Chapter 120

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As the light faded and the earth stopped trembling, Chiyo finally came to her senses.

"Quick, save people!"

With her anxious and high-pitched voice, nearly four thousand Sand Shinobi snapped back to reality and rushed forward in a frenzy.

But then, Chiyo added, "Kyomu is at his limit now. Leave some people for the rescue, and the rest come with me to chase!"

Under Chiyo's command, the mass of Sand Shinobi instantly became headless flies, unsure whether they should rescue their comrades or chase after Kyomu and his team.

However, Kyomu, seven kilometers away, did not care about these matters.

Click.

Sheathing his sword, he gestured forward decisively, "Retreat... No, continue moving forward!"

Kyomu led the way, with his teammates following him quickly, feeling honored as they looked ahead at the vast chasm that was dozens of meters deep and nearly a kilometer wide.

Having Kyomu as their squad leader was the greatest honor of their lives.

After rushing forward three kilometers at high speed, the frontline Sand Shinobi, who had been chopped up mercilessly by a single slash, finally reacted.

Looking at the backs of Kyomu and his team, a fire of fear ignited in the hearts of the Sand Shinobi, unable to be extinguished.

"Is he a god?"

The same question arose in the minds of the Sand Shinobi, forgetting where they were and their companions buried under thick sand and stone.

Chase?

After the godlike slash, the thought never rose again. It can be said that the backbone of the Sand Shinobi frontline was broken by Kyomu's single slash, leaving them only able to kneel, unable to raise their heads.

"Save me..."

Weak voices rose one after another. Sand Shinobi outside the range of the sword's effect finally snapped out of it, frantically digging with their hands or using Earth Release to unearth each severely injured comrade from their buried predicaments.

About five minutes later, Chiyo's late-arriving Sand Shinobi reserve force arrived. When they saw the enormous chasm that was five to six kilometers long, two kilometers wide, and dozens of meters deep, Chiyo stood frozen.

Was this destruction caused by human hands?

"I don't believe it!" Chiyo screamed hysterically, "Fourth Kazekage! Where are you, where are you?!"

"Stay calm." A weak voice came through, followed by the figure of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, emerging from the sand, "Granny Chiyo, I'm alright, calm down first."

Once Rasa freed himself from the sand, the fleeting fear in his eyes vanished. Kyomu was not human!

A single slash creating a massive chasm was beyond human explanation.

"Fourth Kazekage..." Chiyo hurried over, inspecting him from head to toe, her tense nerves finally relaxed a bit, "You organize the rescue. I'll go after Kyomu and his team!"

Chiyo had not forgotten about chasing Kyomu, which had almost become her obsession, even more so than her grudge against Sakumo Hatake.

"The power of such a Forbidden Jutsu, Kyomu has used it four times so far, he definitely can't hold on any longer, we can't let him escape!"

Rasa wanted to stop her, but Chiyo had already run off with four squads of Shinobi.

Lowering his arm, Rasa sighed.

Under Kyomu's slash, he felt his own insignificance. Not to mention his shattered ninja way, but a preliminary 'Fear of Aragami Kyomu Syndrome' had begun to sprout in his heart.

He did not want to face Kyomu. Just hearing 'Aragami Kyomu' could bring back previous experiences.

He felt despair under that slash, a despair thicker than facing Shukaku. Even Shukaku paled in comparison to that slash.

Not to say his spirit was completely gone, but Rasa needed to adjust himself, and...

Looking at his hands, his pride in absolute defense was as weak as paper mache against Kyomu's slash.

If Rasa had not reacted in time to dodge the sharp edge of the blade, he might have been reduced to dust.

"Terrifying..." Rasa muttered to himself, "I hope, as Chiyo said, this is your last time using such a Forbidden Jutsu."

Unconsciously, Rasa's expectation was not to kill Kyomu himself but to hope Kyomu would die naturally due to physical problems.

How similar this was to the situation with Hashirama.

Although Rasa would not admit it, once the seed of fear was planted, it was certain to sprout in the future.

Glancing back at the great chasm, Rasa took a deep breath and began organizing the rescue of the survivors under the sword's path.

But it was foreseeable that, under Kyomu's slash, the Sand Shinobi's frontline troops lost at least one-third of their forces, at least 1500 Sand Shinobi.

"The Slayer of Konoha..." Rasa whispered to himself, then clenched his fist, "First there was the White Fang of Konoha, now the Slayer of Konoha. Are we, the Sand Shinobi, just meant to enhance others' reputations?

Why! Why is it so unfair to us, the Sand Shinobi, why!"

His unwilling roar spread everywhere, and the Sand Shinobi involved in the rescue paused in their actions.

But no one spoke. They quickly resumed their mechanical rescue efforts. They were numb, their souls shaken by that slash, fear sprouting from the bottom of their hearts.

Is it shameful to admit someone is stronger than yourself?

Perhaps for a slight difference in strength, occasionally for a whole level of difference, but for someone like Kyomu, to admit is actually an honor.

Thinking about it from another angle, it really is the case.

After such a terrifying slash, to still be alive is worth boasting about.

Of course, this can only be said secretly, not openly, or it would be unbearable for some.

Under the influence of this mood, a group of Sand Shinobi who survived the catastrophe began to have complex feelings towards Kyomu.

Hate mixed with fear, fear mixed with longing, longing mixed with worship and respect.

The first batch of 'Kyomu fans' began to emerge, surprisingly from the enemy Sand Shinobi.

It can only be said that the world is so magical, and it just happens to corroborate the human psychology of admiring the strong.

But to say something unpleasant, this psychology is also called 'Stockholm Syndrome.' The more severely abused, the more one feels unable to resist, the more likely one is to develop feelings of worship, identification, appreciation, and love for the perpetrator.

Anyway, Kyomu would never have thought that his slash, in addition to causing physical damage, also carried a psychological attack.

Who could know that?

---

"Kakashi," looking back at the barely visible grand chasm, "Did Captain ancestors, perhaps, have the Senju bloodline?" 

"I guess that's the only explanation." Before Kyomu could speak, Kakashi took over, "Otherwise, it's just unreasonable..."

"Hey, you two, don't make things up about me." Kyomu protested, "You know about the Concealment Blade Technique, right?"

"I've thought about it, this technique is indeed powerful, but according to my calculations, I'd need to hide it for three years to achieve damage similar to your recent attack."

"Eh?" Kyomu looked at Kakashi, perplexed, "You mean... you've mastered it?"

"Is it that surprising?" Kakashi rolled his eyes, "I've already acknowledged that my talent and strength are inferior to yours, but I'm not a dummy like Obito, okay?"

"Kakashi, say that one more time!" Obito glared at him with his Sharingan, "You better show some respect in front of these eyes! Besides, I've also mastered the 'Concealment Blade Technique' you mentioned before, except you guys hide it in weapons, while I hide it in my Sharingan."

Kyomu was even more baffled.

"Not you too, Obito?"

"Kyomu, do you look down on me?" Obito frowned, "Actually, it's quite simple. As long as there's a medium and one can feel spiritual energy or Yin Release chakra, it's easy to store those unconscious energy expenditures."

Well then!

Kyomu didn't want to talk anymore. Everyone's got exceptional talent, and here I am, relying on a cheat?

"I've got some ideas too..." Guy jumped in, striking Kyomu with a knowing look, "But I'm not storing spiritual energy; I'm storing my youth."

Though it's a bit hard to understand, those who know Guy realize he's probably talking about storing life force or Yang Release chakra.

Now, everyone has figured it out, but as the creator of this technique, Kyomu still felt like an outsider.

Can't you all take this less seriously?! I was just trying to discourage you, not actually encourage you to accomplish it!

"Captain." Ren approached, breaking through Kyomu's awkwardness, "Chiyo is still relentlessly pursuing us. She's now six kilometers away and closing in."

"They're still chasing us now?" Aragami Kyomu scoffed, "We're about to cross into the border of the Land of Rivers, isn't it a bit late now?"

"Shall we turn around and give Chiyo a good fight?" Obito was eager to fight, "Let me handle it this time, can't let you steal all the spotlight."

With Kyomu's slash as a precedent, not just Obito, but everyone present felt an immense boost in confidence.

Chiyo? A renowned figure in the ninja world? So what if I can't beat her, with Kyomu here, I dare to arm wrestle with her!

Winning or losing doesn't matter; what matters is fearlessness. With Kyomu backing us up, what's there to fear?

"Kyomu, you might as well put Obito on a leash." Kakashi glanced sideways at Obito, "Stop relying on others' strength, and don't forget Kyomu hasn't rested for five days and nights."

Obito punched Kakashi, then strode forward angrily.

The teammates following behind chuckled shyly, not feeling offended.

To have the opportunity to follow Kyomu continuously, others, even if they wished for it, now had no chance.

We have the armor, do the newcomers have it? If not, then stay quietly away and don't even think about competing for our position!

Kyomu just smiled and said nothing, resuming his march. He was truly exhausted after not closing his eyes for five days and nights.

...

On the other hand,

"You repeat that!" Tsunade's voice boomed, "What exactly did Kyomu do?"

The communication ninja was visibly excited, if it weren't for the tent being filled with top figures, he might have shouted even louder than Tsunade.

"The Slayer of Konoha!" He spoke hastily, "That's the nickname the Sand Shinobi have given to Captain Kyomu. The reason being, he sliced open a huge chasm with a single strike, killing at least 1500 Sand Shinobi on the front lines!"

"Haha, the nickname might sound a bit unpleasant, but that kid Kyomu really did us proud!" Tsunade's face was filled with joy, "There's someone to follow Sakumo, Konoha has successors!"

"Kyomu always creates miracles and magnificent battle records," Orochimaru said with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, "With such achievements, it wouldn't be surprising if my position as the frontline commander is handed over to Kyomu."

"That won't be necessary," Tsunade shook her head, "At most, the old man will promote Kyomu to be a commander or general, just like Minato, leading four Shinobi squads."

"I can't compare to Kyomu," Minato smiled modestly, "I don't possess the overwhelming front-line suppression power that Kyomu has. In future wars, just having Kyomu stand on the front lines would probably deter any Sand Shinobi from approaching."

"Alright, let's not speculate anymore. We'll ask when the man himself returns," Orochimaru suggested as he gestured for everyone to calm down, "And with such a great achievement by Kyomu, we must hold a welcome ceremony. It would be inappropriate not to."

"Indeed, and it has to be grand. To spread the name of 'The Slayer of Konoha'... Haha," Tsunade laughed at the mention of Kyomu's title, her bosom heaving tumultuously, "The wider we spread this name, the better it is for us, creating a deterrent effect."

"What are we waiting for? Let's get busy," Orochimaru said with a smile, waving his hand, and the tent quickly emptied.

Once everyone had left, Orochimaru sat down again, his snake-like eyes glittering mysteriously.

"Aragami Kyomu, unleashing such immense power certainly has a deterrent effect, but this is already the fourth time. Don't become addicted to Forbidden Jutsu and meet an early demise."

Muttering to himself, Orochimaru was somewhat concerned, "If you die prematurely, I'll have to look for another strong body, which would be quite troublesome.

And I'm very interested in learning that Forbidden Jutsu of yours, though I wonder what it would cost me?"

Thinking this over, Orochimaru suddenly smiled coldly, "Then I'll give you a hand again, Kyomu. It's in dire situations that the 'wind' you stir up becomes even more ferocious, isn't it? This is mutually beneficial, for both you and me."

With a plan in mind, Orochimaru flipped his hand, summoning a communication snake. After inserting a piece of information into its mouth, he sent it off again.

After a delay of five to six seconds, Danzo, who was far away at the Root base in Konoha, received the message from Orochimaru.

Carefully reading through it, Danzo's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"Kyomu has become a bit too uncontrollable; he cannot be allowed to continue developing unchecked."

Standing up, Danzo headed straight for the Hokage's office.

"Hiruzen, we must immediately recall Aragami Kyomu and his ninja squad from the front line."

This time, Hiruzen didn't oppose Danzo's suggestion, as he too felt the same.

"The war on the front lines has slowed down a bit, so rotating them out is reasonable," Hiruzen nodded, "Moreover, Kyomu's frequent use of Forbidden Jutsu is like burning the candle at both ends. We need to protect him."

Danzo's gaze turned sinister as he nodded in agreement. As long as Kyomu was back in the village, he would have a chance to act.

(End of Chapter)