It's fine now

Whoosh--!!

Mahoraga spat a torrent of flames from its maw, while the Salamander, having lost two limbs, struggled to rise, squeezing its internal poison sac to force out a cloud of purple mist.

It could have dispelled the Summoning Jutsu, but its master's weakened state made it unwilling to leave.

At least... hold this monster back for a little longer...

Kaminazuki's breathing was heavy and ragged; Hanzo was severely wounded, and his own condition was no better.

He was not completely ignoring Hanzo's toxins; rather, his rate of blood regeneration exceeded the speed at which the poison took effect, allowing him to defer the issue for the time being.

Orochimaru was right; he was the type of person who would disregard his own depletion when fighting.

To keep up with Hanzo's Body Flicker Technique, he had to maintain high-load usage of his Sharingan, and his eyeballs were already beginning to burn...

Ibuse's cry distracted Hanzo, which should have been an opportunity.

However...

Within the vision of the Sharingan, Kaminazuki could see the Salamander's toxins seeping into Hanzo's Chakra meridians.

There was no erosion; instead, they had reached a strange, miraculous equilibrium.

You...

--

Fire Style: Searing Migraine!!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

As the sea of fire roared, on the verge of engulfing Ibuse—

Drip—

A single drop of deep purple venom shot out from Hanzo's fingertip, landing instantly between the sea of fire and the Salamander.

Eerily, the toxins spreading from the Salamander's mouth and the raging sea of fire were drawn toward that inconspicuous drop of purple liquid.

It was as if some peculiar chemical reaction had occurred—

BOOM--------!!!!!!!

The lethal poison and the flames merged within the destructive explosion, transforming into a purple tornado of annihilation!

Poisonous fire soared into the sky, waves surged, and the entire battlefield was completely swallowed by the terrifying torrent of the explosion, leaving no corner untouched!!

The smoke and poisonous mist slowly settled, and the violent energy fluctuations gradually subsided.

On the devastated, scarred wasteland.

Hanzo lay prone upon the riddled body of the Salamander, coughing up black-purple blood.

Opposite him.

Half of Mahoraga's shoulder and its arm had been blown away, and at the shattered site, black tentacles and purple toxins clashed fiercely, locked in a stalemate.

Kaminazuki stood on the intact half of the shoulder, his scarlet pupils churning with turbulent waves.

"You actually did it... you bastard..."

"Heh... hehe... growing in the midst of battle is not a privilege reserved solely for you youngsters..."

Hanzo straightened his body and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I should even thank you for giving me the resolve to try and use... the power that was meant to be a part of my own body."

Amegakure once possessed a highly venomous black salamander, and after it died, its poison sac was implanted into Hanzo's body.

This gave Hanzo resistance to poison, but if the poison sac in his abdomen ruptured during battle, even he could not withstand the toxicity.

It was Kaminazuki's method of using blood as a weapon—a style that embraced every part of one's own being—that made him think...

Perhaps...

I should accept it, rather than fear or reject it.

"You stole my idea."

The corners of Kaminazuki's lips curled upward, a smile spreading across his eyes.

Hanzo was smiling too.

"How does it feel to have your techniques copied, Uchiha, whose Sharingan is famous for copying the ninjutsu of others?"

"No..."

A wild, unrestrained joy surged in the depths of Kaminazuki's eyes, his delight intense and uncontained.

"It is hard to describe the joy I feel right now... Hanzo, you truly are..."

"In any case, make sure you don't turn into something that disappoints me!"

"Oh, and you should thank me once."

"Because..."

"I will be the one to deliver your perfect finale at the very moment you reach your peak!!!"

Hanzo assumed his stance, his smile widening.

I will win.

But if I am to die by your hand, I can accept it.

Because the one who defeats me...

Will surely bring peace to this world!

Both sides knew that the next strike would be the last.

Chakra within Mahoraga could be seen visibly surging toward Kaminazuki, accumulating incessantly, his black hair flying wildly—

Just then.

Hanzo sensed an anomaly; it seemed a faint trace of power had entered the battlefield, heading toward Kaminazuki.

The next moment, he focused his gaze.

The youth's flamboyant smile was gone, his eyes dark and dull like cold pools, all emotions retracted, his aura colder even than the Mahoraga beneath him.

I can feel it...

Beneath that calm expression lies an extreme, unbridled rage capable of tearing everything to shreds!!

What... has happened?

Tap—

Kaminazuki leaped from Mahoraga, taking steps that grew larger and faster with every stride.

"Wh-what is wrong..."

Lulu had no idea what was happening. Having spent years by Kaminazuki's side, she had never seen him wear such an expression.

She dared not approach; her intuition told her that if she tried to stop him now, she would surely be killed by Kaminazuki!

In the blink of an eye, the figure of Kaminazuki, who had just passed him by, completely vanished from Hanzo's field of vision.

BOOM------!

The deafening roar arrived belatedly.

A long, pitch-black fissure tore across the ground, the sound of breaking air completely suppressed, leaving only the dull rumble of the earth splitting apart to bear witness to that terrifyingly swift charge!

So fast!

Faster than any movement he had made before!!

He still possessed such power!

To make a madman who was ecstatic from battle abandon the fight...

What on earth happened!!

--

--

--

The blood-red hue faded from Kaminazuki's eyes, leaving them pitch black.

Extreme explosive force surged through his limbs; the moment his soles struck the ground, the solid earth could not withstand the terrifying kinetic energy released in an instant.

He was expressionless.

His heart was also calm.

The mark he had left on Mikoto had been triggered, signifying that she had encountered something that caused her to lose consciousness.

Ah...

I should have known this would happen; so-called family members are such troublesome things.

Happiness and pain exist in equal measure.

From the moment one begins to accept happiness derived from others, there will inevitably come a day when one's mind is thrown into chaos by their loss.

I truly hate it.

They are all stupid to the point of death; if there is a dangerous mission, just don't go. The one who died for love was also a fool.

It was clearly enough for me to be alone, yet they insisted on adding more foolish burdens. I truly hate it.

Living in a world with a bunch of idiots is truly such a hassle.

They should be dead by now; it would be best if they were.

That way, I could return to the initial state, back to when I didn't have to care about anyone—how relaxing that would be.

Idiots, don't die too messily... it's such a pain to clean up.

Don't...

The physical body is perfectly intact, and the scars are already healing.

It is just that the entire person is shrouded in negative emotions, dripping with blood.

--

--

The border of the Land of Fire.

Seeing the rhythmic flashes of light in the forest, the two Kumogakure ninja accompanying Hiruko breathed a sigh of relief.

The other team had also completed their mission; as long as they left the Land of Fire, they would be safe!

When Kushina heard the footsteps, she first saw the Konoha headband worn by Hiruko at the front of the group, and before the joy could even rise in her eyes...

The Kumogakure headbands on the man and woman behind him plunged her back into despair.

The female ninja was also carrying a petite girl; due to the angle, Kushina couldn't see her face, only feeling that her Chakra was somewhat familiar.

Inside Kushina, the Nine-Tails watched the outside world with indifference.

Heh... these idiots don't seem to have realized this girl is a Jinchuriki; they must be after her constitution.

Are they planning to use her to seal that guy, Gyuki?

Well done. Once you start doing that, this Great One will be able to...

Wait.

The other brat is an Uchiha?! Could they be planning to...

Wait!!

Bound by seals and able to move only its head, the Nine-Tails suddenly jolted in alarm, straining its neck forward, baring its fangs.

That aura...

What is this... is this the kind of malice a living being can possess!

Its malice-sensing ability had never reacted with such intensity before!!

"Is she still alive?"

The first Kumogakure ninja to arrive asked; a dead Kekkei Genkai user would be worth far less, making the sacrifices of this mission not worth it.

"She is—"

The female ninja who had just begun to answer stopped mid-word.

So cold...

Why did it suddenly get so cold...

She slowly lowered her head, but before she could see what was happening, her vision tilted to one side.

She saw it clearly.

It was her own body, but half of it had vanished.

How...

--

Mikoto's eyelashes trembled slightly, her vision blurred and indistinct.

A familiar, warm palm pressed against her forehead, stroking it gently, the voice so soft it sounded like someone coaxing a child to sleep.

"Don't be afraid... Big Brother is here."

"It's alright now."

Following that, The roar of the atmosphere being torn apart arrived, fashionably late.