"Yaaawn—!"
Sitting beneath the cage that imprisoned the Ten-Tails, Code stretched lazily as he woke from a pleasant dream, letting out a long yawn.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he propped his cheek on one hand and flopped onto his side, utterly bored.
"Deepa and Boro are dead, Kashin Koji ran off… There are fewer and fewer people left in this organization who can actually talk."
"Roar! Roar!"
Hearing the Ten-Tails' usual howling from inside the cage—
"Awoo~!"
Code mimicked it playfully.
Afterward, he muttered to himself, "Hey, Ten-Tails… are you lonely? I think we're kind of the same, you know. The only difference is, you're locked inside a cage, and I'm locked outside of one."
"But honestly, I envy you. Sooner or later, you'll become Isshiki-sama's fruit… a part of his great power. And me… I'm just a failed vessel."
He stared at the white Karma on his left palm, his voice filled with self-pity.
"If there's anyone I'm really jealous of… it's Kawaki. Why? Why is it that we were all test subjects from the beginning, yet only he gets to become the true vessel for Isshiki-sama's great soul? And me… I'm nothing but a container for raw power. What do I lack compared to him!?"
The white Karma was merely a vessel for pure Ōtsutsuki power—the so-called "stat boost." It couldn't inherit abilities tied to the soul.
Isshiki's unique techniques, like Sukunahikona and Daikokuten, were beyond Code's reach.
But Code wasn't without his own power.
From DNA extracted by Amado from the remains of Ōtsutsuki Shibai, Code had been granted a unique ability—
Combined with his claw marks, Amado customized a scientific ninja tool just for him.
By slashing with his claws, Code could create ribbon-like bands formed from his chakra and the iron in his blood. Through these claw marks, he could move freely between locations.
With both the white Karma and his claw mark ability, Code's combat power far surpassed Jigen's.
To avoid overshadowing Jigen's authority within Kara, Code had willingly accepted limiters from Amado.
Under those restraints, his power was reduced to only one-fifth.
Even so, he was still far stronger than Delta.
"I'm hungry. Time to eat something."
Code extended his claws, carving a mark into the ground, then slipped his hand inside.
In another space—a room filled with claw marks—
His hand emerged from a mark on a refrigerator, grabbing a bacon hamburger. Then it withdrew and reappeared from a mark inside an oven, tossing the burger onto a tray.
Another hand reached out from a mark near the oven controls, pressing the heating button.
Once it finished cooking, Code retrieved the burger through another claw mark and began devouring it.
"Chomp, chomp…"
"Whoosh!"
Just as he was eating, a black space-time portal suddenly opened above the Ten-Tails' cage.
Code swallowed his food in one gulp and swung his claws.
Slash!
The moment Sasuke appeared, a claw mark slashed diagonally across his chest!
Using his body as a dividing line, the claw marks extended outward, embedding themselves into the cage bars behind him.
Code expressionlessly thrust his hand into a claw mark on the ground. His claw emerged from the mark on Sasuke's chest, hooking toward his throat—ready to rip it apart in the next instant!
Sasuke's left eye snapped open.
"Switch!"
In the next moment—
"What!?"
Their positions swapped.
Sasuke now sat where Code had been, mimicking his previous posture, calmly observing.
Meanwhile, Code found himself in Sasuke's former position—his own clawed hand emerging from the chest mark, gripping his own throat.
Sasuke processed the situation instantly.
"So this is the ability Kakashi saw through Obito… the one called Claw Marks."
He examined Code, who was still stunned.
"Roman numeral VI under the right eye… I saw similar markings on Boro and Deepa when I searched Kawaki's memories using the Human Path."
"One of Kara's Inner members… Isshiki's white Karma inheritor—Code."
"…Looks like coming here was the right decision."
"The coordinates lead directly to Kara's base."
Sasuke released his grip on his throat and carefully withdrew his hand from the chest mark, pulling it back through the ground mark.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames ignited, burning the claw mark on the ground.
He was testing whether the marks could be physically destroyed.
If they could, he could erase the one on his body as well.
But the result was clear—
The claw mark remained completely intact.
"No effect… as expected. Seems only Isshiki's abilities can counter this."
"Then there's only one option."
"Kill the user."
"Switch!"
Sasuke used Amenotejikara, swapping positions with the air itself and dragging Code directly in front of him.
Crack!
His left hand seized Code's throat, lightning bursting from his palm to paralyze his entire body.
His right hand descended toward Code's head.
He intended to use the Human Path—extract his memories and kill him instantly.
Code cursed inwardly.
Who the hell is this guy!? Showing up out of nowhere with these ridiculous abilities… damn it!
You think I'll just stand here and let you do that!?
Even under the paralysis of lightning release, Code could still move his fingers.
In a desperate moment, inspiration struck.
With his thumb, he carved a claw mark into his own palm—and jammed it in!
Crunch!
A piercing pain shot through Sasuke's chest.
Code's clawed thumb burst out from the mark on Sasuke's chest—
And stabbed straight into his heart.
"Ugh!"
The lightning dissipated. Sasuke staggered forward in pain.
Code laughed wildly. "Hahaha! Congratulations—you're finished! Should've blamed your luck! The moment you showed up, I marked you!"
"…Yeah. It really is luck."
Sasuke spoke calmly.
Sending a clone to scout ahead… was the right call.
If it had been his real body marked like that, even he would have had no way to deal with it.
Trading a Flame Release clone enhanced by Kagutsuchi for one of Kara's most important Inner members—
That was more than worth it.
The white Karma only carried power, not techniques.
Which meant Code couldn't absorb black flames like Jigen could.
Boom!
The "dying" Sasuke suddenly exploded into surging black flames!
The fire instantly engulfed Code. Under Kagutsuchi's control, the flames sharpened into spears, piercing through his entire body!
"AAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
Code's triumphant laughter turned into a scream of agony.
The black flames didn't just burn his skin—
They burned his organs.
The damage was catastrophic.
Pain flooded his senses. His consciousness began to fade.
"No… no… I can't fall here… Isshiki-sama's Ten-Tails… someone's targeting it…!"
"That's… that's Isshiki-sama's future… absolutely… absolutely…!"
His obsession transformed into sheer willpower.
With one last effort, he threw himself into a claw mark on the cage—
Thud!
He collapsed in front of Jigen and Amado.
Amado was shocked. "What happened!?"
Code gasped, "Jigen… Isshiki-sama! The Ten-Tails—go protect it! Someone's targeting it!"
Amaterasu…
So the intruder is Uchiha Sasuke.
Jigen's eyes darkened.
He had only suspected Amado might have leaked the coordinates.
He hadn't expected it to be true.
That old bastard…
Amado broke into a cold sweat.
Jigen stood up calmly. "That damned Kashin Koji… leaking the Ten-Tails' location. If I ever get my hands on him, I'll skin him alive."
"Y-Yes… truly unforgivable…" Amado replied stiffly.
Karma markings spread across Jigen's hand, absorbing the black flames from Code's body.
Code was already severely burned, unconscious.
Jigen walked forward without expression. "Amado. Before I return, I want Code alive."
"And remove that nuisance."
Amado hesitated. "Th-That's… difficult. His internal organs are completely burned through!"
Jigen didn't even turn back. "If Code dies, you die too."
"Code and the Ten-Tails—neither can be lost."
A portal opened.
Jigen stepped through.
Amado trembled.
I've never seen this side of him… never.
Things are slipping out of control.
At this rate… he'll be forced to reincarnate as Isshiki soon.
Naruto… Sasuke…
I can only hope your newfound power is enough to stop him.
Otherwise… there's no telling what horrors he'll unleash.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Two portals opened simultaneously in the Ten-Tails dimension.
From one stepped Jigen.
From the other—
Naruto Uzumaki.
Sasuke Uchiha.
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