The moment Kagetsu's gaze settled on it, Entei felt its heart tighten.
It didn't know where its previous "new master" had gone, but relying purely on a demon's instincts, it could sense one thing with absolute clarity,
The man standing before it now was far more terrifying than anyone it had ever encountered.
As Kagetsu slowly approached, Entei's entire body stiffened. It didn't dare move a single muscle, standing obediently in place.
Kagetsu stepped up beside it and casually raised a hand to stroke its snow-white back, completely ignoring the fear flickering in its crimson eyes.
In the next instant, the profound ripple-patterned Rinnegan resurfaced in his gaze.
Yin–Yang Release chakra flowed from his palm, silently seeping into Entei's body. It spread with precision, enveloping the demon horse's heart,
And then, countless pitch-black curse markings began to form across its surface.
"Hee,!!"
Entei immediately sensed something was wrong. It let out a restless neigh, its hooves scraping lightly against the ground. Yet even so, it didn't dare resist.
Kagetsu turned his head slightly, the invisible pressure of his Rinnegan bearing down on it as he spoke in a calm, emotionless tone:
"I've placed a cursed seal on your heart. If you ever think of betraying me… I'll crush it instantly."
As his words fell, his fingers tightened ever so slightly.
"Awooo,!!"
A spike of unbearable pain erupted from its chest. Entei's entire body trembled violently as its legs buckled, forcing it to its knees. Its blood-red eyes were filled with raw terror as it stared at him.
Only after a moment did Kagetsu relax his hand, halting the seal's activation.
"Relax," he said flatly. "As long as you behave, I won't activate it."
This cursed seal functioned much like the Contract Seal once used by Uchiha Madara,a Yin–Yang Release construct formed directly on the heart, blending sealing techniques with Six Paths power.
Much like the black rods used to control the Six Paths puppets, it allowed him to transmit chakra remotely. With a thought, he could either crush Entei's heart outright… or torment it with excruciating pain.
In essence, his control over Entei wasn't much different from how Naraku controlled Kagura.
Understanding its situation completely, Entei quickly lowered its head and rubbed against Kagetsu's sleeve in a submissive gesture.
Then, cautiously, it turned toward Kikyo and gently nudged her arm as well.
It had already realized,these two were beings it absolutely could not afford to provoke.
Obedience was the only path to survival.
"I want to take it out for a ride,and stop by the village to get proper tack for it. Want to come?" Kikyo asked, smoothly mounting Entei's back.
"I've got something else to handle. You go ahead," Kagetsu replied, shaking his head as his gaze shifted to the sealing scroll in his hand.
"Alright."
Kikyo nodded. Just as she was about to depart,
"Lady Kikyo, can I come too?"
Yuzuki's clear voice rang out.
She had been sitting beneath the tree, quietly practicing her writing, but now she looked up with hopeful eyes.
"Of course. Come here."
A gentle smile appeared on Kikyo's lips as she extended a hand.
"Yay!"
Yuzuki immediately dropped her brush and ran over. With Kikyo's help, she climbed onto Entei, sitting in front of her.
Kikyo wrapped an arm around the girl, gave Kagetsu a small wave, and said softly:
"We're heading out."
She patted Entei's neck. "Let's go."
Flames burst to life beneath Entei's hooves as it leapt into the air, carrying the two of them swiftly toward the nearby town.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Kagetsu let out a faint sigh.
"Looks like Kuromaru just lost his job."
Without further delay, he unfurled the sealing scroll and released the corpse of Rengokuki.
Then, activating the power of the Naraka Path, he channeled chakra into the ground.
Purple flames surged outward,
And from within them, a massive, grotesque head slowly emerged.
The King of Hell.
Its face was terrifying, with the character "King" etched into its forehead. Its eyes bore the same ripple-patterned Rinnegan, radiating an eerie, oppressive aura.
Kagetsu casually grabbed Rengokuki's headless body and tossed it into the King of Hell's gaping maw. Then, with a flick of his foot, he kicked the severed head in as well.
As chakra continued to flow, the King of Hell began to chew slowly,
As if savoring a meal.
Moments later, it stopped and sank back into the ground.
Kagetsu dispersed the remaining chakra, then formed a series of hand seals before slamming his palm down.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A cloud of smoke burst outward,
And Rengokuki reappeared.
Its body had been fully restored, but several black rods were now embedded deep within it. Its once-blood-red eyes had turned into cold, ripple-patterned Rinnegan.
It stood motionless, devoid of will.
Now, it was nothing more than a puppet,an Animal Path summon under Kagetsu's control.
With a single thought, Kagetsu issued a command.
Rengokuki immediately opened its mouth, condensing a sphere of demonic energy glowing red and white,
And fired it forward.
"Boom,!!"
The projectile slammed into a distant wooden target, obliterating it instantly. Splinters scattered in every direction.
Kagetsu nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Its demonic power is intact,and the output is solid."
With that, he dismissed the summon, letting it dissolve into smoke.
Meanwhile,
Far away, Monk Shinsen , having sensed the breaking of Rengokuki's seal, hurried to the site with one of his disciples.
"Master Shinsen , what's wrong?" the disciple asked, confused by his master's sudden halt.
Shinsen stared grimly at the shattered remains of the sealing stone.
"The seal… has been broken."
"The Rengokuki?" the disciple asked, startled.
"That was many years ago…"
A trace of memory surfaced in Shinsen 's eyes as he spoke slowly:
" Rengokuki was a demon I sealed here long ago,the original master of that demon horse, Entei, from the temple's rear shrine."
"Back then, both humans and demons fought endlessly over Entei."
"In the end, Rengokuki survived the chaos and became its master. With Entei at its side, it rampaged across the land, slaughtering without restraint."
"I was asked by the villagers to stop it. We battled for three days and nights before I finally managed to seal it."
"Afterward, I used what strength I had left to seal Entei as well."
The disciple's expression grew solemn.
"Then… what happened at the shrine earlier,"
"Yes," Shinsen nodded. "A priestess broke into the shrine and took Entei away."
His voice turned heavy.
"Search the area carefully. We need to find out who did this."
"Yes, Master!"
The two began investigating the surroundings, searching for any trace left behind.
But deep down, Shinsen already had a sinking feeling,
A storm was coming.