Days Later,
Whispers spread like wildfire across every major nation.
A boy.
A monster.
A dragon-bearer.
Some called him a weapon.
Others, something far worse.
Stories exaggerated with every retelling:
A teenager who fought the Raikage head-on
A summon that could erase battalions with a single breath
A transformation that turned him into a rampaging dragon demon
But one detail remained consistent
He lost.
Not completely.
Not decisively.
But enough that everyone would figure out that he could be pushed to the brink of his limits with enough pressure,
And that meant
He could be hunted with the correct preparations..
Elsewhere
Far from the battlefield…
Hidden beneath towering trees and dense canopy…
Kyro lay still after he had fallen back into unconsciousness on the way here..
He was resting against the base of a massive tree.
Silence.
Only the sound of wind brushing leaves.
Then
His fingers twitched.
His eyes opened.
Kyro inhaled sharply.
"…!"
He sat up instantly, instinctively scanning his surroundings.
No enemies.
No battlefield.
No destruction.
Just forest.
Calm and Quiet.
He looked down at his body.
Human.
No scales.
No horns.
No tail.
He clenched his fist slowly.
His strength was still there.
But the dragon presence had receded completely.
"…I'm back to normal."
His voice was steady.
But his eyes..
Focused.
Sharp.
Thinking.
Fragments of the battle returned.
The Raikage.
The clash.
The defeat.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…Yeah."
He exhaled slowly.
"I lost."
Not in denial.
Not in anger.
Just fact.
Kyro stood up, stretching lightly.
His body felt… perfect.
No lingering injuries.
No internal damage.
His regeneration had done its job completely.
But something else was different.
He could feel it.
The Dragon Furnace…
Was quieter.
Deeper.
Like it had stabilized slightly after nearly breaking him.
"…That form…"
He looked at his hand.
"…wasn't ready."
A pause.
Then a small smirk.
"…yet."
High in the trees
Hidden among the canopy
Dreadbringer rested.
His massive body coiled protectively, wounds partially healed but still visible.
His eyes remained half-open.
Watching.
Guarding.
Waiting.
Elsewhere,
Deep underground in a cold, damp, silent and oppressive chamber,
Inside the hidden headquarters of Root foundation
A meeting was already underway.
At the center stood Danzō Shimura.
Kyro's file lay open before him.
Detailed.
Updated.
Precise.
Across from him stood several masked operatives.
One spoke:
"Subject exhibits multiple combat phases. Base, hybrid, and unstable berserker state."
Another added:
"Regeneration exceeds standard biological limits. Likely tied to external energy source, non-chakra based."
A third:
"Primary weakness identified: instability during power escalation. Overuse leads to physical collapse."
Danzō remained silent as he listened to his root ninja explain their mission results...
Then
He spoke.
His voice being low and cold.
"Then we will force him to escalate."
The room went still.
Danzō's visible eye narrowed slightly.
"We will not engage him directly, rather we will force him to expand his energy then we strike ."
A scroll was unrolled.
A battlefield layout.
Multiple positions.
Multiple squads.
"Phase one: isolate."
"Phase two: exhaust."
"Phase three…"
A brief pause.
"…capture."
One operative hesitated.
"And the dragon?"
Danzō didn't even blink.
"…we must separate them."
Silence followed.
Because everyone in that room understood,
That would be the hardest part.
Outside the root HQ, further in the leaf village at the Hokage Office
Sunlight filtered through the windows.
Calm.
Ordered.
A stark contrast to Root's darkness.
Inside the Hokage's office—l
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk.
Across from him stood Minato Namikaze.
A report rested between them.
Kyro's name marked clearly.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, pipe in hand.
"…You saw everything?"
Minato nodded.
"I did."
A pause.
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Then tell me."
Minato didn't hesitate.
"He's not a weapon."
Silence.
"He's a combatant with independent will, strategic thinking… and emotional bonds."
Hiruzen tapped his pipe lightly.
"…The dragon."
Minato nodded again.
"They're connected. Deeply. That creature didn't act like a summon."
A brief pause.
"…It acted like a partner."
Hiruzen leaned back slightly.
Thinking.
Then
"The Raikage?"
Minato's expression became more serious.
"…Overwhelming."
A small silence.
Then he added:
"But Kyro survived."
That mattered.
A lot.
Hiruzen's gaze turned distant.
"…Danzō will move."
Minato didn't respond immediately.
Then quietly
"I know."
Hiruzen looked at him carefully.
"And you?"
Minato met his gaze.
Calm.
Measured.
"…I'll observe."
A pause.
"…For now."
Back to the Forest
Kyro stood beneath the trees.
The wind brushed past him.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
But he could feel it.
The shift.
The attention.
The danger.
The world had seen him now.
And it wouldn't ignore him again.
He looked up toward the canopy.
"…We need to get stronger."
Above
Dreadbringer's eye opened fully.
A low rumble answered.
---
The hunt had changed.
No longer small skirmishes.
No longer hidden movement.
Now
Entire factions were watching.
And preparing.
Kyro stood still beneath the towering trees.
The wind moved quietly through the leaves…
But his mind wasn't on the forest anymore.
It was on something else.
Something he had ignored since the battle.
System Notification
A faint glow flickered in his vision.
Then
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
[DELAYED NOTIFICATIONS SYNCHRONIZED]
Kyro blinked.
"…Huh?"
Then the flood came.
Kill Log, Updated
[Combat Contribution Registered]
[Summon Linked Kill Credit: ACTIVE]
Kyro's eyes widened slightly as the list began scrolling.
Cloud Chunin × 37
Cloud Jonin × 12
Elite Assault Units × 6
War Specialists × 3
Unknown Combatants × 9
[TOTAL CONFIRMED KILLS: 67]
[BONUS: Large-Scale Battlefield Contribution]
[BONUS: High-Level Opponent Engagement, Third Raikage]
Points Gained
[TOTAL POINTS EARNED: +3,850]
Kyro froze.
"…what?"
For a moment
He genuinely thought he read it wrong.
"…three thousand… eight hundred…?"
He let out a slow breath.
"…Dreadbringer…"
A small smirk formed.
"…you went crazy."
Current Points
[CURRENT BALANCE: 4,120 POINTS]
Kyro ran a hand through his hair.
"…That's the highest I've ever had."
And this time
He didn't earn it slowly.
Didn't grind it out.
Didn't struggle for it.
This came from a single battlefield event.
Additional Notification
But the system wasn't done.
[STAT GROWTH DETECTED]
[NEAR-DEATH EVOLUTION BONUS APPLIED]
Kyro's expression sharpened.
"…Oh?"
Updated Base Stats
[Strength: 200 → 235 Tons]
[Speed: 500 km/h → 620 km/h]
[Durability: Extreme → Monstrous Tier]
[Regeneration: Advanced → High-Speed Regeneration (Enhanced Stability)]
[Stamina: 4 Days → 6 Days Continuous Combat]
Kyro slowly clenched his fist.
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly.
"…I got stronger…"
Even without transforming.
Even without tapping into Dreadbringer.
This was his base body now.
Stored Stat Points
Another line appeared.
[UNALLOCATED STAT POINTS: 120]
Kyro raised an eyebrow.
"…So I can still push further."
He thought for a moment.
Then smiled slightly.
"…I won't rush that."
After what happened with Berserker Form
He understood something important.
Power without control = death, especially in a world that is full of cunning people like ninja..
---
Hidden Growth
Another notification appeared quietly.
[Dragon Furnace Stability: +12%]
[Mana Integration Efficiency: +18%]
Kyro's expression turned serious.
"…So almost dying actually helped…"
The Furnace felt different.
Less chaotic.
Still dangerous
But more… responsive.
Kyro's Thoughts
He exhaled slowly and looked up at the sky through the trees.
"…I lost."
That fact didn't change.
Didn't matter how many points he gained.
Didn't matter how much stronger he got.
Against A
He had been overwhelmed.
Completely.
His eyes sharpened.
"…Next time…"
A faint smirk formed.
"…I won't."
From Above
Dreadbringer watched from the canopy.
The dragon's massive eye glowed faintly.
He could feel it too.
Kyro's growth.
Their bond.
Stronger.
Deeper.
More dangerous.
Final System Prompt
A final notification appeared.
[RECOMMENDATION:]
Stabilize Berserker Form
Upgrade Void Step Control
Expand Magical Arsenal
Prepare for Multi-Target Combat (High-Level Threats Detected)
Kyro chuckled softly.
"…Yeah."
He rolled his shoulders.
"…They're coming."
Because now
It wasn't just bounty hunters.
Not just rogue ninja.
Not just war.
Now
Entire villages were watching him.
And planning for his or death..
---
Kyro's eyes glowed faintly.
"…Good."
---