Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Beneath a tree's shade, a man lay.
Naruto lightly touched his right eye with his sword fingers, temporarily severing the connection with his optic nerve, and connected to a sensory jutsu far, far away—the one he had left on Koji Kashin last night. This was an inspiration he got from Gaara's Sand Eye. It couldn't transmit visual images to the main body like the Sand Eye, only chakra fluctuations within a certain range. But it also had an advantage incomparable to the Sand Eye—its ultra-long transmission range. He had years of experience using the Mind's Eye of Kagura; as long as the chakra fluctuations were sufficient, he could roughly picture the surroundings of the jutsu formula in his mind.
While he was still pondering where the man who had walked into the toad's mouth would go, the man's chakra appeared in his perception.
"The destination is actually Konoha?" Naruto was somewhat stunned.
Just as he was hesitating whether to intervene, a new scene appeared on his "silent television": an incredibly terrifying chakra entered the vicinity of his sensory jutsu.
The Seventh Hokage and Uchiha Sasuke are both in the village; someone will take care of that man. Thinking this, Naruto once again immersed his mind in the silent images.
Kara Organization Base.
Jigen leaned against a tall stone chair, his left hand lightly touching his chin, not surprised by Koji Kashin's arrival.
"Kawaki's escape was indeed your doing... I'm very curious, what exactly is the meaning behind your actions?"
"Meaning? I was created solely to kill you." Koji Kashin stated, his tone unwavering.
"Pitiful man," Jigen sighed faintly. "In the end, just a tool used by Amado."
"So what if I'm a tool? I am a ninja. Completing the mission is the meaning of my existence." Koji Kashin formed hand seals. "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
A black pattern spread up Jigen's arm. He held his palm in front of him, and the intensely hot flame bullet instantly disappeared into his palm. Relying on his terrifying physical prowess, Jigen instantly closed in on Koji Kashin, and the two exchanged several blows. Koji Kashin sidestepped, creating distance, and formed hand seals again.
"Toad Oil Bullet!" A viscous, oily liquid drenched Jigen's body.
"Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit~" A chorus of frog croaks sounded. Jigen glanced aside and saw small toads crawling all over his body, his expression darkening slightly.
BOOM!
The toads suddenly exploded, igniting into a blaze, setting the toad oil on his body alight. A massive pillar of fire shot upwards, the terrifying temperature even scorching a crack in the stone structure above.
Whoosh!
From within the flames, Jigen's figure suddenly rushed out. Koji Kashin wasn't surprised and charged forward to engage him in taijutsu. Their figures appeared in every corner of the hall, the shockwaves from each collision destroying numerous instruments.
Clang!
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before Koji Kashin, and several black receivers were sent flying backward uncontrollably.
"It seems you understand my abilities quite well." Jigen's figure was half-hidden behind a massive stone pillar.
"This is my home ground now, Lord Jigen. Or should I say... Otsutsuki Isshiki."
"Heh... I hope you understand what you're saying." The black markings on Jigen's body emitted a dark red glow, and a spiraling 'horn' appeared on his head.
Shwoop!
His figure suddenly vanished from the spot.
BOOM!
Koji Kashin's figure was sent flying backward at a terrifying speed. Otsutsuki Isshiki, having further activated Karma and released his power, began to pummel his enemy. After several combos, Koji Kashin could only desperately defend.
"This is still only ten percent of his chakra..." Feeling the heavy force transmitted through his arms, Koji's heart sank. He seized an opportunity, once again creating distance between them, and after a series of hand seals, slammed his palm onto the ground. "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The hard stone floor transformed into a muddy swamp.
Looking at Jigen, more than half of whose body was sunk in the swamp, Koji Kashin said, "Your turn now, Lord Jigen!"
"Foolish trick. Do you think this can trap me?" A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Jigen. The mud trapping him exploded, and in an instant, he closed the distance between them.
"You're mistaken. I wasn't trying to trap you." Koji Kashin also completed his final hand seal.
Vwom!
A massive summoning jutsu formula appeared beneath both of them.
"Playing these fire tricks again, is it interesting?" Looking at the scorching flames erupting from the summoning formula, Jigen sneered, raising his palm to absorb them.
"Fire tricks? As long as they're effective, what does it matter if they're tricks?" Koji Kashin maintained his chakra output.
"What?" The flames beneath Jigen burned even more fiercely, showing no signs of diminishing. Jigen's composed expression finally changed.
"Just like with Kawaki and the others, he can't absorb physical things, huh..." Naruto's mind stirred.
Under the intense heat, Jigen's body began to break down. The black object on his abdomen developed one visible crack after another.
Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Interrogation Room.
The Seventh Hokage, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and other Konoha higher-ups semi-circled, scrutinizing Amado, who was restrained in an interrogation chair. On the innermost wall, an image flickered continuously—it was the scene of Koji Kashin battling Jigen. The source was a pair of red-framed, brown-lensed sunglasses placed on the table. Previously, these sunglasses had been worn on Amado's face.
"Who exactly is Koji Kashin?" the Seventh Hokage asked again, gazing at the familiar fighting style in the image.
"Don't you already have the answer in your heart?" Amado retorted.
"Can he kill Jigen?" Uchiha Sasuke looked at the figure being incinerated by flames, a flicker of hope in his eyes.
"I don't know either."
Bang!
The interrogation room door was violently pushed open.
Kawaki saw Amado restrained in the chair, his face filled with fury. The scientific ninja tool on his right arm suddenly expanded, resembling the forelimb of a mythical dragon beast, as he lunged towards Amado.
Clang!
Uchiha Sasuke swiftly drew the blade from his waist, shattering the expanded scientific ninja tool.
"Aargh!" Kawaki clutched his arm, letting out a pained scream.
"Didn't I tell you, you're not allowed in here?" the Seventh Hokage appeared beside the youth.
"Kawaki, are you alright?" Boruto abruptly stopped at the door, looking nervously at his comrade kneeling on the ground.
"AAAAARRRGH!!!" Kawaki let out another piercing scream. But this time, it wasn't because of the shattered scientific ninja tool, but because of his left arm. The Karma uncontrollably activated, its pattern spreading across his entire body. But then, just as quickly, the pattern vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there.
"Karma's rampage... stopped?" Boruto stared blankly at this scene. He lifted Kawaki, who had fallen to the ground, and unexpectedly noticed his comrade's clean palm. He clearly remembered the 'Karma' mark being inscribed there.
"It seems Isshiki's reincarnation is complete," Amado said, withdrawing his gaze and continuing to watch the figure being consumed by flames on the screen.
"Hey! Amado, explain clearly, what exactly happened?!" the Seventh Hokage demanded, dissatisfied.
"I've already made it very clear. Otsutsuki Isshiki has completed his reincarnation within Jigen's body," Amado stated flatly.