Not just Kushina, but even Tsunade and the others who had been sitting cross-legged, practicing, stood up in astonishment.
Tsunade hadn't seen Reiki in action for a long time. As his teacher, she was well aware of his extraordinary talent as a medical ninja, but his combat capabilities were still a mystery to her.
All she knew was that even prodigies like Uchiha Shisui and Namikaze Minato had fallen short against Reiki in sparring sessions.
Now, seeing Reiki's decisive actions, Tsunade was certain: this boy wasn't just a medical genius—his combat abilities had reached a terrifying level.
And he was only nine years old... still in the phase where his strength could skyrocket with time.
In no time, a steady rhythm of bang, bang, bang echoed through the area as ninjas were thrown at their feet one by one.
By the end of it, 21 ninjas lay unconscious in a heap.
Reiki emerged from the battlefield, looking visibly disappointed.
Despite his success, using both Evil Ghost Haunting and One-Shot Kill Murasame alongside his devil fruit powers had taken a toll on him.
"There were actually 21 people!" Kushina exclaimed, wide-eyed. She had sensed only 18 earlier.
"Two managed to escape," Reiki said with a slight frown. "I wasn't decisive enough in the beginning. By the way, do you need these guys interrogated?"
His tone carried a tinge of frustration. Letting even two enemies escape felt like a failure to him.
"Two escaped... Roy, if you keep talking like this, you'll never have friends!" Kushina shot back, her tone mixed with exasperation and humor.
This boy wasn't just strong and handsome—he also exuded an air of "humble arrogance" that was difficult to ignore.
Now Kushina understood why so many of her sisters-in-law were drawn to him. Someone like Reiki made it nearly impossible for others to feel adequate in comparison.
Of course, she had conveniently forgotten how Minato's brilliance had cast a similar shadow in his day.
"Alright, I'll leave the interrogation to you," Tsunade said, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. She closed her eyes to meditate and absorb the restorative potion she had taken.
Orochimaru, intrigued by Reiki's efficiency, stepped forward to assist with the interrogation.
But Reiki, his chakra and stamina running low, passed the torch to Orochimaru. "I'm running on fumes, Lord Orochimaru. The rest is up to you tonight."
Taking a restorative potion, Reiki sat down and began meditating.
Orochimaru's lips twitched. Reiki had interrogated these ninjas six or seven times already, using relentless "persuasion techniques."
Even after subjecting them to what could only be described as creative torture, Reiki had healed them afterward, keeping them alive for further questioning.
This had left the captured ninjas utterly despondent.
"If this kid had more chakra, he'd probably interrogate them a hundred times over," Orochimaru mused, glancing at the captured ninjas with pity. Compared to Reiki, Orochimaru almost felt like a saint.
Eventually, Orochimaru summoned his snakes to haul the captives away.
Meanwhile, on a distant mountain peak, a white-robed man reported to Black Zetsu.
"Of the first batch of 23 assassins, three escaped, but the rest were neutralized."
"One noteworthy individual seems to be Orochimaru's direct disciple. He's a peculiar ninja. As for who defeated the assassins, the three who escaped couldn't gather any useful information."
Black Zetsu's face darkened. "It seems the team Minato brought this time isn't simple. No matter. These are just petty obstacles trying to delay Konoha's Hokage from returning to his position."
Then, his expression shifted. "I'll deal with that boy myself."
Sinking into the ground, Black Zetsu disappeared.
Two days later, Reiki and his group successfully arrived at the Daimyo's residence.
Reiki, expecting another ambush, was practically brimming with excitement for another "experience package." But to his dismay, no such attack came.
"This black market is too cowardly," he muttered, clearly disappointed.
"Reiki, accompany Minato while he speaks with the daimyo. Wait here for now," Tsunade instructed before following Minato inside.
Reiki sat in the daimyo's courtyard, idly observing his surroundings. His curiosity was piqued when he sensed faint chakra fluctuations coming from the pond.
"What's this...?"
Approaching the pond to investigate, his panel suddenly flashed a name: Black Zetsu.
Before Reiki could react, a shadowy figure emerged from the water. What stunned him most was that the figure was a mirror image of himself.
"Confused?" the shadow spoke in an eerie tone. "Reiki... or should I say, your true self."
"What? My true self?" Reiki frowned, growing wary. Black Zetsu's antics were infamous.
"I am the darkness and evil hidden within you," Black Zetsu began, launching into his usual manipulative spiel.
At first, Reiki listened with mild curiosity, but it quickly turned into exasperation.
Did Black Zetsu really think he could manipulate him as easily as he had Uchiha Madara?
Still, Reiki let Black Zetsu ramble on. He knew Black Zetsu's ultimate goal was to free Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Reiki wasn't opposed to the idea. Kaguya intrigued him—a millennia-sealed, potentially unhinged being with enormous power. If handled correctly, her return could unlock incredible opportunities.
After patiently listening to Black Zetsu's monologue, Reiki finally interjected, "Are you done?"
Black Zetsu froze, clearly thrown off by the abrupt question.
"You've been talking for ages about identity and darkness, but not once did you mention the Chakra Fruit, the Sacred Tree, or Infinite Tsukuyomi. What's your angle?"
Reiki smirked, his sharp gaze cutting through Black Zetsu's facade.
Had Black Zetsu changed his tactics, or was this simply a poor attempt at manipulation?