Chapter 287: Exacerbating the Pain!

Ten days later, in the Land of Rain.

Kazuyama Gekkō and Yugito had already stepped into the territory of the Land of Rain.

This land had endured countless wars, and under the constant drizzle, there was an unmistakable sense of desolation.

"So this is the Land of Rain? It really does rain all the time, just like the rumors say."

"I hate getting wet. Sensei, can we hurry up?"

Yugito, wearing a straw hat and raincoat, was still visibly annoyed—after all, cats hate water.

Kazuyama Gekkō, on the other hand, didn't care at all. Rain? You just get used to it.

At least Nagato wasn't in charge of the Land of Rain yet. Otherwise, once he cast Rain Tiger at Will Technique, it would rain nearly 300 days a year—that would be truly unbearable.

"It seems that the Land of Rain isn't peaceful right now either."

Kazuyama Gekkō suddenly turned his gaze to the side, where a skirmish had broken out.

At his words, Tagitsuhime slowly poked her head out from beneath Yugito's raincoat, flicking her tongue as she commented,

"Indeed, and quite a crowd too."

"Looks like a lively brawl."

One observed from afar using insect eyes, the other sensed it through Senjutsu.

Only Yugito was in the dark, which made her visibly irritable. She stomped into a puddle with a splash.

"Ugh, can you two stop with the cryptic chatter already?"

"Is messing with people that fun?"

Neither Kazuyama Gekkō nor Tagitsuhime responded. Especially Kazuyama—he just lifted his leg and walked straight toward the battle.

Seeing this, Yugito clicked her tongue in frustration, which made Matatabi inside her chuckle softly.

"Yugito, you really have no way to deal with your sensei."

"If he can trade blows with Chōmei, how do you expect to reason with him?"

Already annoyed, Yugito grew even more frustrated at the teasing.

"Hmph! Matatabi, you're no help either! No dried sardines for you next time!"

Matatabi instantly went quiet. Just like Chōmei, she was a giant cat—Two-Tails or not, a cat's nature is still a cat's nature.

Even a Tailed Beast couldn't resist fish. Ever since meeting Kazuyama Gekkō, Matatabi's appetite had soared—now she couldn't go a day without dried sardines.

The master and disciple quickly entered the battlefield.

Both sides wore Amegakure forehead protectors, yet they were fighting fiercely.

It was clear that while they were all Amegakure shinobi, they belonged to different factions.

One side had over twenty people, while the other only nine.

As Kazuyama Gekkō looked at the smaller group, a glint flashed in his eyes.

These were the very targets of his mission. Yellow hair, red hair, blue hair... talk about things falling right into your lap.

"Kazuyama, that smile of yours is evil."

"What, you planning to butt in?"

Tagitsuhime raised an eyebrow at the wicked grin on Kazuyama's face. Yugito also looked up at her teacher.

That smile—it was just plain sinister.

"Tch. You two don't get it. Watching such a heated fight, I can't help it. It's been so long—how long has it been since I last got into a real scrap?"

"My body's trembling with excitement!"

He clapped his hands together in a familiar Tiger Seal gesture.

The girl and the snake were both totally confused, but Chōmei grinned.

Ever since Kazuyama Gekkō had used this move against Shukaku, his opinion had changed—this technique was fantastic!

...

At the center of the battlefield—

"Yahiko, give up on that pathetic dream of yours!"

"A ninja should seize everything through bloodshed!"

A furious Amegakure shinobi shouted while clashing blades.

Yahiko, still young, wore a serious expression.

"Creating peace without relying on extreme force—that's our goal. Ninjas shouldn't be tools for killing!"

"Your thinking is wrong! I'll change this world—change the way all of you think!"

"I'll dedicate everything I have to that dream!"

Shouting his resolve, Yahiko suddenly unleashed a surge of chakra, knocking his opponent back with raw power.

He quickly formed hand seals.

"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"

With the rain aiding him, the Water Release technique showed impressive might, sweeping his enemy off his feet.

Yahiko's team also clearly had the upper hand. Though they were outnumbered, they showed no fear.

Suddenly, several kunai flew into the battlefield.

Both sides were startled and quickly pulled back, letting the kunai land on the ground.

Each kunai had something scribbled on it—lines that definitely weren't proper.

"What the heck is that?"

"Nagato, Konan, are these yours?"

Yahiko turned and asked the two behind him.

Nagato's red hair partly obscured his eyes, but even through his Rinnegan, there was a flicker of surprise.

His perception was usually razor-sharp, yet he hadn't detected who had thrown the kunai.

Konan, the girl with light blue hair beside him, was equally baffled.

"Hmph, bluffing. Keep fighting!"

"Capture them all!"

The ninja who'd just been knocked back by the water current barked the order, unfazed by the kunai.

Clearly, having gulped down a mouthful of rainwater had rattled his mind—he just wanted to crush the enemy now.

The fighting resumed—

But no one noticed the sudden appearance of smoke bombs scattered across the field.

"Boom!"

A string of explosions erupted, and thick smoke quickly blanketed the area.

Both sides sensed something was wrong and started to retreat.

Then a cold voice echoed from the haze.

"Taijutsu Secret Art—One Thousand Years of Death!"

Screams rang out one after another.

The cries of agony were so intense, they sent chills down everyone's spine.

Without thinking, Yahiko rushed to check on his teammates—

But in the next moment—

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Right as Kazuyama Gekkō was enjoying himself, a system notification froze him mid-movement.

[Ding! Detected: Host has used One Thousand Years of Death to strike 100 times consecutively. Special reward: Power of One Thousand Years of Death increased by 5%. Note: At 20% power increase, a new feature will be activated.]

[Ding! Detected: Host struck Yahiko with One Thousand Years of Death, inflicting both physical and mental trauma. Yahiko is currently overwhelmed with pain. Special reward: Power of One Thousand Years of Death increased by 5%.]

[Ding! Power increased to 21%. New feature activated! Feature: Exacerbate Pain! Victims experience 50% more pain! Lasts 1 hour.]

Kazuyama Gekkō looked at Yahiko, who he'd just skewered, and fell into silence...

This reward might have gone a bit overboard.

Then he turned to look at Nagato...

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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