Chapter 184

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] 

>>[Check Out My Website! It Has +3 Extra Chapters For FREE!]<<

>>>[zaelumtranslations.com]<<<

[Thank You For Your Support!]

====

Kyomu didn't fully understand what kind of existence the Reaper of the Shinobi World was.

However, with multiple experiences of death and revival, he knew that the Reaper's main job was to guide souls to the Pure Land, akin to a worker.

Before a being's death, the Reaper could not arbitrarily guide its soul to the Pure Land due to a rule he couldn't break.

Thus, despite his power, the Reaper had to adhere strictly to his guiding duties.

But there were ways to break the rules.

Hiruzen used the Forbidden Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal to offer his soul as a sacrifice to 'bribe' the Reaper. By keeping Sarutobi's soul as his own property instead of returning it, the Reaper would gain certain benefits.

With these benefits, the Reaper could briefly defy the rules and target the souls of living beings in the Shinobi World.

Especially when targeting Kyomu, the Reaper was even more excited and willing.

Having been tricked multiple times, the Reaper harbored deep hatred for Kyomu. After all, he was a god!

Even though this god had little authority, being merely a high-level worker in the Pure Land, his power wasn't weak.

As a product of the rules, even if he wasn't adept at combat, his unique soul-related abilities were a blind spot in Kyomu's strength.

Cold sweat dripped from Kyomu's forehead.

Swish.

Without hesitation, Kyomu used his space-time Kekkei Genkai, teleporting twenty meters away without delay, continuing to flicker further like space jumping.

After these battles, Kyomu's self-compiled body had strengthened, further activating deep genetic fragments and significantly increasing his chakra reserves.

Simultaneously, his proficiency with the space-time Kekkei Genkai had also improved, extending his teleportation range from eighteen to twenty meters.

Hehehe.

The Reaper wasn't in a hurry, his face twisted in malice. He licked his dagger again and fiddled with the beads in his other hand.

In an instant, the Reaper ignored the distance and appeared behind Kyomu, binding him tightly with chains designed to restrain souls.

Turning sharply, Kyomu coldly stared at the Reaper holding the dagger behind him, realizing he couldn't escape this time.

The Reaper's approach wasn't spatial manipulation but an expression of the Pure Land's rules regarding souls.

Once a soul was locked onto, the high-level worker Reaper would constantly entangle the soul.

Because that was his job.

"Reaper, I advise you to stop," Kyomu threatened. "The rules of the Pure Land are imperfect. Beware when I come to eliminate you completely from existence!"

Hehehe.

The Reaper looked at Kyomu as if he were a joke, his eyes full of mockery, implying that Kyomu didn't have the capability.

Even so, the Reaper hesitated for a moment before bringing the dagger down.

Recalling how Kyomu had tricked him multiple times, the Reaper felt both anger and apprehension.

He genuinely feared that Kyomu might one day gain the power to seek revenge in the Pure Land.

However, the Reaper soon had an idea. He plunged the dagger into Kyomu's back, piercing through his body and the Reverse Scale armor, reaching his soul.

Sizzle.

A searing pain, felt only by Kyomu, emanated from his soul. Before he could react, the Reaper withdrew the dagger from his body.

Opening his mouth, the Reaper swallowed a grayish-white shadow hanging from the dagger tip, his expression one of satisfaction.

Nourishing, very nourishing!

Immediately, the chains binding Kyomu's soul released, and the Reaper's shadow faded, disappearing in a blink.

His knees buckled, and Kyomu knelt on one knee, using Yoei for support, his gaze dark and ominous.

That Reaper, ruining everything!

The Reaper's maneuver was akin to how Minato used the Reaper Death Seal to split the Nine-Tails, leaving the Yang Nine-Tails and taking the Yin Nine-Tails.

Now, all of Kyomu's Yin chakra had been taken by the Reaper, leaving only his Yang chakra.

Gritting his teeth, Kyomu stood up. Despite the brief time, the searing pain in his soul subsided, and his Yin chakra began to re-emerge.

But it was a mere fraction compared to before, a world of difference.

"Luckily, this month's passive skill is powerful," Kyomu thought gratefully. "Even with all my Yin chakra taken, I can regain it. And next time, I will kill you, Reaper. Wait and see!"

Standing tall, Kyomu spun Yoei. His passive skill for the month wasn't something to be trifled with.

You think you're at an advantage?

Heh, you're courting death!

Gazing at the lush trees and the soaring Ichikishimahime in the Four Red Yang Formation, Kyomu's body turned into a puff of smoke.

A few seconds later, another puff of smoke erupted between Ichikishimahime's horns.

"Why use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu?" Ichikishimahime asked, puzzled and exhausted. "Don't tell me..."

"It's exactly what you think. The Reaper took all my Yin chakra."

"A thousand years ago, the Reaper didn't exist," Ichikishimahime said, cryptically. "Someone very hidden is targeting you."

Kyomu's heart sank, muttering, "I knew the Reaper was connected to the Sage of Six Paths. Otherwise, why can only Indra and Asura reincarnate with chakra, not other Pure Land souls?"

Looking down, Kyomu focused on the Edo Tensei Hashirama below, his peripheral vision catching Orochimaru.

"I'll note this down and deal with it later. First, I'll destroy the Edo Tensei Hashirama and then kill Orochimaru!"

"Ah, it's finally starting," Ichikishimahime said excitedly. "That one slash, I still look forward to it."

Roar!

Ichikishimahime's dragon roar echoed, sending ripples through the air, causing lightning and thunder atop the Four Red Yang Formation.

Kyomu's old followers, suppressing the Sarutobi and Shimura clan ninjas, looked up, seeing a sight that dazzled them.

The lightning slash from the Sand Ninja battlefield!

"Long live Lord Kyomu!"

"Long live Lord Kyomu!"

"Long live Lord Kyomu!"

Their excited shouts echoed far, reinvigorating Kyomu's forces, boosting their morale even higher.

The Sarutobi and Shimura clan ninjas retreated, their numbers dwindling from over three thousand to less than a thousand.

Konoha's streets were littered with corpses, blood flowing in streams, gathering into small pools.

Blood flowed like rivers!

In another scene:

"What a magnificent slash..." Orochimaru murmured. "Kyomu-kun, I'm certain now, you are the one to bring change to the Shinobi World!"

The next moment, lightning like a heavenly river fell, filling every corner of the Four Red Yang Formation, turning it into a sea of lightning.

Electric arcs danced, obliterating everything, including Orochimaru's body and the Edo Tensei Hashirama.

It seemed all was settled.

But Ichikishimahime's sharp eyes spotted something. "Little Kyomu, kill that white phosphorous snake!"

As Ichikishimahime spoke, Kyomu hurled Yoei, pinning the fleeing white phosphorous snake to the ground.

However, Kyomu wasn't sure if it was a decoy and couldn't confirm Orochimaru's death.

With Orochimaru's abnormal survival skills, killing him completely was difficult.

But it didn't matter. Kyomu could kill him once, and when Orochimaru reappeared, he could kill him again and again!

Extending his hand, Yoei returned to Kyomu like a swimming dragon, gleaming in his grip.

Standing atop Ichikishimahime, Kyomu looked down, noticing the Edo Tensei Hashirama's body reforming from ashes.

But with Orochimaru dead, the reformation halted halfway, disintegrating completely.

It was over.

Exhaling slowly, Kyomu raised his hands, a shout escaping his chest.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu are dead! Follow me and annihilate their remnants!"

"Long live Lord Kyomu!"

Thunderous cheers filled the air, Kyomu's followers' eyes filled with exhilaration. They had won again, and this wouldn't be the last time!

In the Forest of Death.

The master-disciple battle between Minato and Obito paused, as further fighting was unnecessary.

The targets were dead, and the disputes had reached a conclusion.

No, not a conclusion, just a comma; a more pressing issue loomed.

Kyomu had killed the Fire Daimyo!

This was monumental, signaling the collapse of the shinobi loyalty system, akin to a rebellion.

Optimistically, it was an opportunity for shinobi to overthrow the current system and become true rulers of the Shinobi World. Pessimistically, it was the beginning of being a universal

Pessimistically, it was the beginning of becoming a universal enemy.

The latter was more likely.

When faced with a crisis threatening their rule, the daimyos of various countries would undoubtedly unite.

If Konoha continued to harbor Kyomu, the new Fire Daimyo would withdraw all financial support and likely join forces with the other four great nations to initiate a village-wide extermination of Konoha.

"Obito, return to the village with me," Minato said, his face weary. "Kyomu has caused a disaster this time."

Obito remained silent, realizing that Minato wanted to negotiate with Kyomu.

Nodding, Obito's body transformed into a vortex, absorbed into the Kamui space, reappearing in the devastated center of Konoha.

Splash.

Stepping on the ground, blood splattered everywhere. The Sarutobi and Shimura clan ninjas had almost been completely slaughtered, with only a few survivors trembling behind Jiraiya.

Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive on the scene, his eyes filled with deep sorrow as he surveyed the area.

Konoha was in ruins...

While rebuilding was possible, the lost trust and morale could never be restored.

"Kyomu, we need to talk," Minato said calmly but with penetrating force, his voice echoing throughout Konoha.

Roar!

The dragon's roar echoed through the heavens, and Kyomu stood atop Ichikishimahime, the massive dragon hovering ten meters above, facing Minato.

"Don't want to fight anymore?"

"There's no point. The Third Hokage and the three advisors are dead, and the Sarutobi and Shimura clans are nearly extinct," Minato said with a bitter expression. "Do you intend to slaughter everyone in the village?"

That's not necessary.

Kyomu wasn't a wanton killer. Besides, grudges had specific targets. With Hiruzen and the others dead, their blood debts were settled.

The few remaining survivors wouldn't be exterminated, but their clan's foundation would be eradicated. The Sarutobi and Shimura clans had many valuable items.

"Minato, what do you propose?" Kyomu asked directly.

"Take your people and leave the village," Minato had long thought about it. "You killed the Fire Daimyo. Staying here will only bring endless disaster upon us."

"Is this just your opinion, or..." Kyomu looked around.

"Lord Kyomu, we won't forget your achievements, but the Daimyo's significance and influence on the village..."

"Lord Kyomu, the Daimyo controls most of the village's economy. If we're implicated, our livelihoods will be jeopardized."

"Lord Kyomu, your hatred for evil is undeniable, but that was the Daimyo. He shouldn't have been touched, especially not in front of so many people."

The neutral ninjas around him spoke one after another. Despite addressing him as 'Lord Kyomu,' they strongly rejected his act of killing the Fire Daimyo.

They didn't want to follow Aragami Kyomu in overthrowing the current world order to establish a new, more perfect system.

In the current system, although wars broke out every few decades, they could still live peacefully and didn't want to take that risk.

"And what about you?" Kyomu looked back at his followers.

"We will always follow Lord Kyomu!"

"Even if it means opposing the entire world?"

"Even if it means opposing the entire world, we will follow Lord Kyomu to the death!"

Kyomu raised Yoei high, and the shouts behind him fell silent.

"Perhaps out of loyalty to me, you have made such a resolute decision, but I still want to tell you, your choice is not wrong!

The wrong one is this world!

The wrong one is the old order of this world!

We are not wrong!"

With his declaration, Kyomu patted Ichikishimahime's horn, slowly ascending into the air.

His ideals, it was time to reveal them to the world after the gunshot!

(End of Chapter)