Then—
Before the fading forms of Indra and Asura, space itself split open soundlessly, like a mirror cracking.
A black, smooth fissure appeared in midair, its edges rimmed with a faint, hazy glow.
Within the rift, nothing could be seen.
Only boundless void.
And an even older, vaster presence—one that seemed to encompass all things, yet transcend all things.
The moment the fissure appeared, a gentle yet irresistible force seized Indra and Asura's spiritual forms.
They had no strength to resist.
In an instant, both were drawn into the crack in space.
Then—
The fissure closed.
As though it had never existed.
No trace remained.
The spatial freeze dissolved at once.
Dust resumed its fall. Energy flowed again.
But across the shinobi world, countless eyes remained wide with shock.
Space frozen.
A rift opened.
A single sigh.
Indra and Asura taken away.
Who had intervened?
What kind of existence had just acted?
Karin's world-shaking questions about chakra and "ingredients" remained unanswered——
And now, an even more mysterious third party had emerged.
Just how deep did this world go?
Despair did not fade.
Confusion only deepened.
The Sky Curtain offered no explanation—only greater, more terrifying mysteries.
High above the ruined battlefield, Karin paused mid-motion.
For a brief second, she blinked in confusion.
What… just happened?
But the confusion lasted less than a heartbeat.
Then her lips curled upward.
The light in her eyes grew brighter—
Until—
"Hahahaha—!!!"
Clear, wild laughter rang across the empty ruins.
"Interesting! Interesting! This is too interesting!"
She nearly doubled over with glee, wiping imaginary tears from her eyes.
"Someone actually snatched my prey right under my nose using such a… weird method? Didn't even show their face—just went 'sigh' and left? Hahaha! That's way more fun than those two old fossils!"
Rather than anger at losing her targets, Karin was exhilarated.
For her, known quantities—no matter how powerful—eventually became dull.
But something completely unknown, operating with incomprehensible means?
That was treasure.
"I've decided."
Her crimson eyes gleamed.
"I'm definitely going to drag you out into the open."
After a short while, once it was clear the mysterious presence had truly departed, Kabuto cautiously approached from afar.
He still looked shaken.
"Karin… what was that just now? That person… do you know who it was?"
There was unmistakable fear in his voice.
"That sigh… It made my soul tremble. For a moment, I felt like I might be erased entirely."
Karin shrugged, still smiling.
"No idea~ I only heard the voice. Didn't see anything."
Then her eyes burned even brighter.
"But Kabuto… isn't that better?"
She spread her arms wide, as though embracing a world filled with surprises.
"This world is way more lively than I thought! Ancient brothers, a hidden 'Sigh Monster'… Who knows how many other relics are hiding in the dark?"
"Finding them one by one, figuring out who they are, what they want, and then… having a little fun—wouldn't that be the best thing ever?"
Kabuto's eyelid twitched violently.
"You… you really aren't afraid of going too far, are you?"
His tone carried both helplessness and warning.
"You've already provoked beings on the level of Indra and Asura. Now there's something even more unfathomable out there. Aren't you worried that one day you'll kick a steel plate so hard that even your so-called Demon God won't be able to protect you?"
"Tch~"
Karin puffed out her chest, radiating absolute confidence—and blind devotion.
"I'm the Demon God's favorite child!"
"With Demon God-sama around, I'm not afraid of anyone!"
"Steel plates? In front of Demon God-sama's power, they're all paper!"
Kabuto fell silent.
There was no reasoning with a fanatic.
He sighed.
Then his gaze shifted to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, still unconscious on the ground.
The researcher's fire reignited in his eyes.
"Fine. I won't join your madness."
He adjusted his glasses and walked toward the two boys, smiling faintly.
"The originals may have escaped… but their vessels remain."
"After such intense spiritual manifestations and shock, their physical and mental states must have undergone extraordinary changes. The data alone would be invaluable."
"Besides, these two are top-tier talents."
He reached out, intending to take Naruto and Sasuke somewhere safer for "study."
But before his hand could touch them—
Whoosh—snap!
A flexible, deep crim
son energy "tail" lashed out without warning.
It wrapped around Kabuto's waist and flung him dozens of meters away like discarded trash.
He tumbled across the ground before barely managing to steady himself.
"Hey! Karin! What are you doing?!"
His mutated face twisted with anger and shock.
This girl was as unpredictable as ever.
Hadn't they agreed to capture Sasuke for experiments?
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