Kusuo's strength far exceeded Haido's imagination.
"Damn it..."
The moment Haido rushed toward Kusuo, he saw only an afterimage left in his place.
BOOM!
A heavy blow struck the back of Haido's head, and his world went dark. If not for the power of the Stone of Gelel coursing through his body, that single strike from Kusuo would have been enough to kill him on the spot.
After landing the blow, Kusuo didn't immediately follow up with a second attack. "Hand over what you're carrying, and I might consider letting you live."
Kusuo slowly walked over to Haido and lifted him up with one hand. While Haido was no saint, Kusuo was quite interested in the Book of Gelel he possessed.
"I will not..." Haido mustered all his strength and threw a punch at Kusuo. But Kusuo had already anticipated his move, dodging it with a simple flicker.
"With your power?" Kusuo's cold voice echoed in Haido's ear.
Nearby, Kuroko cast a sympathetic glance at Haido. Hatake Kusuo was strong enough to wipe out an entire village by himself. Before him now was just a single man.
Haido intended to find another opportunity for a sneak attack, but when he tried to turn, he found himself pinned by an immense force. The next second, Haido was forced to his knees. He had no room to counterattack. Under such overwhelming power, the black coloration on his body faded, and he reverted to his normal human appearance. The special glove on his hand began to crumble.
"The Stone of Gelel! My Stone of Gelel!" Haido stared at it with a look of utter loss. No matter how hard he tried to move, the powerful force pressing down on him didn't let up in the slightest.
Only now did Haido finally realize how weak he truly was.
"I... I surrender!" Haido shouted at Kusuo.
Only then did Kusuo slowly retract the power he had released. "Your terms?"
Hearing this, Haido frowned and reluctantly pulled a book from his pocket. "The Book of Gelel. This is it. If you are willing to let me go, I will give you this book unconditionally."
Kusuo took the Book of Gelel and briefly flipped through it. It recorded a great number of ninjutsu, most of which were related to the Stone of Gelel.
"Lord Kusuo, I've heard of the Book of Gelel. If possible, I would recommend we keep it," Kuroko advised. Hearing this, Kusuo frowned but still decided against killing Haido.
He flipped through a few more pages. The book was filled with jutsu. In just a few breaths, Hatake Kusuo had committed the entire book to memory. The three women he had fought earlier had undergone modifications detailed in this very book, augmented by the physical alterations from the Stone of Gelel.
"It's a good thing this book didn't fall into Orochimaru's hands," Kusuo thought, feeling a sense of relief. If that man had gotten his hands on it, he would have had to go through the trouble of dealing with him. Although Kusuo didn't fear Orochimaru's power, he was unwilling to engage in a direct confrontation.
Meanwhile, the green gem that had been floating in the air had finished absorbing the power of the Gelel vein. The entire pendant now glowed with a brilliant, verdant light. Kusuo glanced at the book in his hand, then at the floating green stone. He held out his hand, and the stone gently drifted into his palm.
The moment he closed his hand around it, Kusuo felt a vast and majestic power from within the stone transforming his body from the inside out.
The entire palace fell silent. Not a single person spoke. Even Haido, lying on the ground, remained quiet, with no intention of getting up. Kusuo finally understood why so many people were interested in this stone. It contained such a fascinating power.
"You all, do a simple sweep of this place. See if there's anything else worth taking," Kusuo ordered, then turned and walked alone toward the cave entrance.
Freed from Kusuo's pressure, Haido finally stood up.
"Bastard!" Haido roared. He and his last remaining follower leaped into the abyss below. A powerful green light erupted from the depths.
Kusuo, who had already reached the entrance, felt this immense power. He flickered out of the way just as a powerful shockwave blasted out of the cave.
"Still not giving up?" Kusuo said softly.
Suddenly, a figure appeared with a whoosh behind him. Kusuo simply swung his scabbard casually.
BOOM!
Haido's body was smashed into the nearby forest. The power of the Gelel stone flared again, and he slowly crawled out of the deep crater, his injuries from the heavy blow already healed.
"RAAAGH!" Haido roared and charged at Kusuo.
Puchi.
In a single instant, Kusuo cut Haido's body in two. He held out his hand, and the Gelel energy from Haido's body was instantly absorbed into the green gem in Kusuo's palm.
Looking at Haido's fallen corpse, Kusuo gave it a passing glance and turned to leave.
[Current Portrayal Level: 82%]
Seeing the system's display, Kusuo stood silently in the distance. "Looks like this experience is hard to come by."
He began to head back towards the Sand Village. There was still no news of Itachi and Sasori's whereabouts. However, he could give this Stone of Gelel to Hinata. It might stop her from fainting every time she blushes.
It was nearly night when he returned to Hinata's room. As he approached the door, he heard voices from inside. It seemed Shion and the others hadn't slept, waiting for him. Kusuo softened his usual stern expression into a smile and gently knocked on the door.
Hearing the sound, Shion immediately ran to open it.
-------
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