Kakashi…
I didn't notice it before. But after awakening Kamui, I can feel it clearly now.
As Kakashi lost his fighting capability, Ash narrowed his eyes slightly.
His left Sharingan also possesses Kamui.
"It makes sense now," Ash thought calmly. "No wonder my earlier attempt to copy the masked man's Kamui felt incomplete. Kakashi's eye and the masked man's eye form a complete pair."
That realization made Ash's gaze sharpen.
I'll need to investigate the origin of Kakashi's Sharingan. This isn't something that can be ignored.
As the sensation deepened, a possibility flashed through Ash's mind. Once he returned, he would confirm it personally—only then could he be sure his guess was correct.
Still… although Kakashi has awakened the Mangekyō, he doesn't seem to be aware of it himself.
Is it because he lacks Uchiha blood, causing the power to remain dormant?
Watching Kakashi kneeling on the water, Ash considered countless possibilities in an instant.
If I wait passively, I'll just be killed.
His next target is definitely me.
Zabuza reached the same conclusion.
"What—?!"
With a roar, he swung the Executioner's Blade toward Ash, pouring everything he had into the strike.
But the blade passed straight through Ash's body.
Zabuza froze.
What…?
He had never encountered anything like this before. Panic surged through him.
Snap!
Ash's figure solidified behind him.
"The last time, I spared you because of Haku," Ash said calmly. "Since we've met again, I'll end it here."
His left hand shot out and clamped around Zabuza's throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
"Gh—!"
Zabuza struggled violently, but it felt as if iron pincers were crushing his neck. Oxygen vanished rapidly from his lungs.
"I… can't break free…!"
Ash's Mangekyō Sharingan contracted.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames erupted instantly, swallowing Zabuza whole.
"AAAAA—!!"
The scream lasted less than ten seconds before fading completely. When the flames finally died down, nothing remained—not even ash.
"He… he was killed instantly," Naruto whispered in fear.
"So strong… Zabuza didn't even last a single move."
"Is this… the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Sasuke stared at the scene in shock. According to the stone tablet left by his clan, Amaterasu was the strongest physical offensive technique of the Mangekyō.
Kakashi, still half-kneeling, forced himself to speak despite the severe backlash tearing through his mind.
"What… is your purpose here?"
If his mental strength weren't already heavily damaged, he would have lost consciousness on the spot.
"Purpose?" Ash replied lightly. "Strictly speaking—money."
He smiled faintly.
"I've already obtained it. The man named Cardo, your mission target—he's dead. Sorry to make this trip meaningless for you."
As he spoke, Ash glanced at Naruto and Sasuke.
The protagonists of this world…
Almost every major turning point revolved around these two.
Even Ash had to admit it—Naruto's talent was mediocre, but his luck was absurd.
Through the Sharingan, Ash could clearly see it.
Naruto's chakra reserves are at least ten times mine.
And that was saying something.
Ash had already fully assimilated the Yin half of the Nine-Tails' chakra into his own body. Although he couldn't enter Nine-Tails Mode, with the support of thirty thousand attribute points, that chakra functioned as if it were completely his own.
Of course, Naruto was nowhere near his level—unless he entered a special sealed state.
Ash's Curse Seal was fundamentally different from Sage Mode.
Sage Mode required actively absorbing natural energy from the surroundings, demanded extreme concentration, and had strict time limits. Ash's Curse Seal, on the other hand, could be activated using chakra alone, allowing his body to naturally draw in ambient nature energy without deliberate effort.
At present, Curse Seal Stage One could be maintained for nearly two hours, while Stage Two could last close to an hour.
That was more than enough.
No battle—no matter how intense—should ever drag on that long. And if it did, the opponent wouldn't be worthy of the time investment.
Moreover, Ash possessed the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had far more trump cards than most could imagine. Even when the Mangekyō was well-known, many of its abilities were nearly impossible to counter without firsthand knowledge.
"Ca..Cardo is dead?"
Tazuna's voice trembled with disbelief. The entire reason he had gone to Konoha to commission a mission was to deal with Cardo.
"Yes," Ash replied indifferently. "There was nothing about him worth remembering."
He glanced briefly at Kakashi, who no longer had any fighting capability, then at the remaining three genin—who could barely stand under the pressure.
His interest vanished.
"I hope next time is a little more entertaining."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sasuke shouted, unable to hold back any longer. "Who the hell are you—and why do you have the Sharingan?!"
"Sasuke," Kakashi said hoarsely, forcing himself to speak. "This isn't the time. I'll explain everything after we return. Staying alive is what matters right now."
Ash paused.
Then he spoke without turning around.
"You're not qualified to know anything yet," he said coldly. "If it weren't for Itachi, you wouldn't even be alive."
The space before them twisted.
In the next instant, Ash vanished into a vortex of space-time.
"Damn it…"
Sasuke stared at the empty air where Ash had stood moments ago, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
...
TN:
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