Descent

The warmth of a palm.

She remembered that when she was little and fell sick, refusing to take medicine, her brother would comfort her in that same gentle voice.

She remembered how, when walking at night, her brother would hold her hand.

She remembered her brother buying her favorite candy. She remembered that whenever someone bullied her, her brother would always stand in front of her...

I'm a ninja now...

An Uchiha ninja... how could I...

"Sniff..."

The strength she had forced herself to maintain for so long collapsed. The tears she had endured no matter how much it hurt finally burst through the dam.

At first, there were only muffled sobs, followed by uncontrollable wailing.

"Bro... Brother!! I'm so scared!! I'm really scared!!"

"I clearly... clearly said I would protect you..."

"I'm sorry... I've always been so useless. I've always been holding you back... I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

The girl buried herself in Kaminazuki's arms, pouring out every emotion through her sobs as she kept apologizing.

"It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'll always be here..."

Kaminazuki gently stroked Mikoto's back. After whispering softly to her, he quietly covered her ears.

Screech—screech—screech—

Countless crimson thorns spiraled through the air, instantly dragging the nearby Kumogakure ninja into a merciless slaughter.

Hiruko was dragged away by the Blood Thorns and screamed in terror, "Lord Kaminazuki!! I came to save Lady Mikoto! I'm Lady Mikoto's assigned jonin!"

"I'm Hiruko! I'm Orochimaru's—"

Rip—!!

A bloody spike pierced his heart, bursting into a crimson flower behind him.

The sounds of shattering bones, shrill screams, and tearing flesh rose and fell, turning the place into hell.

Blood foam and chunks of flesh poured down like a torrential rain.

Not a single drop landed on Mikoto.

Only after she had cried herself to sleep did Kaminazuki pick her up and wade through the river of blood, his face unnaturally pale.

He was exhausted. He was weak.

But he had no intention of stopping.

He walked toward Kushina step by step. Blood dripped from the hem of his clothes, each drop distinct in the silent night.

Drip... drip...

Kushina backed away step by step, looking even more terrified than when Kumogakure had abducted her.

To her senses, this was a twisted horror beyond imagination. Even the Nine-Tails had never filled her with such overwhelming fear.

A monster, a demon...

Such shallow words could not possibly describe the person before her!!

Whoosh—

A blond-haired boy teleported in front of Kushina. Though he was trembling with fear himself, he did his best to steady his emotions and spoke rapidly.

"Lord Kaminazuki! Kushina is truly a victim and has nothing to do with this incident!"

"I followed them the entire time, waiting for a chance to rescue her. I saw it with my own eyes. Please believe me!!"

"Y-you... why are you here..."

Kushina recognized him: that annoying classmate, Minato Namikaze.

Kaminazuki did not stop walking, and the coldness in his eyes did not change in the slightest.

Minato's hand trembled around his kunai. He possessed exceptional sensory abilities. Even back at the Ninja Academy, he had deliberately kept his distance from Kaminazuki, knowing that this person was far more terrifying than any of their classmates imagined.

He bit through his lip, and the pain stopped his body from shaking.

"Please! Stop!!"

He had only just learned that technique. He could only teleport himself across short distances and could not possibly take Kushina away.

What do I do...

Clang—

Minato twisted his wrist, aiming the tip of his kunai at Kaminazuki. "Just as you don't want to lose your sister, I can't accept losing Kushina either."

"Stop!! Uchiha Kamizuki!!"

Boom—!!

No one could even see Kaminazuki move. Minato was struck hard in the side and sent flying into a tree trunk, where he began coughing up blood nonstop.

Right now, he was in no mood to explain.

"Minato!!"

Kushina cried out. When she turned back, she saw Kaminazuki's hand reaching toward her.

I'm going to be killed!!

"What are you doing..."

Kaminazuki exerted force with his fingers and pressed his hand against Kushina's abdomen, a bloody glow flickering from his fingertips.

"Damn it..."

Minato clutched his wound and struggled to his feet. The moment he looked up—

Boom!!!

Violent chakra slammed him back into the shattered tree trunk.

Deep-red Nine-Tails chakra erupted from where the two touched, and a ferocious aura descended with crushing force, violently warping the surrounding air!

Savage, icy, hateful...

It battered the mind until even breathing came to a halt.

Kushina's red hair whipped wildly through the air, and the tearing pain made her cry out despite herself.

"To think you can draw out my chakra through the seal... this kind of Pupil Power..."

Within the mental space, the Nine-Tails looked up at the pair of scarlet Sharingan in the void, unable to hide its shock.

Surging chakra rushed toward those Sharingan, and the Nine-Tails could not help roaring in fury.

"Who exactly are you!! Could it be..."

The Nine-Tails thought of someone.

It had never seen Pupil Power filled with such malice.

Could it be...

The Great Lord had once said that his first son had made a vow: his chakra would enter the cycle of reincarnation, and his battles would never cease...

Kaminazuki's body was like a dried-up riverbed, frantically absorbing the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The absorption was so rapid that his body's conversion speed could not keep up. Beads of blood seeped from his pores, while the sound of bones breaking continued without pause.

Orochimaru's judgment had been correct. Tailed beast chakra could indeed trigger Kaminazuki's Heavenly Restriction. At least, the Nine-Tails' chakra could.

His bones broke again and again, while his body visibly grew. His black hair surged downward until it reached his waist.

The Nine-Tails, sharing his sensations through their chakra connection, could not help falling silent.

This level of pain...

How can you endure it without changing expression!

Kaminazuki released Kushina.

"What was that... How could Kushina have such power inside her body..."

Minato's eyes widened. The thing inside Kushina that held such hatred was far too terrifying!

Even more terrifying was the man drawing upon that power!!

This is the limit of what I can take...

Kaminazuki felt the peerless strength erupting through his veins and blood, along with the corrosive resentment carried by the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The Nine-Tails' hatred... was nothing special.

Kaminazuki gently set Mikoto down and cut off the wildly overgrown hair that had reached his ankles with his fingertips.

"Are you after Kushina's power..."

Minato caught Kushina as she collapsed from exhaustion. Feeling her steady heartbeat, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

"I won't report this to the village. I guarantee Kushina won't say anything either. Please let us go... at least spare Kushina."

"Minato, take Mikoto back."

Kaminazuki spoke slowly. Though the two had never interacted before, Minato found it strange that he knew his name.

"What... do you mean? You're not planning to return to the village now?"

The corners of Kaminazuki's lips rose slightly. Covered in blood, he looked like a demon from hell.

Ever since he was young, anyone who dared bully Mikoto would receive it back tenfold, a hundredfold.

How could I possibly endure this...

"Mm..."

"I'm going to kill someone."