Before the Wind God and Thunder God brothers could even launch their attack, Kazama had already appeared in front of them.
With a single punch, he turned the two thick-skinned, supposedly unmatched-in-strength brothers into mincemeat.
"This is impossible!"
Mizuki, seeing the helpers he'd worked so hard to recruit get pulverized by Kazama, was so terrified he collapsed onto the ground.
He couldn't believe that Kazama, who looked so frail, had more raw power than the Wind God and Thunder God combined.
Kazama, however, never went easy on scum like them who'd harmed his comrades.
"So, Mizuki, you're next!"
As Kazama stepped closer, Mizuki's terrified expression suddenly twisted into a cold smirk.
"Kid, do you really think I'm the same Mizuki from back then? You think I'd come for revenge without any tricks up my sleeve? Curse Seal Transformation!"
With a furious roar, Mizuki's scrawny body bulked up dramatically.
Tiger-like stripes began to spread across his skin.
Now fully transformed by the Curse Seal, Mizuki looked like a humanoid tiger.
"Tremble, Kazama, you little pest! This is the power of the Curse Seal! This is the divine strength granted to me by Orochimaru-sama!"
"Orochimaru, huh?"
Hearing Mizuki's boasting, Kazama found him both laughable and pitiful.
Mizuki had no idea that Kazama had already become Orochimaru's master.
Even less did he know that if Kazama wanted, he could turn him into paste in an instant.
"You little pest, still smirking when death's knocking? Today, I'm gonna rip you apart and skin you alive—!"
Before Mizuki could finish, Kazama, using the superhuman strength he'd recently acquired, landed a single punch that sent Mizuki sprawling on the ground.
"This… you…"
Mizuki was completely dazed by the blow.
He'd been so confident that his Curse Seal-enhanced power would let him crush Kazama.
But now, instead of him beating Kazama, he was the one getting crushed.
"No way! This can't be! How could a little pest like you defeat me in my Curse Seal form? Curse Seal Stage Two!"
Mizuki roared as he began to evolve his Curse Seal further.
"Give it a rest already!"
Kazama threw another punch, this time leaving Mizuki crippled.
Kazama knew Mizuki needed to be taken back for interrogation, so he held back and spared his life.
Otherwise, Mizuki would've ended up like the Wind God and Thunder God brothers—smashed into pulp.
"Curse Seal Stage Two? More like Stage Stupid! Mizuki, you're gonna spend the rest of your life picking up soap in prison. That's where you belong!"
Kazama then turned to Shizune, who was lying nearby, barely clinging to life.
"Hmph, you little pest, I'll admit your strength is beyond what I expected. But I didn't lose out entirely—Shizune's gonna die with me, haha!"
Shizune, who'd been struck by the Wind God and Thunder God earlier, was now a bloodied mess.
Without timely medical treatment, she'd already lost all signs of life.
Kazama ignored Mizuki's taunts and immediately channeled the Three Thousand Flames into Shizune's body, starting to repair her broken limbs.
"You little pest, even if you don't know how to heal, at least pretend to try! You're pumping flames into Shizune's body—are you trying to burn her to death? Or are you just trying to make me laugh myself to death so you can inherit my fortune?"
Mizuki, unaware of the divine power of Kazama's Three Thousand Flames, burst into mocking laughter.
But halfway through, his laughter stopped dead.