Chapter 253

Although Karin had confirmed that Kaito was okay, his enemy had now completely disappeared.

However, they did not dare to be careless at all. Until they saw Kaito with their own eyes, no one was sure about his actual condition.

Throughout their rush to him, their expressions gradually became more bewildered.

Only at this moment did they realize that the place they were previously at was at least somewhat habitable.

But everything in front of them, especially as they approached the center of the battlefield, became increasingly chilling and daunting.

Such destructive power truly exceeded their imagination, making them all feel a deep sense of dread!

But they didn't dare to ponder too much at this moment. They could only carefully and quickly move in Kaito's direction.

Before long, they could see a man standing there quietly - it was Kaito!

But the next moment, Kaito suddenly turned around. A vast and extreme sense of danger instantly enveloped them all.

They felt as if they were being watched by a wild and ferocious beast.

In their eyes, all that remained was a pair of slowly rotating, deep-red eyes with overlapping patterns.

"Where is Uchiha Kaito?"

Nagato, controlling Pain, looked at the three people in front of him and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Because he noticed that there seemed to be something off about their mood.

Whether it was Sasori ("Scorpion") or Kisame ("Ghost Shark"), both were silent at this moment, seemingly having no desire to speak.

Orochimaru also seemed very odd, as if he was pondering something else, appearing somewhat distracted.

Even Nagato himself seemed a bit silent because everything around him was somewhat shocking.

The terrifying chakra constantly resonated, and the scarred land told the story of what had happened here.

He could guess that the destruction here was likely man-made.

However, who exactly caused such destruction was unclear to him. Could it be Uchiha Kaito?

"He's already left, and we didn't dare to stop him."

After a long pause, Orochimaru licked his lips and looked up, speaking with a smile.

"As for the reason, just look at the situation here and you'll know. Do you think we dared to stop him?"

Orochimaru's words made Nagato's brows furrow even tighter. He really hadn't expected that the person he just denied would actually have done all this! According to the intelligence, Uchiha Kaito had taken down the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.

His power is unimaginable, and his strength is suffocating.

But the destruction caused by the scene before him had truly exceeded his expectations.

This place used to be a continuous mountain range, but now it seems as if a massive gap has been carved out.

And the scale of the destruction at this location, even Nagato at this moment isn't entirely sure if he could achieve it on a true level.

Perhaps he could, but after doing so, he would be utterly exhausted. The key point is that he cannot be disturbed by anyone!

"Explain it more clearly, what exactly happened?"

Nagato's icy tone sounded again, and in the voice of Tendo Pain, it sounded even colder.

Orochimaru lightly licked his lips and then slowly recounted the events. He spoke slowly but not tediously. Aside from omitting some critical details, he pretty much revealed everything.

However, after hearing Orochimaru's account, Nagato's expression became somewhat grim.

It didn't matter if the three of them acted separately, and it was natural for Orochimaru to encounter Kaito and engage in battle.

But he found it hard to believe that the scene before him was caused by the aftermath of the battle.

Even though this aftermath was the result of the battle between the two, it's enough to prove just how terrifying the combatants were.

What was even more incredible to him was that Orochimaru possessed such immense power, even if he summoned the dead to fight!

Yet Orochimaru never clarified who he had summoned, making Nagato increasingly wary.

However, Nagato did not continue to inquire further, for he knew very well that he would not get an answer to such a matter.

Even asking might incite everyone's displeasure. Everyone has their own secrets.

"I understand. Let's leave it at that."

Nagato took a deep breath and then spoke with a cold tone.

"It seems that the threat level of Uchiha Kaito needs to be elevated. I will report this truthfully to Iwagakure."

Saying this, Nagato, controlling Pain, gave Orochimaru a deep look, then turned around, took off into the air, and quickly left the area.

However, at that moment, he couldn't help but lower his head and gaze down.

Seeing a part of the continuous mountain range hollowed out, witnessing the once flat land now scarred and even most areas sunken in, he took a while before shaking his head and swiftly departing from there.

He didn't know who Orochimaru had summoned or why Uchiha Kaito possessed such power.

But he knew that he would inevitably encounter this Uchiha Kaito.

The morning sun shone on the earth, and Kaito quietly awakened.

Looking at the familiar room and the medical equipment placed beside him, he couldn't help but find the situation both laughable and sad.

This was the second time in a month he was treated as a patient. Even though he felt fine, it was clear that Tsunade didn't believe so.

After the battle with Uchiha Madara, they immediately headed back to the Konoha camp.

Their return this time was much smoother than the previous one.

After all, their strength had grown significantly this time, and they were guided by Karin, who seemed to have full knowledge of the terrain.

With the help of Karin, the group took about three to four days to finally reach the camp.

Truthfully, this time seemed a bit long, but they had no choice. Iwagakure's forces had made large-scale movements, so Kaito and his team could only advance slowly.

For him, during these days, his body had mostly recovered.

However, upon their return, he was still pushed here by Tsunade without any hesitation, which made Kaito feel rather helpless.

"Forget it, consider it as a good time to slack off. After all, I've been tired for so long."

Kaito stretched lazily, then lay back down.

However, he quickly remembered something: he hadn't had time to extract his skill yet!

"System, start the skill extraction."

Kaito thought for a moment and decided to speak silently to the system in his mind.

His system immediately activated, and a line of text appeared in his eyes.

[Processing, please wait.]

[It has been detected that the host has enough points for two extractions. Please select the skills you need from the six available.]

[Secret Art · Another's Path: The host can obtain an enemy's techniques using the 'Another's Path' secret art. The power of the acquired technique is almost identical to that of its original owner.

However, 'Another's Path' has certain limitations. After using it once, its power will disappear. The power of 'Another's Path' can only be used once. If the host acquires the power and doesn't use it, it will remain indefinitely and will not vanish.]

Kaito never dreamed that the first ability he would get would make his heart skip a beat.

This skill is probably Sylas's ultimate move. Kaito knew just how powerful and troublesome this ability was.

The fact that this skill is limited to a single use in this world reveals how devastatingly potent it is.

Yet, Kaito remained calm, as he quickly realized something.

The skill specifically mentions 'techniques' but doesn't mention anything about bloodline.

Perhaps it's to prevent him from copying bloodline abilities directly when he obtains this power?

If he really could do that, Kaito could just lay low and wait for the arrival of Otsutsuki Momoshiki and Kinshiki.

Aside from the inability to seize bloodline powers, Kaito felt this skill might not be able to take things related to the soul or chakra.

Considering Sasuke and Naruto are right by his side, if he were to lose control when the two activate their latent powers...

"No, I can only take one. My bloodline might be a descendant of Indra, but I don't actually have Indra's power."

Before Kaito could finish his thoughts, he realized that this wasn't going to be easy. This system is really watching him from all angles without any blind spots.

Even so, the ability of this technique made Kaito incredibly tempted, especially knowing the existence of Hiruko. The value of this technique has become even greater!

Although there's a limitation, such as it disappearing after one use.

But at least it saves Kaito the hassle of having to communicate with Hiruko both mentally and physically. After seizing the technique, he can physically silence Hiruko.

Once Kaito obtains this technique, as long as he doesn't use it and continues to study it thoroughly, he will inevitably master it.

Moreover, the original version of this technique isn't what Kaito wants. He doesn't need to integrate the power of other bloodlines; he just wants to integrate chakra!

The allure of the bloodline technique is so enticing. At this point, Kaito still sees hope. How could he possibly give up? After calming himself, Kaito seriously looked at the other powers.

[Wood Release: Strangling Vines: The host can summon nature's wrath to form a twisted dense forest, where the plants will be enraged, consuming the flesh and chakra of enemies.]

[Blood Thirst: The host's attacks will automatically carry chakra, and after killing an enemy, the host can recover their own physical strength. If the host is injured, killing an enemy will recover the host's chakra and thus heal the injuries.]

[Secret Art: Reincarnation Lock: The host can pull themselves and an enemy into an isolated space, cutting off their connection with others. (Requires the host to have spatial power to use)]

[My Secret Technique: Inside-Out Assault: The host instantly moves past the enemy and marks them. All enemies in the path will be attacked by the host. When the host activates the second phase of the piercing assault, it poses a lethal threat to all enemies in the path.]

Looking at these four abilities, Kaito felt overwhelmed.

The first Wood Release technique should be Hashirama's. This ability is akin to the Summoning: Impure World Resurrection, perhaps even more potent.

But the key issue is that, although he has always been imitating Uchiha Madara, he never intended to use Wood Release like Madara did. Madara's use of Wood Release was out of nostalgia for Hashirama Senju, but Kaito doesn't have such feelings for Hashirama.

Plus, even if he wanted to use Wood Release, he could figure out a way to learn it on his own. He doesn't need to spend skills to get it.

As for the other abilities, they are indeed excellent, suitable for both duels and battlefield combat.

But the problem is, he has activated the second stage of the Ascension Rank called 'Ardor' now.

His physical attributes and power are continuously improving, and his chakra reserves are abundant. He can fully engage in combat and recover simultaneously.

Even if things really don't go as planned, with his Susano'o, he could dominate everything.

Taking a deep breath, Kaito felt he should calm down and take a good look at the last ability.

However, when he saw the final ability, he couldn't help but frown.

[Secret Technique: Ice Tomb: The host can use this technique to encase the target enemy within pristine ice, and the spread of this ice will inflict massive damage on all enemies. The host can also use the pristine ice to seal themselves, protecting them from threats while healing their wounds.

This technique requires Yin Release and Water Release. Without Yin Release, one cannot learn it, but if lacking Water Release, one can acquire it separately.]

Upon reading this description, Kaito was immediately reminded of Lissandra's icy voice saying, "Kneel!" This technique also made Kaito ponder, especially since it involves the power of Yin Release.

As an Uchiha, Kaito certainly possesses Yin Release, but his understanding of how to use it isn't strong.

Up to now, his use of Yin Release has been mostly based on abilities that come with the Sharingan. For instance, Susano'o is a direct manifestation of Yin Release.

The next is Genjutsu, which can be seen as a continuation of the power of Yin Release.

For the finer details, he really has no concept, nor the capability.

However, now that a power requiring the combination of Yin Release has appeared, he genuinely feels a sense of anticipation.

Moreover, of all the chakra natures he lacks so far, only Water Release remains unacquired. In this case, this technique seems to be even more valuable.

After some internal struggle, he finally made a decision.

//

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