Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

"What's going on here?" Atsui stammered in confusion as words spilled from his mouth, his panic rising.

"Curse it, Seven Star Sword!"

While Samui and Atsui froze, unable to move because their words had been forcibly extracted, Ginkaku swung the Seven Star Sword, severing the connection between the words and their owners.

In the next second, the two extracted mantras transformed into visible words, etched onto the Seven Star Sword.

Seeing his success, Ginkaku shouted at the Benihisago, the massive purple-gold gourd he held, "Heh, record it! Benihisago!"

Boom! An explosive force suddenly erupted behind Ginkaku, interrupting his movements.

Amid the white mist, Darui emerged, breathing a sigh of relief. "Looks like we made it in time. This thick fog really blocks the view."

"So you're hiding here!" Kinkaku roared, waving the Bashosen. Seeing Darui, he lunged forward, only for Darui to vanish back into the mist, leading him away.

"Damn it! I won't fail again!" Frustrated, Ginkaku raised the Benihisago to absorb the lingering spirit of words.

"I can't let you succeed!"

Samui and Atsui quickly regained their senses. They charged at Ginkaku, their weapons striking fast and precise. Rather than confront him head-on, they focused on interrupting his attempts to seal their words. Their hit-and-run attacks left Ginkaku flustered, his defenses spread thin.

"This fog is so annoying!" Meanwhile, Kinkaku struggled to locate Darui.

Enraged, Kinkaku shouted, "Ginkaku, I'm clearing this fog!"

Clutching the Bashosen, he swung it powerfully, unleashing a raging storm across the coastline. The thick white mist vanished instantly, and the violent winds sent White Zetsu and some Allied Ninja soldiers flying into the air.

"There you are!" With the mist gone, Kinkaku spotted Darui, standing ready for battle, and charged at him with the Bashosen raised.

The storm also disrupted Samui and Atsui, breaking their momentum. Seizing this chance, Ginkaku raised the Benihisago once more and commanded, "Record it, Benihisago!"

Whoosh! The unstable words floating in the air were sucked into the gourd. Ginkaku grinned, satisfied. "You can't escape now. Kinkaku, it's over on my end."

Atsui, still unaware of what had fully transpired, muttered optimistically, "I don't know what's going on, but with my fire—"

Smack! Samui clamped a hand over Atsui's mouth, cutting him off. "Shut up! Don't say a word! Our extracted words are cursed. If you say your catchphrase, the Benihisago will seal you."

Realizing the situation, Atsui fell silent, worry plastered across his face as he tried to recall his "catchphrase."

"It's not hard to figure out what it is," Samui muttered, exasperated.

Darui, overhearing their conversation, understood. "So that's how these tools work…"

"I didn't expect someone to figure it out so quickly. Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

Kinkaku, mid-battle with Darui, suddenly hurled a blazing ball of fire toward Atsui. Distracted, Atsui failed to dodge, the flames scorching his wrist.

"So hot—"

Whoosh! The moment Atsui opened his mouth, a strong suction force pulled him into the Benihisago.

"Tch, you idiot!" Samui shouted in panic. "Atsui! Uh—"

Before she could react, Ginkaku appeared behind her, wrapped an arm around her neck, and immobilized her.

"There's an old saying," Kinkaku taunted. "'Silence is golden, and misfortune comes from your mouth,' right, Ginkaku?"

"Exactly, Kinkaku. Talking too much leads to trouble." Ginkaku smirked, keeping a firm grip on Samui. "If you move, Darui, she dies."

While Samui and Atsui were in critical danger, TenTen, cloaked in lightning, carved a path through the White Zetsu, her Thunder Blade Kiba cleaving through everything in her way. She sprinted across the battlefield, toward the brothers.

"Just as Kirito said, each of the Six Tools has strange and deadly abilities. If I only rely on the Thunder Blade Kiba, I can't win against them. I'll have to use that."

As the storm cleared, TenTen watched Kinkaku and Ginkaku wield the Six Tools, confirming what Kirito had told her before the war.

If it were any other ninja, they wouldn't have made it close to this battlefield, let alone challenge Kinkaku and Ginkaku for the legendary tools.

But TenTen wasn't here just to fight. She had a mission: to secure the Six Tools, which the Akatsuki might attempt to reclaim.

Her confidence came from a trump card Kirito had entrusted to her before the war began—a way to counter the brothers' overwhelming strength.

Slash! She cleaved the last White Zetsu in her way and pulled a small glass vial from her pouch. Inside, three glowing blue pills shimmered faintly.

With Kinkaku and Ginkaku still focused on Darui, TenTen opened the vial and swallowed one pill.

Boom! A surge of chakra erupted from within her, enveloping her body in a glowing aura like smoke.

"No matter how many times I use it, this feeling is amazing," she thought, her body light and full of strength.

This was a byproduct of Kirito's research on enhancing Elixirs. Though not as potent as the real Elixir, this pill allowed an ordinary ninja to fight without worrying about chakra exhaustion for an entire day.

After consuming the pill, TenTen sheathed the Thunder Blade Kiba, unsealed her elbow pouch, and withdrew two unique weapons: a long staff glowing like a fluorescent rod and a radiant fish basket.

(End of Chapter)