Rebirth in the Sound: Rising from Pawn to Power 1 To 15

A young man, worn down by the relentless grind of a black company, finds himself reborn in the Naruto universe under extraordinary circumstances. Granted unique reincarnation privileges, he emerges as the strongest member of the Sound Four—a group originally doomed to perish. Armed with foreknowledge and newfound abilities, he strives to defy his predestined fate. Can he alter the course of history and survive in this unforgiving world?

Boys’ Chapter:
Konoha Crush Chapter

The man suddenly realized he was drifting in a pitch black, empty space.

I had no feeling in my body and I was just there, like a piece of driftwood floating on the ocean.

The man’s last memory was of a car crashing into a high school girl in uniform who was walking nearby, and of him instinctively pushing the girl aside in an attempt to save her.

(Am I dead? Where am I?)

While he was thinking about such things, a voice resounded directly in the man’s head.

That voice seemed to have condensed all the good parts of a voice that people like, a voice that mysteriously permeated the body. It sometimes sounded feminine, almost like the voice of a goddess.

“Yes, you are dead.”

(is that so)

“You’re not surprised, are you?”

(Well… I guess there’s nothing I can do now that he’s dead.)

The man was incredibly calm. No, he had given up on everything.

The man was a corporate slave, working for a so-called black company, a company that was pitch black like black coffee, without even a single sugar.

Exhausted by the long hours of work every day and the pressure from his superiors, he was emotionally worn down and had lost all emotion.

“I have good news for you.”

(Is this good news? I have a bad feeling about this.)

The man, who thought such things even when he heard good news, had an image in his mind of his boss, who told him the news was good but only increased his workload, then irresponsibly left the job saying, “I’ll leave the rest to you,” before going home.

“No no, this is really good news. You have been given the chance to be reincarnated into another world.”

(Reincarnation into another world? Is that really a thing?)

I remembered that one of my male colleagues liked that genre of novels. He was a colleague who always looked forward to reading web novels during his short breaks at work.

The man had read a lot of manga when he was a student and often listened to his colleagues’ stories, so he was knowledgeable about such stories.

“Now you can be reincarnated into another world like that! You can choose where you’ll be reincarnated while still retaining your consciousness! And what’s more! Right now, we’re being generous and giving you one power of your choice! Where do you want to go? What kind of power do you want?!”

(Even if you say that )

The man had no knowledge of other worlds. No matter where he was called, it didn’t immediately come to mind, and even when he thought about the power he desired, nothing immediately came to mind.

“Anywhere is fine? Whether it’s in the world of manga or anime, or a live-action adaptation of those, you can just tell us what you want.”

(Yes… a world that suits me would be good.)

“Aptitude, huh… I see.”

What the man wanted was a world of qualifications.

In some ways, that was the hardest part of the man’s time at the company.

When he was younger and more energetic than he is now, he joined a company, attracted by the promise of high salary and fulfilling work, but the job and society were tough.

Therefore, he hoped that in the next world, he would live in a place where it would be easy for him to live.

“So, what power do you want?”

(I don’t need that kind of thing.)

“Are you sure? You can get anything you want right now. The strongest power would be fine, or an invincible body would be fine. You could even get the best companion, you know?”

(No, I just want to be able to live peacefully within the workings of society.)

Besides, the man was feeling increasingly uneasy.

When I listened to my colleagues talk about reincarnation into another world, most of the time it was an apology from a god for a mistake, or the power was given on the condition that one accepted a request from a god.

However, the owner of this voice does not apologize or make any demands.

freeFreeThey say there is nothing higher, but the man also did not believe that any charity could be given entirely out of kindness.

And that idea was spot on.

“Gah, gah, gah! So you noticed it!”

The voice’s way of speaking became more and more frightening. The voice changed accordingly, from a good voice to a raspy one, a voice that sounded like it contained all the dissonance of the world.

It was truly the devil’s voice.

“I’ll give you the gift of a wonderful life in another world! Cry with joy!”

(is that so )

Still, the man’s heart remained unmoved. He was ready to give up everything and accept it.

Because that’s the easiest way.

“First, I’ll reincarnate you into a world that suits you! A world where a corporate slave like you is valued and where it’s important to endure harsh environments!”

The devil granted the man’s wish to be sent to a world suited to him, but as the devil had said, there was no doubt that being sent to a harsh world would be far from peaceful.

“I’ll give you some power! It’ll be boring if you die immediately without any power… I want to see you suffer! Grrrrr!”

(Oh thank you)

The man had gone from giving up to even thanking the devil.

For the time being, he was trying to get through this situation by encouraging the other person by expressing his gratitude.

“Yes… I want to see you suffer. That’s why I’ll give you a heart!”

(yes?)

“I don’t like your emotionlessness! It makes everything less fun!”

The devil’s ugly desire gave the man a heart.

However, no matter how much emotion he may have lost, the man still had a heart, a personality. The devil did not truly understand what it meant to add a new heart to that.

So this is what happened.

(Well, if I can get it, I’ll take it.)

(That s not good! What are you doing?!)

(Eh… who is that?)

(This is the heart that was given to you!)

A new heart was given to the man. If we consider the heart to be a personality, then the man was forced to have a split personality.

However, even after such things happen, the heart of the man he was originally remains unchanged.

(Ah… I look forward to working with you from now on.)

(Yeah, nice to meet you…right?! Are you an idiot?!)

“Hahahaha! This has become so much fun!”

The devil, pleased with the unusual result, laughs at the man.

“Well then, I’ll send you to another world soon! Make sure you suffer as long as you can!”

(Understood)

(Don’t mess with me you damn devil!)

The demon’s voice fades away.

The man’s consciousness faded, and soon he was unable to think at all.

A man with a split personality was born into the world of “NARUTO.”

However, their births were quite different from normal births.

Perhaps because he had been forced by a demon to have a split personality, the man was born with two bodies joined together.

This kind of birth actually happened in the previous world, but it was certainly an extremely rare occurrence, and in a different world, the child would likely be disposed of as an unwanted child.

That’s what would have happened if he had been born into a normal family in this world.

However, for better or worse, the family into which the man was reincarnated was not normal.

They were grateful to the man who was born from two bodies joined together, saying he was a gifted child.

In fact, the family this man was born into was a family of ninja who had mastered a special ninjutsu technique called Kekkei Genkai.

The name of the technique is “Twin Demons’ Attack.”

The effect of the technique is to blend in and fuse with the body of another person.

The men quickly realized that they had been reincarnated as Ukon and Sakon from “NARUTO.”

What the man knew immediately about his newborn world was that he had read all the way through to the final volume of “NARUTO” when he was a student, and when he heard the words “chakra” and “kekkei genkai” he realised that he would be reincarnated into “NARUTO”.

The family the man was born into decided that since the child was born with the same ability as the boy, they would raise him as a genius.

And so, days passed.

It has been five years since the family began raising the two children, naming the one who doesn’t cry much Ukon and the one who cries loudly Sakon.

The two of them were always together in a physical sense.

The two of them lived together, fought together, and trained in ninjutsu together.

As a result, he came to be known as the greatest child prodigy in the clan’s history, and rumors spread outside the village, which was not particularly large in number.

So that’s how the monster caught my eye.

“I wonder if this child is the rumored prodigy…”

The monster that appeared before the twins was a snake-like, feminine man with pure white skin and long black hair.

The twins knew a man who was quite well-known in the world of “NARUTO,” Shonen Jump’s flagship manga.

“…Orochimaru.”

“Oh, so you know me… how convenient.”

With Orochimaru staring at them and licking his lips, the twins were unable to move a muscle, like a frog being stared at by a snake.

No matter how much he was called a prodigy, compared to a five-year-old child, Orochimaru was already a force to be reckoned with, and was known in the ninja world as one of the “Three Ninja.”

Rather, it could be said that he was rational enough not to scream in fear.

“You, be mine.”

” Yes, I understand.”

“Yeah…good kid.”

The wish of a far superior monster is like an order to an ordinary person. This not only applies to the twins, but also to the family that gave birth to them.

Only those who were willing to become Orochimaru’s subordinates were allowed to do so, and those who rebelled against him were used as experimental subjects, suffering an end worse than death.

Thus, just as the story goes, the twin prodigies became subordinates of the snake monster. They became members of the Hidden Sound Village founded by Orochimaru, and trained hard to become the fine ninjas Orochimaru aspired to be.

In addition to training in an endless variety of ninjutsu techniques that are tailored to each individual’s strengths, they also undergo experiments that may seem like torture to study their own bloodline limits, and a brutal baptism of blood between highly trained Sound ninja, which results in them being crowned the strongest of the Sound Ninja Four.

The training was more severe and harsh than in the original story, but the twins overcame it.

There were a number of factors that helped me overcome this.

First, Ukon and Sakon’s minds were matured due to the knowledge they had from their previous lives. Ukon in particular had a high tolerance for stress due to his life as a corporate slave.

Secondly, due to his knowledge of the manga “NARUTO”, his understanding of ninjutsu was greater than that of his original subjects, Ukon and Sakon. As a result, he was superior in both quality and speed in learning ninjutsu.

The third reason is that the demon had strengthened his body. His body was stronger and more powerful than in the original, and was able to withstand much harsher training and missions than normal.

The fourth is that he has developed an application of the Kekkei Genkai that resides within him. Using the knowledge from his previous life, he has taken the secret technique of fusing with others on a cellular level and transformed it into a higher level of ability.

Fifth, for the four reasons mentioned above, Orochimaru took a liking to the twins, who were overflowing with ninja talent. Because of this, he gave them excellent medical ninjutsu when they were injured, allowed them to view scrolls containing powerful ninjutsu, including forbidden techniques, and allowed them to use less important people in the Hidden Sound Village as test subjects.

And the last sixth point. The twins knew how dangerous it was to be weak in the ninja world, so they made the motto “Prepare to the point of death so you don’t die” just like Kisuke Urahara’s famous line from BLEACH, another Jump manga, and trained to the point of death.

Therefore, true to the original story, or perhaps even more so, the duo Ukon and Sakon end up being the strongest of the Oto Five and their de facto commanders, taking on various missions.

Of course, this also happened during “that” incident caused by Orochimaru, just like in the original work.

More than eight years had passed since Ukon and Sakon had come to Orochimaru’s side.

Ukon and Sakon are 14 years old.

This meant that the original story of “NARUTO” had begun, and it was also proof that the time was approaching when Orochimaru would cause the biggest incident in the “NARUTO” boy’s arc.

Ukon and Sakon have no intention of stopping the incident caused by Orochimaru, known as the “Konoha Destruction.”

This was not because, as is common with reincarnated people who have knowledge of the original work, they wanted to preserve the flow of the original work.

I know about Ukon and Sakon , but I don’t know much about this one.original Work world World

As the title suggests, the story of the original work centers around the main character, Uzumaki Naruto.

For that reason, the majority of characters who appear are from the Hidden Leaf Village, and the only people from other villages are runaway ninja who are in Akatsuki, or the Kage of each village and those around them.

In other words, there is no depiction of most of the ninjas who live in this ninja world. In that state, it cannot be said that one knows this world.

In the first place, the existence of a character named Ukon Sakon who has been reincarnated into this world makes it a different world from the original.

On top of that, Ukon Sakon believed that the impact that one person has on the world is enormous, as the term “butterfly effect” suggests.

Furthermore, the story of “NARUTO” is about Uzumaki Naruto influencing and changing the people around him. Those who know that story cannot underestimate the influence of others.

Therefore, Ukon and Sakon have no intention of following the flow of the original work. Their knowledge of the original work relies only on a certain degree of analysis of each character’s fighting power, and their knowledge of the world and ninjutsu.

So why did Ukon and Sakon follow Orochimaru? They had their own complicated reasons for this.

First of all, there was the “fear” of Orochimaru. Even though Ukon and Sakon had trained to the point of dying, they were still young. Even if they knew a lot about Orochimaru’s special ninjutsu, they still had no confidence that they could defeat Orochimaru, and even if they did win, they had no confidence that they would be safe.

And yet Orochimaru is a man who shows no mercy to traitors. Ukon and Sakon, knowing his fate, had no desire to rebel.

Next, he felt a sense of gratitude towards Orochimaru. It may seem contradictory to fear, but this feeling was certainly there.

To begin with, the world Ukon and Sakon knew was a harsh one. Orochimaru had given them the most important “power” to survive in that world. They were loyal to Orochimaru enough to repay that debt.

And finally, for Orochimaru’s subordinates, Ukon and Sakon, there is the “friendship” they feel towards their colleagues.

Ukon and Sakon had been trained and served under Orochimaru for eight long years. That meant they ate the same food, lived in the same places, took on the same missions, and endured harsh training, though to varying degrees. Living that kind of life, it’s only natural that affection would grow.

To sum up, he had become a complex person, loyal to the ruthless Orochimaru while also harboring feelings for his comrades.

And as for where this man was now, he was sitting in the auditorium of a place reminiscent of the Colosseum of his previous life, located within the Hidden Leaf Village.

Her height has grown by about 10cm compared to the original, to 165cm, and her body, which looked slender in the manga, has clearly become thicker due to the addition of muscle.

And the biggest difference from the original is that in the original, for some reason, he always had two heads sticking out, but the two of them thought it was stupid to give that information to the other person, so they had him only grow a head from the side that was moving his body.head but one t death mosquito No mosquito S Ta

His clothing is also different from the original. As a ninja of Otogakure, he wears a forehead protector, as the name suggests, on his forehead, a chain mail jacket over his underwear, and a large black cloak over that. The cloak reaches down to his knees, covering about half of the pants he is wearing underneath.

If someone who knew the original work, or even the organization known as Akatsuki, saw him, they would suspect he was a member of that organization, as his clothing was similar enough.

However, he himself had no intention of doing so; the chain mail and trousers were suitable for a ninja, and the cloak was only worn because it was tactically effective.

“It’s so peaceful…”

Ukon muttered those carefree words, even though he knew what was going to happen next, as he stared blankly at the tournament that was the main part of the Chunin Exams. His eyes, watching the battle of his peers below, were cold and far removed from the enthusiasm of the people around him.

What was happening now was essentially the final battle of the Chunin Exams. It was a fight between Gaara and Uchiha Sasuke.

On one hand, he was the son of the Kazekage and the jinchuriki of the One-Tail. On the other hand, he was a survivor of the Uchiha clan who possessed the Sharingan. This was a battle between two men of the most prominent lineages and abilities of their generation, but to Ukon right now, it was a fight that made him yawn.

The Sakon inside him felt the same way.

(What a pointless match, it’s not even a fight to the death…)

(That’s a leaf, right?)

(Ahh… they’re still the same peace-loving bunch.)

While the two were talking in their minds, the battle below continued on.

After several exchanges of attacks, Gaara hides inside the sand dome and Sasuke places his feet on the wall of the arena.

And then the final battle begins.

Sasuke made a seal, and just as lightning burst from his left hand, he took off running.

Lightning carves into the walls and the ground, approaching the dome of sand where Gaara is trapped at high speed.

And then Sasuke’s Chidori broke through the sand’s defenses.

Gaara cried out in pain, but the cheers of the crowd drowned out his voice.

“It’s about time…”

Blending in with the excited audience, who all rose to their feet, the Oto ninja, including Ukon and Sakon, began to move.

There was a popping sound and white smoke spewed out from the highest point of the venue, a place that resembled a castle tower.

Out of the white smoke, Orochimaru, disguised as the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage, jumped out and landed right at the top of the roof, right in the middle.

The four Sound ninja, led by Ukon and Sakon, who had been watching the scene from nearby, took up positions surrounding the Hokage and Orochimaru before the Konoha ninja could get in the way.

“Do it.”

As soon as the Sound Four took up their positions, Orochimaru gave orders.

With that as a signal, the four combined their powers to activate the barrier ninjutsu, “Ninjutsu Shishien Jin”.

As the Four Purple Flame Formation requires four people to be activated, its effectiveness is immense.

An Anbu ninja tried to reach the barrier, but the moment he touched it he was engulfed in flames and burned to death. Seeing this, the remaining Anbu ninja were unable to lay hands on the barrier.

Furthermore, each of the four created a barrier inward, making it difficult to destroy from the inside.

Thus, just as Orochimaru had intended, a dueling arena was created for a one-on-one battle between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage.

Orochimaru removes his disguise and talks with his former master, the Third Hokage, and then the battle between legends begins.

Using Orochimaru’s forbidden technique, “Summoning/Edo Tensei,” the deceased First and Second Hokage are summoned from the underworld.

What begins from there is an extremely advanced ninjutsu battle between the First through the Third Hokage, as well as Orochimaru, who is also of Hokage class.

The Third Hokage is skilled in multiple nature transformations, including Earth Release, Fire Release, and Water Release, and fights alongside his summoned old monkey, Saruman .Old stomach B R Ta

above Shinobi of above Clear fruit Process Degree of fruit force To Ma in weak body Transformation difference R Ta The second Hokage’s Water Release.

And then the first Hokage’s Mokuton.same character Rank weak body Transformation death hand stomach R Should

Those who knew them in their prime would know that this was a battle between two Hokage who are now far too weak. However, there is no denying that this was still a battle between the very best of the ninja world.

Ukon and Sakon, who had been observing the battle closely, were secretly discussing what to do after the battle.

(It’s about time to settle this… where’s the chakra?)

(It’s been thoroughly planned.)

(That’s fine. After this, Orochimaru gets injured and they have to retreat, but we don’t know how much of an attack they’ll be getting…)

(I didn’t understand that in the manga.)

While the two were discussing this, Orochimaru’s battle was finally coming to a conclusion.

The Third Hokage created two shadow clones and used the sealing ninjutsu technique “Shiki Fuujin” to seal the souls of the First and Second Hokage inside.

Then, the Third Hokage himself attacks Orochimaru with the technique Shiki Fuujin.

The Shinigami’s arm extended from the Third Hokage’s abdomen and plunged into Orochimaru’s abdomen, attempting to pull out Orochimaru’s soul.

Orochimaru, whose soul was about to be extracted, also resisted desperately. He remotely controlled his own sword and stabbed it into the Third Hokage’s back. Saruma desperately grabbed the blade, trying to stop the wound from getting any bigger.

The Third Hokage tries to extract the soul, Orochimaru tries to take the life before that happens, and Saruman tries to stop him.

In the original story, this battle ended with Orochimaru having the souls ripped out of both his arms, but now there was someone present who was able to intervene in the battle between the three.

Remembering this, Orochimaru called out the creature’s name.person Achievements

“Ukon! Sakon! You guys help out too!!”

“What?!”

“What?!”

Yes, Ukon was the one who had been taking the lead in setting up the barrier, but Sakon hadn’t been doing anything other than concentrating his chakra during that time. Therefore, he was able to move whenever he wanted to.

“Got it. Go Sakon.”

“Ou”

Responding to Ukon’s voice, Sakon crawls out from Ukon’s body.

His master, Orochimaru, uses a technique that mimics a snake shedding its skin, creating a new self from his mouth, and it seems that disciples do take after their masters, as Sakon grew a head from Ukon’s neck and gradually a body emerged from there.

At the same time that Sakon’s body fully emerges, Ukon removes the inner barrier, opening up a path from Sakon to Orochimaru.

“Damn it!”

“Tsk! A new recruit at a time like this?”

“Hahahaha, that’s right, despair!”

Seeing this scene, the Hokage and Saruman grimaced, while Orochimaru cried out in joy, continuing to speak in a way that encouraged the two of them even more.

“It’s all over now, Sarutobi-sensei. It was a futile struggle…”

“Guh… I guess it can’t be helped now…”

“That’s right… die with honor!”

Orochimaru assumed he had won because the Hokage had spoken words that sounded like he was giving up, but that was a hasty conclusion.

“Orochimaru! I’ll at least take your arm!!”

“What?!”

Orochimaru was surprised by the Third Hokage’s declaration.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Hokage had the Shinigami swing his dagger down upon him. The soul of Orochimaru’s protruding arm was torn apart and sealed away in the Hokage’s body.

The Hokage’s resolve had been resolved before Sakon could intervene.

“You old fool!!”

Orochimaru’s face was contorted in pain as he cursed the Hokage.

Even though the Hokage had been treated so badly by his former student until the very end, his face remained peaceful.

“Guuuuuh!!”

Orochimaru groans as the seals are placed on both his hands.

It was clear to everyone that he was no longer able to exert the same power as before.

The person who understood this best was Orochimaru himself, whose arms were sealed away.

“We’re retreating!!”

“””””roger that”””””

Following Orochimaru’s orders, the Sound Four immediately began to retreat.

Jirobou, the strongest, carried Orochimaru, while Kidomaru and Tayuya, who could handle large numbers of people, were in charge of guarding the front and clearing the way, and Ukon and Sakon, the strongest of the Sound Four, were positioned at the rear, where they would be attacked the most.

And so the Sound Four began their mission of escorting Orochimaru.

Orochimaru and his comrades escape, dodging the onslaught of pursuing ninja, mainly from Konoha’s dark side.

However, the Konoha ninja are not so naive as to just let the central figure behind such a major incident get away.

In particular, there was a man in Konoha right now. A man with the power of a Hokage.

Just as Orochimaru and the others were about to leave the village of Konoha, something huge suddenly fell in front of them.

Whatever fell crushed a building there, kicking up a huge cloud of sand.

“Damn, what the hell is this!”

Orochimaru and his group were suddenly stopped in their tracks. One of them, Kidomaru, involuntarily let out a curse.

While many people didn’t understand what had happened, Ukon was the only one who understood what had happened, and because of that, he was able to quickly give instructions to those around him.

“Tsk! You guys take Lord Orochimaru and escape somewhere else! I’ll hold them off here!”

“There’s no way I’ll let him get away.”

The one who responded to Ukon’s instructions did not come from the Sound Four or Orochimaru who were nearby, but from a person in the smoke.

The four of Oto wanted to move immediately upon Ukon’s orders, but as soon as they replied, an overwhelming sense of menace emanated from the smoke, causing them to freeze in their feet and unable to move.

The dust cleared. The first thing to appear was a giant toad larger than a three-story building. The four members of Oto, except for Ukon and Sakon, were shocked by its enormous size and majesty.

However, on the contrary, the appearance of the giant toad confirmed to Orochimaru that a ninja had appeared before them.

“Kukukuku… It’s been a while, Jiraiya.”

“That’s right Orochimaru.”

The figure on top of the toad responded to Orochimaru’s greeting. The dust cleared completely, and the figure appeared before Orochimaru and his group.

A middle-aged man with long white hair down to his waist and a large scroll hanging from his belt. He was Jiraiya, the Frog Sage, one of the “Sannin” of the same rank as Orochimaru.

“I will kill you here.”

Jiraiya’s gaze, which had always been stern, now sharpened and his murderous intent grew even stronger.

Even though the murderous intent was not directed at them directly, the Sound Four broke out into cold sweat and were unable to move.

The exception to this was Ukon and Sakon, who had been prepared for combat from the moment Jiraiya appeared.

Ukon, who had been at the back of the group, walked to the front and stood in front of Jiraiya.

“GO!”

The Sound Four reacted with shock at the sight of Ukon’s back and the sudden loud voice, then remembered their duties and left the scene with Orochimaru.

“Don’t think you can escape from me!!”

Seeing this, Jiraiya immediately gave the giant toad a strong kick in the head and made a big leap in pursuit, but…

“No, I’ll let you run away.”

As if to thwart the attack, Ukon attacked Jiraiya as he leapt into the air.

The two collided with great force, killing each other’s momentum, and after a moment of stalemate, they rebounded and put a large distance between them.

The two of them landed on the rooftops of buildings that hadn’t collapsed and glared at each other.

“Tsk!”

Jiraiya clicks his tongue loudly after missing Orochimaru.

Contrary to the irritation in his heart, he was calmly analyzing the forces at stake.

(This guy managed to stop my attack. He’s still young, but he’s quite capable.)

Even if he had the strength of an average Jonin, it would not be easy to stop Jiraiya. Nevertheless, the fact that he was stopped by a young man who at first glance looked like a candidate for the Chunin exam made Jiraiya more wary.

However, Ukon and Sakon also increased their level of vigilance.

(Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. He is an opponent of equal or higher rank than Orochimaru-sama. I wasn’t underestimating him, but he is still strong.)

Ukon’s arm was slightly numb from the impact of blocking Jiraiya’s jump.

It was only a leap, but it was a leap for the Sannin. Ukon was confident that he had improved his strength beyond that of an average Jonin, but he was wary of Jiraiya’s strength, which was greater than he had imagined.

“If you get in the way, I won’t go easy on you.”

“Don’t worry about it, it won’t be easy.”

“Well said!”

After acknowledging each other’s strength, they provoke each other and move into full-scale combat.

Jiraiya was the one to make the first move.

“Ninjutsu: 1,000 Needles!”

She quickly made a seal and swung her long hair, sending it flying over a wide area at high speed.

The sharp hairs that were thrown were hardened with chakra, and flew at high speeds and over a wide area, with enough power to easily pierce the human body.

There’s no doubt that this technique alone would be enough to kill many ninja. To have been able to elevate a simple technique that involves charging chakra into hair and blasting it away into such a powerful technique was truly something one would expect from one of the Sannin.

(This one won’t be avoided.)

Seeing that Ukon made no movement to make a seal, nor tried to escape from the range of the hair needle, Jiraiya became convinced that he had been attacked.Killand

but—

“Water Release: Water Shock Wave!”

“What?!”

Without even making a hand seal, Ukon activated his Water Release technique, and a huge amount of water was forcefully spat out of his mouth, neutralizing the momentum of the hair needle that Jiraiya had thrown and washing it away.

Jiraiya couldn’t help but be surprised at the technique.

The technique wasn’t difficult, but Jiraiya found it puzzling that he couldn’t see the hand seal being made.

(There must be some kind of trick to it…)

Just as Jiraiya had predicted, there was a trick to how he was able to activate the technique without making hand seals.

The mechanism behind this was quite simple to those who knew Ukon and Sakon; all that happened was that Sakon had made a hand sign inside the large cloak he was wearing.

Sakon makes a hand sign in hiding, and Ukon activates the spell. This series of movements is part of the power that Ukon and Sakon have acquired that is outside the original story.

(I should check it up close )

Jiraiya made another attack. He lowered his hips to gather his strength, then focused chakra in his feet and leapt towards Ukon.

The momentum of his jump was incomparable to when he tried to chase Orochimaru, and he closed the distance between them in an instant.

Furthermore, in the course of his sudden leap, Jiraiya had activated a new technique.

“Rasengan!!”

“Huh?!”

A dense mass of chakra appeared in Jiraiya’s right hand.

Ukon and Sakon knew that technique well. It was a highly difficult ninjutsu technique developed by the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and taught to Minato’s master, Jiraiya, who in turn passed it on to Minato’s son, Naruto, the protagonist of the original work.

Ukon and Sakon were well aware of its destructive power. A direct hit would have been enough to render him unable to fight, but considering Jiraiya’s level of skill, there was a high chance he would be killed instantly.

(If you receive it, you will die. There is no time to avoid it. You have no choice but to counter it.)

With that split-second decision, Ukon makes his move.

Sakon’s left hand grew out from halfway down Ukon’s left hand, and the two left hands were held with their palms facing each other.

One left hand generates chakra, and the other left hand spins that chakra wildly.

Jiraiya was shocked to see this movement. Not only because another left hand suddenly grew, but more importantly, the technique that was created was unmistakably the same as Jiraiya’s own.

“What’s that?! That’s–!?”

“Rasengan!”

The two of them, no, Ukon and Sakon, had worked together to create a Rasengan that imitated the way Naruto did in the original work, and the original Rasengan that Jiraiya had created clashed with each other.

The techniques were the same, but the power was not equal.

“Ooooh!”

“Guuu”

Although Jiraiya was shaken for a moment, he realized that after they had used the same technique against each other, he was superior in skill.

Ukon and Sakon’s Rasengan was not only delayed in being launched, but the completeness of the technique was inferior to Jiraiya’s to begin with.

Jiraiya, who saw through it in an instant, roared as he put in all his strength to push through, causing Ukon to groan as he was pushed back.

However, Sakon is not the type to leave this close conflict unchecked.

A right arm grew from the lower left hand that was forming a Rasengan, grabbed Jiraiya’s right arm, and lifted it upwards.

As a result, the force vector of the two Rasengan, which had been barely balanced as they collided, was directed upwards, changing it from a direct head-on collision.

As a result, the Rasengan released its power into the sky. With a loud bang, the two Rasengan exploded, and the force of the explosion sent Ukon and Jiraiya flying backwards.

“Ngh.”

“Khh.”

Both of them had bitter expressions on their faces when they landed, but Ukon looked more distressed than the others.

Jiraiya had realized that Ukon had used the Rasengan and that an arm had suddenly sprouted from Ukon’s body, and he was calculating Ukon’s fighting power, knowing that he could use that troublesome technique. However, he had already guessed the true nature of the ninjutsu that didn’t require hand seals, and taking that into account, he was confident that he was still overwhelmingly stronger.

Ukon, on the other hand, had a bitter look on his face because he had no choice but to show Sakon his hand so early on, and because he had realized from the clash of their Rasengan that the difference in power was greater than he had thought.

Sensing the difference in power between them in their current state, Ukon and Sakon have a conversation in their minds.

(If this keeps up we’ll lose)

(Ah, that’s quite a big difference too… It’s not easy to run away.)

(To Jiraiya, I am the person connected to Orochimaru. He won’t let me go that easily.)

(So ??what do we do?)

(Oh well… let’s do “that”. Are you ready?)

(Oh, that’s perfect. Going from clashing Rasengan with another one to doing “that” to Frog Sennin…that’s interesting!)

In the space of a second, Ukon and Sakon’s internal conference ended, and in reality, Ukon turned to Jiraiya.

“As expected from one of the Sannin, Toad Sage Jiraiya. His taijutsu and ninjutsu skills are far above my level.”

“Hmph! I’m not happy to hear such words from a youngster.”

“That’s probably true… so from here on out, let’s just deal with it ourselves.”

At Ukon’s renewed declaration, Sakon revealed his head. Two heads grew side by side from under the large cloak he was wearing, and four eyes glared straight at Jiraiya.

“Oh, what a strange body you have.”

“This may be the first time since Lord Orochimaru that he has reacted to us like that.”

“That’s right… the others either got scared and fainted or started complaining that it was disgusting.”

Jiraiya wasn’t particularly shaken by the sight of that strange figure. It was certainly a rare sight, even in the entire ninja world, but to Jiraiya, who had experienced the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, it was just a rare sight.

(There were only two enemies. If we know that, there is no need to be more afraid than necessary.)

But there was a slight miscalculation in that thinking.

There’s a big difference between having a pair of enemies and an enemy that’s a fusion of two people.

Jiraiya himself, being the Toad “Sage”, should have known that, but he hadn’t taken it into account.

However, that couldn’t be helped.

Even their master, Orochimaru, could not have predicted that Ukon and Sakon would be able to do “something” at such a young age.

“Then let’s do this.” “Will it scare you a little?”

Changes appeared on parts of Ukon and Sakon’s faces, as well as their eyeballs and the areas around them. Jiraiya’s face turned to one of shock as he watched the gradual change.

“That… can’t be…!?”

While Jiraiya froze in shock, the changes around his eyes had already finished.

After the transformation, Ukon and Sakon’s pupils had become elongated like snakes, and purple circles appeared around their eyes. The circles were slit-shaped like the ones around Orochimaru’s eyes, but unlike Orochimaru’s, they completely covered the area around their eyes.

Jiraiya knew what it looked like, what that transformation was.

The eyeshadow was proof that he had gathered natural energy and refined his magic energy, and it was clear that he had truly become a sage.

Jiraiya himself had completed the rigorous training at Mount Myoboku and become a sage, which is why he came to call himself Frog Sage.

However, even Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, is unable to achieve this form using his own strength alone; it is the crystallization of ultra-advanced technology and can only be achieved with the help of the two great mystical toads.

It was because of Jiraiya that he was able to understand Ukon and Sakon’s abilities as sages.

(It’s the same logic as when I fuse with Fukasaku-sama and the others to maintain my sage state! One of us controls the body, while the other refines the sage chakra! In other words, I can’t expect the sage state to end…)

Jiraiya calmly tries to assess the changes in the difference in strength between his and his opponents.

The difference in strength between a sage and another ninja is obvious, but if there is already a difference in ability, it’s a different story.

Up until now, Jiraiya had definitely been the stronger one, but he was trying to determine how much that difference had narrowed since Ukon and Sakon had become sages. Or if the situation had reversed.

The calm Jiraiya and the sage Ukon and Sakon glared at each other for a while. In that brief moment, Ukon remembered the time when he had gained the powers of a sage.

Three years before the Fall of Konoha, in one of Orochimaru’s hideouts across the country, Orochimaru stood before the men who would later be known as the Sound Five, and attempted to bestow new powers upon them.

The name of that power is Curse Seal.

The Cursed Seal is a technique that allows Orochimaru to impart some of the power of Senjutsu that he was unable to fully master to others. It was a special technique that he created by analyzing the unique constitution of his subordinate Jugo, and his power to absorb the natural energy around him, which is similar to Senjutsu.

Those who are given this seal and are able to control it are able to use the power of Taoism, albeit imperfectly.

Although one needs talent to match the cursed seal, it can be said to be an extremely revolutionary technique in that it allows one to utilize even a portion of the power of a sage, something that even Orochimaru was unable to master.

Orochimaru had completed this curse seal by sacrificing many test subjects.

If they adapt to the cursed seal, they become even stronger. It is because they have adapted to the cursed seal and increased their power that they are able to distinguish themselves from the other Sound ninja and call themselves the Sound Five.

But

“Please wait, Orochimaru-sama.”

“Something Ukon.”

When Orochimaru tried to carve a curse mark into Ukon, Ukon stopped him, and Orochimaru couldn’t hide his irritation at this fact.

At this point, Ukon and Sakon are Orochimaru’s favorites. However, that fact only means that Ukon and Sakon are valuable people, and it doesn’t mean that they won’t be killed if they incur Orochimaru’s wrath.

Therefore, Ukon did not simply deny it, but instead tried to calmly and rationally persuade Orochimaru.

“I don’t wish for a curse seal, but rather to learn sage techniques. I think it’s possible for us, between Sakon and myself, to acquire the powers of a sage.”

“Hmm… what I couldn’t do… you guys can do it?”

“Yes. I have confirmed the results of Orochimaru-sama’s training in sagetsu and his research into the constitution of Juugo’s clan. Based on that, I believe that the two of us will be able to master the power of a sage.”

Orochimaru’s interest was piqued by Ukon’s words, which were spoken with such confidence.

“If you say that, you must have a reason for it, right?”

In response to Orochimaru’s question, Ukon carefully explains his thoughts and the conclusion he has drawn from his knowledge of the original work.

“Yes. The most important thing about using Senjutsu is that you cannot move from the spot you are in while absorbing natural energy.”

“That’s right.”

“We can solve that problem. I’ll be in charge of moving the body, and Sakon will be in charge of refining the senjutsu, so we’ll be able to steadily refine the senjutsu chakra even during battle.”

“I see… that was a good idea!”

“Yes. I have already seen a small amount of this chakra refinement.”

Because Ukon was Orochimaru’s favorite, he was allowed to see some of Orochimaru’s research results.

By exercising that right and looking at descriptions of sage arts, combined with their knowledge of sage mode from the original work, they believed they would be able to master the sage mode.

Two things are necessary for Sage Mode. The first is chakra that is strong enough to rival natural energy, in other words, a huge amount of physical and mental energy. The second is the ability to control refined sage chakra.

The former condition was met by the fact that Ukon and Sakon had been made stronger than in the original by the demon that reincarnated them. The strengthened Ukon and Sakon had a considerable amount of both physical and mental energy.

The latter condition is met when one becomes compatible with the Cursed Seal in the original work. Since a Cursed Seal is an imitation or inferior version of a Taoist magic, once one becomes compatible with it, one more or less has the ability to manipulate Taoist magic.

Furthermore, just as in the original work, Jiraiya was able to use his sage mode with the help of the two great sage toads, he was convinced that if Ukon and Sakon combined their powers, they would be able to continue refining their senjutsu chakra during battle.

“I see… Fine, I’ll give you permission.”

“Ha, thank you.”

Orochimaru thought about Ukon’s proposal for a moment and gave his permission.

At this time, Orochimaru had an idea.

If Ukon and Sakon were able to use their sage powers, the power of the Hidden Sound Village would increase greatly. Furthermore, if Orochimaru studied Ukon and Sakon, who had become able to use their sage powers to their full potential, he might be able to become a sage himself. That was his plan.

From the day that Orochimaru did not accept the cursed seal and gave him permission to study sage arts, Ukon and Sakon began to train as sages, and a year later they were able to use the powers of the sage, and two years later, by the time of the Crushing of Konoha, they had grown to the point where they could use them perfectly.

The power of the two who had mastered the art of sages was immense, so great that Orochimaru recognized Ukon and Sakon as worthy of being called the strongest of the Sound Five, surpassing even Kimimaro.

That power is then unleashed towards Jiraiya, the original head of the family that Ukon Sakon had used as a reference.

Ukon and Sakon, who had now become sages, and Jiraiya glared at each other for a while.

Jiraiya did not take any rash actions because he knew the power of the sage, and Ukon did not move forcefully in order to fulfill his role of delaying Orochimaru from chasing after him.

but—

(There’s no point just glaring at each other. Let’s test our current abilities with this guy.)

(it is )

(If he can put up a good fight against Jiraiya in his natural state, then it’s clear that he can hold his own against the cream of the crop in this world.)

(That’s a good point… I guess. It can’t be helped.)

Ukon agreed to Sakon’s proposal.

At that moment, the aura between Ukon and Sakon, which had relaxed slightly from just glaring at each other, became sharper.

Jiraiya didn’t miss the change.

(Here it comes !)

Ukon quickly makes the Water Release sign and activates his magic.

Senpo, Suiton, Suishonha!

Water spurted out of Ukon’s mouth with great force. It was the same ninjutsu he’d used earlier, but the volume and force of the water was several times greater than before. If the previous water shockwave was like tap water coming out of a faucet, this one was comparable to a waterfall.

There was such a big difference between simple Water Release and Water Release mixed with Senjutsu.

Jiraiya realized that the water’s force was so great that it would be impossible to avoid it on the spot, so he quickly activated a ninjutsu technique to focus on defense.

“Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!”

Jiraiya’s long white hair grew even longer, covering his entire body with no gaps whatsoever.

It is an effective ninjutsu technique used as a counter against an opponent who has launched a physical attack, but it is also highly effective at increasing defensive power.

However, even such defensive techniques are ineffective against powerful Senjutsu.

“Grrrrr!”

Jiraiya somehow managed to avoid receiving any serious damage, but was unable to prevent the actual impact, and was blown away by the force of the water.

As if to pursue him, Sakon now uses his magic.

“Senpo, Toton, Earth-moving Core”

The ground within a ten meter radius of Jiraiya, who had been blown away by Sakon’s Earth Release, dropped about twenty meters in an instant.

A huge hole suddenly appeared. Jiraiya was unable to keep up with the sudden change and was thrown into the air, falling straight into the hole.

“Damn it! Ngh?!”

As Jiraiya was falling through the hole, he cursed and looked up at the sky, where he saw Ukon and Sakon standing on the edge of the hole.

Ukon had quickly approached the edge of the hole in order to pursue Jiraiya, who had fallen into the hole.

At the same time that Jiraiya landed at the bottom of the hole, Ukon and Sakon had completed their hand seals, preparing to activate their techniques.

“Senpo!!”

“Water Release: Explosive Water Shock Wave” “Earth Release: Weighted Rock Technique”

The explosive water shockwave that Ukon activated caused a huge amount of water to overflow from under Ukon’s feet like a waterfall, filling the hole and pouring down towards Jiraiya. Furthermore, the weighted rock technique that Sakon activated had an effect on that large amount of water, making the already heavy water ten times heavier.

The great waterfall approaching Jiraiya had now become a flood of enormous mass.

If the destructive force that scraped and crushed the sides of the hole were to hit Jiraiya directly, he would be killed, even if he was one of the Sannin.

However, the power of the Sannin is not so great that they would be killed by a technique of this magnitude.

“Earth Release: Yomi-numa!”

Jiraiya activated a technique that transformed the ground into a bottomless swamp. Normally, this ninjutsu is used to capture and drown enemy ninjas, but Jiraiya transformed the ground right under his feet into a bottomless swamp.

Ukon and Sakon, standing above the hole, could sense the water approaching Jiraiya, who was sunk in the mud, using the heightened perception abilities gained from their Sage Mode.

The water contained enough mass to crush the entire swamp Jiraiya was submerged in, and he rushed to the bottom of the hole with the force of the technique.

The sound of the water hitting the bottom of the hole could no longer be perceived as a sound but as an impact, and it reverberated throughout the village of Konoha like a rumbling earthquake.

The shaking was so severe that quite a number of ninja were unable to stand where they were.

Ukon and Sakon’s combined attack produced an overwhelming sound of destruction, but its destructive power was in vain, as the two’s sensory abilities detected Jiraiya’s chakra from underground, far below the bottom of the hole.

(What a delicate use of magic. He really is one of the Sannin.)

With his heightened sensing abilities, Ukon was able to figure out exactly what Jiraiya had done.

Jiraiya activated Yomi-Numa, but set the range and duration of the technique to be extremely short. After the siege was completed, Jiraiya was drowned, and the siege immediately returned to the solid ground.

By doing this in an instant, Jiraiya was pulled by gravity and traveled deep into the mud, but the water that Ukon created broke the hard ground and was blocked, and did not reach Jiraiya.

Learning that Jiraiya was alive deep underground, Ukon concentrated his chakra to activate Earth Release in order to pursue him further, but at that moment…

“Tsk… time to move on.”

“You were acting too violently.”

Ukon and Sakon sensed that several powerful chakras were approaching, and furthermore, they sensed that the fighting inside Konoha Village was almost over. This made them realize that they didn’t have time to fight leisurely.

The ones approaching the scene were ninjas belonging to Konoha’s Anbu.

They had sensed, or heard the sounds of fighting, the fierce battle between Jiraiya and Ukon and Sakon, and had rushed to Jiraiya’s aid as reinforcements.

“I can’t sense Lord Orochimaru’s chakra. I think we’ve managed to hold him back.”

“Right.”

The chakra sensing range of the sages Ukon and Sakon is very wide, so wide that they can sense the entire village even from their current location, which is on the outskirts of the village.

Sakon agreed with Ukon, who had already confirmed that Orochimaru’s chakra was no longer within range.

Orochimaru’s departure has been confirmed. There is no point in Ukon and Sakon being here anymore. Jiraiya, who is the most dangerous target, has left Konoha while still underground.

“Phew.”

A few seconds after Ukon and Sakon left Konoha, Jiraiya crawled out from under the ground. His whole body was covered in mud and dirt, but he had no visible injuries.

“My goodness, he’s only in his early teens…Orochimaru has a troublesome subordinate.”

Jiraiya cursed as he slapped the dirt off his clothes.

Just then, members of the Anbu faction who were coming to provide reinforcements arrived at the scene.

“Are you safe, Jiraiya-sama? I’m glad. You’re safe.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. What happened?”

The Anbu ninja seemed deeply relieved to see that Jiraiya was safe. His unusual state made Jiraiya feel uneasy.

In response to Jiraiya’s question, one of the Anbu ninja spoke seriously.

“…The Third Hokage has passed away.”

“…I see.”

Upon hearing this report, Jiraiya’s heart was filled with a complicated mix of regret for having let the Third Hokage die, sadness at the death of his beloved master, and anger towards Orochimaru for causing the incident and himself for letting it go.

However, Jiraiya was a seasoned ninja with a lot of experience. Among his experiences was the loss of a close friend, so it was more than just a matter of losing someone close to him once or twice.

That is why, rather than lamenting the death of the Third Hokage or wallowing in sadness, he took action to accomplish what he needed to do now.

The attack on the Hidden Leaf Village by the Hidden Sound Village and the Hidden Sand Village, led by Orochimaru, has ended.

After the incident, the people of the Hidden Sand Village confirmed that the Fourth Kazekage was dead, concluded that Orochimaru was behind it, and stated that the attack on the Hidden Leaf Village was the result of being tricked by Orochimaru.

Afterwards, they decided to pay compensation to the Hidden Leaf Village and strengthen their alliance.

Thus, the great incident that seemed on the verge of the outbreak of the Fourth Shinobi World War came to an end.

Orochimaru’s plan to destroy Konoha ended roughly as predicted in the original story.

However, even the reincarnated Ukon and Sakon don’t know whether the next installment will also end as in the original.

Search for Tsunade Part 1

Having killed the Third Hokage, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Orochimaru’s plan to destroy Konoha was a success, but the price was not small.

“Guuuuh…”

Orochimaru was in one of his hideouts, far from the Hidden Leaf Village.

In a dimly lit room lit only by a few candles, Orochimaru was sitting in a stone chair, groaning in pain.

The final sealing technique used by the Third Hokage, Shiki Fuujin, caused Orochimaru’s arms to feel a constant burning pain, leaving him unable to move them properly.

“That old man! How dare you hold my arm…!”

Orochimaru gritted his teeth so hard that his expression was distorted, and blood was flowing from his gums from the excessive pressure.

“Excuse me, Orochimaru-sama. I’ve brought some painkillers.”

“Excuse me.”

“Kabuto and Ukon… hurry up and give them the medicine.”

“Immediately.”

Kabuto and Ukon both came into the room to give Orochimaru some painkillers and a glass of water.

Orochimaru, who was in severe pain, asked for the medicine, and Kabuto brought the medicine and water to Orochimaru.

Kabuto had intended to give the medicine to Orochimaru in his place since he was unable to use both arms, but Orochimaru, perhaps wanting to relieve the pain quickly, stretched out his tongue to catch the medicine and water, and swallowed it as if snatching it away.

Orochimaru gulped down the water vigorously and his expression softened somewhat compared to before, as if the medicine had already started to take effect.

After confirming this, Kabuto sent a hand signal to Ukon, urging him towards Orochimaru. Ukon, understanding the instructions, nodded and approached Orochimaru.

“Orochimaru-sama, let me examine your arm.”

“…Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Well then, excuse me.”

Ukon knelt down next to the chair where Orochimaru was sitting and placed his right arm over Orochimaru’s left arm. The overlapping arms gradually began to blend together and fuse.

Ukon and Sakon’s Kekkei Genkai, “Twin Demon Attack”, is a ninjutsu technique that allows them to fuse with the body of another person on a cellular level.

In the original work, this technique was only used during combat, but the two reincarnated people felt that it was a waste to only use it for that purpose, so they came up with a way to apply it.

One of them is to examine someone, just like he is doing right now with Orochimaru.

Ukon and Sakon’s proficiency in the arts has improved to the point where they are able to examine the bodies of patients fused with them through the “Twin Demons’ Attack” at a cellular level, and the knowledge they gain from this is on par with that of Kabuto, an experienced medical ninja, and in some cases even surpasses it.

“This is…”

Ukon already knew from his knowledge of the original work that Shiki Fuujin was a technique for sealing away souls, but after learning more detailed information during the examination, he was left breathless by the effect of the technique.

“Did you find out something, Ukon?”

“Ha, but this is…”

“Speak, Ukon.”

As Ukon was frozen in shock and at a loss for words, Orochimaru urged him to tell him. Ukon still wondered for a moment whether he should tell him, but when Orochimaru glared at him with his sharp, snake-like gaze, he made up his mind to tell Orochimaru about the current situation.

“Currently, the muscles and meridians in both of Lord Orochimaru’s arms have stopped functioning, and they can be said to be in a state of dead living. Fortunately, they are still able to sustain life, so they shouldn’t rot away or anything like that, but… their condition is extremely bad.”

“I see… I wonder if Kabuto feels the same way?”

“Yes Orochimaru-sama.”

Orochimaru’s arms had become masses of flesh with no soul due to the Shiki Fuujin technique. As a result, his arms stopped functioning. This meant that he could not move his arms, let alone use his chakra to activate magic.

Ukon and Sakon’s knowledge of Shiki Fuujin from the original work is that because he cannot move his arms he cannot use techniques that require making hand seals, and there is a scene where Orochimaru, after undergoing Undead Reincarnation, is sitting with his chin resting on the arm of a chair, making it unclear what the effect of Shiki Fuujin is.

However, Ukon could not hide his surprise as he had never imagined the situation would turn out like this.

“Is it possible to treat it?”

“It may be partially possible, but I don’t think it will lead to a fundamental cure.”

Ukon responded to Orochimaru’s question with a combination of affirmative and negative answers.

“What do you mean? Please explain.”

“Yes. First of all, it is possible to relieve the pain in both arms. This is the first time I have seen such symptoms, so it is only a guess, but I think the intense pain is not only due to the sealing, but also due to the great strain placed on them when they were sealed.

As for the treatment method, in addition to the usual medical ninjutsu, I think it would be possible to use Orochimaru-sama’s ‘Undead Reincarnation’ to transfer bodies.”

“I see.”

Orochimaru was pleased to hear that the pain had gone away.

Ukon’s assessment was that the pain in Orochimaru’s arms was caused when he was sealed, and that the pain was not caused by the sealing technique itself.

If that was the case, Ukon thought it would be possible to treat it using medical ninjutsu, and even move it to some extent, just like in the original work.

however—

“However, it is impossible for me to heal him to the point where he can make seals and activate magic like before.”

“Oh, I wonder why?”

Orochimaru frowned and asked again after hearing that the technique could not be activated.

Ukon thought for a few seconds about how to naturally weave his knowledge of the original work, “Shiki Fuujin,” into his answer to that question, then began to speak after organizing his thoughts.

“Firstly, as a basic premise, I believe even Orochimaru-sama understands that that sealing technique is not just any sealing technique.”

“That’s right, the Shinigami that appeared that time…the Third Generation said it was a technique to seal the soul.”

” …Yes, as the Third Hokage said, even I could tell that it was a special technique to seal the soul.I To teeth death God N degree look picture Ma height yeah in death Ta but

“When the First and Second Hokage were resurrected with the Edo Tensei technique and sealed away, their souls were sealed away and then pulled out, which resulted in the Edo Tensei technique appearing to be released. The fact that the bodies of the sacrificed bodies remained there is proof of that.”

“That’s true. Edo Tensei is an advanced ninjutsu technique that brings the dead back to life by identifying and summoning their souls and forcing them into the body of a sacrifice, but it makes sense that it would be undone if the original soul itself was extracted.”

Orochimaru nodded in understanding of Ukon’s explanation.

“Edo Tensei” is a very powerful technique with few weaknesses. In particular, the summoned Edo Tensei creature’s body becomes immortal, making it impossible to kill or stop its movements, and the fact that the only way to stop it is to seal it is extremely powerful.

Even in the original work, with the exception of cases where the soul was able to attain nirvana, there was no way to deal with them other than sealing them away.

It should be noted here that almost all sealing methods in the original work involved physically binding the body. As a result, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, sealed Edo Tensei bodies were stored all over the battlefield, and were left there until Itachi used a genjutsu on Kabuto to release the Edo Tensei.

However, in the case of Edo Tensei beings who have attained nirvana like Sasori, or whose souls have been removed from the sacrificed body through Shiki Fuujin like the first Hokage, the result is that the body of the sacrificed person remains on the spot.

Ukon explained how special the Shiki Fuujin sealing technique is by using his knowledge from the original work and the facts he observed when the first Hokage and others were sealed away.

Once Orochimaru understood this, it was finally possible to move on to explaining why it was impossible to heal both arms.

Yes, the important thing is that Orochimaru-sama s soul is sealed inside. This is likely what has stopped the arm from functioning. So

“In order to heal, the seal needs to be lifted…”

“Yes. That would be the best thing we could do. The next best thing would be to perform ‘Unreincarnated’.”

He has a high level of understanding of Orochimaru’s techniques, and while Ukon was explaining, he understood what he was trying to say, interrupting him and explaining his conclusion.

Ukon nodded deeply in agreement and provided some additional explanation.

However, these medical results were from Ukon, and although Orochimaru himself felt that there was nothing wrong with what Ukon had said, he decided to get a second opinion from Kabuto, an experienced medical ninja.

“Do you think Kabuto thinks the same?”

“Yes, I don’t think a complete cure is possible either.”

Both Ukon and Kabuto told Orochimaru that a cure was impossible, but he still had one hope.

“It’s unfortunate that you guys can’t treat him, but maybe Tsunade can.”

“One of the Sannin is a specialist in medical ninjutsu, Lady Tsunade? I’m sure she is…”

Tsunade, one of the Sannin along with Orochimaru, is a medical ninja who currently ranks at the top of the shinobi world.

Kabuto, a fellow medical ninja, understood better than anyone the high level of Tsunade’s medical ninjutsu, and agreed that someone like her might even be able to heal Orochimaru in his current state.

We won’t know for sure until we actually try it, but there’s a chance that Tsunade could heal him. However, this is only if there is no feud between Tsunade and Orochimaru.

Ukon points this out.

“Please wait a moment, Orochimaru-sama. Will Tsunade-sama of the Hidden Leaf clan be able to treat him? No, if she knows about the destruction of Konoha, she will refuse to treat him. Won’t it turn out that Orochimaru-sama and Tsunade-sama will end up killing each other?

It may be disrespectful, but even if you are Lord Orochimaru, I think it would be best to avoid fighting in that state.”

Even though Orochimaru was a ninja who was raised by the Third Hokage along with Tsunade and Jiraiya, he left the Hidden Leaf Village, and even attacked it, and was the one who killed his master, the Third Hokage.

Furthermore, it was likely that the huge news of the Third Hokage’s death had already spread throughout the ninja world, and it was hard to imagine that Tsunade was unaware of it.

That was the reason why he pointed it out, but Orochimaru had no intention of asking for treatment without a plan.

Orochimaru responded to Ukon’s remark with a throaty laugh.

“Hehehe… It’s okay Ukon, there’s nothing to worry about. I have a bargaining chip, and even if it escalates into a fight, he has a weak point. I’m sure we’ll win.”

“Is there a weakness in the bargaining cards…?”

“Hehe… Yes, so use your subordinates to find Tsunade. If you say that you will grant new powers to anyone who brings you information, I’m sure you’ll be able to find her right away.”

“Are there any particular features that stand out to you, Tsunade-sama?”

“Tsunade loves gambling, but she has terrible luck. So, have her track down women who are losing big at gambling dens. That should help you find her.”

“I understand. I’ll arrange it.”

Ukon, who had been listening to the conversation between Orochimaru and Kabuto, thought that in the end, things had unfolded exactly as in the original story.

(The bargaining cards for Tsunade, as well as her weaknesses and characteristics, are probably not that different from what we know in the original work. If the story goes as it is, the treatment will be refused and a fight will break out, with Jiraiya and Naruto joining the fight and repelling them. So I tried to say various things in the hope that the search for Tsunade would end, but… I guess that was impossible…)

Everything Ukon had said up until now had been intended to make him give up on searching for Tsunade.

All of his telling her that he couldn’t cure her himself, his suggestion to find a way to remove the seal, and his raising concerns about Orochimaru and Tsunade’s relationship were for that purpose.

However, this was not something Ukon planned out of hatred for Orochimaru, but rather out of consideration for him and wanting him to not waste his time on pointless things.

“You two can step back now. I’ve asked you to look after Tsunade.”

“Yes, leave it to me, Orochimaru-sama.”

“Well then, I’ll be off then.”

Following Orochimaru’s instructions, both Ukon and Kabuto left the room, wrapping up their talk for the day.

A few days after Orochimaru’s discussion, a search party for Tsunade arranged by Kabuto reported to Orochimaru that they had found someone who looked like him.

Upon receiving the report, Orochimaru immediately summoned Kabuto, Ukon and Sakon to his room within the hideout.

“You guys get ready immediately. Once you’re done, I’ll go and get in touch with Tsunade.”

“Ha.”

Orochimaru gave this order to Ukon Sakon and Kabuto.

Why did Orochimaru give orders not only to Kabuto but also to Ukon and Sakon at this time? It was because during their previous discussion, Ukon and Sakon had suggested that “it would be better to avoid fighting in the current situation,” so in order to be on the safe side, it was decided to have Ukon and Sakon, who are skilled in using the powers of a sage, accompany them as a fighting force.

As a result of his past comments about avoiding unnecessary things backfiring, Ukon and Sakon were given more unnecessary tasks and were brought to the negotiating table with Tsunade.

The location where the person who looked like Tsunade was spotted was Tanzaku Town, just like in the original story. Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Ukon and Sakon arrived there around noon.Group of fourForman Cell

“Well then, if the information is correct, Tsunade should be here… Ukon and Sakon, use your sage state sensing abilities to search for her right away.”

“Do you have any chakra signatures, Tsunade-sama?”

“Tsunade is a woman of the Senju clan, so look for a woman with a high chakra volume.”

“Understood”

As soon as Orochimaru arrived at the entertainment district, he asked Ukon and Sakon to sense him, and even explained Tsunade’s specific characteristics that Ukon had asked about.

Tsunade’s chakra characteristics stem from the fact that she is the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki. Both of her grandparents were excellent at using physical energy, and Tsunade, who inherited that bloodline, also had a considerable amount of chakra.

There would have been others who met those criteria, but Tanzaku Town had few ninja, and there were hardly any people with large chakra powers.

Following Orochimaru’s instructions, Ukon and Sakon begin to refine their senjutsu chakra at the entrance to Tanzaku Town.

The two entered sage state in about ten seconds and were immediately able to sense the chakra of someone who seemed to be Tsunade.

“…I found it.”

“Hehehe… It’s early as usual. Well then, let’s go and see some familiar faces.”

As they led the way through Tanzaku Town, relying on the chakra that Ukon was sensing, they came across Tsunade and her attendant Shizune on one of the paths surrounded by walls near the castle.

“It’s been quite a while… What do you want, Orochimaru?”

“Actually, I have a small favor to ask of you…”

The two old acquaintances glared at each other. In the middle of it all, Tsunade glanced at Orochimaru’s subordinate for just a moment.

Tsunade saw that Orochimaru’s two subordinates were quite skilled. She sensed something unusual about Ukon in particular, so she raised her vigilance.

With Tsunade in such a state of alarm, Kabuto spoke up.

“You should already know that the wounds on Lord Orochimaru’s arms cannot be healed by normal means. No one can heal them except you, a specialist in medical ninjutsu.”

“…That arm…it’s not just a wound. What on earth did you do to it?”

After hearing Kabuto’s words, Tsunade looked at both of his arms, which were tightly wrapped in Orochimaru’s bandages. She then noticed the unusual condition of his arms and realized that Kabuto had knowledge of medical ninjutsu, so she asked him a question.

However, Orochimaru’s answer to that question took Tsunade and Shizune by surprise.

“When I killed the Third…”

Tsunade and Shizune gasped at his answer, and the expressions on their faces as they glared at Orochimaru instantly turned murderous.

Orochimaru looked surprised when he saw this.

“Oh, I didn’t know. Right… hehe.”

“You bastard!!!”

Unable to contain her anger at Orochimaru’s news of the Third Hokage’s death and his words and laughter that seemed to incite the two who were unaware of it, Shizune launches an attack.

Shizune rolled up her sleeve to expose her left arm, then pulled the wire of the ninja tool attached to it, and fired five poisonous scabbards with great force.

It’s hard to avoid in a narrow passage, and the senbon are thin, so they’re hard to block. It’s a good attack that can weaken the enemy with poison if it grazes them, but unfortunately there’s no one here who can withstand such an attack.

Ukon, who had been waiting to Orochimaru’s right, stood in front of Orochimaru and Kabuto with one smooth movement, took out a kunai from inside his cloak with his right hand, and with a swift swing, swatted away all of the kunai that were flying towards him.

Seeing that the senbon attacks were easily blocked, Shizune tried to launch a further attack by reaching for the scalpel in her bosom and trying to engage in close combat, but…

“Stop it! Silence!!”

“Ggh…But Tsunade-sama!”

Shizune was about to move when Tsunade called out to her loudly, stopping her movement. Shizune raised a voice of protest in response to being stopped, without even turning to face Tsunade, but Tsunade had no intention of listening to her.

(That man’s movements… he really is no ordinary man.)

Seeing Ukon’s cautious movements, Tsunade realized that her intuition was correct.

Tsunade saw that Ukon’s martial arts in his sage state were impressive despite his young age, and Tsunade felt that if Shizune had continued to attack in close combat, there was a high chance she would have been killed in return.

“Hehe… as expected of Ukon.”

“…I’m honored.”

Orochimaru also noticed this and ostentatiously praised Ukon.

To Ukon in his sage state, Shizune’s series of movements were ones that he could easily handle as long as he was careful about the poison, so he wasn’t particularly happy about being praised for it, but since it was coming from none other than Orochimaru, he decided to accept it.

“Orochimaru… there’s no way I can heal you, the man who killed the Third Hokage.”

“Kukuku…I wonder?”

Tsunade glares at him with a frightening expression and refuses to be treated. In contrast, Orochimaru maintains a calm expression.

“Don’t mess with me too much… I’ll kill you!”

Unable to bear the grinning Orochimaru any longer, Tsunade let out a gruff voice and lightly punched the stone wall behind her.

The moment her fist hit the wall, Tsunade’s slender arms displayed unimaginable strength, smashing the wall into pieces. The force of the impact was so great that the shattered pieces of the wall flew off into the air, damaging the tiled roof of the building behind it so much that it tilted.

(Strong !)

(It’s much more impressive when you see it live.)

Kabuto was horrified by its destructive power, but Ukon, who was already knowledgeable, only had a nonchalant reaction.

Certainly, Tsunade’s blows are devastating. She is one of the most powerful ninjas in the world.

However, for Ukon and Sakon in their sage state, this was not an attack they could have missed. After all, the sage’s perception and ability to detect danger were among the best in the ninja world.

In the original story, Naruto avoids the Third Raikage’s one-handed attack, and Kabuto avoids Sasuke’s Susanoo’s bow and arrow. Each attack is fast enough to be difficult to avoid, but they see through it with ease and successfully avoid it.

Compared to those attacks, Tsunade’s attack lacked speed.

(Well, I don’t really want to get into close combat though…)

(That’s right. Even if you accidentally graze a single finger, it’s probably not just a bruise.)

But even so, Ukon and Sakon felt threatened by Tsunade’s offensive power.

The opponent was Tsunade, who could send people flying with a flick of the forehead and carve deep cracks into the ground with a single finger. Even a single finger could be enough to kill someone if it hit them in the wrong place.

“Fufu… you’re still as strong as ever.”

“Orochimaru, get out of my sight right now…!”

Orochimaru spoke as if reminiscing about the old days, and Tsunade, who was beginning to lose patience with the two of them exchanging glances, spoke in a low voice.

Orochimaru had a nasty grin on his face, and Tsunade was glaring at him with a look that seemed like it could kill someone with just one glance.

Tsunade looked as if she was about to kill Orochimaru at any moment, and Kabuto quickly intervened.

“Please calm down. I think I’ve offered you some good terms.”

“conditions?”

Tsunade responded to Kabuto’s words.

In the original story, Tsunade would have started the countdown without question, but now it was different.

The people present here were Tsunade, Shizune, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Ukon. From Tsunade’s point of view, it was a two against three situation, and even though Orochimaru’s arms were in a pitiful state, Ukon’s strength was also considerable. Tsunade didn’t think she would lose if she fought, but it was also true that she couldn’t be confident that she would win.

Tsunade reacted to the word conditions, and Orochimaru, seeing that there was room for negotiation, stated his conditions.

“I will bring your beloved brother and man back to life.”

“Huh…?!”

Those words reminded Tsunade of those she loved. Her brow furrowed in anguish at the bitter memories, and Shizune couldn’t hide her surprise at Orochimaru’s ability to use the forbidden technique of resurrecting the dead.

Orochimaru realized from the change in Tsunade’s expression that she still had feelings for the dead person, so he spoke again.

“Is the deal done?”

“…Orochimaru. If I heal your arm…what do you plan to do?”

“let me see “

Orochimaru thought for a moment at Tsunade’s question, and after a few seconds he spoke again.

“I hate lying, so I’ll be honest with you. There’s something I want…”

“You want something? What is it?”

“Strength. Lately, I’ve been remembering some of the straightforwardness of my childhood… I need strength to become stronger and gain access to all the techniques in the world!”

As Orochimaru shouted, his gaze was directed at Ukon, not Tsunade.

Ukon and Sakon, who became subordinates of Orochimaru, greedily sought power in order to survive in this world and overcame rigorous training.

Orochimaru had seen every last detail of that, and a change was beginning to take place in his heart.

To put it simply, Orochimaru was enthusiastic right now.

He had regained the feeling of striving to reach greater heights purely as a ninja, the same feeling he had when he had devoted himself to training in ninjutsu with Jiraiya and Tsunade under the Third Hokage.

However, his enthusiasm was distorted by his experiences during his time with Akatsuki.

Many of the members of Akatsuki that Orochimaru saw possessed special bloodline limits, such as Pain’s Rinnegan and Itachi’s Mangekyo Sharingan, powers that Orochimaru could never master, no matter how much he trained.

That is why his desire for power turned into and strengthened his obsession for a special body.

Seeing Orochimaru like that, Tsunade was not at peace.

(This guy is dangerous now…! He was always very obsessive, but not to this extent! If he gets his hands on this power now, what will he do… I don’t even understand it!)

Tsunade had known Orochimaru for a long time.

He knew that he had been a normal ninja when he was young, that his personality had become warped after his parents were killed, and that he had become cold-hearted after seeing the tragic reality of the Shinobi World War .RealistRealist

Tsunade, who had also lost loved ones in the Shinobi World War, understood Orochimaru’s feelings well.

That’s why Tsunade felt a growing sense of crisis when she saw Orochimaru’s current insanity, his single-minded desire for power. So much so that even the most important thing – that she might be able to see her loved ones again – was pushed to the back of her mind.

(Should I kill him here?)

Orochimaru did not miss the slightest sign of Tsunade’s resolve as her body showed signs of it.

“Ukon, cut yourself a little on your cheek with the kunai.”

” yes”

At first glance, the instructions were meaningless, and Ukon knew the intention behind them, but he deliberately listened to them after pausing so as not to sound unnatural.

Seeing the red color that wet Ukon’s cheeks, Tsunade’s body began to tremble against her will, and she was unable to move.

“Ugh…”

“Lady Tsunade!”

“Hehe… You still haven’t changed, you’re still afraid of blood…”

Shizune is worried about Tsunade, whose trembling hasn’t stopped.

Orochimaru smiled maliciously at Tsunade’s inability to overcome her fear of blood.

After seeing this, Orochimaru became confident that he could defeat Tsunade at any time.

“I think it’s time to go home for today. I’ll wait a week… See you, Tsunade.”

With those words, Orochimaru retreats with his subordinates.

“Damn it…”

“Lady Tsunade…”

Tsunade, who was left behind on the scene, spat out these words. Was it out of regret for not being able to kill Orochimaru because of her fear of blood, or was it out of her own weakness, unable to let go of her lingering attachment to the people she loved?

Even Shizune, who had known him for a long time, didn’t understand this.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru and his group are on the outskirts of Tanzaku Town. As they are traveling, Kabuto asks Orochimaru a question.

“Was it a good thing, Orochimaru-sama? I didn’t get a response back then.”

“Yes, I don’t mind. I understand that Tsunade still has feelings for those she loved, and if we were to fight, in that state I can force them to do what I want.”

Orochimaru answers Kabuto’s questions with ease.

Having lost loved ones one after the other in the war, Tsunade retired in despair and still drags the past with her. Even if she could refuse, there’s no need to fear someone who trembles at the mere sight of blood.

“Hehehe… I can’t wait.”

A week after the promise.

Orochimaru and Tsunade met in the same place as last time.

“So… did you get your answer?”

“…I’ll… heal you. And then… Nawaki and Dan…”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ll get to see you two again.”

Encouraged by Tsunade’s answer, Orochimaru hints at a reunion with those he loves.

Hearing those words, Tsunade reached out as if searching for something, and approached Orochimaru with unsteady steps and bowed her head.

Orochimaru, convinced by this that she was ready to treat him, grinned and held out both of his arms, which had been sealed by the Third Hokage, in front of Tsunade.

Seeing the outstretched arms before her, Tsunade poured chakra into both her hands and brought them closer to Orochimaru’s arms.

Tsunade’s hands and Orochimaru’s arms touched – at that moment, two kunai were thrown between Tsunade and Orochimaru. The two noticed this and instantly jumped back to put some distance between them.

“I wonder what’s going on…Tsunade…you tried to kill me…!?”

“Tch… you found out.”

Orochimaru asked Tsunade, who clicked her tongue, realising her mistake.

“Lord Orochimaru! Are you okay?!”

“Yes, you noticed well, Kabuto and Ukon.”

Kabuto, who had been hiding in the shadows of a nearby castle, appeared beside Orochimaru to confirm his master’s safety. Ukon and Sakon followed suit and stood between Orochimaru and Tsunade.

The two who appeared were hiding nearby and keeping watch in case the negotiations broke down, but when they both sensed something strange in Tsunade’s chakra, they threw kunai at her, preventing her from assassinating Orochimaru.

“So it’s okay to say the negotiations have broken down?”

“Yeah… I refuse to treat you!!”

Even after Orochimaru confirmed it, Tsunade stated it clearly with a confident expression.

“I see, then I guess I’ll have to use all my strength…”

“Tsk…”

Since the assassination attempt had failed, Tsunade thought that she was at a disadvantage in a one-on-three fight, so she ran away from the scene.

“I won’t let you get away, hehehe…”

Orochimaru and the others follow Tsunade.

Looking at Tsunade’s back as she continued to run away, Orochimaru licked his lips like a snake stalking its prey.

Tsunade had been running away for a while, but after reaching the grassland and running for a while, she stopped as if she had given up.

“Damn it!”

“Hehe…I guess the chase is over yet?”

Tsunade frowned in frustration and spat out the words. Orochimaru sneered at her attitude and called out to her in an encouraging manner.

Orochimaru was convinced that the situation could not be turned around, and was thinking about how to get Tsunade, whom he had already captured, to do what he wanted.

However, even though this took a completely different course of events than in the original story, Ukon and Sakon felt something was off about the situation when they arrived at the grassland where the Sannin fought in the original story.

(What’s going on? What about Jiraiya? What happened to Shizune and Naruto?)

(I don’t know… Maybe he decided he had no chance of winning because we were there and ran away? In truth, that’s how he’d run away up until this point.)

(That’s unlikely. If she thought there was no chance of winning, she would have run away from the start. Besides, I can’t imagine that Tsunade, who has a competitive personality, would choose to run away without even fighting a single time.)

(But I can’t sense any other chakra around here… maybe there are just a few small animals here and there.)

(Yes, that’s strange. I didn’t feel Jiraiya’s chakra even in the city.)

The most strange thing they both felt was that even in their sage state they couldn’t sense any other’s chakra.

Those with a reasonably high level of perception are able to identify the chakra of people they have met once. There is no way that Ukon and Sakon, who had already reached their sage state, would not be able to sense the chakra of a ninja of Jiraiya’s caliber.

While the two were thinking in their minds, in reality Orochimaru was approaching Tsunade. He stretched his neck like a Rokurokubi and tried to bite Tsunade and apply a curse seal that would immobilize her.

Seeing this, Tsunade prepared to intercept.

“Tsunade!”

“Orochimaru!”

With Kabuto and Ukon watching, the two are about to cross paths…

“Geko!”

The sound of a frog croaking came from beneath Tsunade’s feet, from behind a large rock.

(Damn it!)

“Lord Orochimaru! This is a trap!!”

” !?”

The moment Ukon heard the frog croaking, he realized that Tsunade’s actions up to that point had all been a plan, and he immediately shouted and took action, but it was too late.

Surprised by Ukon’s voice, Orochimaru faltered for a moment and slowed down, but Tsunade grabbed him tightly by his long black hair to stop him from escaping and yelled out.

“Now! Jiraiya!!!”

“Yeesss!!”

“What?!”

As if responding to Tsunade’s shout, Jiraiya crawled out of the frog’s mouth.

Orochimaru is shocked when he sees this and struggles to get away from Tsunade, but Tsunade has superhuman strength and grabs his hair, making it impossible for him to escape.

“Lord Orochimaru!!”

At this point, Kabuto finally realizes the seriousness of the situation and takes action, calling Orochimaru’s name loudly.

“I’m not gonna let you get away!!”

“Woohooo…!”

Of course, Tsunade wasn’t going to allow that, and with a powerful jerk, she swung Orochimaru’s head around and pulled, and Orochimaru’s body was drawn towards Tsunade and Jiraiya with great force.

“Damn… I won’t make it in time!”

Ukon was moving faster than Kabuto, but there was no way he could rescue him from the trap he was caught in. Before Ukon could reach Tsunade and Jiraiya, Tsunade and Jiraiya’s attacks exploded on Orochimaru.

“Owwww!!!”

“Rasengan!!!”

Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru’s head with her left hand and delivered a powerful uppercut to his jaw, and as Orochimaru was pulled towards her, Jiraiya’s Rasengan hit him directly in the chest.

“Guh!”

“Lord Orochimaru!!”

Vomiting blood, Orochimaru is spun around by the spinning Rasengan and blown into the sky by Tsunade’s superhuman strength.

By the time Ukon caught Orochimaru as he fell from the sky, he was in a pitiful state.

His lower jaw had been completely shattered by the direct hit of Tsunade’s fist, and the impact had shaken his brain, causing a concussion. In addition, the area of ??his chest that had been hit by Jiraiya’s Rasengan had extensive burn-like wounds.

Orochimaru was now too damaged to take part in the battle.

“…!”

“Are you okay, Tsunade?”

“Ahh…”

Seeing Orochimaru’s blood causes Tsunade’s blood phobia to resurface and she begins to tremble.

Seeing this, Jiraiya became concerned, and Tsunade replied in a weak voice, completely different from her previous voice.

Seeing this, Jiraiya was happy that the plan had been successful and remembered the conversation he had with Tsunade last night.

The night before.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were drinking alone at an oden restaurant.

Just like in the original story, Jiraiya approached Tsunade about becoming the Fifth Hokage, and Naruto rebelled, leading to a bet with Tsunade.

The deadline for the bet was the same day Orochimaru had specified, and the night before, Jiraiya had invited Tsunade out for drinks, which had brought them to this moment.

Jiraiya had heard from Shizune that Tsunade and Orochimaru had been in contact, and he intended to stop Tsunade from teaming up with Orochimaru.

However, the flow of the conversation was different from the original.

“I don’t know what kind of deal Orochimaru has proposed, but try and betray Konoha and I will kill you.”

Jiraiya threatens Tsunade.

According to the original story, Tsunade would have dodged the question and made Jiraiya drink a paralyzing potion, but she had no intention of doing that now.

“That’s not what I meant. Have you… have you seen Orochimaru recently?”

“Yes, when the Third died. What happened?”

“The last time we met, he was too obsessed with power. Now he’s dangerous.”

Tsunade’s words reminded Jiraiya of the Orochimaru he saw at the time of the destruction of Konoha. The Orochimaru he saw then looked exhausted after a deadly battle with the Third Hokage, and did not seem as dangerous as Tsunade said.

However, since this was coming from Tsunade, who he’d spent a long time with, he didn’t think that what she felt was wrong.

Jiraiya steals a glance at Tsunade, who is sitting next to him. Tsunade’s profile reflects his eyes and she has a determined, resolute look.

Jiraiya had a bad feeling about his face and asked what he was planning to do.

“…What are you planning to do?”

“I’m meeting with Orochimaru tomorrow. I plan to settle this there.”

“What?”

Jiraiya was shocked by Tsunade’s answer. He had prepared himself for it when he had a bad feeling about it, but he never expected her to be so hasty in her thinking.

To begin with, Tsunade has a phobia of blood due to the events of the Second Shinobi World War. Jiraiya didn’t think there was any way she could defeat Orochimaru in that state.

“No, you’re no good with blood. Have you gotten over it?”

“I haven’t gotten over it yet, but if I pretend to accept the deal and lure him in, I’m sure the current Orochimaru will be able to kill him.”

“It’s too reckless. The probability of success is low, and the risk of failure is too high.”

“So what will you do? With you there, Orochimaru will be wary and won’t come out. Besides, Orochimaru has some very skilled subordinates. If it was just Orochimaru with both disabled arms and the guy with the glasses, you might be able to handle it on your own, but with that guy there, there’s a good chance that even you will fail.”

Jiraiya had intended to persuade Tsunade to change her mind and fight instead, but he had an idea about the subordinate Tsunade was talking about, so he decided to ask about it first.

“Who is he? Maybe he’s someone I know.”

“He’s a guy with bluish-grey hair about the same age as Naruto… do you know him?”

“Did you have dark circles around your eyes?”

“Ah, there it is.”

The characteristics of the man Tsunade described matched those of the man Jiraiya had fought in Konoha. Jiraiya recognized that it was most likely the man he had fought, and told Tsunade about the details of his battle with the man.

“To think that you would be able to fully utilize the power of a sage… I can’t believe it, even if you ask me.”

“But it’s true. With those two by Orochimaru’s side, the sneak attack you mentioned will absolutely fail. I am well aware of the power of the sage, but his sensing ability is on a different level. He would be able to sense anyone anywhere in this city, and I don’t think he would miss any hostile chakra.”

“I see…”

Tsunade was convinced by Jiraiya’s words. She didn’t think a sneak attack would be successful against someone with the perception abilities that Jiraiya had described.

A sneak attack wouldn’t work. That being said, if there was someone with the sage’s ability to sense things, even if they were to go to a direct confrontation, I don’t think they would come to a place where Tsunade and Jiraiya were together.

(I’m at a loss…)

Tsunade was thinking that, but Jiraiya had an idea.

“Tsunade, I have an idea. If it works, we might be able to kill Orochimaru.”

“What’s the plan?”

“First, you will go alone to the place where you are making your deal with Orochimaru and intentionally fail the ambush. After that, you will pretend to be outnumbered and run away, and lure him to where I am waiting.”

“Wait, how do you plan to fool the other person’s perception abilities?”

After hearing Jiraiya’s proposal, Tsunade asked a very natural question.

The reason for carrying out a deception attack that would most likely fail was to use Tsunade as bait to lure her to Jiraiya in a natural, natural way, without any sense of incongruity. Tsunade understood the intention, but she didn’t think that an attack of this level would be enough to fool someone with the sage’s perception abilities.

But Jiraiya had a way of dealing with that.

“Of course I have thought about that. If you hide inside the summoned frog, you can fool their detection.”

The inside of the mouth of the Sumigama is a special barrier that makes it impossible to detect from the outside. In the original work, it is the frog used when infiltrating the Hidden Rain Village to find information about Pain.

“If we can defeat Orochimaru with a surprise attack then that would be great, but even if we can’t defeat him, it would be fine if we could bring him into direct combat.”

“But can you defeat him? He will be using his powers as a sage, won’t he?”

When the surprise attack fails and they go into direct combat, Orochimaru, Ukon, Sakon, and Kabuto stand in Tsunade and Jiraiya’s way. Furthermore, if Tsunade develops a blood phobia during the battle, Jiraiya will be in a one-on-four situation.

Tsunade was worried about this, but…

?Who do you think I am?! If you have forgotten, then remember!

The toad spirit of Mt. Myoboku, Senso Dojin! Also known as Gama Sen Customer! Ngh

Jiraiya stood up as if to shake off Tsunade’s worries and loudly recited his usual speech, but was stopped at the crucial part by the oden shop owner.

Jiraiya looked at the shop owner with a disappointed look on his face, who looked shocked.

I didn t stop you from whispering without eating, but what time do you think it is now? You re so noisy even though you haven t had a drink.

“Ah… ahahaha, sorry, sorry.”

” fool”

Jiraiya could only laugh it off at the store owner’s perfectly reasonable remark, and Tsunade, who found the exchange stupid, cursed him under her breath, but a smile naturally quirked up on her face.

Thus, Jiraiya’s plan was successful.

Tsunade was unable to move due to her fear of blood, but Orochimaru also received damage that left him unable to act.

However, as Orochimaru is not dead, the battle is not over yet.

“Naruto, Shizune, come out.”

“Lady Tsunade!”

“I finally made it out.”

Jiraiya called out to the two of them as they emerged from the mouth of the diving toad. Shizune, who had been worried about Tsunade, came out first in a hurry, followed by Naruto, who still hadn’t fully grasped the situation.

The two had been brought in as guards for Tsunade, who would likely be paralyzed by her fear of blood if a battle were to break out. Even if there hadn’t been a battle, it would have been troublesome if they had been taken hostage at the inn, so it would have been safer for them to take refuge in the cave.

The plan had been decided the night before, and when it was explained to the two of them this morning, Shizune immediately understood the situation after hearing it, but Naruto didn’t quite get it.

But that was understandable. Naruto was deep asleep, exhausted from his training with the Rasengan, and when he woke up in the morning, he was suddenly told about it. It was all difficult stuff, about Orochimaru and about the sages, which Naruto couldn’t understand.

So Jiraiya simply said, “There may be a fight, so get ready and wait inside the frog,” and forced himself into the frog.

However, even Naruto could tell that the atmosphere here was tense.

“As planned, the two of you will be entrusted to Tsunade. They will be !”Killor

“I understand…Naruto-kun…Naruto-kun! Let’s go!”

“Y-yes, I get it.”

Naruto was unable to speak at first at the murderous words of Jiraiya, who was usually gentle and loved erotic things, but when Shizune spoke to him loudly, his body finally started to move and he hurriedly replied.

Shizune took Naruto and Tsunade and moved away from the scene.

While Jiraiya and the others were working, Ukon Sakon and Kabuto were checking on Orochimaru’s condition.

Although the wounds that Orochimaru received from the two ninjas of the same rank were deep, his three subordinates remained relatively calm. This was because they had confidence that Orochimaru would not die from something like this.

“The wound is deep… but the bigger problem is that he hasn’t regained consciousness.”

“That’s true. As long as he’s conscious we should be able to heal his wounds…”

Orochimaru’s research goal is immortality, and the results of his research allow him to heal his body in various ways, such as by creating new bodies from his mouth.

But without consciousness, it cannot be used.

“Kabuto-san, you will treat Lord Orochimaru… I will look after Lord Jiraiya.”

“Yeah… I’m counting on you, Ukon, Sakon.”

“Leave it to me.”

(Tch… I guess there’s no other way.)

With Jiraiya right in front of them, there was no time for a long, drawn-out strategy meeting. After a quick discussion, the three decided on their roles and each began to move.

Kabuto took Orochimaru back to treat him, while Ukon and Sakon stood in front of Jiraiya to stop him from chasing after Orochimaru.

“We meet again… We can’t do something like the last time in Konoha. Last time, we were careful about the damage we caused in the village, but this is a grassland… Don’t expect us to go easy on you.”

“I understand, Jiraiya-sama. I don’t think that was a victory.”

When Jiraiya fought in Konoha Village, he was careful about the damage to those around him and held back quite a bit. He never used his specialty, the Fire Release technique, nor did he use the coordinated attack with the summoned toad.

However, this was a grassland far from the city, and Jiraiya was able to use large-scale ninjutsu without hesitation.

Ukon and Sakon understood that too. In the first place, Ukon thought that the main reason for the outcome being as it was in the battle at Konoha was that Jiraiya was unaware of Ukon and Sakon’s powers.

The use of Rasengan, the fact that Sakon was also there when he thought Ukon was alone, and the use of the sage’s powers were all things Jiraiya had never anticipated, and he was so surprised that he was caught off guard.

“Is the other one not here today?”

“There’s no need to say that, right?”

Jiraiya and Ukon keep each other in check with words, but they only have their eyes on the enemy in front of them.

The next moment…

“Let’s go!!”

“Come on!!”

The battle between one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, known as “Toad Sage,” and Ukon and Sakon, the “strongest man” of the Sound Four, has begun.

Search for Tsunade Part 2

The battle between Jiraiya and Ukon and Sakon.

Jiraiya was the one to make the first move. He quickly made a seal, took a deep breath, and activated the technique.

“Fire Release: Flame Bullet!!”

With a boom, Jiraiya blew out huge balls of flame from his mouth one after another.

A total of twenty fireballs were spat out, each one remotely controlled by Jiraiya’s chakra, and each one was angled to attack Ukon and Sakon.

Ukon and Sakon are targeted by countless fireballs from all directions.

Judging it impossible to avoid everything, Ukon opted to play it safe by taking a defensive stance.

“Senjutsu: Water Release: Water Formation Wall!!”

The “Water Wall”, created by kneading Senjutsu chakra into it, created a strong water barrier that protected the two, even though the battlefield was a waterless grassland.

Due to the compatibility of the five elements of change, Water Release is strong against Fire Release.

Therefore, as soon as the fireball touched the water wall, it made a hissing sound and immediately subsided. “Fire Release: Flame Bullet” was not a particularly strong technique. Even Jiraiya’s “Flame Bullet” alone was not enough to break through Ukon’s “Water Wall.”

However, Ukon did not have the time or energy to do so.

(Damn… there are so many of them)

Although each individual fireball wasn’t much of a threat, there were so many of them, and they attacked from various angles with different times, so Ukon had no chance to cancel the technique.

That state was exactly what Jiraiya was aiming for.

There are a few basics to one-on-many combat.

One of them is to split up the enemy and defeat them one by one, but Ukon and Sakon are in a fused state and there is almost no way to split them up. Jiraiya might be able to split them up using sealing techniques, but he needs to get close to them to use sealing techniques. However, if they are that close, it is more reliable to aim to disable them from fighting with “Rasengan”.

So, does that mean Jiraiya is always at a numerical disadvantage when fighting Ukon and Sakon? No, that’s not quite right.

If Ukon is forced into a situation where he has to constantly use techniques, like he is now, it will essentially become a one-on-one situation between Jiraiya and Sakon.

Jiraiya’s aim was to create that situation.

Just as the fireballs attacking Ukon and Sakon were less than halfway through, Jiraiya ran towards the wall of water that was continuing to block the fireballs.

Sakon, who was inside the “Water Wall” and sensing Jiraiya’s movements while cultivating chakra, noticed the movement.

(Jiraiya is coming!)

(I understand, but…!)

Sakon informs Ukon of Jiraiya’s movements, but he is unable to release the technique while the fireballs are coming at him, so they are slow to respond.

Jiraiya charged straight towards the wall of water, creating a Rasengan in both hands.

“Rasengan!!”

“Damn it!?”

The Rasengan created in Jiraiya’s left hand was slammed into the Water Wall, blowing away the barrier that had been blocking the fireball.

“One more!”

Jiraiya broke through the wall of water and thrust out his right hand, attempting to hit Ukon with another Rasengan.

However, Sakon, who had sensed this movement, had grown both arms from Ukon’s left shoulder and created a Rasengan before the Water Wall was broken, and was ready to aim it at Jiraiya’s Rasengan.

“Rasengan!”

During the clash between Rasengan in the Hidden Leaf Village, Ukon and Sakon reacted quickly and were defeated by Jiraiya’s Rasengan.

However, this time it was a “Senjutsu Rasengan” that had been prepared in advance and had been mixed with Senjutsu chakra.

Jiraiya still had superior accuracy in his Rasengan, but his senjutsu chakra was powerful enough to make up for that difference.

If they continued to clash like this, Sakon would have the advantage in terms of senjutsu chakra, but Jiraiya was well aware of that.

“Mmhh!!”

Jiraiya poured more chakra into the Rasengan in his right hand. As a result, the palm-sized Rasengan grew two sizes larger, becoming the Ootama Rasengan.

Then, Jiraiya’s “Ootama Rasengan” and Sakon’s “Senjutsu Rasengan” collided.

“Whoaaa!!”

“Damn it…!”

(Grrrrr!)

The sheer power of Jiraiya’s Ootama Rasengan pushed Ukon’s body back, and Sakon, who was supporting the Senjutsu Rasengan, cried out in agony in his mind.

“Sakono!”

Realizing that he would be completely defeated if he continued like this, Ukon quickly thrust his left hand between Sakon’s hands and poured chakra into his “Senjutsu Rasengan.”

With additional chakra infused into the “Senjutsu Rasengan”, its power increases and it begins to rival the “Ootama Rasengan”.

At that moment…

(Yikes!?)

(Something’s coming!?)

Ukon and Sakon sensed a new danger using their sage powers, but even though they were able to sense the new danger, as their Rasengan were in a state of antagonism, they were unable to escape.

“Here it is!”

Jiraiya saw that now, with the Rasengan facing off against each other, was his chance, so he took another step toward Ukon and extended his left hand toward him.

and, .So child To a S Ta ? Screw Rotate Circle ” but right Near To Press R

(Left hand?!)

Ukon thought that the Rasengan in Jiraiya’s left hand had vanished when he broke through the Water Wall. However, the Rasengan had become smaller and weaker, but it had not vanished.

The Rasengan, which had not disappeared, had already returned to its full size thanks to Jiraiya once again pouring chakra into it.

(This is the right timing!)

Ukon had been using the “Water Wall” until just now, so he had no time to use any ninjutsu that required making hand gestures, and he didn’t have time to make a second “Rasengan.” Sakon was currently in the middle of using the “Senjutsu Rasengan.”

Jiraiya was certain in his mind that the Rasengan would hit.

“Rasengan!!”

Jiraiya’s left hand’s Rasengan was thrust out towards Ukon, and just before the Rasengan hit Ukon, Ukon activated a ninjutsu technique.

“Ugh…”

(Sneaky Shadow Snake Hand!)

The cloak wrapped around Ukon’s right arm began to move on its own, and several thin snakes crawled out from it.

“Hidden Shadow Snake Hand” is a ninjutsu favored by Orochimaru. It is a technique that allows the user to summon a snake directly onto the user’s body and control it at will by pre-training a special summoning technique on the user’s body and then channeling chakra into the technique.

Since it didn’t require any hand seals, it was a technique that could be activated instantly in a close-range fight like this.

The snake that grew out of Ukon’s right arm tries to wrap around Jiraiya’s left hand to stop it, but…

“Whoooaa!”

“Guh… Aaahhh!!”

The moment Jiraiya recognized the snake, he slightly adjusted the trajectory of his left hand and slammed it into the snake. The Rasengan tried to release its power the moment it hit the snake, and the impact threw Ukon off balance.

“I got it!!”

Jiraiya, not missing the fact that Ukon’s balance had been disrupted, then pushed in his “Ootama Rasengan.”

Ukon’s compromised position meant he was unable to block it, and the balance between his Ootama Rasengan and his Senjutsu Rasengan was broken, with Jiraiya’s Ootama Rasengan defeating Ukon and Sakon’s Senjutsu Rasengan.

“Gwaaaaahh!!!”

Both Rasengan exploded at Ukon. The double spiral engulfed his body and spun at high speed, blowing him back more than ten meters.

“I did it!”

Seeing this, Naruto cheered. Not only Naruto, but everyone watching thought the match was over.

Except for the three people competing.

“Haa haa… that was close…”

“I thought so… the feeling when we hit each other was strange.”

Ukon had been blown away and fallen to the ground, but he slowly got up. The cloak he was wearing had been caught up in the spinning Rasengan and was torn to shreds, disappearing completely.

And now that his cloak was gone, his whole body was covered in wounds and had turned to stone in places, with snakes coiled around it.

“Guh…!”

Ukon endured the pain and activated his “Twin Demons’ Attack”, severing the snakes that had fused with his body. With a nasty cracking sound of flesh tearing, the snakes were separated from Ukon’s body, completely turning to stone before they hit the ground, and then shattered into pieces on impact.

“I see…”

“It was a close call… haa…”

Jiraiya understood everything when he saw the petrified snake, while Ukon sighed in relief that he had somehow survived.

Immediately after Rasengan hit the snakes, Ukon activated a new Shadow Snake Hand, and covered his body with the newly summoned snakes, only managing to avoid a direct hit from Rasengan.

However, Ukon and Sakon decided that this alone would not be enough to protect themselves from Jiraiya’s Rasengan, so they increased their defensive power to the limit by pouring the minimum amount of nature chakra into the summoned snakes, just enough to prevent them from being completely petrified.

However, this was still unable to completely contain the destructive power of the two Rasengan.

“Cough…”

Ukon spat blood out of his mouth.

Ukon had managed to minimize external injuries with his snake guard, but it was still unable to completely block it, and the impact of the Rasengan was transmitted through the snake guard and into Ukon’s body.

His entire body was covered in spiral-shaped bruises, and the impact of the spiral rotation reached even into his flesh, causing Ukon to vomit blood.

(Tsk… my internal organs are distorted.)

(If this is all it took from Jiraiya’s Rasengan, it’s a small price to pay, right?)

(Well… that’s true.)

Ukon and Sakon have a mental conversation while wiping the blood from their mouths.

But the real problem wasn’t the damage to his body.

(I have very little natural chakra left…)

(Ahh… I want to absorb natural energy and refine my chakra…)

(There’s no way Jiraiya would miss that opportunity…)

The power of the sage is certainly strong. Even though it was a two-on-one battle, the fact that he was able to fight this far against Jiraiya, one of the Sannin and one of the most powerful ninja in the world, was undoubtedly thanks to the power of the sage.

However, even the sage’s power has its weaknesses.

The problem was that they couldn’t move at all while absorbing natural energy. Ukon and Sakon solved this problem by working in pairs, with one person moving while the other stayed still while absorbing natural energy. Thanks to this, they were able to replenish their natural energy even during battle, and maintain their sage state almost indefinitely.

However, it is not impossible for it to run out. If one continues to use Senjutsu chakra without absorbing natural energy, it will eventually run out.

Ukon and Sakon consumed their senjutsu chakra in rapid succession with “Water Wall,” “Rasengan,” and “Dark Shadow Snake Hand.” Their stored natural energy was nearing its end.

However, Ukon and Sakon had thought up a way to deal with such a situation.

(Oh well… I guess I’ll have to go with close range.)

(Yeah. It’s going to be tough to fight Jiraiya in close combat, but it can’t be helped.)

Sakon grew both arms behind his back and quickly made a seal. Because he no longer had his cloak, he had to grow his arms behind his back and hide them with his body so that Jiraiya wouldn’t notice his movements.

Due to the shortness of the seal and how he managed to hide it, the jutsu was completed before Jiraiya could make any moves.

(Senpou, Doton, and the Technique of Light and Heavy Rocks)

Sakon activated the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” a ninjutsu technique that reduces the weight of an object for a short period of time, but its effect made Ukon’s body and the equipment he was wearing literally light as a feather.

Feeling his body become lighter, Ukon took out two kunai from the pouch containing ninja tools attached to his waist, held them in both hands, and concentrated chakra at his feet.

Then, using the Body Flash Technique to move at high speed, he stepped right into Jiraiya’s arms.

(That was fast!!)

It wasn’t that Jiraiya was careless; Ukon was simply too fast.

With the current “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” Ukon’s speed had increased to the limit, making him one of the fastest in the ninja world. But of course, if he kicked the ground hard in his now lighter state, his body would bounce up and down with force, like someone who had just landed on the moon.

To avoid this, Ukon concentrated chakra in the soles of his feet, which made them stick to the ground, allowing him to run at high speeds without jumping.

“Shhh!”

“Damn it!?”

Ukon slashed twice at Jiraiya’s body with the kunai in both hands, and when he was done, he quickly stepped back to put some distance between them to avoid a counterattack.

Jiraiya had very shallow cuts on his side and thigh, and a thin layer of blood was seeping onto his clothes.

Ukon took some distance and again approached Jiraiya using the Body Flash Technique to move at high speed, and this time he didn’t stop as he passed by him, swinging his kunai and leaving a shallow wound.

Using the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique” he becomes lighter and moves at high speed, slashing at his enemy as he passes them, then using the momentum to gain distance. This move, which faithfully follows the basic hit-and-run technique used by Ukon, was one of the tactics that allowed Sakon to buy time to absorb natural chakra during battle.

However, this tactic also has weaknesses.

The first is that his attacks are inevitably lighter. Because he had made his body and equipment lighter using the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique” to increase his speed, his attacks were not heavy and he was unable to land a fatal blow. The kunai had been coated with poison, but there was no way that someone as strong as Jiraiya would not have taken precautions against poison, so he could not be expected to die from poison during the fight. In fact, Jiraiya had drunk several types of antidotes specially made by Tsunade before the battle, so the poison had no effect on him.

The second reason is that his own movements are too fast and he is not good at making small changes of direction, so his movements tend to be linear. Ukon’s reflexes are not bad, but he does not have the deceptive dynamic visual acuity of the Uchiha clan’s Sharingan, nor does he increase his reflexes with Raiton chakra like the Fourth Raikage, so his movements tend to be linear.

Jiraiya, who was attacked by these two, understood them instantly.

Therefore, we can respond to that as well.

“…right there!”

In response to Ukon’s repeated attacks as he passed by him, Jiraiya kicked with his right foot, placing him in the path of Ukon.

Jiraiya was used to shinobi moving quickly.

This is because Jiraiya’s former pupil was Minato Namikaze, nicknamed the “Yellow Flash”. Compared to Minato’s movements, Ukon’s movements were too linear and, above all, too slow.

However, seeing through an opponent’s movements and attacking are two completely different things.

Ukon, using his sage-like ability to sense danger, sensed that Jiraiya’s kick was on a trajectory that would strike him directly in the chest, and he quickly dodged the kick by moving his upper body backwards, almost like an Ina Bauer on ice skates.

(I guess this won’t work after all)

Jiraiya didn’t seem to mind that his kick had been dodged. He was well aware of the evasive abilities of the sage, so he had expected it to be dodged.

Rather, Jiraiya’s aim was to make Ukon dodge instantly. Ukon’s quick evasion during the high-speed movement of the combined technique of “Light and Heavy Rock Technique” and “Body Flash Technique” had thrown him off balance.

At that moment, that brief moment, was enough time for Jiraiya to make a seal.

“Ranshishi Kama no Jutsu!”

Using the “Ranshishi Kam no Jutsu,” chakra was poured into Jiraiya’s long white hair, causing it to grow rapidly and spread out in all directions like a spider’s web.

Ukon steps back to avoid being caught and holds a strategy meeting in his mind with Sakon.

(This means close combat is now sealed.)

(Ah)

(What about Senjutsu Chakra?)

(I can’t say it’s enough… well, it’s not the kind of situation where we can be picky.)

If you try to engage in close combat, you’ll just get caught in the spider’s web of hair. However, if you engage in a mid-range jutsu exchange without thinking, you’ll either be killed, as you just did, or your Senjutsu chakra will run out.

(From now on, I’ll always take the initiative and use my jutsu. Keep cultivating your chakra.)

(Got it)

The reason why Ukon and Sakon almost lost earlier was because they were caught off guard. This time, they have begun to move in an attempt to take the initiative.

Ukon and Sakon finished their inner conversation in just an instant and then activated their next technique.

“Senjutsu: Water Release: Water Shuriken!”

Ukon created a large number of water shuriken and threw them at Jiraiya. The water shuriken, forged with senjutsu chakra, were sharp and spun at high speed, cutting through Jiraiya’s chakra-forged hair as they approached him.

“Ngh…”

Jiraiya was trying to block the approach with the “Ranshishi Kabu no Jutsu” to buy himself time to activate the technique, but his plan was foiled and he cried out softly before taking evasive action. Jiraiya dodged the “Water Shuriken” by quickly moving left and right.

Having evaded the attack with minimal movement, Jiraiya was about to move on to his next move when he saw that Ukon was already preparing to activate his next technique.

Senpo, Suiton, Mizudanha!

Ukon compressed the water in his mouth and spat it out at high speed. The water was spat out with such force that it was like a water cutter, cutting through anything it came into contact with, and approached Jiraiya in a “Water Cutting Wave.”

Jiraiya, knowing the power of that jutsu, ran to his right.

(I’m going to let it go!)

Seeing this evasion, Ukon shook his head, causing the current of water that was being spat out to chase after Jiraiya.

“Ugh…”

Jiraiya watched the movement of Ukon’s neck and predicted the movement of the water current, continuing to dodge with minimal movements, and while continuing to dodge, he made a seal and activated a technique.

“Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!!”

A terrifying torrent of flame spewed from Jiraiya’s mouth, like a dragon breathing fire. The Fire Dragon Flame Bullet was unaffected by the Water Cutoff Wave and evaporated as it approached Ukon.

Even though the sun had risen, the flames were so strong that they lit up the grassland red, and Ukon strengthened the power of his “Water Cutting Wave” as much as possible, buying him time until it reached him, and in that short time Sakon had finished making the magic sign.

At the same time Sakon was ready, the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet engulfed Ukon.

Even after the flames engulfed the area where Ukon had been, Jiraiya continued to carefully breathe fire for a few seconds before releasing the technique.

The firepower of the ?Fire Dragon Flame Bullet? was so great that not even a single ash remained where it had passed, leaving only the charred, blackened ground.

Jiraiya, who had been watching the scene closely, suddenly clashed the wooden clogs he was wearing together, creating a transparent barrier centered on himself. This barrier, called the “Barrier: Canopy Formation,” was capable of detecting any being that came into contact with it.

Jiraiya considered the possibility that Ukon and Sakon had not been killed by the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. In that case, he thought there was a high probability that they had used Earth Release to evade the attack by diving underground. Therefore, he had been searching underground with a detection barrier, but was unable to detect them.

(Can’t the barrier detect it…? Was it there just now, or is it hiding outside the barrier’s range…?)Killor

Although he felt unsatisfied, Jiraiya was happy that the enemy had disappeared, and just as he turned towards Orochimaru, Ukon came crawling out from the ground, just at the edge of the barrier in his direction, with a loud popping sound.

“As expected, you can’t let your guard down.”

“Of course… if you want me to let my guard down, act a little more your age.”

The two of them glared at each other as they did before the battle began.

While the two were fighting, the others also made movements.

Shizune and Naruto, who had taken Tsunade with them to keep their distance, were overwhelmed throughout the battle between Jiraiya and Ukon and Sakon. Naruto was simply amazed at the intensity and power of the battle, while Shizune, knowing the strength of her master Tsunade, was amazed at how strong Ukon and Sakon were, able to fight so well against Jiraiya, who was on the same level as her master.

“That’s amazing…”

The amazing, the intense feeling made those words escape Naruto’s mouth.

Just before the battle began Tsunade had told Naruto, “If you want to become Hokage, you’d better watch this battle closely,” but he didn’t think much of it.

However, he continued to receive major shocks from the moment the fighting began.

Jiraiya’s “Fire Release: Flame Bullets” were stronger and more frequent than Sasuke’s, and the “Water Wall” that blocked them reminded him of the formidable opponent he once was.ZabuzaZabuza

The Rasengan that Naruto had used to break through the Water Wall was far more powerful than anything he had ever known, but Jiraiya had used two of them at the same time, and his opponent had also activated the same Rasengan. When he realized he had defeated him with that Rasengan, he yelled out in surprise, and when his opponent rose to his feet, he was shocked.

His opponent’s movements after that were so fast that he almost lost sight of him even though he was watching from afar, and when Jiraiya responded with his “Ranshishi Kaba no Jutsu” he had a feeling that even if he were to jump at him with Multiple Shadow Clone he would be taken down in an instant.

He thought it would be difficult for him to dodge the Water Shuriken and Water Cutoff Wave that were activated in response, but Jiraiya avoided them perfectly and even fired a Fire Dragon Flame Bullet in counterattack. The heat of the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet reached Naruto, far away, and it was so hot that it frightened him, but he was also surprised that his opponent was still alive.

Naruto felt a tingling sensation down his spine, similar to the first time he’d seen Kakashi and Zabuza fight, though Naruto couldn’t tell if it was from fear or excitement.

Naruto and Shizune were so shocked by the battle that they couldn’t think straight, but Tsunade was calmly analyzing the situation.

The results of the analysis are just one step away from the worst.

“Ugh… this is not good.”

“What do you mean, Tsunade-sama?!”

“That’s right! If we leave it to Ero-sennin, he’ll take care of that guy in no time!”

Shizune was surprised at Tsunade’s assessment of the situation and tried to find out the truth behind it, while Naruto made the statement because he thought Tsunade’s judgment was wrong.

“I thought Jiraiya would be able to finish it off quickly, but his opponent is quite strong. At this rate, Orochimaru will recover before Jiraiya can defeat him.”

As Tsunade said this, her eyes were fixed on Kabuto, who was using medical ninjutsu to try and heal Orochimaru.

Tsunade had predicted that this match would end with Jiraiya’s victory, but it had dragged on longer than expected.

If the goal was to defeat Ukon and Sakon, it wouldn’t matter how much time it took, but the goal of this battle is to defeat Orochimaru. He can’t spend all his time on Ukon and Sakon, and as time goes on, the chances that Orochimaru, who is unconscious and unable to move, will join the battle increase.

And if Orochimaru were to join the battle, the tide would instantly turn in Orochimaru’s favor.

That’s why Tsunade said it was bad.

“Ugh… if only I wasn’t in this state…”

Tsunade muttered as she looked at her own trembling hands. She was angry at her own incompetence, unable to fight even in a situation where she should have because of her fear of blood.

At that moment, Naruto came up to Tsunade in a loud voice.

“Grandma! What am I supposed to do?”

“Naruto…”

“You need to do something, right? I’ll do it.”

Tsunade was at a loss for words at Naruto’s fierce expression. Naruto spoke with a serious expression and a clear resolve.

Naruto felt ashamed that he had been watching the battle so carefreely until just now. His master Jiraiya was fighting, Tsunade’s face was clouded, and yet he hadn’t done anything. He felt a strong desire to do something too. He had gained the strength to do so by watching the battle between Jiraiya and Ukon and Sakon.

However, Tsunade would not give permission.

“No… you’ll get killed.”

Tsunade’s mind flashed with memories of her past trauma, the faces of the man she loved and her brother. They were good people, very similar to Naruto. They didn’t deserve to die in a place like that.

A man who resembled those she loved so much couldn’t possibly die in a place like this.

Such thoughts filled Tsunade’s heart and she looked down.

And to her, Naruto…

“It’s okay, Grandma Tsunade. I won’t die until I become Hokage.”

“Ah…”

“So don’t worry.”

As Naruto spoke with a smile and a thumbs up, Tsunade saw the shadows of those she had once loved behind him. Remembering what a smile that put people at ease looked like, Tsunade decided to take one more chance.

“Got it… Naruto and Shizune. You two go defeat the guy healing Orochimaru.”

“Lady Tsunade…?”

“Leave me alone! Now do what you have to do, Shizune.”

” Understood”

Tsunade gave instructions to Naruto and Shizune. Shizune was worried about Tsunade, but she prepared herself when she saw Tsunade’s serious expression.

Tsunade and Shizune have known each other for a long time. You can tell a certain amount by looking into their eyes. Tsunade’s eyes spoke eloquently, “After you defeat the enemy, you will kill Orochimaru. Don’t let Naruto do it.”

Shizune herself accepted Tsunade’s instructions, as she believed that an innocent child like Naruto should not need to become accustomed to killing people.

“Let’s go, Naruto-kun!”

“It’s a good day!”

The two of them ran off with great vigor. Tsunade could only watch them leave and pray that they would return safely.

When Naruto and the others ran towards Kabuto, Kabuto had just finished administering first aid using medical ninjutsu.

Kabuto muttered to himself as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“First aid completed… you won’t die from this.”

In the field of medical ninjutsu, there was not much difference in skill between Kabuto and Tsunade. The big difference was in experience and knowledge, but it was no exaggeration to say that there was no difference when it came to the speed at which they could heal injuries.

Kabuto used his advanced medical ninjutsu to complete the first aid in a short time. Although there were bruises on Orochimaru’s jaw and chest, there was no bleeding and his breathing had become much calmer compared to before the treatment.

Normally, it would heal so cleanly that there would be no bruising left, but the situation doesn’t allow that.

“Ugh… Are you two coming this way…?”

Kabuto had been checking his surroundings as best he could between treatments, and naturally he saw Naruto and Shizune coming towards them.

Naruto and Shizune ran towards Kabuto in a wide circle, avoiding Jiraiya and Ukon and Sakon, who were still fighting fiercely.

From Kabuto’s point of view, the two of them don’t seem to have that great an ability.

The Naruto I saw in the Chunin Exams didn’t have any outstanding qualities, he was just an ordinary genin, a kid who just talked big. As for Shizune, I didn’t feel she was dangerous based on her previous movements.

Kabuto did not think of himself as particularly skilled in combat, having been around people with extremely high combat abilities such as Ukon Sakon and Kimimaro, but he had a good chance of winning against these two.

However, that was in a one-on-two situation, in case of a frontal fight.

With Orochimaru at a huge disadvantage as he was unable to move, there was a high chance he would be caught off guard.

It’s not that they hadn’t considered the idea of ??retreating with Orochimaru, but now that Jiraiya was alive and well, if they retreated carelessly and were pursued, they could be wiped out.

That’s why Kabuto only has one option.

“It can’t be helped. My apologies, Orochimaru-sama.”

After Kabuto refused Orochimaru, he took a short distance from where he had laid Orochimaru on the grassland, and took up a position in the direction Naruto and Shizune were coming from, waiting to intercept them.

The location where Kabuto was standing and where Orochimaru was sleeping were in an exquisite positional relationship. Naruto and Shizune were too far away to aim at Orochimaru, and they couldn’t avoid Kabuto. And even if Jiraiya aimed at Orochimaru from a long distance and used his magic, he would be able to escape with Orochimaru just in time, as he was in such an exquisite position.

“Big Bro Kabuto… here I go!!”

Naruto knew Kabuto during the Chunin Exams. At the time, he had the impression that he was a kind older brother, but was shocked to find out that he was a subordinate of Orochimaru. When Naruto saw such a man standing in front of him, he hesitated for a moment, but he shook it off, made up his mind, and challenged him to a fight.

“Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!!”

Naruto ran in front of Shizune and used the “Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.” For just a moment, white smoke appeared, and at the same time, more than thirty clones were created.

Countless Narutos and Shizune’s attacked Kabuto.

“Yaaaahh!!”

“Don’t underestimate me!”

As multiple people come at Naruto, Kabuto, holding kunai in both hands, cuts him down one by one with the kunai. When the kunai hits Naruto, he makes a whoosh sound and turns into smoke before disappearing.

Meanwhile, Shizune, who had been hiding among Naruto’s clones, saw Kabuto have a slight opening and attacked him.

“Right there!”

Shizune jumped from Kabuto’s blind spot with a senbon in her hand, ready to stab it into Kabuto’s neck.

However, what Shizune thought was an opening was something Kabuto had created on purpose.

“Sweet!”

Kabuto let out a sharp yell and quickly dealt with Shizune as she approached him from behind. He turned around and deflected the senbon with the kunai in his left hand, then stabbed the kunai in his right into Shizune’s heart.

“That’s unfortunate… All that’s left now is Naruto-kun…”

Kabuto was always wary of Shizune.

The number of “Multiple Shadow Clone” was a threat, but with Naruto’s level of martial arts, it was a waste. No matter how many there were, they couldn’t beat Kabuto. However, Shizune was Tsunade’s favorite student, and it was unclear what kind of techniques she possessed. Therefore, she kept her vigilance towards Naruto to a minimum and only focused her vigilance on Shizune.

Then, when Shizune was behind him, he deliberately created an opening, luring Shizune into launching a brilliant counter attack.

Shizune had surely received a fatal blow. The moment Kabuto turned his attention to the remaining Naruto, Shizune vanished with a boop sound.

“What?!”

“Looks like you were the one being naive.”

“Damn it!”

Kabuto was confused for just a moment when Shizune disappeared, but he did not miss the opportunity and Shizune, who had transformed into Naruto, appeared again, undoing her transformation.

Kabuto tried to react but it was already too late, as Shizune slammed the senbon she was holding into Kabuto’s right calf.

“Ugh…ah, my leg!?”

Kabuto endured the sharp pain of the senbon piercing him, but the senbon targeted his nerves, immobilizing his legs against his will.

Distracted by the fact that he could no longer move his legs, Kabuto was slow to react to the next attack.

Countless Narutos attacked Kabuto, who was now unable to move. One by one, they grabbed onto Kabuto’s limbs, immobilizing him.

“Damn… just something like this.”

Kabuto immediately used the kunai in his hand to eliminate the clones of Naruto that had grappled with him, but his movements were still one step too late.

“If you don’t have enough hands to hold back the chakra, you should have just added more hands!”

The two Narutos shouted as they charged towards Kabuto again. In between their hands, lined up next to each other, was a mass of highly compressed, turbulently spinning chakra – a Rasengan.

Naruto had not been able to complete the Rasengan in the training he had done up until yesterday, but after seeing Ukon and Sakon using three arms to cast the Rasengan, he came up with the idea of ??using Kage Bunshin’s help.

“Y-You can’t really say that technique…!”

“What… did you say…!?”

Shizune and Kabuto stiffened in shock when they saw this.

And Tsunade, who was watching from afar.

“Really…Naruto…”

Tsunade was overwhelmed with emotion when she saw Naruto accomplish the great feat of completing the Rasengan in just one week.

(Maybe… he really is…)

Tsunade hopes that Naruto, who speaks of the same dream as those he loves, might actually make that dream come true.

Naruto took a step forward and slammed the Rasengan he was holding into Kabuto’s stomach.

“Rasengan!!!”

The moment Rasengan made a direct hit, the chakra that had been compressed and circulating wildly was released all at once.

“Gwaaaaahh!!”

The beetle was caught in the spinning chakra and was blown away, spinning around. It bounced off the ground several times, losing momentum, and then collapsed helplessly onto the grassland.

Kabuto concentrated chakra on his abdomen just before being hit by the Rasengan, and tried to recover from the moment it hit him, but he had used up a lot of chakra treating Orochimaru, so he was unable to recover and fell unconscious.

“Heheh… it went well.”

Naruto, whose chakra, stamina, and concentration had been drained by the Rasengan from the multiple shadow clones, laughed weakly, pleased that his plan had worked.

While running to Orochimaru, Naruto and Shizune were having a quick strategy meeting. Shizune was Tsunade’s apprentice, but as a medical ninja, she wasn’t very good at fighting.

So Naruto came up with a plan to transform into Shizune, who would act as a decoy, and Shizune would also transform to blend in with Naruto’s clone. The plan worked perfectly, leaving Kabuto with a large gap, and he finished it off with a Rasengan.

Naruto rejoices at having defeated Kabuto, who appears to be stronger than him, with a new technique.

However, this time didn’t last long.

“Naruto-kun, run away!!”

“Huh?”

Hearing Shizune’s anguished cry, Naruto gave a silly reply.

Without even noticing that someone was standing behind him.

“My… it looks like a lot of fun has been happening while I was away.”

A familiar voice came from behind him. The snake-like voice, which could be either male or female, made Naruto’s body tremble and he was unable to move. The man standing behind him, Orochimaru, exuded a mixture of rage and murderous intent that was so strong that it was more than enough to give Naruto thoughts of death.

“Now then…”

“Argh…let go!”

Orochimaru used his Shadow Snake Hand to create three snakes from the cuff of his right arm and restrained Naruto. The snakes wrapped around Naruto’s neck, both arms, torso, and legs completely immobilized him.

Naruto struggles to get out of there, but he has no way of getting out as he has trouble even escaping a simple rope.

He then summoned several snakes from his left arm and used them to restrain Shizune, who was standing a short distance away, in the same way.

Maintaining that position, Orochimaru turned to Tsunade and began to speak.

“Tsunade, you understand… if you don’t heal my arm, this child…”

“Dammit…Orochimaru! You dare lay a hand on them! I’ll definitely kill you!”

As Orochimaru threatened Tsunade with Naruto and Shizune held hostage, Tsunade ran up to Naruto and shouted in a bullish manner.

“I guess it depends on your attitude…”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Tsunade was not about to give in to the threats. Orochimaru realized this and moved his snakes, tightening the grip on Naruto even more.

With the three snakes squeezing him tightly, Naruto’s airway narrowed and he could only let out painful sighs.

“Guh…Naruto!”

Tsunade cried out as she had a vision of Naruto dying right before her eyes, just like the people she loved. Even as she cried, her feet kept moving. So that this time she wouldn’t let him die.

But rescuing someone from a hostage situation is not easy.

(At this rate )

Tsunade was imagining the worst possible future, but then she heard a voice of hope.

“Orochimaru!! Let them go or your men will die!”

Orochimaru looked towards Jiraiya, the owner of the voice of hope.

Jiraiya stomped on the back of Ukon, who was lying face down, and pointed a kunai at his back.

Ukon, lying on the ground, had open wounds all over his body, was limp and unconscious.

Ukon and Sakon were desperately trying to hang on to Jiraiya, but when Kabuto was defeated, they lost consciousness for just a moment. Jiraiya took advantage of that opportunity and defeated them.

“Now what should we do…Orochimaru!!”

“Yeah…it wouldn’t be worth it to trade Ukon and Sakon for that Nine Tails brat and one of Tsunade’s students.”

Orochimaru made this decision calmly.

Even if they left Ukon and Sakon to die and took Naruto and Shizune hostage to force treatment for his arm, the current situation was that there was no guarantee that it would actually heal.

In addition, Kabuto is unconscious. The only remaining fighting force is Orochimaru, who can’t use his arm, Tsunade who keeps moving despite seeing blood on the ground, and Jiraiya who is exhausted but still seems able to fight.

Orochimaru himself had not yet fully recovered from the damage he had received from Tsunade and Jiraiya, and decided that fighting now would be a disadvantage.

“Okay… let’s pull out here.”

Hearing Orochimaru’s words, Tsunade and Jiraiya felt a little relieved, though they still remained on guard.

“Let’s meet again “

After freeing Naruto and Shizune and retrieving Ukon and Sakon, Orochimaru disappeared, leaving behind some ominous words.

The battle ended with words that foreshadowed the next fight.

After the battle, Orochimaru was unable to heal both arms and had to go home with nothing. On the other hand, Tsunade overcame her fear of blood, and with Naruto winning the bet and mastering the Rasengan, she decided to return to the Hidden Leaf Village and become the Fifth Hokage.

Both sides ended up with contrasting results.

Tsunade and the others returned to Konoha overjoyed, but the mood of Orochimaru and his group, who ended up returning home defeated, was not so bad.

In one of Orochimaru’s hideouts, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Ukon and Sakon were sitting across from each other and having a conversation.

“””very sorry”””

“Well… it can’t be helped if those two were seriously teaming up.”

Kabuto and Ukon Sakon apologized to Orochimaru, who readily accepted.

Orochimaru himself understood that he had made the situation worse by walking into a trap, and he wouldn’t be foolish enough to take it out on his subordinates.

What’s more, it was great that there was some harvest, even if it was only a small one.

The result was that Ukon and Sakon’s fighting strength was somewhat comparable to that of Jiraiya, one of the Sannin.

Hearing the details of the battle, Orochimaru was reaffirmed in his own training abilities and his ability to discern ninja talent.

Orochimaru had only one complex about Jiraiya: his disciple.

When they were still affiliated with the Hidden Leaf Village, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya had trained several students, but there was a big difference between them.

The most successful of Orochimaru’s students was Mitarashi Anko, who became a special jonin, but Jiraiya’s students included Namikaze Minato, who became the Fourth Hokage. There was a big difference in ability between the two, even more so than their positions.

This hurt Orochimaru’s lofty pride.

However, in this battle, his wounded pride was healed when Ukon and Sakon, two of Orochimaru’s disciples, fought well against Jiraiya.

And although Jiraiya had taken Naruto as his apprentice, Orochimaru saw no talent in Naruto. He felt that compared to the talented people he had discovered, such as Kabuto, Ukon Sakon, Kimimaro, and Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto was like night and day, and that this showed the difference in ability between him and Jiraiya to see the talent of ninjas, which made him feel good.

“Kukukuku…”

As Orochimaru’s chuckle echoed through the room, Ukon and Sakon were holding a private debriefing.

(Thank goodness Orochimaru was in a good mood for some reason)

(Ahh… but I lost to Jiraiya.)

(The opponent is Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. He’s a superior opponent, so it can’t be helped, but it takes two people… it’s frustrating.)

(Well, I guess it’s still frustrating.)

(I still need to get stronger…)

The world of “NARUTO” is a harsh one, where even Jiraiya would fall far below the top of the hierarchy without the power of his sage. Ukon and Sakon challenged Jiraiya together, but were unable to win even using their sage powers. With this regret in their hearts, they dedicate themselves to daily training.

There is only a short time left until the next mission, to recruit Uchiha Sasuke.

Connecting Story: Sasuke Recruitment Arc/Prequel

Ukon and Sakon were left feeling bitter after their defeat by Jiraiya.

They were walking to the training ground and experiment area within the hideout to begin their training.

The long, dark corridor was usually so quiet that not a single sound could be heard, but today was different. A sound could be heard from the end of the corridor. It was the sound of hard objects colliding with each other and the sound of something breaking.

Although it was called a training ground, only Ukon and Sakon used it for training. The only other uses were by Orochimaru for experiments, or for his subordinates to kill each other. Either way, almost no one used it for training or anything serious.

One of those rare exceptions was now at the training ground.

Ukon and Sakon pass through the corridor and enter the training grounds.

There were two men inside.

To the right of Ukon was Kimimaro. He was about the same height as Ukon, with pale skin, white hair, and distinctive red eyebrows. He was wearing a kimono-like garment with his upper body unbuttoned, and bones were protruding from all over his exposed upper body.

On his left was Juugo. He was slightly larger than Ukon in both height and build, and was wearing short sleeves and shorts for ease of movement. He had short orange hair, and about half of his exposed skin was normal skin color, but was covered in a dark gray.

Both of them were out of breath, and it seemed as if the two normally good friends were engaged in a mock battle.

“It’s unusual to see the two of you here… Are you feeling okay, Kimimaro?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling great today. It’s all thanks to you guys.”

Kimimaro is the sole survivor of the Kaguya Clan, a warrior race that possesses a kekkei genkai called the “Corpse Vein.” Although Kimimaro does not know this, the Kaguya Clan’s ancestor is Otsutsuki Kaguya, the mother of the Sage of the Six Paths, and they are descendants of a distinguished clan that has inherited power from the ancestor of all ninja for generations.

That’s why Kimimaro himself possessed an immense amount of chakra, and combined with his “Corpse Bone Vein” he was a powerful ninja with considerable strength, even among the Sound ninja. Perhaps due to his lineage in particular, his physical energy was far superior, and this was the reason why the scars healed so quickly after pulling bones out of his flesh. The way his wounds healed without making hand seals reminded him of the First Hokage. For various reasons, the First Hokage also inherited a large amount of the power of the Sage of the Six Paths, so in that sense the two were similar.

However, Kimimaro himself had fallen ill just before the destruction of Konoha began, but his condition has now improved considerably.

Kimimaro’s illness was related to his bone marrow. Perhaps the blood of the Kaguya clan was too thick, which caused an abnormality in the blood produced from his bone marrow, weakening his immune system and causing him to develop an infection.

Ukon and Sakon tried to somehow cure Kimimaro. They examined him by fusing with him using the “Double Demon Attack” and discovered an abnormality in his bone marrow. Then, using Kabuto’s medical knowledge, they successfully performed a bone marrow transplant using the “Double Demon Attack”.

As a result, although he is still not in top condition, Kimimaro overcomes his illness and regards Ukon Sakon and Kabuto, who treated him, as his benefactors.

And it’s the same for the other one.

“If you can fight on equal terms with me then that’s enough.”

“Juugo, have your homicidal impulses gotten better lately?”

“Ah… It can’t be helped when I’m fighting at full power, but I’ve gotten much better at controlling it at other times. It still comes out every now and then, so I can’t let my guard down, though.”

Jugo’s family lived near a hidden area called Ryuchido, and they had a natural ability to absorb natural energy and turn into sages. Orochimaru’s special curse seal was created by studying this ability.

However, perhaps because of this power, Jugo has always lived with a tormented urge to kill. Jugo, who was originally a kind-hearted boy, was troubled by this, and when there was no one strong enough to stop him, such as Orochimaru or Kimimaro, he would lock himself in his cell.

Ukon and Sakon were the ones who were recently freed from that lifestyle.

First, the two assumed that Jugo’s homicidal impulses were the result of natural energy going out of control.

In the original story, during the fight against the Fourth Raikage, Jugo had been calm until then, but as soon as he let natural energy flow through his body, his homicidal urges came to the forefront. It was unclear whether he unleashed his homicidal urges because it was going to be a fight, or whether he unleashed his natural energy, but the two of them assumed it was the latter and formed a hypothesis from there.

The two of them focus on Jugo’s murderous impulses as a result of taking in too much natural energy, which causes him to turn into an animal. Jugo’s body changes drastically when he turns into a hermit, and they think this is related to his turning into an animal.

It is likely that Juugo’s body has a high resistance to natural energy, and he absorbs too much of it. As a result, even though his body does not completely turn into an animal, the balance between his mental energy and his body is lost. As a result, his mind is influenced by the animal form and he starts acting instinctively.

Therefore, after mastering their sage powers, the two decided to patiently teach Juugo how to handle natural energy.

First, the two of them deliberately let Jugo’s homicidal impulses be fully unleashed, and by stopping him, they made Jugo acknowledge his power. They then interfered with Jugo’s natural energy from the outside, instilling in him the sense of releasing natural energy and the sense of not taking in natural energy.

Juugo was originally able to control his powers under normal circumstances, and despite going out of control many times, he gradually became accustomed to handling natural energy.

As a result, he no longer gives in to his murderous impulses unless the situation is extremely dire, and he is now able to live a normal life outside of prison.

Jugo was deeply grateful for this and came to regard Ukon and Sakon as close friends on par with Kimimaro.

Furthermore, the strength of Kimimaro, who overcame his illness, and Juugo, who controlled natural energy, was highly regarded by the other Oto ninja, and some Oto ninja even mocked the four of them, including Ukon and Sakon, as the True Oto Four.

However, when Ukon and Sakon found out about this, they warned the Oto ninja who had said it, “Don’t say it again.”

The Sound Four were originally chosen from among those highly skilled in sealing and barrier techniques, and were strong enough to serve as Orochimaru’s guardians. That’s why they were able to use powerful barrier techniques such as the “Shishienjin” during the destruction of Konoha, which even the Dark Side of Konoha couldn’t break.

In addition, from Ukon and Sakon’s perspective, the Oto Four were comrades who had taken on missions together and endured life-or-death battles, but Jugo, who had murderous impulses, had never been on the same mission as them, and so he did not want to count him as one of the Oto Four, although Kimimaro was formerly a member of the Oto Five.

“Have you two finished the mock battle yet?”

“No, my body is finally starting to warm up.”

“Yeah. I was still going to do it.”

The atmosphere of conflict that had calmed down when Ukon arrived at the training ground was reignited by his question.

Kimimaro released the power of the curse mark he had received from Orochimaru, a crescent moon-shaped birthmark began to spread from his chest and bones sprouted like flowers from his arms. In response, Juugo absorbed more natural energy, expanding the proportion of grey in his skin and transforming both of his upper arms into axe-like shapes.

“Then let’s join in too.”

“Well… I guess I’ll go for some close combat training for the first time in a while.”

Seeing this, Ukon expressed his intention to join the battle and absorbed natural energy, transforming into a sage. Sakon then grew a head and both arms from Ukon’s body, transforming into a strange creature with two faces and four arms, and held a kunai in each of his four arms.

“Let’s get started.”

The other three silently nodded in response to Kimimaro’s declaration, and the mock battle began.

Kimimaro was the first to make a move.

“Ten Fingers Piercing”

Kimimaro swung both his arms away, and using centrifugal force, the bones in his fingers were shot out like shrapnel, hitting Ukon, Sakon, and Juugo with precision.

The finger bones were fired at a considerable speed and had the power to easily penetrate a human body, but Ukon and Sakon deflected them with the kunai they were holding, and Juugo created a chakra outlet on his back from which chakra spurted out with tremendous force, sending him flying into the sky at a speed unimaginable given his large body.

“Hmph!”

Juugo flew into the air, clasped both his hands together, and using the momentum of his fall, swung them down with all his might towards Ukon and Sakon.

As Juugo swung his arms down, both had axe-like protrusions on them, and they looked like a two-pronged guillotine, ready to cut Ukon and Sakon in half.

“Are you trying to kill me…?”

“You’re not the kind of person who would die from something like this!”

Ukon and Sakon avoided the axes from Juugo’s arms and blocked the attack by grabbing both his fists and elbows with their four arms.

The sage state also dramatically improves physical abilities. During his fight with Jiraiya, he had used the “Light and Heavy Rock” to lighten his weight, so his attacks had no weight, but now he was able to fully utilize his power.

However, Juugo’s strength was one of the greatest among the Oto ninja, and the impact of his falling attack caused the ground to cave in, causing Ukon and Sakon’s heads to drop.

“I’d hate for you to forget me.”

Kimimaro approaches Ukon Sakon and Jugo with bones protruding from all over his upper body.

“Karamatsu Dance!”

“Karamatsu Dance” is a martial art that is performed with multiple bones protruding from the body using the “Corpse Vein”. The martial art is complex and mysterious. It is like a humanoid hedgehog freely moving its needles and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. It is nearly impossible for an ordinary person, or even for those with the Sharingan or Byakugan, to see through it.

Juugo, unable to put up with Kimimaro’s martial arts attack, kept his distance, while Ukon and Sakon, in contrast, regained their kunai on the spot and waited.

“Come on.”

“interesting”

Kimimaro took up Sakon’s provocation and increased his speed as he charged at Ukon.

Kimimaro attacks at close range, spinning around like a dance. Even as he moves, his limbs move with precision, and the numerous bones growing from his arms and abdomen threaten to dug into Ukon and Sakon’s flesh.

Ukon and Sakon stepped back to avoid the momentum of the charge and continued to deflect the bone attacks with their kunai.

Each time the bone and the kunai collided, a metallic sound came from the kunai and a light sound came from the bone.

Kimimaro continued his charge, chasing after Ukon and Sakon, who were retreating backwards, and eventually Ukon’s back was against the wall of the training grounds.

Seeing this, Kimimaro unleashes a new technique.

“Dance of the Black Pine”

“That’s dangerous…”

A long bone grew out from Kimimaro’s palm, which he pointed at Ukon, and then new bones branched out one after another from the sides of the long bone. In an instant, it had become a mass of bones as sharp as a real black pine tree, but Ukon dodged it by jumping wide to the side.

Ukon narrowly avoided having his body covered in holes, but Juugo, who had not missed the opportunity, ran after Ukon, intending to attack him.

“Oww!”

Juugo’s right arm was now more than one size larger than before, and a large amount of chakra spurted out from the additional chakra outlet near his elbow, striking Ukon with incredible speed.

Ukon sensed the attack with his immortal danger sensing ability, and judging that he couldn’t stop its destructive power, he instinctively jumped to the side to dodge.

Juugo’s right arm was thrust into the wall with the force of his attack, creating the loudest sound of the battle so far. The wall was shattered over a wide area with such destructive force that pieces scattered everywhere, but Ukon and Sakon, as well as Kimimaro, managed to avoid the blows by putting some distance between them.

Ukon, seeing the whole thing, files a complaint against the two.

“You guys… your attacks are full of too much murderous intent. Also, why do you two seem to be targeting me so much…”

That s because you two work in pairs and

“Because you two are the strongest here.”

In response to Ukon’s complaint, both Jugo and Kimimaro responded in a friendly manner.

Hearing this, Ukon sighed, and Sakon made a suggestion.

“Then should we make it two against two from now on?”

Juugo and Kimimaro looked at each other at Sakon’s suggestion.

“Yeah, that would be good.”

“A joint effort… that’s good.”

Kimimaro and Juugo both nodded and agreed to Sakon’s proposal.

Ukon also agreed if Sakon asked, and from there it turned into a two-on-two mock battle, with the fighting becoming even more intense.

There were three people watching the mock battle from the second floor of the training grounds. They were the members of the Oto Four, excluding Ukon and Sakon.

Jirobou is the man with the largest physique among the four, and is distinctive in that he has orange hair that is shaved except for the top of his head and above both ears.

Among the four, Kidomaru is a brown-skinned man with long hair tied back and six arms that are even more deformed than those of Ukon and Sakon.

Tayuya is the only woman among the group of four, with fair skin and long hair that is a slightly reddish pink.

The three of them were watching the mock battle together.

The three of them had mixed emotions as they watched the four engaged in the mock battle.

“Tch… they’re still as annoyingly strong as ever.”

“That’s right…”

Jirobo agreed with Kidomaru, who clicked his tongue.

Jirobo and Kidomaru are strong enough to be considered elites among the Sound ninja and have earned Orochimaru’s trust, but they feel that they are inferior to the four below them in some way.

Jirobo’s strengths are his superhuman strength, which comes from his blessed physique, and his earth release and chakra absorbing techniques. However, he is defeated in terms of superhuman strength by Juugo, who partially utilizes the power of a sage, and in terms of earth release by Sakon, who uses sage techniques. Although the two of them cannot use chakra absorbing techniques, they have little advantage over him in other areas. He is well aware of this.

That’s why Jirobo relied on Orochimaru and was taught how to make the most of his strengths.

Kidomaru’s strengths are his ability to create highly adhesive threads infused with special chakra, and the many techniques he can perform thanks to his six arms. However, in terms of the number of techniques, he was also defeated by the pair Ukon and Sakon. Although there were two opponents, Ukon and Sakon are often treated as one, and Kidomaru certainly felt a sense of rivalry. Kidomaru was superior in that Ukon and Sakon had six arms to Kidomaru’s, but he was defeated in terms of the number of techniques by Ukon and Sakon, who could use the two techniques alternately or simultaneously.

Furthermore, both Jirobo and Kidomaru had fought Kimimaro before, and had been brutally and completely defeated.

Kimimaro said he wanted to test the Sound Five’s loyalty to Orochimaru and attacked the others, resulting in Jirobo and Kidomaru being defeated on the spot.

Afterwards, Ukon and Sakon restrained Kimimaro who attacked Tayuya, and the situation was resolved. However, the fact that Kimimaro and Ukon and Sakon had fought on equal terms, albeit one-on-two, had instilled in Tayuya a further sense of defeat.

However, after that, as part of the Oto Five, and then as part of the Four after Kimimaro left, Ukon and Sakon helped him countless times, and he gradually came to respect them.

At first he felt inferior and rebellious about being helped, then he felt a sense of security and trust that he could be relied on, and recently he had come to recognize him as the leader of the Oto Four due to his abilities.

That’s why their current goal is to be recognized by their leader, Ukon and Sakon. And to improve their skills so they don’t have to rely too much on Ukon and Sakon, they are training even harder.

“Geez… you’re still as stupid as ever when it comes to training. Just how far will you grow?”

Tayuya was amazed at Ukon and Sakon’s stoic dedication to their training and criticized them.

Tayuya was different from the other members, and was in a unique position as an genjutsu user. She thought that she was one step behind the other members in terms of direct combat ability, which is why she had been training single-mindedly to master a special technique that uses the sound of a flute.

To Tayuya, the other members seemed more like business partners than comrades on missions together, and she didn’t feel any sense of competition or mutual respect; she just thought that as long as they completed the mission, that was enough.

Neither Jirobo, Kidomaru, nor Tayuya have much loyalty to Orochimaru. Instead, they feel the fear of being tied down by an overwhelming superiority that restricts their freedom of mind and body.

The four people, including Kimimaro and the three mentioned above, have been given cursed marks by Orochimaru, but in exchange for gaining powers that others do not have, those who are given the cursed mark have their actions restricted by Orochimaru.

In the first place, a curse seal is the name of a type of sealing technique. No matter how powerful a curse seal Orochimaru created, it does not change its original properties.

Their lives are in the hands of the absolute being Orochimaru. If they upset Orochimaru, they could be killed the next moment. To Orochimaru, most of the Oto ninja are just a labor force and test subjects for new techniques, expendable items that can be lost at any time. Ukon and Sakon are finally treated as disciples, as they train diligently, but even so, they are merely powerful pawns that grow on their own and are convenient to use.

Tayuya has a talent for sound-based illusions and can use a special secret ninjutsu technique called materializing spirits, but she is aware that that is all she has, and there are alternatives to those techniques.

Though sound-based genjutsu are rare, there are others, and Orochimaru’s Sharingan in particular is a powerful tool that can cast genjutsu just by making eye contact with someone. The ability of materialized spirits to steal only physical energy from a distance is also compatible with Jirobo’s power to absorb chakra, and has the advantage of being able to directly steal refined chakra.

When Tayuya thought about it that way, there were times when she wondered what the meaning of her existence was.

That is why, in order to avoid being abandoned by Orochimaru and incurring his displeasure, he suppresses his fear, carries out his duties, and pretends to be a loyal servant.

Tayuya was often told by Jirobou that she had a foul mouth, but this was just her maximum bravado to hide her fear.

Ukon and Sakon brought a ray of hope to such a situation.

Although the others accepted the cursed seals without hesitation, they refused to accept them. However, they proved their usefulness through logical reasoning, and Orochimaru forgave them for their actions. In addition, when Kimimaro attacked them, they even protected him with their own bodies.

Since then, Ukon and Sakon have become very convenient for Tayuya. Although he is a little too stoic under normal circumstances, he is sensible and conscientious, and his strength and personality are reliable even during missions. When dealing with Orochimaru on mission reports, he takes the initiative to report as the coordinator, so Tayuya is less likely to be displeased. There is no one else in the Hidden Sound Village who is as convenient as him.

That’s why Tayuya, like the other members, trained and honed her genjutsu skills. If she was to be removed from the Sound Four due to lack of ability, the chances of her next environment being better than this were slim to none. Therefore, as Ukon and Sakon continued their training and grew, Tayuya trained desperately so as not to be left behind.

Jirobo, Kidomaru and Tayuya continue their training for their own reasons.

They are just a short distance away from their next mission, the one in which they recruit Uchiha Sasuke, the death of which is depicted in the original work.

Summary of current relationships
Other members ? Ukon Sakon

Orochimaru ? Favorite subordinate. He teaches various techniques, so there are times when he treats them as disciples, but he is simply a strong and easy-to-use piece, so he is useful. Right now, he is not after their bodies. He could take one of their bodies, but it would make them much less useful as subordinates and there would be little benefit.
Kimimaro ? Fellow loyalists to Orochimaru. Saved his life.
Jugo ? Beneficiaries who accompanied him in his training to suppress his murderous impulses and changed his life.
Jirobo, Kidomaru ? Reliable leaders. Wants to be relied on. Doesn’t want to lose.
Tayuya ? Convenient man. Doesn’t have the slightest desire to be in a relationship with him. Or rather, if you were to date Ukon or Sakon, who would you end up with? (Simple question)

Other members ? Ukon

Sakon Orochimaru ? Superiors who teach him many ninjutsu. More like a teacher than a master? I think I could win against Orochimaru with both arms sealed, but I’m indebted to him for teaching me so much, and I don’t know what he’ll do to me right before I kill him, so I have no intention of rebelling.
Kimimaro ? Specialist in close combat. I’m glad he’s recovered from his illness. I want to rely on him on missions. He’s intelligent and easy to talk to when it’s not about Orochimaru. On the other hand, I don’t want to talk about anything to do with Orochimaru. He’s a long talker.
Juugo ? I’m glad he’s been able to control his constitution. Now, it’s okay, but before, I didn’t want to go on missions with him. He’s gentle and easy to talk to.
Jirobou ? Friend who is hard to get along with 1. I feel like his martial arts have improved recently, maybe he’s lost a bit of weight? Also, what’s with that hairstyle… what’s with the hair that grows in state 2? Isn’t that good from the beginning?
Kidomaru ? Friend who is hard to get along with 2. I feel like his magic has been getting sharper recently. Spider thread is easy to use, isn’t it? Just don’t start playing around during missions. It’s a relief that he reluctantly follows me when I warn him.
Tayuya ? Friend who is hard to get along with 3. I feel like playing the flute is getting more and more complicated. She is the one who follows my instructions the most during missions, so I feel at ease. I don’t want to be in a relationship with her.

Sasuke Recruitment Part 1

The Hidden Leaf Village. A man was approaching the gate leading to the village.

The man had no particular features other than short, cropped black hair and a gentle face, and he was carrying a wooden box on his back. Every time he moved, the box could be heard clanging and scraping metal.

“I haven’t seen you before… What business did you have in Konoha?”

Just before the man passed through the gate, a Konoha ninja wearing a forehead protector who was guarding the gate called out.

The security of the Hidden Leaf Village has been tightened since it was recently attacked by Orochimaru and the Hidden Sand Village. Although the Hidden Leaf Village has a barrier that detects intruders, it is not perfect.

Therefore, gatekeepers were set up to conduct a simple inspection of anyone entering the Hidden Leaf Village.

“Well, I heard that the Hidden Leaf Village has been selling a lot of things recently, so I came here to do some business.”

The Hidden Leaf Village was currently in need of many things.

Popular items included supplies for the recovery from the damage caused by the attack by Orochimaru and the Hidden Sand Village, and gifts to celebrate Tsunade’s appointment as the Fifth Hokage, but there were many other items for sale as well.

“Hmm… are the wooden boxes in the back for sale?”

“Yes, that’s right. Would you like to see it?”

The black-haired man lowered the wooden box on his back to the ground, opened it, and showed the contents to the Konoha ninja. Inside were kunai, shuriken, and other ordinary ninja tools.

These ninja tools were also selling well in Konoha right now. There had been many events in Konoha, and the number of ninja missions had increased compared to peacetime, so consumables such as ninja tools were selling well.

“Wow… it looks like it’s well-maintained.”

“Yes. I’m glad to hear that.”

The merchant gratefully accepts the ninja’s words of praise for the quality of the ninja tools.

After taking a good look at the ninja tools, the gatekeeper ninja decided to give up his suspicions and let the merchant through.

“Sorry for stopping you. Welcome to Konoha.”

“No no, thank you for your hard work.”

The merchant returned the welcoming greeting, then picked up the wooden box on his back and headed into the Hidden Leaf Village.

(Just as planned)

(Konoha is as easy as ever…)

(No matter how you look at us now, we are just good-looking merchants. Besides, it’s not that easy to hide inside someone else’s body, right?)

(That’s true. He never showed it to Jiraiya or Tsunade that he was inside someone else’s body.)

Inside the merchant’s mind as he passed through the gate, the two men, Ukon and Sakon, were rejoicing that their plan had worked.

The two of them entered the merchant’s body, slipped through the Hidden Leaf Village’s sensory barrier, and successfully entered the Hidden Leaf Village without being noticed by the gatekeeper ninja.

Why were they invading Konoha alone? The reason goes back to a few hours ago.

“Bring Uchiha Sasuke to me.”

When Orochimaru spoke these words, Ukon and Sakon thought, “The time has finally come.”

These words signaled the beginning of the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, the final chapter of the original Naruto childhood arc.

The people who go to Konoha to recruit Sasuke are the Sound Four, just like in the original work.

This is because, while bringing Sasuke to the Hidden Sound Village, and ultimately to Orochimaru, the Sound Four’s barrier techniques are essential to keeping Sasuke’s curse mark in an evolving state.

Orochimaru’s special curse seal has two states: state 1 and state 2, but to control the power of state 2, he needs to let his body get used to it for a long time. To do this, he needs to take a pill called Seishingan, but if he takes it, the curse seal will quickly become accustomed to his body, but he will die from the side effects. Therefore, he needs to avoid death by temporarily putting his body into a state of suspended animation using a technique called “Shikoku Mist Formation” by the Sound Four.

The Sound Four are ordered by Orochimaru to recruit Sasuke and go to the Hidden Leaf Village.

Along the way, Ukon jumped from tree to tree through the forest, telling the other members of the Sound Quartet about the plan he had thought up for the day.

“According to information from Orochimaru-sama, Konoha has a barrier that detects intruders from the Yamanaka clan. If we enter it, it should detect us immediately.”

“However, according to Lord Orochimaru, Konoha is currently carrying out a large number of missions in order to rebuild the village. If the Jonin are out on missions, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

The barrier of the Hidden Leaf Village was originally designed to register the chakra of Konoha ninja, and then compare it with the chakra of anyone who enters the village, in order to expose intruders.

The reason why so many Sound ninja were able to enter during the Chunin Exams was because the Hidden Leaf Village temporarily removed its barrier for the exams.

When Ukon told him about the barrier, Kidomaru asked if it would be no problem if it was discovered.

“No, it’s impossible for all the Jonin and Anbu who are essential to the village’s defense to be away. Besides, the Hokage is definitely in the village. Sakon and I have shown our strength in Tanzaku Town, so they will definitely be on guard.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“But then, what are you planning to do? If you can’t be detected by the barrier, you can’t get close to the village, right?”

Kidomaru was convinced by Ukon’s reasoning and asked Jirobo about the fact that the barrier problem had not been resolved.

Ukon answered this question with confidence.

“It’s okay. I have an idea.”

“Okay then.”

Seeing Ukon’s confident demeanor, Jirobo immediately decided to believe it.

At that moment, Tayuya saw that the conversation had come to an end and spoke up.

“Let’s stop chatting and get going, you damn bastards.”

“Tayuya… a woman shouldn’t talk like that…”

“You’re the slowest runner, fatty! If you have time to open your mouth, hurry up!”

“…”

Following Tayuya’s orders, the group increased their marching speed, and as they hurried along like that, they reached the forest surrounding the Hidden Leaf Village.

“stop”

Ukon, who had been leading the group, gave the command to jump from the tree to the ground, followed by the others.

There was an invisible barrier in front of Ukon’s gaze, and Ukon noticed it with his sage-like sensing ability, which caused him to stop.

“I’ll be going in alone from here onwards, so you guys wait here.”

“Well, if you say that, you must have some ideas.”

“Oh, I’ll use this one.”

When Kidomaru asked about the instructions Ukon had given him, Ukon took out a scroll from his pocket and showed it to him.

Tayuya, not knowing what the scroll is, asks what it is.

“What’s that?”

Thinking it would be quicker to show Tayuya rather than answer her question, Ukon opened the scroll, pressed his hand against the character for “person” written there, and let his chakra flow through it.

When chakra was flowing through the letters, the summoning spell engraved on them was activated, summoning the stored object.

The summoned being was an unconscious man, similar in build to Ukon, with a gentle face, short black hair and a gentle build.

“Who is this guy…?”

Kidomaru asked a simple question. However, it was not surprising that Kidomaru did not know.

The man Ukon had summoned was not a particularly famous person, nor was he an acquaintance of Kidomaru.

This man was one of the Oto ninja who had recently become disabled due to the effects of Orochimaru’s experiments. The experiment was a study of “Shiki Fuujin”, and because it involved the soul, his mind was destroyed.

After briefly explaining the situation, Ukon also tells him why he had called him.

He s the man who was recently turned into an invalid by Lord Orochimaru s experiments. He didn t take part in the attack on Konoha, so his face isn t cracked open. So

As he spoke, Ukon used his “Twin Demon Attack” to penetrate the black-haired man, and at the same time he was completely inside him from head to toe, the man opened his eyes.

“With me in this state, that means I can enter Konoha.”

“Is that enough to fool you?”

“It’s okay, I’ve thought about that too.”

To answer Jirobou’s question, he channeled chakra into the part of the summoning scroll he had used earlier that said “carry,” activating the summoning technique.

Next came a wooden box on his back. Ukon opened it and found it stuffed with kunai and shuriken.

“I’ll put this on my back and disguise myself as a merchant and enter through the front door. There’s a lot of things lacking in Konoha right now… so if I say I see this as a business opportunity and come to sell something, they won’t be so suspicious.”

“I see… so we’ll just have to wait during that time. That’ll be nice and easy.”

“It’s a good thing to have more free time.”

Tayuya muttered after understanding the gist of the plan, and Kidomaru agreed.

“That’s how it is. You will wait until I bring Sasuke. However, Konoha is too close around here. Be very careful not to get discovered.”

“Got it,” “Yeah,” “Yeah.”

Someone was apt to reply, but Ukon, deciding that everyone understood the plan well enough, walked towards Konoha with a wooden box containing ninja tools on his back.

Thus, Ukon and Sakon succeeded in infiltrating the Hidden Leaf Village, and while they were trying not to arouse suspicion, they actually sold ninja tools and began to gather information about Uchiha Sasuke.

From what I learned, it seems Uchiha Sasuke is currently hospitalized in Konoha Hospital.

(Apparently, it came at the same time as in the original story.)

Thinking that Sasuke had been beaten by Itachi and was hospitalized, just like in the original story, Ukon decided to observe him for a while. If the story continued as it was, Sasuke and Naruto would fight after a while, and Sasuke would see Naruto’s Rasengan and feel anxious about his own growth. Ukon thought that it would be easier to invite him to join Orochimaru after that happened.

Besides, if he were to enter the hospital disguised as a merchant and try to make contact, he would have to get injured and go there for treatment, but the chances of meeting him even if he did get in were slim, and even if he did meet him, there was no way he’d be able to talk about Orochimaru in a crowded hospital.

Just as Ukon was reluctantly observing the situation near Konoha Hospital, a loud roar echoed from the hospital’s roof. When Ukon looked up at the roof, he saw that the water tank had been destroyed, and it was immediately clear that a battle between Naruto and Sasuke had taken place, just like in the original story.

(The question is when to contact them later.)

(It’s fine at night…it’s too noticeable during the day.)

(That’s right. Then I’ll continue pretending to be a merchant during the day.)

Ukon and Sakon ended their inner conversation and began to concentrate on behaving like merchants.

Now that Ukon no longer needs to be near the hospital, he wanders around the Hidden Leaf Village selling ninja tools.

“Do you need any ninja tools?”

“Oh, can I have a look at it for a bit?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

A woman called out to Ukon, who was selling ninja tools. When Ukon turned around to answer, he saw Tenten standing in front of him.

Tenten uses a lot of ninja tools during battle, so she knew all the ninja tool shops in the Hidden Leaf Village, but she saw an unfamiliar merchant and called out to him.

Ukon also knew that Tenten was a ninja tool user, so he treated her normally as a merchant.

“This way.”

“thank you”

Ukon shows Tenten the kunai and shuriken inside the wooden box.

After carefully examining each ninja tool, Tenten asked the merchant Ukon a question.

“This looks like it’s been well taken care of…are you by any chance a former ninja?”

“Yes, that’s true, but why did you think that?”

It was a rather tricky question, but Ukon responded calmly and without panicking.

“I thought so! These ninja tools were so well taken care of and there wasn’t even a single fingerprint on them so I thought they must have been ninja!”

“Oh, that’s right. Yes, I was originally a ninja but… unfortunately I had no talent whatsoever. Eventually I gave up and became a merchant. Taking care of ninja tools is a habit I picked up from back then.”

“Oh, is that so? I’m sorry that was difficult to say…”

“No, it’s fine.”

Ukon continued to talk to Tenten while trying to gauge her reaction, but when he saw that she was convinced by what he was saying and didn’t seem to be suspicious, he lowered his guard.

Originally, Ukon thought it was impossible to completely avoid suspicion. Since the way a ninja moves is completely different from the way a merchant moves, Ukon had expected that some suspicions would arise. Therefore, he created the setting that he was a former ninja who had no talent and now became a merchant.

Moreover, the premise that he had no talent was not entirely wrong. After all, the man Ukon was using had little talent, which is exactly why he was chosen as Orochimaru’s test subject. If he had a useful talent, his body would not have been used in this way by now.

“Um… well then, as an apology, I’d like to have twenty kunai and twenty shuriken!”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Tenten, who believed the story Ukon had created, bought some kunai and shuriken in exchange for making him say something difficult to say, and then left.

Tenten had bought a certain amount in one go, and now there were only a few ninja tools left, such as kunai. After seeing this, Ukon stopped his business and set off to investigate the situation inside the Hidden Leaf Village.

What Ukon wants to know is the number and quality of Jonin currently in the village.

In the original work, it can be seen that several Jonin were present, such as Kakashi rushing to the scene after the battle between Naruto and Sasuke, and Gai and Tsunade being in the village when Lee and Kimimaro are fighting.

In addition to that, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba were also in the village, so their senior ninja in charge, Asuma and Kurenai, might also be there.

The reason Ukon was concerned about the Jonin was because he was worried that Konoha might be wary of him.

If Ukon were in Tsunade’s position, once it became clear that Ukon and Sakon, possessing the powers of a sage, were the enemy, she would not, and could not, send any ninja other than Jonin or Anbu to recapture Sasuke.

It would be better than sending chunin or lower and having them die in vain. The worse outcome would be that they would be injured and become a burden, or they would be taken hostage, or in the worst case scenario, they would be kidnapped. Knowing Orochimaru’s past actions, Tsunade could easily imagine how the kidnapped personnel would be treated.

(It’s true that the number of Jonin is small…)

(Ahh… it seems like there are only strong people here. Kakashi, Gai, Asuma… they’re all people whose names seem to be well-known even in other countries…)

Hatake Kakashi of the “Sharingan.” Might Guy, “Konoha’s Blue Beast.” Sarutobi Asuma, “The Twelve Guardian Ninja.” The senior ninja that Ukon had seen were all ninja who could be described as “a small but elite force.”

Not to mention Kakashi and Gai, Asuma is also a very capable person. In the original story, Asuma only has bad results when facing Akatsuki’s Kisame and Hidan, but among the current Sound Four, only Ukon and Sakon can be said to have a high chance of winning in a frontal battle. Even Ukon and Sakon thought that there was a high possibility that they would be at a disadvantage if they fought alone.

Fortunately for Ukon, Jiraiya was not there, and furthermore, the senior ninja from the powerful clans of the Hidden Leaf Village were also away on missions.

And even those Jonin, who were strong on their own, would not attempt the mission of rescuing Sasuke alone. If they were up against multiple Jonin, the power of the Sound Four could mean that they would all be wiped out in the worst case scenario.

(We need a plan to stop the Jonin in their tracks.)

(What should we do? Should we use the Four Black Fog Formation on Sasuke and then go on a diversion? That would reduce the number of people pursuing Sasuke.)

(No, that would mean the death rate for the diversionary characters would be too high. Even if we acted as diversionary characters, we would probably die if Guy or Kakashi got there… We should use delaying tactics instead of a frontal battle.)

(If that’s the case )

As Ukon and Sakon walked through Konoha, planning their strategy in their minds, time passed, and the sun set and night fell.

(Now, shall we go and recruit Sasuke?)

(That’s right… let’s just recruit her and go home quickly.)

Ukon and Sakon are currently unable to enter their sage state, as there is a possibility that by refining their sage chakra, they could be detected by the barrier of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Therefore, Ukon and Sakon were staking out a place where they would definitely be able to meet Sasuke, in other words, near Sasuke’s house.

Ukon waited for several hours. Sasuke returned home with heavy, plodding steps.

The word “wounded and injured” was perfectly appropriate for his appearance. He had scratches all over his body, and it was clear at a glance that he was nearing the end of his rope.

(Maybe… he was training after nearly losing to Naruto.)

(In that case, now’s my chance to recruit him… He’s pushed himself so hard, his desire for power must be stronger than most.)

(Well, I can understand that feeling a little bit.)

Ukon and Sakon knew that the ninja world was a place filled with strong people, which is why they sought power and trained under Orochimaru, which is how they grew to their current abilities.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was training hard with the goal of getting revenge on Itachi, but since he hadn’t had a teacher until recently, his skills hadn’t improved much compared to his talent.

Ukon felt a little bit of pity for Sasuke.

Sasuke’s talents are greater than those of Ukon and Sakon who were reincarnated by the devil.

To begin with, many of Ukon and Sakon’s powers were obtained precisely because of their knowledge of the original work. Of course, gaining knowledge doesn’t necessarily make you stronger, and there may not be many people who are able to work as hard as Ukon and Sakon are now. However, knowing clearly where he was heading for had certainly made his training much more efficient than the others.

But Sasuke’s case was different. He had no parents to look up to, and until recently, no master. Despite that, he was strong enough to be respected among the talented genin of the Hidden Leaf Village. That’s because Sasuke trained alone, following in his brother’s footsteps. If the Uchiha clan hadn’t been wiped out, and he’d continued to be trained by his parents since he was a child, there was no telling how far he would have grown by now.

That’s why Ukon sympathizes with him. His lack of power is what drew the attention of someone like Orochimaru.

Ukon, who served under Orochimaru for over eight years, knows the inner workings of the Hidden Sound Village intimately. The Hidden Sound Village is Orochimaru’s experimental site. Some people have gained powers thanks to those experiments, but in return, a large number of people have been sacrificed. It may be a good place to gain power quickly, but if asked if it is worth the risks, Ukon would probably say no.

On the other hand, there are examples like Ukon and Sakon who became stronger precisely because they were constantly exposed to life-threatening danger, but it’s clear that if there are other ways to become stronger, that would be better.

But a mission is a mission. Sasuke is the person Orochimaru is most obsessed with at the moment. If the invitation fails, no matter how much Ukon and Sakon are Orochimaru’s favorites, there’s no telling what they might do.

Ukon changed his mood and spoke to Sasuke.

“Uchiha Sasuke, right?”

“…Who are you?”

Sasuke looked at Ukon wary, but from Ukon’s perspective, Sasuke was currently unsteady and left himself open to attack, even if he was on guard, so it would be easy to knock him unconscious and take him away.

However, Ukon had no intention of taking her away in a violent way.

“I am Lord Orochimaru’s…”

“Shhh!”

The moment the word Orochimaru was uttered, Sasuke lunged at the man in front of him.

For Sasuke right now, Orochimaru was nothing but a mass of distrust. Not only had he been suddenly attacked, but he had been forced to bear a troublesome power called a curse mark, and even the Third Hokage had been killed.

A person who seemed to be related to that man appeared before him. Sasuke intended to beat him up and capture him as soon as possible.

However, with a body exhausted from training, there was no way the attack could reach him, and Sasuke’s thrust out left fist was easily caught by Ukon’s right hand.

“Tch…!”

“Well, please calm down. I just came here today to talk.”

Sasuke’s left fist was blocked, so this time he went for a punch with his right hand, but that too was caught by Ukon’s left hand.

Ukon continues speaking while still holding both of Sasuke’s hands. Sasuke becomes irritated and struggles violently, but is unable to shake him off.

“Just talking…”

“Don’t you want power?”

Sasuke tried to refuse with all his might, but Ukon’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“If you come to Lord Orochimaru you will undoubtedly gain power…are you interested in hearing what he has to say?”

“…Who would do that to someone like that?!”

Sasuke thought about Ukon’s suggestion for just a moment, but then went on a rampage again. Using his grasped hands as a springboard to jump, he tried to crush Ukon’s jaw with his right knee.

Ukon avoided the blow by turning his head away. And then, using the movement of turning his head away as a preparatory movement, he delivered a headbutt at Sasuke.

“Guh!”

Sasuke and Ukon’s heads collided and a cry of agony escaped Sasuke’s mouth.

Sasuke is forced to listen to the story with both his hands held and their foreheads touching.

“Under Orochimaru-sama you can take as much time as you want to train. You won’t have to waste time on bothersome missions, and even if you train recklessly you will always be able to receive treatment in perfect condition.”

“Ugh…”

While Ukon spoke of the benefits of coming under Orochimaru, he stepped firmly on the top of Sasuke’s foot, immobilizing him as he still tried to struggle.

Sasuke, frustrated, tried to break free from his restraints, but Ukon’s body wouldn’t budge.

“Hmm… I guess this alone isn’t enough to convince them…”

“Hmph… Unfortunately, that’s not enough to attract me.”

“is that so “

Even while restrained, Sasuke maintained a strong attitude, but Ukon’s next words caused his attitude to crumble.

“So… you’re saying you have information about Uchiha Itachi?”

“What?!”

The moment Sasuke heard Itachi’s name, his expression froze in shock.

“How do you know about Itachi?!”

“You still want to know about Itachi, don’t you?”

“Answer me!”

Sasuke shouted in frustration at Ukon, who didn’t give a clear answer.

Ukon felt that his behavior had piqued his interest sufficiently, and revealed a little information about Itachi.

“Itachi is currently in an organization called Akatsuki… Lord Orochimaru was also in that organization for a time… Wouldn’t you like to know some relatively recent information about Itachi…”

“That story… isn’t a lie, is it…?”

“Yes, I swear I’m not lying.”

Ukon didn’t know whether he had decided that Ukon’s words were not a lie, or whether he just wanted to find out as much information as possible about Itachi even if it was a lie, but Sasuke stopped raging and felt ready to listen.

“It looks like you’re willing to listen.”

After making sure that Sasuke had stopped struggling, Ukon released him from his restraints.

In response, Sasuke, who had been released from his restraints, replied bluntly while checking with his hand the place where he had been held.

“Just listening.”

Sasuke seemed reluctant, but considering how violent he had been up until now, he was probably quite interested in what Itachi had to say.

“If you want to know more about Itachi, you’ll have to ask Lord Orochimaru… but that’s right. The only information I can tell you right now is that Itachi is a member of an organization called Akatsuki, and even within Akatsuki, Itachi is highly respected.”

“What kind of organization is Akatsuki?”

“Akatsuki is an organization made up of defectors, most of whom are top-tier wanted criminals listed in the Bingo Book. Their strength is incomparable to that of an average Jonin. Among them, some are as strong as or even stronger than the Kage of the Five Great Nations.”

“Surpassing the shadow…?!”

When the strength of the Akatsuki was explained to Sasuke, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“Exactly. And it seems Itachi’s abilities were acknowledged among them… do you understand what that means?”

“…Damn it…”

Ukon was implying that Itachi was a powerful Kage-class warrior. Sasuke understood this and spat out foul language out of frustration and shame.

Sasuke’s current strength, to put it bluntly, is only good enough to put up a good fight with Naruto, who is also a genin. He is no match for Kakashi, who is the strongest jonin, and even Kakashi was attacked by Itachi and ended up in the hospital.

The difference in ability between Sasuke and Itachi was like heaven and earth.

That was why the sweet words that he could gain power by going to Orochimaru sounded so appealing to Sasuke.

“If I go to Orochimaru… will I become stronger?”

“Yes, definitely.”

After Sasuke confirmed it, Ukon immediately replied with confirmation.

In the first place, Orochimaru was raising Sasuke with great care in order to use him as his next body, so it was no wonder he became strong, but Ukon had other specific ideas for how to make Sasuke stronger.

“Let me give you some specific details. First of all, the curse mark around your neck is still incomplete.”

“Unfinished?”

“Yes, if you complete it you will become several times stronger.”

What Ukon was talking about was evolving the Cursed Seal from state 1 to state 2. This was a method that was guaranteed to be safe and would definitely make the user stronger.

“Next, Orochimaru-sama has knowledge of a considerable number of ninjutsu techniques, from all over the world and throughout history, and from all five great countries… though I can’t say that I can say forbidden techniques. He is able to gain knowledge of techniques that would be impossible to learn in this village.”

This was not only knowledge from the original work, but also knowledge that Ukon had gained from his own experiences.

Orochimaru boasted that he wanted to know all the techniques, and he had knowledge of not only the techniques of the five great nations, but also those of the hidden villages of the smaller nations. The many Water and Earth Release techniques that Ukon and Sakon learned were also taught to them by Orochimaru.

In the second part of the original work, Shippuden, Sasuke used the Fire Release technique inherited from the Uchiha clan and the “Chidori” technique taught directly by Kakashi, as well as Orochimaru’s specialty, the “Snake Shadow Hand,” and substitution techniques such as the snake’s shedding of its skin, but it was certain that he could have gained knowledge of a much wider variety of techniques if he had wanted to.

“And finally, you get to experience a fight to the death.”

“A fight to the death?”

“In most villages, killing one’s comrade is a serious crime, but that’s not the case in the Hidden Sound Village. Orochimaru-sama usually leads the villagers into killing each other, and then gives power to the winner.”

“What good will that do…?”

Sasuke stared at Ukon as if he was seeing something creepy. Sasuke couldn’t understand why Ukon was talking as if there was any benefit to friends killing each other.

“The experience you gain from fighting, where one wrong move can kill you, is incomparable to training. Whether you win or lose… Haven’t you had the experience yourself? Experience of growing from fighting at the very limit?”

“……!”

Sasuke recalled many fierce battles in his mind. His fights with Zabuza and Haku in Wave Country. The most recent Chunin Exams and the skirmish with Orochimaru that took place in the second exam, the main tournament and his fight against Gaara at the destruction of Konoha that followed.

In the former, Sasuke gained the power of the Sharingan, and in the latter, the power of the Chidori and the curse seal. These were powers he gained precisely because he was on the brink of death in each battle.

“I myself had a similar experience recently… Although we didn’t end up killing each other, I think I grew a lot as a person.”

Ukon also felt that he had grown through his fierce battle with Jiraiya.

There are several powers that can be gained from experiencing life-or-death struggles and fierce battles.

The first is when you feel the danger of death close by and are pushed to your limits, which causes you to exert your superhuman strength in an emergency, awakening a power that was dormant in your body. This is what happened when Sasuke awakened his Sharingan, even though he had been unable to use it, and it only woke up when he was on the brink of death.

The second is that one wrong choice during a battle can mean death, and one acquires the ability to make decisions and apply them. When Naruto won many fierce battles with a few ninjutsu techniques, he was able to use them in unexpected ways. In Naruto’s case, he had a strong imagination to begin with, but it could also be said that his imagination was honed by experiencing many clashes.

“Killing one another among friends is not tolerated in Konoha Village, and it’s not always possible to fight to that extent on a mission…”

“You think you could do that under Orochimaru?”

“There are quite a few opponents in Otogakure who are at least strong enough to give you a hard time right now.”

“Tch…”

Sasuke clicked his tongue at the indirect implication that he was weak.

The opponents that Ukon mentioned that Sasuke would have a hard time with were the Sound Four, Kimimaro, and Jugo. Ukon and Sakon can use their sage state, and the others can use the cursed seal state 2, so it will be difficult for Sasuke, who cannot even use the current state 1, to defeat them.

“So what will you do? Information about Itachi and the power to defeat him… do you not want it?”

“I’ll…follow you. Take me to Orochimaru.”

Sasuke decided to go to Orochimaru in search of power.

Upon hearing this declaration, Ukon was pleased that his persuasion had been successful and moved on to his next step.

“Now, I would like you to pack your bags, but while you’re there I have one request.”

“What’s that?”

“actually—“

Hearing Ukon’s words, Sasuke frowned for just a moment at what he heard, but then he understood his intention and did as Ukon said.

Afterwards, the two of them snuck out of Konoha Village late at night.

Halfway through, just like in the original story, Sakura Haruno appeared and tried to stop Sasuke, so Ukon, who had no intention of listening to their important conversation, left his seat for a moment.

After a while, only Sasuke returned to Ukon, and the two of them left the village together.

The morning after Sasuke left, Sakura, via Izumo and Kotetsu, informed Tsunade of Sasuke’s departure.

When Tsunade was informed of the matter, she immediately summoned Kakashi to the Hokage’s office.

“Did you call for me, Tsunade-sama?”

“Ah… to put it bluntly, Uchiha Sasuke has left the village.”

“Eh…Sasuke?!”

Kakashi’s face turned in shock at what Tsunade said.

Kakashi had spoken with Sasuke yesterday, trying to persuade him to stop living for revenge, but it seemed his persuasion was in vain.

“I found out after hearing about it from Haruno Sakura. So, I searched Sasuke’s house and found this.”

“A letter…?”

Kakashi took the letter Tsunade handed him and began to read it quizzically.

” Dear people of the Hidden Leaf Village.

To get straight to the point, by the time you read this I will have already left the village.

Just before I wrote this, someone claiming to be one of Orochimaru’s subordinates contacted me. I plan to take advantage of this and infiltrate Orochimaru as a spy. Orochimaru’s subordinate said that Orochimaru has information on Itachi. If all goes well, I’ll be able to get some information on Itachi as well.

You don’t have to chase after me.

Uchiha Sasuke

“This is… how should I put it…”

Kakashi looks confused when he sees Sasuke’s letter.

Kakashi was an excellent ninja and Sasuke’s Jonin. From Kakashi’s perspective, Sasuke’s letter was a mass of incongruity.

Kakashi was certain that the handwriting on the letter was without a doubt Sasuke’s own, and at the same time, he was certain that it wasn’t Sasuke who came up with the contents of the letter.

(Sasuke wouldn’t leave something like this behind when he left the village, but the handwriting is undoubtedly his. If that’s the case…)

After much consideration, Kakashi came to a single conclusion.

“This letter seems to be an attempt to restrict our movements.”

“Restrictions, huh…?”

“Yes, this letter was undoubtedly written by Sasuke himself, but the contents seem to have been written according to instructions. By entrusting Sasuke with an infiltration mission in this letter and not treating him as a deserter, I wonder if they are trying to make us hesitate to send out pursuing ninja…”

“I see… If you say so since you know Sasuke well, then it may be true.”

Tsunade spoke words that seemed to agree with Kakashi’s speculation, but deep down she felt something was off and wondered if there was still some kind of intention behind it.

In fact, the letter had another purpose.

First of all, this letter was written by Ukon at his instruction. And there were two things that Ukon intended when he had Sasuke write the letter.

The first reason was to make it difficult to send out pursuing ninja, just as Kakashi had guessed. If Sasuke’s letter was later accepted by the higher-ups of the Hidden Leaf Village as an infiltration mission, then on the surface he might be considered a deserter, but behind closed doors he would be treated as an official spy. In that case, the higher-ups of the Hidden Leaf Village, who would prefer that Sasuke go to Orochimaru without fail, could have deliberately not sent out pursuing ninja due to a manpower shortage.

However, this reason was merely incidental; the real purpose was the second one.

The second intention, which even Kakashi could not read, was to allow Sasuke to return to the Hidden Leaf Village at any time, a thought far removed from Orochimaru’s.

Ukon sympathized with Sasuke’s situation.

Sasuke’s role as the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan is that of an artificial hero raised by Itachi, the target of revenge, in order to atone for the friction between Konoha’s upper echelons and the Uchiha clan, and for placing the blame of this on Itachi alone.

After killing Itachi, Sasuke learned the truth about Itachi and was manipulated by Obito to seek revenge against Konoha. It was the upper echelons of Konoha who treated the Uchiha clan poorly and caused more friction, even though Madara and Obito were responsible for the two Nine Tails attacks, which were the main cause of this.

Ukon felt sympathy for Sasuke, who was constantly being pushed around by others. That’s why he wanted to keep the option of returning to the village open if Sasuke were to deviate from the original story for some reason.

No matter how talented Tsunade and Kakashi were, there was no way they could have read such naive thoughts from Ukon, a subordinate of Orochimaru, and they were left feeling uneasy.

“After taking this letter into consideration, we must decide how to treat Sasuke…”

Tsunade, who had been pondering the intention of the letter, once again considered what to do with Sasuke.

If Sasuke were to go to Orochimaru, he would certainly gain even more power. Tsunade, who had heard the details of the battle between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru from the Anbu, knew that Orochimaru could take over other people’s bodies. Therefore, when Sasuke left the village with Orochimaru’s help, she predicted that Orochimaru’s target was Sasuke’s body.

Tsunade wanted to thwart Orochimaru’s plan, but the Hidden Leaf Village currently lacked the resources to stop it.

(If they sent Sasuke after them, it would almost certainly result in a fight, but if the subordinate of Orochimaru mentioned in Sasuke’s letter was the man who had fought Jiraiya, then they could be wiped out if they didn’t have multiple Jonin. But who should they send? Or rather, does Konoha currently have the capacity to send multiple Jonin…?)

Tsunade witnessed the battle between Jiraiya and Ukon Sakon in Tanzakugai. Although the battle itself ended with Jiraiya’s victory, Tsunade considered Ukon Sakon’s strength to be a threat, being able to fight Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, for even just a few minutes.

Even if they sent multiple Jonin, if they were mediocre in their abilities they would likely be defeated, so if they wanted to increase their chances of success they needed to choose ninja with sufficient ability.

And even though Tsunade was now the Fifth Hokage, she had been away from the Hidden Leaf Village for a long time, and was not familiar with the current state of affairs there. That’s why she decided to ask Kakashi for his opinion in order to have more information to help her make a decision.

“Kakashi, I’d like to hear your opinion as well… If we were to recapture Sasuke and there was an enemy on the opposing side who was on the same level as Jiraiya, who do you think we should send out?”

“Is that the one you fought in that Tanzaku district?”

When Tsunade was appointed Hokage, she met with the Jonin. At that time, she informed the Jonin of Ukon and Sakon’s appearance and fighting ability, saying that there were people to watch out for among Orochimaru’s subordinates. She also gave strict orders to always challenge them in groups.

Kakashi was there, and confirmed whether the enemy of the same rank as Jiraiya that Tsunade was talking about was the same person to watch out for that she had mentioned when they met.

“Right. So… what do you think?”

Tsunade nodded in confirmation from Kakashi and asked his opinion again.

Kakashi recalled the abilities of Ukon and Sakon that he had heard about in the report and began to think deeply about the possibility of them appearing as enemies.

(If his perception abilities are as the information suggests, then chasing him would definitely lead to an ambush. On top of that, his fighting ability is on par with Jiraiya-sama… so he’d be the best Jonin in the village…)

Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment and came to a conclusion.

“I’d like at least two from among myself, Gai, and Asuma… and ideally, all three of us. The order of priority would be Gai, me, and Asuma.”

“I see… you’re basically thinking the same as me.”

Tsunade agreed after hearing Kakashi’s opinion.

A surprise attack would be difficult against Ukon and Sakon, who have the perception abilities of a sage. Nothing would work other than a special ambush, like the one in Tanzakugai. Furthermore, this time Konoha is in the position of pursuing, so an ambush would be impossible, and conversely, there is a high possibility that they will be ambushed due to their high perception abilities.

And when it came to combat, Ukon and Sakon’s strength, being able to fight Jiraiya, was threatening, and even as Jonin they were at a disadvantage in a simple battle of techniques.

The three people Kakashi mentioned were the ones who seemed likely to have a chance of winning against such an opponent, or to be able to compete.

The most likely candidate to pursue Sasuke, with the highest chance of success, was Gai. Although the power of the Ukon and Sakon sages was great, there was a possibility that Gai’s martial arts could overwhelm them without giving them a chance to even make a seal.

Next in line would be Kakashi. His chances of winning would be lower than Gai’s, but Kakashi, who possesses the Sharingan and has great insight, would be able to deal with Ukon and Sakon’s movements, and he is also capable of using a variety of techniques and has plenty of experience, so it was thought he could hold his own against them.

Next is Asuma. Although Asuma is not as good as Gai, he is also good at taijutsu, especially close-combat with his chakra sword, and although he is not as good as Kakashi, he can use a variety of ninjutsu, so his overall combat ability is quite high. It was thought that he could compete well even against a sage.

“Hmm…”

Tsunade was in deep thought after hearing Kakashi’s opinion.

However, this was a situation that required an immediate decision. After thinking for a moment, Tsunade quickly came up with an answer.

“Okay, Kakashi! Go get Gai and Asuma.”

“Well then, Tsunade-sama…”

“Yes, I’ll save Sasuke before he falls into darkness! Friends are important… that’s Konoha, right?”

Kakashi moved forward without disagreeing with Tsunade’s decision, which she stated with a bright smile.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village was about to mobilize to rescue Sasuke from the darkness.

I’ll write about Asuma first because I think people will say that in their comments.
The author has set the strength of Sarutobi Asuma, who is often made fun of on the Internet, high. Unlike Kakashi and Gai, he doesn’t have the strength of a Kage class, but I think he is at the top of the Jonin ranks.

Asuma’s main opponents were Kisame and Hidan, but I think they were too strong. Kisame is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, so Asuma’s close combat skills were very strong, and Hidan’s first-time kill performance was too high.
In particular, in the fight against Hidan, he was always concerned about Kakuzu, and although Shikamaru supported him, it was essentially a one-on-one situation, so I think it was a bit of a stretch to expect him to avoid being caught by that first-time kill. To put it in perspective, it’s like being asked to clear a death game like Dark Souls on your first try without dying.
In the first place, if there were only a few average Jonin, I think you would die instantly without being able to do anything if you encountered Akatsuki, so I think Asuma is strong enough just because he can fight a little.

Sasuke Recruitment Part 2

While preparations were being made to rescue Sasuke in the Hidden Leaf Village, Ukon, Sakon and Sasuke had reunited with the rest of the Sound Four.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Kidomaru welcomed the three who had joined them from the Hidden Leaf Village.

After confirming that Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Tayuya were all safe, Ukon decided to begin preparations to evolve Sasuke’s curse seal from state 1 to state 2.

First, Ukon escapes from the body of the man he was using to infiltrate.

“Wh, what…?”

“I’m sorry for startling you. I’m using this body for the purpose of infiltration… this is my original form.”

“I’ll be here anyway… I’ll be counting on you.”

Sasuke was surprised to suddenly see a new human emerging from a human body, but he was even more confused when Sakon also showed up to greet him.

Leaving the confused Sasuke alone, Ukon retrieved the body of the man he had been using back into its original scroll, then turned to Sasuke and began speaking.

“Now that you have returned to your original form… I have something to tell you Sasuke-sama.”

“You mean… what did you bring me here for?”

“Yes, we spoke a little bit in the village about your curse mark being incomplete.”

Ukon once again explained the current state of Sasuke’s cursed mark, which he had explained to the village, while he took out a pill called Seishingan from his pocket.

Sasuke asked, suspicious of what the pill was.

“What’s that?”

“This is called Seishingan. Drinking this will complete the cursed seal. There are side effects, but rest assured…we will protect Sasuke-sama’s body with sealing techniques, allowing us to ensure that the cursed seal can be safely absorbed and completed.”

“…What guarantee is that?”

“Ourselves.”

After hearing Ukon’s explanation, Sasuke had doubts about the safety, but Tayuya answered him. And at the same time as Tayuya answered, the three of them, excluding Ukon and Sakon, released the power of the curse seal and took on their state 1 forms.

Seeing that, Sasuke felt that he had far more control over the power of the cursed seal than he did, but when he suddenly looked at Ukon, he wondered why he wasn’t using the power of the cursed seal and asked him.

“…And you?”

“That one is special.”

“It has the power of a sage, greater than the power of a curse seal.”

Sasuke’s question was answered not by Ukon but by Kidomaru and Tayuya again, but when Sasuke heard the unfamiliar words “the power of a sage,” he asked again.

“The power of a sage? Can I acquire that power too?”

At that moment, Ukon, who had been concentrating his sage chakra while they were talking, entered a state of sagehood, and dark circles appeared around his eyes. Pointing to the dark circles, Ukon began to briefly explain the power of a sage.

“It may be possible to acquire the power, but there are various limitations, so it will take a very long time before Sasuke-sama is able to use it proficiently. I think it would be more efficient to use that time elsewhere… It would take a long time to explain in detail, so if you want to know, I can tell you when we arrive at Orochimaru-sama’s hideout.”

“I get it… so, if I drink it, I’ll gain power?”

After receiving the Seishinmaru from Ukon, Sasuke checked it again to be sure, and after seeing Ukon nod, he swallowed the Seishinmaru.

“Ugh…”

After drinking Seishingan, Sasuke loses consciousness due to the side effects, and his body rapidly approaches death.

“Let’s do it quickly, get ready.”

Ukon summoned a giant round barrel, the same one used in the original story, from his summoning scroll and gave instructions to the other members of the Sound Four.

After receiving the instructions, Jirobou, Kidomaru, and Tayuya quickly dispersed and took up positions to activate the “Four Black Fog Formation.”

After making sure that everyone was in position, Ukon placed Sasuke into the bucket, then Ukon himself took up position, and the preparations were complete.

The four of them stood in a cross shape with Sasuke in the center, and after each of them made a hand seal and concentrated their chakra, they raised both hands to the sky. A black mist was generated from both hands filled with chakra, and it gathered in the sky above Sasuke, the center point of the four of them, and became a dark cloud.

When they had determined that a sufficient amount of black mist had been accumulated, the four of them shouted the name of the technique in unison.

“Four Black Fog Formation”

The dark clouds swirled around and were absorbed into the barrel, aiming for Sasuke inside. After the barrel had absorbed all of the dark clouds, it was sealed with a black lid.

However, the seal was not strong enough with just the lid, so Ukon quickly took out five more cards and applied additional sealing magic to prevent the lid from opening.

“Black Seal”

When the spell was activated, the charm stuck to the lid of the bucket, sealing it together.

After confirming that the sequence had gone smoothly, Ukon let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew… Now all that’s left is to go home.”

“good job”

Jirobou offered words of encouragement to Ukon, who was carrying out his infiltration mission alone.

“Oh, thank you. You guys did well waiting.”

“I was so bored I almost died”

“Exactly. Too late, dammit.”

“Fu… sorry. I’ll be heading home now.”

Kidomaru and Tayuya responded to Ukon’s words half-jokingly. Ukon also thought it was a joke and brushed it off, but just as he started to move towards his hideout, he suddenly faced away from the hideout.

This was a movement that Ukon often made in his sage state, and it was the movement he made when an intruder came within Ukon’s range of detection.

“Are we pursuers?”

“No, even if they were pursuers, it was too early… They were probably just returning from a mission and were nearby.”

“Tch… that’s troublesome. What are we going to do, Ukon?”

Jirobou and Kidomaru discussed the situation, and Tayuya tried to leave the decision to Ukon, but Kidomaru responded before Ukon could make a decision.

“Since I haven’t done anything on this mission, I feel like having a little fun, Ukon.”

“That’s right…”

Not that he was listening to what Kidomaru had to say, Ukon began planning his next move.

Currently, four people had been caught by Ukon’s senses, and two of them were approaching.

If the mission of transporting Sasuke to Orochimaru was to be given top priority, the theory was that they would escape while setting suitable traps, then return to their hideout after shaking off their pursuers.

However, judging from the chakra he could sense from the two approaching, Ukon didn’t think they looked that strong. Since there was a difference in numbers, he thought it would be a good idea to fight them once and injure them so they wouldn’t chase him.

Both of these ideas had their advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage of setting a trap and then escaping was that it wouldn’t stop them from moving and it wouldn’t take up much time, so there was a high chance they would be able to escape to their hideout before the official pursuers from the Hidden Leaf Village arrived.

On the other hand, the downside was that if they couldn’t shake them off, there was a high chance that the duo they were approaching would join up with the real pursuers, and if a fight broke out, it would be a tough one. Even if it didn’t come to a fight, there was a risk that they would follow them all the way to the hideout if they couldn’t shake them off.

The advantage of fighting once is that if there are two opponents, there is a high chance of eliminating them, and you can defeat them one by one before they join up with the official pursuers. Furthermore, if you reset the pursuers once, it will be easier to escape from them, and even if they do catch up with you, it will be easier to fight them than if you fight them after they join up.

On the other hand, the downside was that if they took too long to fight, there was a high chance that they would not be able to erase their tracks and would be caught by their proper pursuers. The Hidden Leaf Village was home to many ninja with high tracking abilities, such as the Inuzuka clan’s sense of smell, the Hyuga clan’s Byakugan, the Aburame clan’s insects, and the Yamanaka clan’s sensing abilities, and it would take a considerable amount of time to deal with all of them and erase their tracks.

Faced with two options, both of which could have been correct, Ukon chose the latter.

“We will meet those who are coming here now.”

“As expected of Ukon! He understands what I’m talking about!”

Kidomaru feels happy when the order to intercept is given. However, since they cannot afford to waste time or energy, Ukon imposes one condition on Kidomaru.

“I feel bad for Kidomaru, but we don’t have time to play around under these circumstances, so let’s get this over with quickly.”

“I know that, of course… It’s a time attack, right? Two minutes is plenty.”

Kidomaru enthusiastically responded to Ukon’s orders, swinging his six arms around. Jirobo, who was watching the exchange, shook his head in exasperation, while Tayuya, with a nonchalant attitude, began preparing to intercept him.

“At this distance we have three minutes until we make contact. Let’s take this opportunity to form our formation in the east.”

“Yeah! Let’s do it!”

The current Sound Foursome had four formations.

The names of each formation were derived from the nicknames they had: Jirobo at the South Gate, Kidomaru at the East Gate, Ukon and Sakon at the West Gate, and Tayuya at the North Gate, and were expressed as north, south, east and west.

However, although they called it a formation to sound cool, there wasn’t any complicated formation or coordination involved; it was just to make it easier to understand who would be the main axis of movement.

In the case of Azuma this time, Kidomaru was the central figure, with the other members providing support to make it easier for him to move around.

“One minute until contact.”

Exactly one minute after Ukon reported the information he had sensed, two special Jonin from the Hidden Leaf Village, Namiashi Raidou, with burn scars on his face, and Shiranui Genma, holding a toothpick in his mouth, appeared.

“You guys were with Orochimaru, right?”

“What were you doing here?”

Raido and the others had seen Ukon and the others’ faces during the Konoha destruction, so they immediately knew they were Sound ninja. As they were Sound ninja, Raido and the others cautiously questioned them.

However, Ukon and the others had known they would come and were ready to fight. With no intention of answering their questions, everyone except Ukon and Sakon released the power of their curse seals to state 1 and immediately began fighting.

Jirobou was the first to move. After he made a hand seal and activated the technique, he clenched his fist and his skin turned black, then he charged at Genma while maintaining that state.

Jirobo used a technique called “Earton: Earth Spear”, which hardens the body. In the original work, this technique was used by Kakuzu, but Orochimaru, who had knowledge of the technique, taught it to Jirobo.

Thanks to this technique, Jirobou was able to make up for his weakness of slow movement by increasing his defensive power. Furthermore, by hardening his fists when attacking, he was able to increase his offensive power by taking advantage of his strength, which was his superhuman strength.

“Hmph!”

Genma spits the toothpick he has been holding in his mouth at Jirobou, who is charging towards him. The toothpick was strong enough to pierce a tree, but Jirobou easily deflects it with his blackened arm.

“What?!”

“Oww!”

In the brief moment that he was distracted by how easily the toothpick was deflected, Jirobou closed the distance between him and Genma in one go and swung down his black-stained right fist.

“Damn it…!?”

Genma decided it would be dangerous to receive the attack and quickly jumped to the side to avoid it.

Genma dodged Jirobou’s right fist, and it slammed into the ground with the same momentum as the swing. At that moment, a tremendous bang rang out, and the ground where the fist hit exploded, spurting out dirt and sand.

“Grrr!”

Genma was hit by a shockwave that was as if a detonation tag had been detonated at close range, and was blown away along with the rubble.

“Genma!!”

When Raido saw Genma being blown away, he cried out in concern, but from Ukon’s point of view, this was a fatal mistake.

“There are plenty of openings.”

“Damn it!”

Ukon, not missing a moment’s opportunity, used his Body Shunjutsu to get behind Raidou. Grabbing Raidou’s green vest, which is unique to Konohagakure, with one hand, he threw him at Genma with his physical abilities enhanced by his chakra.

“Whoa!?”

Raidou is thrown by Ukon and flies through the air, letting out a cry of surprise.

Genma had been blown away by Jirobou’s attack and was rolling on the ground, when Raidou, who had been thrown by Ukon, collided with him with great force.

“Guh?!”

“Ggh… sorry!”

Genma didn’t realize that Raido was flying towards him, and ran into him without even being able to defend himself, causing him to cry out in agony. Raido responded by apologizing and quickly getting up and trying to regain his balance, but the next attack came before he could.

(Ninjutsu, Spider Binding, Piano Duet!)

Kidomaru spat out a continuous web of threads from his mouth.

Genma and Raidou realized that they were in a bad position and would be unable to avoid the spider webs that were flying at them like rain, so they quickly grabbed kunai and tried to cut them down.

“Damn it…!?”

“What is this?!”

The two tried to cut the flying spider web with kunai, but the thread only stretched and could not be cut.

The threads that Kidomaru creates are strong enough that they cannot be cut even if elephants pull on them. If someone were to try to cut them with a weapon, the only ones that could cut them would be the ninja swords wielded by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Genma was entangled in Kidomaru’s thread and unable to move, but he still had not given up.

(If it can’t be cut with a kunai…!)

Genma was helpless, but he tried to turn his chakra into fire to burn the threads, knowing that he would be burned himself, but he thought it was better than being killed.

But

“This is the end.”

The moment Ukon placed a tag on Genma’s face, Genma lost consciousness. The chakra he had been trying to refine dissipated, ending up without any effect.

“Gen—“

“You too.”

Raidou, who was about to shout Genma’s name, also lost consciousness when Ukon placed a tag on his face.

The spell that Ukon used had a curse seal that sealed the opponent’s consciousness already drawn on it. It might seem like a convenient spell that can neutralize an opponent just by sticking it on their head, but in reality it wasn’t that useful.

Though his consciousness is currently sealed, he will regain consciousness if he receives a strong external impact, and he will also regain consciousness if the tag is simply peeled off, so if he has an ally the binding power is only strong enough to be quickly nullified.

This time, Kidomaru used it to stop Genma and Raido’s limbs from moving and to prevent them from resisting any further, but in this situation it would have been possible to finish them off with a kunai without doing so.

However, Ukon deliberately used this curse seal to avoid finishing the enemy off.

Ukon wounded Genma and Raidou in the neck, immobilizing them and rendering them unable to think or move, with a kunai coated with a specially made poison.

“Uhh… Ugh…”

“Guh…”

The complexions of the two men as the poison is injected into their bodies rapidly worsen.

“That’s it, let’s go.”

Confirming that his objective had been accomplished, Ukon turned to his comrades and gave them instructions.

Although the other four members of Sound were puzzled by the instructions, they decided that their top priority was to return to their hideout quickly, so they obediently followed the instructions.

The reason Ukon did not kill Genma and Raidou was to use them as a hindrance to slow down his pursuers even a little.

If they were to kill them, the pursuers would likely leave the two bodies there and prioritize pursuing Ukon and the others. They would no doubt be burning with rage at the death of their comrades and desperately pursue and attack.

However, by leaving them alone instead of killing them, as he was doing now, the pursuers would inevitably become concerned about Genma and Raidou. If he could split the group into two groups, one to pursue the others and one to treat the two, it would be the best thing for Ukon.

Furthermore, the poison that Ukon injected into Genma and Raidou was a special creation of Orochimaru. It was a deadly poison that caused a fever for three days and nights before dying, and there were only a limited number of people who could antidote it. Among the medical ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade would need to be in charge if they wanted to ensure the antidote was administered, and Ukon was trying to prevent the unlikely event of Tsunade joining the pursuers.

In addition, while Genma and Raidou were suffering from the poison, information about the ninjutsu used by the Sound Four would not reach the Hidden Leaf Village.

After considering all these various factors, Ukon poisoned the two and left them there.

Ukon picked up the giant bucket containing Sasuke, which had been temporarily placed on the ground, and began to move towards the hideout. The other members followed suit and began to move as well.

Five minutes after the Oto ninja had left, two of their squad members, Shizune and Tatami Iwashi, had come looking for Genma and Raidou, and they had finally been found.

By the time the battle between the Sound Four and the two special jonin from Konohagakure had finished, the Sasuke rescue force had gathered at the main gate of the Hidden Leaf Village.

There were eight people in total. The breakdown was two Jonin, one Chunin, and five Genin.

The Jonin were Might Guy and Sarutobi Asuma, two of the most elite members of the Hidden Leaf Village. The only Chunin was Nara Shikamaru, and the five Genin were Uzumaki Naruto, Akimichi Chouji, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Neji, and Rock Lee.

Initially, Tsunade was planning to send on the mission with Gai, Asuma, and Kakashi Hatake, making up three Jonin, plus Uzumaki Naruto, whom Kakashi had judged to be necessary to rescue Sasuke, for a total of four people.

Kakashi decided that Naruto was necessary for the mission, not just because he needed him to persuade Sasuke. If the Sound ninjas who had kidnapped Sasuke had erased as many traces as possible, there was a possibility that more people would be needed to track them down. At that time, Naruto’s “Multiple Shadow Clone Technique” could be an extremely effective means of tracking them down, so he chose him.

However, the higher-ups of the Hidden Leaf Village, especially the two advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitomon Homura, were opposed to the selection.

As has been frequently mentioned, there are currently very few Jonin in the Hidden Leaf Village, and the village’s defenses are not perfect. In particular, the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Cloud Village had fought each other countless times during the Third Shinobi World War, and the wounds of Orochimaru’s destruction of Konoha had not yet fully healed, so it was surprising that war had not been declared between them.

Despite this, sending three of the top five Jonin from the Hidden Leaf Village out of the village at once was an extremely risky move considering the defenses of the Hidden Leaf Village.

In such a situation, the higher-ups at Konohagakure were opposed to sending three Jonin, who were valuable fighting forces, out of the village, especially the three with the highest combat abilities. Incidentally, there were also those who opposed sending Naruto out of the village in this situation, even though he was the jinchuriki of the Nine Tails.

There was also a suggestion that they should follow the contents of Sasuke’s letter and treat it as a deserter mission in public, but a top-secret infiltration mission behind the scenes.

As an aside, there was a reason why the advisors were able to intervene with Tsunade on this matter. It was because Shimura Danzo had reported to them.

Ever since Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, Danzo used his subordinates, the “Root,” to constantly monitor the movements of the Hidden Leaf Village. This was done with the despicable intention of quickly detecting and pursuing Tsunade if she made a major mistake, criticizing her for being unworthy of the position, and thereby usurping the position of Hokage.

Thanks to that action, he realized that Tsunade was summoning the Jonin and giving them a mission, and he immediately reported this to his advisor.

Danzo also did not want to leave Sasuke in the Hidden Leaf Village because of his relationship with Itachi. Danzo had been threatened by Itachi that if he did not protect Sasuke, he would reveal information about the Hidden Leaf Village to the neighboring countries, but if Sasuke were to leave the village of his own accord, it would be a different story. Furthermore, Danzo thought that it would be best if Sasuke died under Orochimaru’s command.

It was because of these underhanded actions that Tsunade faced opposition from her advisors.

Having heard the advisor’s opposing opinion, Tsunade showed a certain degree of understanding. Deep down, Tsunade was irritated at being suddenly interrupted, but she also fully understood the danger of an unpleasant relationship between the Hokage and the advisor, given the current state of affairs in the village and the fact that he had just become the Fifth Hokage and had not yet established a solid foundation.

But still, Tsunade had no intention of leaving Sasuke alone.

Therefore, out of the Jonin who were scheduled to be sent on the mission, it was decided to leave Kakashi, who was the most capable, behind in the village, and instead mobilize many Genin.

The result was a Sasuke rescue force consisting of a total of eight people.

Standing in front of the troops, the unit’s captain, Sarutobi Asuma, began to speak to them while smoking a cigarette as usual.

“I’m sure you all already know this, but we are heading out of the village to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke. However, we expect to be hindered by Sound ninja, and among them there may be someone as powerful as Jiraiya…to be honest, even I would lose to him.”One-on-oneMarbling

“…There might be opponents that Asuma can’t beat, so is it really okay to bring us along… We’ll just end up being a hindrance.”

It was Shikamaru who reacted negatively to Asuma’s words. Shikamaru was Asuma’s student and knew his abilities to some extent. It was Gai, not Asuma, who responded to Shikamaru’s words based on his objective judgment.

“No, if there is such an enemy, Asuma and I will face him together. Don’t worry, we’re strong!”

“Well, that’s why we plan to deal with the enemy forces as best we can, but if that happens, there’s a good chance we won’t have the resources to help Sasuke… that’s why we’ll need your help.”

Asuma took over from Guy, paused, then looked at the children with a serious expression.

“We of Konoha will not abandon our comrades… We will definitely get Sasuke back.”

“I know that…”

Upon hearing Asuma’s declaration, Naruto remembered the promise he had made to Sakura earlier and nodded solemnly. He had made the promise to Sakura that he would definitely bring Sasuke back to Konoha.

Asuma felt a little uneasy seeing Naruto in such a worried state, but he decided to trust Kakashi since he had received his approval regarding Naruto.

“Uh, let’s go then!”

With the announcement from Captain Asuma, the Sasuke Retrieval Unit’s mission began.

The Sound Four with Sasuke in tow were jumping from tree to tree, moving at considerable speed towards the Hidden Sound hideout.

In the lead was Ukon, carrying the bucket containing Sasuke on his back, followed closely by Jirobou and Tayuya, and a little behind at the very back was Kidomaru, who was occasionally setting traps to slow them down as he advanced.

Unlike in the original story, he didn’t need to rest since he wasn’t struggling against Genma and Raidou, so he continued moving without stopping and had already come close to the Valley of the End.

Just when it seemed that they would reach the hideout in just a few hours, a new person appeared within Ukon’s range of detection while in his sage state.

There were eight people in total. The chakra he sensed was strong for two, and weaker for six. It was impossible to tell who the weaker chakra belonged to, but Ukon knew immediately who the stronger one was. It was chakra he had sensed in the Hidden Leaf Village before.

(No doubt about it. It’s Gai and Asuma… Konoha is serious too.)

(This is no time to be impressed. Even if we manage to attract the two Jonin, there is still an overwhelming difference in their numbers…)

(It’s going to be tough with three against six, excluding us and the two Jonin… but even if we include us and make it five against eight, the chances of winning are slim if they fight honestly.)

(So ??what should we do?)

(We’ll have to confuse them and then Tayuya can use her genjutsu to catch them all in one fell swoop.)

Even if Ukon and Sakon, and Gai and Asuma could fight two-on-two, that would leave Otogakure at a disadvantage, with only three against six remaining. Even if they went into all-out warfare, meaning a five-on-eight battle, with the Jonin fighting to protect the Genin, Ukon thought there was no chance of victory.

Therefore, they decided on one of their slim chances of victory: using Tayuya’s illusion to render Gai and the others unable to act.

“Listen while you move… there are some Konoha guys about two kilometers behind us. They number eight, two are top-tier Jonin, and six are Genin.”

“Oh… that’s quite a number.”

Only Kidomaru responded to Ukon’s explanation with words. The remaining two prepared for battle in silence, with Jirobo eating his Hyoryomaru and Tayuya taking out her flute.

However, in a situation where they had to face eight people, including two Jonin, Ukon could sense that the other members were more nervous than usual.

“We will stop in thirty seconds and I will use my mist hiding technique to block the vision of both friend and foe. Sakon and I can move even in the mist so we will confuse the enemy. Tayuya, you can use genjutsu on both friend and foe at once. Kidomaru, you will set a trap with thread and then snipe from long distance if possible. Jirobo will be there to defend the bucket containing Sasuke-sama.”

“Isn’t that a big burden for you guys?”

Ukon quickly gave instructions and threw the bucket he was carrying to Jirobo. Jirobo caught the bucket and expressed concern for Ukon and Sakon.

“We’re just buying time, so there’s no problem. Well… that’s if Tayuya’s genjutsu works properly.”

“Who are you talking to, you lowly bastard… my genjutsu never fails.”

Tayuya, when a woman uses language like that Shut up, fatty

“Oh dear…”

Tayuya responded to Ukon’s light-hearted remark in her usual harsh language, and when Jirobou reprimanded her, Tayuya insulted him as usual, while Kidomaru just shrugged.

After confirming that the other members had returned to their usual form, Ukon decided to begin his operation immediately.

“Hmph… Then I’ll do it! Mystic technique: Hidden Mist.”

Ukon descended from the tree to the ground, turned around and stopped, as mist began to form around him. In the blink of an eye, the entire surrounding area, within a radius of about one kilometer, was covered in thick fog, painting the view pure white.

In the thick fog, the four members of Oto followed Ukon down to the ground and each began their own actions.

Kidomaru spun threads around him like a real spider’s web. The white threads blended into the mist and were invisible unless one looked closely.

Tayuya plays a complex tune on her flute. The tune she is playing is “Magic Flute: Dream Chains,” a powerful illusion spell that casts a spell on anyone who hears it.

Jirobou was in a position where he could protect both Kidomaru and Tayuya at any time, and was prepared to activate his “Earth Release: Earth Spear” at any time.

Ukon was blinded by the thick fog, but he made his way towards the Konohagakure ninja as if he could see through the forest of giant trees. Naturally, his sage-like sensing ability allowed him to sense natural energy, so even in the thick fog, it was no problem for Ukon.

Ukon went back a little way the way he came and waited for Guy and the others about 200 meters away from where Tayuya and the others were.

Meanwhile, the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village are forced to be on guard after a sudden thick fog blinds them. Asuma uses a magic spell to clear the fog, knowing it will be difficult to fight with their vision blocked.

“Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!”

A strong gust of wind was spewed from Asuma’s mouth. The Great Breakthrough was adjusted to spread the strong wind over a wide area to blow away the mist, while controlling the wind pressure so as not to harm Sasuke, and it succeeded in scattering the mist as intended.

“Wow! That’s amazing!!”

Naruto is excited and praises Asuma for his ability to dispel the Hidden Mist technique that had caused him so much trouble in his fight with Zabuza in one go.

But

(Then, try again… Senjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique)

Ukon, who had escaped the Great Breakthrough'' by hiding behind a giant tree, activated hisHidden in the Mist” technique a second time, and the forest was once again enveloped in a blanket of white.

“Ahhh?! It was such a sunny day!?”

“Tsk! This is just going to be a game of cat and mouse… I guess there’s no choice but to move forward through the fog.”

Naruto screamed when he saw the Hidden Mist technique being activated again, and Asuma confirmed that his actions had been in vain.

When comparing the two techniques, “Hidden Mist Technique” and “Wind Release: Great Breakthrough”, the latter consumes more chakra. Taking this into consideration, Asuma decided to move through the mist, rather than wasting chakra on an action that would only clear the mist.

The group from the Hidden Leaf Village advances through the mist, remaining vigilant and on guard.

Ukon sensed the chakra gradually approaching, and the moment they were close enough to hear Tayuya’s flute, Ukon and Sakon activated two techniques at the same time.

(Senpo, Suiton, Multiple Water Shuriken)

(Earth Release: Light and Heavy Rock Technique)

Ukon activates his “Multiple Water Shuriken”, sending countless water shuriken weaving their way through the trees in a way that’s impossible for normal shuriken to follow, attacking Guy and the others from all directions.

Then, Ukon, who had become lighter due to Sakon’s “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” used his sensing ability to grasp the enemy’s position and began circling around it at high speed.

“Water shurikens are coming at us from all sides! And there’s an enemy nearby! He’s moving really fast!”

“Everyone gather together! Eliminate blind spots and intercept the shuriken!”

Neji, who was the only one who could see through the thick fog, was the first to grasp Ukon’s actions and reported it to his allies. From that information, Asuma grasped the situation and instantly made the decision to intercept.

The Hidden Leaf ninjas, who had been on guard against a surprise attack since they entered the mist, quickly formed a circle after Asuma’s words and each of them readied their kunai or other weapons, deflecting the water shuriken that were flying at them from all directions.

(As expected, an attack of this magnitude won’t even be able to inflict a wound…)

Ukon runs around the group of Konohagakure ninjas, observing what is going on. Although Ukon is moving around furiously, his weight has been lightened by the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” so the sound of his footsteps is infinitesimally small and drowned out by the sound of Tayuya’s flute.

Therefore, the only one of the Konohagakure ninja who was able to keep track of Ukon’s movements was Neji, who had the Byakugan.

(That thing is too fast! How can it move like that in this fog?!)

Neji was shocked to see Ukon continuing his incredible movements in the mist. Even Neji, who was used to watching Guy’s martial arts, could only follow Ukon’s movements with his eyes, and did not have the time to communicate Ukon’s position to his allies.

“Everyone, stay together and hurry towards the sound of the whistle!”

Asuma, believing that the sound of the flute he heard during the battle was definitely an enemy technique, gave instructions to stop the sound.

However, Ukon and Sakon heard the command, and Ukon calmly activated a new technique to buy time.

(Senpo, Suiton, Bakusui Shonha)

The moment Ukon activated the technique, water began to overflow from under his feet, filling the forest. The water produced by the “Water Explosion Shock Wave” did not soak into the ground, nor did it spread out; it simply remained there like a lake.

The flowing water caused the Konohagakure ninja to stop for a moment. As expected, it was Asuma who quickly realised the danger of this situation.

“Be mindful of the movement of the water beneath your feet as you run!”

Those who heard Asuma’s instructions ran across the water, relying on the sound of the flute to guide them, while keeping their eyes on the water at their feet.

From Konohagakure’s perspective, there was a large amount of water at their feet, they were shrouded in thick fog making it impossible to see, and the sound of a flute, likely an enemy technique, echoed through the forest – one had to say that this situation was extremely bad.

First of all, the large amount of water at his feet had been prepared by the enemy Water Release user and could be used to attack at any time, so his current situation was no different from running through a minefield.

That being said, it’s difficult to form a circle if you climb up a tree to avoid the water. In the current situation where the enemy’s location can’t be properly grasped due to the thick fog, if you can’t form a circle and get separated, it’s like being defeated one by one.

And since it’s unclear when the technique using the flute sound will be completed, it’s difficult to even take the time to prepare the situation.

(Tsk…! I had heard that your fighting ability was high, but I never heard that you would use such a nasty trick!)

Asuma arbitrarily concluded that the one using that series of techniques was the strong man who had fought Jiraiya, and he cursed the strong man in his mind, whose name he did not know. To the Hidden Leaf Village, Ukon was a strong man who, despite his young age, excelled in frontal combat using the powers of a sage, but he had not known that he would use such skillful tactics.

By the way, the reason why Ukon did not use the Hidden in the Mist'' on Jiraiya was because he knew from his knowledge of the original work that Jiraiya was able to use a detection barrier, and he understood that using theHidden in the Mist” would be useless.

The “Water Explosion Shock Wave” itself wasn’t enough to slow them down, but without worrying about that, Ukon activated a new technique.

(Sage technique: Water Release !)Water Snake DuetWater Snake Dance

Ukon activated his “Water Snake Multiplier”, creating countless water snakes, each about one meter long. The snakes swam freely, undulating in all directions, both above and below the water, and surged towards the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village.

“Naruto!”

“Okay! Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!!”

As the countless snakes attacked, Shikamaru immediately called out Naruto’s name. Upon hearing his name called, Naruto perfectly understood what Shikamaru wanted to say and activated his “Multiple Shadow Clone” skill.

Naruto’s clones, which instantly increased to dozens using “Multiple Shadow Clone”, charged towards the countless snakes. Naruto’s clones swiftly swung their kunai to cut through the snakes, literally cutting a path towards the sound of the flute.

However, there were far too many snakes, and the clones were defeated one by one, disappearing into smoke.

Furthermore, the snakes don’t just come from the front. They attack one after another from the left and right, from behind, and even from underwater, biting the Hidden Leaf ninja. As the snakes attack, surrounding them, the Genin fight back, not to be outdone.

“Konoha Whirlwind!” “Bagua Palm Kaiten!” “Partial Doubling Technique!” “Fang Tong Fang!”

Thanks to the attacks of Lee, Neji, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru, the numbers of the snakes were greatly reduced, but they were forced to stop for a moment before fighting back.

(Ugh… how can the enemy activate so many techniques in succession!? No, more importantly… if we all start moving, we won’t be able to stop the flute technique! So–)

“Guy!”

The reason Ukon was able to use techniques in succession was because Sakon was constantly refining and supplying chakra to him, but there was no way Asuma could understand this mechanism, and while Asuma was curious, he racked his brains desperately, trying to understand the current situation.

The current situation was such that they were completely at the mercy of the enemy, and they should have thought that they didn’t have a moment to waste before the flute sound technique was activated.

That’s why Asuma called out Guy’s name, thinking that he should let Guy charge in alone to stop the whistle.

“I know! I asked you to take care of this!”

Gai also understood the current situation, which is why, when he heard Asuma’s cry, he jumped out of the circle to stop the sound of the flute.

As if to fill the gap left by Gai, Asuma displayed great courage by cutting down a dozen water snakes in an instant with the brass knuckle-shaped chakra swords he was holding in both hands.

“The fifth gate…open!!”

Guy opened five of the eight chakra gates known as the “Eight Gates of Release”, greatly increasing his physical abilities.

(Sage technique, Water Release, Water Formation Wall!)

Just before Guy made his incredible move with his incredible leg strength, Ukon activated his “Water Formation Wall”, causing a huge wall of water to stand in Guy’s way.

However, with Guy having freed Morimon, a wall of this magnitude would be no obstacle.

“Konoha’s mighty whirlwind!!”

The Water Wall was blown away in an instant by Guy’s powerful spin kick. In the moment that Ukon’s attention was distracted by the broken Water Wall, Guy was kicking the water surface and accelerating.

Guy closes in on Tayuya, playing the flute at high speed. Ukon realizes that he can’t interfere in time and can only scream.

“You guys! He’s gone alone, be careful!!”

Ignoring Ukon’s screams, Guy quickly approaches Tayuya.

“Found it!”

Finally, Guy reaches the place where Jirobou, Kidomaru, and Tayuya are hiding in the mist. Wanting to stop the flute playing immediately, Guy charges at Tayuya with the same momentum he came from running.

However, Jirobou, who had heard Ukon’s voice and was in Cursed Seal State 2 in preparation, stands in front of Guy.

“You can’t get through here!!”

“Ah, get in the way!”

Jirobou roared vigorously, so Guy chose to attack him head on.

In fact, although Gai couldn’t see it at the time, Kidomaru’s threads were spread all over the place except where Jirobou was blocking his way. If Gai had chosen to avoid Jirobou and attack Tayuya from a different direction, his movements would have been restricted, as if he had been entangled in spider’s threads.

“Dynamic Entry!!”

Gai used all his might to launch a flying kick, intending to blow away both Tayuya and Jirobou, while maintaining the momentum of his charge.

Jirobo, with his arms crossed in front of his torso, hardened his body from the neck down with Earth Release: Tsuchihoko and took Guy’s powerful flying kick head-on.

Guy’s powerful flying kick cracked the bones in Jirobou’s arm, even though they had been hardened.

but—

“Guh… nnnnnnn!!!”

“What?!”

Jirobou endured the pain and blocked Guy’s flying kick, surprising even Guy, who hadn’t expected it to be stopped.

Normally, he would have been blown away by the force of the blow, but Jirobou had dug his feet into the ground beforehand and used Earth Release to firmly anchor himself in place, which is why he was able to block Gai’s attack.

“Grrr…”

And, as a result of the force of the blocked flying kick, a bone in Guy’s right calf was also cracked.

Kidomaru did not miss the fact that Gai grimaced for just a moment in pain.

“Spider web open!!”

Kidomaru, who had already reached state 2 like Jirobou, unleashed a ball of thread he had prepared in advance, intending to capture Guy along with Jirobou. The ball of thread that left Kidomaru’s hand instantly spread out like a cast net, attempting to capture the two of them.

“Damn it! With all of our allies?!”

“I won’t let you get away!”

Confused by the attack that would involve his allies, Guy quickly tried to dodge, but before he could, Jirobou undoes the hardening of his Earth Release: Doho and comes into contact with Guy’s distinctive green tights, preventing him from dodging in time for just a split second.

Like a school of fish caught in a cast net, both Guy and Jirobo became entangled in the line.

“Damn… this is it!”

Guy struggles inside the thread, trying to escape, but even though he has opened the gate to the forest, it will take time for him to force his way out of the thread.

“It’s no use. My string can withstand the pulling of two elephants, and besides–“

“I’d appreciate it if you’d just ignore me.”

Jirobou was still in contact with Guy even though he was held captive by the thread, which meant that he was able to use a technique to absorb Jirobou’s chakra.

“Ngh… my chakra?!”

In an instant, Guy’s chakra was being absorbed and returned to Jirobou. Jirobou’s chakra absorption speed was not slow. Although he was not as fast or voracious as Samehada, he was still absorbing chakra at a considerable speed.

As a result of his chakra being absorbed, the explosive increase in Guy’s chakra from his Eight Gate Shift is slightly reduced, and with it, Guy’s physical abilities decrease slightly.

(If it turns out like this…)

Guy resolved to break out of this situation by opening the next gate of the Eight Gates, the Sixth Gate.

Guy also wanted to avoid putting any more strain on himself with such a formidable opponent as Ukon waiting in the wings, but he decided that this was far better than remaining a prisoner.

However, Guy never opened the Sixth Gate.

That’s because Tayuya’s performance of the Magic Flute: Dream Chains had already finished. Everyone within hearing range, friend or foe, stopped moving. Those under the illusion saw their limbs, bound by the chains, melting away.

“Phew… Tayuya’s genjutsu somehow worked in time. I was really nervous.”

In the silent forest, it was Ukon, not Tayuya, who made the first move. The moment Ukon was caught in the illusion, Sakon, who had not heard the performance, immediately released him.

Ukon takes out a cursed seal from his pocket and approaches the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village, intending to treat them the same way he did with Genma and Raidou.

“Ola! Hurry up and wake up, you idiots!”

Following Ukon, Tayuya moves to remove Jirobou and Kidomaru’s genjutsu and completely restrain Gai.

“Tch, my bones are broken after all… I guess I’ll have to absorb some chakra from this thing to make up for the injury.”

Jirobo manages to escape from Kidomaru’s thread by absorbing the chakra of the thread and neutralizing it. With his body safely back in motion, he absorbs chakra from Gai, who was nearby, in revenge for breaking his bones.

“That was a really scary opponent. I’ll make sure you’re tightly restrained so you can’t move.”

Kidomaru is afraid of Gai’s power, and binds his arms and legs with thread so that he cannot move, even if he is able to quickly break the genjutsu.

One by one, the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village were immobilized and rendered powerless.

Just before they were about to be wiped out, a gust of wind blew in. Ukon was the first to notice something strange about the wind.

(That wasn’t a natural wind Could it have happened here ?!)

The wind grew stronger and stronger, scattering the thick mist created by the Hidden Mist Technique. After a few seconds, the strong wind stopped and all the mist had been blown away.

Although the fog had cleared, they still couldn’t see each other, but Ukon could clearly sense the presence of a new enemy.

Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, three members of the Hidden Sand Village, appeared on the battlefield.

Sasuke Recruitment Part 3

As reinforcements from the Hidden Sand Village arrived, Ukon quickly sorted out the situation.

The ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village were under a genjutsu and could not move. In particular, Guy was tied up with Kidomaru’s thread and Jirobou absorbed his chakra, rendering him powerless. Furthermore, even though reinforcements had arrived, they were still far away from the Konoha ninjas, and they could not even see each other because of the trees.

Given the above, Ukon believed that they still had the advantage, and in order to further expand that advantage, he prioritized completely neutralizing the Konoha ninja who were under the genjutsu.

First, Ukon prioritized dealing with Asuma, the strongest ninja from Konohagakure who was nearby. Just like he had done to Genma and the others, he attached a curse seal tag to Asuma’s head and then struck him with a shallow cut using a highly poisonous kunai.

Without even having time to check that the procedure was complete, Ukon was about to neutralize the genin next, but when he sensed a wild and ferocious chakra suddenly appearing just a few meters away, he quickly jumped back to put some distance between them.

“Huh?!… What’s this chakra…?!”

Moving away and turning towards the chakra he had sensed, Ukon saw Naruto radiating bright red chakra from his entire body. Naruto should have been completely caught up in Tayuya’s genjutsu, but the Nine Tails’ chakra had leaked out from the seal on his body, breaking the genjutsu, and he glared at Ukon with his vertically long pupils, a feature unique to those surrounded by the Nine Tails’ chakra.

Naruto was feeling anxious that he might not be able to get Sasuke back because he had been caught in the genjutsu, and anger due to his own lack of power. These thoughts resonated with the Nine Tails’ chakra, causing chakra to leak out from the Nine Tails’ seal in his abdomen.

“Give Sasuke back!!!”

(The Nine Tails’ chakra… Its roar just now must have broken the genjutsu of the other members…)

“Ugh…” “Ugh” “Grrr”

Naruto roared loudly while glaring at Ukon. With just that, his voice became a physical shock wave that shook the trees and the surface of the water. As a result, the other Konohagakure ninjas who were nearby escaped the genjutsu and regained consciousness. The exception to this was Asuma, who had been poisoned by the curse seal tag attached to him, and although he let out a groan, he had not yet regained consciousness.

Seeing the Nine Tails’ chakra swirling around Naruto’s body, Ukon realized that the situation had gotten worse.

All of the Konoha ninja, except for the Jonin, were able to move, and the ninja from Sunagakure who had heard Naruto’s roar were rushing to the scene. Even though Gai and Asuma had been neutralized, they were still outnumbered by an overwhelming four to nine. Most of them were Genin, but each one was talented, and it would be dangerous to underestimate them.

(Would it be best to take the Jonin hostage and force them to retreat?)

Ukon immediately took action to execute the hostage plan that had flashed into his mind. It was a slightly hasty move for Ukon, who usually moved cautiously, but he had judged that if he was going to act, it would be best to do so now, when the support of the Hidden Sand ninjas could not reach them.

The effect of the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique” on Ukon’s body had already worn off, but he crouched low and, using his sage-like “Body Flash Technique” to get close to Asuma, planned to kidnap him.

Seeing Ukon’s stance, Naruto, Lee and Neji stood between Ukon and Asuma, and behind them, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru and one dog surrounded Asuma.

(You’re quick to judge… but I have no intention of losing to you guys right now.)

Ukon praised in his heart the actions of the six men and one dog, but he decided that their actions were useless and moved in to kidnap Asuma.

Ukon uses the Body Stunner to quickly close in on Naruto and begin close combat.

(Suddenly right in front of me…?!)

“Hey!!”

“Uriah!”

“Shhh!”

Naruto was shocked in his heart, but the three of them managed to keep track of Ukon’s movements. This was because Naruto had the benefit of the Nine Tails’ power, and Lee and Neji were watching Guy’s movements regularly.

As Ukon appeared at close range, Naruto, who was standing in front of him, shouted and swung his right arm up to punch him, while from the left side Lee aimed for Ukon’s head with minimal movement and delivered an upper kick, and from the right side Neji tried to pierce the pressure point in Ukon’s stomach with his soft fist.

The martial arts skills of the three were among the best among genin, but for Ukon in his sage state, their movements were so slow they made him yawn.

Ukon kicked Naruto in the stomach as he came from the front with a front kick from his right foot, then rotated to face the left with his right leg extended, kicking Lee in the stomach before Lee’s spin kick could reach him, and then used the momentum of the spin to punch Neji with the back fist of his outstretched left arm.

“Guh!” “Nuuh!” “Guh…!”

(Those three in just this one moment?!)

Shikamaru, who was standing behind the three, was astonished to see the three of them blown away in an instant. He had sensed the incredible power of Naruto, who was enveloped in red chakra, and Lee and Neji were two people he felt he would never be able to beat in martial arts, even if he stood on his head. However, the enemy who had effortlessly knocked the three of them away seemed to be a powerful individual beyond Shikamaru’s common sense.

Shikamaru wasn’t the only one who was shocked, the other two were similarly shocked and on guard.

(This guy is really strong! I might not be able to beat him unless I take Tongarashimaru!)

Choji’s eyes were usually narrowed, but now they were wide open, and he was watching closely for a chance to take the most powerful and dangerous of the secret three-colored pills he had brought with him on the mission as his trump card, the chili pepper pill from his pocket.

“Grrrrr…”

(You’re right Akamaru! This thing smells awful!!)

Kiba and his partner Akamaru had smelled Ukon and were on guard, and similarly bared their fangs and growled intimidatingly.

With the three of them on high alert, Ukon walked slowly towards Asuma, and did not attempt any taijutsu like before. However, this was not because he was wary of Shikamaru’s Shadow Mimicry Technique, which was coming from his superior intelligence, Chouji’s Doubling Technique, or Kiba and Akamaru’s combined attacks, but because there was no longer any need to go out of his way to get close and attempt any taijutsu.

“What?!” “Eh?!” “What did you say?!” “Nooooo?!”

The water surface at the feet of the three men and the dog suddenly rose, spurting out like a fountain. The water was as fast as a torrent, blowing the three men and the dog into the air. Everyone was on top of their guard, and they hadn’t missed a single one of Ukon’s movements, but they were all suddenly blown away.

Certainly, none of the people who had been blown away had missed Ukon’s movements, but they had failed to notice Sakon’s movements as he was hiding inside his cloak and making a hand seal.

The ninjutsu that Sakon activated was called “Suiton Geyser Technique,” which was originally a ninjutsu that caused underground water to be forcefully spewed out from the ground, but it could be used above water, eliminating the need to dig it out from the ground.

Sakon’s Geyser Technique was perfectly controlled to avoid only Asuma, and no one was able to protect Asuma anymore.

“Well then…”

“Stop it!!”

Shikamaru yelled with a desperate look on his face as he saw Ukon lift Asuma onto his shoulders. In response to that cry, Ukon tried to explain that he had no intention of killing Asuma.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of killing anyone… as long as you promise not to come after me any more.”

“How can I be at ease? You are one of the traitor Orochimaru’s subordinates.”

Orochimaru, who was respected as one of the three great ninjas in Konoha, betrayed that trust by attacking Konoha and killing the Third Hokage. Shikamaru had said that he couldn’t trust the words of a subordinate like that.

“I can’t help it if you say that, but… that doesn’t mean you want to see your mentor killed in front of you, right?”

“Ugh…”

Ukon shows off the kunai he has taken out of his pocket. Shikamaru bites his lip in frustration, drawing blood as he is shown the danger his mentor Asuma faces. Furthermore, Ukon’s use of the word “mentor” would not have been possible without an understanding of the relationship between Asuma and Shikamaru, and the fact that the enemy knows detailed information about him further drives Shikamaru into a corner.

And at that exact moment, the ninjas from Sunagakure arrived at the scene.

“this is “

“I’m sorry to bother you guys of Sand, but please don’t move.”

Gaara, who had just arrived, saw the situation and cried out in surprise. Hearing this, Ukon pointed a kunai at Asuma’s neck, who was on his shoulder, and demanded that he stop.

“Sensei Asuma!!”

The sight was too stimulating for Chouji, as he shouted, looking as if he was about to run off at any moment.

Gaara and the others had come with the intention of fighting, but after hearing Choji’s terrifying scream, they decided they should wait and see what the situation would be, and did not move as Ukon requested.

Even though he was surrounded by a total of nine people, six from Konohagakure and three from Sunagakure, Ukon somehow managed to create a stalemate.

“Now then, I only have one request… I want you all to stop pursuing us.”

“You’re an idiot! You think you can escape when you’re surrounded like this!”

In response to Ukon’s request, Kiba shouted that he wasn’t looking at the situation. Kiba knew that right now, it was one against nine, and if the Konoha and Sand ninjas made up their minds for the mission and chose to abandon Asuma, Ukon would be defeated.

However, that was different from Ukon’s perception.

“Yeah, I do. Because, you see… my friends are coming.”

“What… it wasn’t over yet.”

Ukon knew with his sensing ability that their allies were coming, and at his words, Jirobo with Gai in his hand, Kidomaru with the bucket containing Sasuke on his back, and Tayuya clutching the flute arrived at the scene. The three were ready to fight at any time, but staying in state 2 for an extended period of time was putting a lot of strain on the body, so Jirobo and Kidomaru removed the curse mark and returned to their normal forms.

The three knew that Ukon and Sakon were the most powerful in the Hidden Sound Village, excluding Orochimaru. The three had come to pick them up, worried that the two had taken so long to return, even though they hadn’t heard any sounds of battle.

Then, seeing Jirobou holding Guy by the back of his neck, Lee let out a pained cry.

“Mr. Guy!!”

Gai was bound tightly with Kidomaru’s thread, except for his face, and his complexion was very pale as Jirobou had absorbed too much of his chakra.

Neji, worried by the look on Guy’s face, observed him carefully with his Byakugan to gauge his condition.

(Guy seems to have little chakra in his body? No, judging from the small amount of chakra still flowing through that large man, it seems he absorbed too much. And what’s more, those threads…)

As Neji observed the Kidomaru threads binding Gai, Gaara tried to make a covert move to free the hostage.

Gaara was standing on the surface of the water like the others, but he was slowly, just a few grams at a time, disintegrating the sand from the gourd he was carrying on his back so that it could sneak under the water and launch a surprise attack from below Ukon and Jirobo, freeing Gai and Asuma.

However, even such a small movement is instantly detected by Ukon’s sensing ability.

“Gaara… if you move any more sand I will kill one of the hostages.”

“Tch.”

(He found out right away… I don’t know how he noticed, but his perception is extremely high.)

Gaara was paying close attention to the movement of the sand, and in truth Ukon was completely unaware that the sand was moving, but Ukon had guessed that Gaara was up to something from the movement of his chakra, and was bluffing his way into threatening Gaara.

Gaara had moved carefully, but was seen through in no time at all, and he clicked his tongue, secretly amazed at Ukon’s keen senses.

“Jirobo, don’t kill him yet… Now, it’s four against nine, what will you do? Will you fight to get Sasuke back even if it means leaving the two hostages to die? You don’t even know if you can win?”

“Ugh…”

While giving instructions to Jirobou, Ukon tells the ninja of Konohagakure and Sunagakure to be informed that the situation has worsened.

Kiba realized that the situation had only gotten worse, including Gaara’s series of moves, and he could only remain silent in frustration at Ukon’s words.

Then, Shikamaru spoke up in place of Kiba, who had fallen silent.

“Like you said, we won’t pursue Sasuke any further –” “What are you talking about, Shika? Stay quiet Naruto!! I’m the one doing the talking now!!!”

Naruto interrupted Shikamaru in the middle of what he was saying to protest, but Shikamaru yelled with an unsettled look on his face to shut Naruto up, leaving Naruto speechless.

(That’s right… Just like I want to help Sasuke, Shikamaru must want to help Asuma-sensei.)

“Sorry about that…”

Seeing Shikamaru’s serious expression, Naruto realized that his situation was similar to Shikamaru’s and apologized.

Seeing that Naruto had calmed down, Ukon assumed that he would not face any more resistance and began giving orders to turn the situation to his advantage.

All ninja from Konoha and Sand, please stay in one place. I m sure you understand

“I know! You say you’ll kill the hostages if they resist, right? I’ll do as you say.”

After Ukon gave his orders, he tried to threaten to kill the hostages if they did not comply, but Shikamaru, seeing through this, cut him off mid-sentence. Hearing what Ukon and Shikamaru had said, the Konoha and Sand ninja stopped scattering and gathered in one place, as Ukon had instructed.

This allowed Ukon to finally escape his surrounded situation, and at the same time, it also made it easier to keep an eye on his scattered enemies by grouping them together.

After checking the situation, Jirobou, Kidomaru, and Tayuya approached Ukon.

With this, the Sound Four, the two hostages, and the nine people and one animal from the Konoha and Sand alliance were now facing each other head-on, about ten meters apart.

The negotiations were about to begin. The huge bucket that Kidomaru was carrying, containing Sasuke, began to tremble and a black mist began to leak out. This phenomenon was proof that the power of the curse mark had become fully accustomed to Sasuke’s body.

“Oh, it’s almost time.”

While the Konoha and Sand Alliance were on guard, wondering what was going to happen, Kidomaru placed the bucket on the ground. The bucket placed on the ground was half submerged in water and continued to emit a black mist. Little by little, the black mist increased.

With everyone there watching with bated breath, the moment finally arrived.

Bofun an explosion sound occurred inside the barrel, and black smoke gushed out with great force, temporarily blocking the vision of everyone present.

Those who had been waiting for that moment, or had been on guard, all began to move at once.

Gaara, sensing that something was going to happen from the state of the bucket and planning to act when he found an opening, rapidly moved the sand to rescue Gai and Asuma.

Ukon and Sakon were on guard against this. Sakon had hidden and finished making a seal, while Ukon had activated his “Senpou, Suiton, Suijinbeki” technique, planning to defend against any attack that might be launched.

However, just before Ukon could activate the technique, a buzzing sound and chakra reaction occurred simultaneously from under his feet. Before Ukon could react to the sound and chakra, a sharp pain ran through his right leg, and before he had time to gasp in pain, he was hit with a shock in his right side, causing him to fall to the left.

The identity of the person who attacked Ukon was Asuma, who should have been completely immobilized. The key to why Asuma was able to move was Asuma’s origins and his disciple Shikamaru.

As a member of the Sarutobi clan that survived the Warring States period, and above all as the son of the Third Hokage, Asuma had been trained to have a resistance to poison since he was a child. This allowed him to move at least a little even after being hit by Orochimaru’s special poison.

As for the cursed seal, Shikamaru had already removed it once during the battle just before Asuma was taken hostage. When Naruto and the others stood at the front and their vision was cut off for just a moment, Shikamaru removed the cursed seal from Asuma’s forehead, and, thinking that if he left it like that, a new one would be affixed, he spat on it and stuck it back on Asuma’s forehead to make it look like he was still sealed. Although Shikamaru was blown away by the Geyser Technique immediately afterwards, he had successfully released the seal on Asuma and had also succeeded in deceiving Ukon.

Asuma regained consciousness, but was unable to move properly due to the effects of the poison, so he was carried by Ukon while trying to grasp the situation around him. Asuma realized that the situation was close to the worst because the two Jonin had been captured, so he pretended to be unable to move and waited for an opportunity.

Then, aiming for the moment the seal on the barrel was released, he moved, cut off Ukon’s right leg with the chakra sword he was still holding in his hand, and then kicked Ukon in the right side of his stomach, escaping on his own.

Ukon was on guard, prepared to respond no matter who made a move, but when Asuma, who he had thought would never move, moved, he was caught completely off guard. Not only was he in close proximity to Asuma, but the attack was using chakra sword and taijutsu, which didn’t require any hand seals, so Ukon wasn’t able to react in time.

“Guhh…!?”

(What on earth is going on?! Hey Ukon! Pull yourself together!)

Unable to cope with the sudden turn of events, Ukon was ultimately unable to activate the spell. Unable to fully comprehend what had happened, Sakon worried about Ukon in his mind, but even at that moment the situation was changing.

“Nuuuoh?!”

“Got it…”

Immediately after Ukon falls, Gaara’s sand, which Ukon failed to block, hits Jirobo and Gai directly. Gaara can sense the sand, so even though his vision is obscured by the black mist, he is able to move the sand precisely and separate Jirobo and Gai, successfully rescuing Gai.

Gaara then manipulated the sand to capture the Sound Four and try to save Asuma, but when he noticed that Asuma had moved away from Ukon through contact with the sand and felt Jirobo rapidly absorbing chakra from the sand, he gave up on capturing them and prioritized rescuing Asuma.

The black mist was not natural and so it quickly thinned out and disappeared.

The brief offensive and defensive battle in the dark mist came to an end, and the new situation that had resulted from that effort came into view.

On the Hidden Sound side was Sasuke, who had entered Cursed Seal State 2, but Ukon’s right leg had been neatly severed from mid-thigh and he was lying on the ground, and the two hostages, Gai and Asuma, were nowhere to be seen; instead, they were on the side of the alliance between Konohagakure and Sunagakure.

“The tables have turned.”

Shikamaru grasped the situation and expressed how the situation had suddenly turned in their favor.

Meanwhile, the ninja of Otogakure were in dismay as the mist cleared and they could see the terrible state of Ukon. They could not hide their shock at the sight of the man they believed to be their strongest and most trusted.

“Ukon! Your…leg?!”

“…It’s okay.”

Jirobo was worried about Ukon, but regretted losing Guy, so he called out to him. Ukon, however, tried to act strong and bear the pain so as not to worry him. However, Ukon’s words were not just about self-restraint.

Ukon stood up on one leg and then picked up the severed leg from the thigh down, stained red with blood, in his hands and pressed the cut ends together.

His actions were a far cry from Ukon’s strong-willed behavior and manner of speaking, and made those who saw him wonder if he had gone mad. Everyone in the room was paralyzed by his sudden, insane actions.

“Ugh…ugh…”

In the silent forest, the only sounds that could be heard were Ukon’s breathy voice and the squelching and squishing of viscous blood.

“Ugh…” “Ugh…”

Faced with that shocking and brutal scene, several of the Konoha ninja who lacked the tolerance felt like vomiting.

However, Gaara, who had a tolerance for such shocking behavior, wondered why Ukon was suddenly acting like this, and felt a sense of crisis if his actions had any meaning.

Therefore, thinking that now, with Ukon injured, was the perfect opportunity, he gave instructions to Kankuro and Temari.

“Kankuro, Temari, attack me next.”

“Got it!”

“Got it?”

Gaara fired a series of Sand Showers, a technique in which sand is turned into gravel and fired like bullets, followed by Temari waving her giant fan and unleashing a wind kamaitai using Wind Release: Wind Cutting Technique, and Kankuro shot out a poisonous needle that he had placed in the mouth of the puppet crow.

It was Ukon who responded to the attacks of the three from Sunagakure, which were powerful enough to cause harm.

“Senpou: Water Release: Water Formation Wall”

Ukon, who had suffered a serious injury with his right leg having been amputated and had anticipated being attacked, had asked Sakon to make the seals again, and this time he was able to activate the “Water Jinbeki” that he had been unable to activate earlier.

Faced with the wall of water that rose up powerfully from the surface of the water, the successive attacks of the three from Sunagakure lost their momentum and were blocked before they reached their target, Ukon.

Having successfully blocked the attack, the wall of water returned to the surface once again, and the Sound Four and Sasuke, who had been hidden by the wall, became visible.

“Wha…?” “You’re kidding!”

Naruto and Kiba cried out in shock when they saw Ukon again, and even those who didn’t make a sound froze in shock.

His right leg, which was supposed to have been amputated, was neatly reattached, and Ukon was standing on both feet above the water.

Ukon had successfully glued the contact surfaces of the severed right leg together and used the “Twin Demons’ Attack” to perfectly fuse the bones, blood vessels, nerves, and meridian system, restoring it to its original state.

Ukon’s right leg, which has returned to normal, checks his condition by swinging it around and bracing himself on the water’s surface.

(Yes, that’s close to perfect. Luckily the chakra blade was very sharp.)

Ukon was silently grateful for the sharpness of Asuma’s chakra sword.

Treatment using “Twin Demon Attack” is by no means an all-purpose technique. The basic premise is that it cannot heal without cells to fuse with, so it is fatal if the cells are burned by fire or lightning release. Instead, it is good at treating injuries that do not easily lose cells, such as bone fractures and amputations.

(Well, for now my leg is connected but… the situation is pretty bad.)

(Well, the hostages are gone now. That being said, Gai and Asuma are probably in no condition to fight anymore.)

Ukon and Sakon were talking to each other in their minds as they watched the two Konohagakure Jonin.

Although Neji’s gentle fist managed to remove the threads that had attached to Gai from Kidomaru, Gai had been so exhausted that he had difficulty even standing up after Jirobou had absorbed too much of his chakra.

Asuma’s limbs had gone numb and he had a fever due to the poison, so he was in no condition to fight properly. No matter how much poison resistance he had, it wasn’t enough to completely block Orochimaru’s special poison.

Ukon and Sakon calmly assessed the enemy’s strength and tried to decide their next move.

(Even though there is a difference in numbers, with two immobile Jonin on our side, it looks like we have a chance of winning…)

(Well… it depends on how the two jinchuriki act.)

Although there was still a difference in numbers, with the two Jonin unable to move and holding them back, and with the majority of their fighting power being Genin from Konohagakure and Sunagakure, it was entirely possible for them to win with the power of Ukon and Sakon in their sage state. However, it was certain that the outcome of the battle would change greatly depending on how much of the power of the tailed beasts the two Jinchuriki would unleash.

Naruto, one of the two jinchuriki, shouted, unable to hide his irritation at Sasuke, who didn’t move even after being released from the seal.

“Sasuke!!”

Released from the seal, Sasuke was intoxicated with the euphoria of gaining new power as the cursed seal had become accustomed to his body, but perhaps his consciousness was brought back by Naruto’s shout, and he turned his gaze in Naruto’s direction.

But that was all. Sasuke didn’t say a word and remained silent.

“What are you doing Sasuke? Let’s just beat those guys and go home now!”

“Naruto…I’m not going home.”

“teeth?”

Sasuke calmly refused Naruto’s call again. Hearing that curt reply, Naruto couldn’t help but ask a question.

Without paying any attention to Naruto’s shocked expression, Sasuke began to speak.

“I won’t get any stronger if I stay in Konoha any longer. I’m going to Orochimaru.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Why did you go out of your way to go to Orochimaru’s place…?!”

“None of your business.”

Sasuke declared in a cold voice and abandoned his conversation with Naruto.

“What did you say… Sasuke!!”

“Hey Naruto! Don’t just rush in like that!”

Naruto, enraged by Sasuke’s harsh words, leapt at Sasuke with his body activated by the Nine Tails’ chakra. Shikamaru tried to warn him off, but it was too late.

Naruto lunged at him at considerable speed, and Ukon reacted quickly with a heel strike from his right foot, which exploded on Naruto’s torso and knocked him down towards the water.

“Guh?!”

“Jirobo, smoke that one too.”

“roger that!”

Naruto fell to the surface of the water, making a noise like a squashed frog, and Ukon, who intercepted him, gave instructions to Jirobo. Following Ukon’s instructions, Jirobo tried to absorb chakra from Naruto, but someone was there to stop him.

“Stop it. I’ll deal with him.”

That was what Sasuke had said. Sasuke wanted to test the current state of his body after the curse seal had become accustomed to it. On top of that, Naruto was not only his rival, he had fought him just the other day, so he thought he would be the perfect opponent to test it on.

“…”

“…Understood, Sasuke-sama.”

Jirobo looked at Ukon in silence, his gaze asking what he thought of Sasuke’s words. And, receiving that gaze, Ukon confirmed what Sasuke had said.

Ukon hadn’t asked Sasuke for his opinion because he was thinking about the original story. He thought that if Sasuke could fight Naruto, the difference in numbers in this situation would be slightly better.

Thus, the duel between Sasuke and Naruto took place just as in the original story, but Ukon had something to tell Sasuke before letting him go, so he approached Sasuke and whispered it in his ear.

“Sasuke-sama, the location of the hideout is further in, beyond the Valley of the End. The hideout is hidden by a barrier, but there is someone with excellent sensing abilities within the hideout who will guide you if you approach.”

“Okay.”

Sasuke nodded slightly at what Ukon had said.

The person Ukon was referring to with excellent sensory abilities was Karin. Ukon had summoned Karin to his hideout for various reasons.

First, Ukon suggested to Orochimaru that they set up a barrier to hide the hideout, because he thought it would be dangerous for all four of the Oto ninja to leave the hideout while Orochimaru was not in perfect health. However, if the hideout was hidden by a barrier, the other Oto ninja would not be able to find it. Therefore, they decided to have Karin sense the return of their allies from inside the hideout, and then send a guide out of the hideout to coincide with their return.

Karin has excellent perception abilities, but also excellent healing abilities. In the unlikely event that multiple people among Sasuke and the Oto Four become seriously injured, Ukon, thinking that Kabuto alone might not be enough, gave Karin the role of a reserve medical ninja.

“Good luck.”

“Yeah… Follow me Naruto.”

Sasuke gave a suitable reply to Ukon’s words, then told Naruto unilaterally before leaving in the direction of the Valley of the End.

“Wait for me, Sasuke!!”

Naruto then followed Sasuke and left the scene. The Konoha ninja tried to stop him, but Ukon glared at them with murderous intent, making them wary of him and unable to move.

“Now then…”

Ukon muttered as he saw Sasuke and Naruto run off. The atmosphere was tense, as if a battle could break out at any moment, but Ukon raised both hands to show that he had no intention of fighting.

“You two from Konoha and Suna, why don’t we just settle this here?”

“What?”

“As you can see, Sasuke-sama has no intention of returning to Konoha. On top of that, there are injured people over there, so wouldn’t it be okay for us to retreat here?”

Even as he said this, Ukon was acting on the assumption that his proposal would be rejected. Sakon put his hand out from behind Ukon’s back and gave instructions to the Sound Four with hand signals. The instructions were to wait while preparing for battle, and to evacuate from the forest if the battle began.

Understanding the instructions, Jirobou, Kidomaru and Tayuya kept their guard up and prepared to switch to battle at any moment.

Ukon, who gave the orders, thought that fighting Gaara in the forest would be at a disadvantage. Gaara is a ninja who specializes in mid-to-long range combat, but he is also capable of wide-range, multi-faceted attacks, and if they were to fight in a place with many obstacles, like a forest, there was the risk that Gaara could use the trees as cover and attack from an unexpected angle. Ukon thought that rather than being vulnerable to such attacks, it would be more advantageous to fight in a wide, open area with a good view.

Unlike the Sound Four, who kept their fighting spirit up, the Konoha and Sand ninjas were wondering whether they should continue fighting any further.

First of all, the ninjas of Sand had come here at Tsunade’s request, as they had gone to the Hidden Leaf Village to pay compensation to Konoha and prove their alliance. The request was to support the ninjas of Konoha, and they thought that if the ninjas of Konoha were to retreat now, there would be no need for further combat.

On the other hand, the Konoha ninja’s mission was to rescue Sasuke, and with that not happening, they wanted to prioritize breaking through the Sound ninja in order to pursue Sasuke. However, the Sound ninja were powerful, and fighting Ukon in particular while the Jonin were unable to move was a suicidal act.

Currently, Shikamaru was the only chunin among the Konoha ninja, and with his superior mind he was able to think quickly about what was best.

(This is a pain, but think about it. First, can we defeat the Sound ninja with this force? I know very well that the Sand ninja are as strong as monsters, but this opponent is quite the monster. That white-haired leader is especially scary. In that mist earlier, almost all of us were stopped in our tracks by that guy.

On top of that, there was someone using a troublesome sound illusion… I think it was the woman holding the flute, and it took three people, including her, to stop Guy-sensei, although I couldn’t see how they did it because of the fog.

And it seems like the two Jonin we rely on are having a hard time fighting any more. Asuma in particular has been poisoned, he’s been breathing heavily and can barely move. Gai-sensei might be able to move if he rests a bit, but…

The Konoha ninjas waited for Shikamaru to come to a decision as he thought deeply. After nearly a minute, Shikamaru finally came to a conclusion.

“We’re not retreating! We’ll definitely bring Sasuke back!”

Shikamaru declared loudly. He didn’t know if they would be able to defeat the Oto ninjas, but the most important thing was that Naruto was there.

Naruto was now chasing Sasuke on his own. Or rather, he should have said that he had chased him. If Shikamaru and the others chose to retreat now, the Oto ninjas would definitely head for Sasuke. If that happened, Naruto would be killed or taken away, regardless of the outcome of the fight with Sasuke.

In order to stop this, Shikamaru and his friends have no choice but to fight the Sound Four.

“The best thing we can do is defeat them all and bring Naruto and Sasuke back to Konoha! Even if we don’t win, we can hold them back and leave Sasuke in Naruto’s care!”

“Yeah!” “Yeah!” “Ok!” “That’s right.”

“Yeah.” “We have no choice but to do it.” “Ha! I’ll blow your mind!”

Shikamaru explains the terms of the battle, and after hearing his decision, the Konoha and Sand ninja get into battle stances.

“Is it okay for the negotiations to break down? Then die… Senjutsu: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”

Confirming that the time for negotiations was over, Ukon activated his technique, causing the surface of the water at his feet to rise up and eventually transform into a gigantic water dragon large enough to swallow a person in one go, and attacked the Konoha and Sand ninja.

As expected, the one who acted quickly to respond to the Water Dragon Bullet was Gaara, nicknamed “Absolute Defense.”

“Flow Desert Style!!”

Gaara shouted as he made a seal and the ground beneath his feet rose up, forming a huge tsunami of sand that attacked the water dragon.

The water dragon is swallowed by the sand tsunami. However, the water dragon writhes and rampages as if to say that it will not be defeated by a mere sand. Every time the water dragon, a giant mass of water, rampages, the sand tsunami is broken and bounced off, sending sand flying everywhere.

Realizing that Suiryuu was stronger than Gaara had anticipated, he poured even more chakra into him and manipulated the sand, covering his allies in sand for protection while sinking Suiryuu into the sea of ??sand.

Eventually, the senjutsu chakra that Ukon had put into the Water Dragon Bullet seemed to run out, and the water dragon became buried in sand and was unable to move. After seeing this, Gaara also stopped moving the sand.

Gaara’s sand defenses were lifted, and the Konoha and Sand ninjas were able to see the outside world. What they saw was a forest that had lost all trace of its former self, due to the clash of the two powerful techniques.

All of the trees that had been caught up in the clash between the water dragon and the sand tsunami had been cut down and destroyed. With the trees gone, the view of the former forest had improved considerably, but Gaara’s sand tsunami had turned it into almost a desert, with pieces of wood and places that had turned to mud by the water being seen here and there.

The Konoha ninja were overwhelmed by the sight. For a moment they had a faint hope that an attack of this magnitude would have defeated the Sound ninja. However, in a place that had been so completely destroyed, the Sound Four were still alive and well, standing in the desert unharmed.

“I see… It’s well-known that he is Gaara of the Desert. It’s definitely worth playing with.”

Seeing this, Kidomaru remembered one of Gaara’s nicknames, alongside “Absolute Defense,” and expressed his agreement.

“Don’t praise your enemy, you lowlife!”

“Tayuya… That kind of language is ‘Shut up, fatty!!'”

“Haa… you guys…”

Tayuya gets angry at Kidomaru for complimenting someone, and Jirobou responds with the usual exchange about language, causing Ukon to let out a big sigh as he watched his teammate remain normal even in such a tense situation.

Seeing his relaxed attitude, the Konoha and Sand ninjas saw an opening and launched an attack.

The ninjas from Konoha and Sand had been planning their strategy after Shikamaru shared the information he had gained from analyzing the enemy’s strength. Therefore, the coordination between the ninjas here was extremely good, considering that it was an improvisation and that they were from different villages.

“Wind Release: Great Scythe Weasel Technique!”

“Senpou: Water Release: Water Formation Wall”

The first move was Temari’s Great Scythe Weasel Technique. Temari swung the giant fan she was holding in her hand and swept it away, sending countless wind blades of all sizes flying towards the Sound ninja.

The attack had a wide range and many wind blades, so Ukon thought it would be difficult to avoid and once again activated his “Water Wall.” Since the water created by the “Water Explosion Shock Wave” was gone, this time the “Water Wall” was smaller than before, but it was still enough to protect the Sound Four.

However, creating that wall was Shikamaru’s aim.

“Okay, now! Kiba! Lee!”

“Fangs through fangs!!”

“Let’s go!!”

Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee, who had begun to move at the same time as Temari’s Great Scythe and Weasel Technique,'' and at Shikamaru's signal, they went around theWater Wall” and pincered the Sound ninja behind the wall.

If Ukon was facing the wall, Kiba and Akamaru were approaching from the right, and Lee from the left.

“Jirobo on the right! Kidomaru on the left!”

“Ou”

“I get it.”

Ukon quickly gave instructions on who should deal with Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee, and the two followed his orders, demonstrating effective counter measures against the oncoming enemies.

Kiba and Akamaru’s “Fang Fang” was blocked by Jirobou’s hardened body using “Earth Release: Earth Spear”, and Lee’s superior martial arts were perfectly blocked by Kidomaru’s six arms.

Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee were stopped and quickly stepped back to avoid being captured and taken hostage.

However, Shikamaru had also expected that this attack would be blocked.

“Choji!”

“Yes! Doubling technique! Followed by… Human Bullet Tank!!”

Chouji, who was standing next to Shikamaru, used the Doubling Technique'' to enlarge his body to the size of a balloon, and began to roll with great force towards Ukon'sWater Wall.”

Ukon, who had sensed the movement through the wall, purposely reduced the chakra in his “Water Wall.”

The Water Wall, which now had little chakra left, was blown away by Chouji’s Human Bullet Tank.

Ukon did not use his ninjutsu against the mass of flesh that approached, splashing water from the “Water Wall.”

“Hmph!!”

“What?!”

Ukon kicked away Chouji’s huge body, which was approaching him and spinning at high speed, using his physical abilities enhanced by Senjutsu chakra.

Chouji, who had grown in size through the “Doubling Technique,” was quite heavy, but the enhancement of his physical abilities through Senjutsu chakra made him strong enough to ignore that weight.

Chouji was kicked away by Ukon and cried out in surprise as he flew into the air.

However, after blocking Chouji’s attack, Ukon was faced with the next threat. Using Chouji’s “Flesh Bullet Tank” as cover, Kankuro’s two puppets, “Crow” and “Black Ant”, were approaching.

Ukon was unable to detect the movement clearly. He could sense Kankuro’s chakra strings moving, but the puppet itself was an artificial construct, and it was difficult to detect it completely with his sage state, which relied on the power of natural energy.

That was why Ukon had purposely had Chouji destroy the Water Wall, opening up his view.

“Black Secret Technique: One Shot!”

Thanks to Kankuro’s skillful puppet manipulation, the “Black Ants” quickly approached Ukon, attempting to open their abdomens and capture him, while the “Crows” were ready to attack at any time if Ukon exposed an opening.

Ukon was angry about the coordinated attack that caused his and Sakon’s deaths in the original story.

Even though he had used Chouji as a cover, Ukon thought that if he was attacked head-on he would not be able to fight back.

“Don’t underestimate me!!”

“What did you say…?!”

Ukon’s right punch, filled with rage and chakra, hit the “Black Ant” directly, and the “Black Ant” which was supposed to be made hard and sturdy as a puppet for capture, was smashed into pieces.

“Damn it!!”

Just recently, Kankuro’s newly acquired puppet, the “Black Ant,” had been completely destroyed, and while he was tormented by a variety of emotions, he manipulated his remaining puppet, the “Crow,” to distance himself from Ukon and fire a poisonous smoke bomb.

As the poisonous smoke bombs released by the “Crow” approached Ukon, Ukon, having calmed down slightly after destroying the “Black Ants”, quickly activated a new technique.

“Water Release: Water Prison Technique”

The “Water Prison Technique” was originally a technique to create a water ball, trap a person inside it, and suffocate them under the water, but Ukon used it to capture a poison smoke bomb.

The poisonous smoke bomb was suddenly caught by a water ball that appeared in front of them and exploded in the water, spewing out poisonous smoke, but the poisonous smoke only turned the water ball purple and did nothing to block the view of the Sound Four.

(They easily blocked the cooperation of this many people! It’s impossible.)

Shocked inside, Shikamaru returned his shadow to its original shape. Shikamaru’s plan was for Ukon to absorb the poisonous smoke bomb, but even if he didn’t, his vision would be obscured and he would be able to use Shadow Mimicry to immobilize him. However, seeing that the poisonous smoke bomb had been perfectly dealt with by Water Prison, he decided that Shadow Mimicry could only be avoided in his current state, and returned his shadow to its original shape.

After perfectly blocking a series of moves, Ukon spoke to Shikamaru with a very calm demeanor.

“Are you still going to do it? Or are you going to die?”

Those words sounded like a death sentence delivered by the Grim Reaper.

Sasuke Recruitment Part 4

After hearing Ukon’s words, which could be interpreted as a declaration of intent to kill, many of the ninja of Konoha and Sand became acutely aware of death. This was an instinctual thing that occurs when faced with an overwhelmingly superior opponent.

However, there was no one here who was so paralyzed that they couldn’t move.

To save his comrades, his friends, his teacher. He was determined to fight to the death so that no one would die.

Ukon could certainly see that determination and resolve.

“I’ll admit, you guys are strong.”

Therefore, Ukon acknowledges his power. Most of the ninjas from Konoha and Sand were low-ranking ninja, and Ukon didn’t consider anyone other than Gaara a threat in terms of fighting power. However, the power that was generated from their mental strength sometimes far exceeded imagination.

At that moment, Ukon’s perception of him changed. He no longer saw him as a talented ninja rookie, but as a formidable opponent.

Ukon’s instructions to the Sound Four were simple: unleash your full power, in other words, transform into State 2.

“You guys, get into state 2.”

“Ou”

“This is starting to get fun.”

“Tsk… What a pain, those small fry…”

Jirobou obediently followed the instructions, Kidomaru found it amusing, and Tayuya was annoyed, but they all followed Ukon’s instructions and transformed into state 2.

The three’s skin turned brown, Jirobou’s hair grew longer, Kidomaru developed a third eye on his forehead, and Tayuya grew sinister horns from his head.

Many of the Konoha and Suna ninja gasped at the Sound ninja’s transformation into their strange forms, and stared intently at them, trying to gauge the threat.

While they both stopped moving and watched the other, it was Tayuya who made the first move.

“Summoning technique!”

With a boom, white smoke rose up and three giant monsters, each about five meters in length, were summoned to Tayuya’s side. All three giant monsters were puppets controlled by the sound of Tayuya’s flute. Each one had a name, and the one without arms and with its upper body wrapped in bandages was “Baku”, the one with claws on both hands was “Tsume”, and the one holding a club like that wielded by a demon was “Soku”, with easy-to-understand names.

Its name isn’t the only thing that’s easy to understand. Although its movements aren’t that fast due to its large size, its attacks that make the most of its size are unmatched in power.

At the same time, with three more enemies on the Hidden Otoi side, the difference in numbers between our sides was narrowing.

“Magical Illusions and Phantom Martial Arts”

Tayuya begins playing the flute, and the three monsters begin to move, targeting the two immobile Jonin, Gai and Asuma.

Choji, Shikamaru, and Gaara took action in front of the approaching giant, roaring loudly.

“Shadow imitation technique!”

Shikamaru’s Shadow Imitation Technique connected his shadow with the three others. At that moment, the movements of the four shadows were linked, sealing off each other’s movements.

However, Shikamaru, who was still inexperienced, could only keep three of them still for a short time. However, Shikamaru had many allies in the area, so even a short time was more than enough for them to make their next move.

“Now!!”

“Got it… Sandbound Coffin!”

Gaara acted immediately upon receiving Shikamaru’s request. Using his Sand Binding Coffin, a large amount of sand wrapped around the three monsters, immobilizing them.

“Tch!”

“No, that’s enough.”

Seeing the three monsters stopped moving in an instant, Tayuya clicked her tongue in irritation, but Ukon praised them for their movements before moving himself.

Ukon’s target is Gaara. Ukon acknowledges the power of the Genin of Konoha and Sand, but with the two Jonin of Konoha unable to move, he remains the biggest threat in the situation. Furthermore, if they give Gaara an opening, who can use techniques that affect a wide area such as the “Sabakuryuu” (Flow Desert Style), there is a risk that all four members of the Sound will be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Ukon launches a close-combat attack against Gaara. It may seem reckless to challenge Gaara, who is known as the “Absolute Defense,” to close combat, but Ukon has the means to make this reckless undertaking come true.

(Senpou, Doton, and the Technique of Light and Heavy Rocks)

Without uttering a word, Sakon activated the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” and Ukon’s body became as light as a feather.

At that moment, Ukon takes advantage of his agility and uses the Body Shun Technique to quickly approach Gaara.

“Huh?!”

Gaara’s eyes widened in shock at Ukon’s sheer speed. Just like when he fought Lee in the Chunin Exams, Gaara couldn’t keep up with Ukon, who moved even faster than him. However, the “Sand Shield” that protected Gaara moved automatically thanks to his mother’s love.

Before Ukon could attack Gaara, sand managed to get between the two of them.

However, without caring about the small amount of sand that had just barely made it through the shield, Ukon clenched his fist and swung it back to strike. With Ukon’s light weight due to his “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” no matter how thin the “Sand Shield” was, his fist was not able to penetrate it and inflict any damage on Gaara.

However, that was only if things continued as they were, and both Ukon and Sakon had already taken that sort of thing into account.

(Senpo, Earth Release, Weighted Rock Technique)

Just before Ukon’s fist made contact with the sand, Sakon activated his “Weighted Rock Technique,” giving weight to Ukon’s body. The sudden addition of weight to Ukon’s body, when he was already gaining enough speed, increased the power of his fist without slowing it down.

There was a reason why he used Weighted Rock Technique'' instead of the options of poisonous kunai orRasengan.”

In addition to the “Sand Shield”, Gaara also has a technique called “Sand Armor”. As the name suggests, “Sand Armor” is a technique that covers the entire body in sand like armor. Therefore, while the Poison Kunai is a strong weapon if it can inflict a wound, Gaara who is using the “Sand Armor” cannot be injured by kunai that have been made lighter with the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique”.

The reason he hadn’t used Rasengan was even simpler: he simply wanted to conserve his chakra. He had used Water Dragon Bullet and Water Wall many times earlier, so he wanted to conserve even a little chakra.

For that reason, Ukon had chosen the “Weighted Rock Technique” as his close-combat option.

With a soft ‘pang’, Ukon’s fist pierced the Sand Shield with almost no resistance.

Ukon’s fist approached Gaara. A direct hit would have been powerful enough to shatter the Sand Armor Gaara was wearing and inflict serious damage on the flesh underneath, but Gaara was unable to react.

However, a shadow appeared and stepped in to save Gaara from his peril. The shadow’s true identity was Neji. Neji possessed a defensive technique called “Kaiten” that Tenten said was on par with Gaara’s absolute defense, and he was guarding the two Jonin near Shikamaru.

For that reason, Neji, who was nearby, noticed Gaara’s danger with his Byakugan and quickly moved, arriving just in time before Ukon’s attack hit Gaara.

“Shhh!!”

Neji pumped as much chakra into his right palm and aimed it at Ukon’s stomach. The timing was perfect. With Ukon’s weight increased by the Weighted Rock Technique, it was impossible for him to dodge or defend against the attack.

Before Ukon’s right fist could hit Gaara, Neji’s palm struck Ukon as a counter.

“Guh!”

“Ugh…”

The two collided, both letting out cries of agony at the same time, while Neji let out a loud cry and fell to his knees.

Naturally, Ukon’s body had gained a lot of weight due to the effects of the Weighted Rock Technique. His weight was roughly 500 kilograms. And he was attacking while using the momentum of the high speed movement created by the Body Flash Technique. Ukon was in the middle of punching, so his weight was concentrated on his fist, but even so, the impact transmitted to Neji’s body was immeasurable.

So this result was to be expected.

“screw!!”

“Ahhhh!!”

Lee, worried about Neji who had been blown away, called out to him loudly, but Neji was screaming and crouching down, holding his right arm. Neji’s right arm was severely bent. With just one impact, in just a split second, Neji’s right arm was completely destroyed.

However, despite the excruciating pain emanating from his right arm, Neji felt a sense of relief in his heart.

(My right arm was shattered, but… he won’t get away unscathed either!)

The secret Hyuga clan martial art, Jyuuken, is a martial art that destroys the human body by penetrating chakra into the opponent’s body and destroying it. The chakra that Neji had put into his palm earlier was no exception, and it was being thrust into Ukon’s body. There was enough chakra in it to damage Ukon’s meridian system and injure his internal organs.

However, Ukon didn’t move an inch and already looked unfazed.

Ukon realized that he could neither dodge nor defend against the blow at the moment of impact, and quickly used his “Twin Demon Attack” to shift the position of Neji’s meridians and internal organs. As a result, although Neji’s chakra was successful in damaging muscles, it failed to inflict damage on his vital organs.

“That’s impossible! Guh…!”

“screw!”

Neji was shocked to see that the soft fist had no effect on Ukon. Sakon took advantage of this opportunity to cancel the Weighted Rock Technique, and once he was able to move, he quickly kicked Neji away.

After being kicked by Ukon, Neji rolled to the ground, and Lee, seeing this, called out to him in concern.

“Why are you looking away?”

“Damn it!”

Kidomaru, seeing that Lee’s actions had exposed an opening, sent multiple spider web-like threads towards Lee. When Ukon’s “Water Dragon Bullet” and Gaara’s “Saburetsu Desert Style” collided, Neji had seen through the nature of the threads, and Lee had heard it too. Therefore, he desperately avoided being caught.

Lee’s martial arts skills were beyond the level of a genin, so he barely managed to escape Kidomaru’s thread.

“Wow, that’s pretty quick. Interesting.”

Kidomaru watches Lee’s movements with all three eyes and thinks of a strategy to counter him. What comes to Kidomaru’s mind is the movements of Kimimaro, the man with the highest level of martial arts skill in the Hidden Sound Village. Kidomaru compares Lee’s movements with those of Kimimaro, the highest level martial arts user he knows.

(The movements are fast and sharp… but they’re too linear.)

“I saw through it…that’s it!!”

Kidomaru spat out a rope-like thread from his mouth. Lee narrowly avoided it, but Kidomaru, who had read Lee’s movement, shook his head, causing the thread to change trajectory and stick to Lee’s leg, or more precisely, his green jersey.

“Damn it…!”

“Hmph!”

Lee regretted his mistake, but it was too late. The rope was tied from Kidomaru’s mouth to Lee’s leg, and Kidomaru pulled with all his might. The distance between the two of them rapidly closed.

While being pulled by Kidomaru, Lee manages to escape by cutting the part of his jersey where the thread was attached with a kunai.

“That was close…”

“Oh, you’re really good at it… that makes it worth playing.”

Lee, who had managed to escape thanks to quick thinking, was now dripping with cold sweat, but in contrast, Kidomaru looked relaxed, and in his mind he upgraded Lee’s fighting power.

While this exchange was taking place, others were of course fighting at the same time.

Realizing that Tayuya was controlling the three giant bodies she had summoned with the sound of the flute, Kiba moved to stop the performance.

“Fang Tong Fang!”

“Hmmm!”

Kiba and Akamaru try to attack again with their Fangs, but Jirobou blocks their way again. And so, in their second clash, Jirobou is victorious once again.

“Tsk…!”

(This thing has been so hard since the beginning! My bones are creaking as I thrust into it!)

“Uhh…”

Kiba inwardly cursed at how hard Jirobou was, and Akamaru groaned in agreement.

Jirobo, who uses the Tsuchihoko, is so tough that even a kunai cannot scratch him. Kiba’s body is under a lot of strain as he repeatedly crashes into Jirobo at high speed.

However, even Jirobou was a little troubled by Kiba and Akamaru’s speed.

(Those two are pretty fast. If we get any further away from Tayuya, we might not be able to protect her in time.)

Tayuya needs to play the flute during battle, and in a melee like the current one with multiple allies and enemies mixed together, she is vulnerable and an easy target. For this reason, Jirobou is guarding Tayuya, but Jirobou’s movements are slower than Kiba’s.

Therefore, Jirobou was unable to leave Tayuya and was unable to chase after Kiba and Akamaru who quickly distanced themselves after the “Fang-Tsuga”.

(But if you can’t keep up, there’s still a way to do it.)

Jirobou grinned, bent over and thrust both his arms into the ground.

“Nuuuuuoooo!”

“Wh-what?!” “Huh…?”

As if in response to Jirobou’s roar, the ground on which Kiba and Akamaru were standing began to shake. The tremors made Kiba and Akamaru suspicious. Their intuition told them that it would be bad to stay here, and they wanted to follow that advice, but the tremors made it difficult for them to move.

And then, the next moment…

“Nuooooowryaaaa!!!”

“Wh, what?!” “Nooooo?!”

Jirobou let out another roar, and threw the earth that Kiba and Akamaru were standing on as if flipping a dining table over. This was one of Jirobou’s greatest techniques, “Earth Release: Earth Release”. It would not have been possible to lift the earth with mere brute strength like this. By permeating the earth with his own chakra and fixing it to a certain size, it became possible to throw such a large lump of earth.

Kiba and Akamaru were thrown along with the huge chunk of earth and screamed in shock.

“It’s bad! It’s bad! It’s bad!!” “Can! Can!?”

The giant chunk of earth that was thrown began to fall due to gravity. Kiba and Akamaru panicked, thinking that if they continued like this, it would crash into the ground along with the earth. They didn’t know what would happen if it crashed into the ground, but it was likely that they would be seriously injured.

“In this situation, I have no choice but to take a gamble and fly!”

Kiba shouted in desperation.

The only way to escape the impact of the fall is to move away from the dirt, but even so, there is still uncertainty. Even if they manage to get away from the dirt at the moment of the fall, the dirt is expected to shatter and fly apart as soon as it hits the ground. Whether they can completely escape from that is unknown, given Kiba and Akamaru’s athletic ability, but it is hard to say that they are safe even if they are on the dirt.

So Kiba left it to chance and jumped off the dirt, trying to get as far away as he could.

However, before Kiba and Akamaru could take action, a helping hand appeared.

“Super doubling technique!”

Chouji, who had been blown away by Ukon, was returning to the battlefield when Kiba and Akamaru happened to be blown there as well. Hearing the screams of Kiba and Akamaru and realizing his comrades were in danger, Chouji immediately took some Currymaru to amplify his chakra, and used the “Super Doubling Technique” to grow larger, successfully catching the lump of earth.

“You saved me, Chouji!”

“Yeah, it’s good. No injuries.”

Kiba, who had been saved, expressed his gratitude to Chouji, who accepted. Chouji then slowly lowered the block of earth, allowing Kiba to safely escape from the predicament.

“I guess you were able to catch it… Oh well.”

Jirobo had been hit with the “Toriku Dango”, but there was no sign of anger on his face.

In the first place, Jirobou didn’t think he could defeat the enemy because the attack earlier wasn’t the normal way to use “Toriku Dango.” Of course, the best thing would be to defeat him, but even if not, it would be great if he could injure him, and if it was the leg, it would reduce his mobility, so that was the best thing.

Because Jirobou had not expected to be able to defeat Kiba, he did not feel discouraged and continued to quietly serve as Tayuya’s guardian.

Tayuya had given up trying to move the three bodies trapped in the “Sand-bound Coffin”. No matter how much she sang to try and move them, the “Sand-bound Coffin”, into which Gaara had poured a considerable amount of chakra, would not budge.

I gave up on moving it, but I didn’t give up on attacking it.

As Tayuya’s playing became more intense and difficult, the three monsters opened their mouths inside the Sandbound Coffin. A translucent monster was born from the open mouth. The monster looked a little like a snake, but it had no eyes and instead had a strange appearance with many mouths all over its body.

The translucent monster’s true identity is a materialized spirit made of only spiritual energy. Because this spirit exists only as spiritual energy, it can pass through objects.

The materialized spirit slipped through the sand of the Sand-Binding Coffin and began to move towards Kankuro and Temari, who were nearby.

“What the hell is this monster?”

“This guy! He managed to slip through Gaara’s sand!”

Temari and Kankuro are confused by the strange monster that suddenly appears.

Kankuro quickly noticed that the spirit was appearing by slipping through the sand, and after he pointed it out, Temari, realizing that she wouldn’t be able to defeat it with a physical attack, quickly attacked with her specialty, Wind Release.

“Wind Release: Great Scythe Weasel Technique!”

Temari opened her giant fan and swung it wildly, sending wind blades flying everywhere. The wind blades hit the materialized spirit’s translucent body without missing their target, slicing it to shreds.

“You did it, Temari!”

“…Not yet!”

Kankuro’s joy at the sight was short-lived, as Temari issued a sharp warning. When Kankuro looked at the spirit again, the cut surface of the materialized spirit had swelled up and become bumpy, and a new mouth had appeared there.

And the reborn materialized spirit attacked Kankuro and Temari again.

“Dammit… crows!”

Kankuro and Temari decided that it was dangerous to come into direct contact with the materialized spirit, so they quickly dodged, and while still dodging, Kankuro controlled his Crow to send poisonous senbon at the materialized spirit.

However, the attack with the 1,000 swords did not reach the spirit and simply slipped through in vain.

“Daaaah! Damn it! Physical attacks don’t work after all!”

Kankuro had understood this when he’d escaped from Gaara’s Sand Binding Coffin, but after once again confirming that physical attacks were ineffective against spirits, he shouted in desperation.

The two were left with no effective means against the monster, which was ineffective against physical attacks and regenerated even from magical attacks.

Although the materialized spirit seemed invincible at first glance, there were two ways to stop it.

The first is to attack Tayuya, the performer, to stop the performance, and the second is to destroy the giant doll that is producing the spirits.

Temari chose the former of the two options, and while dodging the spirit attacks, she aimed her Scythe Technique at Tayuya again.

“Haaa!!”

“Earth Release: Earth Land Return!”

As Temari yelled with determination, she swung the giant fan and countless wind blades attacked Tayuya, but Jirobou stood between Tayuya and the wind blades and lifted up the ground in front of her, creating an earthen wall that blocked the wind blades.

“Tsk!”

“…Gaara!”

Temari clicked her tongue at the fact that her attack had been blocked, and Kankuro, who had been watching the scene, thought it would be difficult to target Tayuya, so he called out to Gaara to destroy the dolls captured in the Sand-bound Coffin. Gaara’s specialty was to capture the dolls in the Sand-bound Coffin and then crush them to death by applying pressure to the sand with Desert Funeral.

Kankuro knew this well and therefore thought that Gaara would be able to destroy the doll, but when Kankuro saw Gaara, he saw an unbelievable sight.

“Damn it…!”

Gaara was sweating profusely and manipulating sand with a desperate look on his face, while Neji was guarding his back with his broken right arm dangling and holding his left hand.And there was Ukon, who was confidently facing off against two men known as geniuses in their respective villages.

Gaara and Neji were standing back to back, and Ukon was running around in circles. Gaara’s sand chased after him, trying to catch his movements, but even without using the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique,” Ukon’s movements were incredibly fast, and the sand was unable to keep up at all.

Unable to keep up with the normal sand’s speed, Gaara tries to manipulate sand over a wide area, but Ukon senses the chakra movement and quickly gets in the way.

Senpo, Suiton, Mizudanha!

Ukon quickly made a hand seal and activated his “Water Cutting Wave,” and a thin line of water was forcefully spat out from his mouth.

The Water Cutoff Wave approached Gaara at high speed, and the Sand Shield stepped in its path to block it. However, the Water Cutoff Wave’s penetrating power, strengthened by Senjutsu chakra, was incredible, and it penetrated the Sand Shield in less than a second.

The Water Cutoff Wave easily pierced the Sand Shield and was about to impale Gaara as well, but Neji pulled Gaara’s body with his left hand and moved him out of the Water Cutoff Wave’s line of fire, narrowly avoiding it.

(Not yet)

Seeing that their attack had been evaded, Ukon poured more chakra into his Water Cutting Wave and tried to redirect it by shaking his head to pursue the two of them, but Gaara managed to counter it by manipulating sand to make a thicker shield, resulting in his attack failing.

However, although he was unable to inflict any injuries on Gaara or Neji, he was able to prevent Gaara from using his powerful technique, so Ukon passed with flying colors.

(This guy… he’s the strongest person I’ve ever fought.)

Gaara was secretly praising Ukon’s strength. If it had been the Gaara of the Chunin Exams, he would have gleefully tried to kill him. For Gaara, who was shunned by the village as the jinchuriki of Shukaku, the One-Tail, and who was desired for death, fighting strong opponents was the only thing that gave him a reason to live.

However, the current Gaara is different, having regained his compassion for others through his fight with Naruto. Rather than fighting a powerful enemy like Ukon to the death, he fights to save the Konoha ninja and his own brother.

Thanks to Gaara’s defensive attitude, the Sound ninjas appeared to be gaining an advantage in the battle, but in fact, a secret and certain crisis was approaching.

The crisis in question is the resurrection of Might Guy. Guy collapses from exhaustion after Jirobou absorbs too much of his chakra, but after eating the Ho-ren-gan that Chouji had, he is able to rapidly recover his chakra while being protected by everyone else.

Ukon, the only one who was aware of this, was growing impatient. He certainly acknowledged their opponent’s strength, and thought that even though they were outnumbered, they and the three who had reached state 2 would be enough to defeat them. But he couldn’t do it. He thought they could win if they just took the time, but it was certain that Guy would be revived by then.

That’s why Ukon decided to take a big gamble here.

(Did you accumulate chakra?)

(That’s enough…)

(Well, let’s do it!)

In the previous battle, Ukon was the only one who had used magic, while Sakon had been taking in as much natural energy as possible. He then used that natural energy to refine his chakra into a large-scale attack, aiming to take down everyone guarding Guy.

Both Ukon and Sakon began making hand seals at the same time, preparing to activate a powerful technique. The two were making hand seals at high speed, but as it was a powerful technique the number of seals was enormous. Neji, who had seen it with his Byakugan, shouted a warning.

“A big move is coming! Everyone be careful!”

After receiving a warning from Neji, Gaara hurled sand at Ukon, Kankuro hurled a kunai with a “crow” design, and Temari hurled a wind blade at him, but Ukon easily dodged them even while making a hand seal. A few seconds later, Ukon and Sakon finished making hand seals.

“Senpou: Suiton: Water Dragon Duet!!”

(Senpou Earth Release Earth Dragon Duel!!)

Ukon activated Water Release and Sakon activated Earth Release.

What appeared on the scene were dragons made of water and earth. Four of each type, a total of eight dragons, stood side by side. The eight dragons stood side by side, raising their heads and looking down on the Konoha and Sand ninja, looking just like the Yamata no Orochi, and in fact this combination of the two techniques was a technique created with reference to Orochimaru’s “Yagi no Jutsu”.

The Konoha and Sand ninja, who had been on guard due to Neji’s warning, were fully aware of the threat of the eight-headed dragon.

“Protect the teachers!”

Just as Ukon and Sakon’s two dragons began to move towards Gai, Shikamaru shouted. Immediately after, the two dragons roared and began to move.

In order to destroy the dragons, the Konoha and Sand ninjas unleashed their respective powerful techniques that they had prepared since Neji’s warning.

“The fifth gate is unlocked!! Konoha’s mighty whirlwind!!” “Super doubling technique!”

Lee unleashed five of his Eight Gate Release techniques and delivered a powerful spin kick to one of the earth dragons, shattering its head.

Chouji also used the “Super Doubling Technique” to grow larger and hit one of the earth dragons with his right fist, successfully shattering it.

“Mixed beastman transformation: Two-headed wolf! Garo-ga!!”

Kiba and Akamaru simultaneously used transformation techniques to transform into a giant two-headed wolf and began spinning at high speed on the spot, one of the earth dragons caught up in the high speed spinning was blown to pieces.

Garoga is a technique in which the user spins at dizzying speeds, and while marking was necessary when attacking an enemy, marking was not necessary when spinning in place to intercept an enemy.

“Shadow imitation technique!! …Choji!”

“Yeah, I got it!”

Then, Shikamaru used Shadow Mimicry to stop the last earth dragon from moving, and Choji took the opportunity to hit it with his left fist, destroying it.

As a result, all of the earth dragons were destroyed, but the water dragons still remained.

And there were still those who tried to stop it.

“Desert Great Spear!!”

Gaara compressed the sand around him to create a giant spear over five meters in length and thrust it forward, piercing the water dragon’s head without missing its target, stopping its movement.

“Summoning: Slash-Slash Dance!!”

“Crow! You’re giving it your all!!”

Temari summoned Kamaitachi and together with Kamaitachi created countless wind blades. One of the water dragons was cut to pieces by the countless wind blades, and the aftershock also injured the two dragons next to it.

At the injured dragon, Kankuro fired over a dozen kunai with explosive tags attached, the most destructive force among the Crows’ weapons. The kunai penetrated the water dragon’s entire body, and the tags exploded inside the dragon, blowing it to pieces.

Then, Neji stepped in to stop the other injured water dragon from attacking Guy.

Bagua Palm Kaiten!!

Neji released chakra from his entire body and spun at high speed, creating a rapidly rotating vortex of chakra. Suiryu charged at the Kaiten using his momentum, but was deflected by the Kaiten’s rapid rotation.

However, the water dragon was still alive and well. It was not going to stop its attack just because it was deflected once, so it charged once more.

However, Suiryuu’s second charge was stopped by a literal side-split, as Gaara once again used the Desert Great Spear to impale Suiryuu once more, destroying him.

Although Neji was saved, he was not at peace.

(Dammit !!)

Neji regretted that he could only deflect the water dragon. He didn’t think for a second that it couldn’t be helped since his right arm was broken. Now, Neji was proud of having been called a genius by Naruto, and didn’t want to use his injury as an excuse to accept his own disappointing results.

And Ukon and Sakon could not hide their surprise at the fact that their combined techniques of “Water Dragon Barrage” and “Earth Dragon Barrage” had all been cancelled out.

(That really surprised me… Are you going to block this combo…?)

(Ah, it seems we were still licking Konoha and Suna.)

Ukon and Sakon had raised the bar on the abilities of the Konoha and Sand ninja, but at the same time, they correctly recognized that their fighting power had been greatly diminished.

Lee, Neji, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru, the four men and one animal, used their own bodies as weapons to destroy the dragons, but suffered great physical damage in the process.

The Eight Gates Technique itself was a technique that put a great strain on the body, and after undergoing major surgery it was tough on Lee’s body, and his whole body was screaming in pain.

Neji’s right arm was broken, but when he used his Kaiten technique to forcibly spin it at high speed, the centrifugal force put a great strain on his right arm and he was brought to his knees in excruciating pain.

Chouji’s body was in pain due to the side effects of Currymaru, and both of his hands were deeply injured from using them to destroy the earth dragon.

Kiba and Akamaru’s stamina and chakra had been drained by the Garofang, and although not as much as the others, they still had wounds all over their bodies as they had used their whole bodies to crash into the earth dragon.

The rest of them, although not injured, were extremely exhausted.

Kankuro has chakra to spare, but with the Black Ants destroyed and the Crows’ weapons heavily depleted, he no longer has the energy to continue the fight.

Temari’s chakra had run out after using the Great Scythe Weasel Technique multiple times and then Summoning: Slash Dance.

The same was true for Shikamaru, who had used the Shadow Imitation Technique multiple times in a short period of time, especially when trying to stop large objects such as giant summoners and earth dragons, which had drained a lot of his chakra.

Even Gaara, the jinchuriki, had his chakra greatly depleted after using “Desert Style” and “Sand Binding Coffin” three times, as well as “Desert Great Spear” twice, and he only had enough chakra left to use a single powerful technique.

All of them were completely injured. None of the Konoha or Sand ninja had any spare strength left, and it seemed that no one was capable of fighting properly.

On the other hand, the Sound Four had plenty of energy to spare. Ukon and Sakon had used up some chakra in their combined attack earlier, but that wasn’t enough to immediately immobilize them.

(It’s all over… damn it… my mistake.)

Shikamaru, who had calmly assessed the situation, twisted his face in frustration. The thought occurred to him that if he had been able to stop Naruto from chasing Sasuke, they might have been able to retreat by now. He could only feel regret for not being able to make other better decisions.

Adversity cannot be overcome by thinking “what if.”

Only those who never give up can overcome adversity.

“I’m sorry everyone for showing such a pathetic performance. Leave the rest to me.”

That’s why a man named Might Guy stood here.

“Guy Sensei!”

“Lee, watch closely as I use this technique. It’s a special move I came up with to defeat Kakashi.”

Responding to Lee’s call, Guy turned toward Ukon and advanced.

His chakra had recovered, but the fatigue and lethargy he had felt when it was depleted had not disappeared. The fracture in his right calf had not healed.

However, the aura that Guy was exuding right now didn’t suggest any of that; instead, he only felt strength.

“Everyone get behind me and strengthen your defenses!”

Wary of Guy, who gives off the vibe that he is about to do something, Ukon gives the instructions to his comrades to defend themselves. Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Tayuya sense that something is not right with Guy and immediately follow Ukon’s orders, gathering together to prepare for defense.

“Everyone gather round! And by the way, Gaara, please protect everyone from the aftermath of the technique I’m about to use.”

Gai responded by ordering everyone to gather together and told Gaara to protect the comrades who had gathered there.

Gaara also sensed the unusual aura emanating from Guy, and responded to Guy’s words by mustering his remaining chakra and creating a thick dome of sand to protect everyone.

Seeing this, Guy leaves the defense to Gaara and begins preparing his technique.

Fifth Morimon, solution Sixth Keimon solution

Before Ukon and the others could fortify their defenses, Guy unleashed the Eight Gates of Release up to the sixth gate. His skin turned brown, the veins all over his body bulged out, and green chakra spurted out from his entire body.

But that’s not all.

Seventh Kakumon, solved!!!

Guy then opens the seventh gate of his Eight Gate Transformation, blue sweat pouring out from his entire body, which evaporates into blue steam.

Guy’s chakra was overwhelming, as he had opened the gate just before the Eighth Gate of Death, which would guarantee death if opened. Everyone present instinctively felt fear as they saw the incredible power surging out of Guy.

However, Guy was the only one who was not satisfied with the current situation.

(As I thought, my chakra is in perfect condition…)

The Eight Gates Release is a technique that releases the brain’s limiter and forcibly draws out chakra to its full potential. However, Gai’s chakra had been sucked almost to the point of depletion until just now, and even though he had been restored by Chouji’s Ho-ren-gan, he was still not in perfect condition.

(But I have no choice! I only have one more strike… The next strike will end this battle!)

When Gai checked his own condition and made up his mind to kill the Oto ninjas with one blow, Ukon and Sakon had also made their minds up.

(Guy’s chakra isn’t at its best either! If we can block the next attack, we still have a chance of winning!)

(Ah! I just used a powerful technique, but I’ll defend myself with all my chakra!)

Ukon and Sakon had sensed Guy’s chakra and knew that he was not in perfect condition.

However, if he were to turn around and try to run away, he would surely be pursued and killed.

Therefore, the two of them chose to defend with all their might. Using all of their chakra and natural energy to defend themselves was the only way they could survive this situation.

Guy stood in front of Ukon and took a stance for a straight punch, ready to deliver a killing blow, but Ukon bit the pad of his finger with his teeth to defend himself, drawing blood, and finished preparing his “Summoning Technique.”

Once both sides have finished their preparations, the moment of clash finally arrives.

“Day Tiger!!!”

Gai launches a punch. It’s just a punch that’s too fast, and the air is pushed out, forming into a tiger that attacks Ukon and the others.

Kuchizose Mie Rashomon!!!

On the other hand, Ukon and Sakon used their remaining Summoning Techniques to summon three huge iron gates with demon faces painted on them in front of them.

“Woohooooo!!!”

“Aaaahhh!!!”

Guy’s spear and Ukon and Sakon’s shields collided, and a thunderous roar echoed through the forest.

“Hirutora” begins to tear apart the first “Rashomon.” There is a loud cracking sound, and after a moment of strife, “Hirutora” pries open the first “Rashomon,” and the tiger charges towards the second “Rashomon.”

Another crash rang out. Perhaps the force used to break the first Rashomon was used to break the second one, but the sound of iron creaking and cracking could be heard from the second Rashomon.

However, before it could penetrate the second Rashomon, Hirutora also reached its limit. Hirutora is an ultra-highly compressed air bullet, and the air concentrated at one point is compressed to its limit before being released all at once. That moment had come.

“Roar!! Hot-blooded!!!”

Guy’s roar coincides with the release of “Hirutora.”

The compressed air was released, creating a shock wave that could only be described as a storm, ravaging the surrounding area. The ground that had been turned into a desert by Gaara was blown away, and nearby trees were broken and toppled by the wind.

As the weak natural objects were blown away and destroyed one after another, the second Rashomon was hit by the strong wind and the door slammed open. Then, together with the first Rashomon, which was in close proximity, the two Rashomon were sent flying into the air by the strong winds of Hirutora.

The shock also hit the remaining third film, “Rashomon.”

The shock was so great that it felt as if Rashomon was about to be pried open at any moment.

But it wouldn’t open because there were people desperately holding it up.

Sakon used his “Weighted Rock Technique” to increase the weight of Rashomon to prevent it from being blown away, and Kidomaru used thread to forcibly glue the gate doors together to prevent them from opening, but even so, the force of Hirutora’s push meant that it was about to fall over, and everyone supported it.

“Aaaahhhh!!!”

“Woohooooo!!”

“Uraaaaah!!!”

“Haaaaah!!!”

Everyone was desperate and had no spare energy.

Will they be overwhelmed, or will they defend it? On the brink of life and death, everyone was doing their best with only one thing in mind: to protect the gate.

“Hirutora”, in which Guy pushes his limits, and “Rashomon”, supported by all four members of Oto.

The outcome of this battle between spear and shield will be…

“Haa… haa… ugh…”

Guy continued to breathe heavily in frustration as he stared straight ahead at the dilapidated gate that looked as if it might collapse at any moment.

“Pant haa phew “

Ukon continues to breathe heavily with relief behind the gate, which has been destroyed to the limit.

This time the winner was the Shield.

There’s probably no need to talk about why we won or lost. It could have gone either way. This time, the Shield won. That was the end result.

However, the successive activation of “Weighted Rock Technique” from “Triple Rashomon” in addition to “Water Dragon Barrage” and “Earth Dragon Barrage” was beyond the limits even for Ukon and Sakon, who had large amounts of chakra.

Having used up all their chakra, the two were sure that Rashomon had completely protected them, and then they fell unconscious as if a switch had been turned off.

“Hey! Ukon!”

“He must have run out of chakra… It’s not surprising. Not after using such powerful techniques in succession.”

Kidomaru was worried about Ukon’s sudden fainting and called out to him, but Ukon didn’t respond. Jirobo saw this and told him his prediction based on his experience absorbing chakra from various people.

Proving this, Ukon’s breathing was steady and he did not appear to be in any danger of dying.

“Well then… I need to make those bastards who’ve done so much for me pay for it.”

“Let’s do that.”

“That’s right…”

After confirming that Ukon was safe, the three of them walked over to the Konoha and Sand ninja. Among them, Kidomaru was carrying Ukon on his back with all four arms.

“Damn… I won’t let you kill the children!”

“Pant pant that’s right, Guy “

Gai and Asuma decided that they wouldn’t let that happen and tried to stand up, but their bodies were shaking violently and looked like they were on the verge of collapsing.

Gai was affected by the shock gate he had opened, and Asuma was affected by the poison, so neither of them were able to fight. The others also had no strength left to resist.

Just as Guy was about to open the Gate of Death as a last resort, he heard a “chi-chi-chi” sound, like a thousand birds chirping.

(No way!)

Gai and the Sound Ninja turned towards the direction of the sound and saw who Gai had expected to see: Hatake Kakashi.

The thought crossed Guy’s mind as to why Kakashi was there, hadn’t he stayed behind to help defend the village?

Kakashi had been left behind as part of the village’s defense forces at the request of Konoha’s higher-ups, but when Tsunade quickly recalled Jiraiya to strengthen the village’s defense forces, Kakashi was sent in as an additional force to rescue Sasuke.

Kakashi, along with his Jonin in charge, Kurenai, who was worried about Kiba, brought in medical ninjas to help with those injured in the battle, but when he saw Gai’s “Hirutora” and realized the fighting was intensifying, he rushed to the scene alone, arriving just in time to save Gai and his friends from peril.

Kakashi, who approached from the blind spot of the Sound ninjas, already had his signature technique, Raikiri, activated in his hand.

“Maz “

“Too slow!!”

Kakashi aimed his Raikiri at Kidomaru. With Ukon on his back, Kidomaru’s mobility was reduced, making him an easy target. If he hit, he could kill two people at once, and if he hit Sakon, he could kill three people in one hit, so he was Kakashi’s target.

“Raikiri” is a super-fast thrust that activates his physical abilities. The speed is such that Kidomaru can’t avoid it now. He twisted his body to try and save at least Ukon and Sakon.

“Raikiri!!”

Kakashi’s Raikiri was unleashed, piercing flesh with a but, making a grotesque sound as blood dripped out.

However, Kidomaru felt no pain in his body. Curious, he raised his head and…

“Gaha.”

“Jirobo!?”

Jirobo was pierced through the left side of his chest by Raikiri while shielding Kidomaru. With an apparently fatal blow, Jirobo vomited blood.

Jirobo received the blow without even having time to activate his Earth Release: Earth Spear. Even if he had been able to activate it, the result would not have been different due to its poor compatibility with the Lightning Release, Raikiri.

“Haa haa… I’m counting on you, Ukon and Sakon…”

With his consciousness about to fade after receiving his fatal wound, Jirobou spoke his last words thinking of Ukon and Sakon. Then, mustering his last bit of strength, he grabbed Kakashi’s arm that was piercing his chest with all his might.

“What?!”

Kakashi was surprised that Jirobou moved despite having landed what was surely a fatal blow.

(I never thought… I’d go this far… but it doesn’t feel so bad.)

A flash of images flashed through Jirobou’s mind. After having been a part of so many evil deeds as Orochimaru’s subordinate, he ended up dying protecting his allies. With a fleeting, self-deprecating smile, Jirobou took his final action.

Jirobou absorbs chakra from Kakashi’s arm.

Jirobo tried to contribute to his allies until the very end by absorbing Kakashi’s chakra until the very end. Eventually he lost consciousness and his heart stopped. But Jirobo’s body still continued to absorb chakra.

“Guh…!”

Realizing that his chakra was being sucked out, Kakashi kicked Jirobou in the stomach with all his might to put some distance between them.

Jirobou’s kicked corpse rolls to the ground.

Although Kidomaru was troubled by the cruel state of the deceased, he took action to fulfill Jirobou’s will.

“Summoning technique!”

Kidomaru summoned a giant spider, laid Ukon on its back and glued him to it with thread.

“GO!!”

Following Kidomaru’s command, the spider tried to escape towards the forest with a rustling sound.

Kakashi tried to step forward to stop him, but Kidomaru spit a spider web-like thread towards his feet, forcing him to step back.

“If you want to get through here, you’ll have to beat me.”

“Hmph! It’s us, you idiots!”

Then, Kidomaru and Tayuya stood in front of Kakashi.

“Hey…I thought you’d run away in a situation like this.”

“You wouldn’t be enough to hold us back by yourself… I thought you’d be the one to say it’s a shitty game and run away.”

“Being left alone to protect your allies is a common occurrence in games. Well… it’s perfect for my last game.”

Despite swearing, neither of them tried to escape. They both felt the same way as Jirobou did at the end. If they were going to die anyway, they wanted to die protecting Ukon and Sakon. That was what they both wanted.

Seeing the determined faces of the two, Kakashi silently made a hand seal and activated “Raikiri” with his right hand again.

Seeing this, Kidomaru clad all six of his arms in armor made from spider glue, a biometal made from threads that had been made as hard as metal, and Tayuya began playing the flute to cast an illusion.

Then Kakashi, Kidomaru, and Tayuya clashed.

Among the Konoha Jonin, Kakashi is well known in other countries as the “Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake,” and the two of them, Kidomaru and Tayuya, are exhausted from the continuous battles. The outcome was obvious.

Kidomaru and Tayuya lived as subordinates to evil men, killed people for their missions in order to survive, and died for their comrades.

The battle ended after just five minutes. It was only five minutes, but those five minutes decided their fate.

After the battle was over, Kakashi was unable to pursue Ukon because he left Gai and the other injured in the care of Kurenai and the medical ninjas and went after Naruto, who had gone after Sasuke by himself.

However, when Kakashi found Naruto, Sasuke was nowhere to be found, and all he found was a bloody, fallen Naruto. The showdown between the two, without any interference, ended exactly as in the original story, with Sasuke reaching Orochimaru’s hideout alone.

Kakashi tried to pursue Sasuke and Ukon using the nose of his summoned ninja dog, but rain began to fall, making it impossible, and the joint mission to rescue Sasuke by the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand villages ended in failure.

“—Hey—hey— pull yourself together! Ukon! Sakon!”

Ukon was awakened by his shoulders being violently shaken and a voice calling his name. Having just woken up, his hazy consciousness gradually became clearer, and his consciousness was sharpened when he saw the face of the person calling his name, Kimimaro.

” Kimaro?! Why are you here?”

“Why did you have to say that? Why were you lying here alone? What happened to the other three?”

“teeth?—“

Hearing Kimimaro’s words, Ukon looks around. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the land turning into a desert due to Gaara’s jutsu, with the trees cut down by Gai’s “Hirutora.” However, the view now was completely different, and he was in the middle of a dense forest.

And the three people who should have been nearby were nowhere to be seen.

“Uchiha Sasuke has already arrived at the hideout, but you guys still hadn’t returned so I came looking for you… What happened?”

Kimimaro was waiting for the return of the Sound Four and Sasuke at his hideout. Kimimaro was a candidate for Orochimaru’s “Immortal Reincarnation” to take over his body, and he himself had intended to do so, but Orochimaru had once become seriously ill and showed no interest in Kimimaro’s body, so he was eliminated as a candidate.

In the end, because Sasuke did not reach the time limit for the side effects of “Immortal Reincarnation”, Orochimaru took over someone else’s body.

Kimimaro trusted the abilities of the Oto Four, and ultimately Ukon and Sakon, and waited for them to return, but he felt that they were returning too late, so he took Karin out to look for them, and discovered Ukon collapsed in the forest a short distance from their hideout.

” “

Ukon has no answer to Kimimaro’s questions. He lost consciousness and has no memory of anything. There is no way he can answer.

Eventually, Karin, who had been standing next to Kimimaro with her eyes closed to concentrate on sensing, opened her eyes and spoke.

“…There’s no chakra from those three within sensing range from here.”

There was no lie in what Karin was saying. Ukon and Kimimaro fell silent, realizing what she meant.

Everyone was silent and the place was enveloped in silence. Thinking that it would be bad for Ukon to remain lying there forever, Kimimaro reached out his hand to Ukon, but then he noticed that Kidomaru’s thread was attached to Ukon’s clothes.

“it is—“

“…This is…”

When Kimimaro pointed at him, Ukon noticed and realized the current situation.

Silence reigned over the room again. Kimimaro was the first to speak.

“I “

“If they died in the line of duty, it would be my fault as the commander. Besides, if you had come, the outcome might have been much worse.”

Ukon interrupts Kimimaro, who is about to say, “If only I had gone to help.”

“Haa… I need to get stronger…”

(Ahh… that’s true…)

Sakon agreed in his mind with the words that came out with a big sigh.

Kimimaro and Karin didn’t respond to the sigh that flowed along with the tears, and not a single person said a word until they returned to their hideout.

Even though three of the Sound Four were missing, the mission to recruit Sasuke was a success.

Ukon, Sakon, and Kimimaro overcame their fate of death, but their expressions were gloomy, while Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Tayuya died, but there was a smile on their face at the end.

Ukon and Sakon felt as if a devil was laughing somewhere.

I was really, really worried about how to end it, but this is the end of the Sasuke Recruitment arc.
Next time, I’ll be writing about his training before entering Shippuden.

Training
Plan

Although Ukon and Sakon succeeded in recruiting Sasuke, they lost three comrades, but they were not scolded by Orochimaru.

While Orochimaru was happy that Sasuke had visited the Hidden Sound Village, he did show a little disappointment in Ukon and Sakon, who had lost their three comrades, saying, “That’s true…you guys aren’t perfect after all,” but that was all.

That comment from Orochimaru didn’t particularly anger the two of them, they didn’t care that they had lost a little of Orochimaru’s trust.

What he felt was a sense of powerlessness towards himself, loneliness towards his teammates, and anxiety about the future.

If the story progresses according to the original, the story of “NARUTO” will enter the Shippuden arc in two and a half years. As the story of “NARUTO” progresses, the strength of both enemies and allies increases, and the inflation of strength accelerates.

In particular, once the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, the enemies will be all powerful figures who have made their mark in history, and the battlefield will become one in which past Kages and tailed beasts, led by the Ten-Tails, will go on a rampage.

Ukon and Sakon keenly felt that if they did not become stronger by then, they would not be able to even protect their own lives. The two of them were determined to train even harder, knowing that their lives were only possible because of their comrades.

However, there are many different types of strong people, and each type of strong person is skilled in fighting by making full use of their own strengths.

Ukon and Sakon wanted to clarify what type of strong person they wanted to become as they undertook their two and a half years of training.

In their room, Ukon and Sakon faced a blank sheet of paper and tried to come up with a plan for their training.

“First, let’s think about our strengths. From there, we should consider what direction we should take our training.”

“That’s right… I guess the only strength we have is the twin demons’ attack.”

The Twin Demon Attack is quite unique even among the Bloodline Genkai. There is no way to not make use of it, but Ukon has trained the Twin Demon Attack to the point where it can be used as an applied technique in place of medical ninjutsu, and it doesn’t seem like there is much room for further training. However, he will consider it further just in case.

“If we were to further train the twin demons’ attack… for example, could we fuse with the opponent’s body and destroy it in an instant so we could escape?”

“Or we could force natural energy into them and turn the animals into stone, but both of those are pretty risky…”

Attacking while fusing. Or fusing and pushing natural energy onto others. It may seem simple on paper, but it’s not that simple.

Using “Twin Demon Attack” to fuse with an opponent and destroy them from within requires great precision, as attacking recklessly in the fused state would result in injury to the two of them as well.

It would be the same if they were to force natural energy onto someone; not only would Ukon and the others run the risk of being turned to stone, but if the other person had a massive amount of chakra, they wouldn’t be able to turn them into an animal, and instead they would end up giving natural energy to the other person, which could end up just sending salt to them.

“More importantly… I think we need to improve the quality of the fusion. You understand what I’m trying to say, right?”

“Well, I suppose so…”

“Improve the quality of the fusion and completely absorb the other person’s…or rather, Hashirama’s cells. In the original story, if we can do this more than Yamato or Madara, we can become stronger more easily, right?”

Incorporating cells from others to strengthen oneself was a fairly popular method in the world of “NARUTO.”

Kakuzu uses the forbidden technique “Jien-yu” to absorb another person’s heart along with its meridians, allowing him to obtain the chakra properties of the heart’s owner.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kabuto absorbed and utilized the genetic information of various ninjas, and one way of utilizing this was by using his “Twin Demon Attack” to unleash the techniques of the Sound Five one after another.

There are many other cases where people have gained powers by transplanting parts of other people’s bodies, such as Kakashi who has had the Sharingan transplanted, and Danzo and Obito who have had one of their arms replaced with a prosthetic made from Hashirama Cells.

In particular, Hashirama Cells are special. As they are referred to as if they were proper nouns, they boast properties that set them apart from other people’s cells.

First, those who receive Hashirama Cells have a significant increase in physical energy. Hashirama Cells are so full of vitality that they remain youthful forever after the person they are transplanted with dies, and their vitality is so great that they attempt to grow into a tree using the chakra of the person they are transplanted into as food. One wrong step can mean the death of the recipient, and these cells are extremely dangerous, but on the other hand, if they are compatible, they can supply the recipient with an enormous amount of chakra.

Next, if the compatibility rate is high, you will be able to use Mokuton. Mokuton is a highly versatile technique that can be used for attack, defense, and support. Being able to use it is a great advantage.

Performance differs depending on compatibility rate, but in Ukon and Sakon’s case, if they could make up for the compatibility rate with “Twin Demon Attack”, or even use Mokuton on the same scale as Hashirama and Madara, it was not a dream.

If it was so easy and convenient to increase fighting power, why had Ukon and Sakon never absorbed other people’s cells up until now?The answer had to do with Ukon’s feelings.

Sakon talks about his thoughts on this.

I know you don t want to put another being into your body. You re already tied to me because of that demon I understand your aversion to putting any more foreign objects into your body. But you know this is the easiest way to become stronger, and if you can get compatible with the Hashirama Cells, you can become insanely strong, right?

I ve known you for a long time now. I don t feel any reluctance anymore. Besides, I also know how it feels when you don t have enough power. So I have no doubts.

Hearing Sakon’s words, Ukon’s doubts were cleared up. He wrote down on a piece of paper that fusion with Hashirama’s cells was the first option for his training.

At that moment, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him, Sakon spoke up.

“Just to be clear, if you obtain the Sharingan or another of the three great pupil techniques, do you plan on transplanting it?”

“In the first place, it’s difficult to obtain and the risks are high… If I’m lucky enough to get my hands on it, I’ll consider it, but I’d rather not go after it.”

The only way for Ukon and Sakon to obtain the Three Great Eye Techniques is to steal them from others. However, the act of stealing is likely to bring resentment from others. For Ukon and Sakon, who want to survive, being retaliated against is something they want to avoid.

“Well then, I guess I’ll think about it again when I acquire the eye technique… is there anything else?”

“That’s right… Maybe we could take in genetic information from people other than Hashirama?”

“for example?”

“It’s Sasuke’s genes. Sasuke is the current reincarnation of Indra, and if we incorporate Hashirama’s cells, then maybe we’ll be able to obtain a portion of the power of the Six Paths as well.”

The history of the ninja in this world began with the Sage of the Six Paths. The Sage’s sons, Ashura and Indra, were brothers, and they inherited the powers of the Sage’s spiritual and physical energy, respectively, but they came to fight due to differences in ideology. The conflict between the two continued even after their deaths, and whenever their souls were reincarnated, those who contained the chakra of both men fought each other.

The current reincarnations are Naruto and Sasuke, and the previous reincarnations were Hashirama and Madara.

It was said that by obtaining both Ashura and Indra’s chakra, one could transform into the original chakra of the Six Paths Sage and obtain the Rinnegan, the symbol of the power of the Six Paths.

However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get it.

First of all, in the original work, the only people who awakened the Rinnegan were Madara and Sasuke. Both of them were reincarnations of Indra and were members of the Uchiha clan, so it was only natural that they had the Sharingan.

In other words, the conditions for awakening the Rinnegan could be that the reincarnation of Indra needed to obtain Asura’s chakra, or that a person with the Sharingan needed to obtain both Asura’s and Indra’s chakra.

“The power of the Six Paths, huh… It would be powerful if you could obtain it, but Pain, Obito, and even Zetsu would be wary of it. Even if you did obtain it, you wouldn’t be able to show it off.”

“That’s right, even if you are lucky enough to get your hands on it, you’ll have to keep your training secret, and if you use your power, you’ll have to be prepared to eliminate all witnesses.”

Currently, the only person who possesses the Rinnegan is Nagato, who calls himself Pain Six Paths and is the leader of Akatsuki. The Rinnegan originally belonged to Madara and was an important piece of Madara and Obito’s plan for Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Furthermore, the power of the Six Paths is the only power that can seal away Kaguya Otsutsuki, who was the de facto final boss of “NARUTO.”

Therefore, if Ukon and Sakon were to obtain the Rinnegan, they would inevitably be pursued by those who knew of its power, and in some cases, they might even be pursued by all members of Akatsuki.

“For now, let’s leave aside the possibility of obtaining Asura and Indra’s chakra and awakening the power of the Six Paths as one possibility… other candidates would be the previous Five Kage.”

Ukon proposed to take in the cells of the previous Five Kage. The previous Kage are all top class, even excluding those who are out of the ordinary like Hashirama and Madara. If he could obtain their power, he should be able to become strong enough.

“Specific candidates are the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, the Third Raikage, whose real name is unknown, and the Third Kazekage. Apart from the Third Kazekage, all of them are Kage who played an active role during the Fourth Shinobi World War.”

“I see… it’s true, they had a presence that rivaled the power of Hashirama, Madara, and the Sage of the Six Paths.”

Sakon was impressed by the specific examples Ukon gave.

The second Tsuchikage can use a powerful technique called Jinton, which combines the three properties of fire, wind, and earth. He can also fly and has the ability to become invisible, making him an extremely powerful and troublesome person.

The second Mizukage is a ninja who fought to the death against the second Tsuchikage. He is a fierce warrior who fights trickily, making full use of the Hozuki clan’s unique technique of turning his body into water and powerful genjutsu. He can also use a powerful self-propelled bomb-like technique called “Steam Violence” that can be used repeatedly.

The Third Raikage was a ninja who used lightning chakra to activate his physical abilities and unleash his taijutsu skills, and was a top-class ninja in terms of speed, power, and durability. Of course, simply absorbing the cells wouldn’t give him the durability of the Third Raikage, but even so, if he could at least gain speed and power, he would become quite strong.

The Third Kazekage is a ninja who fights by using a powerful bloodline limit called Jiton, which allows him to control magnetic energy, to manipulate iron sand, and was called the strongest Kazekage of all time due to his high level of skill. In the original work, he was killed by Akatsuki no Sasori and appeared as a human puppet, where he demonstrated an extremely powerful Jiton.

“Other candidates who are likely to have aptitude for the Flying Thunder God Technique and Space-Time Ninjutsu include the Second Hokage and the Fourth Hokage. In addition to them, we should also include holders of rare Kekkei Genkai, such as Kimimaro of the Corpse Vein, Shiro of Ice Release, and others such as Storm Release and Melted Release…”

The Second and Fourth Hokage were able to teleport using a space-time ninjutsu technique called the “Flying Thunder God Technique.” The “Flying Thunder God Technique” was a highly advanced technique, and only the two of them were able to use it alone without the need for preparation or handrails.

Ukon then mentions the names of various other bloodline limits, including Kimimaro and Shiro as holders of bloodline limits.

Once a mountain of cell transplant candidates had been identified, Sakon spoke his mind aloud.

“In that case, why don’t we just try absorbing as many cells as we can? I think it would make us really strong.”

“Hmm… No, I don’t.”

In response to Sakon’s question, Ukon thought deeply before denying it.

“Why?”

“Even if you could use the abilities of all the cells you’ve taken in, you would still need training to use them properly. On top of that, you would also need to train in the Twin Demons’ attacks to draw out the power of the cells you’ve taken in. So I think it would be better to limit it to just one person, or at most two, and then train to use them properly.”

In the original story, Kabuto uses the powers of the Sound Five one after another, but Ukon wonders whether he was really able to use them properly.

Being able to use the techniques of someone you have absorbed and being able to master the talents of someone you have absorbed are completely different things.

For example, in the case of Kabuto, he was able to use Kimimaro’s “Corpse Bone Vein”, but that only enabled him to activate “Early Fern Dance”. Fighting with bones growing from the whole body is a technique that requires experience and training, and it is hard to imagine that he could have handled it with the same skill as Kimimaro.

On the other hand, it was thought that the reason Madara was able to master Hashirama’s Mokuton after he had been reincarnated was not only because of his great ability, but also because he had been Hashirama’s rival for many years and was therefore well versed in Mokuton.

Additionally, when it came to advanced techniques such as Dust Release and Space-Time Ninjutsu, even if one absorbed cells and gained the aptitude, it was highly unlikely that they would be able to be activated easily.

“For example, I think it would be okay to incorporate cells if you just wanted to gain a unique constitution like Suigetsu, Karin, or Juugo, but if you want to master the arts, I don’t think the training period would be long enough.”

“That’s true… if you absorb the Third Raikage’s Raiton chakra, you’ll likely be overwhelmed by his speed and power for a while.”

“Ah, after all, it is only an external power, not a power acquired through training. If you take in too much of it, you will only end up being pushed around.”

Hearing Ukon’s words, Sakon wrote down the names of all the previous Five Kage and rare Kekkei Genkai on a piece of paper as a second option for incorporating cells other than Hashirama’s.

Among the many candidates, Sakon noticed that one name was missing.

“What will we do with the abilities of those who are dead? It might be possible to substitute the powers of Jirobou and Tayuya with the cells of other ninjas, but I think Kidomaru’s power is quite rare… If we are to live for them, wouldn’t it be an idea to inherit their powers?”

“Well… that’s true… let’s consider their powers as well.”

Ukon thought about it deeply and for a long time, but then accepted that he would inherit the power of the Sound Four.

The battle between Jirobo, Kidomaru and Tayuya was over. Ukon had tried to refuse to use his power for anything, but after some thought he changed his mind.

Ukon’s face as he accepted the inheritance of the three’s powers was not one of sadness or worry; rather, it was one of determination to simply live life to the fullest.

“However, what we should really inherit from them is not their power, but their will. If they choose for us to live, then we need to gain strength in order to survive. If they feel that we need their power for that, then I will gladly inherit it.”

“…Then I’ll write down the names of those three as candidates.”

Sakon understood Ukon’s resolve and wrote the three names on a piece of paper. The names were written down, and the two were reminded once again that the three had died, but there was no time to stop.

“Let’s put an end to this somber topic… let’s think about the next candidate.”

After considering the Twin Demons’ Attack and the issue of absorbing cells, Ukon offered his opinion on the next method of training.

“I have an opinion. Instead of just relying on the attacks of the Twin Demons and ninjutsu, why not also consider mastering martial arts? Our limbs are twice as long as normal people’s, and we can use them from any direction, which is one of our strengths. If we master martial arts, we should be able to become even stronger.”

Originally, Ukon and Sakon’s main fighting method in the original work was taijutsu. After being reincarnated, the two tried their hand at ninjutsu and senjutsu to become stronger, but Ukon suggested they return to their roots and focus on taijutsu.

“Oh… is it Guy’s influence?”

“Yes, I experienced it in this battle, but the Eight Gates are indeed powerful. Up until now I hadn’t done much muscle training because I thought it would hinder physical growth, but I think it’s a good idea to train your body and taijutsu.”

Might Guy is clearly a strong character in Naruto. In a desperate bid to save his life, he fully activates the Eight Gates Formation, and displays enough power to corner Madara, who had become the Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails.

Even if it wasn’t opened to that extent, if it could be opened to the Keimon or Kyomon, it would be as powerful as any Kage before it.

“I’m sure I can open the Eight Gates if I practice and apply the Twin Demons’ attacks. If I add that to the tactics using light and heavy rocks and weighted rocks, I think I can become even stronger in close combat than before.”

“It’s unclear how strong he’ll become, but there’s a chance he could become even stronger than when he had the Hashirama Cells transplanted into him… That’s good, taijutsu is my third choice.”

“Eight Gates Release” is a technique that forcibly releases the meridians and draws out more chakra than is possible. Talent is required to open the Eight Gates, but Ukon and Sakon, who had trained their “Twin Demon Attack” and excelled in body manipulation, had a high chance of opening them with practice.

And the taijutsu works well with the ?Light and Heavy Rock Technique? and ?Weighted Rock Technique? that he had been using up until now. It would be difficult to combine taijutsu and magic, but it could also be said that this is what would make him stronger.

Sakon accepted Ukon’s suggestion and added strengthening taijutsu as a third option on the paper. He then gave his own opinion on how to train taijutsu.

“If I’m going to train my taijutsu, I should also consider modifying my soft skills. I didn’t place much importance on taijutsu, so I put it off learning it, but I’m sure it will be quite useful if I fight using taijutsu.”

“Also, there’s the frog martial art that Naruto used in the original work. The principle behind it is a little hard to understand, but it’s probably a form of chakra control. I think that would also be useful in close combat.”

“Soft Modification” is a technique often used by Orochimaru and his subordinates, which involves using chakra to soften the bones and joints of the body, but in close combat the wide range of motion in the joints and the ability to stretch and flex like whips give an immense advantage.

“Frog Kumite” was a martial art used by Naruto when he became a sage; it was a technique that manipulated natural energy to expand the range of attack, and was also a useful martial art.

Next to the words “training martial arts” that he had written on the paper, Ukon added “Eight Gates,” “Soft modification,” and “Frog Kumite” in small letters.

“Is that all for martial arts?”

“That’s right… It’s a little different from martial arts, but is carrying a weapon also an option?”

As a spin-off from his talk on physical techniques, Sakon brought up the topic of weapon techniques.

“Hmm, it may be usable as a sub-weapon, but it would be difficult to use it as your main weapon… Besides, it’s a low rating if your fighting power decreases when you lose your weapon. I’d consider it if you had a weapon at least on par with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen…”

“What about channeling chakra into your weapon to make it stronger? Sasuke, Killer Bee, and Asuma are strong that way, right?”

“I think that’s possible. However, I think that the so-called chakra flow technique is only strong when used by ninja with high offensive ability, such as fire, wind, or lightning, which can change their properties. We, who are water and earth, may not be able to use it properly.”

“That’s true. If it’s water, it’s like a water jet, which increases the cutting power, and if you cover it with earth, it becomes a hard, heavy, blunt weapon. Certainly, in that case, it seems like a Water Cutting Wave and Weighted Rock would be enough…”

Ukon offers many negative opinions regarding weapon techniques and chakra flow.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen are famous for being ninja who use weapons, but it could also be said that there are few ninja who fight primarily with weapons unless they have weapons as powerful as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

In the first place, most ninjas fight mainly using ninjutsu. This meant that many of them wanted to keep both hands free to make hand gestures, and as a result, few ninjas carried weapons.

Among these weapon techniques, a very powerful technique is Chakra Flow, which was mainly used by Sasuke in the original work. However, the ability of this technique is greatly affected by the nature change of the user, and for Ukon and Sakon, who have nature changes of water and earth, which have relatively low offensive performance, it was not appealing enough to force themselves to use it.

“Even if weapon skills are the main focus, for example, one person could wield a weapon and handle close combat, while the other uses ninjutsu, so that a combination of both weapons and ninjutsu might be the strongest.”

“A division of roles between weapons and ninjutsu… that seems like it would make the battle more stable.”

“Then let’s write it down on paper. It will be something separate from martial arts though…”

Ukon added a fourth option to his paper: the use of weapons and ninjutsu together.

And, as they could find no further information that would be useful in training their martial arts or weapon skills, the two decided to think about their next training candidate.

“As for the next candidate…after physical training, I think I need to perfect my ninjutsu, or rather my senjutsu, even more than before.”

“That is of course one option. However, if you simply want to increase the number of property transformations you can use, or be able to use your Kekkei Genkai, or simply master your ninjutsu, it would be more efficient to train yourself to absorb and use the cells of others.”

“That’s true…”

Sakon is troubled by Ukon’s comment, but eventually comes up with an answer other than simply training his ninjutsu.

“Like, changing the properties of the Rasengan or mastering sealing techniques…”

“I see. Those kinds of techniques don’t give you aptitude just by absorbing someone’s genes, and there are many benefits to mastering them.”

After hearing Sakon’s proposal, Ukon nodded vigorously in approval.

First of all, adding nature changes to the Rasengan is an extremely difficult technique that no one other than Naruto could have done in the original Naruto. Minato, who developed the Rasengan, became Hokage at a young age and lived a busy life before passing away, so it’s possible that he didn’t have enough time to train, but even Jiraiya, who taught the Rasengan to Naruto, was unable to use it even 16 years after Minato’s death.

It was unclear whether Ukon and Sakon would be able to master it in two and a half years, but if they did, there was no doubt that it would become an extremely powerful special move.

Next, regarding sealing techniques, in the original work, many of them were used to deal with the dead who had been reborn in the Edo Tensei, but they can also be used without any problems against the living. Considering that the decisive blow against Kaguya Otsutsuki, the final boss in the original work, was also a sealing technique, it could be said to be the strongest technique in the sense that it can stop the opponent with certainty if it works on them.

Of course, a powerful enemy cannot be sealed away so easily, so Ukon and Sakon’s fighting strength would also be needed. But even taking that into account, the idea of ??winning if they could hit the target was very appealing.

Ukon and Sakon were already capable of using sealing techniques such as “Four Black Fog Formation” and “Black Seal,” but learning even more powerful techniques was a perfectly reasonable option.

Ukon wrote down on a piece of paper that training to change the properties of the Rasengan was the fifth option, and training in sealing techniques was the sixth option.

“Right. Now I need to practice so I can use Shadow Clone and Senjutsu together…”

“Indeed, I had given up on the idea that we would be able to use it with the amount of chakra we have right now, but assuming that our chakra output increases as we grow, there’s a good chance we’ll be able to use it.”

Ukon agreed to Sakon’s idea of ??practicing the Shadow Clone Technique, remembering the past.

In fact, Ukon and Sakon had tried using the same Senjutsu and Shadow Clone Technique as Naruto did in the original work, but the attempt ended in failure.

First of all, the basic premise is that in order to safely use senjutsu chakra, an abundant amount of chakra is required. The more chakra the caster has, the greater the maximum amount of natural energy they can safely absorb. Ukon and Sakon felt that 30 to 40 percent of the caster’s chakra was the guideline for stable use of natural energy without transforming it into an animal. Anything less than that would not be enough to enter sage mode, and the technique would only be strengthened to the point where the effects of senjutsu chakra could not be felt.

And because the Shadow Clone Technique creates clones that divide the chakra equally, the amount of natural energy that can be absorbed is inevitably drastically reduced by the number of people created with the Shadow Clone Technique. And because the amount of natural energy that can be absorbed is drastically reduced, it becomes more difficult to control the Senjutsu chakra.

Let’s assume that Ukon has a chakra amount of 1,000. The amount of natural energy he can absorb at this time is 300 to 400.

If Ukon were to create one clone using Shadow Clone Technique, the chakra content of both Ukon and the clone would be 500, and the amount of natural energy that could be stably handled would be 150 to 200. If two clones were created, the chakra content would be around 330, and the natural energy would be around 100 to 130.

It is clear that the more clones you create, the less chakra you have and the less natural energy you can take in. What I really want you to pay attention to here is the difference between the upper and lower limits of the amount of natural energy you can handle stably.

Without clones, the difference is 300 to 400, which is 100, but with one clone the difference is 50, and with two clones the difference is 30. These numbers must be handled with care during battle. If they get too low, Sage Mode will be cancelled, and if they get too high, the user will turn into an animal.

If we compare this to driving a car, when there are no clones, it is enough to drive between 100 and 200 kilometers per hour, but when there are two clones, it is necessary to drive between 100 and 130 kilometers per hour. If we imagine it during a battle, it is like a car chase, and even more so, it feels like a bomb is set to explode immediately if you go below or above the speed limit. It requires a level of skill that is superhumanly difficult, like a car chase in a Hollywood movie.

Due to the extreme difficulty, Ukon and Sakon decided that it would be impossible to use both Senjutsu and Shadow Clone Technique together until they had more chakra. So instead of practicing using both techniques together, they used that time for other training.

However, as you can see from watching Naruto’s battles in the original work, the compatibility of Senjutsu and the Shadow Clone Technique is quite good. Not only does it increase the number of moves, but it also allows Senjutsu chakra to be returned in an emergency, and since Ukon and Sakon’s clones can also use the Twin Demon Attack, there was a high possibility that they could transform into the Asura-like form that Naruto and the Nine Tails showed in the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke.

Although it was extremely difficult to combine Senjutsu with the Shadow Clone Technique, it was a technique worth practicing.

“The combined use of Shadow Clone and Senjutsu is definitely on the list of training candidates.”

“Even if I do get a transplant of someone else’s cells, I might need to practice using it in conjunction with a shadow clone…”

“That’s right. Putting aside the question of whether or not I will transplant the cells, once I have more chakra and more time to train, I will begin training in Kage Bunshin.”

This would come after Ukon and Sakon’s chakra levels had increased, but the combined use of Shadow Clone Technique and Senjutsu was written down on paper as a training plan for the seventh candidate.

By the way, Ukon and Sakon don’t often make use of the Shadow Clone Technique to improve the efficiency of their training.

This is because there is always a risk of death when training using the Shadow Clone Technique. The reason Naruto was able to train while creating so many clones is because the Nine Tails’ chakra leaked out before he could use up all his chakra and avoid death. Even a ninja with as much chakra as Naruto would have easily come close to death dozens of times if he had been training like that.

The only times Ukon and Sakon use the Shadow Clone Technique in training are when they are training in a way that doesn’t consume chakra. Specifically, they train in taijutsu to the point where the Shadow Clone doesn’t disappear, or when they are studying in a classroom to learn the hand signs.

“For now, I’ll practice my shadow clones when the time is right, but is there anything else you need to do besides changing the properties of your Rasengan and practicing sealing techniques?”

“The only thing left is genjutsu. But we’re not very good at genjutsu…”

“That’s right. I guess I should only train in genjutsu when I receive the cells of a strong genjutsu user…like when I receive the cells of the Second Mizukage whose name I mentioned earlier.”

Ukon and Sakon were not very good at genjutsu, and since they had a strong genjutsu user named Tayuya as their ally, they did not have much training in genjutsu.

Therefore, he decided to train the genjutsu when he transplanted cells from a ninja who was renowned as a genjutsu user.

“Hmm… I can’t really think of anything else. I’ve put together quite a few candidates… I wonder if there was something else…”

Sakon groaned as he looked at a piece of paper with a number of possible training plans written on it.

While Ukon was also considering other candidates, he came up with a new one.

“I’ve got one more idea… except it’s a lot more dangerous than the others.”

“What is that?”

“To become a jinchuriki.”

Sakon was shocked by Ukon’s shocking statement and froze up for a moment, but he quickly sprung into action and vigorously rejected Ukon’s suggestion.

“No, no, no, if you become a jinchuriki, won’t Akatsuki target you? It’s too dangerous. Basically, who are you planning to take it from? If we take it from the jinchuriki by force, we’ll naturally have to prepare for a war with the village. Plus, we’ll have to think of a way to take it and a way to seal it within us…”

“We need to take measures against the Akatsuki, but when it comes to tailed beasts, there’s only one, right? The Three Tails, swimming freely in a vast lake.”

“Ah… Now that you mention it, he was there…”

Isonade of the Three-Tails was currently the only tailed beast that was not sealed inside anyone and was not under the control of any hidden village. Ukon and Sakon did not know why this was, but it was far less risky than trying to defeat other jinchuriki and extract their tailed beasts.

“But still… if you think about the possibility of fighting Akatsuki, isn’t the risk too high?”

“That’s certainly true, but on the other hand, if we secure the Three Tails and defend them to the death, it will be much more difficult for the Ten Tails to be revived. Although, considering that Obito was controlling the Fourth Mizukage, who was a jinchuriki, he may have some spare material to make the Three Tails.”

The power of the Ten Tails is essential for the Infinite Tsukuyomi that Madara and Obito were trying to perform. And to revive the Ten Tails, the chakra of the First Tails to the Nine Tails was needed. Therefore, if Ukon and Sakon could become the Jinchuriki of the Three Tails, the possibility of the Ten Tails reviving would be significantly reduced as long as they were not defeated.

However, in the original work, the last jinchuriki of the Three-Tails was Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, and it is known that Yagura was controlled by Obito’s Sharingan for a long period of time, so it was quite possible that his chakra was harvested at that time.

“Well… I understand what you’re trying to say. But… isn’t it too risky to be targeted by Akatsuki?”

“That is certainly true. But surely if you are able to control the power of a tailed beast as a jinchuriki then you can become quite strong?”

The power of the tailed beasts, which have chakra quantities dozens of times greater than those of an average Jonin, is so great that many of the jinchuriki belonging to hidden villages are treated as strategic weapons by the villages.

This is why the power of Akatsuki, the organization that hunted down the Jinchuriki in the original work, stands out.

“The Akatsuki also knows how to use the technique from their knowledge of the original work. If they can control their power as the jinchuriki of the Three Tails, I think the majority have a chance of winning. It’s the top ranks that are the problem.”

“Well… I think it’ll be easier to fight since I know the plot from the original work.”

The members of the Akatsuki organization are strong, excluding Zetsu, whose mission is reconnaissance and intelligence. However, if Ukon and Sakon, who knew the techniques and tactics of the original work and had become the Three-Tails’ jinchuriki and become stronger, they would have had a good chance of winning as long as they took precautions.

However, it was clear that they would face a tough fight against ninjas with high fighting abilities and adaptability, such as Pain, Itachi, Kisame, and Kakuzu, all of whom were among the Akatsuki’s most skilled.

“Well, I’m still against it. In the worst case scenario, we’ll be chased by Madara during the Fourth Shinobi World War, right? And then there’ll be the whole Shinobi Alliance thing too. The Raikage tried to kill Naruto to stop the Ten-Tails from being resurrected, so now that we’ve become the jinchuriki of the Three-Tails, there’s a good chance we’ll be targeted by both the Akatsuki and the Alliance.”

“I see… that’s true.”

Ukon is convinced by Sakon’s logical rebuttal.

“Even if you manage to hide the fact that you are a jinchuriki as best you can, the Akatsuki will certainly be desperate to find you.”

“That’s right, so the question is how much we can fool someone like Zetsu who is skilled in intelligence and reconnaissance… the risk is too great.”

“Compared to the return of not completing Infinite Tsukuyomi, or having it delayed even further than the original, it’s an unavoidable risk… but it’s certainly a big risk.”

The “Infinite Tsukuyomi” plan is a plan to cast an illusion on everyone in the world, trapping all of humanity in a dream world. Once “Infinite Tsukuyomi” is activated, there is no way to escape except for those who possess the power of the Six Paths.

Ukon and Sakon’s goal is to live in this world, not to live in a world whose future is closed off by Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Therefore, becoming a jinchuriki in order to thwart the plan was extremely important.

Seeing that Ukon was still troubled even after being told of the enormous risks, Sakon decided to write down a proposal as one possible option.

“Well… as you say, the payoff from becoming a jinchuriki and not completing Infinite Tsukuyomi would be huge. I’ll write on the paper that you are a candidate to become the jinchuriki of the Three Tails.”

“Sorry…”

“That’s a good thing.”

Ukon apologized for Sakon going against his will and accepting the idea of ??becoming a jinchuriki. Sakon brushed it off and wrote on a piece of paper that he would become the eighth candidate to become the jinchuriki of the Three-Tails.

“There’s quite a few ideas.”

“That’s right… the question is what to choose from now on.”

The number of possible training plans that Ukon and Sakon came up with swelled to an incredible number, and they were racking their brains over which one to choose.

In the initial plan, I was thinking of injecting Hashirama cells into Ukon and Sakon, and giving birth to a pair of Hashirama cell brothers! However, if they are to power up by absorbing cells like Kabuto, I think there are many other options besides Mokuton, so I am wondering how Ukon and Sakon should grow.
So, since Hameln has a convenient feature called a survey (thank you as always, admins), and some people have written various ideas in their comments, I would like to decide the direction of Ukon and Sakon’s growth through the survey! (Yo! Don Don ? Puff Puff ?) There
are a whopping 18 options for the survey! That’s too many (Kisame style).
I think I will use two of the most voted options for Ukon and Sakon and enter the Shippuden arc. However
, the options of awakening the Rinnegan and becoming the jinchuriki of the Three Tails may be used separately.
In the case of the Rinnegan, it is because the option of transplanting cells from Hashirama and Sasuke (where are Madara’s cells?) is essentially combined, so training in the Rinnegan and Mokuton is required at the same time. In the case of the Jinchuriki, training in the technique of sealing the Three-Tails within oneself, controlling the power of the Three-Tails, building a cooperative relationship through conversation with the Three-Tails, etc. is required. I think it is unrealistic to do other training while doing these things.

I have given a certain number of options, but I think that readers may have other ideas. In that case, please kindly (important!) let me know in the activity report (sorry. I originally wrote it in the comments section, but it seems to violate the terms of use, so I will post it in the activity report. Sorry for the inconvenience) “Isn’t this kind of power-up possible?”
Normally, when I receive comments that include such predictions of future developments, I think, “Someone is writing the same thing as the future development I was thinking about! What should I do… should I change the development?” and it’s difficult to reply, so I would appreciate it if you could stop doing so, but this time you can send them as much as you like.
However! (Very important) Even if your work is adopted, please never say something like “It’s because of my idea that this work became interesting!” as this will cause trouble. In addition, even if your work is not adopted, please never say something like “It’s strange that my idea wasn’t adopted!” as this will also cause trouble.
If any trouble occurs because of this work, I cannot take responsibility. I will immediately consult with the management and take the correct measures, but there is a high possibility that I will delete this work after that. Please stop.

Also, I would like to write a short story as an if story about the options that were not selected for the main story at some point, so I would appreciate it if readers could choose their favorite option.

Finally, I would like to take about two weeks for the survey period before moving on to writing the rest, so I think the next update will be after December.
Please wait for the next update.
The following are candidates:
The ultimate cells! Brothers made entirely of Hashirama cells are born!
The great power of the Six Paths Sage! Awakening of the Rinnegan!
If it hits it’s the strongest! The Second Tsuchikage’s Jinton!
Toy with them using mist! The Second Mizukage’s genjutsu and water transformation!
Lightning fast! The overwhelming lightning of the Third Raikage!
A mass of versatility! The Third Kazekage’s Magnetic Release!
Space-time ninjutsu is the fastest and strongest! The power of the Fourth Hokage!
It can be used as both the strongest shield and spear! Kimimaro’s corpse veins!
Combining high speed movement with absolute zero! White Ice Release!
Your dazzling power will illuminate your enemies! Shine with the power of Storm Release!
The power of the earth! A huge eruption with the power of molten metal!
Inherit the thoughts and powers! The Four Sound Men are here!
Youth! Passionate! The strongest! Master your martial arts!
No blind spots! Weaponry and ninjutsu!
Surpass the Fourth Hokage! Complete the Rasengan!
Non-killing is the ultimate victory! Shut him down completely with sealing techniques!
Battles are all about numbers! Use Senjutsu and Shadow Clone to show your strength!
Great monster advances! The Three-Tails’ Jinchuriki!

Cell transplantation

In the center of a dimly lit, dingy room in one of Orochimaru’s hideouts, Ukon, in his sage-like state, sat cross-legged, eyes closed, concentrating intently.

Ukon had been in that state for five hours now. Because he had been in such a state of intense concentration for so long, even though he wasn’t moving a single bit, a thin layer of sweat was streaming down his forehead, revealing his growing fatigue.

Eventually Ukon let out a big sigh and relaxed his body.

“Phew… I finally made it this far…”

(That’s right… I think it’s safe to say that the Twin Demons’ attack has been fully mastered.)

Ukon muttered as he relaxed his concentration and opened his eyes, to which Sakon agreed. Up until now, they had been training to perfect their “Twin Demon Attack.”

Ukon appeared to be simply sitting still in concentration, but in reality, he was using his “Twin Demons’ Attack” to control the movement of even the smallest fragment of a person’s cell, thereby manipulating everything from his breathing to his heartbeat.

Even for Ukon and his team, such precise movements required a great deal of concentration, and it took them six months to be able to maintain that level of concentration for such a long period of time.

Yes, half a year had passed since Ukon and Sakon decided to train their “Twin Demon Attack” before transplanting Hashirama Cells. During that time, the two had been working single-mindedly to perfect their “Twin Demon Attack”. They had gone so far as to cut off contact with everyone in the Hidden Sound Village, and of course, they hadn’t even had a proper conversation with Sasuke, who had joined the village.

However, one of the reasons why he had little contact with Sasuke was that Sasuke himself was busy with the change of environment and training towards the enormous goal of eliminating Itachi, so he did not have the time to interact with those around him.

Ukon and Sakon had spent at least half a year training like this. Perhaps it was worth it, as the quality of their “Twin Demons’ Attack” had improved to a level that could be considered more than enough.

“We can finally move on to the next step…the transplant of Hashirama cells.”

Deciding that they could control the Hashirama Cells in their current state, the two left the room and went to negotiate with Orochimaru directly to obtain permission to use the Hashirama Cells.

Using the sage’s sensing ability, Ukon is able to tell that Orochimaru is in his room, and he makes his way through the hideout without hesitation. Eventually, Ukon and the others reach Orochimaru’s room, where he is sitting in a chair, and ask to use the Hashirama Cells.

However

“I appreciate your offer, but…Hashirama Cells are valuable. I can’t give them away for free.”

Orochimaru refused Ukon and the others’ request.

“But I might give it to you under certain conditions… hehehe.”

“What are the conditions?”

“I’ll have you carve a cursed seal into me. Of course, not the one I gave to Sasuke and Kimimaro, but a sealing one.”

Orochimaru presents only one condition: accept Orochimaru’s curse seal.

This curse mark was not something special engraved on Sasuke, Kimimaro and the others, but a sealing technique used to prevent Ukon and the others from defying Orochimaru.

(Ukon and Sakon…their abilities have now grown to the point where they can rival mine. On top of that, if they have absorbed Hashirama Cells, it will be far too dangerous. I need to put collars on them so they can’t resist.)

Orochimaru considered Ukon and his friends to be a threat. Originally, Ukon and his friends had been training hard and had a stronger desire for power than most people, but after Jirobo and the other three died, that desire became even stronger, almost to the point of being excessive.

Seeing the two of them training so hard that they even forgot to eat and sleep, Orochimaru feared that their abilities would surpass his own in the not-too-distant future.

The difference in strength between Orochimaru, whose arms had already been sealed by the Third Hokage’s Shiki Fuujin spell, and Ukon and the others was almost nonexistent. In fact, if one were to compare pure combat ability, Ukon and the others might be superior. Orochimaru has many forbidden techniques and combat experience, so the outcome of an actual battle is unpredictable, but it was certain that the balance of power between Ukon and Orochimaru was even.

However, if Ukon and the others were to gain complete control over the Hashirama Cells, it would certainly be a decisive blow that would reverse the balance of power, and this was what Orochimaru feared.

(But they’re too precious to kill. When considering the fight against Akatsuki, these kids’ fighting power is indispensable.)

However, Ukon and his companions’ fighting power was extremely important to Orochimaru, and they were too precious to kill. In particular, among the members of Akatsuki, which Orochimaru was fighting against, were some whose abilities rivaled or even surpassed those of the Kages of the hidden villages of the five great nations, and it was clear that Ukon and his companions’ fighting power would be necessary if they were to fight against them.

That is why Orochimaru decided not to simply kill Ukon and the others, but to bind them with a cursed seal.

“I understand. Please engrave the curse mark on me, Orochimaru-sama.”

Ukon and the others immediately accepted these conditions without showing any signs of hesitation.

For Ukon and Sakon, the benefits of gaining power through the Hashirama Cells far outweighed the disadvantages of being bound to Orochimaru by the cursed seal.

In truth, Ukon and the others could have stolen the Hashirama Cells and escaped the village, freeing themselves from the curse. However, they chose not to do so. Doing so would certainly have meant they would not have been bound by Orochimaru, but at the same time, Ukon and the others would have been left isolated and helpless.

Furthermore, if he later tries to gain allies in other villages, it will be difficult because of his history as a subordinate of Orochimaru and his battle with Konoha. Even if he tries to join Akatsuki, a group of defectors, it will be even more difficult as there is a high possibility that he will be seen as a spy for Orochimaru.

However, Ukon and the others have not accepted that they will be bound by the curse mark forever. They intend to remove it, although they do not know when that will be, and in the worst case scenario, they have decided to remove it by physically removing the part of the body that has the curse mark engraved on it, just like how Obito had Kakashi crush his heart to break Madara’s curse in the original work.

“Hehehe… That’s good, just open your top.”

“yes”

Seeing that Ukon and the others showed no intention of resisting, Orochimaru became pleased and gave them an order.

Ukon obediently followed Orochimaru’s instructions and stripped off the top half of his body, revealing it. He was still fifteen years old and his body was still developing, but his body had been trained from childhood and through many battles, and there was no excess fat or muscle on it, making it the body of a true warrior.

Orochimaru approached Ukon and the others, whose upper bodies were exposed, from a sitting position, stretching his neck out and sinking his fangs into the muscle covering the left side of Ukon’s chest, his heart.

“Ugh…”

Ukon groaned softly from the pain of the bite, but Orochimaru didn’t seem to mind.

A few seconds passed like this, and Orochimaru’s head slowly moved away from Ukon, and a cursed mark with a pattern of a snake biting its own tail was carved into Ukon’s left chest, which had not been there before.

“That cursed seal is a modified version of the one used by the Root, the Anbu of Konoha. If you attempt to harm me, the cursed seal will activate and your heart will stop beating. You must tread with the utmost caution.”

“Understood”

Ukon nodded in agreement with Orochimaru’s explanation as he put on the clothes he had taken off.

Orochimaru felt a little relieved after Ukon had successfully put the collar on him, but he began to ask Ukon a question while he was still getting changed.

“By the way… how do you plan to use the Hashirama cells? Are you planning to transplant them as is? Or are you planning to use them together with Shin’s cells?”

“Yes, I was planning to use them as is. I don’t need Shin’s cells.”

Ukon gave a brief reply to Orochimaru’s question.

Shin was a man who had once been Orochimaru’s test subject, and who had worked with Orochimaru on cloning research. He had no trace or shape of being in Ukon’s knowledge of the original work, but Ukon had learned about him after reading Orochimaru’s research materials.

Shin was fascinated by Uchiha Itachi. His feelings were so strong that he not only replaced his own eyeballs with the Sharingan, which was created by culturing cells from the Uchiha clan, but also implanted them into various parts of his body, calling himself Uchiha Shin and a member of the Uchiha clan.

First of all, the secret of why Shin was able to transplant so many Sharingans lies in Shin’s unique cells.

Shin’s cells show no rejection to tissue transplanted from other people. Thanks to this property, Shin was able to maintain his vital functions without any difficulty even with the Sharingan implanted in his body, and Orochimaru used this to create Danzo’s right arm.

Danzo’s right arm was created by mixing Hashirama Cells and Shin’s cells to form an arm, then embedding a large number of Sharingans into it; it was only because of Shin’s cells that it was possible to transplant it into Danzo without him rejecting it.

However, Shin, who possessed such useful cells, left Orochimaru after learning that Orochimaru had become hostile towards Itachi. Orochimaru had no intention of letting Shin escape, but he was anxious after being defeated by Itachi, and Shin’s Mangekyo Sharingan pupil technique allowed him to travel through time and space, which allowed Shin to escape.

Furthermore, the details of Shin and Danzo’s left arms, as well as the research into the Sharingan, were kept top secret within the Hidden Sound Village, and were kept completely secret from Sasuke in particular. It was a well-known fact within the Hidden Sound Village that Sasuke was proud of the Uchiha clan, and it was clear how he would feel if he found out that Sasuke had been researching the Sharingan as he pleased.

Ukon clearly refused to have Shin’s cells transplanted, which made Orochimaru curious, and he wanted to ask him what was going on in his mind that made him reject Shin’s cells.

“Hmm, can I ask why?”

“Well, there are two clear reasons.”

Ukon took a short pause to gather his thoughts in response to Orochimaru’s question, then held up two fingers and began to explain his reasons while counting them off.

“The first is that there is no problem with fusing even without Shin’s cells. In the last six months, Sakon and I have perfected the Twin Demons’ attack to a state where we can say we have mastered it. I am confident that we will now be able to fuse it with Hashirama’s cells and control it.”

“That’s true… I know that you guys have been trying hard. If you say so, then it must be possible to control Hashirama Cells as well.”

Shin’s cells are useful as a bridge when transplanting cells from others, but Ukon and his friends’ “Twin Demon Attack” allows them to fuse with others on their own. Hashirama cells are so radical that they could kill the host, so a training period of six months was required, but when fusing with other cells, this was not necessary, as it was such a useful technique.

Orochimaru, knowing the usefulness of the technique and trusting Ukon and his comrades’ skills, also believed that Ukon and his comrades would be able to control even the difficult-to-control Hashirama Cells.

“The second reason is that Shin’s cells have a clear disadvantage.”

“Immune deficiency due to lack of rejection.”

Because Shin’s cells do not reject tissue transplanted from other people, there was a risk that they would not react to harmful toxins or diseases. Of course, they don’t pass everything through, but when you consider that even a simple cold can lead to severe pneumonia, it’s clear that these cells are not easy to use.

It may be possible to seal away the disadvantages with the well-honed attacks of the Twin Demons, but you won’t know until you try it.

Orochimaru, who had studied Shin’s cells, was well aware of this.

“That’s right… it seems that you guys certainly didn’t need Shin’s cells.”

“I’m glad that you were convinced.”

(Actually, there is another reason.)

While Orochimaru was agreeing with Ukon’s opinion, Ukon was thinking about another reason that he had hidden in his mind.

Ukon’s knowledge of the original work did not include any knowledge of how Danzo’s right arm was created. However, he did know that the Hashirama Cells went out of control when Danzo’s chakra decreased during the battle with Sasuke. Considering the circumstances of the out-of-control situation, it is clear that Shin’s cells had no power to control the Hashirama Cells, and that it was Danzo who was controlling them.

Ukon thought that Danzo’s prosthetic arm was in an extremely unstable and risky state. To put it in perspective, it was like he was holding an evil sword made of Hashirama cells, which would curse you just by holding it, through a magic hand made of Shin’s cells. By holding it through the magic hand, he was able to avoid being cursed by the evil sword, but in that state there was no way he could swing the sword properly. If he was lucky he would be able to cut his enemy, but if not, he would instantly cut his own flesh, it was an extremely dangerous state.

Danzo was a skilled ninja who used a prosthetic arm, and even though he tried his best to avoid using the power of the Hashirama Cells, he still nearly turned into a tree and was absorbed into it, and even if he hadn’t, he would have lost a large amount of his Sharingan along with his right arm.

Knowing this, Ukon felt that Shin’s cells were completely untrustworthy.

“Well then, I would like to transplant the Hashirama cells straight away. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine. Let’s go to the lab right away.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Ukon hurriedly obtained permission from Orochimaru to use Hashirama’s cells, and the two of them headed to the laboratory.

The two of them left Orochimaru’s room and walked side by side down the hallway of the hideout. Occasionally they would bump into ninja from Otogakure in the hallway, but as soon as they saw Orochimaru and Ukon walking side by side, they would quickly bow their heads and make way for them.

After walking like this for a few minutes, Orochimaru and Ukon arrived in front of the laboratory. A seal with several characters written on it was affixed to the keyhole of the laboratory door, indicating that it was securely locked.

Orochimaru slowly raised his right hand in front of his face, made a thin slice across the pad of his thumb with his teeth, and then pressed his bloody thumb against the sealing tag.

The sealing tag, having absorbed Orochimaru’s blood, began to turn red, and eventually the entire tag turned red, and as if it had never been attached to the door, it fell off, revealing the keyhole underneath.

The sealing tag was designed to be deactivated when it reacted to Orochimaru’s blood, preventing anyone other than Orochimaru from entering.

With the keyhole thus tightly closed, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue, took out a key from his pocket, inserted it into the hole, and turned it half a turn to unlock it.

The tightly closed door slowly opens, revealing its contents.

The room that opened was lined with a large number of shelves. There were countless large and small glass containers filled with a special solution, in which human body parts such as eyeballs and fingers were floating. The solution was meant to keep the human cells contained in the glass containers from decaying, and it reminded Ukon of the formalin preserved bodies he had seen in his previous life.

This laboratory was a special one among the many laboratories that Orochimaru had. In addition to Hashirama cells and Shin’s cells, it was a cell storage room, so to speak, where all the cells of Otogakure’s ninja, both past and present, as well as cells stolen from the graves of powerful people such as the former Kages of each village, were stored.

The cells stored in this room were used for Orochimaru’s experiments and as a medium for the “Edo Tensei Technique,” so the door was kept tightly closed to prevent anyone other than Orochimaru from using them.

Orochimaru casually walked into the room, followed by Ukon. Among the countless glass containers, Orochimaru quickly found the item he was looking for, the container that contained the Hashirama Cells.

“There it is.”

“This is…”

Orochimaru showed Ukon the container containing Hashirama cells, and Ukon exclaimed in admiration.

Ukon, who had turned into a sage, could clearly understand the strangeness of Hashirama’s cells.

(They’re clearly different from the other cells… they’re fresher than most.)

Normally, since Hashirama himself is dead, his cells would gradually die as well, but Hashirama’s cells remain alive and retain their freshness.

When Ukon used his sage’s sensing abilities to search for Hashirama’s cells, he discovered something terrifying.

(The feel of these cells… the cells themselves have strong plant and woody properties. Is that the reason they maintain such freshness?)

The sage’s sensory ability is highly sensitive to nature. That sense sensed the plant-like qualities of Hashirama’s cells. The first Hashirama was a user of Mokuton, so it would not be strange if his cells had plant-like qualities.

However, Ukon was the only one who sensed something was off.

(But something feels strange… What on earth are these cells?)

(Hashirama Senju is the reincarnation of Ashura. It wouldn’t be strange if the cells were some kind of mysterious one, right? Besides, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s going to be a transplant either way. Let’s get it done quickly.)

(That’s… certainly true.)

Sakon gave his opinion to the troubled Ukon, and Ukon followed his advice, deciding to put aside the doubts that had been arising in his mind for the time being.

Ukon changes his mind and realizes that what he needs to do now is not to unravel the mystery of Hashirama Cells, but to possess their power, and speaks to Orochimaru.

“Then Orochimaru-sama, I’ll need some Hashirama cells.”

“Yes, please.”

With Orochimaru’s permission, Ukon opened the lid of the container containing the Hashirama cells. As the distinctive smell of the solution filled the room, Ukon used tweezers to separate the Hashirama cells, placed them in a glass bottle, and then closed the lid on the container again.

After witnessing this, Orochimaru spoke to Ukon.

“Rent out one of the training grounds in the basement of the hideout and transplant the cells there. That way, even if you fail, the impact on the hideout will be minimal. Well, I don’t think you’ll fail though… hehehe.”

“Ha, I understand.”

Orochimaru was in a good mood after giving the Hashirama Cells to Ukon, and gave him instructions, after which Ukon listened and left the room.

“Well then, I look forward to good news.”

“Yes, please wait for the good news.”

After locking the room and placing the seal again, Orochimaru spoke to Ukon before returning to his own room. Ukon bowed slightly as he watched him leave, then headed to the underground training grounds as Orochimaru had instructed.

Since the training ground was deep underground, conveniently there was no one there except Ukon.

“Well then, shall we get started, Sakon?”

(Yes, Ukon.)

Ukon stands in the center of the training ground, concentrating. Sakon follows suit and concentrates in the same way.

The two of them concentrate, stretching their consciousness throughout their entire bodies from the top of their heads to their toes. They even notice the movement of a single hair, and feel the blood flowing through their veins.

But it’s still not enough. I will focus my attention even more finely, down to a single cell.

Slowly, slowly, they gain complete control over their own bodies.

They needed to concentrate. They were in complete control of their bodies.

After confirming that the preparations were complete, Ukon took the Hashirama Cells from the glass bottle, held them in his palm, and fused them together using “Twin Demons’ Attack.”

“Guh…”

(Tsugh !)

Immediately after they fused with the Twin Demons’ Attack, a sharp pain ran through Ukon’s hand, as if he had been pricked by a needle. With Ukon as their host, the Hashirama Cells rapidly began to activate, and began to invade both of their flesh like a plant growing roots, causing a pain in his hand.

The pain began to disrupt his concentration, and Ukon’s control over the “Twin Demons’ Attack” began to loosen, but he suppressed it with sheer willpower.

(Concentrate! This level of pain is nothing to me! Think first about fusing with this cell!)

(That’s right! This level of pain is nothing!)

The two of them began to concentrate their consciousness on the Hashirama cells within their bodies.

The Hashirama Cells try to feed on the two’s bodies and grow into trees, but before they can do so, the two bodies invade the boundary with the Hashirama Cells with the “Twin Demon Attack.”

Gradually, the boundary between their bodies and Hashirama’s cells disappears. The cells connect, melt, and mix together. Just as the body melts and is remodeled when evolving from a chrysalis to a butterfly, the cells of the two people mix with Hashirama’s cells and are reborn as completely new cells.

What they are doing is not a cell transplant or anything like that. It is fusion with the cells, coexistence with Hashirama’s cells in the truest sense, and perfect compatibility with them.

Unlike Danzo, they don’t go out of control, there’s no loose connection like Obito, and there’s no Hashirama’s human face tumor that appears like Madara’s. Like Yamato who had Hashirama’s cells transplanted into him, if anything, they fuse with each other with an even higher compatibility rate.

The two maintained that state for over an hour. Maintaining a state of extreme concentration, they lost all sense of time, and after what seemed an eternity had passed, that sensation arrived.

“came !”

Suddenly, Ukon let out a cry of joy.

(Here it comes !!)

Sakon too erupted with joy in his heart.

After a fierce battle, the two finally succeeded in fusing with Hashirama Cells.

In response to that joy, the body naturally produces chakra.

“My body is overflowing with energy…!”

(And that’s not all…! Its compatibility with natural energy has improved by an order of magnitude…!)

Several times more chakra than before erupts from Ukon’s body and fills his entire body. Ukon is surprised by the sensation, and Sakon points out that his affinity with natural energy has improved.

“That’s true. I feel like I’m closer to you than ever before.”

Following Sakon’s advice, Ukon tried to refine his senjutsu chakra, and was surprised at how much easier it was to refine it than before.

With that feeling in mind, Ukon tries to carry out a sudden idea.

“Would you like to try that too?”

(Oh, that seems easy now.)

Ukon quickly improvised the hand seals used for Water Release and Earth Release, then clasped his hands together and activated the technique.

“Mokuton no jutsu!”

The moment Ukon made his declaration, trees began to sprout out from his body. They were not like the lumber Yamato had produced, but trees brimming with life, like the ones Hashirama had used.

“Hahahahaha!”

(Hahahaha !!)

The two of them are as excited as children with a new toy, forgetting to eat or sleep as they become absorbed in testing the performance of their new bodies.

In the end, Orochimaru only found out about their success two days after their successful fusion, when Kabuto reported it to him when he went to check on the two, who had not come out of the training grounds at all.

I’m thinking about posting two more chapters before the end of the year, and then starting Shippuden at the beginning of the new year. Thank you.
The following are candidates:
The ultimate cells! Brothers made entirely of Hashirama cells are born!
The great power of the Six Paths Sage! Awakening of the Rinnegan!
If it hits it’s the strongest! The Second Tsuchikage’s Jinton!
Toy with them using mist! The Second Mizukage’s genjutsu and water transformation!
Lightning fast! The overwhelming lightning of the Third Raikage!
A mass of versatility! The Third Kazekage’s Magnetic Release!
Space-time ninjutsu is the fastest and strongest! The power of the Fourth Hokage!
It can be used as both the strongest shield and spear! Kimimaro’s corpse veins!
Combining high speed movement with absolute zero! White Ice Release!
Your dazzling power will illuminate your enemies! Shine with the power of Storm Release!
The power of the earth! A huge eruption with the power of molten metal!
Inherit the thoughts and powers! The Four Sound Men are here!
Youth! Passionate! The strongest! Master your martial arts!
No blind spots! Weaponry and ninjutsu!
Surpass the Fourth Hokage! Complete the Rasengan!
Non-killing is the ultimate victory! Shut him down completely with sealing techniques!
Battles are all about numbers! Use Senjutsu and Shadow Clone to show your strength!
Great monster advances! The Three-Tails’ Jinchuriki!

Mock Battle

“Tch…”

The sound of Sasuke clicking his tongue echoed throughout the training grounds of Orochimaru’s hideout.

It had been a year and a half since Sasuke left the Hidden Leaf Village and came under Orochimaru’s control. Sasuke was feeling anxious.

Sasuke’s abilities have improved significantly since his time in Konoha. This is a fact that is acknowledged by both himself and others, and there is no doubt that he is one of the top five most powerful subordinates of Orochimaru. However, he still has a long way to go before he can be counted among the top three.

Among Orochimaru’s subordinates, Sasuke was not among the top three in terms of combat ability, but there were four ninja who were clearly stronger than Sasuke.

In the ranking of ninja with high combat abilities among Orochimaru’s subordinates, Ukon and Sakon are tied for first place as the undisputed top, followed by Kimimaro and Jugo below them, and below them Sasuke, with Suigetsu and Kabuto in a position to the right. Even if Ukon and Sakon, who are always together, are considered a pair, Sasuke is not even in the top three.

“Dammit…”

The fact that there were people who were clearly stronger than him, and moreover that they were people of the same age, made Sasuke feel increasingly impatient. In particular, he felt a big difference in strength between him and Ukon and Sakon.

About half a year had passed since Sasuke came to the Hidden Sound Village, and he frequently had mock battles with Ukon and Sakon. From Sasuke’s perspective, there were many ways in which Ukon and Sakon were strong.

In ninjutsu, he has mastered the properties of Suiton, Earth Release, and Mokuton, all of which are strengthened by Senjutsu, meaning that even Sasuke’s ninjutsu in the second cursed seal state is often no match for him.

In martial arts, Sakon’s limbs could grow from any part of Ukon’s body, allowing him to perform unpredictable and varied combination attacks that even the Sharingan could not block; in fact, those who tried to avoid them by judging the last moment often suffered painful experiences.

In addition, he had excellent perception abilities due to his senjutsu, was well versed in sealing and barrier techniques, and had a grasp of the main ninjutsu techniques for each nature transformation, making him more knowledgeable than Sasuke.

Sasuke felt a strong sense of irritation as he faced Ukon and Sakon, who seemed superior to him in every way. However, at the same time, he felt a sense of fulfillment that he had not felt when he was in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Sasuke, who spent his days repeatedly fighting mock battles against Ukon and Sakon, who were superior to him in rank, realized that he had grown significantly since he had first started fighting.

When they had just started the mock battles, Sasuke’s favorite Fire Release technique was easily shut down by Ukon’s basic Water Release technique, but now he was able to use Fire Release of such power that it could not be shut down unless Ukon concentrated enough chakra into using the technique.

In physical techniques that he was previously powerless against, he is now able to fight on equal terms even in a one-on-two situation, provided that he uses his Sharingan and neither party uses ninjutsu.

There is still a difference in strength between them, and because Ukon and Sakon are training more efficiently by applying the Shadow Clone Technique and Wood Release – Wood Bunshin Technique, the gap is only getting wider. Sasuke feels impatient about this, and is irritated that he continues to lose to people his age.

However, for Sasuke, who desired power in order to achieve his goal of killing Itachi, his current environment in which he could always fight those stronger than himself was a blessing.

(But still… I can’t stand losing all the time.)

While Sasuke was thinking about such competitive thoughts, a new figure appeared in the training ground and called out to him.

“Yo, looks like I kept you waiting Sasuke.”

It was Ukon who called out to Sasuke. Sasuke had promised to have a mock battle with Ukon again today.

“That’s fine. Let’s get started right away.”

Sasuke brushed off Ukon’s apology and urged them to quickly start the mock battle.

Ukon nodded in agreement at Sasuke’s urging, and with his feet shoulder-width apart and his arms lightly extended forward, he assumed a natural, yet flawless stance.

“Let’s get started then.”

“ah”

Sasuke replied curtly to Ukon’s confirmation that the mock battle had begun, and he too took on a natural stance just like Ukon, leaning slightly forward.

The two men stood in their stances and glared at each other. Their appearances had changed considerably from a year and a half ago.

First of all, their clothing had changed drastically.

When Sasuke was in Konohagakure, he preferred to wear thin short-sleeved clothes and shorts, but now he was wearing a white kimono that was open wide in the front on the upper half of his body, long pants that reached his ankles on the lower half, a bluish-gray cloth wrapped around his waist, and on top of that was a thick purple rope that the Sound ninja often wore, with his sword tucked into the back of the rope.

Ukon had also taken off the overcoat he had been wearing, and instead was wearing a loose-fitting dark purple kimono with a zipper, like the one Kimimaro had been wearing.He had a wide belt around his waist and a pouch attached to his back so he could carry his ninja tools.

The next thing that changed was their appearance.

Naturally, the two of them have grown taller during their growth spurt. Sasuke’s height is about 160 centimeters, which is about 5 centimeters taller than it was a year and a half ago, while Ukon’s height is just over 180 centimeters. When Sasuke came to the Hidden Sound Village, the height difference between them was about 10 centimeters, but with Ukon’s rapid growth after incorporating Hashirama Cells, the height difference had grown to 20 centimeters.

His facial features had also changed, taking on a more mature look that suited the age of a boy growing into a young man. Another big change was that Ukon hadn’t had a haircut in the past year and a half, and now he parted his bangs to the left and right to ensure visibility, and tied his long hair, which reached down to his shoulders, in a single ponytail at the back.

Furthermore, differences are beginning to appear not only in height but also in physique.

Although Sasuke had grown taller, he remained slim, but he now had what they call a slim and muscular build, while Ukon’s muscle mass had increased and he was a size thicker overall, giving him the physique of a refined athlete.

Comparing the two, the difference in physical ability was immediately obvious.

A difference in height directly translates into a difference in reach, and a difference in physique directly translates into a difference in power.

Understanding this very well, Sasuke ran off without a signal, quickly closing the distance between him and Ukon.

The distance of 20 meters became zero in an instant, and Sasuke thrust his right fist towards Ukon’s face.

Sasuke’s fist was incredibly fast because it wasn’t packed with much power, but Ukon, who was not in his sage state, dodged it by slightly tilting his head to the left, and seeing that Sasuke’s right side was left unprotected as he thrust out his right fist, he aimed a palm strike at that spot with his left hand.

Sasuke avoided the palm strike by taking small steps and shifting just one step to the left, then quickly pulled his right fist back and thrust it towards Ukon’s face again.

For Sasuke’s second attack to the face, Ukon tried to thrust his forehead forward a little to block the blow with his hard skull, crushing Sasuke’s right fist, but Sasuke saw through it in an instant and opened his fist to grab Ukon’s hair. However, the moment Sasuke’s right hand was about to open, Ukon had already moved it, and swatted away Sasuke’s right hand that had approached his head.

Furthermore, Ukon used the momentum from moving his right hand to move his right foot as well, and unleashed a horizontal sweeping kick that cut through the air toward Sasuke’s left side, but Sasuke swiftly stepped back to avoid the kick.

With Sasuke stepping back, a distance of about two meters opened between the two of them, and their gazes naturally crossed.

The entire offensive and defensive battle had taken about four seconds. It had happened in the blink of an eye, but to the two of them, it was like a game without even a warm-up.

“I’ll go this way next time.”

Hearing Ukon’s declaration, Sasuke put his right hand forward and curved it provocatively in place of a reply. Seeing this, Ukon attacked Sasuke without any hesitation.

Ukon swung his left hand from right to left and fired a chop at Sasuke’s side of the head, but Sasuke quickly dodged it by bending his knees and crouching.

Sasuke tried to use the momentum from bending his knee to thrust his left fist forcefully towards Ukon’s chin, but before he could do so, Ukon, using the momentum of his left hand’s chop, unleashed a roundhouse kick towards Sasuke’s head, who was still in a crouching position with his right foot.

As it stands now Sasuke’s counterattack and Ukon’s kick will hit at the same time, but there is a difference in their physiques and since kicks have more power than fists, if things continued like this Sasuke would suffer more.

“Tch…”

Sasuke instantly assessed the situation and, clicking his tongue, stopped his counterattack, lowered his body even further, and assumed a position as if he was lying face-down on the ground. As a result, Ukon’s spin kick, which had been slicing through the air and making a roaring sound, cut through the air.

Sasuke dodged Ukon’s kick with minimal movement, put both hands on the ground to stabilize his core, and powerfully stretched out his right foot toward the shin of his left leg, which had been left defenseless by Ukon’s spinning kick.

The momentum of the spin kick had caused Ukon to turn his back to Sasuke, and furthermore, because Ukon’s left leg was the pivot of the kick, he was unable to move immediately. Then Sasuke’s sharp kick approached.

(With that posture, there’s no way I’ll be able to dodge! Got it!)

In Sasuke’s mind the feeling that the attack would hit grew stronger.

However, the sound of the training ground floor shattering could be heard repeatedly from a short distance away, and Ukon’s left leg, which should have been immobile, was lifted up, and Sasuke’s kick, which should have been unavoidable, was dodged with ease.

(You mean he dodged it from that position ? What was that ?!)

Curious, Sasuke quickly turned his gaze in the direction of the sound he had earlier heard, and saw that another leg had grown out from behind Ukon’s right knee, stomping against the floor.

Ukon and the others, who had been able to avoid Sasuke’s spin kicks, literally managed to land one step ahead of Sasuke by growing Sakon’s legs from the back of his knees to avoid a counterattack, thereby avoiding Sasuke’s counterattack kick.

The crashing sound that had been heard earlier was the sound of Sakon’s foot touching the ground, carrying the momentum of Ukon’s kick, smashing the floor and killing the momentum of the kick.

Ukon dodged Sasuke’s counterattack in an unexpected way. However, Ukon didn’t just dodge.

“Hmph.”

Ukon brought his raised left leg down with great force towards Sasuke, who was still lying down, attempting to crush Sasuke’s outstretched right leg.

Sasuke avoided the approaching attack by rotating counterclockwise around his left leg while keeping his right leg extended. Just in the nick of time, Ukon’s left foot didn’t catch Sasuke’s, and instead smashed into the floor and stopped.

“Shhh!”

Sasuke let out a sharp breath and spun around once without losing his momentum, then he forcefully stretched out his bent left leg, and jumped up from a crouching position like a compressed spring bouncing powerfully.

Furthermore, Sasuke perfectly fused the power of both the extension of the spin and the bending and stretching movement of his jump, and attempted a high kick aimed at Ukon’s head from behind.

Just before that, Sasuke and Ukon’s eyes met.

“Ugh…!”

Sasuke gasped in surprise at the strange sight of Ukon’s back and face at the same time, and then realizing what it meant.

Just as Sasuke spun around to face his back at Ukon, Ukon used his “Soft Modification” to make his neck flexible, and rotated it 180 degrees backwards, just like an owl. Because of this, Ukon gained rear vision, and the trajectory of Sasuke’s high kick was clearly visible.

Ukon easily caught Sasuke’s momentum-filled high kick. Furthermore, while still holding onto Sasuke’s leg, he turned his body from the neck down half a turn, swinging Sasuke around with great force and throwing him towards the wall of the training ground.

Ukon had thrown Sasuke with one hand, but Sasuke’s body flew towards the wall with incredible speed, as if he had thrown a pebble.

“Damn it!?”

The force was so great that a strong lateral G-force was exerted on Sasuke’s body, causing him to let out a cry of agony.

A wall was rapidly approaching Sasuke’s field of vision. If he couldn’t react, it was clear he would crash into the wall, and he would certainly die a shameful death like a squashed frog.

In the extremely short time before he crashed into the wall, Sasuke’s eyes turned red, and three black Tomoe patterns appeared around his pupils.

With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke’s dynamic visual acuity was among the best in the ninja world. Demonstrating his incredible dynamic visual acuity to the fullest, Sasuke spun his body around in the air just before the collision, killing his momentum and landing perfectly on the wall.

“Excellent.”

Ukon praised Sasuke’s brilliant body control and gave him a round of applause.

“Enough with the flattery. Let’s continue.”

Sasuke cut off Ukon’s compliments, which sounded like nothing more than a provocation, and wished for the mock battle to continue.

Ukon shrugged his shoulders and assured Sasuke that the compliment was sincere, and that he was upset that it would come across as flattery, while preparing to comply with Sasuke’s request.

Ukon’s stance had changed slightly from before, but it was clear. His natural, flawless stance remained the same, only his slightly outstretched arms were swaying gently.

He looks as if he were a child playing pretend to be a ghost, but of course Ukon is not playing.

Ukon used “Soft Modification” to soften both of his arms, allowing them to bend like a whip when striking, making it even the most difficult for the opponent to read the trajectory. This stance was created based on the flicker jab in boxing, which Ukon learned from his previous life.

Sasuke kicked off the wall and accelerated rapidly, running straight towards Ukon, who was in a unique stance.

As Sasuke approached, Ukon swiftly moved both his arms to intercept him.

Ukon’s right arm, whose flexibility and elasticity had been increased by the “Soft Modification”, flexed like a whip, the fist at the end of his arm accelerated, and the momentum caused his arm to stretch like rubber and close in on Sasuke.

Ukon’s fist reached Sasuke, who was still three meters away, but Sasuke dodged Ukon’s strike with his Sharingan and, by quickly sliding sideways as he ran, he easily managed to avoid it.

Following the right arm, Ukon’s left arm also approached Sasuke in the same way, but that too was easily avoided.

Ukon’s arms were stretched like rubber, and until they returned to their original position the protection of his torso was greatly weakened. Sasuke was not one to overlook this.

As he ran, Sasuke swung his right arm wide, putting his running momentum and all his weight into it, slamming his tightly clenched fist into Ukon’s solar plexus.

There was a loud bang as Ukon was sent flying, but as he was flying he twisted his body in the air and landed lightly on the ground.

Ukon’s kimono had been slightly opened by Sasuke’s attack, revealing a pair of arms that were not his own. Sasuke’s attack was a blow that could have decided the outcome of the mock battle, but just before it could be received, Sakon had managed to block it by pinning his arms in place.

“No wonder it felt so strange.”

Sasuke realized from the feeling he had on his right fist that Ukon and the others were defending, and when he saw Sakon’s arm he realized why his attack had failed.

The distance between them widened again, and Sasuke tried to approach for the third time.

In contrast to Ukon and Sakon, who use their “Soft Modifications” to bend their limbs and their “Twin Demon Attacks” to unleash unconventional martial arts whose origins are difficult to pinpoint, Sasuke uses his “Sharingan” to see through Ukon’s movements and, taking small steps, unleashes sharp, linear and compact martial arts.

Although their movements are contrasting, neither of them wasted any time, and they clashed against each other as if competing, showing off their high level of skill.

Two people and one person collide violently.

You attack and are defended against, you attack and avoid it, you are counterattacked, you avoid the counterattack and attack again.

The offense and defense alternate rapidly, with countless arms and legs interlocking and changing positions.

A minute passed, then two, but neither side’s pace slowed, and after three minutes they collided, creating too much distance between them and forcing them to start again.

“Okay… is it okay now?”

Ukon muttered as he looked at each other carefully.

“Ah…that’s all for the warm-up.”

Sasuke seemed to agree with Ukon’s statement and declared the end of the warm-up exercises so far.

That’s right, the fierce battles up until now where one wrong move could have been fatal, were merely a warm-up for these two, a warm-up before the mock battle.

In the first place, in the battle up until now, Ukon and Sakon had only used “Twin Demon Attack” and “Soft Modifications”, and Sasuke had only used his “Sharingan”, so no one here would admit that it was a serious mock battle.

That is why the battle will become even more heated from here on out.

As preparation for their serious attack, Ukon and Sasuke removed their arms from the sleeves of their kimonos and simultaneously unbuttoned their upper bodies. The kimonos tried to fall smoothly downwards due to gravity, but because their belts and ropes were wrapped around the bottom of their kimonos, they ended up hanging upside down from that point.

And both of them decided to use their senjutsu chakra to demonstrate their true abilities.

Ukon and Sakon begin to refine their sage chakra. Having fused with the Hashirama Cells, Ukon and Sakon’s affinity with natural energy is incomparably higher than before, and in just a few seconds they are transformed into sages, with dark circles appearing under their eyes.

Sasuke released the power of the cursed seal engraved by Orochimaru, and the seal spread across his white skin, covering his entire body and transforming into Cursed Seal State 2. In State 2, Sasuke’s skin was dyed brown all over, a black bruise like a cross-shaped shuriken appeared on his nose, the whites of his eyes were dyed black, and his lips turned purple, giving him a strange color scheme.

Both of them use the same Senjutsu chakra, but it is natural that Ukon and the others have refined it. Considering that the battle up until now was evenly matched, if they continue fighting like this, the outcome is clear.

With that being the case, Sasuke made his next move.

“Haaah!”

Entering state 2, Sasuke further refined his chakra, transformed it into lightning and wrapped it around his entire body. Lightning dyed black by the curse seal spurted out around his body, a crackling sound of static electricity could be heard and Sasuke’s hair stood on end.

This was the technique that Sasuke developed and created by improving on “Chidori” in order to get revenge on Ukon and Sakon. Its name was-

“Plover-clad”

Sasuke’s physical abilities are naturally high. In particular, his speed is quite impressive. However, that level of speed was no match for Ukon Sakon or Kimimaro.

At that time, Sasuke set his sights on “Chidori.”

“Chidori” was originally a super-fast thrust that was released by activating the body with lightning release chakra to enhance physical ability, and discharging lightning from one hand. Its speed was extremely high, and it was effective against Ukon and the others, but unfortunately it consumed too much chakra. Even Sasuke, who had grown older and trained, could only use it four or five times, and even if he used the chakra of the curse seal, he could only use it twice as much.

So Sasuke deliberately did not discharge the electricity while activating “Chidori”, lowering his attack performance but instead reducing his chakra consumption, allowing him to maintain his body’s activated state for a longer period of time.

“That’s amazing…”

Ukon looked stunned and couldn’t help but exclaim in praise.

The moment Ukon saw Sasuke’s “Chidori Matoi”, he was reminded of the “Raiton Chakra Mode” used by the Fourth Raikage in the original work. His praise came from acknowledging Sasuke’s efforts to reach a technique strong enough for someone of the Raikage’s class to be used on his own.

The commonality between “Plover Wrap” and “Lightning Release Chakra Mode” is, of course, that by wrapping the body in lightning chakra, the body is activated, enhancing physical ability and reflexes. However, because the techniques are different, the amount of chakra wrapped around the body is completely different.

“Chidori Matoi” was created to be more fuel efficient than “Chidori”, and since it uses the minimum amount of chakra necessary to fully activate the body, the amount of Lightning Release chakra leaking out onto the surface of the body is only enough to create a crackling sound of static electricity.

On the other hand, “Lightning Release Chakra Mode” is a technique in which the Raikage continues to release his vast amount of excess chakra from his body, forming that massive amount of lightning release chakra into a form similar to armor.

Naturally, when comparing the amount of chakra consumed by the two techniques, “Lightning Release Chakra Mode” is by far the most powerful, and therefore, its ability to strengthen the body is far greater.

In addition, because Lightning Release Chakra Mode envelops the user in lightning release chakra like armor, it also strengthens the user’s defenses. The strength of this defense is such that when the Third Raikage used it in the original story, even with his immortal body due to the Edo Tensei technique, Naruto’s Wind Release Rasenshuriken did little damage to him.

In contrast, Sasuke’s “Chidori Matoi” had no effect in increasing his defensive power. However, Sasuke had his “Sharingan” which allowed him to see through his opponents’ movements to compensate for this, and even the kinetic visual acuity of his “Sharingan” had improved as a by-product of activating his body with lightning release chakra.

It is unclear which technique is superior. Both have their merits, and the users are also different, so a simple comparison cannot be made.

However, one thing was clear: Sasuke’s current agility was among the best of all ninja.

“Let’s go.”

To Ukon, it appeared as if Sasuke had vanished with that declaration. All he could see was the afterglow of the black lightning that surrounded Sasuke.

Sasuke’s strengthened body easily got behind Ukon.

Using his sage state’s ability to sense danger, Ukon realized that Sasuke was going to attack from behind, so he turned around and unleashed a back fist.

However, compared to Sasuke right now, his movements were shockingly slow.

“slow!”

“Zu…!?”

Before Ukon could turn around, Sasuke’s palm slammed into Ukon’s waist, knocking him forward. Furthermore, Ukon’s body, which had been touched by the lightning, went slightly numb due to the “Chidori Wrap”, slowing his movements, though weakly.

Sasuke didn’t miss the opportunity to see Ukon’s defenseless back and followed up with a front kick that exploded into Ukon’s back.

“Guh!”

Ukon was kicked away, letting out a cry of agony, but he quickly put his hands on the ground to defend himself and regained his balance.

(Sakkon!)

(Ou!)

Ukon and Sakon communicated in perfect harmony. Sakon’s arms shot out from behind Ukon’s back and he got into position.

Judging that a sudden defense using “Twin Demons’ Attack” wouldn’t be possible in time against Sasuke, who was just too fast, the two decided to strengthen the defense behind them by having Sakon’s arms always stick out from behind his back.

Seeing this strange appearance, Sasuke instantly grasped Ukon and his men’s intentions, and this time he decided to attack Ukon head-on.

Sasuke’s piercing hand is aimed at Ukon’s solar plexus, but Ukon attempts to deflect it with a palm strike of his right hand, catching the side of the piercing hand. Just as Naruto in Sage Mode in the original story avoided the Third Raikage’s “Hell Pierce,” with the Sage’s danger sensing ability, he can react to even the fastest attacks in the ninja world.

However, Sasuke leaves even the sage’s reaction speed behind.

The dynamic visual acuity of the Sharingan while in the Chidori Wrap is the best in the ninja world. Sasuke’s Sharingan saw through Ukon’s palm strike, and dodged it by shifting the trajectory of his piercing hand.

Ukon’s palm strike cut through the air, and he instinctively tried to hold down Sasuke’s arm with his left hand, but a split second earlier, Sasuke’s thrusting hand pierced Ukon’s heart.

“Ugh…!?”

“I win.”

Seeing Ukon’s anguished expression, Sasuke declared victory.

“Excellent Sasuke…I never thought you’d become this strong.”

“For the past year, all I’ve been thinking about is killing you.”

Sasuke’s expression after dealing the fatal blow to Ukon was calm. Even though he had killed such a formidable enemy, there was no trace of joy in his eyes.

Because

“Next time I’ll make you use Mokuton.”

“Hehe… that’s right… let’s do that next time.”

Ukon does not deny Sasuke’s words about the next opportunity to Ukon, who is about to die.

At that moment, there was a crackling sound as Ukon’s body transformed into wood. No, he had been wood to begin with. The Ukon killed by Sasuke was a clone created using the “Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique.”

Sasuke muttered with a confused look on his face as his clone had completely transformed into a tree and was no longer responding.

“Even so… it’s still a creepy clone. Even the Sharingan can’t tell it’s a clone…”

Sasuke knew that Ukon was a clone even before the mock battle began. However, even with that prior knowledge and even with his Sharingan, he was unable to see that Ukon who appeared in the mock battle was a clone created with the Mokuton: Wood Clone Technique.

Why couldn’t even Sasuke’s Sharingan see through the Wood Bunshin? No one other than Madara could see through Hashirama’s Wood Release: Wood Bunshin Technique, but Ukon’s Wood Bunshin wasn’t as powerful. But it wasn’t because Sasuke’s insight was immature.

In order to maximize the mimicry ability of his “Wood Clone”, Ukon had used Orochimaru’s “Transformation Technique” to shed his skin, in combination with his “Twin Demon Attack”, to attach a thin layer of his own body’s cells to the surface of the “Wood Clone”, creating a clone so powerful that even Sasuke’s “Sharingan” could not see through it.

“Tsk…”

Even though Sasuke had won his first mock battle against Ukon, he was still in a bad mood.

For Sasuke, whose goal is to kill Uchiha Itachi, the current situation in which he is struggling against the clone, no matter how strong it is, is frustrating.

Sasuke was still a long way from the strength he was aiming for.

For another year, Sasuke continues to practice his mock battles against Ukon’s “Wood Bunshin.” Unlike the original story, Sasuke now has a mock battle opponent he can kill as many times as he likes, and he grows ever more greedy.

The real bodies of Ukon and Sakon were located in the forest a little distance from Orochimaru’s hideout.

Ukon, who was doing push-ups while standing on his hands without support, sighed as he thought about the “Wood Clone” that had been killed in the training grounds inside the hideout.

“Hmm… The clone that was fighting Sasuke in the mock battle has died… I just can’t seem to synchronize during battles.”

Ukon expressed dissatisfaction with the “Mokuton: Wood Clone Technique.” A normal “Wood Bunshin” should be able to share information at all times, but Ukon’s “Wood Bunshin” was still immature compared to Hashirama’s “Wood Bunshin,” and it had the drawback of making it impossible to transmit information when the original or the clone was in an intense battle.

However, when the “Wood Clone” was released, it was still possible to send information to the main body, just like with the “Shadow Clone Technique”, and this is how it let him know the results of today’s mock battle with Sasuke.

First of all, why is it that Shadow Clone Technique and Mokuton – Wood Bunshin Technique are able to transmit information between the clone and the main body, and why is Shadow Clone Technique only able to send information when the technique is over, while Mokuton – Wood Bunshin Technique allows information to be shared at all times? Ukon had roughly figured out the principles behind this.

First of all, the main premise is that the two techniques allow the transfer of information between the clone and the main body, which is strongly influenced by the fundamental property of chakra, the “power to connect,” as explained by the Sage of the Six Paths in the original work. Both the Shadow Clone Technique and Wood Release – Wood Clone Technique create clones by dividing chakra, and the main body and the clone share the same chakra, which is connected across space, making it possible for information to be transferred.

So why is there a difference between these two techniques that should divide chakra in the same way? From here on, it’s Ukon’s speculation, but he thinks it’s because Shadow Clone has no core, while Wood Clone has a core made of wood. Shadow Clone creates a clone from nothing using chakra alone, whereas Wood Clone uses Mokuton to create a living wooden body, which is then used as a core to create the clone. In other words, he thought that the presence or absence of a core caused a difference in the power of the chakra to connect.

Additionally, the nature-changing clones of Water Release and Earth Release also seem to have cores, but while wood is organic, water and earth are simply inorganic matter, and this difference is thought to be reflected in the power that connects them. The same reason is why Yamato’s “Wood Clone” cannot share information; Ukon speculated that Yamato’s Wood Release was unable to share information because it lacked Yang chakra, making it out of lumber rather than living wood, and inorganic rather than organic.

In summary, because the Shadow Clone’s connection is weak, it cannot constantly transmit information and can only send information when the Shadow Clone Technique is released. The Wood Clone’s connection is stronger than that of the Shadow Clone, so it is always possible to share information.

However, just because it is always possible to send information does not mean that information can always be sent. Just like how a mobile phone is a device that allows you to talk anywhere and at any time, the person who uses it is not always able to talk. There may be situations where the person is too busy to talk, such as while driving a car, at work, or exercising.

If we apply that to Ukon now, the reason he couldn’t constantly share information with his ‘Wooden Bunshin’ was simply because he couldn’t make calls while working.

In short, the reason why information sharing between Ukon and the “Wood Bunshin” is stalled is because they lack parallel processing power, which is why he is aiming to improve his processing power by sharing information with the “Wood Bunshin” while doing muscle training, but so far it hasn’t gone well.

“I need to practice a bit more when it comes to exchanging information during battle…”

After completing 1,000 push-ups, Ukon jumps up using only the strength of his arms, spins around in the air, and lands on his feet on the ground.

The moment my feet touched the ground, there was a loud pop and the ground collapsed.

Ukon wasn’t just doing muscle training; he had drastically increased his own weight using the Weighted Rock Technique.'' The weight added to Ukon's body with theWeighted Rock Technique” was nearly 100 kilograms, and because the weight was evenly distributed over his entire body, there was no strange muscle growth in only one part of his body. It was a fairly efficient form of training that built up the body. However, as the ground collapsed with just a light jump, the strain on the floor was too great, so it was not a type of training that could be done lightly inside the hideout.

Ukon released the “Weighted Rock Technique” and stretched his back, loosening up the muscles that had become stiff from all the training.

“Kuuu… Um, it looks like your training is going well.”

From the behavior of the “Wood Bunshin” in other places, Ukon learned that his ninjutsu training was also going well. In particular, his training in Mokuton was progressing smoothly, and in addition to the techniques used in the original work, he was combining them with Ukon’s own techniques to create new ones.

However, despite their training going well, Ukon and Sakon also had new worries.

“Sasuke really is a genius… I can really feel the difference in talent.”

(There’s nothing I can do about this…)

Originally, Ukon had banned the use of the Shadow Clone Technique to improve the efficiency of training, due to the risks involved, but due to his fusion with the Hashirama Cells and his increased chakra, he was now able to train using the Wood Clone Technique while maintaining a safety margin. The efficiency of his training has likely increased several times compared to before.

However, in today’s mock battle, his “Wood Bunshin” was killed by Sasuke. Of course, in today’s mock battle, he used almost only physical techniques, and if he had also used ninjutsu and senjutsu, he wouldn’t have been defeated by the current Sasuke. But that doesn’t change the fact that he lost the mock battle.

Ukon felt the difference in talent between him and Sasuke due to the fact that he had lost to Sasuke despite Ukon’s training being clearly more efficient.

To put it bluntly, there was a big difference in talent between Ukon and Sasuke. If they were to try to learn a new technique and it took Ukon and the others ten days to master it, Sasuke would probably master it in three. That was how big the difference in talent was.

Ukon and the others had made up for that difference by using “Wood Clone” to increase the efficiency of their training, but that didn’t mean they were oblivious to Sasuke’s talent.

“I can’t lose.”

(That s true )

Ukon and the others train harder, determined not to lose to Sasuke. The mock battle between Ukon and the others and Sasuke provides a good stimulus for both of them.

Sasuke grows rapidly through fighting superior opponents, while Ukon and Sakon grow efficiently so as not to lose to him. No one knows how far these two will grow as they continue to grow greedily.

The next update was originally scheduled to be a mock battle with ninjutsu, and I was thinking of doing that before moving on to the Shippuden chapter, but I was pretty satisfied with this mock battle, so I’m changing my plans and moving on to the Shippuden chapter from the next update.

This year, I wasn’t able to increase the pace of updates, so I’d like to try harder next year. I’m aiming for one update per week, so I look forward to seeing you next year.
Have a happy new year everyone.
The following are candidates:
The ultimate cells! Brothers made entirely of Hashirama cells are born!
The great power of the Six Paths Sage! Awakening of the Rinnegan!
If it hits it’s the strongest! The Second Tsuchikage’s Jinton!
Toy with them using mist! The Second Mizukage’s genjutsu and water transformation!
Lightning fast! The overwhelming lightning of the Third Raikage!
A mass of versatility! The Third Kazekage’s Magnetic Release!
Space-time ninjutsu is the fastest and strongest! The power of the Fourth Hokage!
It can be used as both the strongest shield and spear! Kimimaro’s corpse veins!
Combining high speed movement with absolute zero! White Ice Release!
Your dazzling power will illuminate your enemies! Shine with the power of Storm Release!
The power of the earth! A huge eruption with the power of molten metal!
Inherit the thoughts and powers! The Four Sound Men are here!
Youth! Passionate! The strongest! Master your martial arts!
No blind spots! Weaponry and ninjutsu!
Surpass the Fourth Hokage! Complete the Rasengan!
Non-killing is the ultimate victory! Shut him down completely with sealing techniques!
Battles are all about numbers! Use Senjutsu and Shadow Clone to show your strength!
Great monster advances! The Three-Tails’ Jinchuriki!

Shippuden:
Battle of Tenchi Bridge, Part 1

Two and a half years had passed since Sasuke entered the Hidden Sound Village.

Just recently, a major incident occurred in which Gaara, the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village and the jinchuriki of the One-Tail, was attacked and kidnapped by Deidara of the Akatsuki.

In order to rescue Gaara, the Hidden Sand Village requested reinforcements from its ally, the Hidden Leaf Village, and Kakashi and Gai’s teams went to the rescue from the Hidden Leaf Village.

As a result of the battle between the joint forces of Suna and Konoha and Akatsuki, they made the noble sacrifice of Chiyo-baa and lost the One-Tail, but they succeeded in recapturing Gaara.

Furthermore, after her battle with Sasori, Sakura succeeded in extracting information about Orochimaru’s subordinates from him.

The Konoha ninja obtained information about Orochimaru’s subordinates that would provide a clue to rescuing Sasuke, and using that information, Naruto, Sakura, Yamato, and Sai formed a platoon of four. Despite struggling to communicate with the unfamiliar members, they reached the location where Orochimaru’s subordinates were expected to appear: Tenchi Bridge, a bridge spanning a deep valley in the forest in the Hidden Grass Village.

Yamato, the platoon leader, had already planned a strategy for when Orochimaru’s subordinates appeared.

The plan was simple: Yamato would first transform into a scorpion to keep the enemy from becoming alert and extract as much information as possible, while the remaining three would hide in the forest near Tenchi Bridge and prepare for any eventuality.

This plan was based on the premise that the platoon’s teamwork was poor. The situation would change constantly depending on the enemy’s actions, and they would have to respond accordingly. In such a situation, even if they made a detailed plan with such distorted and ugly teamwork, it would never work. In that case, it would have been much better to ignore the detailed plan and focus on individual ability.

Yamato, the captain, made that judgment and drew up and executed a plan.

He stood on the Tenchi Bridge transformed into a scorpion and waited for his opponent for several tens of minutes, when he finally appeared.

The person was wearing a hooded cloak, whose face was hidden by the hood, and the cloak made it difficult to determine their build, so it was impossible to determine their gender.

The person approached Yamato disguised as a scorpion and peeked his head out from under his hood.

The scorpion spy who had infiltrated Orochimaru’s ranks was actually Kabuto Yakushi.

“Is it him…?!”

“I can’t believe… Kabuto was the Akatsuki spy…”

Naruto, who was watching the situation from the forest, skillfully imitated Sakura whispering in surprise at the appearance of Kabuto, a familiar face.

Sai and Yamato were just as surprised as Naruto and Sakura, though they didn’t say anything out loud. Speaking of Kabuto, he was the one who stood right beside Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams when the Third Hokage died, and during the battle in Tanzaku Town when all three ninja gathered just before the Fifth Hokage was inaugurated. He was well known within the Hidden Leaf Village as one of Orochimaru’s aides, alongside Ukon and Sakon.

He never would have imagined that such a person would be a spy sent by Sasori to serve under Orochimaru.

While still shocked, Yamato and Sai saw this as an opportunity.

(If we can extract information from this person who is close to Orochimaru, we will be able to get a lot closer to him… this is an opportunity we could never have hoped for.)

(If I can get close to this person, I will have a chance to go to Orochimaru. Then I can get closer to Sasuke and complete the mission from Danzo to kill him…)

Both of them saw this as an opportunity to get closer to Orochimaru. However, there was a crucial difference between their thinking. This was the difference between Yamato, who was now just an Anbu, and Sai, who was still a member of the Root and was under Danzo’s direct control.

Yamato saw this as a perfect opportunity to investigate the movements of the dangerous Orochimaru and was planning to extract information from Kabuto. However, Sai had been planning to contact Kabuto and have him guide him to Orochimaru’s hideout in order to carry out a top-secret mission from Danzo to kill Sasuke.

Yes, Danzo had become an eyesore under Sasuke’s presence, and in order to deal with the situation in secret, he gave his pawn, Sai, the mission of eliminating Sasuke.

From Danzo’s perspective, Sasuke was a hostage to Itachi, but at the same time, he was a bomb that could destroy the Hidden Leaf Village.

There was an agreement between Danzo and Itachi, and to summarize the contents, it was “Itachi will eliminate the Uchiha clan in exchange for sparing Sasuke. If he does not protect Sasuke, he will give all the information Itachi knows about the Hidden Leaf Village to the neighboring countries.”

Itachi was a genius ninja who had been active in the dark side since he was a child, and he knew too much about the village. If that information were to leak to other villages, there is no doubt that the future of the Hidden Leaf Village would be bleak.

Even with this agreement in place, Danzo had originally thought that he should have used Itachi as a hostage and brainwashed him into submitting to the village, but since the Third Hokage was still alive, he could not lay a hand on Sasuke while he was in the village.

That’s why, when Sasuke left the village, he gloated that if he did so of his own accord and went to Orochimaru’s side, he wouldn’t have to break the agreement with Itachi, and if he was killed by Orochimaru, Itachi’s anger could be directed at Orochimaru.

However, such a naive plan was not going to work out, and Danzo had heard that Sasuke had not died and was growing to become Orochimaru’s next body. Because Danzo and Orochimaru were secretly connected, he was able to obtain this information without the knowledge of the village’s higher-ups.

Danzo thought that if Orochimaru obtained Sasuke’s body and tried to destroy Konoha again, Tsunade, who was unable to give up her naive thoughts, would not be able to stop him, and Konoha would end up in an even more difficult situation than last time.

This is a very troubling situation for Danzo. Danzo is aiming for the position of Hokage, so Tsunade’s downfall is very much appreciated, but the village is essential for Danzo to lead the Hidden Leaf Village as Hokage, so he cannot allow it to be destroyed.

Therefore, Danzo decided to eliminate Sasuke. He gave Sai the task of eliminating Sasuke as a mere deserter, and thought that Itachi would be able to calm his anger by offering Sai, the culprit, as a human sacrifice later.

Even after all this, Danzo felt a little guilty towards Itachi. Because he had to kill Sasuke, who Itachi loved. Danzo recognized Itachi as an extremely skilled ninja, and one who was able to perform the most important task of a ninja, which is self-sacrifice.

That’s why Itachi thought that if he explained that Sasuke’s death, which would likely harm the village, was for the good of the village, because he was a ninja who was truly capable of sacrificing himself for the village, they would definitely understand. It was a naive idea that did not understand how important loved ones are to the Uchiha clan, but to Danzo, it was the truth.

In the current situation, the two conflicting missions of rescuing Sasuke and eliminating him were being carried out within the same platoon, but Sai himself, the person involved, was wondering whether he should kill Sasuke.

Sai was discovered to have talent by Danzo from an early age, and lived in the cold, dark world of ninjas known as Root. That’s why, even though it was only for a short time, he was strongly influenced by his conversation with Naruto, a warm, gentle, and strong light, and he came to think that he shouldn’t cut off the connection with Sasuke, who Naruto treasures.

The mission that Sai was ordered by Danzo to eliminate Sasuke, who was just a deserter. The main reason for killing a deserter is that it would be troublesome if information about the village were to be revealed to other countries. So Sai thought that he could accomplish the mission by bringing Sasuke back to the village without killing him.

The Konoha ninjas are excited by the unexpected opportunity presented by Kabuto’s appearance. As they wait for an opportunity to capture Kabuto, they are faced with an unexpected situation.

It happened when Yamato questioned Kabuto to find out information about Orochimaru’s hideout and Sasuke.

“Hey there, Konoha ninjas.”

“”!!??””

The three of them were hiding in the forest when suddenly, they heard a voice from behind them. The three were certainly concentrating on the beetle, but they were on their guard and didn’t sense anyone behind them. On the contrary, they couldn’t hide their surprise that there was no sign of anyone even though they were called out to, and they quickly turned around.

There was Ukon, who had grown considerably since two and a half years ago. His clothes had changed, and his long white hair that reached down to his waist was now tied back in a ponytail, but Naruto had not forgotten the appearance of the formidable foe he had seen a few times before.

The three of them immediately went on guard as Ukon suddenly appeared behind them. However, Ukon had enough time to call out to them, even though he had purposely gotten behind them. The three of them moved quickly, but at this point they had given Ukon too much time.

Ukon casually approached Sakura, who was nearby, and without giving her a chance to resist, he grabbed her by the neck with one hand and lifted her into the air. There was a height difference of about a head between Ukon and Sakura, and although Sakura struggled desperately after being lifted up, her feet could not touch the ground and she could only flop around in the air.

“Ugh…”

“Let go of Sakura-chan!!”

Sakura, who was being strangled, groaned in agony. Seeing his beloved suffering, Naruto screamed and attacked Ukon, but Ukon dodged with ease and ran out of the forest with Sakura in his arms.

“Sakura…?!”

“What… is the farce over already?”

In contrast to Yamato, disguised as Sasori, who noticed something strange about his subordinate and called out his name in a panicked voice, Kabuto muttered with a calm expression while pushing up the center of his round glasses with his index finger.

In the original story, Kabuto came with Orochimaru, but now he comes with Ukon and Sakon, and another person.

“Ukon, Sakon… how long do you intend to play around for? Let’s finish this quickly and return to Lord Orochimaru.”

A new male voice came from the forest behind Kabuto. When the members of Konoha turned towards the voice, it was Kimimaro. Kimimaro’s eyebrows were twisted in a way that made no attempt to hide his irritation at Ukon and Sakon, who hadn’t killed anyone despite getting behind their backs, and he was directly criticizing them.

With Sakura taken hostage and a new enemy never known to the Hidden Leaf Village, Kimimaro, even Yamato, a man with years of experience and a wealth of experience, is unable to hide his shock.

“Another new one… It seems like it was all a trap…”

Yamato changed back into a scorpion and, though he tried his best to remain calm in the sudden predicament he found himself in, couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice.

Being surprised was completely unexpected for Yamato and his friends. Their mission was to extract information from the Akatsuki spies under Orochimaru, and they had planned to only engage in combat if they were unable to obtain information from the spies and it was unavoidable. Engaging in combat with only four people against the Hidden Sound Village, who may have the enormous fighting power of Ukon and Sakon waiting in the wings, would be nothing short of suicidal.

That was why it was unexpected that there were people other than spies waiting, and what’s more, the surprise attack from Ukon, an enormous fighting force, was an unthinkable situation.

“Yes, unfortunately you have fallen into a trap. It’s a trap.”

Kabuto continues to verbally attack Yamato, as if to provoke him, but even Kabuto and his friends had not expected this situation. Originally, they had intended to use Kabuto, who had been freed from Sasori’s curse by Orochimaru, as bait to lure out Sasori and then set a trap to kill him, but instead it was the ninjas from the Hidden Leaf Village who had actually appeared.

In the original story, Orochimaru was present at this scene, but he is not there now. In the original story, there was no one else who could move properly against Sasori other than Orochimaru, so Orochimaru himself appeared, but now they have Ukon Sakon and Kimimaro, who are strong and easy to move, so Orochimaru himself does not move and prepares his physical condition so that he can take over Sasuke’s body.

Because of this, Ukon and Sakon appeared at the scene, but they did not notice Naruto and the others because of their knowledge of the original work; rather, they noticed them hiding out because of the sage’s sensing ability, and used that information to decide how to deal with the situation.

The way to deal with this is very simple, but effective: a surprise attack from behind. Normally, even taking into account that there were no ninja with sensing skills in the Yamato platoon, it would be difficult to succeed in a surprise attack from behind in this situation, but Ukon and Sakon had managed to pull it off brilliantly.

(How on earth did he get behind Sakura?)

As Yamato watched the situation unfold, he wondered how Ukon had managed to get behind Sakura.

Yamato was standing on the Tenchi Bridge, which spanned a deep valley. Yamato was always on guard against his surroundings, and as far as Yamato could see, no living or inorganic object had flown across the valley. The deep valley offered a good view, so it’s not as if Yamato, a seasoned ninja, had missed it. Furthermore, the sky was clear and cloudless at the moment, so Yamato hadn’t seen anything that had flown overhead by any means.

(That means… the only place left is underground. The reports said they could use Earth Release, so that’s why they advanced from underground.)

By a process of elimination, Yamato deduced that Ukon and the others had used Earth Release to go underground, then went further down the valley and got behind Sakura.

That guess was only half right. He was right that they had gone under the Yamato and taken them from behind, but he was wrong that they had gone under the valley.

The place Ukon and Sakon passed through was literally under Yamato’s feet, the very bridge of Tenchi. Having fused with the Hashirama Cells, Ukon and Sakon’s affinity with natural energy increased dramatically, and his “Twin Demon Attack” even allowed him to fuse with nature, though this was limited to solid objects such as earth, stone, and plants. In the original work, Akatsuki no White Zetsu used the same technique to fuse with nature, a technique called “Dragonfly,” but Ukon and Sakon were able to recreate this by applying the “Twin Demon Attack.”

In this way, Ukon fused and moved from the ground to the bridge and then from the bridge to the ground, and successfully got behind Sakura and the others and launched a surprise attack.

“Uhh… ughh…”

“Let go of Sakura-chan!!”

While Yamato was guessing, Sakura was being strangled by Ukon, and when Naruto saw Sakura with a pale face and a hazy consciousness, he shouted loudly at Ukon.

Yamato and Sai heard Naruto’s scream and calmly concluded that his actions were useless. When a friend is held hostage, making provocative remarks would put the friend in danger, and no one would be stupid enough to let go of a hostage in the current situation. Shouting alone would not improve the situation.

In response to Naruto’s cry, which could truly be described as the howl of a loser, Ukon said…

“Here you go.”

“Eh…?”

He very quickly threw Sakura towards Naruto.

Naruto was stunned by the completely unrealistic action, but he quickly caught the flying Sakura with both hands.

“Cough cough cough!?”

“Sakura-chan!”

Naruto gently strokes Sakura’s back, worried as she chokes from getting some fresh air. Yamato and Sai keep the two of them in their sights, but don’t let their guard down against Ukon and the others.

Ukon’s actions are impossible to imagine using common sense, and because of this Yamato and the others are unable to understand his thinking.

(What on earth is this guy thinking?)

Just as Yamato and the others were unable to understand Ukon’s thoughts, Kabuto and Kimimaro were also unable to understand Ukon’s thoughts.

“Ukon, what are you planning?”

Kimimaro questioned Ukon with a hint of anger in his voice.

From Kimimaro’s point of view, Ukon’s actions had been unnatural from the start. Considering Ukon’s strength, the deaths of Naruto and the other three should have been certain the moment the surprise attack was successful, but instead of killing anyone, he simply took a woman hostage, and then even threw that hostage away.

This series of actions irritated Kimimaro. Murderous intent began to leak out from Kimimaro’s body. Even though it wasn’t directed at him, Naruto and the others found themselves breaking out in an unpleasant sweat down their backs. That’s how sharp and heavy Kimimaro’s murderous intent was.

“Don’t get so angry, Kimimaro. We’re aiming at the Akasuna scorpion, not these guys, right?”

“But these people are Konoha ninja, and Konoha is Lord Orochimaru’s enemy… we must eliminate them here.”

“No, I don’t think so. Konoha is a village with a strong sense of camaraderie, and if we kill someone here, they will surely come after us for revenge.”

“We just need to kill all the enemies that come. I think it’s possible with you, me, and Lord Orochimaru who has taken over Sasuke’s body.”

Although Yamato and the others were intimidated by Kimimaro’s murderous intent, they watched the conversation quietly as Orochimaru’s subordinates showed signs of falling out with each other, but then one day Naruto made a statement he could not ignore.

“What on earth is Sasuke’s body doing…?!”

“Naruto…?!”

Naruto, with veins bulging from his temples, charges at Kimimaro. Sakura must remain calm in this situation, and tries to calm Naruto, whose judgement seems to be impaired by anger, but it doesn’t have much effect on Naruto.

“That has nothing to do with you.”

“It’s not my business! I’m his friend!”

Kimimaro’s cold stare and words only added fuel to the fire. And this was not limited to Naruto.

Naruto and Kimimaro glared at each other directly.

Kimimaro was already frustrated because he couldn’t read Ukon’s intentions in words and actions, but he got even more frustrated when Naruto barged in and shouted at him. As if responding to Naruto’s anger, the anger that had been directed at Ukon was now directed at Naruto.

“Shut up… I’ll kill you first.”

“Try it! I’ll beat you to a pulp and make you tell me where Sasuke is!”

The two of them get heated with their verbal exchanges, but Ukon interjects, as if to cool things down.

“Well, calm down a bit, Kimimaro… I just wanted to ask a Konoha ninja something.”

Before anyone knew it, Ukon was behind Kimimaro and had placed his hand on his right shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

Yamato and the others looked shocked at the sight.

“picture?”

“When did this happen…!”

Sai and Sakura muttered in shock.

At that moment, the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village were paying close attention to Kimimaro and Naruto’s words and actions, so for just a moment their vigilance towards Ukon was down. Because of this, it was certain that no one was able to grasp when Ukon made his move.

However, on the other hand, despite the fact that they had been paying close attention to Kimimaro’s movements, to the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village it simply looked like Ukon had suddenly appeared next to Kimimaro.

The ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village could not see anything. That was for sure, but even though they could not see, there was someone who sensed what Ukon had done. And that person, Yamato, had used his vast experience to deduce what Ukon had done.

(The man known as Ukon just now…did not use earth release to go under, nor did he teleport using space-time ninjutsu. It was hard to believe, but he simply passed by me at a speed that was too fast to see…I could definitely feel the wind and the slight swaying of the bridge as he passed right next to me…!)

Just as Yamato had deduced, the way Ukon got behind Kimimaro was by using the Earth Release: Light and Heavy Rock Technique'' to lighten his body and then using theBody Flash Technique” to run across the Tenchi Bridge at high speed.

At the time, Yamato was on Tenchi Bridge, so she felt the wind and the swaying of the bridge when Ukon ran past. Ukon’s weight was lighter due to the “Light and Heavy Rock,” so the bridge shook less, but Yamato was not so insensitive that she did not realize that someone had passed by him.

(But… he should have passed right beside me, he should have definitely passed by! Is it possible that even my eyes could only see his shadow!?)

Yamato was shocked to learn only a small part of Ukon’s abilities, and was made to understand that the current situation was controlled by Ukon. She was led to mistakenly believe that the reason Ukon let go of Sakura, who was held hostage, was because he had overwhelming strength and could kill Yamato and the others at any time.

Yes, it was a misunderstanding on Yamato’s part. It is true that there is an overwhelming difference in strength between Ukon and Sakon and Yamato and the others, and it is true that because of this, they are arrogant and believe that they cannot die on the battlefield. However, even if we take that into account, Ukon let Sakura go because he thought that he would be able to have a more relaxed conversation with Yamato and the others that way.

While Yamato misinterpreted Ukon’s movements and was horrified by the disparity in their military strength, Ukon and Kimimaro communicated with just their glances, and the battle was eventually resolved with Kimimaro giving in.

“Well… do as you like. However, I will be reporting this matter to Lord Orochimaru.”

“Ah, that’s fine. That would be a relief. Is that okay with you, Kabuto?”

“I don’t really care either way. It’s up to you.”

“Thank you both.”

Kabuto approached Ukon and Kimimaro to talk to them and walked to one side of the bridge. Seeing this, Yamato walked in the opposite direction, towards where his three subordinates were waiting, and slowly backed away, careful not to turn his back on the enemy, and was able to join them.

The ninjas from the Hidden Sound Village and the Hidden Leaf Village faced each other across the bridge.

“Now then, I’d like to ask everyone at Konohagakure a question. Is that okay? Captain over there.”

“ah “

Yamato nodded in response to Ukon’s question, ready to move at any time. Naruto and the others behind Yamato were also ready to move.

As the ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village continued to remain on guard, Ukon finally asked the main question.

“Two and a half years ago… when I took Sasuke out of Konoha, I had three companions with me… but when we fought the Konoha ninja, I lost consciousness and when I woke up, those three had gone missing.

I believe that the Konoha ninjas brought back either the living ones or their corpses in order to obtain information… and so…”

Ukon paused for a moment, then made up his mind and spoke.

“Where are they now?”

” “

Yamato was pondering how to answer Ukon’s question. Right now, it was the question that would most likely affect Ukon’s mood, and it was an extremely difficult question to decide whether to tell the truth or lie.

By the way, the truth is that after Kakashi killed the three, he brought the three bodies back with him when he brought his injured comrades back to Konoha, and after using a jutsu to extract information from the bodies, they were buried on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village. They couldn’t just leave the bodies there, and since they were enemies, they couldn’t be put in a communal grave or anything like that, so that’s how it was handled.

(It’s no good… I can’t read the other person’s thoughts. This guy is a loyal subordinate of Orochimaru, he fought against Jiraiya-sama twice, and also fought against Gai-san and Asuma-san during the mission to rescue Sasuke, and he is the man who pushed us into a difficult situation at that time. Considering the difference in strength, he should have beaten us half to death and taken us back to Orochimaru’s hideout, and tortured us there to get information… but is this guy, like what he said to Kimimaro earlier, really not intending to be an enemy of Konoha? After all, he invaded Konoha with Orochimaru, and was involved in the death of the Third Hokage? Seriously… what is he thinking?)

“Think about it carefully and then tell me what you want. I’ll wait.”

Yamato was troubled as he was unable to understand Ukon’s way of thinking, and Ukon spoke to him without moving, arms folded.

After pondering for a while, Yamato finally made up his mind and decided to tell the truth.

Yamato had no idea how Ukon would react to telling him the truth. However, when a normal person is taught something false and later finds out it was a lie, they feel anger. In most cases, that anger is greater than if they had been told an inconvenient truth.

Therefore, Yamato decided to tell Ukon the truth. Even if Ukon felt angry after learning the truth, he believed it would be better than being found out to have lied.

“The three you refer to are buried in the forest on the outskirts of Konoha.”

“…I guess so…I wish that wasn’t the case…”

Ukon looked up to the sky as Yamato told him the truth. Ukon had suspected his comrades’ deaths two and a half years ago, so it didn’t come as a surprise to him. However, upon hearing that they were definitely dead, it was impossible not to feel something deep in his heart.

Ukon looked up at the sky for just a few seconds, and when he returned his gaze to Yamato and the others, his expression was exactly the same as usual.

Ukon wanted to thank Yamato for telling him the truth.

Now then, as a thank you for letting me ask you what I wanted to know, I will answer one of your questions and by the way, I will swear not to lay hands on you here. You and I will both get to ask what we wanted to know, and we will all be able to go home safely I think that s all good, don t you think?

“it is “

“That being said… unlike the honest ninja of Konoha, I don’t think you’ll trust my words as one of Lord Orochimaru’s subordinates, but I can say that I don’t lie.”

From Yamato’s perspective, it didn’t look like Ukon was lying. In fact, there wasn’t a single lie in what Ukon had just said; everything he had said was the truth.

However, the mere fact that Ukon is a subordinate highly valued by Orochimaru makes the credibility of his words plummet to the depths. That is how important the fact that he is one of Orochimaru’s subordinates is.

However, setting aside the truth of Ukon’s words, the opportunity to have questions answered by Orochimaru’s subordinates was a valuable one. There was no way they could miss such an opportunity. It was especially a golden opportunity for Naruto and Sakura, who were searching for Sasuke and didn’t want to miss any information they could get.

“Then you better tell me about Sasuke!”

“Naruto…”

Naruto barked as he asked Ukon about Sasuke, ignoring Yamato, the captain of the unit. Sakura, who had a sidelong glance at Naruto’s desperate expression, looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

Sakura felt indebted to Naruto. She thought that Naruto was trying so desperately to rescue Sasuke because two and a half years ago Sakura had begged Naruto to help Sasuke. Even if Sakura hadn’t wished for it, Naruto would have tried so desperately to help Sasuke because he considered him his best friend. Sakura understood that.

However, Sakura also knew that Naruto had romantic feelings for her, and in her desire to save Sasuke, she began to feel guilty, for having taken advantage of Naruto’s feelings.

“About Sasuke…that’s a vague question. What do you want to know?”

“Everything! Just answer me now!!”

Naruto was nearing the end of his patience. Up until now he had been feeling tense and had somehow managed to control himself, leaving Ukon and the others to Yamato to deal with them, but when Ukon said, “I’ll answer any question,” he couldn’t stop.

From Naruto’s perspective, this was his first chance in the last two and a half years to get closer to Sasuke, and with information from Jiraiya that Orochimaru would take Sasuke’s body, he was overcome with a sense of urgency that if he missed this opportunity he might never see Sasuke again.

Naruto’s emotions are exploding like a volcano about to release all of its pent up magma, and no matter who tries to stop him, he won’t and can’t be stopped.

“All of it?… How greedy, Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Shut up! Answer me!”

“Naruto! Calm down a bit! What are you going to gain by provoking the other person!?”

“Captain Yamato, don’t get in my way! This is our chance to get closer to Sasuke!”

Naruto right now had no composure whatsoever, and was like a mad dog that would bite at anything. He barked at Ukon, who wouldn’t immediately give him information about Sasuke, and at Yamato, who tried to stop him out of concern for him. It was a painful sight to see him simply barking at those around him in the face of a reality that wasn’t going well.

In an attempt to change the atmosphere, which had deteriorated to the point where they were on the verge of a rift between the group, Ukon gave a loud round of applause to bring Naruto, who had been heading towards Yamato, back to himself.

“I’m sorry, but I will tell you one thing. Where Sasuke is now, his position in Otogakure, details of the techniques he has acquired over the past two and a half years, when Lord Orochimaru will have Sasuke’s body…you can ask me anything you want, but I will only answer one thing. Please be specific with your questions, otherwise I will not be able to answer.”

“You…!”

“Naruto! Calm down!”

Ukon refused Naruto’s request to tell him everything about Sasuke and corrected him to ask more specific questions.

Naruto felt provoked by Ukon’s words, which sounded like a teacher scolding an ignorant child, and this made him even angrier.

Sakura tried to calm him down by placing her hand on Naruto’s shoulder, but Naruto shook her hand off with a gesture as if rotating his shoulder.

(Naruto… can’t you hear what I’m saying anymore?)

Sakura was frightened by Naruto’s behavior, which was completely different from his usual playful and bright demeanor, and she also felt ashamed of herself for having pushed him to that extent.

Without even noticing Sakura’s sad expression, Naruto just looked at Ukon and asked again.

“Tell me where Sasuke is!”

“Sasuke’s location, okay? I’ll tell you.”

“Ukon, you… “Kimimaro, it was you who just said, ‘We should kill all the enemies that come.’ Or will you take back what you said?”

“Haa… do as you please.”

Kimimaro tried to stop Ukon from answering Naruto’s question, but when Ukon dug up what Kimimaro had said, Kimimaro sighed and refrained from saying any more. If Kimimaro were to retract his words, “I will kill you all, along with Lord Orochimaru,” it could lead to doubts about Orochimaru’s power.

“Sasuke is currently in his hideout northwest of here. But Uzumaki Naruto… what are you planning to do knowing that?”

“Of course! Beat up Sasuke! And then take him back to Konoha!”

Ukon asked the same old question while telling Naruto where Sasuke was, and Naruto replied with veins popping out of his temples.

Ukon knew what it meant that the fox-like whiskers on Naruto’s cheeks were darkening in response to Naruto’s anger, but he continued speaking.

“…I hate to say it, but that’s probably impossible.”

“Ahhh!?”

Naruto raised his voice after Ukon denied his goal. However, those words were not meant to be malicious towards Naruto, on the contrary, they were meant as a well-intentioned warning to Naruto.

“Sasuke is strong now. You cannot lay a finger on him now. And Sasuke’s resolve is firm. He will not return to Konoha until he has killed Itachi. In other words, what you say will not happen will not happen.”

“Why do I have to be told that by you?! What on earth are you to Sasuke?”

“I’ve been by Sasuke’s side for the past two years. I wouldn’t go as far as to say we’re friends, but I do consider him a comrade.”

The decisive words spoken by Ukon finally reached the limit of Naruto’s patience. In his rage, the red chakra characteristic of the Nine Tails began to bubble and erupt from his body.

“Sasuke is not one of your friends!! He’s one of us, Konoha’s friends!!”

“Can’t you accept it? I dare say that it should be decided by Sasuke, not you.”

“Shut up! Shut up!! Shut up!!”

Every word Ukon said made Naruto’s nerves irritate, and he felt as if his head was boiling. An endless stream of rage welled up from the pit of his stomach, and just as much of the Nine Tails’ chakra spurted out, covering Naruto’s entire body, and even a single tail sprouted from his hip, swaying back and forth.

But it wasn’t enough. Naruto’s rage wouldn’t subside with this. Not enough rage. His rage would never subside. Rage after rage was dominating Naruto’s heart.

Naruto clawed at his head, tore out his hair, his fingernails stained red with the blood from his skin. And then…

“Aaaaaaaaagh!!!!!!”

An inhuman scream burst from Naruto’s throat, the sound pressure alone shaking the surrounding trees and bridge.

Then, the bubbling chakra from the Nine Tails continues to increase, and a second chakra tail grows from its hips.

“Huh…?!”

“Naruto!”

“Naruto?! Ugh… the second one?!”

Sai, Sakura, and Yamato saw Naruto’s monstrous form and each of them reacted in their own way, protecting their faces with their arms from the shock waves caused by Naruto’s roar.

The monster, mad with rage, bared its fangs and roared.

“I’m gonna kill you!!!”

The red fox monster, with its small body but with an immense amount of chakra stored up inside, charged towards Ukon.

The Battle of Tenchi Bridge Part 2

Naruto was furious. He saw his closest friend Sasuke kidnapped and his minions trying to take his body. What’s more, these enemies said Sasuke was their friend and declared that they couldn’t help him. There was no way he could forgive them.

That anger resonates with the Nine Tails’ chakra, a mass of hatred, and both its anger and chakra swell to the limit.

Naruto no longer had any sanity left. He had turned into a beast that would not stop until he had torn his sworn enemy to pieces.

As for Ukon and Sakon, who stood opposite them, they remained perfectly calm.

In Ukon and Sakon’s hearts, there is no hatred towards Naruto or towards the Hidden Leaf Village. If Kakashi, who personally killed them, had made any remarks mocking the three who died, the story might have been different, but that future will never come.

Ukon and the others certainly mourned the deaths of Jirobo, Kidomaru and Tayuya. They still remember them, and will never forget them for the rest of their lives.

However, they realized that their deaths and their grudge against the Hidden Leaf Village were separate issues. To an ordinary person, this may seem like a twisted way of thinking, but that is how they perceived it.

First of all, it may be unnecessary to say this, but Ukon and the others were originally reincarnated Japanese people who lived in the modern era. Because they had memories of living in a peaceful world, they naturally had an aversion to killing people. However, in order to continue to survive under Orochimaru, they needed to stain their hands red.

For Ukon and the others, who have made a living by getting their hands dirty in this way, the death of someone on a mission is a normal occurrence. Rather, being brutally killed as a test subject to satisfy Orochimaru’s whims and intellectual curiosity feels like a far more unreasonable death. To Ukon and the others, leaving a corpse on display at the end of a mission is a normal way to die.

If that was the case, there was no need for Ukon and the others to hate Naruto and the other ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village.

Both Ukon and Naruto’s group ended up clashing with each other in the course of their missions.

If he had killed Gai and Asuma instead of taking them hostage, knowing that it would incur the wrath of the Hidden Leaf Village, then perhaps the three of them would not have had to die, but it was Ukon who made that decision, and it was his own lack of ability that should give him cause for resentment.

Therefore, Ukon and the others mourned the deaths of the three, lamented their own lack of power, and built up their strength.

Furthermore, although Ukon and the others regret their decision not to kill Guy and the others immediately after capturing them, they do not consider it a mistake.

Gai and Asuma were incapacitated at that point, and there was no way they could have been defeated by the genin. In fact, even after Gaara and the others came to the rescue from the Hidden Sand Village, the battle was still in their favor, and even though Gai had temporarily mustered all his strength to return to the front lines, it was the Sound Four who would have won without the reinforcement of Kakashi.

Furthermore, looking to the distant future, there were also concerns that this would weaken the fighting strength of the Hidden Leaf Village, which housed the Nine Tails’ jinchuriki, who the Akatsuki would likely target.

It was a decision that took into consideration the situation on the battlefield, the anxiety about the future that came from his knowledge of the original work, and the risk of incurring the hatred of a great power like the Hidden Leaf Village.

And they may not, or may not think, that their decision at that time was a mistake, but that is exactly why Ukon and the others made the same decision this time again.

Originally, Ukon and Sakon were ordered by Orochimaru to use Kabuto as a decoy to kill Sasori, not to fight the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village. Therefore, Ukon and Sakon had no need to kill Naruto and the others on the spot.

However, there was great significance in fighting Naruto, whose power with the Nine Tails had gone out of control.

(Naruto was consumed by the Nine Tails’ chakra… I tried to provoke him with sound reasoning, but it seems to have had an immediate effect.)

(Well, hearing those words from the person who stole Sasuke… anyone would be angry.)

There is no lie in what Ukon told Naruto. Ukon thinks that Naruto cannot save Sasuke, and it is also true that he considers Sasuke a friend.

However, these were not the words to say in a situation like this, and they could have spoken to her more gently if they had wanted to. They didn’t do so because Ukon and the others had their own goals.

(It’s not something I have to do right now, but this will help me gain experience in fighting tailed beasts and improve my technique in using Mokuton to control them.)

(That’s right… It would have been fine if he hadn’t gone along with the teasing… But he went along with it brilliantly.)

Ukon and his group’s goal here was to prove the usefulness of Mokuton against the tailed beasts.

In the original work, there is a Mokuton technique called “Hokage-style Ear-following Technique: Kakuan Nyujin Suzure”. This technique was used by Hashirama in his battle with Madara, who had the Nine Tails under his control. With this technique, he succeeded in calming the Nine Tails, which continued to rampage even after being tied up with “Mokuton: Wood Dragon Technique”.

Yamato also used it against Naruto when the Nine-Tails’ power went out of control during the battle at Tenchi Bridge, and even with the help of the sealing stone that Naruto possessed, he was able to successfully seal the Nine-Tails’ chakra.

Ukon and the others believed that there was a possibility that they might have to fight tailed beasts in the future, so they felt it was necessary to master this technique, and they already had a certain understanding of the principles behind the technique.

However, rather than using it in a real battle against a tailed beast, he wanted to try it out somewhere, and this time Naruto was chosen as the practice subject.

Of course, it didn’t necessarily have to be Naruto; they could have targeted the Three-Tails, which would be less likely to provoke resentment if attacked, so Ukon and the others could have done it even if Naruto didn’t take the bait, which was a legitimate provocation.However, Naruto ended up taking the bait and releasing the Nine-Tails’ chakra, so he was planning to use this opportunity to try out a technique.

(But two tails aren’t enough at all.)

(Ah… Even if it’s effective on just two tailed beasts, I don’t know if it will be enough to completely suppress the tailed beast. I’d like to try it with at least four or more.)

Ukon and Sakon were secretly discussing dangerous things.

No matter how great the power of the Nine Tails is, the power that was sealed within Naruto by the Fourth Hokage was only half of its original power, and the red chakra robe that Naruto is currently wearing is merely a small portion that has leaked out from the seal.

Even if Ukon and the others’ “Kakuan Nyutatsu Te” worked on Naruto in that state, there’s no guarantee it would work against other tailed beasts in their perfect condition.

(However, if it gets to eight, there is a high possibility that a conversation with Minato will take place. I don’t know how the fight with Pain will turn out, but I would feel bad about using up all of Minato’s chakra just so I can practice. In that case, it would be ideal to keep it down when there are six or seven at most…)

(That’s right… Minato can tell us information about the masked man, Obito, but if Naruto isn’t in contact with Obito, he might not be able to hear that information…)

While Ukon and the others had their sights set on their goal of fighting the tailed beasts, they also took into consideration events that might occur in the future, and made plans to wait until Naruto had drawn out a certain amount of the Nine Tails’ chakra, and then attempt the “Kakuan Nyutatsute.”

Naruto, completely unaware that such a plan had been made, finally attacks Ukon.

“Gaaaaaahh!!”

“Kyaa?!”

“Damn it!?”

“Uhh…!?”

Naruto raised his right arm, which had turned into a red claw, and stomped down on the ground with all his might, charging towards Ukon. The impact of his step caused the ground to rise up, and the Sakuras nearby let out screams and groans.

Naruto, not hearing the voices of his comrades, approached Ukon in the blink of an eye and swung his right arm down with murderous intent.

Ukon shows no sign of impatience at the beast’s blow, which would have caused an average ninja to prepare for death.

“Hmph.”

As Naruto leapt at him, Ukon exhaled sharply, grabbed Naruto’s right arm, and swung it around without losing the momentum of his charge, throwing him into the depths of the forest behind him.

“Huh!?”

“Huh?!”

Sakura and Yamato are astonished and speechless when Ukon withstands a blow from Naruto, who unleashed the power of the Nine Tails, without a scratch. In contrast, Kabuto and Kimimaro, who know Ukon’s power well, remain composed.

Kabuto and Kimimaro, who had felt the power of the Nine Tails firsthand, felt threatened by it, but still, their trust in Ukon and Sakon’s abilities prevailed.

Ukon speaks to Kabuto and Kimimaro in a calm manner.

“We have something we’d like to test against the Jinchuriki that we’ve become. If you feel it’s dangerous, please stand back.”

“Hey! Ukon! …Tch, what on earth are you thinking…”

Kimimaro clicked his tongue as he watched Ukon chase after Naruto, who he had spoken to one-sidedly and thrown away, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

“It seems they had their own thoughts about it. It’s a rare reaction for someone so devoted to their mission.”

“Kabuto-san…”

“Let’s leave them alone for now and deal with them ourselves…”

Leaving Ukon and Sakon, who seemed to be acting differently than usual, Kabuto and Kimimaro turned their attention to the three ninja who were left behind.

“Brace yourselves! Here we come!”

“yes!”

“…”

Sensing that Kabuto and Kimimaro were preparing for battle, Yamato gave orders to his two subordinates, Sakura gave an honest response, and Sai silently took out his brush and got ready.

Although they were worried about Naruto, the three of them could not let their guard down due to the aura that Kimimaro exuded that made him seem like no ordinary person.

A battle not found in the original story was about to begin.

While a battle not found in the original story was taking place in the background, Ukon and Sakon were sprinting through the forest following Naruto’s chakra using their sage-level sensing abilities, staring at the palm of his hand and talking to themselves.

(Just a light touch and this…)

(Although it’s exactly like the original, it’s still quite troublesome.)

As Ukon looked at his own right hand, it appeared to be burned and rotten.

The Nine Tails’ chakra, which Naruto was surrounded by while running wild and forgetting about his surroundings, could injure anyone with just a touch, friend or foe. Just the moment he grabbed Naruto’s arm and threw him away, that single moment of contact had injured Ukon’s right hand.

(This level isn’t a problem, but close combat is troublesome.)

While thinking up a way to fight Naruto in his mind, Ukon focused his consciousness on the cells in his right hand and focused Yang chakra on the damaged tissue. With just that action, the burn-like wounds on his right hand shrunk in an instant, as if time had gone back, and eventually his skin returned to its original state.

What Ukon had just used was the regeneration ninjutsu without seals used by Hashirama and Tsunade in the original work, which he had recreated using the Twin Demon Attack'' and Yang chakra.Ukon had succeeded in recreating this technique by using theTwin Demon Attack” to grasp the state of the injury and then directing the abundant Yang chakra derived from Hashirama’s cells towards the injured cells in a pinpoint manner.

However, Ukon and the others were not satisfied with the accuracy of the technique.

The regenerative ninjutsu that Ukon uses does not compare to the healing power that Hashirama himself uses, which is backed by the enormous amount of yang chakra, nor does it compare to the regenerative precision that comes from Tsunade’s extensive medical knowledge and the chakra control techniques she has cultivated over many years.

Although he boasts a high level of healing ability that sets him apart from normal medical ninjutsu, he is not satisfied with that level, and although he possesses the “Twin Demon Attack” that other medical ninjas envy, and an abundant amount of yang chakra, he feels that he is not making full use of it.

Looking at his right hand, which no longer bore a single trace of burn scars, Ukon was impressed by the regeneration ninjutsu, but he quickened his pace towards Naruto.

“Grrrrr…”

When Ukon spotted Naruto in the forest, the number of tails swaying from Naruto’s back had already increased to three, and he was making what sounded like a bestial roar from his throat.

Shaking his head as if looking around restlessly, and even moving his eyes with their long, vertical pupils around, the irrational Naruto had lost sight of Ukon and was searching for him.

If he had left him alone for a little longer, he would have destroyed every inch of the surrounding forest in search of Ukon, but before he could do that, Ukon appeared before Naruto.

“Vaaaaahh!!”

As soon as he spotted Ukon, Naruto roared and charged again.

To intercept it, Sakon quickly made a hand seal and Ukon activated his magic.

“Senjutsu: Water Release: Water Shock Wave Technique!”

“Whaaat?!”

A huge amount of water spurted out from under Ukon’s feet, creating a rapid river in the forest. Naruto, who was approaching Ukon to harm him, was blocked by the water, his momentum was slashed, and he was swept away instead.

Keeping a watchful eye on Naruto, who was confused as he was swept away by the sudden rapids, Ukon continued to perform more techniques.

“Senpo: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique.”

The moment Ukon activated his next technique, the rapids that had been flowing chaotically through the forest transformed into a water dragon clearly aimed at Naruto and attacked him.

The water dragon, capable of crushing even the giant trees growing in the forest in one breath, opened its mouth wide and approached Naruto, intending to bite him to death.

“Gaaaaaahh!!!”

Just before the water dragon bit him, Naruto thrust both hands into the dragon’s mouth as it tried to close, roared and tried to forcefully push it open.

The water dragon’s bite force and Naruto’s strength are counterbalanced.

As Naruto violently resisted, refusing to let himself be eaten, Ukon swiftly manipulated the Water Dragon Bullet and made the water dragon spin violently.

The water dragon twisted its body and rampaged around, trying to bite Naruto to death. Its appearance was similar to a death roll, where a crocodile violently spins around trying to kill and devour its prey, but on a completely different scale.

With each rotation of the water dragon, giant trees in the forest were gouged out, and those unable to support its weight broke, collapsing to the ground with a thunderous roar that reverberated throughout the forest.

As giant trees fall one after another, leaves and branches fall like rain into the forest, and the view is dyed brown by the rising dust.

“GRAAAAAAHH!!”

The water dragon continued to rampage, creating a desolate landscape, but Naruto roared and released an incredible amount of chakra from his entire body, causing its head to be blown off and scattered in a spray of water, and the rest of its body from the neck down was cruelly thrown all over the place.

The shock wave kicked up dust and blew away the surrounding ground along with all the leaves, leaving the three-tailed Naruto standing frozen in a crater filled with water.

“Grrrrr…”

Having completely destroyed the water dragon, Naruto shook off the annoying water droplets on his clothes by trembling all over his body, and glared at Ukon who had soaked him.

“Urrraaah!”

When Naruto stretched both his arms out towards Ukon, the red chakra surrounding him linked with the movement of his arms, and transformed them into two arms with sharp claws that stretched out powerfully in a straight line towards Ukon. The translucent red arms closed in on Ukon, slicing through his flesh with their sharp claws and breaking his bones with their powerful arms.

Ukon avoids the arms by quickly rolling to the side.

“Aaaaahh!!!”

The moment Naruto realized he had dodged it, he began waving his arms around wildly.

With his arms spread out to the sides, Naruto spun his whole body and launched a horizontal slash, creating a violent wind that ravaged the surrounding area and sent several giant trees flying into the air.

He raised both his arms and vigorously brought them down in all directions like a child throwing a tantrum, and as if in inverse proportion to his childish expression, the ground where his arms came down was left covered in craters of all sizes.

Even though Naruto has difficulty controlling the power of the Nine Tails, each of his movements continues to cause destruction all around as if it were a disaster.

However, Ukon’s body, exposed to such a calamity, does not bear a single scratch. Even though he is at the center of the violence, he continues to dodge the strong arms that rage like a matador facing off against a raging bull.

Ukon, who had protected himself from the disaster-like onslaught using only his physical abilities without using a single spell, even had a smile of ease on his face.

(It’s true that it’s powerful, but it’s just powerful.)

(Ahh, he has no control over his powers at all. It’s like a child having a tantrum.)

(Hmph… He’s quite a naughty kid though.)

Ukon and Sakon secretly treated Naruto like a child as the power of the Nine Tails ran wild.

The Nine Tails’ chakra is certainly powerful. Although only three tails have grown, even an attack in that state is destructive enough that even Ukon and the others would not survive if it hit them directly. In fact, even Jiraiya was brought to the brink of death by an attack from Naruto when he unleashed the power of the fourth tail.

However, Ukon and the others believed that no matter how much power one had, there was no need to be overly afraid as long as it was not controlled.

In the original story, even the Ten-Tails, whose power was incomparable to even the current Naruto, was overpowered by the shinobi alliance including the past Hokage when he simply rampaged. However, when he became a jinchuriki, he overwhelmed even those Hokage, showing that power is not something that is good to have, but how to control and use that power efficiently is important in battle.

Of course, to oppose a great power one needs an appropriate amount of power, and in that respect Ukon and his companions had power. An extremely powerful power, in fact.

Ukon skillfully avoided the chaotic destruction wrought by the rampaging Naruto and quickly made hand seals and activated techniques.

“Senpo: Wood Release Technique”

As Ukon activated the technique, the sleeves of his kimono moved and fluttered around, causing trees to grow. The trees branched out and stretched out towards Naruto, tracing the red arms made of Naruto’s chakra and clinging tightly to both of his main arms, restricting his movement.

“Grrrrr?!”

Naruto writhed, trying to shake off the trees that had wrapped around his arms, but despite his violent struggle with his strong arms that had easily broken large trees a moment ago, only a few thin, branch-like trees had broken, and the irrational Naruto cried out in confusion as he saw the trees still wrapped around his arms.

“Are you surprised that a tree that should have been easily broken didn’t break? Or are you surprised that I used Mokuton?”

“Uraaaaahh!!!”

As Ukon muttered the words, Naruto thrashed around even more violently, though the boy didn’t hear it. The trees binding Naruto were further destroyed as his resistance intensified, but Ukon created more trees one after another, meaning Naruto couldn’t break free from the trees.

“Next… Senjutsu: Wood Release: Tree Binding Coffin.”

“Vraaaaahh!?”

When Ukon activated “Tree-bound Coffin,” a technique that imitated Gaara’s “Sand-bound Coffin” using Mokuton, several trees began to grow from under Naruto’s feet, covering his entire body, and within a few seconds he was transformed into a huge, spherical mass of trees.

Trapped in a sphere made of trees, Naruto roared and struggled, but he was unable to shake off his bonds, and his screams only sounded like a muffled faint noise to Ukon’s ears.

Ukon had Naruto completely trapped, but he still maintained a state of alertness while still maintaining his composure.

“Even if it has been strengthened with Senjutsu, the Nine Tails’ power should not be limited to this.”

” Ohhhhhhh!!!”

As Ukon gazed upon the sphere of trees before him, he heard a faint scream coming from within. The screams gradually grew louder, and at the same time the sounds of trees breaking and snapping could be heard from the trees that made up the sphere.

As each second passed, the screams gradually became louder and clearer, reaching Ukon’s ears, and the sounds of trees breaking could be heard one after another.

Before long, a large crack appeared in the trees that formed the outer shell of the sphere, and Ukon sensed an explosive increase in the Nine Tails’ chakra being emitted by Naruto inside, and at that moment he increased his vigilance…

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”

The “Tree Binding Coffin” completely collapsed, knocking the tree from the inside out, and Naruto, stained crimson with all his skin peeling off, came flying out. Naruto had transformed into what Killer Bee called version 2, with four tails growing from his waist. And the quantity and quality of chakra surrounding his entire body was incomparable to what he had been before.

“Guuuh!”

Naruto, now even angrier at having been trapped, leapt towards Ukon, blasting across the ground.

(That was fast!)

Ukon was astonished at Naruto’s movements, which were much faster than before, and instinctively caught Naruto charging at him with his left arm, but he was unable to kill the momentum and was knocked backwards.

“Damn it…!”

Although Ukon was thrown back ten meters by the simple charge, he quickly regained his balance and prepared for the next attack.

The fact that Ukon had managed to block Naruto’s attack and only been knocked back about ten meters was entirely due to the fact that he had been training his body for the past two and a half years, and the results of his training using the “Weighted Rock Technique” were certainly in evidence.

However, that was exactly why Naruto became irritated and even more angry when Ukon took the attack with a calmer look on his face than he had expected.

“Grrrrr…!”

“It looks like he’s planning something.”

(Watch out, Ukon… that’s a lot of chakra.)

“I know.”

Sensing that Naruto was baring his fangs and clearing his throat, building up chakra, Ukon and Sakon became even more wary.

As Ukon and the others prepared to activate their techniques at any moment and prepared for Naruto’s movements, Naruto let out a roar and released all the chakra he had accumulated.

“GRAAAAAAAAAHH!!!”

“Senpo: Mokuton: Great Forest Technique”

A chakra-filled scream was accompanied by physical power and attempted to attack Ukon at the overwhelming speed of sound, but Ukon’s technique was activated in time and numerous large trees were created in front of Ukon, acting as shields and blocking the attack.

Furthermore, before he could even confirm that Ukon had blocked it, Sakon activated his next technique.

(Senpo: Mokuton: Great Forest Technique)

Sakon used the same technique that Ukon had used, but it was used offensively rather than defensively. Countless trees sprouted one after another from under Ukon’s feet, and they split off to the left and right to circumvent the trees Ukon had created as a shield and attack Naruto from both sides.

“Aaaaaahhhh!!”

Just before the “Great Forest” was about to engulf Naruto’s body from both sides, Naruto suddenly enlarged the chakra surrounding both his arms, like the Akimichi clan’s “Partial Doubling Technique,” and pinned down the trees approaching from both sides with his palms, crushing them.

Then, dragging his huge arms, he ran towards Ukon and slammed his right fist into Ukon’s “Great Forest” that was being used as a shield.

BAKOON! A thunderous sound rang out, and with just one blow Naruto shattered the shield made up of multiple trees called the “Great Forest”, then he aimed his left fist at Ukon and brought it down with all his might.

Acting on instinct, Naruto thought that Ukon’s vision was narrowed as he raised both his arms to protect his face from the debris of the destroyed Great Forest, and that there was no way for him to avoid or block the blow.

However, things didn’t go as Naruto had expected.

“Sorry, but I’m used to seeing that kind of speed from Sasuke.”

Ukon, who was shielding his face from the wood chips, was unable to see Naruto’s movements with his own eyes, but thanks to his sage state’s perception and danger detection abilities, he was able to keep a perfect grasp of Naruto’s movements.

To avoid being hit by Naruto’s fist, Ukon quickly twists his body into the gap between his arm and torso that has opened up due to his enlargement, ensuring his safety.

In the first place, Sasuke, who was Ukon and Sakon’s training partner and used the “Chidori Matoi”, was one level faster than the current Naruto. When Naruto charged earlier, he was unable to adapt to the change in speed and had to go on the defensive, but once he’d seen it, it wasn’t a speed he couldn’t handle.

“Aaaahh?!”

Naruto let out a cry of shock when the fist was dodged by moving forward, not left, right or backwards, but Ukon ignored him, and, pushed back by the impact of Naruto’s enlarged fist slamming into the ground, he thrust his right arm towards Naruto’s left side and activated the technique.

“Senpou: Rasengan”

Ukon activated Naruto’s favorite technique, Rasengan, and the Rasengan, made more powerful than usual due to the senjutsu chakra that Naruto currently could not use, hit Naruto directly in the body.

Unless the ninja was particularly skilled in defense, the powerful “Senpou Rasengan” was powerful enough to inflict a fatal injury in one blow, but it did not have the power to inflict a fatal injury on Naruto right now.

Blocked by the high density Nine Tails chakra that surrounded Naruto, the power of the “Senpou Rasengan” was greatly reduced, and at best it only managed to crack Naruto’s ribs.

“Is this too shallow?”

“GRAAAAAAHH!”

While Ukon calmly analyzes why Rasengan did not inflict much damage on Naruto in his current state, Naruto, having been hurt by an important technique taught to him by his master Jiraiya, unconsciously feels that his bond with his master has been diminished, and begins to act more violently than ever before.

Until now, Naruto had been planting both feet on the ground and swinging both arms, but now Naruto was exploding the ground with his steps and moving freely around Ukon, swinging not only his arms but also his tail, even increasing the number of his attacks as he relentlessly aimed to destroy Ukon.

Claws that could easily tear through human flesh. Strong arms that could carve deep craters into the earth. Four strong and retractable tails. The small monster possessed all of these things and ran across the ground at terrifying speed, sending all of them rushing towards Ukon.

Faced with a fierce attack filled with murderous intent thicker than the chakra that surrounded his body, even Ukon’s smile disappeared, but he still showed no signs of impatience.

Ukon continues to deal with the approaching dangers appropriately. He uses Mokuton to block the claws that try to dig into his flesh, dodge the strong arms that try to crush his bones, and cooperates with Sakon to use his four arms to fend off the four tails that rush at him from all sides.

“Guuuuuuugggggg!!”

Naruto, who acts on instinct only to defeat his enemies, continues to launch a fierce attack that would be enough to kill dozens of people if he were an average Jonin, but he gradually becomes impatient as he avoids or continues to be blocked by all of them. Because he acts on instinct and not reason, Naruto’s movements, which are originally lacking in precision, become more linear, and his attacks, which are more biased towards power, increase in number.

The more these careless attacks increased, the more composure Ukon regained. With each second, his dodges became more delicate, his defenses more precise.

And as Ukon handled the situation with ease, Naruto became more and more impatient, and his attacks became more sloppy each time.

Naruto falls into a vicious cycle of negativity, his attacks becoming increasingly rough. Ukon easily dodges the attacks and launches a counterattack.

“Shhh.”

Ukon calmly crouched down to dodge the horizontal slash of Naruto’s right arm that was about to cut into Ukon’s left side, then delivered a powerful uppercut with his right fist to Naruto’s defenseless jaw.

“Gwehh…!?”

“Let’s have another go.”

(Sagei, Earth Release, Super Weighted Rock Technique)

With Naruto’s chin raised and looking up to the sky, Ukon delivered a left straight punch aimed at Naruto’s stomach, but just before it could make contact with him, Sakon activated his “Super Weighted Rock Technique,” which increased the weight of the simple straight punch by several dozen times, piercing Naruto’s stomach without any resistance.

“Guberaa?!”

A shameful scream escaped Naruto’s mouth along with saliva, and his body bent into an U shape.

His body, which had been trained over the course of two years, was activated with Senjutsu chakra, and the stunning blow of his “Super Weighted Rock Technique”, which was activated just before his fist made contact, had power comparable to the professional wrestling-like ninja taijutsu unleashed by the Fourth Raikage, A, and the superhuman strength of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.

An impact far heavier than the Rasengan he had received earlier pierced Naruto’s body, and he was sent flying parallel to the ground with the speed of a bullet.

Naruto was blown away and crashed into a large tree far away, but his momentum did not stop, and he was slammed into the tree and penetrated several times, finally coming to a halt with his upper body buried in the ground easily a hundred meters away from his original location.

Naruto came to a halt with his lower body emerging from the ground, but he managed to escape from his buried state by releasing an explosive burst of chakra, blowing away the surrounding earth.

“Waaaaaaaahh!!!”

The intense pain and humiliation caused to Naruto by Ukon’s counterattack made him even angrier, and in response, the Nine Tails’ chakra exploded and a new fifth tail grew from Naruto’s waist.

“Grrrrr…”

With his strength increased, Naruto made a low sound from the back of his throat and glared at Ukon, who appeared small in the distance.

“Wooooooooowwwww!!”

Naruto looked up to the sky and roared, and two colors of chakra, black and white, gathered above his head. This technique, called “Tailed Beast Ball”, can only be used by special tailed beasts that possess enormous amounts of chakra. Like “Rasengan”, it is a long-range attack technique that highly compresses chakra and fires it, but it is formed from a much higher mass and density of chakra than “Rasengan” and is fired with enough power to wipe mountain ranges off the map. In both name and reality, it is the strongest special move for the tailed beasts.

The Nine Tails’ chakra was now half of what it was originally, and the amount leaking out of the seal was equivalent to five tails’ worth, but the Tailed Beast Ball that Naruto was forming contained enough chakra to wipe out an entire mountain.

“That’s what I expected…”

Sweat ran down Ukon’s cheeks as he witnessed the extraordinary quantity and quality of chakra gathering there.

(Are you nervous?)

“Of course…”

In response to Sakon’s question, Ukon nodded obediently. The image of being completely wiped out by the Tailed Beast Ball flashed in both their minds. In that situation, it was impossible not to get nervous.

However, the two were neither nervous nor scared. They were in a good mental state, with just the right amount of confidence that they could handle it and tension.

(But you won’t dodge it, and you won’t use a trick to get it out, right?)

(That’s right… there are various ways to avoid getting hit, but… I’ll face it head on.)

If he just wanted to avoid it, he could use “Light and Heavy Rock” to move around lightly, or “Twin Demon Attack” to blend in with the ground and escape deep underground. If he wanted to miss the bombardment, he could use earth releases such as “Earth Movement Core” to break down Naruto’s footing.

There’s only one reason not to do so.

“We have a reason to accept it… a need.”

(That’s not right.)

Let’s say that Ukon and Sakon are unable to block the Tailed Beast Ball, and end up avoiding it or letting it miss.

The Tailed Beast Ball will fly far into the distance, engulfing everything within and leaving a trail of destruction on the land.

In this case, what is involved is important.

For example, if Naruto’s comrades, who should be fighting nearby, are dragged into the incident, Naruto will know the tragedy he caused with his rampage and will have to live with the emotional wounds that will never heal. Or, unable to bear the tragedy he caused, he may close himself off or commit suicide.

If that were to happen, Obito might tempt the closed-hearted Naruto into cooperating with Infinite Tsukuyomi, and the Nine Tails, which was revived after Naruto’s suicide, might be easily captured and used by Obito.

Alternatively, the Tailed Beast Jewel could cause damage to the nearby village of Hidden Grass.

The Hidden Grass Village will be in a panic over this sudden damage and will immediately investigate what happened. If they find out that Naruto was the one who caused the tragedy, it could lead to a war between the villages.

If war were to break out, various powers would see this as an opportunity and begin to move. For example, Kumogakure and Iwagakure, who want to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village, or Akatsuki, who are fighting as mercenaries and looking for an opportunity to hunt tailed beasts, could join the battle, and the Fourth Shinobi World War could break out, with the motives of various powers all competing against each other.

Of course, the emotional scars that Naruto, who was the trigger for this, will suffer are immeasurable.

These are merely hypotheses. No one, not even God or the devil, knows whether they will come true.

However, in a world where there are those who exploit people’s darkness and try to steer the story in a direction that suits them, it was also a future that could conceivably happen.

As expected, even Ukon and the others were not so conceited as to think that they could create a better future than the original in Naruto’s state of despair.

In other words, Ukon and his men needed to get the situation under control without causing any casualties.

At the same time, he felt guilty towards Naruto. He had provoked Naruto and made him go out of control just to practice the “Kakuan Nyushin Sutaishu”. In order to release that guilt, he didn’t want to hurt Naruto any more than necessary.

Based on their experiences living in a peaceful country in their previous lives and their experiences living as cruel ninjas in this life, Ukon and Sakon were trying to establish a twisted ideology.

He has memories of living as an ordinary person in his previous life, and although he has an aversion to hurting and killing people, he has come to believe that as long as he is born into this world and lives as a ninja, it is inevitable that he will kill people and be killed for life-or-death missions. However, while he will kill if necessary, he will not kill if it is not necessary, and he will not incur more resentment than necessary.

Ukon and Sakon came to possess two extreme standards of judgment: the common-sense, warm-hearted standards of their previous lives that were based on right and wrong, and the cold-hearted standards of a ninja that were willing to kill if necessary.

Therefore, Ukon and Sakon, who measure things by two standards, use Naruto because it is necessary for their goals, but try not to hurt him more than necessary. If they didn’t want to hurt Naruto, they shouldn’t have used him in the first place, but instead they provoked him and made him go out of control because it was necessary for their goals.

The same goes for continuing to be under Orochimaru. He was indebted to Orochimaru, but he also needed to grow efficiently, so he continued to be under Orochimaru’s protection, and in order to maintain that status, he also carried out missions such as the destruction of Konoha. However, he never attempted to commit murder or injury beyond the missions he was given.

He had always had a tendency to think like that, but after his friend died two and a half years ago, that thought had only grown stronger. Because he was saddened by the death of his friend, he was also sensitive to the feelings of his enemies.

So, even though he is a cold-hearted worker, he is lenient towards his enemies due to his lenient judgment.

If he could just discard his standards of right and wrong and live only by the standards of a ninja, he might be able to hurt people without feeling guilty.

(Hmm… really, what are we doing…)

(Seriously… that’s an incredibly stupid thing to do…)

(But I acted because I thought it was necessary. So…)

(Ah, I guess I have to wipe my own ass.)

Ukon and Sakon laugh at their foolish actions, but they have to take responsibility for having started it.

At the same time that Ukon and Sakon renewed their resolve, Naruto’s Tailed Beast Ball was ready.

A huge amount of ultra-high quality chakra is compressed into a sphere about two meters in diameter. The Tailed Beast Ball releases enough pressure to make Ukon’s skin tremble, even though he is standing a short distance away. Once unleashed, it will be a mass of power that will completely destroy the surrounding area, turning it into a scorched wasteland.

Now it is released.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

(Kuchiyose: Five-storied Rashomon!)

Five Rashomon appeared in the line of fire of the Tailed Beast Ball that was fired with a roar. The massive iron gates, modeled after demons, stood in the way to block the overwhelming destructive force.

The moment the Tailed Beast Ball came into contact with the first piece of Rashomon, a thunderous noise rang out and the first piece disappeared from this world without a trace.

Without losing momentum, the Tailed Beast Ball continued to crash into the second one, easily destroying it despite its power being slightly reduced.

The Tailed Beast Ball still retained its destructive power as it collided with the third one, and although there was a brief moment of inequality, it penetrated without losing much of its power.

The “Tailed Beast Ball” had lost a little of its momentum when it came into contact with the fourth, and was unable to break through with its momentum; instead, it was forced open with its power greatly reduced.

The fifth Tailed Beast Ball hit with its momentum greatly weakened, and although it made a large dent in the heavy iron gate, it was unable to break through.

The five Rashomon, which possessed literally impenetrable defensive power, somehow managed to block a single blow from the Tailed Beast Ball, which boasted immense destructive power.

As for the two sides in the match:

“Gah…Ahhh…”

It was unclear whether it was because he had put a lot of chakra into the blow and released his destructive impulse, or because the blow had been blocked, but Naruto was stunned and let out a yell.

“Phew… I was a bit impatient.”

(I managed to prevent it with just Rashomon)

Ukon let out a deep sigh of relief at being freed from the fatigue and tension that had come from consuming so much chakra, and Sakon was relieved that they had managed to prevent it, although he was sad that his preparations in case the Five-layered Rashomon was broken through had gone to waste.

The fortunes of the two camps were completely different.

Ukon released the summoning of Rashomon, which was no longer of any use to him, and stared at Naruto, who stood there in a daze, carefully observing his movements.

(I thought he’d get angry that his tailed beast ball was blocked and go on a rampage, or that he’d seek even more power and increase the number of his tails… but he hasn’t made any movement. What on earth is going on…?)

(I wonder… maybe he was so stunned that he temporarily forgot his anger?)

(Is that so? Something feels off though.)

The two of them try to guess what Naruto is feeling.

However, at this moment, in Naruto’s mental world, an unexpected conversation was taking place between the two.

Naruto and the Nine Tails’ spiritual world. It was a dimly lit cage with the floor completely flooded with water.

The cage guardian is Naruto, and the thing locked up in the cage is the Nine Tails, which is a spiritual world symbolizing the composition of the Nine Tails being sealed within Naruto.

The water that wet the floor was usually clear and transparent, but now it was stained blood red as the Nine Tails’ chakra was leaking out in response to Naruto’s rage.

Right now, in that world, Naruto was on his knees on the floor, staring at the ceiling, his eyes blank, his mouth half-open. He looked like an empty shell, a stark contrast to the way he was raging in the real world, having lost himself in it.

In the real world, Naruto was consumed by rage and was rampaging unconsciously, but in the spiritual world, Naruto had lost all thought due to his rage and was dazed, like an empty shell.

Seeing Naruto like that, the Nine Tails was also getting irritated.

If it had been the Nine Tails under normal circumstances, it would have further fuelled Naruto’s hatred and urged him to release the seal. In fact, it watched the battle with Ukon and Sakon with a grin, eagerly waiting for the seal to be broken.

However, once Ukon and Sakon used Mokuton, his attitude changed completely.

“Oi! Brat! Stop it!”

“Ah, yeah…”

The Nine Tails called out to Naruto in an intimidating manner, and Naruto replied, though stunned.

“Hey, kid! Why are you still lagging behind someone of that caliber even though you’re using my powers?!”

“I don’t know anything about that…”

Naruto weakly responded to the Nine Tails’ unreasonable scolding.

“Hurry and come to your senses! If you want to use my power, you won’t give in to that copycat!!”

“Monkey…imitation…?”

Naruto, reacting to the word counterfeit that the Nine Tails had said, asked again.

“That’s right! He is a Mokuton user just like the First Hokage, but his Mokuton is weak compared to the First Hokage! You used my power and lost to someone like that!”

The Nine Tails was trembling with rage as he remembered the two previous defeats he had suffered at the hands of Hashirama.

The first time was when he was living as a simple beast and declared his powers dangerous, leading to him being captured and sealed away by Mito Uzumaki. The second time was when he was manipulated into fighting by Madara Uchiha, where he was defeated by a giant Thousand-Armed Kannon statue and then subdued.

Both of them had memories of the humiliation of their one-sided defeat against Hashirama.

The scene of Ukon and Sakon using Mokuton to hold down Naruto, who was using part of the Nine Tails’ power, brought back memories of his defeat at the hands of Hashirama.

“Even if you say that… tebayo…”

“Shut up! I won’t allow you to use my power to lose to him!”

Naruto tried to argue back, but the Nine Tails cut him off and unilaterally demanded victory.

?What a ridiculous thing to say But seriously! You lost because your strength is weak!!?

“What are you talking about! You’re not using it properly!”

Having been unreasonably scolded by the Nine Tails, Naruto’s anger was directed at the Nine Tails, and the two glared at each other through the fence and began arguing.

“You’re called a fox monster! But you can’t even defeat one enemy!”

“Shut up! You brat can’t even save one friend!”

“Shut up! I’ll definitely bring Sasuke back from Orochimaru!”

“Ha! Who is the one being defeated by that Orochimaru subordinate?”

The two of them had an ugly argument, but Naruto’s next words were the deciding factor.

“Well then! If that’s all you want, you should help us out more!!”

“what ?”

“I don’t know why, but you don’t want to lose to him, right? So you’d better help me out!”

“…Haa… I won’t cooperate, but I won’t get in the way either…”

Despite the fact that they had been at odds just a moment ago, Naruto told him to cooperate, and the Nine Tails weighed the pros and cons of losing and cooperating, and after a long silence he made a difficult decision.

“However! This will only be one battle! And if you show any sign of weakness again, I will take your body without question!”

“Heh… you just shut up and watch me win, you fox monster!”

“You damn brat…!”

As they continued arguing to the end, Naruto’s consciousness returned to reality.

When Naruto’s consciousness returned to reality and he opened and closed his hands as if to check his body condition, Ukon and Sakon realized that the situation had completely changed.

(I don’t know why, but I’m aware of Naruto…)

(Ah, things are different now. I need to pull myself together.)

Ukon and Sakon watched Naruto as carefully as possible so as not to miss a single movement. Their faces were completely free of any composure, and instead they were the faces of fearless warriors, focused on the enemy in front of them.

“Woohooo!”

Naruto let out a roar and took off running towards Ukon. Swinging his five tails, Naruto sprinted across the ground that had been gouged out by the Tailed Beast Ball, closing the distance of about 100 meters in the blink of an eye.

“Here goes!”

“Hmph!”

(Sagei, Earth Release, Super Weighted Rock Technique)

Naruto’s right fist had taken a sufficient run-up, and Ukon’s right fist, the power of which had been increased by the Super Weighted Rock,'' collided head-on.Bang!” A dull sound rang out, and after a moment of stiffness, both men stepped back, holding their right fists.

Ukon healed his injured fist using his “Twin Demon Attack” and Yang chakra, while Naruto healed it using the regenerative abilities of the Nine Tails’ chakra.

“This is where the real battle begins!”

“I don’t know what happened, but it’s fine. I’ll take you on.”

(I’m not going easy on you from here on out.)

Naruto becomes what a jinchuriki should be, wielding the power of the Nine Tails with rationality.

With their enemy now transformed from beasts into ninjas, Ukon and Sakon abandoned their naive beliefs and began to see them as enemies to be defeated with all their might.

The two heroes, now back in top form, glared at each other. The second round was about to begin.

Battle of Tenchi Bridge Part 3

Going back a little in time, around the time the battle between Ukon and Sakon and Naruto began, another battle was also about to begin.

Two of Orochimaru’s subordinates, Kabuto and Kimimaro, are opposing them, the three belonging to the Hidden Leaf Village, Yamato, Sai, and Sakura. The two camps are glaring at each other across a deep gorge.

In this explosive situation, all five of them had different expressions on their faces.

Kabuto seemed amused by Ukon and the others’ unexpected behavior, and excited to see how the situation would develop from here, with the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

Kimimaro frowned and could not hide his irritation at Ukon and his companions’ actions, and glared at Yamato and his companions, who were his enemies, as if taking out his anger on them.

Yamato felt a sense of mission that he had to stop Naruto immediately, and to do so he was extremely anxious about the worst-case scenario in which he would have to defeat Kimimaro, who was unleashing his rage right in front of him.

Sai was unable to comprehend why Naruto had become so angry at Ukon’s reasonable argument, and although he was concerned about Naruto, he was calmly considering how to negotiate with the person in front of him while completing the mission given to him by Danzo.

Sakura was worried about Naruto’s rampage and felt guilty for making him do so, but she decided that now was not the time to be distracted and focused on the battle against the enemy in front of her, maintaining a dignified expression.

As the five men’s plans intertwine, it is Kabuto who makes the first move. However, his move is not to attack, but rather the opposite; it is to watch the battle from the sidelines.

“Well then, Kimimaro, I leave it to you.”

“yes”

Kabuto left the fighting to Kimimaro and relaxed, leaning his back against a tree.

Kimimaro did not blame Kabuto for his actions, but simply nodded in approval.

Kabuto is a ninja who Orochimaru regards as being as skilled as Kakashi. In fact, even though he was released by the genin Sakura and Shikamaru, he was able to put everyone in a genjutsu at the Chunin Exam venue at once, and he is a highly skilled ninja who can use his medical knowledge to cut the muscles and nerves of enemies with a chakra scalpel and temporarily control corpses.

However, Kabuto himself believed that this evaluation was a comprehensive one that also took into account his abilities in medical ninjutsu, and did not consider himself to be a ninja with outstanding combat abilities.

This is because, for the past few years, Kabuto had been surrounded by ninjas with superior combat abilities than himself, such as Ukon Sakon, Kimimaro, and Juugo.

Therefore, he intended to leave the fighting here to Kimimaro, and Kimimaro himself had no intention of sending an outstanding medical ninja like Kabuto to the front lines, so he nodded without hesitation.

However, Yamato and the others, who are unaware of this premise, are perplexed by the fact that one enemy has been eliminated without their consent.

“what ?”

“What do you mean?”

Yamato and Sakura raised questions as they saw Kabuto stand on the sidelines.

It was Kimimaro who answered that question.

“I’m enough for you guys.”

Yamato and the others became even more wary of Kimimaro, who confidently declared that he would fight the three alone.

To Yamato and the others, Kimimaro was originally an unknown enemy about whom they had no information, and considering his appearance at this location and the aura of strength he exuded from his demeanor, he was a target to be wary of.

Kimimaro himself made a statement that confirmed his true abilities. Although we should be more cautious, we should never underestimate him.

Facing the wary three, Kimimaro begins by observing their movements, as if to gauge their abilities.

“Let’s start with a little experiment…”

Kimimaro swung both his arms twice. The first time he crossed his arms from the outside to the inside, and the second time he swung them the other way, from the inside to the outside. In response to the force of his arms, the bones in Kimimaro’s fingers flew off. The total number of bones in his fingers was twice the number of fingers on both his arms, in other words, twenty finger bones, and they came barreling towards Yamato and the others.

The targets were Yamato and his companions’ limbs. The Ten Finger Piercing Bullets were not powerful enough to inflict fatal injuries, so the aim was to injure their limbs and slow their movements.

Yamato and the others watched Kimimaro’s arm movements and dodged the small white pebble bullets that were hard to see with the naked eye. The bone bullets came flying at high speed and disappeared into the forest without hitting their targets, making a faint sound as they hit the trees and ground.

No matter how fast the bullets were, the trajectory could be predicted to a certain extent from the arm movements, and since there was distance between them and the cliff, Yamato and the others were able to avoid them relatively easily.

But that’s only if it’s a one-off.

“Ten Finger Duets”

The moment Kimimaro muttered, it looked to Yamato and the others as if both of his arms had split apart. In reality, they hadn’t split apart; they were unable to capture the rapid movement of Kimimaro’s arms, and the afterimage was burned into their eyes, making it seem as if his arms had increased in size.

With movements too fast to follow with the naked eye, countless finger bones rain down on Yamato and the others.

“Wood Release: Wooden Wall!”

The moment Kimimaro’s arms appeared to have grown, Yamato acted on his sense of danger and formed a dome of wood in front of him, acting as an umbrella to protect him from the rain of bones.

Sakura and Sai, also driven by a sense of danger, quickly slipped into the dome, and immediately afterwards, a faint clanging sound echoed continuously off the outer wall of the dome.

Even though the wooden dome was being chipped away by the “Ten Finger Four”, it continued to protect the three.

The rain of bones continued for ten seconds, then twenty seconds, but Kimimaro decided that it would take too long for the firepower of the “Ten Finger Ballistic Missiles” to penetrate the wooden dome, so he stopped moving his arm and tried to create a bone weapon in his right hand for the next attack.

Yamato shouts the moment the rain of bones stops to create the weapon.

“Sakura!”

“Yesssss! Let’s do it!!”

Sakura responded to Yamato’s voice and struck the wooden dome with all her might from the inside. Demonstrating the superhuman strength she inherited from her master Tsunade, Sakura’s fist was able to perfectly control the amount of force used to punch the wooden dome without shattering it, sending it flying towards Kimimaro.

“Hmph…”

With a flash of light, Kimimaro remodeled the bones in his right forearm and pulled out a sword, which he swung upwards, slicing the flying wooden dome in half. The wooden dome split into two in mid-air, opening up Kimimaro’s previously obstructed field of vision.

As Kimimaro tried to see Yamato and the others’ movements, a large black and white tiger leapt into his field of vision.

Using the wooden dome as a dizzying sight, a giant ink tiger created by Sai’s “Super Beast Giga Ninjutsu” approaches, ready to bite through Kimimaro’s throat, but…

“You’re in the way.”

Another flash. The bone sword was swung down from above, cutting the black and white tiger to the left and right, before turning back into ink and dyeing the ground black.

Immediately afterwards, using the tiger as a decoy, Yamato uses his Wood Release technique to create a large number of sharp, pointed pieces of lumber which attack Kimimaro.

“Camellia Dance”

As the wood approached, Kimimaro once again chose to intercept it. He flashed the bone sword in his right hand and launched a series of thrusts.

Gagagaga… the sound of trees being cut echoed continuously. Yamato continued to launch attacks using Mokuton without interruption, but Kimimaro destroyed them all with a single sword or arm.

“Ugh…”

Eventually, Yamato gave up and stopped using the Wood Release technique, and the swarm of timber that had been attacking Kimimaro disappeared.

Kimimaro didn’t move a single step from his spot, and the ground around him was strewn with shattered wood chips to the point that it was nearly impossible to walk, but the area around Kimimaro’s feet remained clean, as if there was a barrier around it.

“This person… is strong.”

Sakura muttered solemnly with a strained expression on her face as she stared warily at Kimimaro.

A wooden dome, a tiger from Choju Giga, and lots of lumber… The three men were sent chills down their spines at the sight of Kimimaro’s skill as he cut down a barrage of successive attacks by Sakura, Sai, and Yamato, using only his bone sword as a diversion.

As the one and three continued to glare at each other with the cliff between them, Yamato became anxious as he noticed that the character on his right palm had changed from three to four. The character was linked to the technique that had sealed the Nine Tails inside Naruto, and the number four meant that the power of the Nine Tails inside Naruto had been released up to the value of four tails.

Yamato had heard from Tsunade that when Naruto had four tails he had even inflicted serious injuries on Jiraiya that left him on the brink of death.

(We need to stop Naruto as soon as possible… but the enemy before us is strong, and we don’t have any vanguards… the situation is pretty tough.)

The balance of the platoon led by Yamato this time is not good.

Yamato and Sai were mid-line or rear-line warriors. The techniques they used were highly versatile, but not suited to close range, and they were at their best when supporting the vanguard from the rear.

Considering her natural strength, Sakura may be considered a front-line fighter, but that is not the case. Her main role is to treat the injured as a medical ninja, and her position is a rear-line fighter. If she falls, she will put the entire platoon in danger, so she should not be fighting as a front-line fighter.

Naruto was a vanguard who fought using “Shadow Clone” and “Rasengan”, and his “Shadow Clone” made him a valuable asset as he was able to take on the sole role of vanguard for his platoon.

However, with Naruto the vanguard gone, the platoon was now reduced to rear guards, exposing the lack of vanguards.

(Someone has to stand in front of him…)

Kimimaro’s close combat abilities, including his ability to instantly create weapons out of bones, his extremely high level of martial arts skills, including his graceful swordplay, are astonishing. Even Yamato, a member of the Anbu and with a wealth of experience, was amazed at Kimimaro’s strength.

Therefore, when facing Kimimaro, one of the three present would have to take the lead in the front lines, but Yamato was undecided.

First of all, there is no option for Sai to take the vanguard in Yamato. Sai’s “Super Beast Caricature” requires him to paint with a brush, but he doesn’t have the time to leisurely paint with Kimimaro, so he is excluded from the list of candidates.

The only ones left are Yamato and Sakura, but logically it would be Sakura who should take the lead.

If Yamato stood up, Sakura would be able to use medical ninjutsu from the rear, but if Yamato were to get injured, he wouldn’t have time to slowly heal Kimimaro with medical ninjutsu while he was right in front of him. Conversely, if Sakura stood in front, even if Sakura were to get injured, Yamato would be able to support her from the rear with Mokuton, which would make it easier for Sakura to buy time to heal herself.

Considering this, it would have been natural for Sakura to take the lead. However, Yamato did not want to let her face the brunt of an extremely dangerous enemy like Kimimaro.

(What should I do ? I guess I should do it )

“I’ll take the lead. You two provide cover.”

While Yamato was pondering, Sakura stepped forward and made a declaration.

Sakura shows her back to Sai and Yamato while checking the condition of her black blade-resistant gloves.

“Sakura, I leave it to you.”

“Yes!”

Yamato sensed Sakura’s firm resolve in her strong back, and felt ashamed that worrying about her would be an act of undermining that resolve, so he decided to entrust the vanguard to her.

Sai carefully observes the exchange.

(Their opponents are strong. In the worst case scenario, they could all be wiped out… so it would be best if they could find an opportunity to restrain the two of them, pretend to carry out Danzo-sama’s orders, and let the three of them, including Naruto, escape…)

Sai was planning to explain that he was an emissary of Danzo in order to end the hostile situation with Orochimaru’s subordinates and somehow allow the three to escape. Sai predicted that if he could end the hostile situation, there would be a high chance that Ukon and Sakon’s words and actions would spare their lives.

And just as Yamato and the others were thinking about various things, Kimimaro was also analyzing the enemy’s military strength.

(The old-faced man is a Mokuton user, just like Ukon and the others. However, he is far inferior in quality, quantity, and speed. His martial arts skills are still to be judged, but shouldn’t he at least take the initiative and step forward?

The other man was holding a brush and a scroll, so he was probably the one who had used the tiger technique earlier. His hands were tied, so if I could get into his arms I would have a good chance of winning.

The remaining woman’s abilities are unknown, but judging from the way she came forward, she is avant-garde.)

Kimimaro is neither careless nor arrogant. In some ways, he is a more accomplished ninja than Ukon and Sakon. Therefore, he simply silently looks at the facts, analyzes the enemy’s strength, and continues to calculate the necessary actions.

(The only techniques I’ve seen are Mokuton and Ink Beast, but that’s not everything… let’s try a close-quarters battle.)

Kimimaro begins to walk slowly and nonchalantly across the bridge. Sakura watches him with bated breath as he walks, the sound of the wood creaking.

The moment Sakura blinked, Kimimaro stepped forward in one go.

When Sakura’s eyes opened, Kimimaro had already stepped in close enough to make a move. Kimimaro took another step forward, and although Sakura’s arms and legs were out of reach, the bone sword was just about within reach, and he unleashed a horizontal slash at her torso.

“Hurry up!”

“Shhh!”

Kimimaro’s right arm was swung from right to left, but Sakura quickly pulled back and bent her body into an U shape, narrowly managing to avoid it.

However, although she managed to avoid the first blow, Sakura was left in the worst possible position. The second blow that followed was a slash from left to right aimed at Sakura’s neck.

“Damn it!?”

“Sakura!”

Just before the bone sword was about to separate Sakura’s neck from her torso, Yamato stretched out the wood from his right arm and pulled Sakura’s body backwards, so the bone sword only left a single wound on Sakura’s neck.

Kimimaro tried to pursue him further, but a timber-like tree extended from Yamato’s left arm and a black and white hawk that Rhino had created using “Choju Giga” attacked him, forcing Kimimaro to change his course.

“Willow Dance”

Kimimaro spun and rose, dodging Yamato’s trees and slicing the black and white hawk with his bone sword. He then flew up and landed on the timber that Yamato had stretched out, then ran towards Yamato.

As Kimimaro runs, readying his bone sword, Yamato is defenseless with the trees stretching out from both his arms. At this rate, Yamato will be unable to resist and will surely be slashed to pieces.

It was Sakura who saved him from this dire situation.

“Shannaro!!”

“Huh?!”

“Hmm…”

Yamato reached out and Sakura hit the timber-like object Kimimaro was running towards from the side with all her might.

As a result of being hit with the superhuman strength inherited from Tsunade, the tree was blown away, shattered into pieces and leaving no trace of its original shape, as if it had been exploded.

Kimimaro suddenly lost his footing and was momentarily suspended in the air. Sakura, not missing his defenseless appearance, launched a follow-up attack.

“Right there!”

With a shout filled with spirit, Sakura thrust out her right fist, which was aimed perfectly at Kimimaro’s chest and was sucked in. Just before the fist hit his chest, which would have easily shattered a rib, Kimimaro stretched that rib with his “Corpse Vein,” protruding it from his chest and crossing it to use as a shield.

“Such a defense!”

Sakura swung her fist, intending to pierce his chest along with the shield of his ribs that had grown up.

The fist hit the shield on his ribs directly, there was a loud bang as a hard object was struck, and Kimimaro was blown away by Sakura’s incredible strength.

Sakura punched Kimimaro and sent him flying, but she was not at peace in her heart.

(What kind of strength is that bone… I hit it with all my strength and it didn’t break, instead it cracked my fist.)

While using medical ninjutsu to heal the throbbing pain in her right fist, Sakura glared sharply in the direction that Kimimaro had been blown away.

“You two be careful! Those bones are really hard!”

After receiving Sakura’s warning, Yamato, who had been pleased that Kimimaro had been blown away, regained his composure and sharpened his gaze in the direction Kimimaro had been blown away.

After a while, the sound of rustling leaves came from that direction, and Kimimaro appeared, unharmed as expected.

“That’s quite a punch. If it hits you directly, it won’t go unpunished.”

Kimimaro calmly evaluates Sakura’s punch while banging away the branches and leaves from his kimono.

(Then, this time, directly…!)

Sakura takes those words as a provocation and approaches, trying to hit him directly.

“Ninjutsu: Super Beast Caricature!”

To support Sakura’s approach, Sai created four swallows from behind and had them charge towards Kimimaro. The black and white swallows flew at high speed and launched a suicide attack towards Kimimaro’s face.

It’s an attack faster than the tiger and hawk attacks earlier, but it doesn’t work on Kimimaro.

“Hmph!”

Kimimaro produced another bone sword in his left hand and, taking a sharp breath, swiftly swung both arms, cutting all four swallows in half.

However, Sai had anticipated being cut in half. He had sent the swallows flying at Kimimaro’s face, deliberately aiming to blind him with ink by cutting him.

Just as Sai had expected, the ink splattered towards Kimimaro’s face, but it was out of reach because Kimimaro shielded his face with the sleeve of his kimono.

However, taking advantage of the brief moment when their lines of sight were blocked, Sakura managed to get very close to Kimimaro.

(Here!)

While shouting in her mind so as not to be heard out loud, Sakura tried to slam her right fist into Kimimaro’s stomach with all her might.

At that moment, Kimimaro’s mouth, hidden by the hem of his shirt, curled into a smile.

Kimimaro blocked Sakura’s view in order to lure her in. Hearing the sound of Sakura’s steps, Kimimaro figured out her general location, and when she got close, he protruded a large number of bones from all over her body like a porcupine.

“Kyaaa!!”

“Sakura? You idiot!”

Sakura’s whole body is pierced with tiny impalements by the bones that have suddenly grown, and she falls to the ground, her whole body stained red.

Yamato, worried about Sakura, cried out and activated his “Mokuton: Great Forest Technique”, sending countless trees hurtling towards Kimimaro.

A huge number of trees rush towards Kimimaro. Kimimaro thinks it would be easier to intercept them than to avoid them, so he intercepts them with all his bones sticking out.

“Dance of the Japanese pine”

Kimimaro dances with bones protruding from every part of his body. Gigagagagaga The countless bones repel, cut through, and smash the countless trees that approach.

As the sounds of breaking echoed throughout the room, Yamato maintained his technique while also attending to Sakura’s injuries.

“Sakura! Are you okay?”

“I’ll fix it somehow… right away.”

Sakura had dropped down to Yamato’s side and was using medical ninjutsu to close up his own wounds. Fortunately, it seemed that he had not been pierced in any vital areas, and if they ignored the minor wounds, it looked like he would be able to recover quickly and be able to fight again.

“Damn it! What a bastard…!”

While listening to Sakura’s situation, Yamato also turns his attention to Kimimaro, who continues to intercept the “Great Forest Technique.” A considerable number of trees have already been destroyed, and although Sakura has been creating additional trees to buy time for her to recover, she is still unable to inflict any damage on Kimimaro, which leaves her feeling awe-struck and frustrated.

On the other hand, Kimimaro, who continues to destroy trees, feels frustrated as they attack one after another.

At present, the speed at which Yamato is growing trees and the pace at which Kimimaro is destroying them are even. Kimimaro is losing stamina, while Yamato is losing chakra, so if things continue like this, Yamato will run out of strength sooner.

However, Kimimaro refuses to let the matter be resolved that way.

As Kimimaro dances, he becomes conscious of the Earth Curse Seal that Orochimaru bestowed upon him, and draws out its power.

A crescent moon-shaped curse seal covered Kimimaro’s body, and as it spread throughout his body he gained enough chakra to activate his next technique.

“Dance of the Early Ferns”

Countless bones began to shoot out from Kimimaro’s body one after another. Each bone, already hard and sharp, was strengthened by the power of the curse seal, and they easily pierced the trees of Yamato, destroying them in one go.

“What?!”

Unable to keep up with the sudden change in the stalemate, Yamato and Sakura, who were undergoing treatment, were attacked by countless bones.

“dangerous!”

Just before Yamato and Sakura were about to be impaled, Sai pushed them sideways, preventing them from becoming gruesome corpses.

But

“Ts !”

“Thanks… but Sai! Your leg!”

Sai successfully saved Yamato and Sakura, but in the process he was unable to dodge the bones and several bones ended up piercing his calf.

“Just wait! I’ll heal you right now!”

After Sakura had healed her own wounds to a certain extent, she now turned to treating Sai’s wounds.

Next to him, Yamato was looking at the palm of his right hand in great anxiety.

“Oh no…! This is seriously bad!!”

The number five was inscribed on Yamato’s right palm, which meant that Naruto had released more than half of the Nine Tails’ chakra.

Even just four swords had brought Jiraiya to the brink of death, but now he was drawing out even more power.

(There is no time to waste! We must suppress the Nine Tails’ power immediately…!)

“We need to get to Naruto quickly! Get out of there! No one will be able to stop us!”

Yamato knew that if Naruto continued to draw on the power of the Nine Tails, destruction would come to this land. He cried out in desperation, knowing that.

However, upon hearing that shout, Kimimaro chuckled, as he realized Yamato had misunderstood.

“Hmm… you seem to have misunderstood something.”

“what?”

“If Ukon and Sakon were serious about it, the battle would have been over by now. The fact that it’s not over yet means they aren’t serious about killing him.”

Kimimaro knows Ukon and the others’ strength. If they were to get serious now, they would even surpass the power of their master, Orochimaru.

“Ukon and Sakon’s strength has already surpassed that of the Sannin. However, it would be disrespectful to Lord Orochimaru.”

Yamato and the others are shocked by the information Kimimaro brings to them. It may not be that surprising considering that two and a half years ago Ukon and Sakon were almost on par with Jiraiya before he had reached his sage state, but to Yamato and the others, the Sannin are the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village.

When I heard that it had surpassed that, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

Seeing the three of them looking stunned, Kimimaro decided to make a ruthless declaration.

“I’ll refrain from killing you guys. Ukon and Sakon might get annoyed if I do.”

Kimimaro had once entrusted the treatment of Yamato and his men to Ukon and Sakon, and therefore declared that he would not kill them.

It was an unthinkable declaration coming from someone who had been unleashing attacks that could have resulted in death until just a moment ago, but to Kimimaro, the attacks up until now had been a test of sorts, and if he was going to die from them, then he was willing to accept that he was just that kind of person.

“But in return, you will know despair… I will carve into your body just how foolish it is to defy Lord Orochimaru.”

Yamato and the others were frightened by the merciless murderous intent emanating from Kimimaro.

The second round of Yamato and his friends’ hopeless battle with Kimimaro has begun.

I was slowly writing the opening to the battle between Ukon and Sakon and Naruto while visiting the ancient battlefields, but it got quite long, so I decided to stop the story at a good point.
Next time, it will be the battle between Ukon and Sakon and Naruto.

The Battle of Tenchi Bridge, Part 4

Ukon, Sakon, and Naruto, who had regained his sanity and reason, were in a place where only a large crater had been created in the forest by Naruto’s out-of-control Tailed Beast Ball.

Ukon immediately realized at a glance that Naruto had regained his senses and returned to his senses, and he looked at Naruto with a serious expression, not letting his guard down at all.

Ukon was observing Naruto, not wanting to miss even his every move, let alone the movement of a finger. His gaze was so obvious and rude that even the insensitive Naruto noticed it.

(It’s as if he can see into every inch of my body, those are his eyes…)

Naruto is frightened by being closely observed and subjected to a gaze that seems to see into his soul, but he takes action, fuelled by the sense of omnipotence that comes from being enveloped in the Nine Tails’ chakra and his anger at Ukon’s remark.

There was no chance of winning in a hand-to-hand fight on his own. Even though Naruto was out of control, the power of the Nine Tails meant that he couldn’t even scratch Ukon.

Therefore, first, Naruto activates the technique he is best at.

“Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!”

With a pop, white smoke rose up over a wide area, and a thousand “kage clones” appeared. Though the chakra was divided equally, it was still the Nine Tails’ chakra. Even though there were a thousand “kage clones”, each one still had a sufficient amount of chakra.

“Let’s start with Shadow Clone… In that case, I’ll use the Senjutsu Wood Release Multiple Wood Clone Technique.”

Not to be outdone by Naruto, Ukon and Sakon also used the “Wood Clone Technique” to create 100 pairs of “Wood Clone” for a total of 200 people.

The scary thing is that all of the “Wood Clone”s have become sage-like. Just like the “Shadow Clone”, the “Wood Clone” also divide their chakra, so inevitably they have less chakra to use on a large scale. However, they still have a sufficient amount of chakra, and they benefit from a strengthened body and improved ability to sense danger.

The “Shadow Clone”s with the power of the Nine Tails and the “Wood Clone”s in their sage state glared at each other.

As both camps stood side by side, perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Naruto’s camp that made the first move.

“Let’s go!”

“YEAH!!”

In unison with the original Naruto’s powerful command, a thousand Nine Tails transformed into Narutos attacked Ukon all at once.

“Intercept!”

“”””roger that””””

Following the calm orders of the original Ukon, the “Wood Clone” Ukon and Sakon wait for the “Shadow Clone” Naruto and his men to charge.

The simple appearance of the ratio of numbers of “Wood Clone” and “Shadow Clone” was one to ten, but the actual ratio of their numbers was one to five, so the two armies clashed.

“Raaah!” “Oh!” “Uryaah!”

Each of Naruto’s Shadow Clone’s attacked Ukon and the others as they pleased. Some Shadow Clone punched them with their fists, some charged at them with the same momentum, and some used the momentum they had gained to launch a flying kick.

Their appearance was chaotic and noisy, like that of a mob, but they were outnumbered by five to one, and with that advantage in numbers it was a perfectly valid attack.

“…”

Ukon and his “Wood Clone” companions dealt with this army in silence. Taking advantage of the difference in reach between their limbs, they finished off those who attacked with cross counters, they hooked the legs of those who charged at them and rolled them over, and they grabbed the legs of those who tried to launch flying kicks and swung them around before throwing them away.

The “Wood Clone”s put on a spectacular display of tearing and throwing at the “Shadow Clone”. The “Shadow Clone” were thoroughly hurt and knocked back as soon as they charged. Even though they were borrowing the power of the Nine Tails, they were not in complete cooperation with it, and in the first place, the Nine Tails’ power had been divided in half and sealed away, with only five of the nine tails showing.

Even so, it is still the power of the tailed beast. There is a difference in physical ability between Naruto and Ukon Sakon now. However, Ukon Sakon had been undergoing two years of body transformation using the “Weighted Rock” to put high strain on his body. The difference could be said to be minor.

If there wasn’t a huge difference in strength, Ukon and Sakon, with their sage-like ability to sense danger, had the advantage in martial arts.

However, that was only if they were fighting a small number of people. No matter how sage-like the “Wood Clone” were, they were vastly outnumbered, so it was self-evident that they would quickly be surrounded by a large number of enemies and forced into a tough battle.

However, Ukon and Sakon have no intention of losing even with their bare hands, but they have no interest in fighting only with physical techniques. Ukon and Sakon understand that in a ninja’s battle, you use whatever you can, so they embody a new method to counter Naruto and his “Kage Bunshin”.

“It seems like it would be a bit of a hassle to use it with my bare hands, so I’ll use various methods.”

Without distinction between the original and the “Wood Clone,” wood began to grow from the body, and within a second it had completely covered everything except the joints, turning into a full wooden suit of armor.

Ukon calls this technique “Wooden Technique,” but it is simply a technique that applies the “Mokuton Technique” to create wooden equipment. It is extremely effective in that it can create simple objects in an instant, and it can also be used to create expendable items such as shuriken and kunai, as well as weapons such as swords and spears, eliminating the need to carry them around or summon them. For this reason, Ukon and Sakon found it extremely useful.

Furthermore, equipment made with “Wooden Techniques” also contained Senjutsu chakra, making its strength equal to that of iron.

Faced with such a “Wood Clone” clad in full body armor, the “Shadow Clone” flinch for a moment, but then they remember that they have the advantage in numbers, and so they make up their mind and move forward.

“Whoaaaa!” “Here goes!” “Slosh!”

The Shadow Clone’s roared and attacked once more. They punched, lunged, kicked, scratched, and tried to bite.

There’s no doubt that attacks packed with the Nine Tails’ chakra could snap thick trees, shatter huge rocks, and cut through solid steel.

However, these attacks did not inflict any damage on the armored “Wooden Clones.” Blows, lunges, kicks, claws and fangs, all of them were parried, repelled and blocked by gauntlets and shin guards.

moreover—

“Fuh!” “Nuh!” “Ha!”

The Wood Clone’s used their armor to defend against the Shadow Clone’s attacks and struck back. Most of the strikes were light, slow, and fast, but they hit the enemy’s vital points with precision.

The Shadow Clone’s reflexively tried to protect their vital points but were too late and received the blow, but the impact was so light that all of the Shadow Clone’s thought “I can endure this much.”

But the next moment…

“Ugh…”

One by one, the Shadow Clone’s groaned as they received the light blows, and they vanished, spewing white smoke. The smoke from the Shadow Clone’s body disappeared, and the other Shadow Clone’s hands and feet that the Wood Clone’s had used to strike were now visible to the others.

“That is…!”

Naruto cried out in shock. What he saw was a sight of many thin, sharp thorns sticking out from the armor that covered the limbs of the “Wood Bunshins.”

At the moment of the strike, the wooden armor covering the ‘Wood Clone’s’ limbs instantly extended thorns which pierced the ‘Shadow Clone’s’ limbs. What the ‘Shadow Clone’s’ thought was a light blow was actually a stabbing attack aimed at a weak spot.

The armor created by the “Wooden Art” was not just good for defense. It was also capable of producing thorny branches from all over its body, making it versatile and excellent for both offense and defense.

In reality, the same thing could be done with his bare body, but there were many situations in which having armor was more convenient and stable during sudden attacks and defenses, and by wrapping it around the “Wood Clone”s, as in this scene, it also helped to increase their durability.

This armor was based on Kimimaro’s “Corpse Bone Vein.” It was created when he was trying to recreate the technique of manipulating bones for offensive and defensive purposes with Mokuton.

Because Naruto had seen through the nature of the armor, he was no longer able to attack carelessly in the face of an armor that combined offense and defense.

“Looks like it’s our turn now.”

Ukon did not miss the hesitation in Naruto’s movements and shifted his Wood Clone units from defense to offense.

The “Wood Clone” who received the original’s instructions through chakra rather than voice, boldly jumped into the swarm of “Shadow Clone” and started a melee. The “Wood Clone” were supposed to be a small number, so normally they would fight in formation, and if the formation was disrupted they would be defeated one by one.

But that is not the case.

One of the “Wood Clone” sprouted three claw-like wooden blades from its gauntlet and cut down one of the “Shadow Clone”, immediately after which another “Shadow Clone” attacked from behind, but the targeted “Wood Clone” repelled the attack with a back fist of its clawed arm without even turning around.

Seeing this, the Shadow Clone’s surrounded the other Wood Clone from all sides and attacked it all at once, but the Wood Clone curled up and sprouted spines from all over its body like a hedgehog, wiping out the numerous Shadow Clone’s that had attacked it.

The ‘Wood Bunshin’ were a pair made up of Ukon and Sakon, so they were able to cover their rear at all times, and because their sage-like ability to sense danger was extremely high, they were able to easily fend off and thwart attacks from all sides.

While feeling impatient as the Wood Clone units went on the offensive and defeated the Shadow Clone units one by one, he unconsciously sorted out the information about the Shadow Clone units’ deaths and his thoughts ran wild.

(This guy is insanely strong after all. But, I knew that from the beginning!)

Naruto is forced into a tough battle against Ukon and Sakon, who are stronger than he expected, and even his favorite human wave tactics, the “Multiple Shadow Clone Technique,” are ineffective. However, Naruto realizes that it was obvious from the beginning that Ukon and Sakon were strong.

Naruto’s feelings for Sasuke are not so small that he would give up just because the enemy is strong.

“Everyone! We have to control the Nine Tails’ chakra!”

“Yeah!” “Got it!” “Leave it to me!”

Having gathered his thoughts, the original Naruto instructed his Shadow Clone to control the dark red chakra that surrounded his body and launch an attack, in order to make up for the difference in the armor’s effectiveness in both offense and defense.

Naruto had considered attacking with Rasengan, but he also thought that if the enemy could easily create armor, then using Rasengan to destroy it would not be cost-effective, and in fact this thought proved correct.

The “Wooden Technique” was a fairly basic technique among the Mokuton bloodline genkai techniques, and it didn’t require much chakra. If he used the “Rasengan” every time to destroy it, it would undoubtedly consume a large amount of the Nine Tails’ chakra.

Following the original’s instructions, each of the “shadow clones” launches an attack through trial and error.

“Uryaah!” “Doryaah!” “Zeryaah!”

Some Shadow Clone stretched out their chakra arms and attacked, others created sharp claws with their chakra and tried to scratch, and others enlarged their tails to the size of a house and slammed down like a hammer.

In a complete change from the simple fighting and killing techniques they had been using up until now, the Shadow Clone’s began to manipulate the Nine Tails’ chakra, despite being unfamiliar with it, and launched inventive attacks.

The Shadow Clone’s were not used to handling the Nine Tails’ chakra, but Naruto was originally a ninja who could use the Rasengan, a ninjutsu technique that mastered the transformation of chakra. Though it was his first attempt, even the current Naruto was able to stretch, sharpen, and enlarge his weapon to attack, unlike the training he did with Killer Bee in the original work, which required precise manipulation so that he could grab something without breaking it.

Once the Shadow Clone’s began to control the Nine Tails’ chakra, however clumsy, the tide of the battle turned in Ukon and Sakon’s favor.

Its outstretched chakra arms have a huge reach, its sharp chakra claws can cut through armor, and its enlarged tail cannot be blocked.

“Tch!” “Damn it!”

The Wood Clone beings were being destroyed while swearing. The Wood Clone were not being defeated so easily either, some of them were even defeating Shadow Clone, but the pace was much slower than before.

The frequency with which the “Shadow Clone” defeated the “Wood Clone” increased, and the frequency with which the “Wood Clone” defeated the “Shadow Clone” decreased, until the two became almost equal.

“Don’t do that… then let’s move on to the next step.”

The original Ukon and Sakon had left the battle with the Shadow Clone’s entirely to the Wood Clone and had been recovering their chakra from the rear, so they already had enough chakra built up to use a powerful technique.

In order to turn the situation around, which had worsened, Ukon decided to disrupt the battlefield and throw it into chaos.

“Senpo: Mokuton: Giant Tree Technique”

(Continuing, Senjutsu, Mokuton, Hidden Leaf Technique)

When the original Ukon activated his “Giant Tree Technique,” a giant tree that looked to be over a thousand years old appeared from beneath his feet, and after Sakon confirmed it, he activated his “Hidden Leaf Technique,” causing a huge amount of green leaves to fall from the tree all at once, scattering over a wide area.

“What is this?” “I can’t see what’s in front of me!” “What on earth is going on?”

“Hidden Leaf Technique” is a new distraction ninjutsu technique that Ukon and Sakon invented based on “Hidden Mist Technique.” It obscures vision with dancing leaves, while at the same time fooling the sense of smell with the smell of the leaves, disrupts hearing with the sound of leaves rubbing together on the ground, and interferes with touch with leaves that stick to the body.

Furthermore, because each and every fluttering leaf was carrying a weak amount of Senjutsu chakra, it even had the effect of interfering with chakra detection.

It crushes four of the five human senses, and even blocks the ability to sense chakra. An extremely wicked ninjutsu that blocks almost all of the senses necessary for combat, that is the gist of the Hidden Leaf Technique developed by Ukon and Sakon.

Although the “Hidden Leaf Technique” seems to be a very powerful technique, it has a major drawback: due to its extremely powerful interference effect, even the casters, Ukon and his companions, are unable to use their five senses to determine the enemy’s location.

This technique alone is undoubtedly a defective product. It is useless if it prevents the user from understanding the situation around them, not just their allies or enemies, but even themselves.

However, if it cannot be grasped through the five senses, then it is sufficient to find some other way to grasp it.

Ukon and Sakon made up for this shortcoming with their sage-like sensing abilities.

The sensory ability in the sage state is particularly strong in detecting natural energy. The rain of leaves that covers the entire surrounding area contains a small amount of natural energy, so the humans trapped within it can be clearly detected as unnatural things in nature, like a gaping hole in the ocean.

Naturally, Naruto currently does not have any superior sensing abilities.

With the entire area painted green, Naruto and the others, including the original, had completely lost sight of the enemy and were in complete confusion.

Furthermore, the “Wood Clone”s were able to perform full camouflage by growing leaves on the surface of their wooden armor, making them undetectable even if they were only one meter away.

“Where?! Where are you?!”

The Shadow Clone’s desperately tried to push aside the torrential rain of falling leaves with their hands, screaming in search of their enemy. They swung their arms, legs, and even their tails in a desperate attempt to ward off the leaves, but there seemed to be no limit to the falling leaves. There was no sign of them stopping.

The “Wood Clone”s calmly and silently assassinated the “Shadow Clone”s who moved blindly like that.

They attacked from all directions, blending in with the leaves in front, and stealthily attacking from behind.

“Gwah!” “Ouch!”

The “shadow clones” were suddenly impaled by “wood clones” that appeared from the falling leaves, and their numbers were gradually reduced.

In an instant the battlefield had turned into a hunting ground of one-sided slaughter, but Naruto, who was normally stupid but had quick thinking during battle, quickly found a solution.

“You guys! Make an umbrella with your tails!”

(If it’s raining, make an umbrella. A simple but effective solution.)

Naturally, the leaves would fall from the top to the bottom due to gravity. If there was something blocking their movement, the leaves would not get in the way. This was also one of the drawbacks of this technique.

There are several types of techniques that can obscure an opponent’s vision, such as fog, dust, and ash, but since these are basically highly fluid substances that move along with gas, even if you try to block them by building a wall or something, they will eventually get around you. However, leaves are a material with low fluidity, so they can be easily blocked by an umbrella or something.

Noticing this, Naruto gave instructions, and the Shadow Clone’s tails were bundled together and stretched into the sky, and after they had stretched it to a certain height, they separated the five tails at an appropriate angle and stretched them out horizontally, using this as a framework and stretching chakra thinly between them like a curtain to create an improvised umbrella.

The umbrellas pushed against each other and overlapped, creating a ceiling that covered the entire sky.

The Shadow Clone’s created a ceiling that caught many of the leaves, but most of them were burned down after coming into contact with the Nine Tails’ chakra.

In this way the Shadow Clone’s five senses were restored, but if Naruto was to deal with it, Ukon and Sakon would inevitably make a new move as well.

(If it’s raining, make an umbrella…simple but effective)

Ukon wholeheartedly praised Naruto for quickly coming up with a countermeasure against the Hidden Leaf Technique, but Sakon continued speaking.

(Ah, that’s effective… if only to protect against leaves from above.)

Sakon responded to Ukon with suggestive words.

The original Ukon silently agreed with Sakon’s words and used his “Wooden Technique” to create a giant wooden fan.

Then he firmly grasped the giant fan he had created with both arms and swung it from right to left with great force.

GOOOOOOO!! A gust of wind blew in in time with the movement of the giant fan as it swept through the air, blowing up the leaves that had fallen on the ground.

“Huh!?”

In an instant, the Shadow Clone’s vision was once again dyed green.

Furthermore, in time with the gust of wind, the “Wood Clone”s had used the “Light and Heavy Rock Technique” to lighten their weight to about the weight of a sheet of paper, and with the gust of wind at their backs, they were able to pounce on the “Shadow Clone” with force that was just like the wind.

“Gwah!” “Wow!”

The next moment the “Shadow Clone”s thought their vision was blocked, they were ambushed by the “Wood Clone”s and disappeared one by one.

In particular, the Wood Clone creatures focused their attacks on the Shadow Clone that was creating an umbrella with its tail.

One reason for this was to eliminate the umbrellas, but another reason was that the “shadow clones” that were creating the umbrellas were particularly slow to move.

The “shadow clones” that made up the ceiling had their pillar-like tails stretched upwards and were even open like umbrellas. That alone made it extremely difficult to move, but because they were all piled up to form the ceiling, even the slightest movement would mean hitting the other umbrellas, making it even more difficult to move.

One by one, the “Wood Clone”s erased the “Shadow Clone”s that had formed umbrellas. Each time, the ceiling cracked and leaves began to fall from the hole.

The falling leaves further slowed the movements of the “Shadow Clone”s, giving the “Wood Clone” even more momentum as they defeated the “Shadow Clone”s.

“After all… we really need to do something about that big tree…!”

With the situation now back to square one, Naruto spoke in a tense voice what was needed to defuse the situation.

The “Hidden Leaf Technique” was a technique that manipulated trees to make leaves flutter down, not a technique that created leaves from nothing. Therefore, although the leaves themselves can be made to grow infinitely with Mokuton, if the source tree is destroyed, the “Hidden Leaf Technique” cannot be used.

It was possible to activate the “Hidden Leaf Technique” by targeting fallen leaves, but in that case it would be necessary to grasp each and every leaf, manipulate them, and send them flying into the sky, which was much more time-consuming and tiring than the normal use of simply dropping them from the tree in the desired direction, so Ukon and Sakon generally didn’t do it.

When Naruto saw the ceiling earlier, he had grasped the location of the large tree that was created by the Giant Tree Technique'', which was believed to be the source of theHidden Leaf Technique”.

Considering that staying within the Hidden Leaf Technique for a long period of time would dull one’s sense of direction and there was a possibility that they would not be able to reach the tree, now was seen as a golden opportunity.

“Everyone! Let’s charge full speed towards that big tree!!”

Following Naruto’s command, the Shadow Clone’s began marching all at once.

From the previous battle, the “Kage Bunshin” had been reduced to about half by the “Wood Bunshin” but there was still a difference in their numbers of more than twice as many. Taking advantage of this difference in numbers, the “Kage Bunshin” charged forward with no mercy.

Naruto hadn’t realized it, but this charge made sense. Until now, with his five senses sealed away, he had no idea where the Wood Bunshins would attack from, and so he had to constantly be aware of his surroundings.

However, the charging “Shadow Clone”s were always moving in one direction, and by being able to predict interference from the direction of their movement, it became easier to deal with them.

Furthermore, by setting a goal of taking down the great tree that produces the leaves and switching from a defensive to an offensive stance, the way the Shadow Clone were treated also changed. Up until then, the Shadow Clone had only protected themselves, but by going on the offensive, the Shadow Clone had been used in the original way, where they would sacrifice their own Shadow Clone to achieve their goal.

The “Wood Clone”s attempted various acts of sabotage to impede the progress of the “Shadow Clone”s, but in the end only minor damage was inflicted.

Even if the ‘Wood Clone’s’ tried to slow down the ‘Shadow Clone’s’ momentum by attacking in front or from the sides, they were able to stop some of the ‘Shadow Clone’, but not enough to stop them all.

They tried to slow their advance by using Earth Release and Wood Release to weaken their footing, but even though one or two of the leaders got caught, the “Kage Bunshin” following behind ignored those who were being stopped and continued moving forward.

(As expected, it can’t be stopped with a simple trick)

(Well, no matter how many shadow clones are destroyed, as long as I can accomplish my goal, it’s fine.)

(Although, the same can be said for us… but maybe it’s too late…)

Ukon and Sakon wanted to say that if they couldn’t stop the Shadow Clone’s because they were willing to sacrifice themselves, then they should wait until the Wood Clone’s were willing to sacrifice themselves to stop them, but if they wanted to stop the Shadow Clone’s march, they would have to gather all of the Wood Clone’s that were there now. However, the Wood Clone’s stood between the Shadow Clone’s and the Great Tree, and there was no time left for them to stand in their way as a wall.

Before that, the Shadow Clone’s reached the giant tree.

“All right! Everyone! Let’s cut down this tree!”

“””””Ou!!!”””””

The hundreds of Shadow Clone beings all swung their fists and feet at the giant tree at once, and it was smashed to pieces in an instant.

With the giant tree that had been providing an endless supply of leaves destroyed, the Hidden Leaf Technique could no longer be maintained.

With nothing blocking their view anymore, the “Wood Clone”s and “Shadow Clone”s glared at each other. If that had been all, they would have been back to square one, but the numbers on both sides had changed greatly.

The number of ‘Wood Clone’ had decreased slightly from 200 people in 100 pairs, but there were still around 160 people in 80 pairs, whereas the number of ‘Shadow Clone’ had decreased drastically, with only around 300 people remaining.

If they were to clash head-on it would be the Wood Clone who would win, but Naruto had no intention of just leaving the Shadow Clone’s alone.

“Not yet! Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!!”

By adding more Shadow Clone units, whose numbers had dwindled due to competition with the Wood Clone units, Naruto created an army of a total of 2,000 men.

Simply put, if something is lost, you just add more. Whether an ordinary person can do that is another matter.

“I won’t lose this time!”

As their numbers increased, the “shadow clones” became a human wave that completely filled the ground.

In response, Ukon instead released the “Wood Clone Technique.”

“What are you planning…?”

Naruto asked the obvious question.

“Don’t panic… you’re just going to use a technique that can’t be used while you have a clone.”

“This is bad…!”

“It’s too late.”

Naruto realised the meaning of Ukon’s words and frantically tried to stop him, but the magic seal had already been made.

If you’re facing an army large enough to fill the entire earth, you can deal with it with a wide-area attack that also fills the entire earth.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, quantity for quantity. While thinking that any normal ninja would be shocked to hear this or would dismiss it as nonsense, Ukon activated a technique that would annihilate the Shadow Clone beings.

“Senjutsu: Mokuton Hidden Technique: Birth of the Tree World!”

Countless large trees, each over a meter in diameter, sprouted out of the ground all around Ukon. In the blink of an eye, a new forest was born in the barren land. This was a large forest, with trees much thicker and more densely packed together than the original forest.

If the Narutos created by the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique'' were a wave of people, then the countless large trees created byBirth of the Tree World” were in fact a huge tsunami of large trees.

The tsunami from Taiki’s group pierced the countless Shadow Clone’s, binding them up and heading towards Naruto and the others with ferocious force, trying to crush them.

“What on earth is this…?!”

Naruto and the others were forced to deal with the absurd scene, their eyes wide, as if the forest itself was attacking them.

Damn it Rasenchourengan!!

Each of the Shadow Clone created a single Rasengan, and the swarm of over two thousand Rasengan were successively slammed into the attacking forest.

A great number of red Rasengan, created by kneading the Nine Tails’ chakra, gouged, snapped, and destroyed the approaching Great Tree. As the Rasengan exploded on the tree, the sounds of destruction echoed across a wide area, overlapping and creating a great roaring chorus.

From the start, both sides traded powerful techniques, resulting in a stalemate with the waves of people and the trees colliding with each other. However, this battle of techniques was taking place under conditions that were quite favorable for Ukon and Sakon.

When activating “Tree World Birth”, Ukon and Sakon had different roles. Ukon was in charge of activating and controlling the technique, while Sakon was in charge of refining the chakra to maintain the technique. As expected, with a technique as large-scale as “Tree World Birth”, it was impossible to maintain forever as the amount of chakra consumed was greater than the chakra produced, but still, it wasn’t a problem if it was maintained for a few minutes.

Furthermore, the great tree created by the “Birth of the Tree World”, which used sage chakra, naturally contained sage energy. Even when the great tree was destroyed by the “Rasengan”, it remained on the spot as shards of wood, and naturally contained sage energy. Therefore, while Sakon refined his chakra, he was able to recover and reuse sage energy from the destroyed shards of wood. Since the energy that was blown to splinters by the “Rasengan” could not be recovered, it was not a perpetual motion machine, but it certainly played a part in maintaining the technique.

In contrast, there was no cooperative relationship between Naruto and the Nine Tails. The Nine Tails was annoyed at Naruto for being taken advantage of by Ukon and Sakon, but it didn’t want to lend Naruto any more chakra than it already had, and Naruto didn’t expect the Nine Tails to cooperate.

Ukon and Sakon work together to circulate the chakra and maintain the technique, while Naruto continues to consume the chakra that was forcefully given to him when he was going berserk. Naturally, if it continues like this, Naruto will be the first to run out of strength.

“Tsk…ginger!”

The Shadow Clone’s destroy the trees of the Tree World Birth with their Rasengan, but in the next moment new trees grow and pierce the Shadow Clone’s bodies, crushing them.

The original Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration as no matter how many trees he destroyed, new ones just kept growing.

The “shadow clones” were destroyed by the trees that were created one after another, and they gradually disappeared.

However, even though they were in an advantageous position, Ukon and Sakon still did not let up, and continued to create trees one after another and attack Naruto.

Because Naruto hadn’t given up.

Even though he was being attacked by the forest created by “Tree World Birth,” he did not retreat, but rather gradually moved forward, towards Ukon and Sakon.

It’s true that the number of Shadow Clone’s has decreased, but as the Shadow Clone’s are destroyed and disappear, they are destroying the forest with their Rasengan, creating a path for the originals.

“Woohooooo!!!”

The Shadow Clone beings let out roars as they bravely and courageously carve out a path to survival.

As he watched the Shadow Clone beings disappear one by one, the original Naruto finally caught sight of Ukon.

There were only a few dozen Shadow Clone’s left, but they all mobilized to clear a path to Ukon.

“Here it is!!”

Naruto sprinted through the empty road that had appeared in the middle of the great forest. And then…

“Super Large Ball Rasengan!!!”

A Rasengan formed above Naruto’s raised right hand. The Rasengan rapidly grew in size, growing larger until it exceeded Naruto’s height, and eventually swelled up to about five times his height.

The Nine Tails’ chakra, which was of extremely high quality and extremely dense, was rotated even more erratically, compressed, and still swelled up to an enormous size, creating the greatest Rasengan that Naruto could currently create.

“Go!!”

Naruto aims the Rasengan at Ukon and tries to slam it down.

A direct hit from this blow would have wiped out not even a single cell of an average Jonin, let alone a Kage-class ninja, but the action Ukon and Sakon chose to take was to intercept.

“Senjutsu: Wood Release: Wood Snake Technique!”

When Ukon activated the spell, a giant wooden snake appeared from behind him.

The snake opened its mouth wide and, twisting its body, charged towards the “Super Large Rasengan” and bit into it.

“What on earth?!”

The moment the Wood Snake bit into the Super Large Rasengan, Naruto was confused for just a moment by the strange sensation he felt, but he soon realized what that sensation was.

“My chakra… is being sucked away!?”

The “Extra Large Rasengan” that had been bitten by the “Wood Snake” was gradually shrinking in size due to its chakra coming into contact with it. The strange sensation that Naruto noticed was due to a change in the flow of chakra caused by the chakra being absorbed from the “Extra Large Rasengan”.

The “Wood Snake” is not just a giant snake made of wood. This “Wood Snake Technique” was a reproduction of Hashirama’s “Wood Dragon Technique”, albeit with a deteriorated version. Its appearance has also changed, with the “Wood Dragon”‘s nose growing long while the “Wood Snake”‘s was not, the back of the “Wood Dragon”‘s head has thorns growing out of it while the back of the “Wood Snake”‘s head is smooth, and it has also become about one size smaller.

However, although its appearance and size are different, the “Wood Snake” still has the ability to absorb chakra from the “Wood Dragon.” Although the “Wood Snake” is a degraded version of the “Wood Dragon,” it sacrificed size in order to focus on recreating the ability to absorb chakra, and in terms of the speed and amount of chakra it absorbs, its power is in no way inferior to the original.

Naruto’s “Super Large Ball Rasengan” and Ukon’s “Wood Snake” are in opposition to each other.

Ukon consumes all of the chakra from the “Super Large Rasengan” and then tries to chew up Naruto as well.

Not to be outdone, Naruto releases an even larger amount of chakra than was absorbed by the Wood Snake, and tries to push in the Super Large Rasengan.

“Haaaah!!”

“Woohooo!!!”

Both of them put all their soul into their magic.

After a back-and-forth battle, the outcome was not to the liking of either side.

“Wood Snake” was destroyed as it was unable to absorb all of the chakra from the “Super Large Rasengan”, but all of the chakra contained in the “Super Large Rasengan” was used up in destroying “Wood Snake”.

In other words, the outcome was a draw.

“Not yet!”

However, that outcome was the result of a clash of two techniques, not the conclusion of this battle.

Naruto then raises his left hand and attempts to create the “Super Large Rasengan” again.

However, someone else had moved faster than Naruto.

(Sage technique: Wood Release: Wood Snake technique!)

Up until now, it had been Ukon who had been creating the Wood Snake'', and Sakon had not been involved in theWood Snake Technique”.

Therefore, it was only natural that he was able to move ahead of Naruto.

Sakon used his “Wood Snake Technique” to create another giant wooden snake. The moment the snake sprouted from the ground it split into two, becoming a nine-headed snake like the Hydra from Greek mythology, and attacked Naruto.

“what!?”

Naruto was so surprised by the tree-like hydra that he was unable to react and was bitten straight away.

Each of the nine heads bit into Naruto’s limbs and tail, absorbing his chakra and immobilizing him.

“What?! My chakra…?!”

Naruto tried to resist and shake off the snake, but the sense of exhaustion caused by his chakra being absorbed meant he was unable to resist as much as he wanted. Not missing that moment, Ukon kicked the ground and rapidly approached Naruto.

“Let’s settle this soon.”

“Damn it! Let go!!”

Naruto struggled, but the snake remained fastened and would not let go, allowing Ukon to get closer to Naruto.

Then Ukon pressed his right hand against Naruto’s forehead and activated the technique.

“Hokage-style ear-junjutsu: Karan-iri-no-dare-te!”

“Guh…!?”

(This technique is… his!?)

The moment the technique was activated, Naruto groaned as he felt the Nine Tails’ chakra being rapidly suppressed, and the Nine Tails inside Naruto was also surprised as it recognized the technique used to suppress its own power.

“Kakuan Nyushin Sutaru Te” exerted the power just as Ukon had originally anticipated, and combined with the chakra absorption ability of the “Wood Snake”, it rapidly suppressed the power of the Nine Tails.

However, at that moment, something Ukon did not expect happened.

Because he had come into contact with the Nine Tails’ chakra through the “Kakuan Entering the Nine Tails” technique, a chakra connection was created and Naruto entered the Nine Tails’ spiritual world.

“You bastard! Even here!”

Naruto shouted with hostility towards Ukon and Sakon, who had entered a huge caged spiritual world.

Following suit, the Nine Tails also spoke out, expressing his naked hostility and resentment towards the first Hashirama.

“You annoying brat! Do you think you can contain me like you did that man?! There’s no way the real me would lose to the likes of you!”

“No way… that’s a misunderstanding. I don’t think I defeated you.”

In response to the Nine Tails’ complaints, Ukon expressed his honest opinion.

“You are currently sealed, and on top of that, only five of your tails are exposed this time. Incidentally, it was Naruto over there who actually fought you. Since I didn’t fight you directly, there’s no way I can say I defeated you.”

“Ngh…!?”

The Nine Tails groaned, thinking that this was a very frank admission. If a human had defeated the Nine Tails, the strongest tailed beast, even if they had only used a fraction of its power, they would want to be proud of their victory, but there was no sign of that at all with Ukon.

The Kyuubi thought that he had seen a strange human, and some of his venom was removed.

“I wasn’t actually planning on coming here, but… since I’m here, let’s have a little chat, Uzumaki Naruto.”

“What do you mean to me…?”

Although Naruto’s spirit was slightly dampened when he was told implicitly that “it was your fault that the Nine Tails lost,” he replied with doubts about Ukon’s proposal.

“It’s a story about Sasuke that you might be interested in.”

“…!”

“Let me be clear. With your current strength, the only way to stop Sasuke would be to borrow the power of the Nine Tails and then kill him.”

“I wouldn’t kill anyone!”

Naruto glared at Ukon with a frightening expression, but Ukon simply brushed his gaze off like a willow.

“Even if you don’t want to kill him, it will be the same if you use the power of the Nine Tails and go berserk. I’m telling you, without the power of the Nine Tails, you wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to Sasuke right now.”

“What did you say…?!”

“It’s true. That guy, Sasuke, has grown a lot in these past two years. He may not be as strong as the Kage of each village, but it’s not uncommon for him to defeat their aides. In Konoha terms, he’s as strong as Kakashi.”

(That guy is as good as Kakashi Sensei…?!)

Naruto’s eyes widened in shock when he heard Ukon’s words, but he quickly changed his mind and retorted.

“That can’t be true! Sasuke could defeat Kakashi-sensei!?”

“You know at least a little about the power of his target, Uchiha Itachi, right? If you want to kill Uchiha Itachi, you’ll need that level of power at the very least. In fact, it might not even be enough.”

Hearing Ukon’s words, Naruto remembered Itachi’s strength from his recent encounter. Naruto didn’t know the full extent of Itachi’s abilities, but even so, he could sense that all of his powers were first rate, and he was certain that he was a strong man who should not be let down for even a moment.

“So, Uzumaki Naruto… you’re not capable of stopping Sasuke in your current state.”

“I won’t accept that!”

In response to Ukon’s point, Naruto retorted as if it were obvious. Stopping Sasuke is a goal on par with Naruto’s dream of becoming Hokage. Of course, Ukon was aware of that.

“Yes, I know you have no intention of giving up. You probably think that ‘there is no way someone who can’t even help one friend can become Hokage’.”

“…!?”

Ukon spoke the same lines as Naruto in the original work, but Naruto was extremely surprised, as he felt like his thoughts had been read into his mind. Ukon continued speaking to Naruto, who had no words to respond.

“That may be true, but… is it right for a man to put all his comrades at risk in order to save one friend to be Hokage?”

“You!”

“In fact, it seems that because you attacked me, my friends and your friends were fighting. I could sense their fighting chakra even while I was fighting you.”

“Huh…?! Sakura-chan, Captain Yamato, and Sai are all safe, right?!”

Naruto swallows his objections to Ukon and tries to make sure his comrades are safe. Seeing his desperate state, Ukon also takes on a serious expression as he speaks.

“Everyone is alive. However, judging from the chakra I can sense, your comrades appear to have sustained serious injuries.”

“Damn it…!?”

Naruto’s face turned pale upon hearing this.

It would be easy to deny what Ukon said and call it a lie, but the serious expression on Ukon’s face made it impossible to even do that simple thing.

There s a good chance that I provoked you in some way I can t bring myself to say that it s your fault, but still you should be aware that this outcome is yours.

Naruto was speechless, filled with regret for having dragged his comrades into this and shame for having been lectured by his enemy Ukon.

“On top of that, Uzumaki Naruto, you have to get stronger. In order to protect your comrades, fend off the Akatsuki who are after the Nine Tails, and bring Sasuke back.”

“Why should I have to say something like that to you, my enemy…?”

Naruto asked Ukon with a look on his face as if he had seen something creepy. Naruto felt that what Ukon was saying was somewhat true, but he still couldn’t understand why he would go out of his way to give him advice despite being his enemy.

In response to Naruto’s question, Ukon carefully chose his words.

“That’s true… I think it’s something that will benefit me in the future, but if I had to say… I guess it’s because even if I’m Konoha’s enemy, Konoha is not my enemy.”

“???”

Naruto tilted his head in confusion at the Zen-like answer.

The moment Naruto tried to ask what he meant by that statement, he was suddenly overcome by sleepiness. The restraining effect of “Kakuan Nyushin Sutaishu” forced Naruto’s body and mind to calm down.

“What…? Because… I… love Sasuke…”

As Naruto collapsed, seemingly fainting while in the middle of saying something, Ukon offered some final advice.

“If you want to help Sasuke, you need to continue your dialogue with the Nine Tails. It will definitely be to your advantage.”

“You think I’d hear that…?”

The Nine Tails spoke to Ukon with sleepy eyes. The Nine Tails possessed far more powerful chakra than Naruto, so it seemed to take time to calm it down, and even when Naruto was asleep the Nine Tails was still awake.

Ukon responds to the sleepy Nine Tails.

“You don’t have to ask. But you’re stuck in a cage and you’ll have no choice but to ask anyway.”

“Tsk…!”

Ukon and Nine Tails continue to talk, ignoring Naruto who is sleeping soundly in the spiritual world.

“Remember that, kid…! The next time we meet, I’ll definitely tear you to shreds and eat you…!”

“…Ah, I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Kyuubi spat out its final words of resentment and fell asleep.

After making sure that he was completely asleep, Ukon responded to the Nine Tails’ final words before leaving the spiritual world.

When the battle between Ukon, Sakon and Naruto ended, Kimimaro’s battle with Yamato, Sai and Sakura had also ended.

No, halfway through, it could no longer be called a battle. What happened here was truly worthy of being called a massacre.

“Haa… haa… ugh…!”

Yamato no longer had the strength to stand and was lying on the ground in an unsightly manner, breathing heavily. The other two were no longer even conscious. All three had wounds all over their bodies, and the blood that flowed from them had stained their clothes bright red. None of the three had suffered any serious injuries such as missing limbs, but they had inflicted countless shallow wounds and it was clear that they had been cruelly tortured.

Yes, in the end, Sai didn’t tell Kimimaro about Danzo.

It’s not that he didn’t have time to tell her. If he had put his hands up in surrender, he would have had time to talk, and if he had launched a surprise attack on Yamato or Sakura, it would have been much easier to talk.

In fact, Sai had considered this idea as well. He would intentionally attack Yamato and Sakura, rendering them unable to fight, and then negotiate with Kimimaro and Kabuto while preventing them from attacking any further.

However, although Sai had thought of this idea, he did not put it into action. Although Kimimaro had no intention of killing him, he had no guarantee that he would not be killed.

Facing a formidable opponent like Kimimaro, Sai, influenced by Naruto, chose to protect his comrades rather than carry out the mission given to him by Danzo. Sai acted without knowing if it was the right thing to do.

As a result of that choice, the three of them ended up rolling on the ground together. Just as Kimimaro had declared, his power was imprinted on their bodies.

“Looks like it’s over over there too.”

Kimimaro had noticed that the rumbling coming from deep in the forest had stopped a while ago, and when he realised that the battle between Ukon and Sakon had come to an end, he spoke up.

Just then, Ukon appeared from the depths of the forest with Naruto on his shoulders.

“Naruto…?!”

Yamato, who saw this with a blurred vision, also realized that even the power of the Nine Tails was not enough to defeat him. Yamato called out Naruto’s name in a worried tone, and Ukon replied in Naruto’s place.

“Don’t worry, she was just unconscious. I’ll give it back to her.”

Ukon casually put down Naruto, who was lying next to Yamato, who was still lying on the ground. Naruto was put down so casually that there was a loud thud, but he showed no signs of getting up.

“Well then, I guess I’ll go home.”

“I will report this to Lord Orochimaru.”

“Yeah, do as you like.”

After returning Naruto and completing everything they had to do there, Ukon and the others left.

All that was left behind were Yamato and his friends, wounded in body and mind.

Thus, the battle between Ukon and Orochimaru’s subordinates and Yamato’s platoon from the Hidden Leaf Village ended with a complete victory for Ukon and his men.

Their injuries were treated by Sakura, and they were forced to return to the Hidden Leaf Village to report the failure of the mission, rather than heading to Orochimaru’s hideout as in the ori