Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 124

There was a sound of surprise that came from Kisame as the swords met. It wasn't really unexpected though, considering the way Nuibari pushed against Samehada with a surprising amount of strength all of a sudden. The living sword was moved aside as if it were nothing, completely breaking the Akatsuki member's stance.

Eiji could work with that and he did. He took that opening for all it was worth. There was no way he wouldn't. He had a split second to change the tide of the battle, after all. If he failed, he was doomed. Behind him, he felt Itachi do something different, no doubt reading how things were going to go on Kisame's side.

Eiji cursed internally as he felt chakra coalesce around the Uchiha, forming a very distinctive shape. The shape of an armored arm and then a sword. A gigantic, imponent structure of pure energy that bode nothing but bad things for him, that was for sure.

Susanoo had joined the battle.

'More reasons to make sure this goes well,' he thought as this happened, spinning mid air with some help from his wires. He hit Samehada again with Nuibari, pushing against it harder while his foot hit Kisame, who was still trying to recover into a semblance of a stance, in the stomach. He didn't stop there though, no, he kept at it.

His arm snapped forward and up, hitting the swordsman in the jaw as a wire snuck up on Kisame, wrapping around his foot. 'Come on,' Eiji all but pleaded as he electrocuted the thread. It wouldn't do that much to Kisame of all people, but it was something. He was running out of time and Susanoo's blade was starting to move.

And finally, with another hit of Nuibari's he got his wish.

The stacking of hits made Kisame drop Samehada at last. Eiji wasted no time whatsoever kicking the living sword away as it writhed, looking for its wielder. He could have none of that though. Dashing for it, his fingers wrapped around the handle of the weapon.

Behind him, he heard laughter from Kisame. It was probably warranted, Eiji supposed. As far as the man knew, he couldn't wield the thing, since it attacked anyone that it didn't approve of as a wielder. A fact that was evidenced when spikes came out of the handle and pierced through his hand. Even more soon followed when he didn't let go. When that didn't help, it seemed to decide to go for his forearm.

That was all the time Eiji needed though and a second later the sword disappeared into thin air.

Susanoo stopped and Kisame's laugh died a quick death.

"What did you do?" the swordsman without a sword asked, almost sounding disturbed.

"Sent it to a place where no one will find it," Eiji replied with a smirk. He didn't even need to lie about that, really. As far as he knew, nobody could access his Inventory. Samehada was lost to the world as long as he wanted and thus, Kisame's greatest strength was now out of the fight.

And with it, Eiji's was back.

Instantly, Tsuchigumo howled, wrapping him in chakra that felt both like a warm embrace and a cold, hard armor. Sunfire Cape activated too, for good measure. He was back at full strength, grinning widely as Susanoo's blade came down on him, only to be stopped by the four arachnid legs made of chakra that came out of his back.

"Now we can play," he said. Inside his mind, Tsuchigumo barked and he felt Kage grinning.

"Good job," the twin told him as the Sacred Flock came out of his body. Lightning birds rose like a cackling cloud of the things, considering that now he didn't need to be careful so that they wouldn't be eaten by Samehada. It was so very freeing to have to hold back unwillingly and now be able to let loose. It was one thing to keep cards up one's sleeve deliberately and another entirely to be forced to not use things.