21-25

Chapter 21: The Third Strange Flame, Yin-Yang Dual Flame

“What the heck is going on up there?! First it’s the Sharingan, now the Mangekyō Sharingan—what’s that even mean?”

Naruto, safely shielded by Susanoo, was completely baffled.

He immediately turned to Sasuke and Sakura for answers.

“I’m the only Uchiha here, so why are we talking about the Sharingan and Mangekyō Sharingan?”

Sasuke’s jaw dropped as he blurted out in shock.

“It’s Kazama. He’s awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan,” Kakashi explained.

“What?! That’s impossible!”

Sasuke was floored by Kakashi’s words.

Even he, an Uchiha, hadn’t awakened his Sharingan yet.

And now Kazama, from the Sanada clan, had not only unlocked the Sharingan but jumped straight to the Mangekyō?

This was absolutely unheard of!

“Kazama didn’t just awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan—he’s also using a technique called Susanoo to protect us!” Kakashi added.

“Good grief! Is Kazama even human?!”

The Mangekyō Sharingan alone was enough to blow Sasuke’s mind.

Now hearing that Kazama was wielding Susanoo?

Sasuke was convinced Kazama was some kind of monster.

As an Uchiha, Sasuke had never seen Susanoo in action, but he knew what it represented:

A power capable of destroying heaven and earth, rivaling even the might of a Tailed Beast!

“Sensei Kakashi! If you’re here with us, does that mean Kazama’s out there fighting the enemy all by himself?”

Sakura’s voice trembled with worry for Kazama’s safety.

“Exactly. But don’t worry—Kazama’s strength is more than enough to take down Zabuza!”

“Hmph! You punks are underestimating me!”

At that moment, Zabuza came charging from above, aiming straight for them.

But in the next instant, he slammed into Kazama’s Susanoo and was completely blocked.

No matter how fiercely Zabuza attacked, he couldn’t even scratch Susanoo’s defense.

“What the hell kind of technique is this? It’s ridiculously strong!”

As Zabuza’s attacks continued, the mist around them began to clear.

A massive red skeletal figure appeared before everyone’s eyes.

It looked ethereal, yet it effortlessly deflected Zabuza’s relentless strikes.

Seeing his clan’s forbidden technique being used by an outsider like Kazama to protect him, Sasuke didn’t know whether to feel proud or depressed.

“This technique is called Susanoo. Of course a backwater thug like you wouldn’t have seen it,” Kazama taunted.

“You bastard!”

Zabuza, stung by Kazama’s mockery, lunged at him again.

“You dare humiliate me over and over? I’ll tear you to pieces!”

“You can’t even touch me. How are you gonna tear me apart?”

With his Mangekyō Sharingan active, Kazama could see every one of Zabuza’s moves crystal clear.

Dodging him was child’s play.

“You cocky brat! And what’s with your eyes?!”

Zabuza’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Kazama’s Mangekyō Sharingan.

He’d never encountered such a dōjutsu before.

“Hmph! I called you a country bumpkin and you got mad? This is the second evolution of the Sharingan, known as the Mangekyō Sharingan.”

“Mangekyō Sharingan!”

Zabuza felt a chill of death creep over him at Kazama’s words.

As a Kirigakure ninja, he’d never seen the Mangekyō Sharingan, but he’d heard the rumors.

Its ocular powers were dozens of times stronger than the regular Sharingan.

Kakashi’s Sharingan had already put him on edge.

Now, seeing Kazama wield the Mangekyō, Zabuza had a sinking feeling this mission was doomed.

“Damn it! Is Konoha out of its mind? It’s just protecting some guy like Tazuna, and they send a freak like this? But no matter how strong he is, he’s still just a kid. I, Momochi Zabuza, refuse to believe I’ll lose to a brat!”

“Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique! Die, kid, haha!”

Zabuza thought his casting speed was lightning-fast, too quick for Kazama to counter.

But he had no idea that in the eyes of Kazama’s Mangekyō Sharingan, his movements were slow as a snail.

If Kazama wanted, he could end Zabuza in an instant.

“This is a perfect chance to level up my Water Release!”

With that thought, Kazama absorbed the massive water orb into his body.

Ding! Successfully absorbed A-rank Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining S-rank Water Release: Heavenly Weeping! When cast, this technique unleashes a torrential downpour, with water droplets transforming into needles that strike the enemy’s vital points from all directions!

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the third Strange Flame: Yin-Yang Dual Flame!

This flame is formed from intertwining black and white flames, embodying the dual forces of life and death. The Yang Flame heals, capable of restoring life to anyone with even a single breath left. The Yin Flame kills, able to reduce even the mightiest foe to nothing but ash!

“Alright, my turn! Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!”

Before Zabuza could even process what was happening, he was pummeled by a sky full of water needles, leaving him bloodied and battered.

And that was Kazama going easy on him—otherwise, Zabuza would’ve been ground to paste by now.

*Chapter 22: Preparing to Absorb the Nine-Tails’ Power*

“Thanks for the help, everyone! As a rogue ninja from Kirigakure, I have to take Zabuza back.”

At that moment, a masked young ninja hurled a senbon needle, striking Zabuza’s neck.

“Finally showing up, huh, Haku?”

Kazama knew Haku’s move was to fake Zabuza’s death and whisk him away to safety.

And it wouldn’t be long before Haku and Zabuza launched a second attack.

But Kazama didn’t call him out.

Since his plan was to recruit both Zabuza and Haku, he figured giving them a few more beatdowns would make them more obedient later.

Plus, Kazama had another scheme for their next attack—he’d pretend to be taken out.

That would rile up Naruto, pushing him to tap into the Nine-Tails’ chakra.

When that happened, Kazama could sneakily absorb some of that power to boost his own strength.

After Haku left with Zabuza’s “corpse,” Kakashi and the others rushed to Kazama’s side.

“Kazama, you okay?”

“Don’t worry, Kakashi-sensei. A guy like Zabuza can’t touch me.”

Kazama casually hefted the Kubikiribocho with a grin.

“Impressive! So young, yet you took down a ninja as strong as Zabuza and snagged his Kubikiribocho!”

Kakashi was more and more convinced that Kazama’s potential was limitless.

“Kazama, I’m totally blown away by you!”

Naruto piped up, his eyes drifting to the massive blade in Kazama’s hand.

“Zabuza’s weapon looks so weird, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah!”

Sakura leaned in closer, inspecting it.

“Kazama, that Kubikiribocho is kinda creepy. You should just toss it!”

“No way!”

Before Kazama could respond, Kakashi jumped in.

“You guys don’t know this, but the Kubikiribocho can absorb iron from an enemy’s blood to repair itself. It’s called the unbreakable blade, way stronger than your average ninja tool. This is Kazama’s trophy—how could he just throw it away?”

After Kakashi’s explanation, everyone stared at the Kubikiribocho in Kazama’s hands, their eyes practically sparkling with envy.

Kazama’s real reason for taking the blade? It was bait.

He wanted to lure Zabuza and Haku back for another fight.

If Zabuza thought Kazama was too strong, he might just cut and run.

But with the Kubikiribocho in play, Zabuza wouldn’t dare leave it behind.

“Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—Kazama’s growing way faster than you three. He didn’t just beat Zabuza; he got a prize out of it. You’ve gotta step up your game!”

“No problem! I’m gonna work hard and surpass Kazama!”

Naruto thumped his chest, brimming with his usual unstoppable energy.

“Alright, then. Once we escort Mr. Dazuna home, we’ll train while waiting for his bridge to be finished!”

After dropping Dazuna off, Kakashi led Kazama and the team to a nearby forest.

“Your first training step? Tree climbing!”

Kakashi explained the basics, then walked straight up a tree trunk to the topmost branches.

“Like this, Sensei?”

Before anyone could react, Kazama’s voice rang out.

When they looked, their jaws nearly hit the ground.

Kazama wasn’t just walking up the tree.

He was standing upside down on the thinnest branch, perfectly balanced.

The branch swayed under the pressure, but Kazama’s feet stuck firmly to it, looking as steady as a rock.

*Chapter 23: Successfully Absorbing the Nine-Tails' Chakra*

“That Kazama guy just loves showing off!”

Kakashi knew that with Kazama’s current strength, he could control chakra effortlessly.

But Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had never seen Kazama pull off something like this before.

So, they were all completely blown away by his skills.

“Hmph! It’s just tree-climbing, right? I can do that too!”

Sasuke had already set Kazama as the target he needed to surpass.

So, no matter what it was, he had to compete with Kazama.

Without hesitation, he took a running start and charged up the tree trunk.

But after only five or six steps, he came crashing down hard.

“Haha!”

Naruto burst into laughter, practically doubling over. Nothing brought him more joy than watching Sasuke make a fool of himself.

While Kazama and the others were having their fun,

Zabuza and Haku were already plotting their second attack.

“Zabuza-sama, it looks like we won’t be able to complete this mission. The guy you fought earlier was just too terrifying!”

After Haku brought Zabuza to a hidden spot, he immediately used a secret technique to revive him.

“I know! But my Kubikiribōchō is still in that brat’s hands. I have to take it back!”

Zabuza spat out blood as he spoke, his voice filled with determination.

“Things are looking pretty bad, aren’t they?”

The next day, while Kakashi led Kazama and the others to protect Dazuna as he worked on building the bridge,

a thick fog suddenly rolled in around them.

It was exactly like the mist from Zabuza’s Kirigakure no Jutsu last time.

“This is bad!”

Kakashi finally pieced it together—Zabuza might not be dead. Someone must have saved him.

He was about to warn everyone to stay on guard,

but at that moment, several of Zabuza’s water clones and Haku’s secret ice needle technique came rushing toward Kazama.

Thud! Kazama fell to the ground, playing along with the attack.

“No way!”

Kakashi couldn’t believe his eyes. The genius Kazama, taken down so easily by the enemy?

“Kazama-kun!”

Sakura let out a cry and fainted on the spot.

“Hmph! I thought you were some kind of big shot, kid. Guess you’re nothing special!”

Zabuza’s tone was cocky, but deep down, he was a little shocked.

Kazama had been so powerful before.

And now, he’d been taken out so easily?

Something felt off to Zabuza, but he didn’t dwell on it.

His original plan was to grab his Kubikiribōchō and make a quick escape.

But seeing that Kazama, the strongest among them, was seemingly dead,

Zabuza changed his mind. Why not take this chance to wipe out Kakashi and the others too?

Too bad for him, the Kazama he defeated was just a Mokuton Bunshin—a Wood Release clone.

Thanks to his incredible sensory abilities, Kazama had already picked up on Zabuza’s presence.

He’d used a Mokuton Bunshin in advance, fooling not only Zabuza but Kakashi and the others too.

His goal? To make everyone think he was dead and push Naruto to unleash the power of the Kyūbi.

“You bastard! You killed my friend, you eyebrowless jerk!”

Naruto’s furious roar echoed as the Kyūbi’s chakra began to swirl around him.

He hadn’t fully transformed into a tailed beast yet, but his power was already overwhelming.

“Your opponent is me! Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō!”

Haku appeared, blocking Naruto’s path with his Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

“Get out of my way!”

Naruto, consumed by rage, fought with reckless abandon.

Fueled by the Kyūbi’s wild chakra,

he shattered Haku’s ice mirrors in just a few blows.

Haku was forced to retreat, barely holding his own.

“Now’s the time!”

Kazama, who’d been hiding in the shadows, sprang into action. In an instant, he absorbed Naruto’s Kyūbi chakra.

*Chapter 24: Gaining the Power of Ichibi Shukaku*

“Ding! Successfully absorbed Kurama’s chakra. Congratulations, Host, you’ve obtained the power of Ichibi Shukaku! You can now use all of Shukaku’s abilities and even transform into Ichibi Shukaku!”

“The power of Ichibi Shukaku? Why didn’t I get the power of the Kyūbi no Yōko instead?”

Kazama was genuinely puzzled.

“That’s because the chakra you absorbed was just a leak from Kurama, not the full power of the Kyūbi no Yōko itself. So, you couldn’t gain Kurama’s complete strength.”

“Oh, I get it!”

After the system’s explanation, Kazama let go of his doubts.

Whatever, the power of Ichibi Shukaku was more than enough to take down Danzō.

“Kazama! You’re still alive?!”

At that moment, Naruto had unleashed Kurama’s chakra, but he hadn’t gone berserk.

Seeing Kazama alive and well naturally filled him with joy.

“Sorry, Naruto, I made you worry. The one that got taken down earlier was just my Mokuton Bunshin (Wood Release Clone).”

“Damn it! You tricked me!”

From a distance, Zabuza caught sight of Kazama, seemingly back from the dead.

Fuming, he cursed under his breath and quickly cast an even thicker Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique), hoping to slip away in the chaos.

“I won’t let you escape again! Ninpō Shōkan: Tsuchi Tsuigeki no Jutsu (Ninja Art Summoning: Earth Tracking Fang Technique)!”

Seeing Kazama unharmed, Kakashi let out a sigh of relief.

Then, he went all out, summoning his ninja hounds, which pinned Zabuza down tight.

“Raikiri (Lightning Blade)! It’s over, Zabuza!”

As Kakashi charged toward Zabuza, Haku darted forward in a flash, shielding Zabuza with his own body to block Kakashi’s Raikiri.

“Haku! You…”

Seeing Haku risk his life to save him, even Zabuza, the so-called Demon of the Hidden Mist, couldn’t hold back tears of gratitude.

“Zabuza-san, it looks like I’ll have to go on ahead.”

“Hmph! What a bunch of useless fools!”

At that moment, the mastermind, Gato, strutted over with a horde of samurai, oozing arrogance.

“You call yourselves ninja, and you can’t even kill a single Tazuna? Since you failed the mission, it’s time for your punishment. Go kill Haku and Zabuza!”

“You bastards, I’ll take you all down!”

Seeing Gato’s men go after the already dying Haku, Zabuza snapped.

Though battered and bruised from Kakashi’s attacks, Zabuza’s sheer strength still shone through.

He tore through the oncoming samurai, cutting them down in a chaotic frenzy.

“Get him! Stop him now!”

Seeing Zabuza charging straight for him, Gato panicked.

He frantically ordered his swarm of samurai to attack Zabuza.

“Die!”

Even as the samurai hacked him to a bloody pulp, Zabuza kept his eyes locked on Gato.

With one swing of his blade, he cleaved Gato in two.

“Damn it! He killed the boss! Brothers, take out this rogue ninja!”

Facing a tidal wave of enemies, Zabuza could no longer fight back.

“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!”

At that critical moment, Naruto and Kakashi unleashed hundreds of shadow clones, forming a wall in front of Zabuza and Haku.

Meanwhile, Kazama seized the chance to whisk Zabuza and Haku away to safety.

“They’re still alive!”

Looking at the barely breathing Zabuza and Haku, Kazama wasted no time and used the Yōka (Yang Flame) from his Yinyang Sōen (Dual Yin-Yang Flames).

The Yōka is the essence of life itself, the source of all living things.

Once it entered their bodies, it could grant them a second chance at life.

In just a few breaths, Zabuza and Haku, who had one foot in Yomi (the underworld), were brought back from the brink by Kazama’s Yōka.

*Chapter 25: Successfully Recruiting Zabuza and Haku*

Kazama knew that with his overwhelming strength,

and the fact that he’d just saved Zabuza and Haku’s lives,

the two of them would definitely be willing to serve him.

“Why did you save us?”

After waking up, Zabuza and Haku couldn’t wrap their heads around Kazama’s actions.

After all, they’d tried to kill him before, fully intending to end his life.

By all accounts, Kazama should’ve torn them to pieces!

But instead, he’d saved them.

“Do you know why you failed?”

Kazama didn’t answer Zabuza’s question. Instead, he turned it back on him.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Zabuza gave a bitter smile and shook his head at Kazama’s question.

“Because your strength is just too terrifying!”

“Wrong! You failed because the Dazuna you tried to kill is this country’s courage, and the bridge he’s building is its hope. Courage and hope can never be destroyed, so you were doomed to lose!”

To recruit Zabuza and Haku, Kazama needed them to see the error of their ways.

Only then would they genuinely pledge their loyalty to him.

“We understand!”

Through Kazama’s masterful “mouth no jutsu,” Zabuza and Haku finally saw the light.

“Kazama-sama! You saved our lives. How can we ever repay you?”

“It’s simple. I need you to help me take down Kimura Danzō!”

“Kimura Danzō? Isn’t he one of Konoha’s higher-ups? Why do you want to go after him?”

Zabuza and Haku were both puzzled by Kazama’s request.

“Because he slaughtered my clan and left my parents gravely injured. But Danzō is incredibly powerful, and I’m not confident I can defeat him alone. That’s why I need your help. If you’re too scared, though, I won’t force you.”

“Kazama-sama, you’re underestimating us! Since you saved our lives, we’d climb a mountain of blades or dive into a sea of flames for you without hesitation!”

“Exactly!”

Zabuza nodded solemnly, echoing Haku’s words.

“From now on, we’re your subordinates. Whatever you tell us to do, we’ll do it!”

“Great!”

Seeing that Zabuza and Haku were willing to join him, Kazama felt a surge of excitement.

With their help, his chances of taking down Danzō were much higher.

“So, should we head back to Konoha with you right now to deal with Danzō?”

“No need!”

Kazama quickly waved off the idea.

Zabuza and Haku were rogue ninja from Kirigakure.

If Kazama openly brought them back to Konoha,

it would spark conflict between Konoha and Kirigakure and put Danzō on guard.

Their mission had to be carried out in secret.

“For now, stay hidden here. After Kakashi and the others leave, take down Kado’s criminal syndicate completely. Then, split the wealth Kado hoarded: half goes to the people of Nami no Kuni, and the other half you keep as a reserve.”

Kazama didn’t need the money just yet, but it was good to be prepared.

“After that, stay hidden near Konoha. When the time is right to strike Danzō, I’ll contact you. And remember—under no circumstances are you to harm innocent people during this time!”

“Understood!”

With that, Zabuza and Haku sprang into action.

Not long after, Kado’s villainous crew was wiped out entirely.

And thanks to Kazama’s righteous deed,

the once-impoverished people of Nami no Kuni began to prosper.