Gluttony, Dead

Gratoni retreated hastily, trying to escape the area covered by the Ice Mist.

He couldn't understand why this body, composed of Ōtsutsuki cells and capable of being immune to Chakra damage, had become so broken and mangled.

Even if the opponent manages to break through my defenses, these injuries should heal quickly thanks to the self-healing ability of the Ōtsutsuki cells.

But why...?

"Rasengan."

Kazashiro's figure emerged from the Ice Mist. Only then did Gratoni realize that he, with his Byakugan, had lost sight of Kazashiro.

The markings on the opponent's face explained why this Ninjutsu could break through his defenses.

Sage Mode.

This is Kazashiro's most efficient method of attacking the Artificial Human.

It's very difficult for ordinary Ninjutsu to break through the Artificial Human's defenses.

After leaving a huge crater in Gratoni's back with Rasengan, Kazashiro disappeared back into the Ice Mist.

The wound slowly healed, and Gratoni endured the pain as he continued to retreat.

That's right, this guy is the one who killed Slos. How much stronger am I compared to Slos?

Gratoni only then realized that this brat in front of him could actually kill him, and he tried his best to escape the killing formation created by Kazashiro.

Power, Black Rods, Byakugan.

This was intelligence that Kakashi had gathered in previous encounters, and Kazashiro proved the authenticity of the intelligence provided by Kakashi through the battle.

If the opponent doesn't have any hidden abilities, this battle will undoubtedly be won by me.

"Immortal Technique· Big Ball Rasengan!"

Just in case, Kazashiro released a Shadow Clone and sent it to the front lines.

The giant Rasengan hurtled straight toward Gratoni's head. Just as he was about to die on the spot, Gratoni, who had been fleeing in a sorry state, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Under the puzzled gaze of the Shadow Clone, Gratoni suddenly opened his mouth and spewed out a pale yellow gas.

In an instant, the surrounding white mist was forced back by the yellow gas. Although the structure of the Big Ball Rasengan was not affected, the Shadow Clone controlling it dissolved the moment they touched the white mist.

"Strong acid?"

Sensing the information relayed by the Shadow Clone, Kazashiro he had kept a backup plan.

"Wind Release · Vacuum Great Ball!"

After confirming that the opponent's final move was just these seemingly ordinary yellow gases, Kazashiro used his most powerful Wind Release.

The yellow gas was swept away, and Gratoni blinked, somewhat confused about his current situation.

His trump card, hidden until the very end, was simply blown away by the wind?

Gratoni, buffeted by the strong wind, stretched out his hands, struggling to withstand the immense wind pressure. As he retreated, his feet carved a deep trench in the ground.

When the wind pressure subsided slightly, Gratoni saw two Kunai flying towards him and immediately prepared to defend himself.

Sure enough, as the first Kunai approached his side, Kazashiro's figure came into his view.

Kazashiro reached out and grabbed Kunai, while his right hand unleashed Sage Art: Rasengan that he had prepared beforehand.

Gratoni opened his mouth again, but this time what came out of his mouth was not the yellow mist from before, but other objects that were pitch black and whose sharp teeth could be vaguely seen.

The unidentified black creature pounced on Kazashiro with lightning speed, so fast that he had no time to react.

Sharp teeth pierced Kazashiro's fair neck, but Gratoni did not let his guard down. Instead, he created two Black Rods in his hands.

He had a premonition that the guy who fell for the attack so easily was probably just Shadow Clone he had released as a feint.

Sure enough, with another whooshing sound coming from behind, another Kazashiro appeared next to the second Kunai, also holding a Rasengan in his hand.

He thrust the Black Rods behind him, and this time, Black Rods pierced Kazashiro's shoulder.

Two loud bangs rang out simultaneously, and both Kazashiro vanished into smoke at that moment.

The two Kunai slowly fell to the ground.

"Immortal Technique - Completely Dissolves Icy Cold!"

Just as Gratoni was on guard against the third wave of attacks, Kazashiro reappeared beside the second Kunai and struck Gratoni in the back with a palm strike.

This technique is a newly developed Ninjutsu by Kazashiro. The principle is to rapidly compress ice-attribute Chakra and inject it into the opponent's body, destroying the enemy's body from the inside out.

This is perfect for dealing with thick-skinned, Ōtsutsuki.

"Ah... Ahhh!"

Shortly after Gratoni was hit by the Kazashiro, he began to kneel on the ground and wail.

Along with his wails came a steady stream of blood gushing from his mouth.

However, the blood gradually turned into blood ice, and eventually even his face began to be covered in frost.

Those incredibly pure Byakugan shattered and crumbled, their skin beginning to break down, revealing chunks of flesh frozen white.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it..."

Twisting his neck to an angle no ordinary person could manage, Gratoni looked toward Kazashiro with his empty eye sockets, muttering vicious curses, but as his tongue hardened, his voice could no longer be heard properly.

In the end, the Artificial Human who forced Kakashi out of the Land of Snow turned into a pile of ice shards in the presence of Kazashiro.

"Tch, Artificial Human, nothing special."

Stepping onto a pile of ice shards, Kazashiro, fearing the opponent might revive, stomped on it a few more times before turning his gaze back to the fortress.

The battle between the two was hampered by various factors, preventing the snow ninja guarding the fortress from clearly seeing the specific details of the fight.

All they knew was that as the thick fog dissipated, Kazashiro was the only one left standing on the battlefield.

As for where Gratoni, whose origins are unknown, went, the half-person-high ice shards under his feet seem to say it all.

After seeing what was happening before him, the commander of the Snow Ninja unit swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The remaining Snow Ninja showed signs of retreat, their eyes pleading as they looked at their commander.

"Don't panic... This is the Land of Snow, which gives us a geographical advantage..."

The commander said something that even he himself wouldn't believe, hoping it would have an uplifting effect.

As for the results...

The Kazashiro, slowly approaching the fortress from afar, explained everything.

Stepping onto the snow-covered road, Kazashiro slowly arrived at the foot of the fortress, one step at a time.

Looking up at the fortress, Kazashiro's expression was indifferent as he awaited the other party's final decision.

The commander shuddered.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but even though I'm the one looking down, when he looks directly into Kazashiro's eyes, it's as if I'm the one being looked down upon.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead and eventually dripped to the ground.

"Cough..."

The commander subconsciously cleared his throat, as if preparing to give the order to attack.

But suddenly, Kazashiro's cold voice rang in his ears. "Surrender, or die."