Damn it...
Completely unable to fight back...
Feeling the near-tearing pain in his body, Code lay wretchedly on the ground, his expression unsightly as he watched Kawaki approach.
"That person who wanted to see me, although I don't know what methods he has, if he dares to oppose the Seventh Hokage..."
Kawaki lightly raised his left hand, and a large amount of misty light began to gather. "On the road to the Pure Land, you will have company. Believe me."
Code's face finally couldn't hold it together. Having lost his ability to move, if he were to take this hit head-on, there would only be one outcome.
BOOM!
The already ravaged earth, in that instant, bloomed with a dazzling sphere of energy.
"Interesting, truly interesting..." Naruto tore open a spatial rift and vanished from the spot.
The storm gradually subsided. Nara Shikamaru, peeking through the gap between his arms, managed to make out the result of the battle: Kawaki lay unconscious on the ground, his breathing faint.
"What happened?"
Including him, all the Konoha ninja present stared at this scene in shock. Kawaki had clearly been dominating, what on earth had happened during the explosion to cause such a drastic turn of events?
"My apologies, Daemon." Code looked at the child perched on his head and offered an apologetic smile. At this moment, Daemon, who should have been fast asleep under Eida's care, was looking around in a daze, his small head filled with big question marks.
"Code, are you fighting? Who's the enemy? I'll help you beat him!" the bratty kid yelled.
But recalling the bizarre reversal of the situation just now, no one present dared to underestimate him.
"No, I just finished the battle." Seeing Kawaki, who had been so arrogant moments before, now covered in wounds from his own attack and lying unconscious on the ground, Code couldn't help but smile gleefully. "Daemon, I'll tell you the details later. Let me send you back first." Saying this, using the 'belt' on his forehead (his claw mark ability), he stuffed the little brat back to their base.
"The ability to reflect all attacks, it's really useful." Recalling the scene just now, he even felt a little envious of Daemon's ability. The moment the energy sphere exploded, he had used his spatial ability to summon Daemon from the distant Kara base, using Daemon's power to reflect Kawaki's attack. Although it would incur Eida's displeasure, compared to the current gains, a few words of apology were nothing.
"Honestly." Eida soothed her younger brother, who was starting to throw a tantrum. "Code, if there's a next time, I'll have Daemon change his attack target to you."
"Alright, alright," Code readily promised.
"Is Kawaki alright?"
"I know how to handle things. Don't worry, your prince charming is not in life-threatening danger. Konoha's ninja are treating him right now," Code replied casually. Of course, he hadn't taken Eida's words lightly either. I must find Amado as soon as possible and remove the [Limiter]... His and the Eida siblings' cooperation was, in essence, a facade of mutual deception.
Thinking this, his peripheral vision caught sight of Nara Shikamaru standing at the front of the ANBU squad.
BOOM!
The Seventh Hokage, holding a Great Ball Rasengan, appeared before him.
"Hwaaaah... I want to go out and play." Daemon rolled around on the sofa, throwing a tantrum. This was a little habit he had with his sister; generally, if he did this, his sister would agree to his requests.
Eida, as usual, let him fuss for a while, then was about to "reluctantly" agree to take him out to play in the snow.
Sssshhhrrrrip!
A spatial rift suddenly tore open in the hall.
"Daemon." Hearing the change in his sister's tone, the bratty kid quickly sat up, no longer fooling around. He didn't want to get spanked. Then, he sensed something was amiss. Why did his sister's face look so grave?
"I'm very curious, how do you observe everything happening in Konoha? The distance between the Land of Snow and the Land of Fire is not short," Naruto said, stepping slowly out of the spatial rift. When Code was fighting Kawaki and the others, he had been constantly using his spatial ability to communicate with someone. Coupled with the fact that Code could accurately find Kawaki, Naruto had deduced that there might be remaining Kara members providing him with intelligence. Thus, he had followed the spatial fluctuations and tracked them here.
"Is it really alright to inquire about a beautiful woman's privacy upon your first meeting?" Eida hid her hands behind her back, covertly conveying some message to her younger brother.
Naruto ignored their little movements and observed his surroundings. The decor was luxurious and grand, with rich colors and exquisite designs. Any single piece of furniture could probably cover an ordinary family's living expenses for several months. Kara's financial resources were evident.
"Is there any tea?" Naruto suddenly asked. "I'm not too fond of the taste of coffee."
The siblings exchanged a strange look. "What exactly do you want?"
"No need to be so tense. If I really wanted to kill you, I would have done it when I first came out," Naruto waved his hand, signaling them to relax a little.
"Kill us?" Eida's eyes instantly turned dangerous. "Although you killed Otsutsuki Isshiki, you can certainly try and see who kills whom."
Naruto ignored her threat, found a tin of tea leaves in a cabinet, and after some clattering around, a wisp of steam rose from a teacup. "If we really fight, you know in your heart what the result will be," Naruto said, unhurriedly taking a sip of tea. The flavor transitioned from a wild, dominant, and rough taste that stimulated the cheeks, to a gentle, delicate, and subtle sweetness that spread across the tongue.
"Good tea. Care for a cup?" Naruto asked.
Seeing that he truly had no intention of fighting, the tension in Eida's heart eased slightly, and her demeanor gradually returned to its usual composure. "What do you want?" If he hadn't come looking for a fight, then he must have other demands.
"Straightforward." Naruto put down his teacup. "Kara's cutting-edge technology. I want it all, packaged up."
"What do I get?" Eida crossed her left leg over her right, the hem of her skirt rising to reveal a smooth calf. She rested her palm lightly against her flawless chin, looking him up and down.
"I won't kill you," Naruto said with a gentle smile.
"You're very confident, even a bit arrogant," Eida commented.
"No, no, no. My confidence is limited to combat strength. When it comes to cutting-edge knowledge, I clearly understand that I am nothing," Naruto shook his head slightly.
"Sister, should I kill him?" Daemon asked in a low voice.
"Your ability is to reflect attacks, right?" Naruto had "seen" the scene where Code used him to reflect Kawaki's attack.
"Including, but not limited to, ninjutsu," Eida added, appropriately increasing her bargaining chip.
"A very powerful ability." Naruto nodded. Kawaki's attack just now had been comparable to a small Tailed Beast Bomb. To be able to reflect even that level of attack, Daemon's strength was undoubtedly at the upper echelons of the pyramid. "However..." Naruto's tone shifted. "I'm very curious, can his ability reflect space-time turbulence?"