"I am indeed quite young."
Namikawa Yū smiled. "But a ninja's strength has never been something you could judge by age."
There had never been any shortage of young prodigies among ninja.
Leaving aside those from the distant past, there was the Sand Village's Akasuna no Sasori in recent times alone, who had managed to ambush and kill the Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest Kazekage, at a tender age.
"You're the Medical Ninja among those three."
A Jonin emerged from the shadows and looked at Namikawa Yū before him. "Were you abandoned by your companions because you were too weak?"
"If you're willing to surrender, I can spare you."
He scrutinized Namikawa Yū before him. "On account of your being a Medical Ninja."
Among the Five Great Nations, Konoha had deep foundations and a wealth of long-standing traditions, excelling in both Medical Ninjutsu and Sealing Techniques.
The other nations fell far short in these areas.
Seeing Namikawa Yū now, he could not help entertaining the idea of persuading him to surrender.
He had already witnessed the other party's Medical Ninjutsu. It was remarkably advanced. He could not speak for Konoha, but few in Iwagakure could compare. This was a rare talent.
Recruiting someone like him would be a worthwhile gain for Iwagakure.
"Sorry, but I have no plans to leave Konoha for now."
The smile on Namikawa Yū's face remained unchanged. "Besides, you seem to have gotten a few things wrong."
"I'm not the one surrounded here."
He smiled, his eyes slowly widening.
Those eyes seemed ordinary, yet at this moment, they carried something difficult to describe.
"What are you talking about?"
The Jonin in the lead frowned and was about to say something.
But the next moment, a terrifying presence suddenly came from ahead.
As Namikawa Yū stepped forward, the presence he exuded suddenly became terrifying.
Immense pressure bore down on them as terrifying energy erupted.
At some point, Namikawa Yū's appearance had begun to change.
Black-and-white markings emerged across his face, as though colorful patterns had been stamped upon it.
The markings appeared between his brows. They did not look particularly complex, yet they gave off a mysterious, distinctive feeling.
And as those markings appeared, Namikawa Yū's presence instantly became terrifying.
Karma Release!
Namikawa Yū possessed the power of Karma, which stored all of Otsutsuki Kaguya's data from her prime.
In theory, as long as Namikawa Yū wished, he could activate Karma at any time and wield Otsutsuki Kaguya's power.
Of course, theory was theory, and reality was reality.
In practice, because his body had not yet completed its transformation and remained mortal flesh, releasing Karma's power would place an enormous burden on his entire body.
A full release was impossible.
But with his current physique, he could just barely manage to release a portion of its power.
Now was the time.
Rumble!
An enormous surge of chakra rose from within him, carrying a fierce presence.
"What's going on?"
Sensing Namikawa Yū's presence before them, the Iwagakure ninja's expressions changed drastically. "This terrifying chakra... what is it...?"
If Namikawa Yū had been like a little rabbit before them earlier, then now he was like a ferocious tiger.
Merely standing there, he exerted a terrifying pressure, so intense that it made their bodies tremble.
"I told you."
Before them, the smile faded from Namikawa Yū's face, leaving it cold. "You're the ones who should feel threatened."
As his words fell, he charged forward.
Bang!
Without using any ninjutsu, his instinctive charge alone sent a violent tremor through the air.
The next moment, he surged forward, a bone spike in his hand thrusting ahead.
Bone Rush!
The so-called Bone Rush was actually a simplified version of Kaguya's All-Killing Ash Bones. Since Namikawa Yū could not yet wield Kaguya's full power, this simplified version was all he could barely manage.
But even as a simplified version, it was still a terrifying power that surpassed Kekkei Genkai.
Boom!
Under that single blow, the ninja before him looked horrified. His entire body began to crumble under the influence of that terrifying chakra, and he fell to the ground on the spot.
He turned to ash and vanished where he stood.
Watching this, Namikawa Yū inwardly shook his head.
Otsutsuki Kaguya's power was simply far too overwhelming compared with ordinary people.
That remained true even when he wielded only a tiny portion of it.
Even without knowing any ninjutsu, Namikawa Yū, as he was now, would be no weaker than an Elite Jonin through Karma's power alone.
If he managed to get close to someone who let their guard down, even a so-called Kage would likely be in grave danger.
I should finish this quickly...
The thought flashed through his mind, and he swiftly moved forward.
As he moved, he quickly dispatched several people before him.
Soon, only the last one remained.
It was the Jonin who had led them. His strength was quite impressive, so Namikawa Yū had deliberately left him for last.
Now, as his companions died, he had become the only one left here in the blink of an eye.
Namikawa Yū stepped forward.
"No, I don't want to die!"
The Jonin before him stared at Namikawa Yū, his face filled with intense fear. "Who exactly are you?"
Someone like Namikawa Yū could not possibly be unknown.
Akasuna no Sasori, for instance, had already made a tremendous name for himself despite his young age.
Ninja prioritized intelligence. They could not possibly make such a basic mistake.
Yet he truly had never heard any intelligence about Namikawa Yū, not even the slightest news.
What on earth was...?
"I told you..."
Namikawa Yū's expression was calm. "I'm merely an ordinary person."
"You're quite strong. On that account, I'll allow you to surrender."
He watched the man quietly. "Put down your weapon, and I will grant you a whole new power."
As his words fell, he came to a stop.
Yet throughout this, the terrifying pressure emanating from him did not diminish in the slightest.
"I... I..."
The young man before him stared at Namikawa Yū, his face deathly pale as he felt the terrifying pressure coming from him.
If he could, he very much wanted to charge forward and fight him to the death.
But reason told him that doing so would be futile. He would only throw his life away for nothing.
I can't die here...
My child is still waiting for me to come home...
In the end, he took a deep breath, put down his weapon, and knelt.
"Very good."
A satisfied look appeared on Namikawa Yū's face.
The next moment, he stepped forward and pressed a hand against the man's forehead.
Karma's power stirred, and a unique chakra surged into the man's body.
In an instant, excruciating pain coursed through his entire body, and he screamed on the spot.