"Cold... I can feel an icy aura throughout my body, but this coldness is a comfortable kind of cold, as if I've fully gained perception of my body." Black energy overflowed from the Zanpakuto, and Kikui's entire form gradually became indistinct, like smoke that would scatter with a gust of wind.
"Oh? You've actually achieved Shikai? This seems to be getting interesting." Naruto smiled, elegantly aiming the tip of Kyoka Suigetsu at Kikui. "Let me see what caliber a Shinigami originating from Konoha possesses."
"You will see." Facing the mastermind who had turned him into a monster, Kikui dared not be careless. He looked at Kyoka Suigetsu, gleaming faintly in Naruto's hand, his heart stern. 'He has a sword too! He should also be capable of Shikai! I must be extremely cautious.'
'It seems Root has already mastered this power... how dangerous.'
"Still not making a move? Or perhaps your fear prevents you from striking first?" Naruto's gentle voice sounded.
"Don't look down on me!" Kikui moved, rapidly closing in on Naruto and slashing out.
"Hmm? Similar to Shunpo, yet with a hint of the Body Flicker Technique's shadow. You actually managed to develop a fairly decent footwork on your own." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "A pity, it's still far inferior to true Shunpo."
Clang! Kyoka Suigetsu blocked the strike. Just as Naruto was about to counterattack, he was surprised to find Kikui before him dissipate like smoke. The next moment, the hairs on his neck stood on end as a powerful gust of air, formed by an extremely fast sword swing, assaulted him from behind. Kikui had emerged from Naruto's own shadow like a phantom.
'Merging with shadows... it seems this is the ability of Kikui's Shikai. The upper limit of this ability isn't bad; entering shadows can grant immunity to many attacks. If developed to its peak, it might even allow control over others' shadows.' This ability reminded Naruto of the Nara clan's Shadow Imitation Technique.
"A decent ability." Naruto tapped his fingers lightly, evading a strike and countering with a slash of his own. Bizarrely, Kikui sank into the ground, only to reappear from Naruto's shadow the next moment, moving along with Naruto.
"It's useless! As long as you have a shadow, I am invincible!" Kikui laughed maniacally, continuously attacking Naruto's back.
"Oh?" Naruto turned unhurriedly and repelled Kikui with a single slash. The surging Reiatsu and power made Kikui's face contort with frustration. One had just mastered Shikai; the other had been a Shinigami for a long time. The difference was clear. The two were not on the same level at all.
"Bakudo Number 9: Horin." Before Kikui's astonished eyes, a yellow rope composed of Reishi completely bound him. Under this restraint, even his internal Reiatsu seemed to slow down.
"This isn't ninjutsu?!" He struggled forcefully, but Horin's binding was too firm. It was as if it naturally countered him.
"After all, you've only just become a Shinigami; you're not yet familiar with your own power," Naruto shook his head inwardly, his tone cold. "Though somewhat weak, you've served as a decent diversion during the mission. You have great research value. Unfortunately, I won't have the chance to study you. So, don't blame me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too weak. Weakness is always the original sin."
"The indistinctly seeping crest of turbidity; an arrogant, untamable, and mad vessel. Emerge, yet deny. Numbness and paralysis momentarily hinder eternal sleep. The crawling princess of steel; the mud dolls, self-destructing one after another. Unite. Repulse. Fill the earth, and know thine own powerlessness!"
"Hado Number 90: Kurohitsugi."
A black coffin, seething with a deadly aura, enveloped Kikui. Silence. Not even a muffled groan of pain. Throughout the underground hideout, the deathly aura brought by Kurohitsugi permeated everything. After a few seconds, the black coffin vanished into thin air. Kikui within had already closed his eyes, slowly withering like a snowflake until he disappeared completely.
"As expected of a Number 90 Kido, its power is truly immense," Naruto murmured to himself, retracting his hand, his expression blank. During his training days at Mount Myoboku, his Reiatsu cultivation had progressed quite rapidly. This was his first time attempting a Number 90 Hado. Though powerful, its Reiatsu consumption was also enormous. Just one Kurohitsugi, and his body already felt fatigued.
'It seems I need to find a way into the Pure Land as soon as possible,' Naruto thought, his face grim. His Reiatsu was still growing too slowly, which meant he would continue to be constrained by Konoha.
After the battle ended, Naruto used Kaido to simply treat Rock Lee and Aburame Neri. Then, he took out a pair of tweezers, carefully picked up a piece of Neri's torn flesh, and joyfully stored it away. Observed up close, one could faintly see insects wriggling within the flesh fragment.
"How exquisite," he couldn't help but whisper.
After the simple treatment, both Aburame Neri and Rock Lee regained consciousness. Looking at the devastation around them, Neri got up to inspect, quite surprised. "The Root Jonin... they're all dead."
"Mm. All dead. Let's take these bodies back," Naruto said calmly.
"As expected of Shinigami! In the end, we still had to rely on you!" Rock Lee, having narrowly escaped death's door, was still optimistic, grinning broadly.
"I just picked up the scraps. They were already badly worn down when I arrived," Naruto replied with a smile.
'Nonsense,' Aburame Neri silently retorted. 'That Kikui was abnormally strong. It seems Uzumaki Naruto's strength far exceeds what the intel described. Such a body... it really makes one look forward to it.' She retracted her greedy gaze and delightedly summoned her insects to start transporting the Jonins' corpses. 'Hehe, so many people died this time! All of them are experimental subjects I absolutely adore~~~ So happy!'
"Neri, I see you've been collecting some tissue samples. Could it be you enjoy research?" Naruto noticed this, walked over, and asked.
'How did this Uzumaki Naruto figure that out? Does he also conduct research?' Aburame Neri's body stiffened, but she nodded.
"That's wonderful! I'm also very interested in this field," Naruto immediately chimed in. "Would it be convenient to exchange some ideas?"
"Exchange ideas?" Neri looked at Naruto suspiciously. The reports didn't seem to mention Naruto being interested in human experimentation. "What do you know?" she asked drily, her tone carrying a hint of disdain. Danzo was aware of her little hobby and hadn't stopped it, even condoning it. Understanding this, Neri collected useful materials on every mission. After years of research, she had actually achieved some impressive results, even aiding Root's development. In her view, Naruto, who only knew how to fight and possessed a decent Kekkei Genkai, had easily won Danzo's favor. People like him were merely research material to her. She was very displeased. Coupled with her various blunders earlier, she subconsciously saw Naruto as a rival. For her, the field of research was her strong suit, where she could proudly and easily defeat Naruto. She hadn't expected Naruto to propose an exchange on research. This ignited a competitive desire in Neri's heart. 'I can't beat you in a fight, but I won't lose in research!'