Sensing the deadly danger closing in from behind, Fuguki Suikazan threw himself into a desperate evasive maneuver.
The golden arrow skimmed past his massive belly by a hair's breadth before vanishing into the distance—then detonated with a deafening roar. The shockwave blasted outward, whipping his orange hair into a wild frenzy.
Watching Fuguki narrowly escape, Kyusei didn't bother to pursue.
Instead, his gaze shifted to the group of Kirigakure shinobi standing resolutely in front of the Mizukage.
To be honest, the Mist ninja were a stubborn bunch—hard bones through and through.
With the sole exception of Fuguki, who had turned tail and fled.
Kyusei raised a hand and crooked his fingers at them.
A blatant provocation.
Even the most mild-tempered person would snap at such contempt, let alone a group of shinobi infamous across the ninja world for their violent tempers.
"Kill him!"
No one knew who shouted first, but it no longer mattered.
Kyusei charged head-on into the mass of Mist ninja without the slightest hesitation.
The first shinobi to meet him head-on barely had time to react before golden light surged in Kyusei's hand. A golden short blade formed instantly, piercing straight through the man's body. Kyusei followed up with a flying kick, sending him crashing backward.
The impaled body slammed into several other Mist ninja like a bowling ball.
The blade embedded in his chest flared violently—
BOOM!
A fierce explosion erupted.
This, too, was one of Uzumaki Kushina's Boei-shin applications.
Kyusei tore through the formation alone.
At this moment, the value of Hatake Sakumo's taijutsu training became fully apparent—no one could withstand even a single exchange.
In Kurama Mode, Kyusei's speed was overwhelming. No one could stop a seventeen-year-old who moved like a golden streak of death.
Weapons formed endlessly in his hands—spears, battle axes, scythes, war hammers, massive guandao—
Sakumo's taijutsu had been inherited perfectly, and Kyusei's powerful Uzumaki physique allowed him to execute it at an even higher level.
Now, combined with Kurama Mode's raw power—
Any Mist ninja who stood in his way was blasted aside in an instant.
This level of combat strength was something an entire hidden village simply could not withstand.
A golden spear formed once more.
Kyusei leaned back—
And threw.
The spear shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, piercing straight through the Mist formation and reaching the injured Third Mizukage in the rear almost instantly.
The Mizukage's pupils shrank.
Before his eyes, the spear flared with lethal brilliance.
BOOM!
A golden shockwave erupted outward, sending several Mist ninja tumbling through the air.
Golden chakra flames surged upward, blazing brightly against the night.
The Third Mizukage was in a miserable state.
Though he had hastily used Ice Release to blunt the first wave of damage, the violent shockwave had still rattled his organs.
Before he could even regain his footing—
A foot slammed into him, sending him crashing to the ground.
As he tried to look up, the razor-sharp tip of a golden spear was already resting inches from his face.
…!
The Mizukage had been captured.
For the first time in his life, the Third Mizukage wanted to kill himself on the spot.
A humiliation without equal.
A single man had stormed Kirigakure alone—slaughtered a tailed beast, wiped out most of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, smashed through thousands of shinobi—
And now, even the Mizukage himself had been taken alive.
Sensing his intent, Kyusei casually flicked his hand.
Several golden chains shot out, binding the Mizukage tightly and sealing his chakra completely.
"I'll say it one more time," Kyusei said coldly.
"Hand over the Byakugan."
"Do that, and I'll spare your life."
The Mizukage stared at him in silence.
Around them, the Mist ninja wore expressions of shame and rage—but none dared move.
The enemy was simply too strong.
Even the Mizukage and a tailed beast had failed.
And now the Mizukage's life rested on a single thought from this boy.
"If you don't want me visiting Kirigakure regularly from now on," Kyusei added calmly,
"you'd better think carefully."
That sentence was the final straw.
The Third Mizukage swallowed and spoke hoarsely:
"…Someone. Bring Ao here."
The words landed like thunder.
The Mist ninja stiffened—
And Kyusei's eyes turned icy cold.
It was too late.
Naori's eye had already been transplanted into that bastard.
Before long, a tall young man was escorted forward.
He was around Kyusei's age, dressed in Kirigakure combat gear. One eye was covered with cloth marked by a sealing formula—
A failsafe designed to destroy the Byakugan instantly if it was ever in danger of being taken again.
Ao's face was pale with fear.
He couldn't comprehend how someone his age had singlehandedly crushed Kirigakure.
Worse still—
This monster's goal was his precious eye.
What he thought was a gift from the heavens had turned into a calamity.
The Byakugan he carried was nothing but a burning hot potato.
"This… this eye… I—"
Ao's voice trembled.
Then he fell silent forever.
Blood spilled from his mouth as his gaze dropped.
A golden spear had already pierced straight through his chest.
Why?
He still had his whole life ahead of him—
why did he have to die for a single eye?
Unwilling.
He couldn't accept it.
With his last strength, Ao tried to activate the seal on his eye—if he was going to die, he wouldn't let the enemy have it.
"Looking for death."
Kyusei's voice was ice-cold.
A golden chain snapped around Ao's body, instantly sealing his chakra.
The seal on the Byakugan was dismantled effortlessly.
With extreme care, Kyusei guided his chakra and removed Naori's eye.
Golden chakra wrapped around the Byakugan gently, protectively.
Staring at it, Kyusei couldn't help but imagine the agony Naori must have felt when it was torn from her.
The battlefield fell completely silent.
Mist ninja watched as their enemy personally executed one of their own—and yet none could stop him.
A deathly stillness spread through the ruins.
Looking at Ao, barely clinging to life on the ground, Kyusei's eyes flashed with disgust.
The golden spear pierced his throat.
And sent him to meet the Sage of Six Paths.
To Read advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146