Chapter 148

[The Poll Is Up! Vote For Your Favorite Fanfic, And The Winner Gets Picked Up!]

[The Fanfics Are]

[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant] 

[Hogwarts: I Really Am a Model Wizard] 

[Marvel: I Summon Heroes From Various Worlds] 

[The Poll Will Only Last Till The End Of Sunday!]

[Votes Value]

[P@treons]

[Hyper Supporter=30x]

[Super Supporters=20x]

[Supporters=10x]

[Free Members=3x]

[Webnovel Reviews=1x]

When faced with death, the instinct of any living being is to struggle.

Yet, there are situations where one finds themselves utterly immobilized.

It's not due to any bizarre phenomenon like being locked in place by qi; rather, it's the overwhelming force of nature, the thunderous oppression that makes one's legs tremble and their mind cower in fear.

Even ninjas, who confront mighty forces, are humbled by the raw power of nature.

The thunderous blade of lightning, not yet fallen, had already engulfed the land and the Sand Ninja standing upon it with dispersed electrical currents.

Hair stood on end, and the metal ninja tools hidden in their packs sparked uncontrollably, floating in mid-air as if drawn by the magnetic surge.

Rasa's eyes widened in terror. He had no time for regrets, only thoughts of defense.

But his Magnet Release Bloodline Limit seemed to malfunction.

Under the majestic power of heavenly thunder, Magnet Release's iron sand refused to obey, each particle floating slowly upward as if to merge with the thunder above.

In the blink of an eye.

As Kyomu continued his sword swing, all conductive materials drawn by the heavenly forces ceased to float and plummeted back to earth.

It was like the moment before a violent backdraft explosion, where the scattered currents abruptly dissipated, and in the next second—

Thunder struck, and lightning flared, tearing a massive gorge through the midst of the Sand Ninja forces, scattering blue-purple crystals everywhere.

There was silence, yet sound remained.

The deafening thunder left one temporarily deaf, only the trembling ground and the flickering blue-purple clouds on the horizon could be felt.

It was dangerously surreal.

And at the center of the Thunder Blade Gorge, the intense heat vaporized all life; no one was spared.

The dirt and stones flung to the sides now became deadly shrapnel, charged with arcs of electricity, moving faster than the speed of sound.

Kyomu hadn't intended to annihilate all the Sand Ninja. In fact, not all were gone, but to vaporize half as if from thin air was indeed fitting.

And the remaining, under the relentless spread of the electrified pools, would lose another third of their numbers.

More than just a severe blow, the Sand Ninja were nearly extinct.

With one slash, the clamor of the Sand Ninja vanished, swallowed by the gorge. After ten seconds, the earth slowly warmed, and the blue-purple arcs finally calmed.

Following that, the name of Kyomu resounded across the lands.

"Lord Kyomu, victorious!"

"Lord Kyomu, invincible!"

"Lord Kyomu, victorious!"

"Lord Kyomu, invincible!"

Basking in the praises, Kyomu sheathed his sword and stood atop the head of Ichikishimahime, speaking softly.

"Lady Ichikishimahime, it is your turn."

A sound akin to a dragon's roar echoed as Ichikishimahime's majestic voice filled the air.

"I am the sole existing dragon, the foremost of the three elders of Ryūchi Cave, Ichikishimahime. Today, alongside my contractor, Kyomu, I wield the heavenly thunders to cleanse the filth of this world. The Sand Ninja, truly deserving of their fate!"

As her voice fell, cheers erupted once more, and Ichikishimahime, feeling triumphant, basked in the acknowledgment of her dragonic status.

Feeling splendid!

As the cheers subsided, Kyomu put away his spectral sword and, hands clasped behind his back, gazed downward dominantly.

"My friends, pursue the fleeing Sand Ninja; ensure their main force is utterly destroyed here!"

Tsunade, swayed by her emotions, was slow to command, but the Leaf Ninja behind her had already taken action.

With Kyomu present, the command never fell to a second.

Somewhat reluctantly, Tsunade looked up and, at a glance with Kyomu, was momentarily stunned.

The sight of Kyomu, standing on a dragon's head with his hands behind his back, was irresistibly charismatic.

Such an outward display of dominance, naturally, the enemies were the ones to fall.

However, Ichikishimahime was somewhat drained; she was just a dragon, barely managing to hold up, but Kyomu wasn't ready to end it yet.

Stepping on a dragon's head—such an occasion might not come again soon.

"Lady Ichikishimahime, shall we take another look around to see if any Sand Ninja have slipped through?" Kyomu coaxed, "If the Fourth Kazekage Rasa falls by our hands, your renown will surely grow even brighter."

Hmph.

Ichikishimahime was tired and a bit displeased; she always felt like she was merely a mount for Kyomu rather than him being an ornament on her head.

"Kyomu is merely an accessory on my dragon horns."

Stubbornly, she left behind those words and vanished into mist.

Her exhaustion was real, her body's natural energy more than half depleted. She needed to rest soon to avoid depleting her physical foundation.

With Ichikishimahime suddenly departing, Kyomu could only land firmly on the ground.

Tsunade, not managing to arrive in time, first gave Kyomu a big hug before curiously asking, "Brat, was that dragon Ichikishimahime?"

"Correct, she has been subdued by me and has become my mount."

Tsunade suddenly beamed, "Keep pretending, I just heard Ichikishimahime say…"

"She is my mount!" Kyomu insisted stubbornly, "I stand on her head, not the other way around."

"Yes, yes, she's your mount, and after this battle, your title will surely gain another 'dragon' epithet."

Kyomu nodded, about to respond, but suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade's eyes widened, realizing Kyomu was summoned back to the Ryūchi Cave by the Reverse Summoning Technique.

"Ha, it must be Ichikishimahime." Tsunade wasn't worried about Kyomu's situation, given their perfect cooperation earlier.

Reflecting on Kyomu's recent slash, Tsunade was filled with excitement, her gaze resting on the still-sparking thunder-lit great gorge.

"To wield nature's thunderous might with human effort, Kyomu has truly matured." Tsunade murmured to herself, "Even if it relies on external power, as long as it can be replicated, it belongs to him."

Stepping forward, Tsunade quickly furrowed her brows.

"With such intense thunderous energy, it seems... it might not dissipate for another decade." Tsunade observed the blue-purple chakra crystals scattered across the gorge, her pupils suddenly narrowing.

"It's the core material used by my grandfather to forge the Thunder God's Sword!"

This was a treasure, scattered all around. Tsunade was eager to collect it, but bracing herself, she took a few steps forward, only to stop again.

Her flowing golden hair had already shot up and frizzed as if electrified, and daring to move closer would expose Tsunade to a shock exceeding ten thousand volts.

"This place might become a spectacle within the Land of Fire, just like... the Valley of the End."

Tsunade stepped back, curling a smile, "Perhaps, it's time to rename this place, and a statue must be erected here."

Tapping her lips thoughtfully, Tsunade pondered, "What should it be called?"

"Thunder Valley?"

"No, too common. Dragonfall Gorge? Ichikishimahime might not be pleased." Muttering to herself, Tsunade suddenly snapped her fingers, "Thunder Blade Gorge, yes, that's it!"

Clapping in laughter, Tsunade was quite pleased with her naming talent, turning to survey the unique landscape of Thunder Blade Gorge, considering where to place a large statue.

With Thunder Blade Gorge in place, the western gate of the Land of Fire would be permanently closed, as most in the ninja world couldn't cross it.

Unless one could withstand an attack of over ten thousand volts, there was no entry.

"Brat, to think you've achieved something to rival my grandfather and Madara."

Tsunade chuckled, delighted in her heart. The pendant she had given Kyomu not only hadn't brought him bad luck but had…

Recalling her previous agreement with Kyomu, Tsunade smiled even brighter, her smile tinged with something extra.

But soon, Tsunade composed herself, immersing in the command to pursue the remaining Sand Ninja.

—

Ryūchi Cave.

Kyomu relished the exquisite experience of riding a dragon, but soon after, Ichikishimahime summoned him to suffer.

Karma comes swiftly.

This time, Ichikishimahime didn't transform into her loli appearance, but remained in her massive dragon form, with Kyomu barely the size of one of her scales.

How was he supposed to manage that?

"It wasn't so impressive standing on my head earlier?" Ichikishimahime was clearly out for revenge.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like she had become Kyomu's mount rather than him being just an ornament on her head.

If it were the latter, she would have been the prominent one, not Kyomu.

Her large vertical pupils coldly swept over Kyomu, "Put some effort into it, if I'm not satisfied this time... there won't be a next time!"

That darned spirit of revenge.

Kyomu muttered to himself but didn't hold back in his efforts.

Want strength?

Here, take my Super Strength Fist!

Thud.

The dull thud resonated, Ichikishimahime's serpentine eyes shocked, clearly in pain, even nearly crying out.

Kyomu's strength, why was it stronger than before?

Of course, it was stronger. The Tyrant buff wasn't for nothing. If another battle ensued and Kyomu maxed out the buff effect, a full-force punch could potentially end Ichikishimahime.

"Lady Ichikishimahime, how is this intensity?"

"Lighter…" Ichikishimahime's voice was muffled as she turned her dragon head aside.

Thud.

Kyomu halved the force of his Fierce Strength Fist, "How about now?"

"Just right, take your time. When you've massaged my entire body, then you can leave."

Ichikishimahime comfortably closed her eyes, stretching her dragon form, letting Kyomu randomly punch around.

Kyomu wasn't really at a loss, taking advantage of the free punching bag.

But as Kyomu was halfway through, Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime, two other elders of Ryūchi Cave, arrived at Ichikishimahime's cave.

"Yo, sisters are here too?" Ichikishimahime raised an eyelid, "Actually, no need to ask. Managing my pair of dragon horns is quite easy, not troublesome at all, so there's no need for my sisters to worry."

Who cares about how you manage your dragon horns?

Look at your smug face!

"Little Kyomu, want to make a contract with me?" Tagitsuhime posed seductively, "I'm not inferior to sister Ichikishimahime."

"Little Kyomu, don't forget about me either." Tagorihime wasn't to be outdone, "Before you face the trial, I can share some tips with you."

They came to poach him.

Kyomu had obviously become a hot commodity in Ryūchi Cave.

After all, if Ichikishimahime could grow horns, the other great snakes could too, given the opportunity.

But to poach right in front of Ichikishimahime, these two elders really had dark hearts.

Kyomu didn't respond, focusing on massaging Ichikishimahime, just a diligent servant.

Ichikishimahime was pleased with Kyomu's performance and snorted without addressing the two elders.

"Sister, out of old affection, I'll let go a bit... you ask Little Kyomu, I respect his opinion."

There it was, the dispute within Ryūchi Cave falling onto himself.

In the absence of others, Kyomu would naturally play both sides, but in this situation, he couldn't waver.

"I will only make a contract with Lady Ichikishimahime."

Ichikishimahime's lips curled, and Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime's expressions soured.

And since Kyomu was about going all in on offending, he quickly added another line.

"Lady Ichikishimahime is a half-dragon, and she has horns on her head. I will only choose Lady Ichikishimahime."

Checkmate!

Ichikishimahime found Kyomu even more appealing, extremely so.

But Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime left with long faces, not even leaving a harsh word behind.

"Little Kyomu, you're done for." Ichikishimahime gloated, "My two sisters hold grudges very well."

"I don't care about those, I only stand with Lady Ichikishimahime."

"Ha, Little Kyomu, I'm growing to like you more and more." Ichikishimahime coiled her body, casually shaking Kyomu off, "I'll protect you, and this tribute session is over. Next time... we'll see, call me if you need anything."

Choosing sides was uncomfortable, but while the support lasted, it was truly joyful.

"Thank you, Lady Ichikishimahime, for your care." Kyomu bowed in gratitude, straightening up to leave.

"Little Kyomu." Ichikishimahime called him back, "But don't come to me easily in the future without a serious matter, it's really troublesome, you know?"

"After all, Lady Ichikishimahime is a dragon, I understand."

Kyomu nodded, under Ichikishimahime's satisfied gaze, and was sent out of Ryūchi Cave.

Returning to the Sand Ninja battlefield, it was already a day later.

It wasn't an issue of time flow but that Kyomu had been kept busy by Ichikishimahime for nearly a day.

Stretching his shoulders, Kyomu looked up and suddenly froze.

A nearly hundred-meter-tall stone statue had been erected, though not yet fully formed, it was clearly sculpted in his likeness.

"This…" Kyomu was stunned, "I'm worthy of such treatment now?"

"Why not?"

Tsunade appeared behind Kyomu, wrapping an arm around him, "Brat, you've already made a name for yourself in the ninja world!"

"But this is too…"

"You think you can't handle it?" Tsunade challenged.

The next second, Kyomu smirked, "I just think it's not low-key enough, that's all."

Smack.

Tsunade, holding back laughter, smacked the back of Kyomu's head.

(End of Chapter)