Chapter 266: Farewell, Awakening the Three Tomoe!
"So I'm next?"
Kidōmaru's face twisted.
"Don't look down on me!"
The third eye on his forehead opened fully.
At the same time, his six arms moved in perfect coordination.
Sticky golden threads poured from his mouth and hardened rapidly.
One pair of hands formed the bow.
Another drew back the string.
The remaining hands shaped a sharp golden arrow from condensed spider silk.
Beneath him, the giant spider he had summoned also began spewing webbing across the battlefield.
Layer after layer spread between the surrounding trees.
The strands were incredibly tough and adhesive.
Even Naruto's three pronged kunai would have trouble penetrating such a dense web directly.
Kidōmaru drew the bowstring farther.
He only needed one opening.
One clear line.
One moment where Naruto could no longer teleport freely.
Then he was confident his arrow could kill him.
Naruto saw the web spreading.
His hands immediately formed seals.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The scattered three pronged kunai multiplied.
One became several.
Several became dozens.
In an instant, the sky filled with spinning weapons.
Kidōmaru's expression changed.
"What the hell?"
The swarm of kunai tore through the webbing from multiple directions.
Even the reinforced threads could not block so many attacks at once.
Kidōmaru cursed and abandoned his position.
Body Flicker.
His figure disappeared from the giant spider.
The summoning beneath him was not so fortunate.
Kunai rained down.
Thunk!
Thunk!
Thunk!
The enormous spider was riddled with weapons.
It collapsed beneath the barrage.
Tayuya and Sakon and Ukon both looked over.
Naruto gave them no time to adjust.
Flash!
Golden light crossed the forest.
He appeared near Sakon and Ukon.
Several more kunai left his hand.
They scattered around the brothers.
Then Naruto vanished again.
Flash!
He appeared directly before them.
Ryūjin Jakka was already in his hand.
Flames erupted along the sword.
Naruto drew in a sharp breath.
"Hinokami Kagura."
The fire brightened.
"Burning Sun, Red Mirror!"
Two intersecting slashes flashed through the darkness.
Fire crossed fire.
Sakon and Ukon froze.
For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.
Then their bodies separated.
The crossed flame slashes had cut them into four pieces.
Neither had time to scream.
Their remains fell to the forest floor.
Tayuya's eyes widened.
Kidōmaru stared from a nearby branch.
Two more dead.
Only Tayuya and Kidōmaru remained.
Tayuya reacted first.
Her flute rose to her lips.
The melody changed.
The remaining demons immediately rushed Naruto.
The strange spirits accompanying them surged forward as well, hungry for chakra.
At the same time, the music carried another effect.
Genjutsu.
Naruto heard the notes.
His senses immediately recognized that something was wrong.
But he did not slow down.
Asuramaru was there.
Illusions of this level were meaningless.
Naruto moved with Body Flicker.
Tayuya continued playing while retreating.
She was waiting for the genjutsu to take hold.
It never did.
Her eyes widened.
"What?"
Naruto disappeared.
Flash!
A three pronged kunai lay embedded in the ground near her.
Naruto appeared beside it.
Tayuya's face went pale.
"My genjutsu didn't work?"
She immediately understood the danger.
"Oh, damn it"
Too late.
Her summoned demons were too far away to protect her.
Close combat had never been her strength.
Once Naruto reached her, the outcome was decided.
Ryūjin Jakka thrust forward.
The sword pierced straight through her chest.
Tayuya's flute slipped from her fingers.
Naruto pulled the sword free.
Her body collapsed.
At that exact moment, a golden arrow screamed through the air toward his back.
Naruto turned.
Ryūjin Jakka flashed.
Clang!
The arrow split apart.
Kidōmaru's expression became increasingly desperate.
"Damn it."
His hands trembled slightly as he prepared another shot.
"This guy is too fast."
Flying Thunder God made the entire battlefield belong to Naruto.
Every kunai was a possible attack point.
Every marked weapon was a route of escape.
Trying to predict which one Naruto would use was almost impossible.
Kidōmaru glanced toward Sasuke.
The Uchiha had not moved once.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Kidōmaru shouted.
"How long are you going to stand there watching?"
Sasuke remained silent.
Pitch black smoke slowly gathered at his waist.
A sword emerged from within it.
His hand closed around the hilt.
Kidōmaru continued.
"If we don't kill him now, none of us are leaving this place!"
Sasuke looked toward Naruto.
His expression was unreadable.
Cold.
Calm.
Distant.
Naruto stood among the scattered kunai, Ryūjin Jakka still burning faintly in his hand.
Kidōmaru pulled another golden arrow into shape.
"Sasuke!"
He aimed toward Naruto.
"You go hold him down."
"I'll find an opening and kill him"
His voice stopped.
Something entered his chest.
Kidōmaru froze.
His eyes slowly lowered.
A sword protruded through his body.
Blood ran down the weapon.
His face filled with disbelief.
He struggled to turn his head.
Sasuke stood behind him.
Kidōmaru coughed blood.
"You…"
His voice came out weak.
"You betrayed us?"
His eyes shook.
"Or was this…"
"Planned by you two from the beginning?"
Sasuke gave a cold laugh.
"Do I need a reason to kill you?"
Kidōmaru stared.
Sasuke's gaze remained indifferent.
"I already know where Orochimaru's base is."
His grip tightened.
"So whether you live or die no longer matters."
Sasuke pulled the sword free.
Blood sprayed.
Kidōmaru's body went limp.
He fell from the branch.
The last member of the Sound Four hit the ground and did not move again.
Inside Asuramaru, the system responded.
[Ding! Intense negative emotions detected from Kidōmaru at the moment of death.]
[Gained 3000 emotion points.]
[Gained 1500 Demon Power.]
[Would you like to return fifty percent of the Demon Power to the Sword Master?]
Asuramaru answered immediately.
"No."
Then he added,
"Change Sasuke's feedback ratio to ten percent."
"Naruto stays unchanged."
The system responded.
[Ding! Feedback ratio modified.]
[Ten percent of the Demon Power gained from this kill will be returned to Uchiha Sasuke.]
Power flowed into Sasuke.
His body reacted immediately.
His chakra became denser.
His spirit strengthened.
Even his physical body improved slightly.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Then he began laughing.
At first, quietly.
Then louder.
"Hahaha…"
The sensation was unmistakable.
He had killed Kidōmaru.
And in exchange, he had become stronger.
Just as Asuramaru promised.
Sasuke raised one hand over his face.
Excitement flooded through him.
"Itachi…"
His killing intent surged.
"Just wait."
His Sharingan gleamed between his fingers.
"I'll have the power to kill you soon."
Sasuke had no idea that he had received only one fifth of the proportion Naruto normally received.
Asuramaru considered the decision entirely reasonable.
Naruto did not actively seek people to kill.
Sasuke was different.
Give Sasuke too generous a return, and he might spend years roaming the Shinobi World slaughtering criminals and rogue Shinobi until his growth became absurd.
If that happened, the balance between the two Sword Masters could tilt too far.
A restriction was necessary.
Completely fair.
Outside, Naruto watched Sasuke standing among the bodies.
The laughter.
The excitement.
The satisfaction at gaining power.
Naruto seemed to understand something.
Still, he asked.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke lowered his hand.
Naruto looked directly at him.
"Have you really decided?"
Sasuke knew what he meant.
Naruto continued.
"You're actually going to leave Konoha and follow Orochimaru?"
Sasuke's expression became serious.
"Staying in the village isn't enough anymore."
His gaze hardened.
"I'm getting stronger too slowly."
Naruto remained silent.
Sasuke glanced at the dead Kidōmaru.
"You know what Asuramaru can do."
Naruto understood.
"Killing makes you stronger."
"Yes."
Sasuke looked toward the distant forest.
"If I stay inside Konoha, I'll always be restricted."
"Missions."
"Rules."
"Orders."
"I'll never be free to gain power as quickly as I need."
His eyes became colder.
"Outside the village, I can."
Naruto understood the reasoning.
Sasuke's obsession with revenge had never been a secret.
He wanted Itachi dead.
And to him, every day spent being too weak to accomplish that goal was another day wasted.
Leaving Konoha offered danger.
But it also offered freedom.
More enemies.
More battles.
More chances to become stronger.
Naruto remained silent for a long time.
Sasuke finally spoke again.
"Are you going to stop me?"
His gaze sharpened.
"Naruto."
The forest became quiet.
Naruto looked at him.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"No."
Sasuke's expression shifted slightly.
Naruto continued.
"I know I can't change your mind."
"If I drag you back today…"
He looked toward Konoha.
"You'll just leave again later."
Sasuke said nothing.
Naruto's expression became serious.
"So I won't stop you."
"But…"
He looked back at Sasuke.
"I'll wait for you."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Naruto smiled.
"No matter where you go or how long it takes…"
"I'll be waiting for you to come back to the village."
His smile softened.
"As your friend."
Sasuke froze.
For a brief moment, the coldness in his expression cracked.
Naruto's words reached somewhere he had spent years trying to bury.
A friend.
Sasuke slowly turned away.
"As an avenger…"
His voice became cold again.
"I don't have friends."
Naruto watched him.
Sasuke started walking.
He did not look back.
But his words were a lie.
He knew it.
Naruto knew it too.
Somewhere along the way, Naruto had become the most important friend in Sasuke's life.
The one person who understood loneliness without needing it explained.
The rival who constantly pushed him forward.
The person who had willingly sacrificed part of his own access to Asuramaru's power just to save him.
After tonight, Sasuke had no idea when they would meet again.
He kept walking.
His Sharingan remained active.
Two tomoe turned within each crimson eye.
Then emotion surged.
The farewell.
The conflict.
The weight of abandoning Konoha.
The knowledge that he was leaving his closest friend behind.
Something changed.
A third tomoe emerged.
Three black tomoe now rotated within each Sharingan.
Sasuke did not stop.
His figure gradually disappeared between the trees.
Naruto stood where he was.
Watching.
Only when Sasuke completely vanished from sight did Naruto lower his gaze.
He returned Ryūjin Jakka to its sheath.
Then he turned toward Konoha.
It was time to go back.
Before he could take more than a few steps, Asuramaru spoke.
"Naruto."
Naruto immediately stopped.
"What?"
"More people are coming."
Naruto's expression sharpened.
"From where?"
"East."
Asuramaru's Perception expanded through the forest.
"They're moving quickly."
A short pause followed.
"Looks like reinforcements."
Naruto placed one hand on Ryūjin Jakka.
"How long?"
"Not long."
Asuramaru's voice became calm.
"They'll be here very soon."
....
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