261-265

Chapter 261: Becoming the Ten-Tails Once More 

"Who the hell are you? Are you also from the Ōtsutsuki clan?!" 

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, barely suppressing the shock in her heart, urgently questioned Kazama. 

"Heh… nah. I'm not from the Ōtsutsuki clan—I'm from the Sanada clan." 

"Sanada clan? Trash! I've never even heard of such a name. If you're not of Ōtsutsuki blood, how dare you wield our clan's power? Infuriating! Even if it costs me my life today, I’ll cut you down where you stand!" 

As soon as Kaguya's words fell, she launched another furious assault at Kazama. 

But unfortunately for her, Kaguya was no longer a match for Kazama. 

Even without his upgraded Rinnegan—now with nine tomoe—Kazama’s previous six-tomoe Rinnegan alone was enough to completely overwhelm her. 

Kazama could absorb and nullify any attack. 

And on top of that, he wielded Amenotejikara, the space-swapping jutsu that gave him a godlike advantage in battle. 

So with just a single move, before Kaguya could even process what had happened, Kazama instantly swapped their positions— 

—causing Kaguya to get struck by her own attack and crash hard to the ground. 

Kazama thought this would be enough to end her. 

But to his surprise, the gaping wound in Kaguya's body began to close—healing rapidly before his eyes. 

This stunned Kazama. 

Kaguya sneered coldly as she got back to her feet. 

"Listen, brat. I admit—your strength has far exceeded my expectations. But I’m not someone you can just eliminate. Right now, I am the source of chakra in the shinobi world. The power of the God Tree flows entirely within me. In your terms, I am the true Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails. My regeneration is nearly unstoppable. Even if you tear me apart piece by piece, you still won’t kill me." 

"Oh really? Well now I have to see just how unstoppable you really are." 

Kazama wasn't backing down one bit. Kaguya’s arrogance only fueled his fighting spirit. 

"You insignificant gnat! You really think I’m going to just stand here and let you run wild?!" 

Enraged, Kaguya couldn’t tolerate Kazama’s audacity anymore. 

Even though she knew he couldn’t kill her, she wasn't about to let him continue this humiliation. 

With a roar of fury, Kaguya unleashed her full power—transforming into her Ten-Tails form. 

Kazama, unfazed, immediately transformed into a Ten-Tails form himself. 

"What?! How is that even possible?!" 

Kaguya’s eyes widened in disbelief. 

She knew the Ten-Tails was the God Tree’s incarnation—and there was only one God Tree on Earth. 

So how could Kazama also take on the form of the Ten-Tails? 

Despite the shock and confusion swirling in her mind, she had no time to dwell on it—Kazama’s next attack was already flying toward her. 

Kaguya quickly soared into the air to counter it, clashing head-on with Kazama in a battle of titans. 

But what she never expected was... 

Chapter 262: Obtaining the Number One Heavenly Flame—Emperor Flame 

At this point, Kazama had transformed into the exact form of the Jūbi (Ten-Tails), just like her. 

But even though Kazama now shared her appearance, his power far surpassed that of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. 

On top of that, all of Kazama’s attacks were now infused with the devastating power of the Ika—the otherworldly flames. 

Because of this, within just a few exchanges, he had Kaguya on the defensive, retreating under his relentless assault. 

Realizing she was no match for him, Kazama wasted no time unleashing Void-Devouring Flame (虚无吞炎), aiming to finish her off once and for all. 

However, much to his surprise, although Kaguya was clearly no match in terms of power… 

…she couldn’t be killed by Void-Devouring Flame. 

Despite being scorched all over, her body continuously healed itself at a terrifying pace. 

This infuriated Kazama—who wouldn’t be driven mad by an opponent who simply refused to die, no matter what? 

For the first time, he was starting to understand how others must have felt when fighting him. 

Then it hit him: “I just obtained the number one ranked Ika—Emperor Flame. Since Void-Devouring Flame, ranked second, couldn’t kill Kaguya, I might as well see what Emperor Flame can do.” 

With that thought, Kazama launched the Emperor Flame at Kaguya. 

But the moment he did, he suddenly remembered the system’s earlier warning: “Emperor Flame is extremely dangerous. Do not use it lightly.” 

But it was too late to take it back—he had already summoned it. 

As Kazama wondered what exactly the danger was… 

The Emperor Flame didn’t attack Kaguya. 

Instead, it turned on him, smacking him to the ground with a single strike! 

Kazama was shocked and furious—what the hell just happened?! 

Before he could react, the Emperor Flame swiftly devoured all 22 of the other Ika that Kazama had stored within himself. 

Cold sweat ran down his back in an instant. 

The Fenjue System quickly warned him: 

“Host, be careful! Emperor Flame once devoured all other Heavenly Flames to become the strongest. Now that it’s appeared again, it will absolutely keep devouring any and all other flames.” 

Kazama shouted in disbelief, “What?! I’m its master! Shouldn’t it obey my commands?!” 

“Please calm down. Yes, you are the Emperor Flame’s master in theory. But its power and intelligence are so overwhelming that unless you truly subdue it, there’s no way you can properly reclaim all 23 Heavenly Flames.” 

“WHAT?! This is outrageous!” 

Furious beyond words, Kazama felt rage boiling up inside him as the Emperor Flame’s arrogant attitude pushed him over the edge. 

At that moment, the flame transformed into a young man, who looked at Kazama and smirked coldly. 

“Who the hell do you think you are, summoning me? Don’t lump me in with those trash flames like Crimson Lotus Hellfire or that joke of a flame, the Lotus Demon Sovereign. I could erase you with a flick of my wrist. So you'd better watch yourself.” 

Kazama snapped, “Watch your damn mouth! I didn’t go through hell just to be disrespected by you!” 

Chapter 263: The Rebellion of Emperor Flame 

The moment Emperor Flame dared to threaten him, Kazama flew into a blinding rage. 

Without hesitation, he charged straight at Emperor Flame to strike him down. 

Initially, Emperor Flame had no intention of killing Kazama. His plan was to keep Kazama alive and turn him into a fire slave, completely under his control. 

After all, Emperor Flame had sensed the overwhelming power flowing within Kazama—he knew this wasn’t some ordinary shinobi. 

But what Emperor Flame hadn’t expected was that Kazama would reject his offer and instead act arrogant right in front of him. 

Infuriated, Emperor Flame’s fury exploded. 

With both sides ablaze with killing intent, they clashed in a high-speed battle that quickly escalated into a stalemate. 

Even though Kazama had lost all his 異火 (Different Flames), he still had his Burning Scripture System (焚诀系统) inside his body. 

This system allowed him to continuously absorb enemy attacks. 

So while Emperor Flame was powerful—devastatingly so—all his fire-based jutsu were being absorbed into Kazama’s body. 

Still, despite Kazama’s ability to survive and absorb attacks, he lacked the offensive power he once had. Without the lethal fire-based jutsu like Life Flame, Falling Heart Flame, or Three Thousand Flame Incineration, Kazama couldn’t deal any serious damage to Emperor Flame. 

The result? A dangerous stalemate. 

Seeing that Kazama was proving so difficult to deal with, Emperor Flame lost his patience and roared in fury. 

With just a few intense exchanges, he burned Kazama’s Heavenly Realm of Middle Existence (Ten no Onchū Sekai) into nothing but ashes. 

The sky was now filled with overwhelming flames. 

Kazama’s Burning Scripture System tried to absorb the inferno, but the intensity and scale of Emperor Flame’s 異火 was too much. 

Kazama, no longer protected by the ultra-defensive Volcanic Stone Flame, began to feel the full brunt of the searing heat. 

And without his healing flames—like Life Flame, Falling Heart Flame, and Three Thousand Flame Incineration—his injuries quickly worsened. 

For the first time in a long time, Kazama could sense the approach of death. 

Even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, who stood nearby, began to feel true fear in the face of Emperor Flame's overwhelming might. 

She had originally thought Kazama was already ridiculously strong. 

But now it was clear—Emperor Flame, a being Kazama had created, was even more terrifying than Kazama himself. 

Meanwhile, as Kazama racked his brain for a way to counter this monster, he spotted Kaguya just standing there, stunned. 

A lightbulb went off in his mind. 

“Kaguya!” he shouted. “If you want to live, we have no choice—we need to team up and take this thing down! Otherwise, we’re both dead!” 

"Hmph… is that so?" 

Kaguya was reluctant. The idea of cooperating with Kazama didn’t sit well with her. 

But she wasn’t stupid. She knew that without Kazama’s help, Emperor Flame would destroy her. 

After finally reviving after thousands of years, there was no way Ōtsutsuki Kaguya would allow herself to be annihilated here. 

So, with great reluctance, she agreed to join forces. 

The two of them launched a combined assault against Emperor Flame. 

But the moment Emperor Flame saw the two former enemies now fighting side by side, his rage erupted again. 

“Kazama, you damn brat! You think the two of you can beat me? *Keep dreaming!*” 

He wouldn’t let Kazama show him up—not now, not ever. 

Drawing upon every ounce of his power, Emperor Flame prepared to unleash his full wrath and incinerate both Kazama and Kaguya… 

And just then— 

Chapter 264: Crushing the Emperor Flame 

Kazama immediately joined forces with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and activated the power of the Rinne Sharingan with Nine Tomoe. 

In just a few quick moves, they once again dragged the Emperor Flame into a different dimension. 

Once inside that space, the Emperor Flame’s power was naturally suppressed. 

Without wasting time, Kazama and Kaguya unleashed a simultaneous Six Paths–Chibaku Tensei (地爆天星), trapping the Emperor Flame in another celestial prison. 

It didn’t take long before the Emperor Flame was completely sealed. 

Then Kazama quickly extracted its core essence and reabsorbed it back into his own body. 

With the successful absorption of the Emperor Flame, Kazama’s overall strength took a massive leap forward—a true breakthrough in power. 

At the same time, the abilities of his Rinne Sharingan surged dramatically. 

Just then, Kazama instinctively glanced at Ōtsutsuki Kaguya… 

…and to his surprise, discovered a seal inside her body—a seal on Black Zetsu. 

Kazama was immediately alarmed. 

“That doesn’t make sense,” he muttered. “I clearly remember that Black Zetsu was supposed to be the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya herself. Why is it sealed inside her?” 

With suspicion growing, Kazama focused his Rinne Sharingan on the seal, trying to read its contents. 

He soon uncovered the truth: 

Black Zetsu wasn't simply Kaguya's will—it was her dark side, born from the hatred and betrayal she suffered at the hands of humanity long ago. 

That darkness eventually grew so strong, it manifested independently… and ultimately took control of her. 

“No wonder Kaguya's been trying to kill everyone lately…” 

Having figured it out, Kazama immediately decided to help her break free from Black Zetsu’s influence—to bring back the kindness that once existed in her heart. 

If not, Kaguya would eventually be destroyed by her own darkness. 

With that resolve, Kazama moved in a flash, channeling the Emperor Flame into her chest—straight into her heart. 

Kaguya, unaware of his intent, was shocked when Kazama attacked her again. 

Furious, she pointed at him and shouted: “You little bastard! You said we were allies, that you wanted to make peace—now you’re attacking me again?!” 

Kazama quickly explained, “You’ve misunderstood—I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just trying to burn away the darkness inside you.” 

Kaguya stared in confusion, unsure whether to believe him. 

At that moment, the true form of Black Zetsu, which had been hiding within her all this time, realized Kazama had discovered its presence. 

Enraged and humiliated, it snapped. 

It immediately took over Kaguya’s body again and launched a full-force assault at Kazama. 

But Kazama thought to himself, “If the real Kaguya couldn’t defeat me, then now that she’s possessed by Black Zetsu, she definitely won’t stand a chance either.” 

Unfortunately, he had underestimated the fusion of Kaguya and Black Zetsu. 

Now that they were one, their combined power was even more overwhelming than before. 

In just a few moments, Kazama found himself getting completely overpowered and forced into retreat. 

He was stunned. 

Black Zetsu—now fully in control of Kaguya—let out a cold, mocking laugh. 

“Heh… You little bastard. You’ve ruined my plans over and over again—how impressive.” 

“I didn’t want to dirty my hands dealing with you personally, but since you’re so eager to die, don’t blame me.” 

“I’ll skin you alive, tear out your tendons, grind your bones to dust. You’ll beg for death—but I won’t let you have it.” 

Chapter 265 – The Rebirth of Black Zetsu 

At this moment, Black Zetsu had once again seized control over Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. 

Because of that, his power merged once again with Kaguya's immense chakra. 

In just a few quick exchanges, he had forced Kazama into a series of retreats. 

Seeing Kazama being pushed back, Black Zetsu arrogantly assumed that Kazama wasn’t even close to being a match for him. 

Without hesitation, he started acting smug again, attacking Kazama while hurling insults at him. 

"You little punk! You had a clear path to heaven, but you insisted on barging into hell. I’ve spared your pathetic life more than once, but you still dare to act tough in front of me? You’re really pushing your luck!" 

Smack! Smack! Smack! 

Right then, as Black Zetsu continued ranting, Kazama suddenly landed three sharp slaps right to his face, knocking him to the ground. 

The sudden turn of events left Black Zetsu completely stunned. 

He thought that now that he’d merged with Kaguya, there was no way he could lose to someone like Kazama. 

So how on earth did Kazama still manage to overpower him so easily? 

As confusion clouded his mind, Kazama launched a new, even more terrifying flame technique—an otherworldly fire that tightly surrounded Black Zetsu. 

Realizing Kazama’s power was still overwhelmingly superior to his own left Black Zetsu completely shaken. 

Kazama coldly sneered and said, "Let me tell you something, Black Zetsu. I, Kazama, am a true man with unbreakable spirit. Did you really think you could take me down so easily?" 

"What?! Are you saying I can’t kill you?" 

Black Zetsu was furious. Seeing Kazama still acting so smug lit a fire in his chest. 

But no matter how angry he got, he still couldn’t match Kazama in strength. 

That’s because Kazama had now obtained the number one-ranked Different Flame—Emperor Flame. 

The Emperor Flame’s destructive power was absolutely insane. 

In just a few exchanges, Kazama once again beat down Black Zetsu, who was still channeling Kaguya’s power, leaving him battered and on the verge of collapse. 

"What the hell?! How is this possible? I’m controlling the god of the shinobi world—why are you still so much stronger than me?!" 

Black Zetsu stood there, utterly dumbfounded, frozen in disbelief. 

Seeing his enemy humiliated again, Kazama couldn’t help but let out another mocking laugh. 

"Listen up, Black Zetsu. Evil will never triumph over justice. Even though Kaguya is incredibly powerful, at her core she’s still a righteous being. Someone like you, full of darkness and deceit, has no business trying to control her over and over. I’ll give you one last chance—surrender now. If you do, maybe I’ll give you a quicker death. But if you resist… I’ll tear you apart, scatter your ashes, and make sure there’s nothing left." 

"Hahaha! That’s hilarious!" 

Instead of being afraid, Black Zetsu burst into maniacal laughter after hearing Kazama’s ultimatum. 

"Kazama, you really think you can threaten me when death’s already knocking at your door?" 

"That’s right! I’ll laugh as much as I want! Don’t get cocky just because you beat me up a little…"