Chapter 182

"Hm? What's that?" Kuchiki Senya stared at a withered tree trunk nearby. Its surface had rotted away, the bark peeled off, revealing the interior—wrapped in a mass of dark purple mist.

This purple mist emitted a potent poison, even more dangerous than the toxin released by the giant toad.

"Poison?" Kuchiki Senya frowned. "It's probably just ordinary poison. Such poison shouldn't harm humans."

Yet this unknown poison still made Kuchiki Senya extremely cautious.

Regardless, he decided to keep his distance from the strange, withered old tree for now.

Kuchiki Senya continuously dodged the toxic mist as he moved through the forest, gradually arriving at a canyon.

The canyon was vast, its interior covered in lush vegetation.

"This is…" Kuchiki Senya's pupils contracted, for from within this massive canyon, cold, malevolent energies radiated outward.

"That's… Edo Tensei!" Kuchiki Senya exclaimed aloud.

He recognized it—the canyon contained countless skeletons.

These skeletons were of men and women, old and young. These people were clearly not ninjas, but ordinary villagers. Their deaths were horrific; some bones were shattered, filling Kuchiki Senya with revulsion.

For some reason, two words surfaced in Kuchiki Senya's mind: revenge.

He had once witnessed the deaths of his parents and the villagers, his heart filled with endless hatred. Unfortunately, his enemies were the top-tier masters of Konoha—Tsunade and Kakashi. Even if he used every technique he knew, he could not defeat Tsunade and Kakashi.

"Edo Tensei?" Kuchiki Senya murmured. He had heard of Edo Tensei—a vile taboo secret technique requiring a special secret technique to preserve the deceased's memories in full, then using the technique's power to resurrect their souls. But the resurrected soul was not a pure soul; it retained its memories and became a puppet. Though its power increased rapidly, it lost its ability to think, becoming rigid and foolish.

"Edo Tensei is a taboo technique of the Konoha ninja. I cannot enter recklessly." Kuchiki Senya's gaze hardened. "I cannot allow these Edo Tensei corpses to remain here."

"Wood Release: Tree Graveyard!"

Kuchiki Senya formed hand seals, and a vast amount of chakra surged into the earth.

"Rustle-rustle!" The ground trembled as a colossal green phantom tree rose from below.

The phantom tree grew taller and taller, eventually blocking out the sky, then generated a tremendous suction force, forcibly pulling up the mud beneath the earth to form a vortex that enclosed the giant toad.

The giant toad let out frantic roars, struggling violently. But the phantom tree bound him tightly.

"What technique is this? How powerful is it?" the giant toad cried in terror. "You can't kill me!"

"Hmph. I don't just intend to kill you—I'll destroy your flesh!" Kuchiki Senya's cold voice echoed from all directions as he stared coldly at the giant toad. "You're no better than an animal. You disgrace humanity. I will not allow such filthy, ugly creatures to defile Konoha!"

The giant toad felt death looming over him, panicked, and fell to his knees, begging for mercy, desperate to survive.

"Hmph. You scum dare covet Konoha." Kuchiki Senya ignored the toad's pleas entirely, instead accelerating his chakra flow. He would make this giant toad die utterly, never to rise again!

"Sssss!" The giant toad's body rapidly corroded, its life essence being devoured.

The giant toad could no longer endure it, emitting a piercing, shrill cry: "No! I'm sorry! I won't dare again! Let me go! Please!"

· ·· Requesting flowers · ·

"Hah. Too late." Kuchiki Senya laughed mockingly. "You filth don't deserve to live on this earth—you must be punished!"

Suddenly, Kuchiki Senya cut off his chakra supply. The giant toad's body froze midair, then crashed heavily to the ground, dead.

Kuchiki Senya walked over to examine the giant toad's corpse, his expression changing instantly: "The poison on this giant toad seems suppressed by some force—otherwise, it would have died long ago. Moreover, the chakra within its corpse has been completely consumed."

"Could it be…" Kuchiki Senya suddenly realized something and immediately walked deeper into the canyon.

"This energy…" In a cave not far from the canyon, a tall man sat cross-legged on a stone bed. Around him lay piles of precious herbs and strange treasures, each slowly releasing energy.

On the table before him stood several glass bottles, each containing a single pill.

He frowned slightly, staring at the bottles on the table: "I didn't expect I'd actually succeed. Only one final step remains. But why can't my mind achieve perfect harmony? Is something still missing?"

"No. This time I must succeed. I promised her…" The man shook his head, forcibly clearing his thoughts, then closed his eyes again.

…

Konoha Village, a secluded wooden house in a remote corner.

The door was locked; a black-clad boy was practicing sword techniques.

The boy's name was Inuzuka Kiba. He possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and extraordinary talent. He had only recently begun his training, yet he had already reached the peak of a junior ninja.

Inuzuka Kiba swung his kunai beside a rock wall, endlessly practicing sword techniques. This room was his usual training ground.

Suddenly, he halted his movements, frowning slightly: "Such a powerful chakra fluctuation—could it be Orochimaru?"

Inuzuka Kiba rushed to the village gate—and there, indeed, Orochimaru stood at the gate. Before him was the Third Hokage.

153, I feel like you're lying to me.

"Mr. Orochimaru, what do you want?" Inuzuka Kiba asked, puzzled. He had little interaction with Orochimaru, having met him only a few times, and they were not familiar.

"Inuzuka Kiba, I've been ordered by the Hokage to summon you," Orochimaru bowed respectfully. "The Hokage wishes to see you. Please come with me."

"Oh." Inuzuka Kiba nodded. Since the Third summoned him, he could not refuse.

Orochimaru led Inuzuka Kiba toward the Third's office.

The Third sat quietly in his chair, waiting for Inuzuka Kiba.

Seeing Inuzuka Kiba enter, the Third nodded approvingly and instructed the middle-aged man beside him: "Take Inuzuka Kiba to rest and prepare dinner."

"Yes." The middle-aged man bowed and withdrew.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen!" Inuzuka Kiba exclaimed in delight. "You've recovered?" "527"

The Third smiled faintly, gesturing to the seat beside him. "Sit down. My injuries are mostly healed—I just need more time to recuperate."

"That's wonderful!" Inuzuka Kiba was overjoyed. "I've been worried about your health—now I can finally rest easy."

The Third patted Inuzuka Kiba's shoulder. "Inuzuka Kiba, you've done something of immense importance. You don't realize how critical this is to Konoha—it even affects the entire nation."

"What exactly happened?" Inuzuka Kiba asked, astonished.

"Do you know the Edo Tensei technique?" the Third asked after a pause.

"Edo Tensei!" Inuzuka Kiba was stunned. "That's Uchiha Madara's unique technique—a highly bizarre ninjutsu. But it was said to have vanished a hundred years ago. I never expected it to reappear today. No wonder Uchiha Sasuke chose to defect to Konoha—it's because of this. I understand now."

The Third praised him: "You figured it out so quickly—you're impressive. With this technique, even the tailed beasts can be easily subdued."

"Is that so?" A cold voice came from outside the room. "I feel like you're lying to me."

"Who's there!" Inuzuka Kiba roared, vanishing instantly from his spot.

"Boom!" Inuzuka Kiba's body slammed into the wall, then he vomited blood and staggered back.

Kuchiki Senya said lightly, "Your strength is still far too lacking!"

"Who exactly are you?" Inuzuka Kiba glared furiously at Kuchiki Senya — he had not detected this mysterious person's arrival at all. One had to remember, he was highly skilled in Wind Release, and his speed was extremely fast. Yet he had failed to notice this person, which was more than enough to show that the other's strength far surpassed his own.

Kuchiki Senya smiled faintly and said, "Don't forget, you are someone I cultivated."

Inuzuka Kiba's eyes went wide: "So it was you — then that person was you!"

Kuchiki Senya laughed and said, "It was me."

"Bastard, you actually dared to use me!" Inuzuka Kiba ground his teeth and said.

"Heh heh…" Kuchiki Senya's contemptuous gaze swept over Inuzuka Kiba. "You're far too narcissistic. When did I ever say I needed your help?"

"You—" Inuzuka Kiba glared furiously at Kuchiki Senya, "Why did you have to control me?"

"Control?" A faint, disdainful smile curled at the corner of Kuchiki Senya's mouth. "If you really think you've already grasped your own future, then you're far too stupid."

Inuzuka Kiba fell silent — this was the eternal ache in his heart.

Kuchiki Senya continued, "Although I am a demon, I am likewise a kind demon. I saved your life, sparing you from torment. Back then, if I hadn't saved you, you would likely have been killed by Uzumaki Naruto long ago. And now you actually repay kindness with enmity, turning around to question me?"

Inuzuka Kiba was at a loss for words. He did indeed owe the other a great deal of gratitude, but even now he still harbored some resentment toward Kuchiki Senya: "We are partners — you should have helped me. Why did you instead push me into the trap that my lord Uzumaki Mizuko set?"

"Partners?" Kuchiki Senya burst into great laughter. "Do you really think so?"

"Hm?" Inuzuka Kiba sensed something was off — the expression on this fellow's face was far too wild. A sudden, intense sense of crisis welled up inside him, and without hesitation he activated Flying Thunder God to escape.

"Bang!" A pitch-black bullet pierced through the spot where Inuzuka Kiba had just been standing.

Inuzuka Kiba stared at the other with an ashen face. Kuchiki Senya's strength was simply too terrifying. With nothing but a single bullet he had shattered his teleportation — it was beyond imagination.

"You actually hid your strength?" Inuzuka Kiba said furiously...

"Heh heh, you're wrong. This isn't my strength — and what's more…" Kuchiki Senya extended his right hand, and a dark-red flame appeared in his palm. "This is my strength!"

"Sage Mode!" Inuzuka Kiba cried out in shock. "You can actually activate Sage Mode?!"

Sage Mode is the ultimate form of the Reincarnation of the Impure, usable only by those who possess a special chakra nature. Inuzuka Kiba happened to be Wind-natured, which is why, after activating Sage Mode, he was able to use teleportation.

"So this is Sage Mode…"

The Third Hokage watched Inuzuka Kiba and Kuchiki Senya clash, his eyes flickering.

These two children can both use Sage Mode — such talent is simply enviable. If we gave them another year, wouldn't they be on the verge of ruling Konoha?

"Boom!" Inuzuka Kiba and Kuchiki Senya collided violently.

"Inuzuka Kiba, I didn't expect you to still be alive." Kuchiki Senya's figure appeared before Inuzuka Kiba, and he said coldly.

"I am Konoha's guardian!" Inuzuka Kiba roared, his whole body radiating golden-yellow chakra. "You actually dare to break into Konoha — you're asking for death!"

"My target is not you," Kuchiki Senya said indifferently.

Inuzuka Kiba froze, and said in disbelief, "Then what exactly is your target?"