The moment he heard the piercing screech of the Rasenshuriken, Shinju knew something was wrong.
When Konohamaru shouted that warning, Shinju had already grabbed Udon, Moegi teleporting them away with Flying Thunder God!
Only Kisame was left standing there, eyes wide in confusion: (´°Δ°`)
What the hell just happened??!
In the next instant, the Rasenshuriken in Konohamaru's hand was hurled forward, shrieking through the air as it landed right in front of Kisame!
"BOOM—!!"
Chakra burst out instantly!
Countless wind-style chakra blades scattered like needles, slicing through living cells directly!
The explosion radius was enormous—at least fifty or sixty meters—nearly catching Konohamaru himself in it!
Luckily, Shinju was fast enough to snatch him away in time!
A few dozen seconds later, Shinju returned with everyone to what used to be the restaurant—now nothing more than scorched earth.
The once lively ramen shop was gone, replaced by a massive crater.
At the center of that pit lay Kisame, barely breathing.
He gritted his teeth and cursed weakly, "Damn it… that boy has no honor… a sneak attack?! (ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ)"
"How disgraceful… cough, cough—!"
He broke into violent coughing, spewing blood again and again!
Ever since Shinju invented the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, it had been listed as an S-rank forbidden jutsu in the village. Even in its incomplete form, it once left Yamato severely injured. And now that Kisame had taken the full hit—there was no way he could last much longer.
Seeing Kisame's miserable state, Shinju turned around and slapped Konohamaru across the head!
"You! Next time, at least say something before attacking! o(￣皿￣//)"
Konohamaru, who had already spent most of his chakra on the Rasenshuriken, covered his head in protest, looking pitiful.
"Didn't I warn everyone just now? (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)"
Shinju glared. "You still dare talk back?! If I hadn't been here, Udon, Moegi would've all been caught in that blast!"
"I told you before—you can't just throw that technique around whenever you feel like it! (▼ヘ▼#)"
Faced with Shinju's scolding, Konohamaru hung his head, not daring to say another word.
At that moment, the barely conscious Kisame rasped,
"Didn't think I'd fall for a boy's trick today… but don't get too smug… that man… that man will definitely…"
Before he could finish, Kisame fainted.
Shinju stepped forward and used medical ninjutsu to stabilize his life.
He couldn't just let Kisame die here in Konoha—the guy surely knew plenty about the Akatsuki. Handing him over to the Allied Shinobi Forces might be useful for the ongoing war.
While Shinju treated Kisame, Teuchi was sprawled across the ruins, sobbing.
"My shop… my ramen stand survived so many disasters in Konoha, and today it's destroyed by the Third Hokage's grandson! (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)"
"This place was my life's work! （༎ຶ-༎ຶ）"
"Don't be mad, Teuchi, I… I'll make it up to you when I start earning money…" Konohamaru said weakly, shuffling forward.
Nearby, Shinju finished his healing, walked over, and stood beside Teuchi.
Remembering how many times Teuchi had treated him and Naruto to free ramen, Shinju decided to help out a bit.
"It's fine, Teuchi. I'll rebuild your shop for you. ( •̀∀•́ )"
With that, Shinju clapped his hands together!
"Earth Release: Earth Tremor!"
"Wood Release: Four Pillars House Technique!!"
In moments, the massive crater left by the Rasenshuriken filled up with solid ground, and then trees burst up from beneath, intertwining to form a sturdy, square building.
Shinju smiled and explained, "This place was built with my Wood Release—tough, resilient, fireproof, and cut-resistant. Just think of it as compensation on his behalf! ∩_∩"
"As for the other damages… Teuchi, do you think this will cover it?"
He pulled out a thick wad of banknotes from who-knows-where.
Having watched Shinju grow up and knowing him as one of the village's heroes, Teuchi couldn't possibly take the money. He waved his hands frantically.
"No, no, that's already too generous! The new building is more than enough!"
Shinju could guess how he felt, so he didn't push it. Instead, he handed the money to Konohamaru.
"You caused the problem, so you pay for it. Consider this a loan from me—don't forget to pay it back. Õ_Õ"
Once everything was settled, Shinju grabbed the unconscious Kisame from the crater and disappeared.
...
Inside a secret chamber in Konoha.
Kisame was bound tightly with wooden vines and tossed into a corner.
When he awoke and realized Shinju had captured him, he didn't panic—just silently observed the man standing in the center of the room.
He was curious. What exactly was Shinju planning?
At the center of the chamber, Shinju crouched on the floor, drawing intricate markings. Not far from him were a few animals from the village's livestock pens—a chicken and a rabbit.
After a few minutes of work, Shinju clapped his hands and muttered to himself, "Offerings and the inscription for Reverse Dead Demon Sealing are ready. Next up is the Fourth's body tissue."
He then took out a medical jar from a summoning scroll—inside was what he'd recently obtained: the hair and flesh of the Fourth Hokage.
With everything prepared, Shinju sat down in the middle of the seal and began forming hand signs.
Kisame stared in shock: ◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞
As a former Mist ninja and member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he'd seen a lot of jutsu in his lifetime. He'd traveled far and wide since joining Akatsuki, and he knew something about every clan's techniques and sealing arts.
But the one Shinju was using now—it was unlike anything he'd ever seen! So complex, so intricate, so long—utterly beyond comprehension! ⊙▽⊙
After a few dozen seconds, Shinju's hands flashed through hundreds of seals. He slammed them to the ground and shouted, "Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"
The moment he spoke, the animals he'd brought into the chamber began to panic!
Kisame could feel the temperature in the room drop sharply.
And then—
He witnessed something he would never forget.
In front of Shinju, a shadow began to materialize out of thin air—first hazy, then gradually solid.
The figure took form: a creature draped in white robes, with horns on its head, violet skin, white hair, and gleaming fangs.
In its mouth, it clutched a dagger that shimmered coldly.
Kisame had no idea what kind of entity Shinju had summoned—but he knew this ghostly being was angry.
Its eerie, glowing eyes were fixed furiously on Shinju.
But Shinju was calm—no trace of the panic he'd shown the first time he met the Shinigami.
As the saying goes, once you've done it a few times, you get used to it. By now, they were practically old acquaintances! ( ´▽` )
He pointed at the small animals laid on the floor and said cheerfully,
"You wanted souls, right? These are all yours! (•̀⌄•́)"
"Hurry up and eat, and when you're done, spit out the Fourth Hokage from your stomach!ヾ(●´∇｀●)ﾉ"