenwu would not have had the chance to escape the seal.
As the Ten Rings continued to strike from inside, a tunnel was eventually blasted through the surrounding rock. With the breach and the absence of chakra to maintain it, the Chibaku Tensei began to disintegrate, and the large mass of rocks fell from the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The falling debris crashed down, sending shockwaves through the area, shrouding the battlefield in dust and smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Xu Wenwu's figure emerged. He was bloodied, covered in dirt, and looked furious.
"Die!"
Xu Wenwu transformed the Ten Rings into a chain, swinging it toward the Akatsuki members. Each time the rings struck the ground, they left behind a massive crater.
Despite the speed and ferocity with which Xu Wenwu wielded the Ten Rings, he failed to hit any of the Akatsuki members.
Just as the others were about to counterattack, Hidan shouted, "Leave him to me!"
Wielding his triple-bladed scythe, Hidan charged forward, slashing at the Ten Rings that Xu Wenwu hurled at him, deflecting them with ease.
The other Akatsuki members, hearing Hidan's words, held back and observed the battle.
The two exchanged blows for several rounds, but neither managed to inflict any real damage on the other.
Although Hidan was powerful and his vibranium weapon and armor provided exceptional defense, Xu Wenwu's Ten Rings were equally formidable, serving both offensive and defensive purposes.
Hidan then unleashed his special technique, Bloodthirsty Triple Scythe, throwing the scythe in a spinning motion toward Xu Wenwu.
However, Xu Wenwu used three of the Ten Rings to pin Hidan's weapon to the ground and stomped on the chain, immobilizing it.
The remaining seven rings continued to float around Xu Wenwu, with two hovering protectively around him, ready to respond to any threats.
Uchiha Itachi, understanding Hidan's strategy, knew that Hidan was trying to get a drop of Xu Wenwu's blood on his weapon.
At that moment, Itachi spoke up, "Hidan!"
Hidan responded, "Huh?"
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly as he looked at Xu Wenwu.
"Tsukuyomi!"
With the activation of Tsukuyomi, Xu Wenwu was pulled into Itachi's illusionary world.
In this world, a crimson moon hung high in the sky, and Xu Wenwu found himself bound to a cross, unable to move his arms. The Ten Rings, usually by his side, were nowhere to be seen.
"Where is this place?" Xu Wenwu demanded.
Itachi appeared before him, his voice cold and detached. "This is my world. Here, everything is under my control."
Itachi then made a hand sign and said, "Moonfall!"
The crimson moon in the sky began to descend, pressing down on Xu Wenwu within the illusionary space.
"Ahhh!" Xu Wenwu screamed in agony as the falling moon slowly crushed his mental and spiritual will to pieces.
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