BOOM!
Amid a sky filled with dust and shattered stone, Kaoru's hatred-filled strike smashed the scarred man straight into the ground. The earth cracked apart in chaotic fractures, spreading outward like a spiderweb.
…Kaoru.
Kyusei struggled to keep his eyes open, breathing raggedly as he watched his wife standing ahead of him.
His time was almost up.
The tailed beast had been forcibly extracted, and he had continued fighting without pause. Even with the monstrous vitality of the Uzumaki bloodline, his body could no longer endure it.
His heartbeat was slowing.
Chakra circulation had become sluggish and uneven.
His hands and feet were growing cold.
Kyusei forced himself to stay upright, his gaze locked tightly onto that golden figure through the dust.
His wife.
His beloved.
"Kaoru… the enemy has an ability that nullifies all physical attacks. You can only hit him when he attacks."
"And when he uses that ability, he himself cannot attack."
Hearing her husband's weak, barely carried voice, Kaoru felt grief surge violently in her chest.
She swallowed it down.
Tears were not allowed now.
The Rasengan in her hand expanded wildly under her furious chakra control, spinning faster and faster.
Damn it…!
The scarred man endured the pain, forcefully grabbing Kaoru's arm through the grinding chakra and flinging her away.
Kaoru stabilized herself midair and landed beside Kyusei in one smooth motion.
One glance at his ashen face was enough.
There was no time.
"Besides physical immunity," Kyusei said quickly, forcing the words out, "he also uses extremely advanced Yin–Yang Release. He destroyed my seal in an instant."
"Kaoru… once we create an opening, I'll finish him with the Reaper Death Seal."
Hearing those words, the woman did not argue.
Her eyes grew hollow.
"…Alright."
That was all she said.
Kyusei gave her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry… I won't be able to stay with you any longer."
Unexpectedly, Kaoru's gaze softened.
"It's alright, Kyusei."
"Leave everything to me."
She turned toward the scarred man, flipping her wrist as a Flying Thunder God kunai appeared in her hand. She stabbed it firmly into the ground in front of Kyusei.
"Get ready."
Kyusei began forming hand seals, squeezing out every last drop of chakra his body could muster.
The Uzumaki clan's ultimate forbidden sealing art—
Reaper Death Seal.
A sacrifice of one's own soul, offering it to the Shinigami in exchange for dragging the enemy's soul into eternal torment within the god of death's stomach.
An S-rank sealing technique.
Certain death.
But Kyusei was already dying.
He did not hesitate.
As the final seal completed, an indescribable, ominous presence spread through the battlefield.
Behind Kyusei, a massive spectral figure emerged—
Horns curved upward, skin deathly pale, face twisted like a demon of hell.
Only Kyusei could see it.
The others felt only an instinctive, bone-chilling terror.
What… is that…?
The scarred man stared at Kyusei, his beast-like instincts screaming danger.
He couldn't see the Shinigami—
But his body knew.
Before he could react—
A golden flash exploded in front of his eyes.
Kaoru.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Instinctively, he activated his intangibility. Kaoru's Flying Thunder God kunai passed harmlessly through his body.
As she phased through him, he attempted to repeat the trick he'd used on Kyusei—
But he noticed it instantly.
Her other hand had already formed a Rasengan, held in perfect readiness.
…Space–time ninjutsu?
His eyes narrowed.
Phasing himself into another dimension, leaving only a projection behind—
An absurdly high-level technique.
But—
Seeing her attacks pass through him again, the scarred man smirked.
That was when—
Kaoru's body suddenly dissolved into golden light.
"You're still far too inexperienced!"
Her voice exploded through the silence.
They were no longer in the real world.
Stone pillars surrounded them, floating platforms suspended in an endless void.
The man's eyes widened.
Someone else… was here?
In his space?!
She followed him in—
Using Flying Thunder God to trace his movement across dimensions!
When—
When did she mark him?!
There was no time to think.
The Rasengan slammed into his back again, smashing him into the ground.
Furious, he activated Kamui, escaping the space—
But Kaoru followed.
Again.
No matter where he fled—to reality or to Kamui's dimension—
She was there.
A shadow that could not be shaken.
"Damn it!"
"Wasn't this woman supposed to have just given birth?!"
Rage twisted his face.
Then Kaoru appeared directly in front of him.
Her hand shot forward like a serpent, grabbing his wrist.
In that instant, her fingers began forming seals—
And horrifyingly, his hand began forming the same seals involuntarily.
Not good!
He threw a punch—
Kaoru kicked off his chest, sending herself flying backward.
Then—
A crimson fire dragon erupted from her mouth.
Seeing the blazing inferno charging toward him, the man immediately escaped with Kamui—
But Kaoru stood calmly, fingers forming a sword seal at her chest.
Reverse Flying Thunder God.
The moment he reappeared—
He was back at his original position.
The fire dragon hit him head-on.
"AAAAAAHHH!!"
He screamed in agony.
Yet his body—sustained by terrifying Yang Release—began regenerating even this damage.
Kaoru's eyes sharpened.
Enough.
Her hands flashed through seals once more.
Flying Thunder God Technique.
In an instant, both she and the burning man vanished—
And reappeared directly in front of the kunai she had planted beside Kyusei.
Kyusei didn't hesitate.
The moment the scarred man materialized—
His hands slammed onto the man's shoulders.
Reaper Death Seal.
The Shinigami grinned.
And reached forward.
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