271-275

Chapter 271: Getting Ready to Wreck the Prince of the Land of Lakes 

Kazama had the medical-nin from his own village treat his wounds. 

Now that Kuro Zetsu was dead and the Dark Flame Emperor had escaped, the Great Shinobi War had finally come to an end. 

With the war over, news of Kazama’s deeds spread across the entire shinobi world, including all five great nations. 

Everyone now knew his name. 

They all knew it was Kazama—by his own strength alone—who thwarted the enemy’s schemes, defeated an army of millions, and saved them all. 

Praise for Kazama flooded in from every direction. People idolized him, looking up to him as their hero. 

Kazama, naturally, felt super awkward with all the attention. 

But he had more pressing matters to deal with—like reviving Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. 

After all, Kaguya had helped him fight the Dark Flame Emperor multiple times. 

Not to mention, her power was off the charts. As the "Goddess of the Shinobi World," she was basically a living nuke with bangs. 

Kazama figured that if he could bring her back, it would seriously boost his odds in the final showdown against the Dark Flame Emperor. 

But he had a big problem. 

He no longer possessed the Sanzen En'en Kaen (Three-Thousand Blazing Flame) or the Seirei no Homura (Flame of Life). 

That meant he couldn’t do anything to help Kaguya’s injuries. 

Luckily, thanks to the many skilled medical-nin from Otogakure and the Fallen Heart Flame Tower , Kaguya’s condition was finally stabilized. 

Kazama had them continue her treatment inside the tower. 

The Fallen Heart Flame wasn’t exactly a healing flame, but it could temper chakra and reinforce the body’s resilience—basically a chakra gym session for the soul. 

While it couldn’t fully heal her, it made the recovery process a whole lot easier. 

Under the tower’s power and with the help of the medics, Kaguya was no longer in immediate danger. 

Though she hadn’t woken up yet, Kazama could finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

Then a thought suddenly struck him: 

“If only I’d infused the Sanzen En’en Kaen and the Seirei no Homura into the Fallen Heart Flame Tower earlier… I might’ve been able to fully revive Kaguya by now. Ugh, too late to cry over spilled chakra. Anyway, I’ve got bigger fish to fry—like tracking down the scattered iyoku before the Dark Flame Emperor beats me to it.” 

With that, Kazama activated his insanely overpowered sensory abilities. 

He began scanning the entire world for traces of the lost Otherworldly Flames. 

Not long after, he detected one—the Genkō En (Mysterious Yellow Flame)—somewhere within the Land of Lakes. 

Sure, the Genkō En wasn’t exactly top-tier anymore by Kazama’s standards, but even a lesser iyoku was way stronger than ordinary fire. 

Plus, if he didn’t act fast, the Dark Flame Emperor might snatch it first. 

So Kazama used his ultimate space-time jutsu—Yomi no Hirazaka (Yomi Path)—to instantly teleport to the Land of Lakes. 

But as soon as he arrived… 

He discovered something that made his blood boil: 

The Genkō En had already been taken by none other than the Prince of the Land of Lakes! 

Kazama’s rage exploded. 

That same prince had clashed with him before, and now he had the audacity to absorb the Genkō En?! 

Kazama didn’t waste a second. With a flicker, he tracked down the prince’s location. 

At that moment, the prince—still high on the power boost from absorbing the flame—was celebrating his newfound strength. 

Poor guy had no idea he was about to get royally stomped. 

Chapter 272: Reclaiming the First Elemental Flame 

Kazama suddenly appeared before the Prince of the Land of Lakes, catching him off guard. The prince felt a mix of excitement and fury. 

He was thrilled at the chance to use the Genkōen ("Mystic Yellow Flame") to defeat Kazama and finally settle the score. 

But at the same time, he was outraged that Kazama had entered the Land of Lakes without permission—an insult to his pride and authority. 

Before Kazama could even speak, the prince sneered coldly. 

“Heh… Kazama, you damn brat. You're really something, huh? I’ve been dying to get revenge, and now you waltz right into my territory? Perfect! Now I’ll beat your smug face into the dirt!” 

Kazama simply smirked. He remembered how this prince used to be respectful toward him during the Chūnin Tournament. Now, emboldened by absorbing the Genkōen, the guy thought he could act tough? 

Without another word, Kazama launched his attack. 

Instead of backing down, the prince just laughed. 

“Hah! You think I’m still the same weakling from before?” 

As he spoke, the Genkōen flared up around him, forming a protective aura that completely nullified Kazama’s strike. 

“Tch... So this is what it’s like to face the Genkōen. It’s as powerful as they say…” 

Kazama frowned. His fists, even though reinforced with chakra, were now covered in burns and cuts. If he hadn’t used chakra, that single clash might have incinerated his hands completely. 

Until now, Kazama had always been the one wielding elemental flames—he’d never felt what it was like to be attacked by one. 

But now, getting hit by the prince’s Genkōen, he finally understood just how destructive it was. 

The prince, seeing Kazama take damage, laughed again and taunted him: 

“Hah! What did I tell you? You’re no match for me! Come on, hit me again! I’ll smash your face in so bad you’ll cry for your mommy!” 

BOOM! 

Kazama responded instantly, unleashing Shinra Tensei . With one powerful burst, he sent the prince flying nearly a hundred meters, crashing to the ground. 

The prince, stunned and furious, scrambled back to his feet and lunged at Kazama again. 

“Kazama, you little punk! I’m not gonna lose to you! If you’ve got guts, fight me without that damn jutsu!” 

Kazama laughed. 

“Oh please, now you want to set rules? In a real fight?” 

He followed up with Banshō Ten’in and another crushing Shinra Tensei, slamming the prince back down and leaving him bloodied and bruised. 

“Prince of the Land of Lakes, did you really think this was a tournament match? That you could dictate the terms of battle? I don’t usually bully the weak, but that flame inside you—it’s mine. And I’m taking it back.” 

“Damn it! You think you can just steal my Genkōen? In your dreams!” 

The prince didn’t care who the Genkōen originally belonged to. Now that he had it, he was determined to keep it for himself. 

He charged again, unleashing a surge of Genkōen toward Kazama. 

But Kazama, even though he couldn’t withstand the flame’s power head-on, had other means. With precise timing, he used Shinra Tensei to redirect the flame—right back at the prince himself. 

The Genkōen scorched him viciously. He dropped to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony. 

Kazama didn’t waste the chance. He moved in and cast Tsukuyomi trapping the prince in a powerful genjutsu and forcibly extracting the Genkōen from his body. 

“I’ll spare your worthless life—for now. I can see you’re not truly evil. But if you ever dare act up again, or harm others for your gain, I will come back—and I won’t be so merciful next time.” 

Kazama left those words echoing in the prince’s mind as the Tsukuyomi ended. Then, without hesitation, he turned and moved on. 

While fighting the prince, he had already sensed the presence of another elemental flame—waiting to be claimed. 

Chapter 273 – The Clue to the Second Heavenly Flame 

At this moment, the iyoku (abnormal flame) that Kazama sensed was none other than the infamous Falling Heart Flame, known to many as the ultimate cheat code for cultivation. 

Even though Kazama was currently in the Otogakure (Hidden Sound Village), where the Falling Heart Flame Tower stood, the flame within that tower was merely a wisp of the original iyoku—something Kazama had previously absorbed. 

That sliver of flame wasn’t enough to produce any real results. 

That’s why Kazama now needed to hurry and locate the true source of the Falling Heart Flame. 

Only by obtaining the flame’s origin could he further enhance his strength. 

Not only that—it would also stop the severely wounded Koku’an Teien (Black Flame of the Dark Emperor) from getting his hands on it. 

After all, the Falling Heart Flame had the ability to dramatically increase one’s power. 

If Koku’an Teien managed to find and absorb it, Kazama would be doomed. 

Even though Kazama could currently overpower Koku’an Teien in combat, he still lacked the strength to completely eliminate him. 

That’s why Kazama had to make sure the Dark Emperor’s plans were utterly crushed. Only then could he gather all twenty-two types of abnormal flames and destroy Koku’an Teien once and for all. 

And now, the location of the Falling Heart Flame he sensed was—the Kurama Clan’s compound in the Land of Fire. 

The Kurama Clan was once hailed as the strongest genjutsu (illusionary technique) clan, rumored to even surpass the Sharingan in terms of illusions. 

But their glory days were long gone. Nowadays, the Kurama Clan had fallen into decline. 

Just as Kazama arrived at the Kurama compound, before he could even begin searching for the Falling Heart Flame’s trail— 

He ran into three familiar faces: Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke. 

It turned out that ever since Sasuke had been placed under Kazama’s Kotoamatsukami (a powerful genjutsu that compels someone to protect Konoha), he had returned to the Hidden Leaf Village. 

Kazama had already explained everything to Tsunade, and because of that, she no longer held Sasuke accountable for his betrayal of the village years ago. 

Naturally, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and the others welcomed Sasuke back with open arms. 

Ever since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, they’d been diligently working on missions for the village. 

Now, upon seeing Kazama again, the three were thrilled beyond words—it was a totally unexpected joy. 

Kakashi immediately walked up to Kazama with a smile. 

“Hey, Kazama! What are you doing here of all places?” 

“Yeah, we haven’t seen you in ages! Who would’ve thought we’d run into you here?” Naruto added, with Sakura and Sasuke quickly joining him, bombarding Kazama with excited questions. 

“Ever since you saved the entire shinobi world all by yourself and foiled the enemy’s scheme, you’ve totally disappeared! We asked Lady Tsunade about your whereabouts so many times, but she wouldn’t even tell us where the Hidden Sound Village is! We wanted to visit you, but never got the chance!” 

Kazama smiled and replied cheerfully, “Well, you didn’t get the chance before… but now, here you are.” 

Still, he didn’t tell them the real reason he’d come to the Kurama Clan. 

The Falling Heart Flame was far too dangerous—it could incinerate a person into nothingness if mishandled. 

Kazama didn’t want Kakashi and the others to risk their lives for his sake. 

However, from their conversation, Kazama did learn why they had come here. 

Apparently, Kurama Yakumo, the clan leader’s daughter, had lost control of her immense genjutsu powers, causing chaos within the village. 

Chapter 274: The Arrogant Kurama Clan 

Konoha had sent shinobi to bring Kurama Yakumo under control. 

When Kazama heard this, he thought to himself: "I’ve heard about the Kurama clan before. Sure, their genjutsu is insanely strong—top-tier, really—but in the end, genjutsu just messes with the five senses. It can’t actually cause real physical harm. Normally, genjutsu has to be paired with ninjutsu to be effective. So how is it that Yakumo's genjutsu alone can kill people outright and throw an entire village into chaos? Isn’t that even stronger than the Uchiha's Sharingan-based illusions?” 

With that thought, Kazama was almost certain that Yakumo’s incredible genjutsu must be tied to the *Falling Heart Flame *. 

The Falling Heart Flame was known as a kind of "cheat code" in training—it could constantly increase one’s power. 

But if someone didn’t have a firm enough mindset, they could easily lose themselves in that growing power and spiral out of control. 

So Kazama turned to Kakashi and the others and said, "To be honest, I’m here in the Kurama clan for an important reason too. But since I ran into you all, and I’m also a member of Team 7, why don’t the four of us team up again and take action?” 

"Yeah! That sounds great!" Naruto responded immediately, excited. 

Even though Naruto had now fully mastered the power of the Nine-Tails (Kyūbi no Yōko), he still deeply respected and relied on Kazama. 

To him, as long as Kazama was around, any obstacle would become insignificant. 

And it wasn’t just Naruto—Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all felt the same way. 

Even though each of them had grown much stronger, they still looked to Kazama as their leader. 

"Alright then," said Kakashi, smiling and nodding as the team leader. "We’ll go with your plan." 

Just then, as they were discussing their next move—how to find the rampaging Kurama Yakumo—a group of Kurama clan members suddenly surrounded them. 

"Heh, you puny brats from Konoha sure have some nerve acting all high and mighty in front of the Kurama clan!" one of them sneered. 

Kazama immediately activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and with one glance, he saw that the chakra of these clan members was completely unstable. 

It was obvious—they were under a powerful genjutsu, their minds no longer their own. 

Kazama realized right away: these people were being controlled by Yakumo. 

Right now, only Yakumo in the Kurama clan had the power to manipulate her kin like this. 

Kazama subtly signaled Kakashi and the others. 

Even though he didn’t say a word, years of fighting side by side had made their teamwork seamless. 

Seeing Kazama’s look, Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura instantly understood. 

In a flash, they all had kunai ready in their hands. 

But the Kurama clan members just laughed when they saw the group didn’t answer and instead took a fighting stance. 

"Hah! You brats don’t know when to quit. You really think a few little Konoha punks like you can take us on?” 

Chapter 275 – Playing with Genjutsu? I'm Your Ancestor 

"Hmph, since you refuse our kindness and insist on making things difficult, then let us show you the true power of the Kurama Clan!" 

Before Kazama and the others could react, a group of shinobi from the Kurama Clan had already formed hand seals and unleashed their genjutsu. 

Instantly, the environment around Kakashi and the others shifted drastically. 

The peaceful grassy field turned into a bottomless abyss, and beneath that abyss were countless flame-covered beasts, snarling and roaring. 

Naruto was immediately terrified—screaming and shaking all over. 

"Haha! So these are the ninja from Konoha? What a joke!" "Yeah, that was way too easy. Just a simple illusion and they’re already scared stiff." 

While the Kurama shinobi mocked Naruto and Kakashi, who were both caught in their genjutsu, they suddenly noticed one person who hadn't moved a muscle—Kazama. 

That shocked the Kurama shinobi. 

After all, the Kurama Clan was known throughout the Shinobi World as the top genjutsu users. No one had ever resisted their illusions before. 

Yet now, Kakashi and the others had all been caught in their technique, while Kazama remained completely unaffected—clearly, he hadn’t been caught in it at all. 

While the Kurama shinobi stood stunned, Kazama stepped forward with a cold smile. 

"Kurama Yakumo, I know you’re the one controlling them right now. That’s why I’m asking you to listen. We from Konoha came here to help you, not to fight you. So please, don’t force us to take action." 

"Tch, cut the crap!" 

With a roar from Kurama Yakumo, the shinobi under her control once again charged at Kazama. 

Seeing that Yakumo was refusing to listen and forcing a confrontation, Kazama decided he wouldn't waste any more breath. 

In an instant, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan activated. 

With a single glance, he shattered the illusions holding the Kurama shinobi captive. 

Then, with another wave of power, he freed Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura from their respective genjutsu as well. 

Meanwhile, Yakumo, who had been maintaining control over the villagers through her genjutsu, was stunned when she saw Kazama dispel her illusion with just one move. 

"So this… this is the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan? Incredible!" 

Even though she was shocked by the strength of Kazama’s eyes, Yakumo didn’t show the slightest trace of fear. 

After absorbing the Falling Heart Flame, her personality had changed drastically. 

In her eyes, there was no one she couldn't defeat. She believed that if she so desired, she could kill anyone. 

So Yakumo once again gave the order, and the shinobi still under her illusion rushed at Kazama once more. 

By now, Kakashi and the others had recovered and quickly ran up to thank Kazama. 

"Kazama, seriously, we owe you one." "Yeah, if you hadn’t been here, we would’ve been trapped in the Kurama Clan’s genjutsu forever." 

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura had all snapped out of it, but Naruto was still slumped on the ground, yelling and flailing around. 

Clearly, his illusion had gone the deepest. 

Sakura couldn’t help but feel deeply embarrassed watching him like that.