Konan blinked, struggling to process what she'd just heard. "Immortal? How is that even possible?"
Kira swished her tail, her tone as calm as ever. "It's unheard of, even in our tribe, but Kaede has a unique genetic mutation. Her regenerative ability is so advanced that she can heal from any injury, no matter how severe. Because of this, she doesn't age. She's been alive for a very, very long time."
Konan furrowed her brow. "How long is 'very long'?"
"Almost a hundred thousand years, give or take ten thousand," Kira said casually, as if discussing the weather. "She was imprisoned in a pocket dimension by my great-grandfather, Yasora—Kaede's father. Don't ask why. Time moves differently in that place, so she's had plenty of time to, well… exist. So yes, Kaede is basically immortal."
Konan stared at Kira, speechless. A part of her marveled at the sheer absurdity of it all. Another part of her couldn't help but wonder how on earth Kenshin had managed to make summons out of beings like Kira and Kaede.
She shook her head, deciding to shelve those thoughts for later as the Grass Daimyo's palace came into view.
The pair landed about two kilometers from the palace, Kenshin deactivating his Wind Chakra Mode as Kaede leaped gracefully off his shoulder. Kenshin unfolded a pair of binoculars from his robe and handed another set to Konan.
Kenshin adjusted the focus, scanning the palace. Switching to infrared, he spotted something strange beneath the building. "I think there's a barrier ninjutsu underneath the palace," he said quietly. "It's small—probably a hidden cell."
Konan nodded, observing alongside him. "That must be where the former daimyo is being kept." She shifted her gaze. "There are about fifty guards on patrol. Two rooms seem to have only one person in each—likely our targets."
Kenshin analyzed the layout carefully, then turned to Konan. "I need you to use your paper insects to scout inside. Figure out how to access the underground cell and confirm which room Tetsuya is in and which one the puppet daimyo occupies."
"Understood," Konan replied. She raised her hand, forming tiny, intricate origami insects from her chakra-infused paper. The delicate creations hovered for a moment before darting toward the palace.
"Be very silent," she added firmly, her gaze sharp. "At this range, I'll need complete focus to listen in and guide them."
Kenshin nodded, signaling for Kira and Kaede to remain quiet as well. The air grew still as Konan closed her eyes, her concentration unshakable.
Minutes passed in silence as Konan listened to the faint conversations inside the palace, her paper insects flitting through corridors and rooms. Occasionally, she whispered updates to Kenshin.
"Three guards at the east wing entrance," she murmured. "Five guards stationed on the roof."
Kenshin noted each detail, mentally mapping the palace's defenses.
After some time, Konan's expression shifted. "The room at the far end of the west wing—Tetsuya's in there. The puppet is in the second room, on the north side."
Kenshin nodded. "And the barrier?"
Konan frowned, her focus intensifying. Her paper insects searched the palace meticulously, slipping through cracks and crevices. Finally, one managed to find a tiny gap in the ground and slipped through.
"There's definitely a holding cell under the barrier," Konan confirmed. "The former daimyo is inside. I can hear her faint breathing. I don't think she's been treated well. Her breathing seems like that of someone that's been tortured a lot."
Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he absorbed the information. "We'll need to disable or bypass that barrier to extract her. But for now, gather more intel."
Konan nodded but kept her focus, listening in further to try and gather more details. With the targets identified and the former daimyo's location confirmed, the next step was planning their infiltration.
Kenshin turned to Konan, his voice calm but questioning. "Is the former daimyo guarded, or is it just the barrier?"
Konan kept her focus on her paper insects, listening intently before shaking her head. "There are no guards near her. It's just the barrier. From what I can gather, only Tetsuya has access to it."
Kenshin frowned, his mind working through the possibilities. "Only Tetsuya..." He paused, then his eyes widened as an idea struck him. Without another word, he pulled out his entrance scroll, channeled chakra into it, and vanished into the Uzumaki library.
Konan blinked in surprise, her concentration momentarily broken. "Where did he—"
Kira smirked, her tail swishing. "He probably went to the Uzumaki library. My guess? Consulting his great-grandfather for advice."
Inside the library, Kenshin stood before the towering shelves of sealing knowledge, where the soul of Ashina Uzumaki awaited. Without bothering with pleasantries, Kenshin spoke with urgency. "Great-grandfather, I need to know if there's a jutsu or seal here that can take down any barrier. There's a daimyo imprisoned, but I don't know what kind of barrier it is."
Ashina's translucent figure considered the question, his expression thoughtful. "If the caster of the barrier is deceased, there is a premade seal that can dismantle it. However, this only works if the barrier has no one alive to sustain it. You'd need to kill the caster first."
Kenshin nodded sharply, already turning to leave. "That's all I need to know."
Back outside, Konan kept a careful eye on the palace. She was still unsettled by Kenshin's sudden disappearance when he reappeared without warning.
"We need to kill Tetsuya," Kenshin said simply, his tone decisive. "Once he's dead, I can use an Uzumaki seal to break the barrier and free the former daimyo."
Konan gave a curt nod, her sharp gaze already scanning Tetsuya's room through her binoculars.
Kenshin formed a shadow clone, both of them immediately using earth release to raise small sections of the ground to arm level. He pulled out the half of the binocular he'd modified before, carefully attaching it to his bicep like a makeshift scope for his Gust Bullet.
"I'll need about 90 seconds to fully charge the jutsu for a precise hit at this range," Kenshin explained as both he and his clone began concentrating wind chakra into their hands. "I'll need to be completely still. Otherwise, the bullet will implode and slow down, giving itself away."
Konan crouched beside him, silently observing the palace and confirming the target's position.
For the next minute and a half, Kenshin and his clone didn't move a muscle, their chakra building steadily. The air around them grew tense as the wind chakra condensed, swirling violently yet calmly within their hands.
Finally, at the exact moment, both Kenshin and his clone fired simultaneously. Twin gust bullets shot through the air, headed towards both targets.
Konan, watching through her binoculars, saw the devastating impact. The bullets tore through Tetsuya's room, obliterating his head, while the other bullet did the same for the puppet daimyo.
Konan lowered her binoculars. "Both targets down," she confirmed.
Kenshin exhaled softly, a faint smile crossing his face. "That was easier than I thought."
But his relief was short-lived. His senses flared, and in an instant, he shoved Konan to the ground, narrowly avoiding a grotesque, tentacle-like appendage that lashed out and latched onto a nearby tree.
Kenshin's eyes snapped to the source. To his shock, Tetsuya, whose head should have been destroyed, was being reeled in by the grotesque tentacle. The limb retracted into his body, morphing into his right arm as if it was a natural part of it.
"What the hell is that?" Konan muttered, her voice filled with disbelief as she rose to her feet, her gaze fixed on the seemingly resurrected Tetsuya.
Kenshin clenched his fists, his Mangekyo Sharingan flaring to life. "Looks like this isn't going to be as simple as we thought."
Tetsuya tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a taunting grin. His voice carried a mocking tone, as though he were addressing an old friend rather than an adversary.
"Why am I not surprised?" he began, chuckling darkly. "The bastard who skinned my son alive for that disgusting hag of a woman would be the one to come for me as well." His eyes flickered toward Konan, who remained silent and poised. "And I bet that bitch is working for you, huh?"
Kenshin remained silent, his gaze cold but his fists tightening.
Tetsuya laughed, the sound hollow and unsettling. "You made a mistake coming here, boy. I let you leave last time because I needed to keep this little secret from your precious village. But it doesn't matter now."
He gestured to himself with his malformed arm, the grotesque appendage twitching unnaturally. "Actually, I should thank you. It turns out that skinless bodies work best for this jutsu."
[Insert images of venom and those things from stranger things season 2]
Kenshin's Mangekyo Sharingan flared, his lips curling in disgust.
Tetsuya smirked. "That's right, boy. My son's corpse made the perfect vessel. Orochimaru didn't have the balls for this power, but I do. And now, I'm practically invincible."
Kenshin's focus remained unbroken, but a bead of sweat trailed down his temple. 'This isn't good. If it's what I think it is, then this is going to be a long fight.' He had been certain of his headshot—there had been no chance for survival. That meant Tetsuya had regenerated his head, and if his claims were true, this fight would be a tough one.
He glanced at Konan. He couldn't afford to risk her life in a battle like this. Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the arm and immediately activated Wind Burst, propelling them off the hilltop toward the woods.
But Tetsuya was faster than Kenshin had anticipated. The grotesque appendage lashed out, extending with horrifying speed and striking them midair. The force of the impact sent both Kenshin and Konan hurtling toward the palace.
Kenshin gritted his teeth, summoning another Wind Burst just before impact. The chakra release blasted out in the opposite direction, canceling their momentum and allowing them to land softly on their feet on the rooftop of the palace.
Konan staggered slightly but quickly regained her balance. "What is that thing?" she hissed, her eyes darting toward the hilltop where Tetsuya stood.
Kenshin's expression was grim, his Sharingan still blazing. "Something I should've expected. It's definitely Orochimaru's jutsu, but probably too volatile for that snake to control." He straightened, his mind racing. "Maybe that's why he just gave it away to tetsuya. Even that snake has boundaries apparently."
"So what do we do?" Konan asked, her arms already forming paper bombs.
Kenshin turned to Konan, his eyes still glowing with the Mangekyo Sharingan's intensity. "Onee-san," he said firmly, his voice laced with authority, "you need to leave. I need to figure out what that jutsu is before I can deal with him."
Konan's wings flexed slightly as she crossed her arms. "I'm not leaving you alone to fight that... thing," she said, her tone unyielding.
Kenshin exhaled through his nose but didn't reply. Instead, he quickly summoned Kira and Kaede, both appearing in their feline forms on the rooftop.
In an instant, they transformed into their humanoid forms. Kira's soft white hair shimmered under the moonlight, and Kaede, already cracking her knuckles, grinned eagerly.
"What's the plan, Master?" Kaede asked, her bright red eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Kenshin gestured toward Konan. "Kira, take her. Keep her safe."
Konan's jaw tightened. "Kenshin, don't ignore me!" she protested, stepping forward. "I can provide support—"
Kira placed a reassuring hand on Konan's shoulder, her expression soft yet firm. "Trust him," she said gently, shaking her head with a faint smile.
Konan hesitated, confused by Kira's calm demeanor. But as she looked at Kenshin, the confidence in his gaze stopped her short.
He wasn't afraid—not in the slightest. With Kaede by his side, he radiated a quiet, unwavering determination that she hadn't seen before.
'Kenshin… just how much have you grown?' she thought, her open mouth twitching slightly. 'It's barely been two months, and yet you've already changed this much?'
Reluctantly, she nodded, spreading her paper wings as Kira took her hand. The two leapt into the air, flying toward the trees.
Kaede smirked, stretching her arms. "So, what's the play, Master?"
Before Kenshin could reply, Tetsuya's grotesque appendage shot out, anchoring into the rooftop and pulling his warped body toward them. Simultaneously, a squad of Grass shinobi arrived, weapons drawn, their faces tense but determined.
When their eyes fell on Kenshin, their expressions shifted to terror. "The devil… He came back to kill Tetsuya-sama!" one of them stammered.
Tetsuya let out a cold laugh, gesturing toward Kenshin. "That's right. After your little episode in the Grass, they started calling you the 'Blood-Red Devil.' Fitting, don't you think?"
Kenshin didn't acknowledge the comment. Without hesitation, he extended his hand, summoning Adamantine Sealing Chains. The golden chains shot out with deadly precision, severing the heads of every Grass shinobi in an instant.
"Too bothersome to deal with small fry," Kenshin muttered, his tone emotionless as the chains dissipated.
Kaede let out a low chuckle. "That's my Master for you—always so efficient."
From her vantage point, Konan froze, watching the scene unfold. The brutal efficiency of Kenshin's actions sent a shiver through her. 'How is he not even flinching? He hated killing. But I have to admit that it's necessary. He can't be recognized by anyone here.'
Tetsuya landed heavily on the rooftop, his appendage slithering back into his body. "Looks like your little episode back then wasn't you going crazy or anything. You're just as ruthless as you were that day."
Kenshin didn't reply, his Mangekyo Sharingan locked onto his opponent. "Kaede," he said telepathically, "I'll distract him. You go in close."
Kaede grinned, her claws extending. "Got it."
Kenshin hurled kunai and shuriken at Tetsuya, each oneaimed at his blind spots. Tetsuya swatted most of them away with his appendages, growing visibly irritated as Kenshin kept his focus split. Meanwhile, Kaede darted in, her claws slashing across Tetsuya's torso.
Chunks of flesh tore away, only to regenerate almost instantly. Kaede frowned, stepping back as her claws retracted.
"Something's wrong," she said telepathically. "He's regenerating faster than I can tear him apart. Faster than even I could heal. And his body's tough. Unlike mine."
"What do you think of his ability?" Kenshin asked, his tone calm despite the situation.
Kaede studied Tetsuya's grotesque form for a moment before replying. "It's better than mine," she admitted. "While I need to keep my brain intact to heal, he regenerated even after you blew his head off. He can recover from any damage. But every ability has a limit. If we press him together, we'll find it."
Kenshin nodded. "Then let's push him. If I get hurt, you know what to do."
Kaede smirked. "Oh, I'll enjoy it."
Kenshin activated his Wind Chakra Mode, a dense aura of wind swirling around him. He and Kaede lunged at Tetsuya simultaneously, their attacks coordinated despite their lack of prior experience fighting as a team.
For a while, it seemed futile. Every wound they inflicted regenerated almost instantly, and Tetsuya's mocking laughter echoed across the rooftop.
But then Kenshin noticed something. Through his own experience with his right eye's restoration ability and the battles with Kaede, he realized that blunt force damage took longer to heal than sharp wounds.
"Kaede," he said telepathically, "stop using your claws. Go for chakra-powered punches instead, like you do with your tail."
Kaede blinked in surprise but quickly adapted. Her claws retracted fully, and she charged her fists with chakra, delivering a devastating punch to Tetsuya's side.
Kenshin followed suit, putting away his sword and focusing on powerful punches, his Wind Chakra Mode enhancing every strike. The two moved with instinctive coordination, each hit dealing significant blunt damage that slowed Tetsuya's regeneration.
For the first time, Tetsuya's confidence wavered. "You little—!" he growled, swinging his appendages wildly to create distance.
Kenshin's movements were relentless, a blur of calculated strikes powered by his Wind Chakra Mode. Kaede matched his intensity, her claws retracted now as she delivered thunderous chakra-enhanced punches, shaking the ground with each impact.
Despite the grotesque appendages lashing out from every part of Tetsuya's body, the two pressed on, aiming to overwhelm his regeneration.
Konan adjusted the focus on her binoculars, watching the chaotic battle unfold. The sight of Kenshin and Kaede working in seamless unison left her speechless.
They hadn't trained together, yet their attacks complemented each other perfectly, an unspoken synchronization that came from their instincts.
Next to her, Kira chuckled softly. "They're quite the pair, aren't they?" she remarked, her golden eyes never leaving the fight. "I wish I could join in though."
Konan nodded absentmindedly but couldn't shake her unease. Every time Kenshin was impaled by one of Tetsuya's grotesque limbs, her heart clenched.
And every time he healed himself with the glowing light of his right eye, she noted how his stance seemed to waver just a little more. 'He's pushing himself too far.'
"What about Kaede?" Konan asked suddenly, her voice laced with worry. "She's taking hits too, but she just keeps laughing. Why does she have that weird expression?"
Kira smirked, her tail flicking behind her lazily. "Oh, that's just Kaede being Kaede. She's… how do I put this? She's got a thing for powerful opponents. When she fights someone strong, she gets a bit… excited."
Konan blinked, her brow furrowing. "Excited?"
"Yeah," Kira said nonchalantly, her eyes not leaving the binoculars. "But it's nothing to worry about. See how she's still holding back? If she thought Tetsuya was truly stronger than her or our master, you'd hear her moaning and stuff. She even has orgasms, according to her. That's when you know she's taking a fight seriously."
Konan pulled the binoculars down and stared at Kira, her shock written plainly on her face. "You mean to tell me that… this is her idea of holding back?"
Kira shrugged, a sly smile playing on her lips. "What can I say? Kaede's a bit... She has a weird kink, but she's reliable as an ally in a fight."
Konan's gaze drifted back to Kenshin. He had just narrowly dodged a barrage of sharp tendrils, countering with a precise gust of wind that severed several appendages at once. His expression was focused, determined, and completely unshaken.
'He's changed so much,' Konan thought, her grip tightening on the binoculars. Barely two months ago, he was still that eager, kind-hearted boy who couldn't bear to see others suffer. Now…
Her mind flashed to the brutal efficiency with which he had dispatched the Grass shinobi earlier. Now, he's become something else entirely.
"Don't overthink it," Kira said suddenly, sensing Konan's inner turmoil. "Our master is growing stronger, yes. But he's still the same Kenshin deep down. You'll see. He's still the nicest person."
Konan frowned but didn't respond. She couldn't shake the feeling that Kenshin's growth, while impressive, was leading him down a path that might, no, will put him at odds with Nagato. And yet, as she watched him fight, she couldn't deny the faint glimmer of hope that flickered in her chest.
'Maybe… maybe he really could stand against Nagato someday.'
Back on the battlefield, Kaede's laughter rang out as she narrowly dodged a tendril aimed for her head. "Come on, human! Is that all you've got? I thought you were supposed to be invincible!" she taunted, her bright red eyes gleaming with excitement.
Tetsuya growled, his grotesque form pulsating as more appendages sprouted from his torso. "You pests are nothing but insects to me! I'll crush you both and add your flesh to my masterpiece!"
Kenshin didn't waste energy responding. Instead, he capitalized on Tetsuya's distraction, delivering a devastating kick to the side of his opponent's head. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, momentarily staggering the monstrosity.
"Kaede," Kenshin's voice echoed telepathically in her mind, "keep doing this. It's slight, but his body is regenerating slower."
"Got it, Master," Kaede replied, her grin widening. "Let's see how long this abomination can keep up."
The two lunged simultaneously, their attacks landing in perfect rhythm. Kenshin's wind-enhanced punches cracked bones, while Kaede's chakra-infused strikes sent ripples through Tetsuya's twisted body. For the first time, Tetsuya's regeneration seemed to falter, the damage taking marginally longer to heal.
"Is this all your so-called invincibility amounts to?" Kenshin said coldly, his Mangekyo Sharingan flaring.
Tetsuya snarled, his voice distorted and guttural. "Don't get cocky, boy. This is far from over!"
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Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.
A/N: I've been really busy with studies because university admissions are coming up in a couple months and the wife's gonna murder me if I don't get into a good one.
so I study a lot(reluctantly) and have less time to write.
I'll still try to get out a chapter a day but they're gonna be 1500-something like before.
I'll adjust every second chapter into the previous one to decrease the chapter count though.
so please put up with this for the rest of volume 1.
I'll try to end volume 1 by mid January if not this month.