Kai chuckled lightly, his expression completely calm, without a trace of tension. He spoke nonchalantly, "Relax, it's just a Tailed Beast Bomb."
Though the destruction of Kirigakure by the Tailed Beast Bomb had little to do with Kai personally, he couldn't ignore the fact that White was still in the village. If she were to be caught in the blast, Kai knew he'd regret it deeply.
"ROAR!"
The Three-Tails Isobu let out a deafening roar, launching a massive Tailed Beast Bomb directly toward Kai's position!
Wood Release: Rankei Barrier Technique!
A grotesque, sharp-fanged demon mask materialized in front of Kai.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Bomb slammed into the barrier with overwhelming force. Yet, the Rankei Barrier stood firm, not even showing the slightest crack or damage. Compared to Ōtsutsuki Hailiang's Divine Void Strike, this attack was far inferior—at least the Divine Void Strike had managed to leave faint fissures on the barrier.
"Who is he?"
"What kind of jutsu is that? It blocked the Three-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"That's Mitarashi Kai! He's Mitarashi Kai!"
"The Reaper of Konoha! Why is he here in our village!?"
The Kirigakure shinobi, who had been plunged into despair upon witnessing the Tailed Beast Bomb, were now left dumbfounded. The sight of the attack being blocked completely stunned them.
Some of the older shinobi, survivors of the Third Great Ninja War, recognized Kai immediately, their faces filled with terror.
"Is this... Wood Release?"
Standing nearby, Mei Terumi was utterly shocked. She had heard the legends of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, who had used Wood Release to bring peace to the chaotic ninja world. However, in her understanding, Wood Release was merely a combination of Water and Earth Releases. Even if it was stronger than her own Lava Release or Boil Release, it shouldn't be by much.
But seeing Kai's Wood Release now—capable of withstanding a Tailed Beast Bomb—shattered her assumptions. The power difference was like the heavens and the earth.
Beside her, Ao was equally dumbfounded, staring at Kai in disbelief.
The Three-Tails Isobu, enraged that its Tailed Beast Bomb had been stopped by the seemingly insignificant Kai, let out another furious roar. A singular thought echoed in its mind: kill the man before it.
Suddenly, the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern appeared in Isobu's eyes, and it completely lost all semblance of rationality.
Kai's gaze narrowed sharply. Earlier, he had thought he might have been mistaken, but this time, he saw it clearly. The Mangekyō Sharingan pattern in Isobu's eyes was definitely not that of Uchiha Obito!
The pattern—three hollow tomoe connected at their centers—was unmistakable.
Uchiha Madara!
That old man was still alive!
Kai's pupils contracted violently as a wave of tension swept over him. In a world where the Ōtsutsuki family was not yet making their move, only two individuals posed a genuine threat to him: Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
He had assumed Hashirama had long since passed away, and that Madara wouldn't resurface until the final battle of the ninja world, seventeen or eighteen years later. Yet here was proof—Madara was still alive!
Upon closer reflection, it made sense. The timeline in the original story never gave a specific date for Madara's death. It was entirely plausible that he had survived until now.
Compared to Hashirama, Kai felt an even deeper wariness toward Madara.
Kai knew all too well that Madara had already awakened the Rinnegan by this time. Although Madara had transplanted his Rinnegan into Nagato, it was unlikely that someone as cunning as Madara would leave himself without backup plans.
"What's wrong? Did you notice something unusual?"
Mei Terumi asked, noticing the shift in Kai's expression. Even when facing the fully transformed Three-Tails, Kai had remained calm.
Kai shook his head, choosing not to share his thoughts with Mei. Instead, he turned his attention back to the Three-Tails, his expression serious. "It's nothing. Let's deal with the Three-Tails first."
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!
A massive wooden dragon erupted from the ground, lunging toward the Three-Tails. It coiled tightly around Isobu, binding the beast in its grasp. The Wood Dragon Technique was known for its ability to absorb a Tailed Beast's chakra to strengthen itself. No matter how much Isobu struggled, the dragon refused to loosen its grip.
Wood Release: Five-Pronged Bag Technique!
Five enormous wooden hands emerged from the ground, gripping the Three-Tails tightly. With both the Wood Dragon Technique and the Five-Pronged Bag Technique restraining it, Isobu was forced to the ground, completely immobilized.
Two jutsu—just two techniques—were enough to subdue the Three-Tails!
Mei Terumi's mind was in turmoil, overwhelmed by a tidal wave of emotions. What followed was an overwhelming sense of helplessness. To think there existed a shinobi of such caliber in the ninja world... Even with her Kage-level strength, she realized she would be utterly powerless against someone like Kai.
"The Three-Tails Isobu has been subdued!"
"Lord Mizukage was defeated by the Reaper of Konoha!"
"And it was... so easy!"
The shinobi of Kirigakure were left in a daze, staring blankly at Kai in the distance.
Just as everyone thought the battle was over, a sudden change occurred.
The restrained Three-Tails Isobu began to stir.
In both its eyes, the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern fully emerged.
Layer upon layer of armor began to form over Isobu's body. Soon, a complete set of massive blue armor enveloped the beast. Even its long tails were covered, and two additional arms grew from its back, each wielding a translucent blue blade. Its shoulders bore prominent plate armor, and its head was adorned with a mask-like helm.
Kai's eyes widened in shock. This was—
Majestic Attire: Susano'o!
A fusion of beast and Susano'o!
Kai knew this scene all too well. During the Battle of the Final Valley, Uchiha Madara had used the Majestic Attire: Susano'o by combining Susano'o with the Nine-Tails.
But to see it now, on the Three-Tails Isobu...
Kai hadn't expected to witness this terrifying technique here and now.
"What is that monster!?"
"It looks even more powerful than the Three-Tails from before!"
"Run for your lives!"
Panic erupted once more in Kirigakure. The villagers and shinobi, who had just begun to calm down, were thrown into chaos. The sight of the monstrous fusion filled them with a deep, primal fear.
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