Before he could even ease the pain tearing through his abdomen, Kyusei didn't dare hesitate. He rolled instinctively, barely avoiding the Flying Thunder God kunai kaoru hurled at him.
"Rift-Cleaving Heavenly Light—Severing Flash!"
A Flying Thunder God kunai, fast beyond belief, tore through the air toward Kyusei's forehead. He dodged by a hair's breadth—yet a single strand of red hair was cleanly sheared off as it passed.
In the next instant, a golden figure flashed into existence beside the flying kunai. kaoru caught it midair with one hand—while her other hand was already gripping a second Flying Thunder God kunai.
Wrapped in sharp blue chakra, the blade came crashing down toward Kyusei!
Wind Release… nature transformation and shape manipulation?
This girl really is something.
Even Senju Hashirama, observing silently, couldn't help but offer praise.
Maintaining Wind Release chakra shaping at that speed wasn't something effort alone could achieve—it required exceptional talent.
Staring at the violently humming chakra blade formed from the kunai in kaoru's hand, Kyusei had only one thought:
I'm finished.
These past four years, it wasn't just Kyusei who had grown stronger. kaoru had also mastered the techniques left behind by Minato Namikaze—especially his understanding and application of Wind Release.
Clang!
The short blade formed by Wave Authority God clashed head-on with kaoru's chakra sword.
But kaoru's eyes sharpened instantly. Golden light erupted from her body—and she vanished.
The next second, a fist wrapped in explosive force smashed toward Kyusei. He caught it on instinct—
And was sent flying anyway, crashing hard into the ground.
When Kyusei struggled back up, his pupils shrank.
At some point, orange pigmentation had appeared around kaoru's eyes, her pupils elongated into slits.
Sage Mode.
Hashirama stared in open amazement.
Entering Sage Mode in an instant wasn't something diligence alone could accomplish. It required a rare, innate aptitude.
Kyusei, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all.
kaoru had left the village a month ago to train at Mount Myōboku. There was no way she hadn't mastered it.
The technique she'd just used was clearly the toad-style Frog Kata.
Even if Kyusei blocked her physical strike, the invisible natural energy attack would still slam into him head-on.
It was a good thing she hadn't thrust that chakra blade straight through him.
Seeing Kyusei sprawled on the ground in total surrender, kaoru clenched her fists tightly.
Without hesitation, she straddled him—and punched him square in the face.
Sage Mode strength was terrifying. Even with Kyusei's Uzumaki constitution, he couldn't fully endure it. Just one punch split his lip, blood seeping out.
Then came the second punch.
The third.
The fourth.
Her fists rained down like a storm.
In moments, Kyusei's face was swollen and bruised beyond recognition, like a pig's head. Worse still, he could feel several ribs snap under the assault.
"Bastard!"
"Bastard!"
"You're a complete bastard!"
Her punches slowed. Their power weakened.
At some point, overwhelmed by emotion, Sage Mode faded from her body.
Tears the size of beans streamed down, splashing onto Kyusei's face.
Kyusei raised a trembling hand, trying to wipe them away—
Only for kaoru to grab his arm and bite down like a furious little tiger.
"Hiss—!"
Kyusei sucked in a sharp breath, but seeing her still crying, he endured
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