The remaining shinobi hesitated. Fear showed in their eyes—something they hadn't felt all battle.
"What is he?" one whispered.
"Doesn't matter," another hissed, gripping his kunai. "We have orders. Kill him!"
They charged.
I met them head-on.
The first swung a blade at my neck. I caught it with my bare hand. The edge bit into my palm, then stopped. My fingers closed around the steel. I ripped the sword from his grip and drove it through his chest.
"Impossible—" Blood filled his mouth.
The second came from behind. A kunai stabbed into my back, punching through muscle.
I reached back, grabbed his wrist, and pulled. He flew over my shoulder and crashed into the ground. I stomped on his head. The skull collapsed.
"He's a monster! Fall back—"
A third threw an explosive tag. It attached to my chest.
The explosion engulfed me.
The smoke cleared.
I stood in the same spot. My clothes were burned, skin blackened. Then the burns faded. Fresh skin replaced charred flesh in seconds.
The remaining shinobi stepped back.
"He regenerated. How do we kill something that regenerates?"
"Run! We need to—"
I looked at Sasuke. At Kaze. At the remaining enemies.
"I am neither human nor monster," I said quietly.
My arms began to change.
The flesh rippled, elongated. Red, spike-covered tissue erupted from my forearms, growing like vines. My hands twisted, fingers fusing into blade-like protrusions.
Within seconds, my arms had become whips—three meters long, covered in jagged crimson spines, ending in scythe-like edges.
Behind me, Amanai's voice was barely audible. "What are you?"
One shinobi stumbled backward. "Demon. He's a demon!"
"Kill it now!"
I didn't answer.
The whips moved.
I swung my right arm. The whip lashed out faster than any jutsu. The nearest Sarutobi tried to dodge. Too slow. The whip wrapped around his torso. The spines tore through his armor. I pulled back. The whip contracted, ripping him apart. Blood sprayed. Chunks of flesh scattered across the ash.
"Stay together! Don't let it separate us!"
Two more came from opposite sides.
I swung both whips simultaneously. They extended mid-swing—five meters, then seven, then ten. The left whip carved through a burning tree trunk. Wood exploded. The right whip caught both attackers mid-stride, slicing clean through. Both bodies fell in pieces.
A Shimura landed behind me, wind chakra coating his blade. He thrust at my spine.
My right whip reversed direction, bending at an impossible angle. It wrapped around his arm. The spines punched through muscle. I twisted. The whip rotated. His arm came off at the shoulder.
He screamed.
I flicked my wrist. The blade-tip punched through his chest. The scream stopped.
Six enemies remained, not counting Sasuke and Kaze.
They formed a circle, keeping their distance.
"Keep back! Use ninjutsu only!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Three launched the technique. Dozens of small fireballs converged on me.
I spun. My whips rotated around me in a defensive pattern, becoming a blur. Most fireballs deflected. A few got through, scorching my skin.
The burns healed instantly.
"It's not working!"
While I dealt with the fire, a Shimura came from above. "Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
Wind chakra extended from his sword. He brought it down toward my neck.
My left whip shot upward, catching him mid-air. I slammed him into the ground. The impact cratered the earth. His back broke.
Before I could finish him, the ground exploded.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
Stone spikes erupted upward, punching through my feet, legs, torso. One burst through my shoulder. Another through my stomach.
Blood poured from the wounds.
"We got it!"
The spikes crumbled. My flesh pushed them out. Within seconds, I was whole.
The Sarutobi who'd performed the jutsu stared, kunai falling from his grip.
I swung my right whip. It extended across the clearing and wrapped around his waist. I pulled. He flew toward me, screaming.
As he approached, I swung my left whip. The blade caught him mid-flight. His body separated at the waist.
Three enemies left, plus the clan heads.
The remaining shinobi broke and ran.
"Retreat!"
I let my whips extend fully—ten meters each. I swung them in wide arcs. The whips carved through the forest. Trees fell. Boulders split. The fleeing shinobi didn't make it ten steps.
Silence.
Only Sasuke and Kaze remained.
I retracted my whips to seven meters. Blood dripped from the spines.
Sasuke gripped his staff. His expression shifted from shock to determination. "Kaze. We can't hold back."
Kaze raised his fan, wind chakra gathering. "Agreed."
They moved simultaneously.
Sasuke inhaled deeply. "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A massive dragon-head of flame erupted—twenty feet wide, white-hot. It roared toward me, consuming everything. Trees exploded. The ground turned to glass.
Kaze swung his fan. "Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Multiple wind currents shot forward, merging with Sasuke's fire. The wind fed the flames, making them faster, more destructive.
I crossed my whips and rotated them at maximum speed. The fire hit. Some flames deflected. Others pushed through, scorching my skin.
The heat was incredible. My flesh blackened, cracked. Then healed. Over and over.
The jutsu ended.
I stood in molten glass. My clothes mostly gone. Smoke rising from my skin. But whole.
Sasuke's eyes widened. "Impossible."
I charged forward.
Kaze reacted. "Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
He spat compressed air bullets.
I weaved between them. One clipped my shoulder, tearing flesh. It regenerated mid-stride.
Sasuke intercepted. He swung his staff horizontally.
I ducked. My right whip lashed at his legs.
Sasuke jumped, vaulting higher. While airborne, he formed seals. "Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Fire poured from his mouth.
I raised my left whip. It cut through the flames. I swung at Sasuke's airborne form.
He twisted, barely avoiding it. The whip caught his shoulder guard, tearing it away.
Sasuke landed twenty feet away. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive earth wall erupted between us—thirty feet high, six feet thick.
I swung both whips. They carved through like wet clay. Within seconds, I'd created a gap.
Kaze was on the other side. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Gale-force wind slammed into me. Sharp, compressed. The pressure pushed me backward.
My skin split in dozens of places. They healed immediately.
I leaned into the wind. Took one step forward. Then another.
Kaze narrowed his eyes and increased the output.
I kept walking.
Sasuke appeared from the side. His staff came at my head from a blind angle.
I couldn't dodge. The staff connected with my temple. The impact was massive. My head snapped sideways. Skull cracked.
But I didn't fall.
My head straightened. The crack sealed.
I grabbed the staff before Sasuke could pull back.
Sasuke's eyes widened. He tried to pull free. It didn't budge.
I yanked. Sasuke stumbled forward.
My left whip wrapped around his torso. I lifted him and threw him.
Sasuke flew backward, crashing through Kaze's earth wall. Stone exploded outward.
Kaze changed tactics. "Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
Wind chakra extended from his fan—five feet of cutting pressure. He swung at my neck.
I raised my right whip to block. The vacuum blade cut clean through it.
My whip severed. The end fell.
Pain shot through my arm. Blood sprayed.
Then the whip regrew. Flesh extended, spines erupted, the blade reformed. Three seconds.
Kaze stepped back. "He can regenerate even that."
Sasuke returned, blood running from his forehead. "Then we destroy him completely. No pieces left."
He slammed his staff down. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Smoke exploded. When it cleared, a massive monkey stood beside Sasuke—seven feet tall, white fur, wearing a black suit with mesh armor and a sleeveless kimono-shirt with tiger-stripe markings. A red sash held it closed.
"Menma," Sasuke said. "We need your help."
The monkey's eyes locked onto me. It bared its fangs. "What is that thing?"
"A monster," Kaze said. "One that won't die."
Menma cracked its knuckles. "I can see that. I have never seen something like this."
"Neither have I."
The monkey moved forward cautiously, circling.
I struck first. My right whip lashed toward Menma's chest.
The monkey dodged sideways with ease. It closed the distance while I was extended.
A fist came at my ribs. I brought my left whip down to block.
Menma pulled the punch and swept my legs instead. I stumbled but stayed upright.
Sasuke came from behind. His staff swung at my head.
I spun, both whips coming around.
Menma grabbed my right whip mid-swing. The spines pierced its palm. Blood ran. The monkey grimaced but held on, yanking me off-balance.
Sasuke's staff connected with my shoulder. Bone cracked.
I healed and tore my whip free from Menma's grip, taking flesh with it.
The monkey jumped back, examining its torn palm. "That regeneration is troublesome."
"Keep the pressure on," Kaze called. "Don't let it focus on one target!"
They coordinated. Sasuke attacked from the left. Menma from the right. Kaze provided covering fire with wind jutsu from range.
I couldn't focus. Every time I engaged one, another struck from a blind spot.
Sasuke's staff caught my knee. I collapsed briefly. My whip lashed at him. He blocked with the staff, wood splintering but holding.
Menma came in low, fists hammering my torso. Each punch was strong—strong enough to crack ribs—but not overwhelming. I healed through it and wrapped my whip around the monkey's arm.
I pulled. Menma resisted, planting its feet. We entered a contest of strength.
I was stronger. The monkey slid forward.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!" Kaze's jutsu sliced across my back.
My grip loosened. Menma broke free.
Sasuke formed seals. "Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Fire engulfed my head and chest. My flesh charred. I healed, but it took three seconds now. The drain was noticeable.
Menma pressed the advantage, striking while I was blinded by flames. Fists pounded my stomach, ribs, face.
When the fire cleared, I lashed out wildly with both whips.
Menma ducked under one. Caught the second. It held on despite the pain, yanking me forward.
Sasuke was ready. His staff came down on my head.
My skull fractured. Vision blurred. I dropped to one knee.
They didn't relent.
Kaze sent cutting wind. Sasuke struck with his staff. Menma grappled, using its weight and skill to keep me off-balance.
I was being worn down. Not overpowered—worn down. Death by a thousand cuts.
My regeneration was slowing. Five seconds now. Six. The hunger gnawed deeper.
"There!" Kaze shouted. "When he regenerates from major damage—watch his torso!"
Sasuke glanced while blocking my whip. His eyes widened. "I see it. Distortions. Multiple points."
"His heart isn't where it should be," Kaze continued, eyes locked on my chest. "He has more than one. I counted seven distinct pulsing points when his chest was exposed. And in his head—five separate clusters."
Sasuke's expression hardened. "Seven hearts and five brains. That's why he won't die."
"We need to destroy them all simultaneously," Kaze said. "Or he'll just keep regenerating."
I heard every word. My enhanced senses picked it up clearly.
They knew.
Menma stepped back, breathing hard, examining its wounded hands. "What monstrosity is he?!"
"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said grimly. "As long as it is alive, it can be killed!"