"Asuma..."
Jiraiya assumed a stance, and after his Chakra was refined, it condensed intensely around his body.
Although it hadn't been fully launched yet, the technique was prepared and ready for use at any moment.
"Understood."
Asuma snapped back to his senses and looked ahead.
As Masahiko said, now that the power within Naruto had been released, they should settle things here quickly.
"Here I go!"
Asuma formed hand seals and spat out a large amount of dust from his mouth.
They had all been comrades once and knew his strength, so they quickly avoided the dust to escape the subsequent Ninjutsu explosion.
Simultaneously.
Earth Release and Water Release... for a moment, they were all mixed together.
But at the very moment the Water Release erupted, a figure suddenly landed in front.
Jiraiya maintained his special technique and landed before the surging flood, his powerful Chakra nearly condensing into a physical form.
Faintly, a Thousand-Armed Kannon could be seen emerging behind him.
The moment the flood rushed toward him, the Thousand-Armed Kannon transformed into a Wrathful Vajra!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Invisible fists sent Tessen, who was performing the Water Release, flying up and down before he was finally knocked backward, crashing to the ground.
To the side, an earth wall rose, separating the two sides.
Thunder erupted!
The Seito trio also acted, intending to destroy the Earth Style: Mud Wall.
Just then, the ground rumbled.
Under the influence of Chakra, the terrain of the entire clearing changed rapidly, and peaks made of rock appeared before their eyes.
Earth Release: Uitenpen.
In the corner, Kazuma slowly let out a breath.
This technique consumed a lot of energy, and he wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary.
But now... Asuma, Jiraiya, and the others were one thing.
But a Konoha Ninja had also arrived.
Furthermore, there were Ninjas suspected to be from the Hidden Cloud Village in the shadows, as well as Orochimaru, who had unsealed the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
The situation was becoming increasingly chaotic.
Kazuma instinctively felt that what they needed to do now was not to fight, but to take this opportunity to escape quickly and return to Kyoto.
Once inside Kyoto, Asuma and the others wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
Besides... if this was a Konoha conspiracy and the ultimate target was the Daimyo, they couldn't afford the responsibility.
At that moment.
"Uitenpen, a decent Earth Release Ninjutsu, but now that you've consumed your Chakra, how will you deal with Konoha's siege?"
"Or are you going to abandon your comrades?"
A cold voice came from behind.
Kazuma immediately lunged forward, steadied himself, and turned around, only to see a Black-Robed Man standing behind him, wearing a Fox Mask.
"Konoha Anbu?"
"If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead long ago in your current state."
The Black-Robed Man scanned him.
Then, he sneered, "Kazuma, your ambition is great, but unfortunately, your ideas are too naive and self-righteous. You are destined to fail."
Kazuma remained silent, silently gripping his iron claws as Chakra quietly accumulated within his body.
"There was a child in the Fire Temple who once went berserk and destroyed the Iron Wall Seal. I was quite curious about this and sent people to investigate, finally confirming..."
"He is your son!"
The Black-Robed Man stared at Kazuma. "Unfortunately, Konoha can even seal the real Nine-Tailed, so why would they fear a Pseudo-Jinchuriki with only a portion of its Chakra?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kazuma suddenly used the Body Flicker to move forward, his iron claws unleashing four powerful wind blades that swept ahead.
Wind Release: Beast Wave Gale Palm!
This seal-less Ninjutsu, enhanced by his weapon, tore through the space ahead like a beast's claw, closing in on the Black-Robed Man.
However.
The moment the wind blades pulverized the opponent... the Black-Robed Man's body turned into splashes and mist, dissipating in all directions.
A Water Clone?
Kazuma violently swung his iron claws to block behind him, but the figure behind him turned into an afterimage in an instant.
Swoosh!
He used the Body Flicker to pull away, but sensed a burst of Chakra.
In the blink of an eye, a gust of wind swept past.
A massive, unrivaled force traveled through the iron claws in Kazuma's hands. He continuously released Chakra from his feet, using Earth Release techniques to soften the rock.
After one strike, half of his body was submerged in the earth, and in an instant, his body turned into a puddle of mud.
Just as Kazuma thought he could escape... Boom!
A terrifying fist carrying lightning shattered the rock above him, directly intercepting Kazuma as he prepared to flee.
Amidst the cracking and splashing rocks, Kazuma's movements hidden by the Transformation Jutsu were revealed, along with... a wind blade that tore through everything.
Wind Release: Beast Wave Gale Palm!
Under the influence of massive Chakra, this Beast Wave Gale Palm was like a giant dragon's claw, pulverizing both rock and lightning.
The next instant, Kazuma formed hand seals, about to perform a Wind Release... when suddenly, the person before him vanished bizarrely.
No!
Kazuma stabilized his Chakra and dispelled the Genjutsu, only to discover with horror that the Black-Robed Man had already disappeared from his sight.
The next moment, the Black-Robed Man, covered in lightning, appeared by his side and raised a hand; a bone needle condensed between his fingers.
The bone spike flew out, catching Kazuma off guard, and it was too late to dodge by the time it reached him.
A slight stinging pain followed.
"Shikotsumyaku?!"
Kazuma was incredulous, but a second later, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.
The opponent retracted his finger.
"This bone needle has already fused into your bone..."
Seeing the Black-Robed Man covered in lightning, Kazuma's expression couldn't help but turn cold.
The person who killed Feili earlier must have been this man!
But now.
He tried to move, but as he moved his arm, he felt something in his shoulder joint pressing deeper.
A tearing pain... If it were just pain, Kazuma could endure it, but what terrified him was that his joint was no longer as agile as before.
If he fought like he just had, even if his mind could react, his arm might be a beat slow.
In a clash between masters, a split-second difference could mean the difference between life and death.
"If you don't know what's good for you, I'll have no choice but to kill you!"
The Black-Robed Man lowered his hand and glanced nearby—
As the battle broke out on their side, Asuma was quickly rushing over.
Kazuma was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I think we need to leave here first. As for what comes next... we can discuss it later, can't we?"
"I like people who know what's good for them."
The Black-Robed Man stared at Kazuma and couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "Now, you can go."
Seeing the opponent's fearless posture, Kazuma's heart was in turmoil. He didn't dare to offer any resistance, nor did he care about his four subordinates.
He tried to guess the other's identity.
But as far as he knew, the Kaguya had been wiped out previously... and besides.
The opponent's style of Shikotsumyaku seemed somewhat different from the Kaguya Clan's.
At least in his memory, no one from the Kaguya Clan used Shikotsumyaku in this way.
Shortly after Kazuma disappeared.
Asuma and Yagyu Masahiko arrived one after another.
"Who are you?"
Asuma looked at the Black-Robed Man who remained where he was, and then at the Fox Mask used by the Anbu, feeling only doubt in his heart... A Konoha Anbu?
But why would he let Kazuma go?
He gripped his trench knives, only to hear Yagyu Masahiko ask, "Who are you?"
The opponent raised his head.
"This decaying world has been stagnant for too long; it needs someone to push order forward again and reshape everything..."
"And I am the one who will drive the transformation of order!"