Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

The moment the black chakra rod struck Deidara, Kirito had already pinpointed Kabuto's location through the chakra feedback. Using his Hiraishin-like space-time ninjutsu, he could have teleported immediately, but he chose to observe the other two reincarnated ninjas nearby first.

Kirito's gaze narrowed as he studied them from a distance. Neither the pale ninja resembling Sai nor the bulky shinobi with the Hidden Mist forehead protector displayed any particularly unique abilities. Satisfied that there were no hidden threats, Kirito decided to act.

Deidara's body began to reassemble, his paper fragments swirling into place. Yet before his hand fully reformed, Kirito appeared beside him, his hands already reaching out. With a swift and brutal motion, Kirito smashed their heads together, depriving them of any ability to resist.

The shattered paper pieces floated briefly before settling back into their unnatural forms. Deidara and the other ninja, now visibly dazed, were immobilized—Deidara still pinned by the black rod Kirito had thrown earlier.

Seeing Kirito appear, the third ninja—Nakayoshi—knew immediately that he was outmatched. Without hesitation, he formed seals with trembling hands.

"Frost Concealment Jutsu!"

A thick, icy mist erupted, blanketing the battlefield in a dense white fog. Unlike normal mist, this technique had a freezing chill, obscuring vision while lowering the ambient temperature.

But the mist didn't last.

Sizzle—

Kirito's body shimmered, suddenly enveloped in molten lava. The intense heat evaporated the frost in seconds, dispersing the mist like smoke on a windy day. Before Nakayoshi could flee, Kirito appeared directly in front of him, his hand clamping around Nakayoshi's head like a vice.

"This… Lava Release? Are you from Iwagakure?" Nakayoshi stammered, his wide eyes meeting Kirito's Byakugan. "No… Konoha?!"

His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of Kirito's abilities. "Lava Release and the Byakugan? Is this some secret alliance between Konoha and Iwagakure?"

Before Nakayoshi could think further, Kirito tightened his grip. With a swift pull, he extracted Nakayoshi's soul from his reanimated body.

"Thank you," Nakayoshi whispered in gratitude as his soul floated free, heading toward the glowing King of Hell that materialized nearby.

With the soul liberated, Nakayoshi's reanimated body crumbled to dust, leaving behind the sacrifice that had once fueled it.

Deidara, having reformed his head, watched the scene unfold with shock and fury. "What did you just do?! Isn't Edo Tensei supposed to be immortal?!"

Unlike most reanimated shinobi, Deidara didn't resent being summoned back. He relished the idea of spreading his art across the ninja world, eternal and untouchable. But seeing Kirito free souls from Edo Tensei filled him with unease.

Kirito turned slowly to face him, his white eyes calm and piercing. "Your turn."

Deidara flinched as Kirito approached. Then, recognition dawned. "Wait… it's you! The white-eyed brat from before! You ruined my art last time—Brother Sasori didn't—"

Before he could finish, Deidara's body froze unnaturally. His face went slack, as though his mind had been forcibly overwritten.

Kirito smirked. "There you are, Kabuto."

Through the chakra feedback of the black rod, Kabuto had taken control of Deidara's body remotely, likely to assess the situation. Kirito had anticipated this and baited Kabuto into revealing himself.

Deidara's body twitched violently, trying to resist the suppression of the black rod. Meanwhile, through the connection, Kirito traced Kabuto's chakra back to its source—an underground facility hidden deep within the forest.

Satisfied, Kirito wasted no time. Placing his hand on Deidara's head, he forcefully liberated the soul within.

Boom!

With Deidara's "death," the clay owls beneath them crumbled to pieces, vanishing into dust. Kirito landed gracefully on the ground, leaving no trace of his foes in the sky.

"That was… incredible!"

Kirito turned to see Hyuga Tokuma emerge from the trees, his expression filled with relief and awe.

"Captain! I didn't realize it was you," Tokuma said gratefully. He had prepared to sacrifice himself to buy time for his comrades but was saved by Kirito's timely intervention.

"Take the intel and regroup with Muta and the others. I'll handle the rest," Kirito instructed.

Tokuma hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Kirito… the Hyuga patriarch wanted me to tell you that you're welcome to return to the clan at any time. There will be no objections."

Kirito paused, turning back slightly. "I'll think about it later. For now, focus on your mission."

"Understood!" Tokuma saluted before sprinting into the forest to rejoin his comrades.

Kirito activated his space-time ninjutsu again and reappeared at the edge of a deep ravine. Carved into the cliffs on one side were countless windows and tunnels, a concealed base—Kabuto's hideout.

The instant Kirito stepped into the valley, the ground trembled.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

Dozens of white Zetsu emerged from the earth, their empty eyes locking onto Kirito.

"So, Obito left you here to watch Kabuto, huh?" Kirito murmured to himself, unbothered by their numbers. "Too bad for you—I'm not here to play."

The Zetsu clones surrounded him, their intent clear: intercept and eliminate.

Kirito smiled coldly as chakra surged through his body. "Let's get started, shall we?"

(End of this chapter)