Tōshirō felt there was no longer any need to stay.
His opinion was shared by the rest of his team.
Since neither side could be considered "good," there was no point in lingering. Let them tear each other apart.
"Heh, now that you know my secret, do you think I'll let you leave?"
Letting them return to their village, only for them to bring back Uchiha clansmen to take his eyes? Dokai wasn't that naive.
"Well, you're not wrong," Tōshirō said with a smirk. "But with our strength, do you really think you can stop us if we decide to leave?"
Dokai's lips curled into a confident grin, his tone dripping with certainty. "Don't worry. Since I told you my secret, I naturally have the absolute strength to ensure none of you leave here alive."
His gaze lingered on Tōshirō's crimson eyes, burning with greed and desire. "Those eyes of yours—I'll take them for myself."
Tōshirō's expression darkened, his unease growing.
Being treated as someone's possession disgusted him. At the same time, an inexplicable fear gnawed at him.
What gave Dokai such confidence that he could handle all four of them at once? Even preventing them from escaping?
This unknown factor filled him with dread.
Suddenly, as if to dispel his anxiety, a warm sensation touched his shoulder.
A pale hand rested on his trembling shoulder.
"Tōshirō, I won't let them take you. I absolutely won't."
Tsunade's clear voice carried an unwavering resolve.
"Thank you…"
Tōshirō was deeply moved. He closed his eyes briefly, opening them again with a newfound determination. The fear vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous intent.
"If you want my eyes, come and get them—if you can."
Based on their opponent's displayed abilities, Dokai's speed far exceeded any of the four. If they tried to flee recklessly, they'd inevitably expose openings.
Both sides held their ground, tense and focused. The atmosphere was so still that the slightest disturbance would be noticeable.
That's why the sound of approaching footsteps stood out so starkly.
A young man appeared, thick-browed and wide-eyed, with an honest-looking face.
Tōshirō recognized him. Wasn't his name something like Kurozumi?
"What are you doing here? Leave now! This is no place for you!"
Jiraiya, despite knowing the ones who hired them weren't good people, couldn't help but offer a warning out of humanitarian concern.
Kurozumi shook his head and spoke as if to himself, "I don't need to keep hiding anymore."
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
Kurozumi tore away his timid facade, laughing loudly as his true self emerged. "Because I've obtained power now!"
"What?!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock, unsure what he was raving about.
Kurozumi let out a sinister laugh. "Right now, in your eyes, I must look like a madman, don't I? Fine. Let me show you the real me after gaining power!"
With that, his body began to change. His physique visibly expanded as if inflated, muscles swelling and tearing through his shirt. Strange black markings appeared across his robust frame, his hair spiked upward, and his eyes darkened with black eyeshadow.
Tsunade sensed the overwhelming chakra radiating from him and quickly reported to her teammates, "Such immense chakra! From him, I can feel a power on par with Dokai's—no, it's continuously growing. At this rate, he'll surpass Dokai soon."
"I must thank you Konoha ninja. Without you, I wouldn't have become who I am today."
Kurozumi spread his arms theatrically, radiating confidence, a stark contrast to his former meek demeanor.
Tōshirō's face was filled with confusion. "What's going on here?"
"Ah~ How should I put this? I am the real Momonosuke."
Momonosuke #2 sighed as he spoke, and everyone present, except for him, was utterly stunned.
Dokai, in particular, seemed to realize something, his eyes widening in anger. "So that's it! The fake Momonosuke was a decoy you deliberately released!"
Momonosuke #2 began to narrate slowly.
After listening, Tōshirō pieced together the chain of events.
This "Kurozumi" was actually the real Momonosuke. Fearing his true identity would one day be discovered, he had always hidden under the alias "Kurozumi." Not even the Kabuki version of Momonosuke—the fake—knew the truth and sincerely believed himself to be the real one.
Unbeknownst to him, he was merely a substitute, a pawn of the real Momonosuke, meant to be sacrificed when necessary.
Just like in this mission, the real Momonosuke had intentionally exposed the Kabuki Momonosuke's identity, ensuring Dokai would capture him. This would compel the Konoha shinobi to intervene and rescue him, leading to a clash with Dokai. During the commotion, Momonosuke #2 would seize the opportunity to stage a coup and infiltrate the altar to awaken the ancestral power.
Although some unexpected incidents occurred along the way, his plan was largely successful. He had gained the power of his ancestors, his body now overflowing with chakra. At last, he no longer needed to hide or live in constant fear.
Tōshirō looked at Momonosuke #2, his expression dark.
No wonder he had pleaded so earnestly for them to rescue the Kabuki version of Momonosuke—it was all to use them as a distraction.
Could people stop being so manipulative and start being more honest for once?
Tōshirō sighed, feeling like the honest guy in all of this.
But whatever. For now, their interests aligned.
Momonosuke #2, empowered by the ancestral chakra, seemed to have been suppressing himself for far too long. The moment he gained strength, he charged at Dokai, eager to prove his might.
Reckless? Definitely reckless. But undeniably strong.
At this moment, Momonosuke #2 was even overpowering Dokai in a one-on-one fight.
"Die!"
With a thunderous roar, Momonosuke #2 unleashed a flurry of punches, each as forceful as a mountain collapse and as swift as thunder.
Caught off guard, Dokai took the full brunt of the assault. His body was thrown like a ragdoll, slamming into a wall with a deafening crash. When the dust settled, Dokai lay against the wall, blood dripping from his mouth.
Seeing the blood, it was clear he was genuinely injured, not pretending.
Tōshirō observed and thought to himself: Is it really over?
Based on Dokai's earlier display of power, Tōshirō doubted whether Dokai could even take down all four of them, let alone prevent them from escaping.
Momonosuke #2 wasn't letting up. Stomping the ground, he cracked the earth beneath his feet, channeling force into his right leg. Using it like a spring, he launched himself forward like a bullet, swinging his fist to deliver another devastating blow.
"I am the man destined to become the king of Wano!"
After declaring this, he fully expected to topple Dokai and gain the adoration of the people, becoming the new king.
But why was he now sprawled on the ground?
His entire body felt like it had been shattered, the pain piercing to his very bones.
"What did you just say you wanted to become king of?!"
Hearing the disdainful voice, Momonosuke #2 struggled to lift his head.
Above him stood a man, gazing down coldly with crimson eyes, as if staring at an ant.
The three-tomoe Sharingan in Dokai's eyes had vanished, replaced by an intricate, otherworldly pattern.
"This… What is this?"
Momonosuke #2's pupils shrank as he stared at the blue figure reflected in his eyes. The figure exuded a chilling aura as it moved with the wind.
Around Dokai's body, arcs of blue ribcage-like structures manifested, solidified into a skeletal form. Attached to the ribcage was a massive hand, resembling that of a human skeleton.
It was this hand that had struck him moments ago, moving too fast for him to react and hitting with such force that he was left immobilized on the ground.
As the skeletal ribcage and hand fully materialized, a complete skull formed, followed by the rest of the skeletal frame resembling a humanoid figure.
But it didn't stop there.
The upper body, initially skeletal, began to grow muscle and flesh, its head sprouting massive horns on both sides. Its gaze burned with an unearthly intensity, and its form resembled that of a demonic deity.
The blue demon raised its hand, from which a spiked club-like weapon materialized, crackling with lightning.
"Lightning Style: Thunderclap Eight Trigrams!"
Witnessing this, Tōshirō's eyes widened in disbelief, his face pale as if mourning.
Su… Susano'o!!!
(End of Chapter)
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