"Courage Blessing!"
"Weapon Blessing!"
With each blessing Naruto cast, Wartortle underwent a remarkable transformation.
Blue, red, and purple auras swirled around Squirtle, the hallmark of the Courage Blessing. This wasn't surprising to Naruto, but what caught him off guard was the unexpected change caused by the Weapon Blessing.
Naruto had assumed the Weapon Blessing would enhance Squirtle's shell, its long tail, perhaps its claws, or even its head, which could be used for headbutting attacks.
In reality, however, Wartortle's entire body began to glow with golden light.
"What's going on?"
Naruto hurriedly asked the system in his mind.
[Friendly Reminder: Host, Wartortle is classified as a weapon, much like Kisame's Samehada.]
Hearing this, Naruto was a little dumbfounded.
It wasn't that he minded Wartortle being classified as a weapon. After all, Wartortle was Wartortle, and no designation could change the special place it held in Naruto's heart.
But this realization sparked an exciting thought.
'If Samehada could undergo a qualitative change under the Weapon Blessing, what kind of transformation would Wartortle experience?'
Under Naruto's eager gaze, Wartortle began to change.
The once-adorable blue turtle now shone brilliantly with golden light. What's even more startling is that its body started to grow larger.
"Damn, it's taller than me!"
Naruto couldn't help but exclaimed in amazement.
At 150 cm tall himself, Naruto watched as Wartortle grew from 100 cm to an imposing 160 cm.
Its previously cute appearance was replaced by a fearsome, battle-ready form. Its limbs grew thick and muscular, each ending in three sharp claws.
Its tail, which was once reminiscent of a wave, became short and stout. Its ears transformed from wing-like structures into sharp triangles.
The most striking change, however, was its shell. It grew massive and sturdy, with two large cannons protruding from the front… brimming with raw power.
Bathed in golden light due to the Weapon Blessing, its form was almost unrecognizable, save for the two cannons gleaming with the same blue, red, and purple auras as the Courage Blessing. These cannons radiated immense energy, ready to unleash devastating attacks.
Before Naruto could ask, the system prompt sounded in Naruto's mind again.
[Friendly Reminder: Under the influence of the Weapon Blessing, Wartortle has temporarily evolved into Blastoise. It will revert to its original form once the blessing's effect ends.]
'My goodness, according to conventional standards, Wartortle needs to reach level 36 to evolve into Blastoise. But thanks to the Weapon Blessing, this qualitative leap had been achieved temporarily. This is outrageous!'
"Well, it's up to you, Blastoise!"
Naruto patted the now-massive Blastoise on its shell, feeling more confident than ever.
Blastoise was a fully evolved Pokemon, and with Naruto's blessings, it was more than capable of handling itself.
Hidan's earlier taunts wouldn't go unanswered. There was no better way for Blastoise to avenge itself than through its own power.
"Roar!"
Blastoise let out a low growl, then bent forward and aimed its cannons squarely at Hidan.
Boom! Boom!
With two thunderous blasts, the cannons fired massive water projectiles.
Seeing this, Naruto finally understood where Blastoise got its name… It's because of the two water cannons on its shell.
"Is that all you've got?" Hidan sneered, raising his triple-bladed scythe to slice through the incoming water bullets.
Boom!
However, Hidan underestimated the power of the attack.
The moment his scythe touched the water projectiles, they exploded violently. The high-pressure water, which is already unstable within the cannons, erupted into countless razor-sharp droplets.
The droplets tore through the air like thousands of tiny blades, bombarding Hidan relentlessly… much like Temari's Sickle Weasel Technique.
It looks like the Kamaitachi performed by Temari using the Sanxing Fan.
But Hidan wasn't one to back down easily. Thanks to his immortality, he charged straight at Blastoise like an unstoppable brute, utterly unfazed by his injuries.
"Roar!"
Blastoise let out another guttural growl, unleashing a rippling column of water from its mouth.
The vibrating water struck Hidan with enough force to momentarily daze him, causing a brief lapse in his focus. The disorienting effect wasn't random, as it was Water Pulse at work.
But Blastoise wasn't finished.
Finally having the strength to punish someone who belittled it, Blastoise showed no mercy.
Earlier, its water cannons had produced only water bullets due to its inexperience with the technique. Now that it understood the mechanics, Blastoise was ready to demonstrate its true power.
Sizzle!
The water cannons emitted a low, resonating hum.
From the twin cannon barrels, spiral patterns began to form. Moments later, two massive streams of water erupted from the cannons.
These were high-pressure hydro cannons, which were further enhanced by Naruto's Courage Blessing, giving them unparalleled destructive force.
The instant the twin streams struck Hidan, his chest was blown through, leaving a gaping hole. The sheer power and penetrative force were terrifying.
"Tsk tsk tsk!"
Naruto couldn't help but clicked his tongue in admiration, 'As expected of a fully evolved Pokemon… its strength is no joke.'
Unfortunately, Hidan's immortality was the reason for his recklessness. If he were mortal, he might have dodged or at least used Chakra to create a barrier. Given his physical resilience, it was unlikely Blastoise could have injured him so easily.
However, Blastoise was unaware of Hidan's immortality, so it assumed its job was done when Hidan fell. With its target incapacitated, it turned its focus to Kisame.
Seizing the opening, Hidan hurled his scythe with all his might.
Although Blastoise noticed the incoming attack, it was too late to dodge entirely and it could only barely raise its arm in a last-ditch attempt to block.
Without the time to activate a defensive move, Blastoise's arm was slashed deeply by the scythe's hook, sending blood spraying into the air.
"Hehehe, I finally got your blood."
Hidan let out a sinister chuckle as he retracted his scythe.
After licking the blood on the scythe, he used the remaining blood to draw a circular pattern with a triangle inside on the ground… his infamous curse ritual symbol.
"This is…"
Naruto muttered, recognizing the setup from the anime. It was Hidan's unique and deadly technique.
"Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood!"
Hidan let out a manic laugh, his body transforming as his skin turned black and white with skeletal patterns.
The ritual was complete, granting Hidan the power to share damage with his target.
Even with a gaping hole in his chest, Hidan could fight without concern for his injuries. Through the curse, every bit of pain he endured would be reflected onto Blastoise.
Hidan's ritual, while a double-edged sword, was exceptionally dangerous because of his immortality.
He could endure any amount of damage without dying… but Blastoise wouldn't be so lucky.
"To think I let a stupid turtle wound me… What a disgrace. Now, let your death redeem my pride!"
Cackling wildly, Hidan drew a kunai and plunged it into his own stomach.
"Roar!"
Blastoise let out a pained, guttural cry as the curse transferred Hidan's self-inflicted injury to its own body.
For the first time, Blastoise experienced what it meant to feel another's pain as if it were its own. It's true empathy in the most excruciating form.