They swallowed hard and stepped back.
After all, Kiyosuke's fierce reputation and his devastating power were well-known throughout the ninja world.
Many villages even wrote in their ninja handbooks: "If you encounter Asakawa Kiyosuke of Konoha, you may abandon the mission without penalty."
That alone was proof of Kiyosuke's strength. If you managed to escape him alive, that was already a miracle.
Minato was unstoppable because of his sheer speed—no one could outrun him.
Kiyosuke was terrifying because of his overwhelming destructive power—no one could escape his attacks.
So just how strong were his parents supposed to be?
"Yakushi Kabuto," Kiyosuke said furiously, "I was planning to spare you. But now… you're dead!"
He didn't have many memories of his parents, but he would never allow anyone to disturb their peace.
He was ready to kill.
"Dying before you isn't a disgrace, Kiyosuke-sama," Kabuto said with a smile. "Reunite with your parents in peace."
Kabuto made a hand sign, and Kiyosuke's parents opened their eyes.
The couple immediately understood that they were dead, confused by their current state. Kabuto explained calmly,
"You two have been resurrected by me. The one standing before you is your son—Asakawa Kiyosuke."
"Kiyosuke… has he grown into a fine man?" asked Kiyosuke's father, Asakawa Taiga, his gaze soft.
Beside him, Kiyosuke's mother, Asakawa Keiko, trembled as she spoke,
"Kiyosuke… have you been well all these years?"
"I'm fine, Mother," Kiyosuke said with effort, forcing a smile. "I've even gotten married."
He felt unbearably awkward, unsure of what to say next.
After a deep breath, he said quietly,
"I'm sorry… I have to seal you both away. Forgive me, Father, Mother."
"Oh?" Kabuto chuckled. "It seems Kiyosuke-sama has made up his mind. In that case… let's see you try!"
The Second and Third Raikage suddenly lost their own will and fell completely under Kabuto's control.
In an instant, they flickered behind the Asakawa couple, seizing them and using their bodies as shields while charging toward Kiyosuke.
"Courting death!!!"
Kiyosuke roared, striking with explosive fury.
His attack obliterated the Asakawas instantly; the two Raikage were sent flying. His blood-red eyes burned with madness.
"Mito-sama! Kushina!" he shouted.
The two Uzumaki women reacted immediately, sealing away the remains of Kiyosuke's parents.
"Now it's your turn!"
Kiyosuke stepped forward, chakra bursting from him in a violent surge. Flames erupted skyward, turning everything around into a blazing inferno that seemed capable of melting the world itself.
No—stone pillars and sand alike ignited and melted in the heat of Kiyosuke's fire.
"This is bad. Kiyosuke's really pissed," Obito muttered as he and Itachi retreated behind the flames. The temperature was far too high to approach.
"I've known him a long time," Obito said, shaking his head. "I've never seen him this angry before."
Kiyosuke had always been calm, even playful in his darker moods—but never like this.
To summon his dead parents with Edo Tensei… such an unforgivable act!
Unforgivable!
From within the wall of fire came the sound of violent clashes—bang, bang, bang—followed by the sight of the Second Raikage being hurled out, his body shattered, one arm and one leg missing.
Everyone swallowed hard. Uzumaki Mito reacted fastest, immediately sealing the Second Raikage.
Just as she finished, Kiyosuke emerged from the flames dragging the limp body of the Third Raikage, whose own arm had pierced through his chest. The strongest spear had shattered its own shield.
"Is this… the true power of Konoha?" gasped a shinobi from Kumogakure, trembling. "Even the two Raikage couldn't stand against him… how is that possible?!"
"Kiyosuke-sama's eyes… they're terrifying…" murmured another.
Even the Konoha shinobi had never seen that expression before.
"Kiyosuke-san's eyes…" Naruto whispered. "They're… scary."
Kushina rested a hand on her son's hair and said softly,
"Naruto, try to understand him. The people Kabuto summoned were Kiyosuke's parents. He's just like you—but he didn't have anyone with him growing up. And now… he had to destroy his own parents with his own hands."
She sighed. She could feel his pain—the agony of that split-second decision.
"No wonder Kiyosuke-sama managed to deal with both Raikage so easily," Kabuto said, now controlling the body of the First Raikage.
Beside him appeared another figure—Mu.
"…What?" Ōnoki froze in shock. "That's Fission Technique! Mu-sama has divided himself!"
Unlike a clone, a fission body didn't disappear when destroyed. It was a part of the original self, sharing roughly half of its power and chakra—but unable to use Dust Release.
"So, you're finally using your trump card?" Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes.
"Of course," Kabuto replied calmly. "Most of my best pawns have already been eliminated by you. Reviving all those Kage took a great deal of effort, and now you've gone and ruined it."
He didn't seem particularly upset.
"What I want now is your body—or Sasuke's, or Itachi's. Any one of the three will do."
Kabuto's eyes gleamed with twisted excitement.
"I will complete the great work that Orochimaru-sama could not!"
Kiyosuke and Itachi both darkened at that, their faces full of disgust.
"Heh," Kiyosuke sneered. "So that's why you joined forces with 'Uchiha Madara'? To fight us? Don't make me laugh. You don't even know who you are, and yet you think you can take our bodies? Ridiculous!"
"Hehehe… As long as I keep filling the void inside me, I'll eventually find my true self," Kabuto said with conviction. "Even if I don't know who I am now, I'll discover it someday."
"Other people are other people. You are you. They'll never give you that answer!" Kiyosuke spat. "You pathetic fool who doesn't even know his own identity!"
Kabuto's face twisted in rage as Kiyosuke's words struck a nerve.
"It's all because of Danzō!" he shouted. "He took away my only identity! I became a spy… and now I don't even know who I am! I'll take back what I lost!"
"That's not my problem," Kiyosuke said coldly, pointing at him. "All I know is—even if you can't die, I'll make sure every bone in your body breaks."
"Hah! Then come and try! I've prepared a special surprise just for you!"
Kabuto smirked and made a hand sign.
Mu and the First Raikage did the same.
"Edo Tensei!"
A coffin slowly rose from the ground.
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