254. End of Fight

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A barrage of golden fists erupted from the Thousand-Armed Kannon behind Chiriku, hammering toward Kazuma from all directions. Though not as grand as Top Transformed Buddha, it carried a similar awe-inspiring force.

Kazuma knew firsthand how troublesome Chiriku's Senzoku no Sai (Gift of the Hermit Group) was.

Blocking the chakra-formed fists, he swung his staff with precision, trying to deflect the blows.

But the relentless assault gave him the illusion of a true Thousand-Armed Kannon raining fists upon him. The attacks were so continuous that he had no time to form hand seals for a counterattack.

Kazuma had no choice but to infuse Wind Release chakra into his staff, using it to defend while inching toward Chiriku.

He understood that to counter this technique, he had two options:

Endure it and attack Chiriku directly.

Stall until Chiriku's stamina gave out and he could no longer sustain the jutsu.

However, Chiriku was fighting with anger this time. He wouldn't stop so easily.

Kazuma gritted his teeth and forced his way forward, but a single mistake led to a devastating punch landing squarely on his face.

His advance halted. If he didn't act fast, his weak points would only multiply.

Making a desperate decision, Kazuma abandoned his defence. He swung his staff hard, its tip suddenly extending like a meteor hammer, whipping toward Chiriku's face.

Chiriku, seeing the incoming strike, remained completely unfazed. His brow furrowed slightly as the Thousand-Armed Kannon shifted its golden hue turning deep red, transforming into the Fierce-Eyed Vajra.

The extended staff bounced off its formidable aura, and in response, the thousand fists turned crimson, raining down upon Kazuma in an even more ferocious flurry.

It almost looked like Luffy's Gatling Gun, except each punch was chakra-infused and divine in nature.

By the time it was over, Kazuma lay battered on the ground, bruised and bloodied, unable to rise. His staff had long been flung aside.

Chiriku had held back. No matter how much he despised Kazuma's actions, he couldn't bring himself to kill him in front of Sora.

Had it been anyone else, they would have been beaten to death.

Lowering his stance, Chiriku stepped forward. "Come back to the Fire Temple with me, Kazuma."

Kazuma coughed weakly, blood staining his lips. "If you think you can change my mind, you'd be better off killing me."

He was a man of extremes. Years ago, he risked everything for an ideal, and even after failing, he had spent over a decade preparing for his revenge.

Chiriku was a warrior monk, not a talker. His persuasion skills were nonexistent. He could only say stiffly, "At the very least, you're still Sora's father."

Kazuma laughed hoarsely. "Hah… What right do I have to be called a father?" He closed his eyes, refusing to say another word.

Sora, fully healed, stood awkwardly nearby, unsure of how to feel.

This was a family business, and Kakashi's team had no reason to interfere. Their mission was to capture the grave robber, and that was already complete.

In the heavy silence, Naruto strolled over nonchalantly. Without hesitation, he began working on Kazuma's body, swiftly weaving a series of intricate sealing formulas with practised ease.

Soon, Kazuma's exposed skin was covered in black sealing scripts, except for his face, neck, and hands places usually left visible.

Kazuma, though too exhausted to protest, was bewildered by the thoroughness of Konoha's "security measures."

But before he could say anything, the suppression overwhelmed him, and he coughed up blood before passing out.

Naruto clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"If he can still pull some tricks after this, I'll admit defeat."

Then he called out, "Sakura, check on him. Don't let him die just because he's badly injured."

Sakura walked over instinctively but elbowed Naruto before beginning her medical jutsu. "Do you even care about the mood right now? And why the hell did you use so many sealing techniques?!"

Naruto answered matter-of-factly, "They'll have plenty of time to process their emotions later. Right now, Chiriku already decided to spare him, so I just took some extra safety measures to make sure things don't get out of hand."

"As for the seals? He knows sealing jutsu too, so it'd be reckless not to go all out."

Chiriku, after some thought, reluctantly accepted Naruto's logic. It was true that keeping Kazuma alive meant they could try to rehabilitate him over time.

Sealing his abilities ensured both safety and prevented him from committing suicide.

At the same time, Chiriku couldn't help but marvel at Naruto's sealing expertise.

No wonder he had such perfect control over Kurama. His knowledge of fuinjutsu was simply astounding.

Once Kazuma was fully restrained, Chiriku opened the coffins to inspect the stolen bodies.

Miraculously, despite all the chaos, the four corpses remained completely intact as if nothing had happened to them at all.

It wasn't scientific. But it was ninja business.

When in doubt, blame chakra.

Chiriku nodded to Team 7. "I must thank you all for your assistance."

Though Kazuma was ultimately defeated by Chiriku, he knew things would've been much harder without Pakkun's tracking and Team 7's interventions.

Not to mention, Naruto securing Kurama's chakra beforehand prevented any unexpected disasters.

Kakashi exchanged polite words with Chiriku before the group prepared to descend the mountain coffins in tow.

Naruto, however, felt strange about carrying coffins.

But then he realized his shadow clones wouldn't mind.

A dozen shadow clones appeared, each one dressed in black suits and white gloves, perfectly arranged in formation.

Six clones per coffin.

They proudly carried the coffins down the mountain.

Naruto swore he heard some kind of funeral march playing in his head.

Thankfully, the clones were at least somewhat respectful. If they had gone overboard, Chiriku might have turned into Fierce-Eyed Vajra again.

Naruto, as Always, Wants to Learn Everything

"By the way, Master Chiriku…" Naruto mimicked the stance Chiriku had used for Thousand-Hand Killing Formation.

"That jutsu you used what was that?"

Chiriku hesitated for a moment before replying, "It is Senzoku no Sai a power unique to monks of the Fire Temple. Any of our disciples may train in it."

Naruto's eyes sparkled. "So can I learn it?"

Chiriku gave him a knowing look.

"Why would someone with a power far greater than mine seek the Senzoku no Sai?"

Naruto didn't even hesitate. "Because it looks cool! You stand there, not moving, and the enemy just gets pummeled into oblivion. Plus, that majestic Kannon behind you…"

(He had even asked Sasuke if he could copy it with the Sharingan, but Sasuke had failed, claiming the ability contained some strange, unreadable energy.)

Chiriku… hadn't expected that answer. But seeing Naruto's clones in full funeral attire, he realized it wasn't out of character for him.

With a sigh, he replied, "If you wish to become a monk and train at the Fire Temple, I would be happy to teach you."

"Naruto, don't you dare!" Kakashi immediately interrupted before Naruto could shave his head and disappear to a monastery.

"You've already learned enough jutsu! I've copied plenty of cool techniques over the years I'll teach you some later, okay?"

If Naruto became a monk, Kakashi knew he'd be dead when he got back to Konoha. Kushina & Tsunade would skin him alive.

Naruto pouted. "Fine, I won't become a monk. But I know Buddhist scripture!"

He cleared his throat dramatically.

"'The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, practising deep prajna paramita, perceives… uhh…'" Realizing he had forgotten the rest, he improvised: "'Satori, as fleeting as morning dew, spins thrice and disappears like dust in the wind!'"

Chiriku: "…"

This… is not Buddhist scripture.

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