Kaito's Rasengan crashed down on Setsuna's skull, the spiraling chakra drilling with unstoppable force. The impact blasted him into the ground, carving out a small crater. His eyes bulged wide with disbelief, body stiffening as life slipped away. He died not even understanding how it happened.
With that, the group of four Yōmi had dispatched was wiped out by Ayanami Kaito in less than three minutes.
Three minutes—that was all it took. Though the battle seemed drawn out, in truth, Kaito's efficiency had been terrifying.
He released a wave of electromagnetic sense, quickly pinpointing Kushina's position, and in the next instant his figure blurred, vanishing into the distance.
…
High above the trees, Kushina's face was tense as she mulled over Shion's earlier words.
She asked carefully, "How reliable are your prophecies?"
"...One hundred percent," Shion answered softly, her pale face grim.
Kushina froze. "One hundred percent? That's not just a possibility then!" Her voice cracked in disbelief.
If Shion had predicted Kaito's death… that meant Kaito was already fated to die.
The thought shook Kushina's heart. She had only just truly begun to know him, to feel drawn to him. Could fate be so cruel, to take him away already? Her cheeks flushed earlier at the thought of him, but now her face drained pale.
Shion lowered her gaze, her words trembling but firm. "It seems you care for him. You're all the same, anyone close to him… it's no wonder. If you don't escort me, maybe he can avoid this fate." A faint blush crept over her own cold expression, as if she herself was unwilling to admit her feelings.
Kushina's fists clenched. "I don't believe in fate," she spat. "Even if it exists, I'll crush it with my own hands."
A calm voice cut into her defiance.
"Foreknowledge or not, my destiny is mine to decide. No one else can claim it."
Kaito's voice drifted through the clearing, steady and confident. He appeared beside Kushina without warning.
He reached out, his hand brushing gently through her crimson hair, grounding her. His tone softened. "Don't worry so much. If Shion's prophecy is absolute, then hiding won't save me anyway. Besides…" His eyes sharpened, the faint pressure of his Haki spreading outward like a storm contained within his frame. "A mere Sprite won't be the one to kill me."
The aura he radiated in that moment was overwhelming, like an ancient general who had marched across countless battlefields, fearless and unshaken.
Kushina's breath caught, her heart hammering. She felt herself pulled deeper into him, pride swelling inside her. This is my man.
Even Shion, though she tried to remain cold, found her gaze lingering on him longer than she intended, his words and presence burrowing into her heart.
"Let's go," Kaito said evenly. "Those four were already dealt with. The road ahead should be clear for now."
His words snapped Kushina and Shion back to reality.
"Okay," Kushina murmured softly, her eyes still on him.
The three continued their journey toward the Land of Swamps. Just as Kaito had predicted, no other enemies barred their path after the four's defeat. Three days later, they arrived safely at their destination.
If it had been only Kaito and Kushina, the trip would have taken a single day. But with Shion's ordinary stamina, they had slowed their pace, unwilling to risk exhausting her.
Deep within a forest, the trio rested, replenished supplies, and allowed Shion a full night's sleep before pressing on. Their next stop was the Swamp Country's ancestral hall.
…
The ancestral hall was built within a cave. Whether guards once protected it or not didn't matter anymore—anyone who had was already slain by Yōmi.
Standing at the entrance, Kushina frowned, her sharp senses tingling. "This is it. I can feel it… such a dark and destructive chakra inside."
The ground rumbled. With booming cracks, enormous terracotta warriors rose from the earth, their bodies towering and unending. Their sheer number stretched across the cavern like a sea of clay soldiers.
Shion's voice broke in fear. "He's here… he's here!"
Kaito placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid. Kushina and I will protect you. Your only task is to complete the sealing."
He turned to Kushina, his eyes sweeping the endless army. "I'll leave these to you. I'll go inside with Shion and deal with the Sprite."
Kushina's lips pressed into a thin line. "Be careful," she said, worry softening her voice.
Kaito nodded once. "Don't worry." He gently guided Shion forward, leading her into the ancestral hall.
Kushina turned back toward the advancing clay horde. Her gaze hardened. "Kurama, it's time."
Golden chakra flared around her, engulfing her body as she entered her Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. Behind her, massive chakra arms shaped like titanic fists manifested, hammering the terracotta warriors with destructive force.
Boom. Boom. Boom!
The warriors shattered like fragile clay, unable to withstand her tailed-beast enhanced strikes. Rasengan as large as boulders, cloaked in Kurama's chakra, detonated across the battlefield, blowing apart entire legions in roaring explosions.
The cave shook under the sheer violence of her assault.
…
Meanwhile, deeper inside, Kaito and Shion entered a cavern where a dark figure sat upon an altar.
It was Yōmi. His body twitched unnaturally, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse like something no longer human.
"You've finally come, Priestess. I've been waiting for you."
Shion recoiled in terror. "It's you… it's really you!"
A guttural roar tore from Yōmi's body. Purple-black energy erupted, forming massive dragon heads that burst outward. His body was ripped apart by the violent transformation, tossed aside like trash. The soul of the Sprite had consumed him completely.
The monster revealed itself—its form massive, like a grotesque octopus, except instead of tentacles, countless purple-black dragon heads writhed and snapped in the air.
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "So this is the Sprite's true soul."
Immediately, the energy heads shot toward them like a storm of arrows.
Kaito moved fast. With a single hand seal, a Shadow Clone appeared, grabbing Shion and pulling her safely out of range while Kaito faced the storm head-on.
______
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