After Kin'emon shattered into icy fragments and faded away, the remaining four behind him were revealed—Momonosuke, Raizo, Kanjuro, and Kikunojo.
Kaito nodded slightly. These four... what a complicated group. A coward, a fake ninja, a traitor, and a crossdresser.
The only reason they'd managed to survive the Black Flame just now was thanks to that fake ninja—Raizo.
This guy possessed the Scroll-Scroll Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to store and release objects or attacks using scrolls. A kind of space-manipulation ability.
It was actually pretty similar to the scrolls used in the Naruto world. Tenten was a master of this kind of technique, and even during the battle between Hashirama and Madara, they'd carried scrolls capable of storage.
Raizo had used this ability to absorb the Black Flame that had been about to incinerate the four of them into one of his scrolls.
Kin'emon, on the other hand, had just charged in headfirst. Maybe he really believed he could cut through any flame.
Kanjuro and Kikunojo stood grim-faced behind Raizo, struggling to accept Kin'emon's sudden death. Kikunojo was visibly grieving, but Kanjuro's mind was elsewhere.
That traitor might've gotten too deep into his own act, but this scene snapped him back to reality. He still wasn't sure who Kaito really was. If Kaito had been sent by the Shogun Orochi, that was one thing... but if he wasn't, then what? Was he really going to die here without even knowing why?
Everyone had their own thoughts, except Momonosuke—whose mind had gone completely blank. There was a puddle forming beneath him.
He had wet himself.
Raizo was also furious at Kin'emon's death. After all, Kin'emon was the leader of the Nine Red Scabbards, highly respected. After Oden died, they'd all hoped Kin'emon would lead them to restore their homeland.
Relying on the pants-wetting Momonosuke behind him? Yeah, no.
Now that Kin'emon had died right in front of him, Raizo's grip on his scroll tightened, veins bulging.
The Black Flame he had previously absorbed burst out from the scroll, surging toward Kaito in a massive wave. Raizo stared at him with hatred, hoping to see the man frozen into a statue of ash.
But disappointment was inevitable.
The raging Black Flame halted before it could even touch Kaito, suddenly gathering itself like an obedient child, returning quietly into Kaito's hand.
Kaito glanced at the dark flame flickering in his palm, a playful expression on his face.
"You didn't actually think I could be hurt by my own attack, did you?"
Raizo's face turned ashen, but he still refused to give up. He gave his scroll another shake. If the Black Flame wouldn't work, then maybe something else he'd stored would.
With a shout, he unleashed another attack.
This time, a blast of red flames surged from the scroll, heading straight for Kaito.
But the moment Raizo uttered the words "Fire Release," Kaito sneered.
Using Fire Release in front of a Uchiha?
Some people really didn't know the meaning of death.
Kaito didn't even bother forming hand signs. He simply inhaled and exhaled sharply:
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball burst from Kaito's mouth. With his current chakra reserves, this Great Fireball far surpassed anything Itachi or Sasuke had ever displayed. In both size and temperature, it was utterly overwhelming.
The fireball expanded until it was practically the size of a battleship—more exaggerated than Ace's Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor (Ace's ultimate technique.). Wherever it passed, the ground turned pitch black and scorched, a testament to its terrifying heat.
Raizo's pupils contracted. This was bad.
His scroll was still releasing his previous attack, which meant he couldn't absorb anything new. And even if he could, the size of this fireball made it doubtful he could contain it.
But Raizo wasn't just any man—he was a loyal retainer of Oden. Even if death was certain, he had no intention of backing down. As the fireball roared toward them, he turned his head and shouted:
"Run! I can't hold it off! Kanjuro, use your Devil Fruit!"
Raizo knew that if the fireball exploded, nothing in the immediate area would survive. His only hope was that Kanjuro could get Oden's son to safety.
He continued pouring out his own attack to stall the Great Fireball, though the effect was negligible at best. Still, it was better than nothing.
All he could do now was entrust everything to Kanjuro.
Kanjuro didn't hesitate. With a swift stroke of his brush, he rapidly sketched a bird—Drawing Sparrow.
In his panic, he forgot to keep up appearances and used his right hand instead of his left. As a result, the Drawing Sparrow was surprisingly lifelike, drawn with genuine effort and urgency.
Once done, he yanked Momonosuke up by the ponytail and threw him onto the bird's back. He and Kikunojo leapt on as well.
Because he had truly focused while drawing, this version of the Drawing Sparrow was especially fast and durable. With a powerful flap of its wings, it shot into the sky like a rocket.
But they hadn't gone far when the Great Fireball engulfed Raizo completely. He didn't even have time to scream before being reduced to ash—cremated on the spot.
Kanjuro didn't have time to mourn. He threw all his energy into steering the Drawing Sparrow, desperate to escape from the man below who had unleashed such devastation.
But he was underestimating Kaito. Even Golden Lion Shiki wouldn't be safe dancing in the sky before this man.
Kaito raised a hand and unleashed a Universal Pull. The Drawing Sparrow, along with all three passengers, was yanked down to the ground.
Thankfully, the bird cushioned their fall before dispersing. Otherwise, the trio would have become nothing more than splattered meat patties.
Even so, they still landed in a disoriented, tangled heap. Before they could even process what had happened, two bolts of purple lightning struck from the heavens.
Kikunojo and Kanjuro were both obliterated on the spot, joining Raizo in death.
The most pitiful of them all was Kanjuro. This traitor hadn't even managed to fully demonstrate his Devil Fruit powers before getting sent to the afterlife. To be fair, the Brush-Brush Fruit really did resemble Sai's Beasts from Naruto.
With those two dealt with, only Momonosuke remained.
The boy was completely terrified, kneeling on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. He didn't even dare to make a sound.
Kaito used Universal Pull again, grabbing Momonosuke by the throat and lifting him into the air.
Momonosuke's legs kicked wildly. He wanted to wet himself again, but thankfully he had emptied his bladder earlier when Kin'emon died. If he pissed himself now, death might have been too merciful.
Looking at the useless boy in his grasp, Kaito truly understood how Kaido must've felt.
This kid was eight years old.
In the Naruto world, eight-year-olds were already killing on the battlefield. This one's parents had been killed by Kaido, and yet he didn't have a shred of courage to face him.
The difference was staggering.
With that thought, Kaito didn't bother to look at him again. A flash of lightning surged through his hand, and in the next moment, Momonosuke turned into drifting ash—reunited with his father's retainers in the wind.
...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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