"What? Impossible!" Kazuki's face contorted in disbelief. No, everyone's faces showed the same shock. Kimimaro's attack, in their eyes, was
"What? Impossible!" Kazuki's face contorted in disbelief. No, everyone's faces showed the same shock.
Kimimaro's attack, in their eyes, was devastating—unstoppable in terms of speed and power. Yet, against this youth, it was utterly ineffective.
However, as members of a clan driven by madness, Kazuki quickly regained his composure. A bone spur erupted from his hand as he slashed at the palanquin.
"Brat, you're strong, but don't forget our objective: the person you're escorting."
Kazuki's furious roar sent a wave of fear through Yahiko and the others. Konan cried out, "Kai, save the person inside!"
For Kai, rescuing the person might be easy. But for Konan and the others, surrounded by the Takeuchi clan and facing Kazuki's attack, it was nearly impossible.
Ignoring Konan's plea, Kai watched with amusement.
Crash! The palanquin was split in two. Konan and the others paled.
"Haha, your mission failed," Kazuki laughed, turning to Kai. "No matter how strong you are, you lost the moment your charge was killed."
"Who says I lost?" Kai said, smiling. "I thought your clan was just crazy, but you're also incredibly stupid. That was a shadow clone, you idiots!"
A shadow clone?
Everyone was stunned. Konan and the others rushed to the remains of the palanquin.
Crash! The seemingly lifeless body shattered into two pieces of wood, rolling to the ground.
This revelation was like a slap in the face. Both sides—the escorts and the assassins—had been manipulated; the "important person" was a shadow clone all along.
Their desperate fight was a humiliating display of foolishness. Their intelligence had been utterly mocked.
"Damn it! You must have hidden them! Attack! Kill him and show him what happens when you cross the Takeuchi clan!" Kazuki roared, his fury unrestrained.
The Takeuchi clan members, their eyes bloodshot, attacked Kai. Their speed was terrifying.
"Yahiko, we need to help!" Kumayama exclaimed, trying to charge forward. Konan stopped him.
"Don't go. We'll watch. This fight will end quickly," Konan said, her gaze complex as she watched Kai.
She'd wanted to refuse Yahiko's plan; Kai had helped her and Akatsuki, and this plan was essentially betraying him.
But considering Akatsuki's survival and Kai's strength, she'd taken the risk. She believed in Kai's overwhelming power.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!"
Kimimaro attacked first. His cold heart, shaped from birth to be an assassin's, was shaken by his failed attack.
Despite his exceptional skills and talent, the situation was unexpected, and he desperately needed to prove himself. He unleashed a bone spur attack.
Boom! The bone spurs struck Kai, followed by the Takeuchi clan's bone-bladed weapons.
But as they approached, six bone spears flew back at them, impaling several attackers.
The enraged Takeuchi clan members continued their assault, their attacks raining down on Kai.
Bang bang bang! The sound of powerful strikes echoed, shaking Kumayama.
But as he was about to intervene, he saw something unbelievable.
Through the flurry of attacks, he met Kai's blood-red, nine-tomoe Sharingan eyes.
The attacks were deflected by a crimson, illusory ribcage surrounding Kai.
Kimimaro, his attack having failed, retreated. Seeing the nine-tomoe Sharingan, he remembered the legends of the Blood-Red Asura, the Konoha ninja.
"Is that all you've got?" Kai said calmly, looking at the shocked faces. "My assessment remains accurate: you're all trash. But there is one interesting kid here."
Kai looked at Kimimaro. "Will you join me?"
His words hung in the air like a spell. Yahiko, the Takeuchi clan members, and even Konan twitched.
To publicly recruit someone while under attack was the ultimate insult.
The Takeuchi clan, driven by an almost insane fervor, would not tolerate this, regardless of Kai's identity.
In the original story, they'd even attempted a coup against Kirigakure, despite the overwhelming odds.
"Kill him! This 'Blood-Red Asura' from Konoha? I don't believe one man can defeat the Takeuchi clan!" Kazuki roared. "Kimimaro, attack! Or I'll kill you first!"
His roar echoed through the forest.
The Takeuchi clan members, their madness reignited, resumed their attack.
Just as in the original story, war, killing, and obedience were their only thoughts.
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