The speed of the fire dragon was astonishing, catg up to Killer B in an instant and diving down. The heat alone was enough to scorch the air, creating a vacuum that pulled debris in its path.

  Killer B, still sprinting, quickly coated himself with the Eight-Tails' chakra, leaping forward with a sudden burst of speed. He tumbled into a half-colpsed building, rolling to safety.

  A momehe fire dragon exploded.

  With a deafening roar, the surrounding buildings toppled like blocks, fmes swirling outward like a tornado, redug everything to a sea of fire.

  Killer B burst out from the debris and tinued his wild dash north, the chakra cloak sizzling against the intense heat.

  Behind him, the sound of colpsing structures rumbled.

  There wasn't even time to look back—he had never run this fast in his entire life.

  "How this old man be s, yo? His fmes make me dance, don't you know!"

  His chakra signature... I remember this. During the wars—, the Eight-Tails began.

  "Save the history lesson, that's what I say! Just tell me how to survive another day, hey!" B cut in, narrowly avoiding another wave of heat.

  Don't get caught! If his chakra touches you, it'll burn you to ashes... Idiot! Dodge quickly! His Fire Release isn't over yet!

  Serving as Killer B's "eyes," it gave stant warnings, but once again, it found that its host had misuood the situation. There's no winning move here, B. We o retreat.

  "Huh?" Killer B, scolded again, was momentarily fused. "Running straight's my style, but these fmes are wild!" As he habitually sprinted in a straight lihe surroundings ged abruptly.

  Fmes surged, bzing fiercely.

  The scattered fires among the ruins seemed to be infused with new life, shining brilliantly.

  A deafening rumble spread outward in waves, fmes carrying ks of debris into the sky. The intense heat melted these fragments into volibs.

  This was one of Kai's most powerful bination jutsu, a creation born of his mastery of Kagutsuchi. It pushed the nature transformation and shape transformation of fire to their absolute limits.

  The already-red-hot rocks streaked through the air, leaving dozens of fiery trails. Watg this familiar se, Masashi, standing beside Kai, couldn't help but admire it now that his past biases had bee aside.

  "Your teique hasn't dimi all," Masashi ented.

  No wonder Kai was regarded as the stro fire user of his geion. Even someone as dising as Madara sidered Kai his most valued follower.

  Killer B, however, did not share Masashi's appreciation.

  With a loud scream, he frantically dodged the volibs raining down from above.

  To be fair, he was already bei off lightly. During his past lifetime, Kai could unleash this teique with hundreds of bombs.

  He'd almost been killed by this move. Its range was simply too vast to escape.

  At this moment, Masashi activated his Sharingan, studying Kai's flow and manipution of chakra with undivided focus.

  The name Kagutsuchi was forever linked with Kai in the 's archives. However, the archives only recorded the name. Kai had died too soon, uo fully dot his insights.

  Still, the Senju , particurly Tobirama, remembered his mastery of Kagutsuchi vividly.

  In the inal timeline, he once saw Sasuke's use of Kagutsuchi and praised it, saying, "I've never seen Kagutsuchi wielded with such power." This was because he had witnessed Kai's skill with the teique, even when using just three-tomoe Sharingan.

  The Three-tomoe weren't on the same level as the Mangekyō Sharingan, and ordinary fire couldn't pare to Amaterasu.

  But aside from his power ceiling, Kai's teique with Kagutsuchi was unmatched.

  With this skill, even as a reanimated corpse, he could dispy elite jonin-level bat prowess.

  Ahead, more than ten rge and small volibs struck the vilge. The remnants of the streets turned into bzing infernos, the violent impacts crag the ground and causing mass destru of buildings.

  Kai's face remained cold as he formed a single seal, rising with the wind toward Killer B, who was still charging through the fmes.

  Masashi chuckled softly and followed with the Body Flicker.

  Hearing Masashi's ughter behind him, Kai's expression grew darker.

  Of all people to embarrass himself in front of, why did it have to be this guy?

  Once agaiivated Kagutsuchi. The firestorm began to boil inward from the edges.

  ---

  Meanwhile, in the middle of the fmes, Killer B was in dire straits.

  A volib had directly struck him earlier.

  The Eight-Tails' chakra cloak dissolved instantly. While it had absorbed most of the damage, the impact broke several bones. Blood spurted from his mouth, evaporating iense heat.

  If not for his robust physique, he would have died.

  His entire body was in agony, covered in burns. But these external injuries weren't the main issue. Inside, Kai's wind chakra tie his body.

  The Eight-Tails was busy expelling the invading chakra, leaving it uo heal him pletely.

  It no longer had much hope that Killer B would survive.

  Even as a reanimated corpse, Kai was terrifyingly strong, and there were still other monsters yet to act.

  It saproag, exuding murderous i.

  All around, reanimated shinobi had formed a rge encirclement, keeping their distance.

  he group of reanimated shinobi stood a living person—another Uchiha. No, he wasn't just any Uchiha. He was the summoner.

  B, stop. There's no escape.

  Killer B stopped. His trust in the Eight-Tails was absolute. He had never sidered it a mere beast.

  "What's wrong?" Killer B panted heavily.

  That person is the summoner.

  "Yeah, I see him. The summoner." Killer B looked at Masashi, alking toward him. "Another Uchiha with those eyes so red, making me wish I had stayed in bed, yeah!"

  Masashi's gaze was indifferent.

  In the inal timeline, Killer B was an iing person.

  But Masashi wasn't Naruto. He wasn't Killer B's friend and never would be.

  As the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki and an enemy in this battle, he had only oe: death.

  "Oh ho, su arrogant jerk." Killer B grinned, his stance deceptively loose despite his injuries. "ing at me with that smug-face perk!"

  "Eight-Tails jinchuriki," Masashi finally aowledged him with a gnce. "You're a good person, but please die. It will bring the war to an end sooner."

  "Killing me won't be your easy game, when I'm done you'll remember the name!" Killer B said, secretly gathering chakra. He hoped the Uchiha would attack quickly—just a little closer.

  "Don't waste your energy," Masashi said. "The only way to eensei is for the summoo release it voluntarily. Killing him won't help. Kumo should uand this teique."

  "Little brat from the Yotsuki ." Kai desded from the air. "You've done well enough. Rest now."

  Before his words were finished, a fiery bde erupted from the grouh B, pierg him.

  It was fire from the earlier Volic Robs. With Kagutsuchi, Kai had sent the fmes burrowing underground, cutting through earth and stoo strike B from below.

  The trated fmes formed a sharp bde, breaking through the ground, pierg B, and lifting him into the air.

  Yo, Eight-o, my friend so true, this is my final verse just for you, Killer B thought with a peaceful smile as he felt death closing in. No more rhymes, no more fights... but at least you'll see the m lights.

  With that, fmes erupted from B's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Guided by Kagutsuchi, they detohe fire tore through and ed his body, until he was just part of the fmes.

  Nothing remained.

  For a brief moment, Masashi sehe Eight-Tails. But, as Killer B had requested, the beast chose to retreat.

  Just as he said, the Eight-Tails, from this moment onward, was free.

  ---

  When Killer B exploded mid-air, it was like a firework blooming in the night, radiating colorful brilliahe st of the embers scattered in all dires before fading away.

  And with that, the battle came to an end.

  This time, he was truly gone.

  He could deceive once, but not twice.

  In the shinobi world, many jutsus only be used once—especially secret teiques, which are most notorious in this regard.

  Secret teiques are called so not because they are mysterious, but because they must remai.

  Otherwise, they lose their effectiveness.

  Killer B's earlier teique was essentially a Substitution jutsu, executed using the vast chakra of the Eight-Tails. If one were unaware of this jutsu, it could indeed succeed uhe cover of the Eight-Tails' chakra.

  But unfortunately, Masashi had the advantage of "New Game+" knowledge.

  As he gazed at the now-quiet skies, he mehat Killer B wasn't on his side.

  Kumo was dominated by martial fas and was the most aggressive among the Five Great Vilges, often threatening others with war.

  Even on a personal level, he had never regarded Kumo as a potential ally. Kumo's double standards were infamous.

  To them, taking from others was "survival of the fittest." If they failed, it was the other party's fault. And if they not only failed but were also beaten, then it was a grudge that had to be ave all costs.

  This mi of the Yotsuki has now bee ingrained in Kumo's culture.

  Maintaining peace with such a vilge was surprisingly simple: just beat them so thhly that even their mothers wouldn't reize them.

  Shifting his gaze, Masashi surveyed his surroundings.

  The resurrected individuals had gathered around, all staring at him.

  "Rex, I keep my promises," he said with a smile. Unlike some vilges I could hough promises are just aool in our world."

  He looked early at all of them. This truly was the final farewell. From now on, he and these figures would have no further e.

  He formed the first hand seal.

  "Wait a moment," Kai suddenly said.

  Masashi paused, looking at him with fusion.

  What now? Got too into the fight and don't want to go back?

  "What's the current state of the Uchiha ?" Kai asked.

  The other Edo Tensei individuals perked up at this.

  "Yeah, and what about the Hōzuki ?"

  "What about the Kaguya? Did they join Kiri?"

  "Did my family finally overthrow those idiots in the Hōzuki ?"

  "What about the Tsuchigumo ? Did they join any vilge?"

  "Is Shukaku still trolled by Suna? Who's the current Kazekage?"

  Questions burst out from everywhere as the Edo Tensei figures crowded around, their eyes full of hope, eager to hear good news.

  But Masashi had no time for this.

  "You're dead; why worry about such things?" he said, waving them off. "Keep pushing, and I might just ge my mind."

  The group immediately backed off, those who had been the most vocal hurriedly assuring him that they were merely curious and that he didn't have to answer.

  Kai snorted, clearly unfazed.

  "Really? You join the Uchiha , and now I 't even ask questions?"

  "Ask if you want, but keep it short," Masashi grumbled.

  "You cim you're proteg the Uchiha. Did the Senju do something to them?"

  "The Senju dissolved long ago; there's no Senju ymore," Masashi replied.

  He decided to answer Kai's question for once.

  "You know how Madara and the Senju fell out. Tobirama didn't actively oppress the Uchiha, but some of his students couldn't let go of their biases."

  "Ah, that's why you're proteg the Uchiha now," Kai said, clearly satisfied. "What, just a few brats couldn't handle you? How many of them are left?"

  Is this guy even listening to himself?

  "Do I look like I enjoy killing people?" Masashi asked. "Only one's dead."

  "Tsk tsk…" Kai practically smirked, his schadenfreude written all over his face. "The rest probably won't st much longer either. Alright, I'm good. You proceed."

  He frowhen held up a hand.

  "Wait, one more thing. How far have yressed with the Sharingan?"

  "About the same as you," Masashi said irritably. "Why?"

  "Then learn Kagutsuchi and record it in the library," Kai instructed. "You won't master it just by relying on your Sharingan. I'll teach you. Watch closely. The Sharingan isn't just for copying."

  "I know the theory. It's the application that—"

  "Theory?" Kai cut him off with a scoff. "This is about feeling the fmes in your blood. The Sharingan guides, but the power es from within."

  "Wow, so generous. Don't you hate me anymore?"

  "Generous? Being an Uchiha is punishment enough for you. You'll be stuck fighting for the Uchiha for the rest of your life." Kai sneered before ung into a detailed expnation of how to use the three-tomoe Sharingan to perform Kagutsuchi.

  "The fmes respond to emotion as much as chakra. Remember that."

  The other Edo Tensei figures initially listened with i but soon found it tedious. They began to grumble about the Uchiha 's absurdity.

  Always making simple things plicated, otered uheir breath.

  In their vieuting chakra should suffice. Why plicate things with ocur powers?

  "The Sharingan is just a crutch," someone whispered. "Real shinobi rely on their own strength."

  They eventually sat down, chatting among themselves and thinking about their past lives.

  When Pakura arrived, she found this bizarre se of resurrected individuals casually hanging out. Upon seeing Masashi learning jutsu from Kai, she couldn't help but think it was even more surreal.

  Not even the dead are safe from you?

  Yet she no longer felt so uneasy around the Edo Tensei figures. Apart from their corpse-like appearahey weren't much different from the living.

  As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight paihe earth, Masashi cluded his training session. His Sharingan had recorded every detail of the teique.

  "I don't expect you to master it, but at least remember it and record it. Just because you 't doesn't mean others 't," Kai said smugly.

  "Stop showing off. I've already added more jutsus to the library than you."

  "Those are trash pared to mine."

  "Trash? Let's see you pull off a Susanoo then!" Masashi shot back before f hand seals.

  He released the Edo Tensei jutsu, sending all the resurrected souls back to the Pure Land.

  The gathered spirits began to glow, their forms shimmering as they prepared for their final departure.

  "Finally going back?"

  "Thank goodness."

  "ime, I'll make sure to die somewhere less spicuous."

  Kai also began to glow as the dust on his body began to crumble away.

  "At least you kept your word this time." He raised a hand, sensing the jutsu's diminishing hold on him. He k wouldn't be long before he found pea the Pure Land.

  "O piece of advice," he said to Masashi. "As an Uchiha, there are many things you have no choi."

  With that, his body disied, his soul asding in a pilr of light.

  All around, other beams of light rose, carrying souls with peaceful smiles back to their rest.

  As the dust settled, the remains of sacrifices used in the Edo Tensei revealed their true forms.

  Standing before Masashi was a young man's corpse—Kai's eldest son.

  This time, he would ehey all returo the earth properly. It was the least he could do for those whose rest he had disturbed, even if it had been necessary.

  As we bid farewell to another year and wele 2025, may your days be as undying as aensei ninja, your success as unstoppable as Kagutsuchi's fmes, and your peace as eternal as the Pure Land.

  Remember, like our favorite reanimated warriors, sometimes you o rest - just try not to make it perma!