SLAP!
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
That slap was like a bucket of cold water dumped directly over Urashiki's head, extinguishing all of his excitement and confidence.
Even the smile at the corner of his mouth was slapped away.
He stared blankly downward.
Then he slowly raised his hands and stared at them blankly as well.
For a moment, his brain completely froze.
He—
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki—
Had just been slapped again?
And not only that—
It had been another slap to the face!
Hadn't anyone ever heard the saying not to hit someone in the face?!
This local brat had absolutely no manners!
Finally coming back to his senses, he pointed at Uchiha Kai below and prepared to curse him out.
"You damned brat! You actually slapped me ag—ugh!!"
SLAP!
Another loud smack rang out.
Without the slightest surprise.
Jiraiya completely let go of all his worries.
Forget Sage Mode markings.
At this point, he didn't even feel like using sensory perception anymore.
Meanwhile, future Sasuke slowly loosened his grip on the Kusanagi Sword.
The giant stone weighing on his heart?
It had already been slapped into dust by Kai.
Why would he need to worry about his second brother?
Using Kai's own words—
It was simply worrying about nothing.
If Urashiki up there could actually hurt Second Brother...
He'd eat his own sword.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
After another round of consecutive slaps, Urashiki hurriedly raised both hands.
"Stop! Stop! Stop!"
"Hm?"
Kai tilted his head.
"I think there may be some misunderstanding here."
Urashiki spoke at lightning speed, afraid that if he talked too slowly, another slap would descend.
Covering his swollen mouth, he looked at Kai with an eager expression.
"Since you helped me recover, you obviously have a purpose, right?"
"In that case, just say it!"
"As long as I can help, I, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, will definitely lend a hand!"
As he spoke, he proudly patted his chest.
However—
No one noticed the faint trace of contempt hidden deep within his cunning third eye.
"Just wait."
"The moment I knock you flying, I'm running."
"So what if you're strong?"
"A worthless insect is still just an insect."
The malicious thoughts churned through his mind.
At the same time, he remained fully prepared to slip away at the first opportunity.
But—
The instant that thought surfaced—
A strange power suddenly descended upon him.
Clatter!
Or rather—
A very familiar power.
Cold.
Freezing.
Those dark, sinister black chains appeared once again.
And with ruthless precision, they wrapped around Urashiki's freshly restored body.
The crimson rods embedded within the chains drove themselves into his body again—
More firmly.
More violently.
The moment Urashiki felt that familiar power and those familiar chains, the twisted smile on his face froze completely.
Like someone had pressed the pause button on reality itself.
The powerful repulsive force he had just condensed in his palm—
Shinra Tensei—
Vanished instantly, as if it had been punctured by a needle.
Only his body remained frozen in its previous posture.
Suspended in midair.
The only thing still capable of moving was his final remaining eyeball.
At this moment, all three golden pupils contained only a single emotion.
Fear.
Boundless fear.
And absurdity.
His heart was drowned beneath endless confusion.
How?!
How was this possible?!
He, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, had already recovered his power!
He was even stronger than before!
Then why?!
Why couldn't he move?!
What kind of cursed ability were these chains?!
He struggled desperately.
But it was useless.
Just like during their first encounter.
The chakra within his body remained completely still.
Like stagnant water.
Not the slightest ripple appeared.
His heart slowly sank into the abyss.
"Looks like your recovery wasn't bad."
Only after throwing out the chains and restraining him did Kai casually pick at his ear.
As though he had just finished watching an extremely boring monkey performance.
His face was full of disgust.
"It's just..."
"How come your brain didn't recover?"
"Or is there something wrong with the brains of all Ōtsutsuki?"
"No wonder the Uchiha clan inherited a few screws loose."
Kai smacked his lips in disdain.
At long last, he had discovered the true culprit behind his occasional fits of maniacal laughter.
The Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
That was the real offender.
Then he waved his hand.
The cocoon-wrapped Urashiki, pinned in the air like a giant chrysalis, was dragged over.
Thud!
He crashed heavily onto the ground.
Only then did Kai leisurely stroll over.
Standing before Urashiki, he looked down at the terror and disbelief frozen on the man's face.
Then he shook his head with a smile.
"You really need to recognize your position as soon as possible, Power Bank."
After speaking, his gaze slowly traveled across Urashiki's newly restored and much fuller body.
A trace of greed appeared in his eyes.
Like a butcher examining a premium cut of pork belly.
Or a brothel owner sizing up a stunning new recruit.
The longer he looked—
The more satisfied he became.
Until his expression transformed into undisguised excitement.
That look made Urashiki's heart skip a beat.
And his lower body nearly loosened in fear.
What was this brat planning?
Soon enough—
He found out.
"Well then..."
Kai grinned.
That infuriating smile returned to his face.
"Let's start refining pills."
Ding! Special Trait Activated: Alchemist (Black)!
Target: Ōtsutsuki Urashiki
Mode: 99% Deep Extraction
Buzz.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
The air immediately began trembling.
The surrounding moisture gradually dried up.
And from Kai's palm emerged something far beyond the black chakra serpents from before.
Instead—
A pitch-black vortex.
Thick as ink.
A vortex that devoured all light around it.
Below, countless strands of black chakra spread outward.
They completely enveloped Urashiki's body.
Without leaving even the slightest gap.
"Urgh... AHHH! Not again!"
Urashiki finally realized what Kai intended to do.
His body twisted frantically.
The previous round of pill refinement had nearly refined away half his life.
And now he wanted another round?!
But his struggle accomplished absolutely nothing.
His chakra.
His energy.
His spirit.
Everything within his body and mind was being devoured by the black vortex before him.
And—
The pain was even worse than before.
At least three times worse.
His newly restored body rapidly shriveled once more, returning to its half-dead appearance.
Unable to endure it any longer, he desperately cried out.
"AHHH! AHHHHHHHH!"
"N-No! No! No, my lord!"
"P-Please stop draining me!"
"An-An-An—Another round and I'm really going to break!"
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