Seeing Veigar Koshima charge straight into the flames of the Dragon Fire Jutsu, Kakashi Hatake's expression instantly turned to one of panic, his heart filled with worry as he shouted, "Veigar!"
Meanwhile, in the eyes of Yuma Goyama, an unparalleled terror surfaced. He had never intended to kill Veigar and Kakashi outright. The angle of his Dragon Fire Jutsu had been carefully calculated—designed to inflict severe injuries but not take their lives.
However, Veigar's reckless act of rushing into the flames made Yuma feel as if death was now inevitable for him.
It was precisely this fear—fear of being punished by Danzo Shimura for Veigar's death—that sent a wave of unease through Yuma's expression.
If Veigar truly perished, Yuma realized that his status as a "false rogue ninja" would become meaningless. At that point, he would turn into a real rogue ninja, hunted by Konoha.
But in the very next second, Yuma's expectations were shattered. Instead of watching Veigar be consumed by the inferno, he saw something impossible—the Dragon Fire Jutsu was being completely obliterated, its flames dissipating rapidly into the air.
As the fire cleared, Veigar stood there, unharmed.
And he was not done.
Holding a Phenomenal Evil Rasengan in his hand, Veigar charged directly toward Yuma Itsuyama.
"Rasengan!!!"
"Veigar!!!"
Kakashi Hatake's voice rang with both shock and exhilaration upon seeing Veigar emerge unscathed.
Recognizing Veigar's intent to attack Yuma with his Rasengan, Kakashi immediately prepared to support him. He swiftly formed hand seals, reversed the grip on his short ninjatō, and let lightning chakra crackle along its blade before following closely behind Veigar, rushing toward Yuma.
Facing Veigar's direct assault, Yuma instantly leaped backward while weaving hand seals at incredible speed.
Yuma was a Fire Release specialist, but even if he were skilled in taijutsu, engaging in close combat with Veigar at this moment would be sheer folly.
Anyone with a keen eye could tell—Veigar was riding a surge of momentum. And the Rasengan in his hand, which had just nullified the Dragon Fire Jutsu, was not something to be taken lightly.
Yuma finished his seals, ready to unleash another Fire Release technique, when he suddenly saw a cunning smirk form on Veigar's face.
"Big Ball Rasengan."
A voice echoed from behind him.
Before Yuma could react, Minato Namikaze appeared at his back, fresh from dealing with Fukiishi Kaneda. Without hesitation, Minato pressed a Rasengan, the size of a large washbasin, into Yuma's spine.
"Aaargh!!"
Yuma let out a pained scream as Minato's devastating strike not only interrupted his jutsu but also sent a mouthful of blood spurting from his lips.
The next moment, Veigar reached Yuma's front, slamming his own Rasengan directly into his chest.
Two Rasengan—one striking from behind, the other from the front.
Yuma Gayoma, the false rogue ninja of Konoha, was instantly killed.
As his life essence dispersed, Veigar absorbed it entirely.
At that moment, an overwhelming sense of rejuvenation washed over Veigar, as if he were soaking in a hot spring. The stamina he had exhausted in battle rapidly recovered, and his nearly depleted chakra was partially replenished. Though he was not fully restored to his peak, continuing to fight was no longer an issue.
Yet, victory did not cloud Veigar's judgment. Instead, his expression turned more serious. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he turned to Minato and said, "Sensei, there's still one more enemy. He has a technique that lets him evade my sensory abilities."
Minato's expression hardened. He gave a firm nod and replied, "Understood."
At the same time, Minato repositioned himself, taking a defensive stance in front of Veigar and Kakashi, ready to protect them from any ambush.
Seconds turned to minutes, yet no attack came. Despite this, Veigar remained vigilant, keeping his chakra sensory jutsu active without a moment's relaxation.
If the enemy had been visible, the trio of Minato's squad might not have been so tense. A visible foe could be countered with proper strategy.
But an enemy lurking in the shadows? That was the real terror.
Such an adversary was like a venomous serpent, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike—when they were most vulnerable.
Time ticked by. Still, there was no sign of their hidden enemy. But neither Minato nor Kakashi doubted Veigar's words.
Instead, Kakashi's mind turned to a different question—who could this enemy be?
For someone to possess a technique that allowed them to remain undetected even by chakra sensory abilities, they could not be an ordinary opponent.
Kakashi turned to Minato and asked, "Sensei, do you have any idea who the enemy might be?"
Minato answered without hesitation, "There was once a shinobi from Kirigakure who matched the description Veigar gave. He is now classified as a rogue ninja."
"An A-rank rogue ninja from Kirigakure—Kaimon Asuka."
Kakashi furrowed his brow. "Kaimon Asuka?"
Minato nodded. "Kaimon Asuka was once a Tokubetsu Jōnin of Kirigakure. He was known as the Shadow Ghost."
"He possesses a secret jutsu that remains unknown even to this day. It allows him to vanish completely under the cover of darkness—so thoroughly that not even chakra sensory techniques can detect him."
Hearing Minato's explanation, Veigar deactivated his chakra sensory jutsu and asked, "Sensei, does this technique have any other identifiable traits?"
Minato shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't know."
What none of them realized was that, the moment Veigar stopped using his sensory technique, a middle-aged man some distance away—near the corpse of Kazuo Yoshino—let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Kaimon Asuka had been carefully making his way in the opposite direction of Minato's squad, ensuring his escape. He had been holding his breath, fearing detection.
Had Veigar maintained his sensory jutsu for just ten more seconds, he might have uncovered Kaimon's presence.
Although Kaimon's technique was powerful, it was far from effortless. The strain of using it was significant.
-----------------------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON