"This… what kind of ability is this?!"
Ebizō's pupils shrank sharply.
He was already over sixty years old. He had trained as a shinobi since childhood and fought through multiple wars, yet he had never witnessed an ability this bizarre—or this terrifying.
Earlier reports had already told him that the monstrous sand waves were caused by the youth standing before him.
Now he had seen it with his own eyes.
Two abilities.
Each more frightening than the last.
On the battlefield, this kind of power was no different from a humanoid tailed beast.
No...
it was already a strategic weapon.
When did Konoha produce such a terrifying young shinobi?
Blood mist lingered in the air, while Namikaze Kirito stood calmly at its center, his body shrouded in rolling darkness.
His red hair fluttered lightly.
There was a faint smile in his eyes.
It was the kind of smile that showed no regard for life at all—like a demon lord standing in hell itself.
"How are we supposed to fight something like this…?"
"Kazekage-sama has already been captured…"
"Hundreds of comrades died just now!"
"Is this man here to wipe us out?!"
"He doesn't even care about civilians—this is true evil!"
Fear spread through the ranks of Sunagakure's shinobi.
Instinctively, they retreated.
No one dared to move closer.
Unknown abilities.
Unknown enemies.
And nothing frightened people more than the unknown.
Their fighting spirit had fallen to its lowest point.
After all, even the Fourth Kazekage—their leader—was in the enemy's hands.
No matter how this battle was fought, they could only be crushed.
Worse still, with an ability as strange as Kirito's, continuing to fight would only mean adding more corpses to the ground.
"You… what exactly are you planning to do?"
Even Ebizō's voice wavered now, his trembling finger pointing at Kirito.
Did he want to kill the enemy?
Of course he did.
But the moment Rasa was captured, defeat had already been decided.
They couldn't go all out.
They couldn't deploy strategic assets.
And if the Fourth Kazekage were to die here, Sunagakure wouldn't just lose face—it would be pushed straight into disaster.
The Third Kazekage had already vanished.
If the Fourth also died, the surrounding great nations would never allow Sunagakure time to recover.
War would come immediately.
"I've already stated my request," Kirito said casually. "Why don't you think a little longer—see if your village can really afford to keep hesitating."
His relaxed tone made Ebizō's heart sink completely.
This smiling youth—
was no human wearing kindness.
He was a devil wearing human skin.
Human lives meant nothing to him.
Now there was only one choice left.
Save the Kazekage first.
But Chiyo was his elder sister.
Without knowing the enemy's true purpose, how could he possibly hand her over?
Village…
or family…
An age-old dilemma.
For a moment, the sixty-year-old Ebizō was completely torn.
"Release Rasa," a calm voice said suddenly. "I'll go with you."
Everyone turned.
An elderly woman stepped forward from the crowd.
She wore a dark robe, her purple hair visible beneath it. Her face was expressionless, devoid of fear or hesitation.
Advisor of Sunagakure—
Chiyo.
Ever since losing her final hope—her grandson—she had lived in quiet self-blame.
If not for the village, she would have had no reason to continue living.
She had already been told to hide when the invasion began.
But now—
So many had died.
The Kazekage had been captured.
If she still remained hidden, she would become the village's greatest sinner.
Death did not frighten her.
What frightened her was being cast aside after death.
For someone who had given her entire life to Sunagakure, that was unacceptable.
So she stepped forward.
"Sister!" Ebizō cried out anxiously.
Chiyo ignored him.
Her gaze went straight to Namikaze Kirito.
"I don't know who you are," she said evenly, "and I don't know why you want me. But since you've come for me—release our Kazekage."
Kirito looked at her and nodded.
Orochimaru loosened the white snakes at once.
Rasa collapsed onto the ground, eyes vacant, his mind shattered by Tsukuyomi. Even for a Kazekage, he would need a long time to recover.
"I'm not interested in your life," Kirito said calmly. "I only want one ninjutsu."
"Ninjutsu?" Chiyo frowned. "What ninjutsu?"
"The Kishō Tensei Technique."
Kirito spoke each word clearly.
For the first time, unmistakable heat flashed in his eyes.
If he obtained this jutsu, he would finally have the chance—
to bring Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina back from the Pure Land.
"…The Kishō Tensei Technique?!"
Shock flashed across Chiyo's face.
This was a technique she had only created recently.
She hadn't even told her own village about it.
And yet this man knew—not only of its existence, but of its true function.
But Rasa was still incapacitated.
The village was powerless.
Chiyo clenched her teeth, reached into her robe, and pulled out a scroll.
She handed it over.
Kirito opened it immediately, reading it line by line.
With his understanding of medical ninjutsu, he could tell at once—
she hadn't lied.
The scroll recorded the Kishō Tensei Technique in full.
"It seems my goal has been achieved," Orochimaru said softly, licking his lips. "Leader… shall we destroy Sunagakure while we're here?"
Chiyo and Ebizō stiffened instantly.
If he truly decided to do so—
then this would be mutual destruction.
Kirito glanced at them both, then shook his head.
"Destroy Sunagakure? Not now."
"Release Rasa. We're leaving."
Orochimaru complied without protest.
He kicked the Fourth Kazekage toward Ebizō and turned away alongside Kirito.
Ebizō instinctively wanted to order a pursuit—
but Chiyo stopped him.
"Why, sister?!" Ebizō demanded.
"Rasa's mind has been severely damaged. He needs treatment immediately," Chiyo said quietly. "And those three… they are confident because they truly fear nothing. Sunagakure cannot endure another clash."
A trace of sorrow appeared in her eyes.
Today's Sunagakure—
had truly become the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Three enemies.
And not a single one they could oppose.
If the Third Kazekage had not disappeared…
if her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were still alive…
How could the village have fallen to such a state?
With a weary sigh, Chiyo helped lift Rasa and led him back into the depths of Sunagakure.
The battlefield fell silent.
And the shadow left behind by Namikaze Kirito—
would linger over the village for a very long time.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 300 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.