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JST Chapter 247: Death by Design
🕑 Added 2025-04-14 19:58:58 +0000 UTCThe Third Kazekage collapsed to the ground, a massive hole torn through his chest.
Kazuki flicked the blood off his hand. His chakra had grown even more unstable—more violent and suffused with a destructive aura.
“I gave you all a chance to live…”
He said softly, “Why didn’t you cherish it?”
“It seems you’re still as useless as ever when it comes to peace… which means I’ll just have to do things my way.”
“I wish you all the best. But for the ninja world to survive, I’ll have to cut down your power…”
Without a sound—
Kazuki appeared before the three jinchūriki who had been extracted by the Adamantine Chains and left unconscious.
One-Tails’ host, the monk Bunpuku…
Two-Tails’ host, Yugito Nii…
Seven-Tails’ host, the unnamed middle-aged man…
Turning his palm into a blade!
Even for a Jinchūriki, without the protection of Tailed Beast chakra, the human body was just as fragile as any ordinary shinobi.
A flash of blood burst forth—three Jinchūriki, all well-known figures in the shinobi world, were sent straight to the Pure Land.
But Kazuki gave them no time to mourn.
He continued his assault. Closest to him, Chiyo directed her Chikamatsu Ten Puppets in an attempt to counterattack.
At that moment...
Half of a bony mask covered Kazuki’s face. Poisoned senbon and all manner of ninja tools clashed against the red-and-white skeletal armor with sharp, crisp sounds.
But none of it slowed Kazuki’s advance.
Another punch!
With a single blow, Chiyo was killed. Her battered body collapsed to the ground, and the puppets she had been controlling fell lifelessly, the chakra threads cut off.
At that moment, Kazuki truly looked like a demon...
Lightning surged violently around him, his red-and-white bone armor emanating a deadly aura. Only a pair of blood-red eyes remained visible.
On his arms, dark golden chains coiled around his forearms, serving as makeshift bracers.
Kazuki charged straight toward Killer Bee—and the perfect Jinchūriki finally responded!
Full Tailed Beast Transformation!
The ferocious octopus roared, its eight massive tentacles thrashing wildly toward Kazuki!
“The strength isn’t enough. All you’ve got is that enormous body... which only makes you an easier target.”
A pattern flickered in Kazuki’s eyes—and in the next instant, black hellfire ignited across the entire octopus’s body: Amaterasu!
Just moments ago, the mighty Tailed Beast had exuded an overwhelming presence. But now, barely a breath had passed before a blood-curdling scream echoed across the battlefield, chilling every shinobi to the core!
Amaterasu blazed fiercely, scorching the octopus, and a strange aroma of cooked meat even began to waft through the air...
Killer Bee collapsed to the ground, his body covered in wounds—his condition unknown.
Kazuki, too, seemed to grow weary. He clutched his chest, yet his strength was still rising—bit by bit.
The Third Raikage, seeing Killer Bee apparently slain, burst forth with everything he had from a distance. As he sprinted forward, he bent his five fingers like axe blades—folding them in one by one to concentrate all his chakra into a single finger!
This was his ultimate technique: One-Finger Nukite!
The Third Raikage had once used this move to slice off all of the Eight-Tails’ tails. Its pinpoint destructive power was terrifying!
When the Third Raikage, risking his life, closed the distance to Kazuki, the young Uchiha’s gaze was already filled with fatigue—and even a hint of pain.
Tobirama tensed and quickly shouted, “Kazuki! Use my chakra!”
But Kazuki acted as if he hadn’t heard. His Sharingan locked onto the Raikage’s movements—and with a subtle sidestep, he dodged the thrust cleanly.
Then—he launched a brutal roundhouse kick straight at the Raikage’s extended arm!
In the midst of his charge, the Raikage had no way to pull back. The direction of his One-Finger Nukite shifted—and pierced straight into his own chest!
When the strongest spear meets the strongest shield…
It was clear who had won.
Half of the Third Raikage’s hand was buried in his own chest. He fell into a pool of his own blood.
Kazuki shot a sidelong glance at Hanzō, then casually formed a hand sign.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground beneath Hanzō’s feet turned to heavy mud. A golden chain shot out, wrapping around him and forcibly dragging him forward. In one swift motion, Kazuki severed the arm Hanzō was still trying to use to form hand seals.
At this point, among the nine elite shinobi who had surrounded Kazuki, only Ōnoki remained capable of fighting—and he was still in the air.
Without hesitation, Ōnoki turned to flee, flying higher and higher into the sky. But the Dust Release beam chasing from behind forced him to turn back.
As Ōnoki used his Dust Release to shield himself, Kazuki suddenly hurled a kunai—and used Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport right beside him!
“Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!”
Seeing Kazuki appear at his side, a wild glint flashed in Ōnoki’s eyes. This might be his only chance to kill him!
So, without putting up any defenses, he poured all his chakra into the attack…
He tried to unleash Dust Release as fast as he could—
But unfortunately for him, Kazuki’s hand moved even faster. His fingers lit up with the five elemental chakra and pressed against Ōnoki’s chest.
Five Elements Seal!
Under the disruption of the seal, Ōnoki’s chakra could no longer be mobilized. In the next instant, Kazuki delivered a swift kick, sending him plummeting from the sky—landing precisely beside the Third Raikage and Hanzō.
The impact was brutal. Ōnoki felt as though his spine had snapped. His hands clawed at the ground in a vain attempt to push himself up, but no strength came.
Kazuki descended slowly, landing before the three of them.
Of the nine top-tier combatants in the Allied Shinobi Forces who had surrounded Kazuki, not a single one remained standing.
The only ones still alive were:
Ōnoki, who appeared to have a broken spine.
The Third Raikage, lying in a pool of blood, his eyes filled with bitter regret.
And Hanzō, now missing an arm...
Breathing heavily, Kazuki sat down on Killer Bee’s body. While absorbing the last traces of the Eight-Tails' chakra, he looked down at the three and spoke: “You managed to last this long. That alone proves your strength.”
“I have no intention of killing you. Live on with this shame—whether you choose to grow stronger or quietly endure it... Gather the remnants of your forces. Stir the waters of this shinobi world like a catfish thrashing through mud. Keep everyone in this world on edge...”
Ōnoki, the Third Raikage, and Hanzō lifted their heads, eyes brimming with fear, confusion, and fury.
Why would someone as ruthless as Kazuki let them live?
It made no sense.
What was he really planning?
Even Tobirama couldn’t help but ask, “Kazuki… why not just finish them off and be done with it?”
“If I kill them,” Kazuki replied softly, “Konoha’s shinobi would fall into complacency. They’d lose their edge.”
“So long as enemies like them remain alive, everyone will stay alert. And if someday the seal on me begins to weaken… as long as this hatred still lingers in the world, Konoha might still produce a genius capable of sealing me again.”
“If I killed them and gave the world a moment of peace, that peace would dull the blade. When the next crisis comes, everything would be lost.”
Tobirama looked at Kazuki, utterly shaken.
Did that mean... Kazuki had no faith in the seal holding him?
Had he pushed himself too hard for Konoha’s sake? Had the Sage of Six Paths’ corruption accelerated beyond control?
But Kazuki offered no further explanation.
Once he finished extracting the remaining chakra from Killer Bee, he stood up and looked down at the blood-soaked Ōnoki, the Third Raikage, and Hanzō.
“From now on, carry the title of ‘The Three Survivors'. Struggle onward, grow stronger... and in return, each of you will bear the weight of your own legacy.”
“Farewell, gentlemen. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
Hanzō stared at Kazuki’s retreating back. A wave of helplessness and dread washed over him.
Why had he spared the Sannin all those years ago?
Partly, it was fear of Konoha’s retaliation.
But mostly, it was confidence in his own strength.
No matter how strong those three became—they’d never surpass him. Or so he had believed.
With the passing years, he sometimes regretted that decision.
The Sannin had only grown stronger since.
And now, Kazuki had made the same choice...
Was he thinking the same way?
But could Ōnoki, the Third Raikage, and Hanzō—three middle-aged men—still get any stronger?
Could they really ever settle this blood feud?
Why had Kazuki spared them?
Was it truly, as he said, to keep Konoha’s shinobi from becoming complacent?
All of it... was a mystery.
And in their weakened state, none of them noticed—
Kazuki’s ocular power had subtly crept into their minds.
Their eyes… had taken on the shape of the Sharingan.
...
Back in the Konoha camp, Kazuki stopped Hatake Sakumo, who was about to go finish off the downed enemies. Shaking his head, he said quietly: “The war is over…”
Although the people of Konoha didn’t know why Kazuki had spared those three…
Seeing him casually sitting on Killer Bee’s body and chatting for a while…
Could they only guess he’d made some sort of agreement with them?
Well, whatever the case, Kazuki-sama is so smart—there’s no way he would let himself be taken advantage of. If he didn’t kill them, then so be it…
As for why he didn’t kill them—
Those three Kage-level shinobi, whose minds had been subtly influenced by Kazuki’s genjutsu, now served as natural intel hubs.
Any enemy aiming to strike at Kazuki wouldn’t overlook these three powerful figures—each with their own strength, grudges, and armies.
People like Uchiha Izuna… or even Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
They were all part of Kazuki’s grand design. Chess pieces. Tools for a performance meant to be shown to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
In Kazuki’s eyes, Kaguya had two main weaknesses—both easy to exploit.
The first was her deep mistrust of humanity, born from betrayal in the past.
So, when the moment came—when Kaguya saw Konoha’s shinobi, people she once dismissed, sacrificing themselves to protect Kazuki, even throwing their lives on the line to shield him from attacks meant to disrupt his seal…
That, right there, would be one of the most powerful scenes in this drama.
And for that, Kazuki needed some villains to remain alive—so they could play the 'antagonists' in the show.
The second weakness was her disdain for the strength of humans.
But Kazuki had already prepared for that a long time ago.
If Isshiki—the being Kaguya once feared—were to appear again… then Kazuki would make sure she witnessed it:
A mortal body standing toe to toe with gods!
Might Duy would burn his own life…
“Everyone—” Kazuki stepped to the center of the crowd. And the moment he spoke, the entire battlefield fell into a breathless silence.
“The war… is over.”
