"Bang!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke dispersed the flames, and from within them a puff of white smoke emerged. He frowned in puzzlement. Could it be that what he had burned just now was only a Shadow Clone?
After resurrecting, Kairen woke from his drunken, unconscious state and immediately realized his reckless actions earlier.
He had actually insulted the Hokage in front of Sarutobi Shinnosuke. That crime felt even more exhilarating than trampling on the Hokage's son.
Kairen smirked suddenly. What's there to be afraid of? Worst case, he could smear his forehead protector with a kunai, wander the world, and become a rogue ninja.
With his immortality, was there anywhere in the shinobi world he couldn't go?
He also recalled that in his drunken stupor he had unconsciously developed Drunken Fist. He called out to the system: "System, change the name just now. Call it Drunken Fist!"
[Name change successful. "Drunken Flow" renamed to Drunken Fist. Added to the Taijutsu Scroll of the Nin Sect.]
The white smoke drifted away, revealing Kairen in white robes, chest exposed, a ninja blade at his waist. His cold eyes fixed on Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
"Hokage-sama's eldest son, was it you who just attacked me?"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke sneered.
"You dare insult the Hokage? Are you planning to defect?"
"So what if I am?"
"Kairen!"
Yūhi Shinku's voice rose. He still held onto some hope. He didn't want this genius to fall. He wanted him to grow strong enough to change the fate of the village.
Yūhi Kurenai hurried to stop him as well.
"Kairen, stop talking! Shut your mouth right now!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's killing intent surged toward Kairen, his tone aggressive and domineering.
"Today I'll rid the world of you, damn brat!"
"Hahaha..." Kairen suddenly let out a Sasuke-like manic laugh. He curled his finger at Shinnosuke.
"Come on. I'll stand right here and won't fight back. Let me see what tricks the Sarutobi clan has!"
"Kairen, what are you trying to do?" Yūhi Kurenai asked, baffled.
Kairen looked at the concerned girl.
"Kurenai, that day you actually weren't caught in a Genjutsu. I really was struck by the Sunagakure ninja's feather. But I won't die—because of my Smoke Release bloodline!"
By now, Kairen already had the template of a Special Jōnin. Add in his immortality, endless forbidden jutsu, and there wasn't a normal Jōnin who could stand against him. Even Elite Jōnin could be counter-killed.
And if he opened the Three Gates, igniting his body's energy for instantaneous speed—who could catch him then?
Unless Namikaze Minato appeared in person, no one could keep him sealed.
In other words, he had already become strong enough. He didn't need to cower anymore.
It was time to dance. The music was playing. Moku Kairen would take the stage!
Of course, there was no such thing as a Smoke Release bloodline. It was all Genjutsu. But in front of everyone, he had exposed his "first layer." In truth, he was operating in an entirely different stratosphere.
Yūhi Kurenai frowned in confusion.
"Smoke Release bloodline? Did Kairen lose his mind?"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was also puzzled. Why wasn't Moku Kairen defending? Was this some kind of trap?
After all, the shinobi world was full of strange forbidden techniques—damage transfer, curses of immortality...
Seeing Shinnosuke hesitate, Kairen launched into Naruto's Negative Talk no Jutsu and shouted,
"What, are all the Sarutobi cowards? You hesitate to attack a mere Genin? If you're that gutless, tell your old monkey to step down already!"
"Moku Kairen!!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke spoke each word with venom, unable to hide the killing intent in his eyes anymore.
"I'll kill you!"
His hands moved like lightning, sending several shuriken flying at Kairen. Kairen spread his arms wide, making no move to defend himself.
"Let me show you all… what it means to be the Immortal Ninja!"
Before the shocked eyes of the three, the shuriken pierced Kairen's chest. But no blood spilled out—only wisps of white smoke rising skyward.
"Ding!"
[You were killed by Jōnin Sarutobi Shinnosuke with shuriken. Experience +100 points!]
This Sarutobi Shinnosuke was clearly an Elite Jōnin. Otherwise, a casual attack with iron weapons wouldn't have yielded the same EXP as a Jōnin-level ninjutsu.
Kairen stored the shuriken lodged in his body into the system's storage space.
He opened his eyes, staring at the stunned Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
"Well? Didn't I say I can't die?"
Shinnosuke's eyes widened. "What kind of ninjutsu is this? No blood, and the wounds turn into smoke!"
Kairen sneered again. "Crawling bug of the Sarutobi clan—is this all you've got?"
Shinnosuke's mind short-circuited. His fury reignited instantly, and he quickly formed seals.
"Fire Release: Great Blaze Technique!"
Kairen stripped off his upper garment, hanging it at his waist, and embraced the flames Shinnosuke unleashed.
"No matter how bright a bug's flame burns, it can only light the damp underground!"
"Ding!"
[You were burned to death by Jōnin Sarutobi Shinnosuke's Fire Release. Experience +180!]
Shinnosuke dispelled the flames. White smoke swirled, and through it the figure of a child still stood. The earth beneath his feet was charred black, but he still stared arrogantly at Shinnosuke.
"What's wrong? Is this all your Sarutobi clan can do? You couldn't even burn my clothes off! Heh… Is your clan's Fire Release designed for cooking?"
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Shinnosuke went mad, lunging forward with a kunai, slashing at Kairen.
On the side, Yūhi Kurenai and Yūhi Shinku were frozen in shock.
Kurenai tugged at Shinku's sleeve timidly.
"Father… w-what ninjutsu is this?"
Yūhi Shinku forced down his horror, regaining a Jōnin's composure, and analyzed,
"This has gone beyond ninjutsu. Only Kekkei genkai users could manifest such abilities."
Kurenai covered her mouth in awe.
"A Kekkei genkai? Kairen has a Kekkei genkai?!"
At last, Yūhi Shinku understood Kairen's secret.
"Yes. That's it. He is a Kekkei genkai user. He can transform into smoke. Normal physical attacks won't work on him."
Kurenai's red eyes brimmed with admiration.
"Amazing… Kairen is amazing."
Shinku nodded. "His ability resembles the Hozuki clan of Kirigakure and their Hydrification Technique. Physical attacks won't work on him. But the Hydrification Technique has weaknesses—it is restrained by Lightning Release. I wonder… could Kairen's smoke be blown apart by Wind Release?"
"Ding!"
[You were stabbed to death by Jōnin Sarutobi Shinnosuke's kunai. Experience +80!]
"Ding!"
[You were killed by Jōnin Sarutobi Shinnosuke's kunai slitting your throat. Experience +80!]
"Ding!"
[You were killed by Jōnin Sarutobi Shinnosuke's Wind Release. Experience +150!]
...
Shinnosuke stabbed again, his kunai piercing Kairen's chest.
Kairen looked at him with disdain.
"Running out of steam, Sarutobi trash? You call yourself the Hokage's son? Did you come to the battlefield just to rack up merit so you can become the Fourth Hokage?"
"Go home and suckle behind Sarutobi Hiruzen! Your strength isn't enough to survive this battlefield!"
Naruto's Negative Talk no Jutsu, activated!
"Aaaahhh… Moku Kairen!!"
Shinnosuke's face flushed crimson with rage. He had attacked more than ten times with his strongest moves, yet Kairen never stayed dead—only taunted him again and again.
Each provocation fueled his fury. Now he wanted nothing more than to tear Kairen to pieces.
He had thrown away all his basic shinobi discipline. If he had kept calm, he might have tried the sealing techniques passed down in his clan, or used Wind Release ninjutsu to test the weaknesses of Kairen's "bloodline."
But this Sarutobi Shinnosuke had become nothing but a beast driven by rage.
Again, he formed hand seals, chakra gathering in his throat.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
He spewed out gunpowder smoke, enveloping Kairen completely.
"Explode, explode, explode, explode, explode—!"
"Rumble—!"
Explosions roared ceaselessly, fireballs flashing inside the dense smoke.
"Ding!"
[You were killed by Jōnin Sarutobi Shinnosuke's Fire Release. Experience +50!]
In just a short while, Kairen had died at least twenty times, slowly grinding out over 2000 experience points from Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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