Chapter 121: Time for the Kazekage to Depart! [Bonus Chapter]

Before Sasori of the Red Sand or the Third Kazekage could even react, Shūichi had already transformed into the Four-Tails Jinchūriki from Iwagakure.

Today, even if the real Four-Tails Jinchūriki had arrived, Shūichi would still be the Four-Tails Jinchūriki!

"What?!"

Sasori was utterly shocked by Shūichi's sudden appearance, never expecting that someone else had been lying in wait here.

Moreover...

"This guy... Lava Release... Is he Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchūriki?"

Sasori's mind was shaken.

Meanwhile, Shūichi's body split into two, both clones shooting out simultaneously.

One clone rushed toward the Third Kazekage, who was still shrouded in poisonous gas, while his main body charged straight at Sasori.

Without any hesitation, Sasori severed the chakra threads controlling his ten poison-spewing puppets, letting them fall to the ground, and quickly pulled out another sealing scroll.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ten more human puppets appeared.

But Shūichi had already closed the distance.

"This guy is too fast…"

Sasori's fingers moved, sending the ten puppets into action to attack.

In the next moment, however, a series of explosions rang out as each puppet was blown apart, their parts scattering in all directions.

Sasori leaped backward, his pupils dilating in shock.

The puppets he prided himself on, the ten puppets he had just summoned, were all destroyed in an instant. His defenses had been completely breached.

Boom! 

Shūichi reached Sasori, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him violently into the ground.

The burns on his neck, coupled with the brutal impact, made Sasori spit out blood. The intense pain clouded his mind, and he found himself dizzy and disoriented, unable to think clearly as cries of agony escaped his mouth.

This was the first time Sasori had ever suffered such an injury!

Despite capturing Sasori, Shūichi didn't kill him immediately.

As soon as his hand left Sasori's neck, the Flying Thunder God mark quietly appeared on Sasori's body.

Afterward, Shūichi deactivated his Lava Release Chakra Mode and immediately used the Five Elements Seal and Limbs Restriction Seal on Sasori.

Only after completing these seals did Shūichi turn his attention to his clone.

On the other side, even though the Third Kazekage was still enveloped in poison gas, Sasori had given up control of his ten puppets due to Shūichi's sudden attack.

The paralysis from the Lightning Style was gradually wearing off, and the Third Kazekage dispersed the toxic fumes with a Wind Style jutsu.

Shūichi's clone emerged from the dissipating poison cloud and unleashed a barrage of molten lava fireballs from his mouth.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The fireballs were blocked by a shield formed of Iron Sand.

Shūichi's clone blinked in and out of existence, flashing through the air as he charged toward the Third Kazekage, delivering a powerful punch.

Bam!

The Third Kazekage's body was sent hurtling from the sky, crashing into the ground with enough force to create a massive crater.

The impact was so powerful that the puppets Sasori had used to restrain the Kazekage were now thrown off and scattered.

After subduing Sasori, Shūichi turned just in time to witness the Third Kazekage being punched from the air into the ground by his clone.

In mid-air, the clone deactivated his Lava Release Chakra Mode and raised his right hand. With a high-pitched whirring sound, a Wind Style: Rasenshuriken quickly took shape.

Immediately after, Lava Release energy flowed into it, transforming the core of the Wind Style Rasenshuriken into a vortex of rapidly spinning magma.

During his nearly three months in the Land of Rivers, Shūichi hadn't just been enjoying his time alone with Asuka.

Lava Release: Rasenshuriken!

The clone in mid-air swung his arm, hurling the Lava Release Rasenshuriken toward the large crater below.

At that moment, the Third Kazekage had just climbed out of the pit.

His body was protected by a layer of Iron Sand covered in cracks, and the spot where Shūichi's clone had struck him was burned through, leaving a gaping hole in his clothing and searing his flesh.

The area was charred black.

The immense force had even made him cough up blood.

Now, seeing the attack flying toward him from the sky, the Kazekage realized at once—this person wasn't the real Four-Tails Jinchūriki.

But there was no time to think about it.

A massive amount of Iron Sand gathered, and the Third Kazekage manipulated it to form a large Iron Sand Sphere, fully encasing himself within.

In the next moment, the Lava Release: Rasenshuriken collided with the Iron Wall, slicing through it, with the power of molten lava expanding outward, illuminating the night.

Before Shūichi's eyes, the Iron Sand Sphere was quickly engulfed by the lava's power, followed by a raging storm sweeping across the battlefield.

A massive earthen wall rose up from the ground, blocking the storm.

As the storm subsided, Shūichi leapt onto the wall, looking ahead at the magma-filled crater.

The clone in the air disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"Even after all that, he's still alive… Truly the strongest Kazekage!"

Shūichi was somewhat surprised as he watched the Third Kazekage, stepping on an Iron Sand platform, slowly walking out of the crater.

However, the Third Kazekage now looked ragged, his clothes in tatters, and his body covered in injuries—some charred, others looking like they had been sliced by sharp blades.

"I never expected that the ninja world would produce someone like you, who can control the chakra of the Four-Tails and use such powerful Wind Release. You're certainly no ordinary individual, are you?"

The Third Kazekage's eyes locked onto his opponent.

He had been so close… so close to death!

If it weren't for his mastery of Wind Release, that powerful combination of Wind and Lava Release might have crippled him.

It had been a very long time since he had been this desperate.

Not even when facing Konoha's White Fang had he been pushed this far.

So, who was this person?

But no matter who he was, it was impossible for him to be the Four-Tails Jinchūriki from Iwagakure!

Looking at the hovering Third Kazekage, Shūichi released his Transformation Jutsu.

The Third Kazekage's pupils dilated in shock. "It's you?!"

"It's me," Shūichi replied with a light smile. "Kazekage-sama, we meet again."

The Third Kazekage stared at him. "It seems Iwagakure put a bounty on your head because of the Four-Tails."

"You're surprisingly young for someone so dangerous!"

"So, you've been targeting me for some time now... Is it for revenge on Konoha's White Fang?"

Shūichi nodded calmly. "That's right."

"Kazekage-sama, as you once said, a ninja must be prepared to die at any moment."

"I assume you're ready as well?"

"Then, Kazekage-sama, it's time for you to depart."

As soon as he finished speaking, chains shot out like venomous snakes.

These were the same chains Sasori had used earlier to bind the Third Kazekage, now reversed and controlled using Magnetic Release chakra.

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

The earthen wall shattered into pieces.

But before the chains could reach him, Shūichi had already disappeared from the wall.

With the Totsuka Blade and the Kusanagi Sword in hand, Shūichi's limbs crackled with electricity, while fire lotus petals bloomed under his feet. His body moved like lightning, and in an instant, he slashed through the chains that the Third Kazekage had manipulated like writhing iron snakes.

Next, Shūichi's Totsuka Blade, now engulfed in azure-blue flames, was flung from his right hand, directly targeting the airborne Third Kazekage.

This was the enhanced Blue Flame Vacuum Slash, a technique Shūichi had named "Blue Flame: Second Style," boosted by the natural energy within the sword, combining extreme heat with the powerful cutting force of Wind Release. It tore through the Third Kazekage's three-layer Iron Wall before being stopped by the fourth layer.

It wasn't that the Third Kazekage didn't want to summon a single, thicker shield to block the attack, but he was too weakened at this point.

He had expended too much chakra earlier, trying to defend against Shūichi's clone, causing even his Iron Sand defense to dissipate. He couldn't even form the Iron Sand wings that would allow him to fly swiftly through the air.

Moreover, Shūichi's speed was too great.

The Kazekage hadn't retreated immediately because his body was too weakened, and he had tried to stall for time by talking at length.

After recovering somewhat, he launched a sneak attack using the techniques he had initially prepared for Sasori.

At a moment like this, killing his enemy by any means necessary was far more important than maintaining the dignity of a Kazekage.

Thus, without hesitation, the Third Kazekage chose to launch a surprise attack.

But the sneak attack failed, and while he managed to block the Totsuka Blade, the chains that Shūichi had cut were now silently dissolving into Iron Sand and reformed into countless iron beads, sealing off all of Shūichi's escape routes before shooting out at him.

This was the Third Kazekage's second attack!

Had he been at full strength, he could have launched this offensive while maintaining his defense simultaneously.

"No matter how fast you are, you can't possibly avoid—"

The Third Kazekage's words froze in his throat because Shūichi had vanished again.

Before the Iron Shield that had blocked the Totsuka Blade, Shūichi reappeared, his right hand gripping the hilt of the sword. In that instant, his body was enveloped in a blue chakra cloak.

Fire Release: Chakra Mode!

Immediately afterward, the Bijuu Sealing Mark activated!

The natural energy enhanced the chakra cloak, turning the lotus patterns on it a vibrant purple.

Shūichi could feel that the temperature of his chakra cloak had risen even higher!

Although it took some time to explain, both the Fire Release Chakra Mode and the Bijuu Sealing Mark activated in an instant.

Next, lotus-shaped flames bloomed on the blade of the Totsuka Sword, and the massive Iron Shield in front of him exploded into fragments.

"This guy…"

The Third Kazekage's pupils widened, and he quickly tried to retreat, using the Iron Sand under his feet to fly away. But suddenly, a fire engulfed his entire body—a combination of blue flames with purple markings.

Fire Style: Firing Biscuit Jutsu!

The attack was so sudden, and the enhanced Fire Release was so devastating, that the Third Kazekage screamed in agony. His Iron Sand defenses failed to protect him, and the sand beneath his feet crumbled, causing him to fall from the sky like a burning torch.

However, the Third Kazekage, known as the strongest of his generation, managed to regain control despite the excruciating pain. His chakra surged, using Wind Release to blow away the flames that had engulfed him.

Landing on the desert sands, the Third Kazekage's robes were now burned and fused to his charred skin. His appearance was almost unrecognizable.

Panting heavily from the intense pain, his body was still enveloped in chakra, protecting his scorched flesh and preparing to defend against another attack from Shūichi.

At this moment, he could only hope that his personal guard would detect the battle and arrive in time.

But Shūichi didn't follow up with another Firing Biscuit Jutsu. Instead, with the Totsuka Blade clamped in his mouth, he began throwing kunai one after another.

The Third Kazekage flickered to dodge, but his movements were far slower and less agile than before.

Just as a kunai flew past the Third Kazekage, Shūichi's figure vanished from the air, suddenly appearing at the Kazekage's side.

"This is... the same Body Flicker Technique as Konoha's Yellow Flash!"

In the corner of his eye, the Third Kazekage caught sight of Shūichi. The thought flashed through his mind, but in the next instant, Shūichi had already pierced through the hastily formed Iron Sand barrier with his Kusanagi Sword, breaking through the Wind Release chakra that had erupted around the Kazekage's body and then impaling his head.

The strongest Kazekage in history, dead.

Shūichi landed on his feet and pulled out the Kusanagi Sword, deactivating his Fire Release: Chakra Mode.

Exhaling deeply, he looked at the fallen body of the Third Kazekage, his emotions somewhat conflicted.

There was no sense of accomplishment in defeating such a powerful enemy, because it had been a sneak attack.

Nor did he feel the thrill of revenge.

His feelings toward Hatake Sakumo weren't as deep as those of Nono Yakushi or Minato Namikaze.

Sheathing his sword, Shūichi turned and looked back.

Asuka had arrived.

"Shūichi, the Kazekage's guard squad is heading this way!"

Asuka landed swiftly and informed him.

Shūichi immediately responded, "Pick up the kunai, we need to retreat right now!"

Asuka nodded and quickly began retrieving the Flying Thunder God kunai.

Meanwhile, Shūichi took out a scroll and sealed the Kazekage's corpse within it.

...

At that moment, Sasori of the Red Sand was watching Shūichi clean up the battlefield in utter shock. "This guy... he's younger than I am."

"The power of the Four-Tails, that Fire Release, and Wind Release... he actually killed the Third Kazekage with ease."

"A guy from Konoha..."

Thinking back to his own defeat, Sasori couldn't help but recall Konoha's White Fang. "Is this guy a student of the White Fang?"

"Back then, my parents were probably defeated by the White Fang just like me, weren't they?"

...

After packing away the Third Kazekage's body, Shūichi also stored the puppet made from Hatake Sakumo's corpse. By this time, Asuka had gathered all the kunai.

With one hand, Shūichi lifted Sasori, while his right hand grabbed Asuka's, and the three of them vanished from the scene.

By the time the Kazekage's guard squad arrived, the only thing left, aside from the aftermath of the battle, were scattered puppet fragments.

"This power... it's a tailed beast!"

"The Lava Release of the Four-Tails from Iwagakure... but why would the Jinchūriki be here?"

"And these puppets... has Sasori of the Red Sand allied with Iwagakure?"

"Damn it!"

"Where's Kazekage-sama?"

"Search quickly!"

...

The power of a tailed beast and the puppets were too conspicuous, which is why Shūichi only retrieved his Flying Thunder God kunai and didn't bother cleaning up the battlefield.

For Sunagakure, this was bound to be a restless night.

...

Land of Rivers, at a general store.

Shūichi returned with Asuka and Sasori.

After handing over his equipment to Asuka, Shūichi grabbed Sasori and took him to the woodshed.

"An impressive Space-Time Ninjutsu..."

Sasori spoke first, seeming to have already come to terms with life and death.

Looking at Shūichi, who was younger than him, Sasori asked, "So, are you a student of Konoha's White Fang?"

Shūichi shook his head. "No, just a junior who was once guided by him."

Sasori was briefly stunned, then laughed. "In the end, it's all about revenge."

"My parents were killed by Konoha's White Fang, and he was killed by me. Now, I'm about to die at your hands. It all makes sense."

"However, since you kept me alive, I assume you want some information from me?"

"But you didn't preserve the Third Kazekage, so it's not information about Sunagakure that you want."

Shūichi nodded calmly. "That's right."

"I'm not particularly interested in information about Sunagakure, nor is it my goal."

"I kept you alive because I want to know—how did Konoha's White Fang die?"

"With his strength, even if it was you and the Kazekage, it wouldn't have been easy to stop him if he wanted to escape, right?"

"And, how was he ambushed while on a solo mission?"

(End of Chapter)

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