Without Ino and the others around, Kaito could act without restraint. In an instant, he appeared before the Land of Earth's Daimyo, gripping the man's neck with one hand. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Do you know what your so-called title means to me?" Kaito's tone was cold and mocking. "You're nothing more than a well-fed pig, a pampered sheep. Do you truly believe no one in the shinobi world dares to touch you?"
Without waiting for an answer, he slapped the man's face several times, each strike leaving the Daimyo's cheeks red and swollen.
Boom!
Two Shadow Clones appeared beside him, their eyes cold and merciless. Kaito's gaze shifted to the Daimyo's trembling son. "Turn him into minced meat. Feed it to the dogs."
The Daimyo's eyes widened in terror, but Kaito ignored his fear.
"Your guards are loyal," Kaito continued, his voice calm yet venomous. "But you had the audacity to trap me here." His smile darkened. "What a shame. You have no idea who you've provoked."
Still holding the Daimyo by the neck, Kaito began walking toward the palace gates.
Outside the Palace
Rows upon rows of armored samurai stood ready, their formation neat and unbroken. Swords hung at their waists, their expressions unwavering. The sheer number—easily four or five thousand—resembled a wall of steel stretching beyond sight.
At the front stood a young man clad in silver armor.
"Release our Daimyo now, and we'll spare your life!" the silver-armored general shouted.
"General! Save me!" The Daimyo's eyes brightened at the sight of his subordinate, his reddened face straining as he tried to shout. But in Kaito's grip, his voice barely carried.
Kaito glanced at the army. "This is your last hope? Watch closely as it burns away before your very eyes."
His free hand formed a rapid sequence of hand seals. Chakra surged within him, his chest expanding. "Fire Style—Great Flame Arrow!"
A massive, dark-red arrow of fire erupted from his mouth. The heat was suffocating, the air around it shimmering with distortion. Like a meteor blazing through the night, it tore toward the samurai ranks.
"Kill him!" the general ordered, drawing his sword and charging.
The instant his blade met the flame, the arrow exploded into a towering sea of fire. The flames were no ordinary orange—they burned deep crimson, molten in their heat. Screams erupted as the inferno consumed everything in its path.
Earth walls rose on all sides, sealing the army inside. Their steel could not scratch the hardened walls, and the fire devoured them mercilessly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kaito said, his voice carrying a chilling amusement. "Soon, your army will be nothing but ash."
The Daimyo's face was pale with horror. "Y-You're a demon! A monster!"
"If you say so. Consider yourself lucky—you'll have a front-row seat to the end."
Within minutes, the screams faded. Kaito dispelled the earthen walls, revealing charred corpses littering the blackened ground. The stench of burned flesh hung heavy in the air.
"Pathetic," Kaito muttered. "If you'd invested in real shinobi instead of thousands of useless soldiers, maybe you'd have stood a chance."
With no further interest in the trembling Daimyo, Kaito twisted his neck sharply, ending his life.
Two Shadow Clones emerged, carrying a large tray piled with thick, bloody meat.
Kaito barely glanced at it before his eyes narrowed. "Well, isn't this interesting? Seems the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had a hand in this as well."
He recalled the Daimyo's son boasting earlier about an arranged marriage approved by the Land of Fire's leader.
"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire?" Kaito's expression darkened. "Don't worry. He's next."
After looting everything of value, Kaito left without a second thought for the consequences. If anyone dared to retaliate, he would gladly send them to the Shinigami as well.
At the Border of the Land of Earth
Asuma, Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino waited anxiously in a quiet forest.
Ino paced back and forth, her restlessness making Shikamaru sigh.
"Ino, relax," he said. "Have you ever seen Kaito take on a fight he wasn't sure about? He scared the Third Tsuchikage off with a single sentence. No one in that city could stand against him."
"He sent us away so we wouldn't have to watch him kill," Chōji added.
Ino pouted. "So what? I've seen him kill before. I'm just mad he didn't take me with him. I still haven't gotten my revenge!"
Shikamaru, Asuma, and Chōji exchanged exasperated looks.
"Remind me why Kaito taught her that ridiculous strength technique? She's like a young Tsunade now," Shikamaru muttered.
"Yo! You're still waiting here?" Kaito's voice came from behind them.
"Kaito!" Ino beamed and practically launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him like an octopus. "Why did you send me away? I could've helped!"
Kaito raised a brow. When did she get this violent?
But he only ruffled her hair gently. "Next time, I'll take you with me."
"You promise?" she asked, eyes sparkling.
"Hey, hey, hey! That's enough, you two," Shikamaru groaned. "Do you have to act like we're invisible?"