- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 283
“Get out of my way!”
Seeing Kisame charging toward him, Leo immediately activated his second form, turning around and gathering his strength. He raised his fist and swung it fiercely at the oncoming Kisame.
The sheer physical force, enhanced by chakra, created a terrifying sonic boom, even without Leo opening the Eight Gates.
With enhancements from the Number One Serum, Hulk’s genetic serum, the Extremis virus, his foundation as a Jindan-stage cultivator, and chakra amplifications, Leo’s physical strength alone was terrifying, even without relying on any ninjutsu, magic, or spells.
“What?!”
As Leo’s body suddenly expanded, and the force of his punch approached, the sheer wind pressure was enough to sting Kisame’s face. He knew instantly that he was up against a formidable opponent. Kisame hurriedly positioned Samehada horizontally to block the incoming blow.
“Xingyi—Beng Quan!”
Leo’s enormous fist collided with Kisame’s Samehada, releasing an explosive force.
*Boom!*
Kisame spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body flying backward like a cannonball, crashing through over a dozen trees along the riverbank before finally managing to stop himself by embedding Samehada into the ground.
“Interesting, very interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve faced someone who gets my blood boiling. But… you’re not unscathed either, are you?”
Kisame wiped the blood from his mouth, looking excited. The punch had been so powerful that even with Samehada absorbing much of the chakra, Kisame felt his body barely able to withstand the force.
However, Samehada had absorbed some of his opponent’s chakra on contact, and its sharp scales would have injured Leo’s fist, rendering it useless.
“Oh? You mean my hand?”
Leo smiled and flexed his perfectly unharmed right hand.
There was no way Leo wouldn’t know about Samehada’s capabilities.
Samehada, originally a creature that followed the Three-Tails, mutated after years of absorbing the Tailed Beast’s chakra. It was later turned into a special sword by the Hidden Mist Village.
Samehada could absorb chakra through contact and transfer it to its wielder, helping them recover from injuries. It was a sentient sword with its own life force.
But it had a weakness—being a fish-like creature, it was particularly vulnerable to powerful fire-style jutsu, and it could only absorb pure chakra. If the chakra was transformed into ninjutsu, it couldn’t absorb it.
Similarly, if the chakra was mixed with natural energy and became sage chakra, Samehada wouldn’t be able to absorb it either.
While Samehada did absorb some of Leo’s chakra during the brief contact, he had an immense chakra reserve, so losing a small amount didn’t bother him.
Additionally, Leo used true energy from his dantian to partially block Samehada’s absorption.
If it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t want to reveal his Sage Mode in front of Asuma and Kurenai, he could have transformed, and Samehada wouldn’t have been able to absorb any of his chakra.
As for the sharp scales on Samehada’s surface, they didn’t concern him at all.
First, Leo’s skin was thick and tough, so the scales barely penetrated, causing him no real harm. Second, thanks to the Extremis virus, any wounds were instantly healed as soon as the scales were removed.
“How… how is this possible?!”
Kisame’s expression was one of shock as he stared at Leo’s unscathed hand.
He quickly absorbed the chakra that Samehada had transferred to him, healing his injuries and returning to peak condition.
“It seems you have some real strength. You’re worth my full effort.”
Excited, Kisame tore off all the bandages around Samehada, revealing its true form, and his battle spirit surged.
As an S-rank rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist, Kisame’s power wasn’t limited to just his physical strength. His immense chakra reserves, comparable to a Tailed Beast’s, and his mastery of high-level water-style jutsu made him formidable.
Even if his opponent’s taijutsu was stronger, Kisame believed he wouldn’t be defeated.
Just as he was about to charge forward, Itachi intervened.
“Kisame, stand down. We didn’t come here to start a war. Although it’s unfortunate, there’s no reason for us to stay any longer. Let’s go.”
Itachi had never intended to kill Asuma and Kurenai. The entire encounter had been a performance.
He knew that with Asuma and Kurenai’s combined strength, they could hold off Kisame for a short time. Once Konoha reinforcements arrived, he would have a reason to retreat with Kisame.
Now that they had encountered a powerful shinobi who had injured Kisame with a single blow, there was no better time to leave.
“Dammit. If Itachi-san says so, I have no choice.”
Although Kisame was reluctant to leave, he eventually agreed.
He had great respect for Itachi as a comrade.
Part of this was because they shared a similar background. Kisame, once an assassin for the Hidden Mist, had carried out many dark missions for the village. To protect information, he had even killed many of his own comrades.
This had caused him immense pain and confusion.
It wasn’t until he encountered the person who controlled the Fourth Mizukage and claimed to be Uchiha Madara, and joined his vision for creating a better world, that he found some relief.
He believed that Itachi, who had killed his entire clan and defected, was someone like him. Itachi’s words often resonated deeply with him, particularly one that had stayed with him:
“No matter who you are, you only truly understand yourself in the final moments.”
The other reason was, of course, Itachi’s strength.
As Itachi’s partner, Kisame was well aware of just how powerful Itachi was.
From the strongest genjutsu, Tsukuyomi, to the inextinguishable black flames of Amaterasu, to the formidable Susanoo, and his exceptional skill with shuriken and ninjutsu, Itachi was a force to be reckoned with.
Kisame knew that in a one-on-one fight, he would never stand a chance against Itachi.
So, despite his strong desire to fight Leo, he reluctantly complied with Itachi’s decision.
After deciding to retreat, the two immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to flee, heading out of Konoha.
As a spy for the Third Hokage, Itachi knew all the security codes for Konoha’s barriers and could pass through them without issue.
“Leaving? Not so fast.”
Leo quickly chased after them, but he didn’t push himself to the limit. Instead, he maintained a certain distance, staying just behind the pair.
In Konoha, it wasn’t convenient to go all out, so Leo preferred to keep some distance.
“He’s strong!”
Asuma and Kurenai, finally recovering from the shock, were amazed at how much stronger Leo had become in such a short time since they last saw him.
However, both were elite Jonin and quickly regained their composure. Asuma took Kakashi to the hospital, while Kurenai rushed to the Hokage’s office to report to the Third Hokage.
……