106-110

"Captain, can you cover me for a bit? I want to test a new technique I developed," Shūichi said after finishing his sensory scan.

Under his mask, Sarutobi Shinnosuke's eyes narrowed. "Is it the one from the end of last year?"

Last year, Shūichi had collapsed in exhaustion after developing a new jutsu, spending two full days and nights unconscious. Both he and Chihiro had visited him, so they had some idea of what had happened.

Recalling Shūichi's power and fighting style during his battle with the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Shinnosuke nodded, "Alright, I'll cover you."

"But don't push yourself too hard."

Shūichi chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, Captain, I value my life too much for that."

Handing his mask to Shinnosuke, Shūichi pulled down his hood and silently waited.

Soon, five figures appeared about a hundred meters ahead.

"Is this the kid who defeated Roshi?"

"It should be him. We could be wrong about the person, but our sensory data doesn't lie. Don't underestimate him just because of his age—we saw what his shadow clone could do earlier."

"Exactly. This damn brat must be killed!"

"Be careful, there's still one more hiding—probably that woman who's good with genjutsu!"

…

The moment the Iwa-nin saw Shūichi's youthful face, they were momentarily stunned. Some of them even showed brief signs of underestimation, but recalling the previous battle, their contempt was quickly replaced by caution and hatred.

Out of the original twelve, only five of them remained. Six were dead, and one was gravely injured in the last explosion—unlikely to survive.

After such heavy losses, only a fool would underestimate him again.

At that moment, Shūichi brought his hands together: "Blue Lotus, bloom!"

A blue light appeared at the center of his forehead, spreading like the blossoming petals of a lotus flower.

The brilliant blue glow rapidly enveloped Shūichi's head, torso, and limbs.

Boom!

Blue flames ignited all over his body, as if he had donned a divine robe adorned with lotus patterns made of blue fire.

Shūichi's hair, now laced with blue flames, billowed backward as if caught in an invisible wind. The rain that fell from the sky evaporated before it could even touch him.

Beneath him, the muddy ground quickly dried up, and the surrounding grass and trees spontaneously caught fire.

Feeling the intense heat, Sarutobi Shinnosuke immediately retreated to a safer distance, staring in shock at the fiery chakra cloak surrounding Shūichi.

"Is this similar to the Four-Tails Jinchūriki's... Fire Release Chakra Mode?"

"No, there's also Wind Release power mixed in!"

"Incredible chakra... and such precise control!"

Shinnosuke's shock quickly turned to admiration. "This is probably on par with the Cloud-nin's Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"

"Shūichi truly is Konoha's unrivaled Fire and Wind Release prodigy!"

At that moment, Shinnosuke couldn't help but be in awe of Shūichi's abilities.

On the other side, the Iwa-nin were equally astonished.

Shūichi's current state immediately reminded them of Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, and his Lava Armor—also known as the Lava Release Chakra Mode.

But that required the support of a Tailed Beast's chakra.

Could this kid be the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki from Konoha?

Impossible!

"This guy's Fire Release has reached a level comparable to the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"

"Be careful. Avoid close combat if possible. Like Roshi, this kid's body temperature must be insanely high!"

"Create favorable terrain to drain his strength. A mode like this must consume a massive amount of chakra. If he's not a Jinchūriki, he won't be able to sustain it for long!"

...

Several Iwa-nin quickly exchanged ideas.

At that moment, Shūichi Hoshita, having fully prepared, turned to Sarutobi Shinnosuke and said, "I'm going in!"

Before his words even fully landed, his figure had already darted forward, leaving behind a trail of distorted blue afterimages.

"So fast!"

Shinnosuke was inwardly shocked. This speed was even greater than when Shūichi used Fiery Lotus Steps before.

"The fusion of Fire and Wind Release... Even though it hasn't formed a Kekkei Genkai, it's already terrifying, altering the very nature of his Body Flicker Technique."

As this thought crossed his mind, Shinnosuke followed after him.

On the other side, the Iwa-nin shouted as soon as Shūichi moved, "Here he comes!"

One of them crouched down and pressed his hands to the ground.

In front of the rapidly advancing Shūichi, walls of earth shot up from the ground one after another.

Shūichi unsheathed his sword—not the Totsuka Blade, but the standard Anbu katana. As he drew it, he slashed forward in one fluid motion. A burst of blue light exploded, shattering the walls in his path.

This was the Blue Flame Waterfall Blade in Fire Release Chakra Mode, enhanced by Wind Release. The combination of Fire and Wind formed a detached blue flame that took on a crescent shape.

"Blue Flame Sky Blade, Second Form—Blue Flame Vacuum Slash!"

Cleaving a path forward, Shūichi dashed through the shattered walls. But now, the ground around him had risen, transforming into a sheer cliff face.

Just as he was about to leap out of the pit, sharp stone pillars erupted from the surrounding walls, growing rapidly inward.

Shūichi snorted softly, preparing to slice through the pillars with his sword, but more massive stone pillars suddenly sprouted from the ground beneath him.

However, these pillars avoided him, colliding with the others growing from the walls.

Boom!

The stone pillars exploded.

It was Sarutobi Shinnosuke's jutsu!

Although it didn't completely neutralize the Iwa-nin's attack, it gave Shūichi enough space to maneuver.

With a flash of movement, blue streaks of sword light slashed through the air, and stone pillars collapsed one after another.

In an instant, Shūichi had reached the surface again, only to be greeted by a massive wave of rocks and sand surging toward him.

Earth Release: Earth Flow River!

Shūichi continued to run through the air, but hidden within the wave of sand were explosive tags.

Boom! Boom!

The explosion blasted debris everywhere, and shockwaves surged toward Shūichi.

Yet, Shūichi didn't bother dodging. Blue lotus flowers bloomed around his legs, emitting a high-temperature airflow that neutralized the impact of the explosion beneath him.

The scattering debris, naturally, posed no threat either.

However, two stone dragons suddenly dove from above, crossing paths to strike him down.

Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon!

Shūichi swung his sword, and both stone dragons exploded into rubble.

Down below, the Iwa-nin who had cast the jutsu watched in disbelief as their attack was so easily broken. A burly Iwa-nin jonin formed the Seal of the Boar with his hands, preparing to unleash an Earth Rock Cannon from his mouth, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a river of mud surging toward him.

It was Sarutobi Shinnosuke's jutsu, Earth Release: Earth Flow River!

The burly Iwa-nin had no choice but to abandon his attack, retreating as the mud river blocked his path. Landing on solid ground, he pressed his palms to the earth, raising an earthen wall to stop the advancing mud.

Meanwhile, in the air, two blue dragon heads appeared on Shūichi's shoulders, their mouths opening to release blazing white fireballs that rained down on the Iwa-nin's formation below.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted one after another, sending rocks flying as Shūichi unleashed a barrage of firepower, bombarding the area.

The Iwa-nin retreated while continuing to reshape the terrain in an attempt to defend against Shūichi's aerial attacks.

"Hmm?"

The burly Iwa-nin jonin had just dodged a fireball when his expression changed. The ground beneath his feet had turned into a rapidly rotating swamp, pulling him downward.

That guy again! His Earth Release techniques are on par with my own!

"Damn it!"

The Iwa-nin jonin gritted his teeth, preparing to use an Earth Substitution to escape, but Shūichi suddenly appeared in front of him, standing on the rotating swamp, completely unaffected. Blue fire lotuses bloomed under his feet as he balanced effortlessly on the shifting ground.

The Iwa-nin jonin's pupils dilated. Abandoning his previous plan, he rapidly hardened his skin.

Earth Release: Hardening Technique!

At the same time, he swiftly formed seals with both hands.

Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!

Even if I die, I'll take you down with me!

A crazed expression appeared on the jonin's face as his right hand was covered in solid rock.

But before he could throw a punch, Shūichi had already swung his sword. The high-temperature blade, empowered by the combined forces of Fire and Wind Release, cut through the hardened skin with ease, slicing across the jonin's neck.

Shūichi vanished as quickly as he had appeared. The burly Iwa-nin jonin felt his strength drain away, sinking into the swamp and being swallowed by the mud in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, another Iwa-nin jonin's eyes went wide with fury.

"Damn it!"

"Die, you brat!"

Placing both hands on the ground, countless stone pillars began to grow upward, reaching toward the sky in varying heights.

But as Shūichi advanced, blue lotus flowers bloomed all over his body, and graceful blue butterflies danced in the air, effortlessly dodging the pillars.

However, as he reached the center of the area, the stone pillars suddenly exploded.

In an instant, rocks shot through the air, with countless shards rushing towards Shūichi.

"Earth Release—Earth Pillar Explosion!"

This barrage was so overwhelming that even Shūichi couldn't dodge it.

Yet, he didn't even try. He let the stones come, each one melting instantly upon touching his Chakra cloak, unable to harm him.

"His body temperature is too high—this kind of attack is useless."

"We have to trap him first. Otherwise, with his speed and defense, we won't..."

"I get it!"

"And we need to deal with that other guy too—he's getting in the way!"

"Watch out for the Genjutsu expert."

Despite their conversation, the four remaining Iwa-nin didn't stop their attacks.

As they spoke, chunks of rock broke off from the ground, forming sharp spears that flew toward Shūichi as he emerged from the forest of stone pillars.

"Earth Release—Rock Pillar Spears!"

The dragon heads on Shūichi's shoulders opened their mouths, spitting fireballs that shattered the spears.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, following close behind, unleashed a combination of Fire and Earth Release, sending flaming rock spheres towards the four Iwa-nin, disrupting their attacks and hand seals.

Walls of earth rose, only to explode moments later as Shūichi charged through them. He appeared in front of one of the Iwa-nin, slashing downward, cleaving the ninja in two. But the body crumbled into stone fragments.

At almost the same moment, the ground beneath Shūichi fractured into sand. Another Iwa-nin's head emerged, spitting out large chunks of rock that formed a golem to trap Shūichi's legs.

"A clone trap!"

Behind him, Sarutobi Shinnosuke immediately formed hand seals, but before he could act, hands reached up from the ground and grabbed his ankles.

"You're not interfering again, bastard! Die!"

An Iwa-nin's voice snarled as he dragged Shinnosuke into the ground.

But halfway down, Shinnosuke's body dissolved into mud.

What?

The Iwa-nin was shocked, and quickly realized the surrounding earth and rocks had turned into a rotating swamp, pressing in on him.

This is a trap!

"That guy... he knew all along..."

The Iwa-nin desperately controlled the sand-like rubble to lift himself up, trying to escape before the swamp's force crushed him.

But Shinnosuke's voice echoed.

"My role isn't just to support and interfere. I'm also bait, and the trap!"

With those words, Shinnosuke completed his hand seals and spat a high-pressure water jet, easily piercing the Iwa-nin's body still trapped underground.

As the real body died, the clone imprisoning Shūichi exploded with a puff.

Now, only three Iwa-nin remained.

One held Shūichi down underground, while the other two combined their efforts for a jutsu.

"Earth Release—Erupting Rock Mountain Cannon!"

Two massive half-sphere rocks, over two meters high, rose on either side of Shūichi, hurtling toward him at high speed.

Though the exchange seemed long, it all happened in an instant.

Shūichi was trapped, his legs grabbed by the underground enemy, followed by the rock pillars, and now the Erupting Rock Mountain Cannon.

The coordination between the four Iwa-nin was seamless, their jutsu flowing without any gaps.

Even Shūichi's reflexes couldn't disrupt such a flawless sequence.

If he couldn't break their flow, he wouldn't try to.

Thinking fast, Shūichi passed his katana to his left hand, thrusting it into the ground to pierce the underground enemy.

No Hardening Jutsu could block it.

Next, he spread his arms wide, palms facing outward, as a massive blue lotus flower appeared and began to bloom outward in layers.

Earth Release – Heavenly Stone Cover!

A massive boulder, like a giant lid, descended from above. The two Iwa-nin barely had time to react, hastily retreating without completing their hand seals.

But in the next moment, two blazing white beams pierced through the air. The two Iwa-nin twisted in midair, trying to evade.

"Ah!"

One of the Iwa-nin screamed in agony as a white-hot beam severed his arm. Just as he landed, his body suddenly burst into searing white flames, causing him to scream even louder.

Scorching Technique!

The other Iwa-nin, shocked and furious, began forming hand seals to rescue his comrade. But before he could act, another blazing white beam shot towards him. As he prepared to dodge, his body froze suddenly.

From the side, Chihiro emerged from the ground, hands forming seals.

Demonic Illusion – Tree Binding Death!

Thud!

A blast of fire erupted from the dragon head on Shūichi Hoshita's shoulder, precisely striking the heart of the immobilized Iwa-nin.

Boom!

The Iwa-nin collapsed to the ground, eyes wide open in shock.

Meanwhile, the other Iwa-nin was consumed by the white flames, burning to death.

Thus, all five elite Iwa-nin were completely wiped out.

Three against five—victory!

The blue flames enveloping Shūichi's body flickered out, and the blue chakra receded, retreating into his forehead as the Yin Seal and Eight Trigrams Seal re-engaged.

Shūichi exhaled deeply.

"Ahh, that feels good!"

The frustration that had been building in his chest was finally released.

Shinnosuke and Chihiro approached, looking at the battlefield and the scattered corpses in silence.

Although it was three against five, they both knew that even without their support, Shūichi could have achieved the same result.

Fire Release Chakra Mode—terrifying!

Chihiro quietly evaluated, "Shūichi's strength... It's probably on par with the legendary Sannin, or even elite jōnin like Konoha's White Fang."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke handed the mask to Shūichi, who was still basking in the aftermath of battle, and helped him retrieve his sword. "We should retreat. This commotion will likely attract more shinobi."

Shūichi snapped out of his thoughts, nodded, put on his mask, and took back his sword.

The three of them swiftly retreated under the cover of night, with Shūichi leading the way using his heat vision. They didn't stop until they reached the Land of Fire, where they finally paused to rest.

"Shūichi, you rest first. Chihiro and I will take the night watch," Sarutobi Shinnosuke instructed.

Shūichi didn't refuse. He sat under a tree, closing his eyes, but instead of resting immediately, he replayed the battle in his mind.

Without a doubt, the Fire Release Chakra Mode was incredibly powerful.

High-temperature attacks and defense, all in one, while greatly enhancing his speed.

If the opponents hadn't been Iwa-nin, experts at manipulating the terrain, he would have closed the distance and finished them off long ago.

In this mode, techniques like Fiery Lotus Steps, Dragon Flame Breath, Fire Lotus of Buddha's Wrath, and Blue Flame Waterfall Blade became even easier to perform.

If there was any drawback, it was that he could only use Fire Release and Wind Release techniques in this mode.

Shūichi chuckled to himself, "But that's more than enough. Fire and Wind are my strongest elements right now. If these can't defeat the enemy, other techniques won't help either."

"Plus, I wasn't even using my full power today!"

"I didn't need to use Inferno Lotus, Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, or Wind-Fire Light Wheel Rasenshuriken."

"However, against these Iwa-nin, those techniques, while strong, wouldn't have been as effective."

The Iwa-nin were tough to defend against large-scale attacks, but for elite jōnin like them, they had ways to counter such moves.

On the other hand, techniques like Dragon Flame Breath and Blue Flame Waterfall Blade were more potent single-target attacks that they couldn't defend against.

Of course, Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and Wind-Fire Light Wheel Rasenshuriken could also serve as single-target attacks.

But for these particular Iwa-nin, Shūichi felt they were unnecessary.

"At my current level of strength, combined with the chakra from the Yin Seal, as long as I'm cautious in battle, I should be able to survive in this war."

"If I could add Creation Rebirth to the mix, that would be perfect."

With those thoughts, Shūichi finally drifted off into a deep sleep.

---

At the same time, on the battlefield in the Land of Rain.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were the first to arrive.

They had been alerted by the earlier battle near the cave and tracked the signs to this location.

"The terrain here has been completely altered..."

"It must have been Iwa-nin. Only they could reshape the landscape like this."

"Yes, these are definitely Iwa-nin. The bodies left behind at the other battlefield were Iwa-nin too."

"Only Iwa-nin have the ability to—"

Yahiko examined the traces of battle with a grave expression. "A battle of this scale... These Iwa-nin were quite powerful, and their opponents..."

Nagato spoke up, "Their opponents were even stronger. And there weren't many of them... likely only two, no, three people."

"The main fighter was someone with extremely strong Fire Release."

Konan found it hard to believe. "Fire Release can be this powerful?"

"Weren't these Iwa-nin of the jōnin level?"

Nagato closely examined the battlefield, sensing the lingering chakra from the Fire Release. "It might not have been just Fire Release—there are signs of Wind Release as well. It was a combination of Fire and Wind."

Yahiko mused, "Is it a Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai? I remember a powerful shinobi from the Sand Village with such abilities."

Nagato shook his head. "No, if it were Scorch Release, we wouldn't find traces of Wind Release."

"This could be someone from Konoha."

"Konoha, huh..." Yahiko sighed, then smiled. "No wonder, the village of Jiraiya-sensei."

At that moment, Nagato suddenly warned, "Someone's coming!"

"Nagato, Konan, retreat!" Yahiko ordered.

The three of them vanished in an instant.

Soon after, waves of shinobi arrived at the battlefield, surveying the area before quickly moving on.

At the border of the Land of Fire.

When Shūichi woke up, the sky was already bright.

He took over the watch from Shinnosuke and Chihiro, remaining on alert himself, while his shadow clone went to search for food.

By mid-morning, a spread of fragrant roasted rabbit and fish soup was laid out in front of Shinnosuke and Chihiro.

Chihiro couldn't help but laugh, "This must be the happiest moment!"

Shinnosuke nodded in agreement.

With the roasted meat and fish soup in their stomachs, their exhaustion vanished.

"By the way, Shūichi, your Fire and Wind release techniques have reached such a level—are you planning to explore the fusion of the two chakra natures next?" Chihiro asked.

Shūichi nodded. "That's what I have in mind."

"If I can master Scorch Release, it'll make controlling the Scorch Release Chakra Mode easier, and its power will be even greater."

"Of course, that's just one specialized path. I'll be developing in other directions too."

Shinnosuke chuckled, "There are seven chakra nature transformations in total, and you've already mastered them all, haven't you?"

Chihiro was surprised. She hadn't noticed this before.

Shūichi admitted with a nod, "Yes, in terms of chakra nature transformation, I've already mastered all of them."

Chihiro exclaimed, "What… mastering all seven chakra natures at the age of 10?"

"I remember you were born with two affinities, Shūichi. You're truly in a league of your own."

Shūichi smiled and replied, "But Captain, you've mastered six yourself!"

He had never seen Shinnosuke use any Yang Release techniques.

Moreover, counting from when he started training at age five, it had already been four years by last year.

Nagato had mastered six transformations in just three years.

Indeed, only prodigies can be compared to other prodigies.

Shinnosuke, hearing Shūichi's words, smiled wryly and shook his head. "Shūichi, at your age, I wasn't nearly this impressive."

Chihiro added, "I don't think anyone your age could compare to you, Shūichi."

Shinnosuke nodded in deep agreement.

Even Namikaze Minato, hailed as a genius, while impressive at that age—having rescued Uzumaki Kushina from the hands of the Cloud ninja—still hadn't reached Shūichi's level.

After some idle chatter, the three of them set off. By the time they returned to Konoha, it was already around 2 p.m.

Shūichi and Chihiro headed to the changing room, while Shinnosuke went to the Hokage's office to report on the mission to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Particularly regarding the final battle, Shinnosuke gave a detailed report.

Sarutobi Hiruzen listened attentively, smoking more and more quickly as his surprise and joy grew.

When Shinnosuke finished, Hiruzen couldn't help but remark, "To have reached this level so quickly?"

"An astonishing talent, truly surpassing even Minato!"

Shinnosuke nodded and said, "Based on this battle's evaluation, I believe Shūichi's strength is now comparable to the Sannin or even elite Jonin like Sakumo-senpai."

"And given his age, along with his self-discipline, hard work, and talent, it's clear he has immense potential for future growth."

"Moreover, Shūichi has mastered all seven chakra nature transformations. When he asked me for advice on Earth, Water, and Lightning Release, his ability to comprehend them was exceptional. I think it's only a matter of time before he becomes a true all-rounder."

"Not only that, he's also been learning sealing techniques from Minato and Kushina, and he's said to be highly talented in that area as well..."

"I believe that in the future, Shūichi will become someone just like you, Father!"

That was high praise indeed.

Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in agreement. He even thought of something Shinnosuke hadn't mentioned.

That was Shūichi's sharp political instincts.

Looking at it this way, Shūichi was shaping up to be a perfectly suitable candidate to inherit the title of Hokage.

However, given Shūichi's age, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that such considerations were matters for the next generation of Hokage.

...

Root Headquarters

While Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to Shinnosuke's report, Danzo was also reviewing intelligence sent back from the Land of Rain.

Twelve Iwa-nin, including two full Jonin squads, were all dead.

"Fire Release, Wind Release... could it be Shūichi Hoshita?" Danzo's eyes gleamed.

He was well aware of Shinnosuke's abilities—nearly a replica of a young Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But based on the battlefield report, the style didn't match Shinnosuke's.

"The growth is astonishing, just like Namikaze Minato in his prime…" Danzo felt a twinge of concern.

He realized that he couldn't easily control this cunning youngster.

"If that's the case, I'll have to form an alliance with him, like I did with Orochimaru, through mutual interests."

Danzo made his decision.

If Shūichi were willing to join his side, not only would he have access to various forbidden techniques from the Scroll of Seals, but Danzo would even be willing to share some of the current results from the Wood Release research.

However, if the boy insisted on opposing him and threatened Konoha's stability, Danzo wouldn't hesitate to destroy him.

---

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office

Ōnoki looked at the intelligence report before him, his expression grim.

Twelve elite ninja, including two Jonin squads, were wiped out.

And it was done by only three opponents!

"Are we sure it's the same Konoha ninja who attacked Rōshi last time?" Ōnoki asked, lifting his head.

Kitsuchi nodded. "We can confirm it. Chakra sensing is more reliable than facial recognition, unless the enemy can alter their chakra signature."

Ōnoki snorted softly. "Fire Release, Wind Release... and seemingly young."

"Activate our spies in Konoha. Find this guy, and then..."

"Post a bounty. Ten million… no, thirty million!"

Kitsuchi nodded immediately and left to make the arrangements.

---

Kumogakure, Raikage's Office

After swiftly reading through the intelligence, the Third Raikage turned to Dodai. "Are we sure it's the same brat who forced the AB Duo to retreat in embarrassment?"

Dodai nodded. "According to the reports from the Land of Rain, it's almost certain."

"In Konoha, there's only one person with such Fire Release skills who also belongs to the ANBU. It can't be anyone else."

The Third Raikage smirked. "Ōnoki really took a hard hit this time, but..."

He glanced at the intelligence on his desk. "Someone this young must already have a reputation as a genius in Konoha, right?"

"Can we confirm his identity?"

Dodai replied, "Based on our analysis, he's most likely Konoha's youngest Chunin, Shūichi Hoshita."

"He graduated at six and became a Chunin that same year. He was a subordinate of Konoha's Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato."

"But current intelligence suggests that Minato's team consists of three other individuals, so it's likely that Shūichi has been moved to Konoha's ANBU."

"Given Konoha's traditions, this is entirely reasonable."

The Third Raikage slammed his desk and roared, "In that case, let's mobilize our forces and eliminate this brat!"

Dodai quickly interjected, "Raikage-sama, with all due respect."

"Judging by the strength Shūichi has displayed, unless we mount a large-scale assault, only you personally could guarantee his death."

"We need to treat him the same way we treated Konoha's White Fang; otherwise, we'll end up like Iwagakure, wasting resources and manpower for nothing."

The Third Raikage snorted. "You give him too much credit!"

Despite his words, he heeded Dodai's advice and asked, "So what's your suggestion?"

Dodai responded immediately, "Sell this intelligence to Iwa-nin. I'm sure they'll be eager for revenge."

Although the Third Raikage disliked such indirect approaches, he nodded. "Fine, let's do that!"

...

In Konoha, Shūichi Hoshita, having just left the ANBU headquarters, had no idea that he was already being discussed by both the Tsuchikage and Raikage.

After heading home to freshen up, he went to the Akimichi family's noodle shop for a bowl of udon, then made his way to Konoha Hospital to visit Shizune and the others.

He hadn't seen them for over half a month and missed them quite a bit.

However, when he arrived at the hospital, he saw Rin Nohara and Shizune together with Nonō Yakushi.

After exchanging greetings, he couldn't help but ask, "Rin, are you on a break?"

Rin nodded with a smile, "Minato Sensei and Kushina-san are preparing for their wedding. They said they're waiting for you to come back to finalize the date!"

Shūichi was pleasantly surprised, "Looks like I came back just in time."

"Well, I won't bother you all. I'll head over to Minato Sensei's place."

Waving goodbye, Shūichi left Konoha Hospital and made his way to Minato's house.

It was Kushina Uzumaki who opened the door, and she was overjoyed to see him. "We were just talking about you! Haha, you've come back right on cue. Come in!"

Inside, Shūichi found Minato busy decorating the house, so he quickly went over to help.

Not long after, Kakashi and Obito Uchiha also showed up, carrying supplies.

It turned out that Kushina had sent them out to buy things for the wedding.

Under Kushina's hands-on direction, the four of them spent the whole afternoon setting up the house, giving it a proper wedding atmosphere.

After inspecting the place, Kushina nodded in satisfaction, "This will do!"

Then, turning to Minato, she said, "Since Shūichi and Jiraiya-sensei are both back in the village, let's set the date for the day after tomorrow!"

Minato smiled and nodded, "No problem. The day after tomorrow it is!"

On April 24th, in the 43rd year of Konoha, this would be the wedding day of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

Shūichi and the others immediately offered their congratulations.

Kushina grinned and added, "Make sure you don't forget to bring us a wedding gift, or else…"

She raised her fist in a playful threat.

Obito couldn't help but complain, "Who asks for gifts so directly?"

In the next instant, he received a punch from Kushina. "You're not allowed to talk back to your future sensei's wife!"

Obito clutched his head, wailing in pain, while Kakashi shot him a disdainful look.

Shūichi chuckled at the scene, then turned to Minato and asked, "Sensei, are you expecting a lot of people at the wedding?"

Minato smiled, "Not too many."

"Kushina and I don't have many relatives, so apart from you all, it'll just be a few close friends."

"Oh, and we've invited the Third Hokage to be our officiant."

Shūichi was a bit surprised at first, but then realized it made sense.

Though Minato's reputation as the Yellow Flash was already spreading throughout the ninja world, he wasn't yet the future Fourth Hokage who would turn the tides of war.

But whether there were many guests or not didn't matter—happiness wouldn't be diminished by the size of the crowd.

So after hearing this, Shūichi smiled and said, "Looks like it won't be too exhausting for me, then!"

Kushina immediately grabbed Shūichi by the neck, laughing, "What, Shūichi, are you planning to slack off?"

…

After having dinner at Minato's house, it was already dusk when Shūichi said goodbye to Kakashi and Obito and made his way to Orochimaru's lab.

On the way, he found himself pondering what to give as a wedding gift.

"Choosing a gift is really a headache!"

Shūichi scratched his head.

He couldn't just give something like kunai or other fancy ninja tools like Tenka had gifted him before—that would be too inauspicious!

After much thought, with no conclusion, he found himself arriving at Orochimaru's lab.

Seeing Shūichi, Orochimaru smiled, "Shūichi-kun, your recent mission caused quite a stir!"

Shūichi paused for a moment, then realized that Root had collected intel from the battlefield. He smiled back, "We had already retreated, but the Iwa-nin chased after us. Orochimaru-sama, I had no choice."

Orochimaru chuckled softly and said, "Danzō seems to have some concerns about you."

Shūichi laughed lightly, "If I don't cooperate with him, he might try to eliminate me?"

Orochimaru neither confirmed nor denied, saying instead, "In fact, the chaos in the Land of Rain aligns with our interests, doesn't it?"

Shūichi, while working, replied, "That's not up to me; it depends on what the Third Hokage thinks."

"The will of the Hokage is our will."

Orochimaru immediately understood.

Shūichi suddenly asked, "Orochimaru-sama, did you know that Minato Sensei is getting married?"

"What do you think I should give as a wedding gift?"

Orochimaru, reminiscing, said, "Minato... no wonder that fool Jiraiya is in the village."

"As for a wedding gift..."

After thinking for a moment, Orochimaru gave a meaningful smile, "Shūichi-kun, I think your idea regarding the Jinchūriki of the tailed beasts would be quite fitting."

Shūichi was momentarily stunned.

...

After finishing his work in the lab, Shūichi returned home, washed up, and lay on his bed, contemplating Orochimaru's suggestion.

Perhaps Orochimaru knew that he knew Kushina Uzumaki was the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.

Or maybe Orochimaru was subtly reminding him of it.

Shūichi leaned toward the latter.

In fact, it had to be the latter.

"It's actually a good suggestion, but it's still just a theory—it hasn't been tested."

"Unless I test it myself right now..."

Shūichi frowned.

If he could help Kushina tame the Nine-Tails' power, it would indeed be a great feat.

Even if she couldn't become a perfect Jinchūriki, if she could control the Nine-Tails' power and form the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, it would be astounding.

Moreover, when it came to sealing techniques, Minato-sensei hadn't taught him much. Most of what he learned had come from Kushina Uzumaki.

The Five Elements Seal, the Evil Sealing Method, Contract Seals, and even their joint research into the Reaper Death Seal...

"There are some things I can't change no matter what, but there are others I can..."

Having made up his mind, Shūichi couldn't help but think of Orochimaru, feeling a bit impressed: "As expected of Snake bastard, he truly understands people's hearts!"

Now, Shūichi was sure that Orochimaru didn't know he knew about Kushina being the Jinchūriki; the earlier conversation was purely a reminder.

One of Orochimaru's goals was likely to push him into conducting human experiments.

Sitting up, Shūichi dressed, tidied himself up, left a shadow clone behind, and carefully opened the window before leaping out.

He returned to Orochimaru's lab, where he retrieved a large piece of preserved flesh from the Four-Tails, sealed it into a scroll, and took it with him.

After he left, Orochimaru appeared from the shadows, chuckling softly, "I knew I wasn't wrong about him!"

"Now, it's just a matter of waiting... how exciting!"

...

On the other side, after leaving Orochimaru's lab, Shūichi arrived at a area near the Forest of Death.

There, he found an open space and took out sealing tags, attaching them to kunai and embedding them into the ground.

With a thought, a faint purple chakra glow erupted from the tags, forming a dome-like barrier that enveloped the entire clearing.

Shūichi, now well-versed in sealing techniques and curse marks, effortlessly set up the barrier.

Once it was ready, Shūichi opened the scroll and unsealed the piece of flesh that had fallen from the Four-Tails' tail.

Holding the head-sized chunk of meat in his hands, Shūichi frowned, "Should I sprinkle some cumin on this?"

"Grilling it might ruin the effects, right?"

"But the Tag System didn't say it has to be eaten raw..."

If not for the system, Shūichi would've preferred to cultivate the Four-Tails' cells, like Orochimaru, and grow a tail of the Four-Tails to seal inside himself, using it as a chakra battery.

Gritting his teeth, Shūichi closed his eyes and bit into the flesh.

No risks taken, no rewards gained!

No craziness lived, no craziness attained!

No perversion dared, no perversion achieved!

Shūichi Hoshita, eyes closed, bit into the meat, chewing a couple of times before swallowing—devouring it ravenously.

Anyone unaware might think what he was eating was some kind of delicacy.

Before long, the head-sized chunk of Four-Tails meat was completely finished by Shūichi.

Wiping his mouth, Shūichi was puzzled, "There doesn't seem to be any reac—hmm?"

"It's happening!"

His expression shifted as he felt heat rise in his stomach, followed by gurgling sounds, and then a surge of powerful and malevolent chakra.

"So strong!"

Shūichi was startled. The chakra of the Four-Tails wasn't just abundant; in terms of pure quality, it surpassed his own.

To put it simply, even with the same Fire Release technique and the same amount of chakra, the Fire Release cast using the Four-Tails' chakra would be much stronger than his own!

As the vast amounts of the Four-Tails' chakra began to flow through his body, Shūichi realized that just from this chunk of flesh alone, the amount of chakra generated had already surpassed his current physical limits.

In the blink of an eye, starting from his abdomen, crimson chakra rapidly spread across Shūichi's body.

He could clearly feel the Four-Tails' chakra seeping into every one of his cells, carrying with it intense malice and a strong will to invade and conquer.

If his mental fortitude were to collapse, this chakra would quickly take over his body, transforming his cells and causing him to undergo a "Four-Tails Transformation."

"Well now!"

"As expected, fighting against a Tailed Beast's chakra isn't just about physical strength—it's a battle of wills!"

Shūichi's spirit surged with excitement.

The next moment, the Tailed Beast's chakra enveloped his head, bringing with it an even more terrifying wave of malice. Illusions and tempting thoughts flooded his mind.

Then, a mental world unfolded. Shūichi's consciousness found itself standing on the surface of a dark, evil chakra-infested lake.

In that instant, Shūichi focused all his attention.

"Come, embrace me. I can make you stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world!"

Shūichi scoffed, "Sorry, but the last Jinchūriki you had was beaten nearly to death by me!"

Four-Tails: o((⊙﹏⊙))o???

The Four-Tails roared, "That was a weakling who could only use a fraction of my power!"

Shūichi calmly asked, "Then, with all your power, could you make me surpass Hashirama Senju, who sealed the Nine-Tails?"

Four-Tails: o((⊙﹏⊙))o???

Shūichi pressed further, "Could your power make me equal to the Sage of Six Paths?"

"Could you help me defeat Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?"

Four-Tails: (￣△￣;)!!!

Shūichi sneered, "If you can't even do that, what good are you?"

The Four-Tails, enraged, shouted, "I can help you persuade the other Tailed Beasts, and you could gain all of their powers! Then you'd become another Sage of Six Paths!"

Surprisingly, it had some brains?

But Shūichi remained unimpressed. "Can you defeat the Nine-Tails?"

Four-Tails: o((⊙﹏⊙))o???

Shūichi continued, "If you can't even beat the Nine-Tails Fox, how are you going to persuade it?"

"With your words?"

The Four-Tails grew even more furious, its malice surging as it roared, "Don't you want to take down that Danzō, who threatens you?"

"With my power, killing him would be a piece of cake!"

Shūichi shook his head. "I don't need your power to kill him."

"The real question is—can your power help me destroy Konoha?"

The Four-Tails fumed, "Why would you want to destroy Konoha?"

Shūichi looked at it like it was an idiot. "If you don't destroy Konoha, how are you going to kill Danzō?"

The Four-Tails snorted, "You find an opportunity to secretly kill him and frame Iwagakure's Roshi for it, of course!"

Hah, a little cunning, huh?

But Shūichi grew even more disdainful. "So, you're saying I can't kill him now and have to wait… then what use are you?"

"If I have to wait, I could kill him myself without your help!"

Damn brat!

The Four-Tails growled in frustration, then tried to tempt him, "Don't you want to have control over Nono Yakushi, Asuka, Shizune, and even Tsunade?"

"Or perhaps, Pakura from the Sand Village…"

"As long as you wield my power, you can use it to erode their wills and control them."

Shūichi was surprised, "You have illusion abilities too?"

The Four-Tails was about to lose it. "It's not illusions, it's chakra erosion! I can control them through my chakra!"

Shūichi, still unimpressed, retorted, "Then what do I need you for?"

"Can't I just use Genjutsu to control them myself?"

"If you're the one controlling them... am I playing with you, or with them?"

Shaking his head, Shūichi concluded, "Four-Tails will always just be Four-Tails—you're too weak!"

"Brat!"

"You damn brat!"

"I'm going to tear you apart!"

In the mental realm, the Four-Tails roared furiously, unleashing a massive surge of malice that rushed toward Shūichi like a tidal wave.

In an instant, Shūichi entered his Fire Release Chakra Mode, drawing the Totsuka Blade and slashing in one smooth motion. The blue sword light instantly cleaved the wave of malice in two.

"Four-Tails, your power is far too weak."

"At best, you're worth just one tail..."

Leaping into the air, Shūichi sheathed his sword, and in his right hand, a massive glowing disc appeared. It rapidly expanded, creating a deafening sound as it cut through the air.

Wind-Fire Rasenshuriken!

"You're only worth one tail, so why are you acting up?"

With that, Shūichi hurled the Rasenshuriken at the Four-Tails.

The Four-Tails swung its lone tail, roaring angrily, "Don't underestimate me!"

However, even though it opened its mouth, it couldn't form a Tailed Beast Bomb.

BOOM!!!

The Rasenshuriken struck the Four-Tails precisely, slicing through its body. The expanding light sphere completely engulfed the beast, and soon it couldn't withstand the overwhelming power. Its body disintegrated, turning into a massive surge of Tailed Beast chakra.

At that moment, surrounded by the crimson chakra, Shūichi opened his eyes, clapped his hands together, and said, "Seal!"

Under his clothes, at the position of his abdomen, the markings of the Eight Trigrams Seal appeared, spinning like a vortex. The seal fully opened and then swiftly closed again, drawing in the Tailed Beast chakra from Shūichi's body and pulling it into the Eight Trigrams Seal.

Next, this Tailed Beast chakra flowed into the Yin Seal that was shielded by the Eight Trigrams Seal.

As all the Tailed Beast chakra converged, a miniature version of the Four-Tails reformed, floating in the lake of chakra stored within Shūichi's Yin Seal.

On the outside, the Four-Tails was now trapped within the prison created by the Eight Trigrams Seal.

BOOM!

The lake exploded as the Four-Tails roared in defiance, attempting to break free from the seal.

But in the next instant, within the lake of the Yin Seal, five different types of chakra appeared, forming chains that bound the raging Four-Tails.

With a thud, the Four-Tails fell back into the lake.

Five-Element Seal!

This was a sealing technique using the five elements—wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning—designed to disrupt an enemy's chakra and prevent them from using it.

This particular seal had been taught to Shūichi by Kushina Uzumaki.

Once sealed, the Four-Tails, now reduced to a mere One-Tail state, could no longer exert its chakra. It could only sit in the lake, watching as its power slowly merged into the lake beneath it, becoming Shūichi's own strength.

"You little brat… You even know sealing techniques…" the Four-Tails muttered, glaring at Shūichi outside the prison before grudgingly closing its eyes to rest.

After all, it couldn't win anyway...

Outside.

Shūichi lowered his hands, releasing his intense focus. "Is that it?"

"Seems kinda weak!"

"Then again, it's just the power from a chunk of meat."

Shūichi carefully observed the situation, and then discovered that the source of the Tailed Beast's power was actually natural energy.

"A Tailed Beast is a collection of chakra, and even after their Jinchūriki dies, they will eventually resurrect after some time."

"If a person dies, their body decays and their soul goes to the Pure Land."

"But Tailed Beasts are different. Their souls wander the world of the living, absorbing natural energy to manifest again."

"That's why even a small piece of flesh can contain such a massive amount of chakra."

"For Tailed Beasts, it's not their bodies that limit them—it's their spirit!"

Shūichi's expression became serious. "The reason the Four-Tails' power is only at the One-Tail level is because the spiritual will contained in the chunk of meat I ate can only control that much power."

"Even the Sage of Six Paths, who's long dead, is essentially in the same state as the Tailed Beasts—his soul free to roam, capable of absorbing natural energy through Sage Arts."

"Though the Sage of Six Paths has died, in a way, he's freed himself from the limitations of his physical body..."

Undoubtedly, Shūichi had come to a shocking realization by studying the Tailed Beasts.

If anyone was the ultimate survivor, it was the Sage of Six Paths!

Shūichi couldn't help but marvel at the thought, then turned his attention back to himself. "Looks like I've underestimated myself..."

"My mental willpower is much stronger than I expected."

"It's not just the Tag System that has enhanced my will and body—my long-term self-discipline has also forged a powerful spirit."

"Plus, there's my ability to focus..."

After some thought, Shūichi had formulated a plan in his mind.

The Four-Tails' chakra in its One-Tail state was at best like a small backup battery—it wasn't nearly enough.

He needed to further cultivate the Four-Tails' cells, similar to how Orochimaru cultivated the Eight-Tails, eventually growing a complete Four-Tails' tail.

When the time came to eliminate one tail, it would likely increase the chakra capacity of the mini Four-Tails within him.

The same applied to the Eight-Tails as well...

"Moreover, I can now use the Four-Tails' chakra to gain insight into Lava Release..."

Shūichi Hoshita smiled as he stood up, dismantled the barrier, and headed home.

He couldn't let Yakushi Nono and the others find out.

Humming a little tune, Shūichi happily returned home, dispelled his Shadow Clones, and went to sleep.

The next day, after completing his usual morning training and breakfast, Shūichi went to his study, took out a blank scroll, and began writing.

Since he had already tested his theory, his previous assumptions could now be considered as "truth."

However, he couldn't hand this over to Kushina Uzumaki directly.

That would be a huge mistake!

So, after finishing his writing, Shūichi first sought out Sarutobi Shinnosuke, asking him to arrange a meeting with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Inside the Hokage's office, upon hearing Shin'nosuke's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes sharpened. "Let Shūichi in!"

"Yes!"

Shinnosuke obeyed immediately.

A moment later, Shūichi entered alone, handing the scroll he had prepared to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen unfurled the scroll, his expression turning serious.

The title read: Theories on Tailed Beast Chakra and Experiments with the Four-Tails' Chakra.

Hiruzen took a deep drag on his pipe and continued reading.

What he saw next wasn't the theory itself but references to chakra theory.

The scroll began by citing theories from the ninja academy textbooks, with detailed footnotes providing sources for each reference.

Then came explanations and insights on chakra theory from various individuals.

The list included Yakushi Nono, Tsunade, Minato, Kushina, Orochimaru, Shinnosuke, Shisui, Sakumo, and Kakashi...

Hiruzen couldn't help but take another deep puff of smoke.

The format... was rather unique.

The content that followed made Hiruzen's eyes narrow.

It discussed the decisive role that mental willpower played in subduing Tailed Beast chakra.

Further on was the experiment Shūichi had conducted on himself, successfully proving his own theory.

Although it was just one experiment with a single success...

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a surprising sense of conviction in the report.

However...

"Orochimaru, that guy..."

Even without thinking too deeply, Hiruzen could guess that Orochimaru must have used Minato and Kushina's wedding as an opportunity to leak the secret of Kushina being the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki to Shūichi, luring him into experimenting on himself.

Hiruzen slowly raised his head, looking warmly at Shūichi. "So, Shūichi, did you learn about the Nine-Tails from Orochimaru?"

Shūichi went along with it. "Yes, Lord Third Hokage!"

Hiruzen sighed, "Though you succeeded, it was extremely dangerous to do this alone."

The result was satisfactory, but the method needed discussion.

Shūichi immediately understood. "Don't worry, Lord Third Hokage. Next time I conduct an experiment, I'll make sure to involve Minato-sensei, Lady Tsunade, or even Jiraiya-sama."

Hiruzen was momentarily speechless.

That wasn't exactly what he meant!

But then again, the allure of the Nine-Tails was difficult to resist, even for Hiruzen himself.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to the research on Hashirama's cells back in the day.

Back then, Konoha had suffered heavy losses, which is why the order was given to seal away this research.

However, now that there was a successful case—a perfect Jinchūriki... no, even just a Jinchūriki like Roshi of Iwagakure, who could control part of the Nine-Tails' power—Hiruzen would be satisfied with that.

So, instead of stopping Shūichi, Hiruzen cautiously advised, "Be careful, don't push yourself too hard. Your safety is the most important thing."

Shūichi readily agreed, "Yes, Lord Third Hokage!"

Hiruzen nodded, closed the scroll, and handed it back to Shūichi with a smile. "Is this meant to be a wedding gift for Minato and Kushina?"

Shūichi took it with a grin. "Yes, I thought it might be a bit unique!"

"Hmm... it certainly is unique."

Hiruzen said, "In that case, you should go give it to Minato."

Shūichi bowed respectfully and left.

After leaving the Hokage building, Shūichi headed straight to his teacher, Minato Namikaze's house.

Normally, a wedding gift should be given the next day.

But this one was special, and naturally, he needed to let Minato see it first.

Minato, who had been pulled aside by Shūichi, looked curious. "Shūichi, what's so secretive?"

Shūichi simply pulled out the scroll.

Minato took it with a smile, asking, "A newly developed jutsu?"

"What kind?"

Shūichi remained mysterious and smiled without saying anything.

Minato chuckled as he opened the scroll, but soon, his expression turned serious.

When he saw the experimental section, his eyes widened with emotion. "Shūichi, you..."

Shūichi smiled. "The power of the Four-Tails is not as overwhelming as one might think, or rather, it's just a portion of its power."

Even so, having witnessed the terrifying and malevolent power of a Tailed Beast, Minato was deeply moved. "Thank you, Shūichi!"

Shūichi smiled and said, "I'll leave this gift with you, Sensei. I've also obtained some of the Eight-Tails' cells from Orochimaru-sama, and I'm currently researching them."

"No need to rush with Kushina-san. After all, among the Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails is likely the strongest."

Minato nodded gravely. "That's true."

He had personally experienced the power of the Nine-Tails, and it had been the only time he had ever suffered serious injury.

He then cautioned, "The Eight-Tails' power should be even stronger than the Four-Tails', Shūichi. Be cautious."

Shūichi nodded. "Don't worry, Sensei. Next time, I'll make sure to have you all by my side."

Minato nodded, feeling reassured.

...

After leaving Minato's home, Shūichi went to Orochimaru's lab.

When Orochimaru saw him, he immediately smiled. "Congratulations, Shūichi-kun, for proving your theory!"

Shūichi grinned. "Maybe it has something to do with my physique as well."

"It's still just an isolated case for now."

Orochimaru chuckled. "That may be so, but I have great confidence in you, Shūichi-kun."

Hearing this, Shūichi asked in return, "Does that mean you plan to do the same, Orochimaru-sama? Or... are you willing to let me try out the horn of the Eight-Tails?"

He had originally intended to cultivate the horn himself, but it seemed he might not need to waste so much time. Orochimaru's horn had already grown significantly.

Orochimaru laughed. "If you need it, Shūichi-kun, of course, there's no problem."

"As long as I keep a sample, I can continue to research it."

To him, giving up a piece of the Eight-Tails' horn wasn't a big deal—just a matter of time and money.

But compared to the certainty of results, it was nothing.

Hearing this, Shūichi pondered for a moment, then smiled. "Then I thank you, Orochimaru-sama."

"However, we should wait a bit longer for the experiment with the Eight-Tails, and it would be best if it's more fully developed."

Orochimaru nodded. "Of course, that's no problem."

"So, will you continue your experiments with the Four-Tails?"

Shūichi nodded and revealed, "The upper limit of Tailed Beast chakra depends on the control of its mental consciousness."

"The consciousness stored in a piece of flesh is limited; compared to the original body, it's far too weak."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. "Is that so?"

"Shūichi-kun, you never fail to surprise."

"I didn't expect that the chakra of a Tailed Beast isn't limited by its physical form, unlike humans."

Shūichi had gained a bit of an omniscient perspective, but Orochimaru's understanding came solely from his research.

April 24, Year 43 of Konoha.

Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki officially got married.

Although the wedding wasn't grand and didn't have many guests, those who attended were all heavyweights, and the atmosphere was lively.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, acted as the officiant.

The Legendary Sannin were all present, along with Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, Sakumo Hatake, the head of the Shimura clan, and Minato's close friends from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

Seeing these people gathered, Shūichi could faintly sense something brewing.

But… Jiraiya was just too unreliable.

He even sent a shadow clone to take over for the busy Shūichi, dragging him off to a corner to beg for "research material."

Shūichi's face darkened. As a model student, how could he engage in such behavior?

What if they were discovered?

Although he wanted to become famous in the ninja world, definitely not through "Sexy Justu" like this.

So, Shūichi firmly rejected Jiraiya but promised they could study something else together another time.

...

In the afternoon, after seeing off the guests, Shūichi, Kakashi, Shisui, and Obito all felt exhausted.

"I didn't expect a wedding to be so troublesome," Obito grumbled. "It would be nice if we could skip this step in the future."

Kakashi immediately retorted, "You can always skip getting married!"

Obito panicked and quickly glanced at Rin Nohara, who was still busy nearby.

Shisui smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Obito. When it's your turn to get married, it'll be others doing all the hard work."

"Look at Minato Sensei; he's extremely happy right now!"

The group turned to look and saw Minato wearing a blissful smile, even though his ear was being tugged by Kushina.

Shūichi couldn't help but mentally comment: I've had enough of this lovey-dovey display today.

Obito, on the other hand, muttered, "Kushina-san is way too violent. Rin is much gentler."

He couldn't resist sneaking another glance at Rin, his face breaking into a shy smile.

Noticing this, Shūichi playfully teased, "Obito, do you have a crush on someone?"

Obito jumped in shock, practically leaping into the air as he frantically denied it, "No! Shūichi, don't say such things!"

Shūichi grinned, "If you do, don't let the chance slip by. Be brave and confess your feelings."

"Look at Asuma; he already made his move on Kurenai!"

Kakashi chimed in dryly, "Shūichi, isn't Shizune the one you like?"

Flustered, Obito found his escape. "Yeah, Kakashi's right! Shūichi, are you and Shizune already together?"

Shūichi spread his hands. "I never denied it, did I?"

So arrogant!

Obito turned red with frustration.

With a sly smile, Shūichi suggested, "Obito, how about we have a duel? Whoever loses has to confess to the girl they like."

Obito wasn't falling for it. He pouted, "You've already reached Special Jōnin. There's no way I'd win against you!"

Shūichi shifted his gaze to Kakashi. "Then duel Kakashi!"

Obito looked at Kakashi, hesitating but also itching for a challenge.

At that moment, Kushina's voice called out, and everyone turned to see her waving them over.

The conversation abruptly ended.

Destiny at work!

Shūichi sighed inwardly and, along with Kakashi and the others, made their way toward Kushina.

...

That evening, dinner was held at Minato's house. After parting with Kakashi and the others, Shūichi and Asuka strolled home together.

Though it was nighttime, the streets of Konoha's central district remained bustling and lively. The sounds of vendors shouting, children laughing and crying filled the air, creating a vibrant atmosphere of daily life.

Shūichi walked with his hands in his pockets, quietly observing and listening, a faint smile playing on his lips.

This feeling wasn't bad at all.

Meanwhile, Asuka's gaze lingered more on Shūichi than their surroundings.

She couldn't help but feel that there was always a mysterious aura around this young boy, something that unknowingly captivated people.

"Do you have any dreams, Asuka?" Shūichi suddenly asked.

Asuka was taken aback but then smiled. "Of course."

"And that's to live like this, with you and Nonō."

Shūichi raised an eyebrow. "That dream might not be so easy to achieve."

Asuka was startled. "Is it… very difficult?"

Shūichi responded, "Because one day, Asuka will fall for someone else, right?"

Asuka breathed a sigh of relief and laughed. "No way. Don't overthink it, Shūichi!"

Shūichi chuckled but felt more and more the strength of bonds.

Unless someone was utterly heartless, spending time together inevitably formed bonds, feelings, and attachments.

Just like now, this peaceful Konoha... he enjoyed it and didn't want to see it destroyed.

There were also people like Nonō Yakushi, Shizune, Tsunade, Kushina, Minato... each person, like threads, had woven into a net that had captured him.

Shūichi had originally only wanted to live a good life, but now... he wanted more.

"Asuka, you'll have to work hard for your dreams!" Shūichi suddenly said with a smile, then leaped away.

This brief moment of enjoyment was enough; now it was time to continue striving—until… until he stood at the very top!

"Of course! I've always been working hard!"

Asuka clenched her fist, then jumped after him.

...

At night, Asuka and Nonō Yakushi were studying medical ninjutsu in the study, while Shūichi was training with the Lightning Release Body Flicker in the courtyard.

When it comes to the Body Flicker Technique, the most basic version is simply a burst of chakra that propels the user forward at high speed. For most ninjas, this is the standard method, though individuals may have different tricks, and the strength of their chakra determines their speed.

Beyond this basic version, there are also Body Flicker techniques infused with different nature transformations.

Water Body Flicker allows for high-speed movement in watery environments.

Wind Body Flicker, Shūichi only remembered seeing Haku from the Ice Release clan use it, moving as swiftly as the wind.

As for the Lightning Release Body Flicker, the most famous practitioners are undoubtedly the Third Raikage and the future Fourth Raikage of the Cloud Village.

In Lightning Release Chakra Mode, their speed is said to be the fastest in the ninja world.

The only technique faster than that would be space-time jutsu, like the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Even Naruto, when first using the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, couldn't confidently say he was faster than the Fourth Raikage at the time.

This shows that, in terms of raw speed, the Lightning Release Body Flicker has a natural advantage.

Aside from the Cloud Village's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the most typical example of Lightning Body Flicker is the Chidori technique.

The nature transformation of lightning activates the user's cells, increasing their speed, and this counts as a form of Lightning Release Body Flicker.

However, the Chidori Stream is clearly nowhere near the level of the Cloud Village's Lightning Chakra Mode.

Even so, it's still considered an A-rank difficulty technique.

At this moment, Shūichi was surrounded by flickering electricity, moving at high speed through the courtyard, using the Chidori Stream that he had exchanged with Kakashi for.

However, Shūichi didn't plan to make Chidori Stream his primary Lightning Release Body Flicker technique.

Although it's classified as A-rank, for someone like him, who had acquired the [Lightning Release Expert] tag and numerous other traits that enhanced his talent, it posed no challenge.

With superior chakra control, a deep understanding of the human body, a stronger spirit, and sharper mental focus, Shūichi could take the Lightning Release Chakra further, activating his cells at a deeper level.

This required him to gradually probe, test, and allow his body's cells to grow accustomed to the electrical stimulation.

Since different cells have varying thresholds for electrical current, figuring out how to optimize the overall activation of his cells was a slow, methodical process that needed careful experimentation.

The conditions Shūichi possessed simply accelerated this exploration process.

...

Time flew by quickly. Between his training and experiments, the vacation passed in the blink of an eye.

Mission work resumed, but for Shūichi, not much had changed.

Of course, under the guidance of Sarutobi Shinnosuke, his proficiency with Water and Earth Release had indeed improved at a much faster pace.

On May 16, Year 43 of Konoha, while eating lunch, Shinnosuke suddenly said, "Shūichi, I have some bad news for you."

"Huh?"

Shūichi blinked. "Bad news?"

Before Shinnosuke could continue, Chihiro jumped in, "Shūichi, you've been put on a bounty!"

"Huh?"

Shūichi didn't quite grasp it at first. "A bounty?"

"Looks like I've been exposed…"

"From Iwagakure or Kumogakure? How much is the bounty?"

Chihiro held up three fingers. "Thirty million!"

"The bounty was issued by Iwagakure, according to the information."

Shūichi chuckled, "Thirty million? That's not too much."

Shinnosuke shook his head. "That's a significant amount. It's typically reserved for Jōnin or even elite Jōnin."

Shūichi grinned. "If I remember correctly, Captain's bounty is 40 million, right?"

Shinnosuke smiled wryly. His 40 million bounty had a boost due to being the Hokage's son.

Chihiro warned, "Shūichi, from now on, you need to be extra cautious when doing solo missions. There are plenty of bounty hunters out there, including some S-rank criminals who are extremely powerful."

Shinnosuke nodded seriously. "Chihiro's right."

Shūichi nodded as well, his playful tone gone.

He was well aware of bounty hunters, such as the infamous Kakuzu, who had been one of the top bounty hunters before joining the Akatsuki—and even afterward, he still loved collecting heads for money.

Like with Asuma… or Chiriku.

Kakuzu was a dangerous figure, after all, and proficient in all five elemental releases. He was no joke!

...

In the afternoon, Shinnosuke and Chihiro had to leave for their respective matters, leaving Shūichi alone in the Hokage's office.

The memories from the shadow clones training outside suddenly returned, and the Tag Tree in his mind immediately reacted.

Mental manifestation occurred, and Shūichi's form appeared beneath the tag tree.

This was something he had recently discovered, akin to a mental world connected through chakra.

Looking up at the tag tree, the [Water Release Expert] tag had finally met the criteria to be activated.

Activate!

With a thought, the leaves of the tag tree lit up, and the effects of the tag took effect immediately.

Water Release talent increased by 100%, allowing the use of Water Release techniques without hand seals.

"Only one more to gather the Five Release Expert—Earth Release is left…"

Shūichi felt quite eager.

However, even after obtaining the [Ninjutsu Professor] tag, his focus would still primarily be on the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Once he mastered the Flying Thunder God, he would turn his attention back to becoming a master of all five releases.

He wondered if there would be tags stronger than [Ninjutsu Professor] in the future.

As he was contemplating, Shūichi suddenly heard Kakashi's voice from the adjacent room, followed by his teacher, Minato Namikaze.

Shūichi immediately focused.

What's going on?

He faintly heard something about Hatake Sakumo.

Soon, he heard that Minato and Kakashi had left.

"What's happening?"

While pondering, Shūichi heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice: "Flame!"

Shūichi's figure immediately sank into the floor, and he soon emerged in the underground area of the Hokage's office: "Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke gravely: "It has been confirmed that Jōnin Hatake Sakumo, who was on a mission, is missing!"

Shūichi looked up in shock, his expression hidden behind his mask.

Hatake Sakumo missing?

What kind of joke is this?

Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to notice Shūichi's surprise and sighed: "Sakumo was executing a secret mission alone. According to the previous agreement, he was supposed to return to Konoha within half a month, regardless of whether the mission was completed."

"But now it's been a month. The two teams sent out previously—one team lost contact and was later confirmed to have encountered a strong enemy, with all members killed."

"The information we have is from the second team, and based on some details left by the first team, Sakumo likely fell into an ambush, which included a puppeteer!"

Shūichi's gaze sharpened: "Puppeteers… Third Hokage-sama, based on current information, the only puppeteer in the entire ninja world who could pose a threat to Sakumo-senpai is probably Chiyo of Sunagakure."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, his expression solemn: "Sakumo's mission was indeed in the Land of Wind, and that's where he lost contact."

"So, En—this time, we need you to lead a team to the Land of Wind to investigate this matter."

"Besides you, Minato's team will also join."

Shūichi nodded: "Understood!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen then said: "Prepare yourself. They will be waiting for you at the village entrance!"

Shūichi immediately vanished.

...

At the exit of Konoha Village, Shūichi appeared, having removed his long cloak and mask.

He saw his two teammates.

Yūhi Shiwei, who should be the next head of the Yūhi clan.

The other person was unfamiliar to Shūichi, but the distinctive ninja dog indicated that he was from the Inuzuka clan.

Approaching them, Shūichi said: "Hello, I'm Shūichi Hoshita!"

The bespectacled Yūhi Shiwei responded: "Captain, I'm Yūhi Shiwei."

The other person said: "Captain, I'm Inuzuka Kaku!"

"Woof woof!"

The ninja dog following Inuzuka Kaku greeted Shūichi, and Inuzuka Kaku promptly added: "Captain, this is Hoshimaru."

Shūichi looked at the white-furred ninja dog with black spots and greeted it: "Hello, Hoshimaru!"

Then he turned to Minato Namikaze: "Minato Sensei!"

Minato Namikaze nodded: "Let's talk on the way!"

Shūichi complied, and the group of seven set off immediately.

Once they left the village, Shūichi glanced at the somewhat anxious Kakashi and chose not to offer comfort, instead asking Minato: "Minato Sensei, do we have more detailed information?"

"Let me explain,"

Yūhi Shiwei said: "The information we have is from my previous team."

Shūichi turned his attention to Yūhi Shiwei.

Yūhi Shiwei continued: "Due to the terrain in the Land of Wind, we didn't find traces left by Sakumo-senpai. What we found was the battlefield where the first team sent out by the Third Hokage was killed, partly buried by sand."

"Fortunately, they were poisoned, so their bodies were relatively well-preserved, allowing us to gather some information they left before they died, indicating that Sakumo-senpai had encountered an ambush, which included puppeteers."

"But there was no additional information beyond that."

Shūichi considered: "So, the information obtained by the previous team was also very limited."

"Perhaps the battlefield was covered or destroyed by sand, or maybe someone cleaned the site."

Yūhi Shiwei nodded: "We leaned towards such a deduction. The key point is that the information left by the previous team didn't mention whether Sakumo-senpai was dead or if there were any clues about his body."

Uchiha Obito couldn't help but say: "If there's no body, it means Sakumo-senpai is still alive, right?"

"In that case, he must have been captured by the enemy."

Ignoring Uchiha Obito, Shūichi said: "Sand can cover many traces—blood, scents, even bodies."

"If there were no poison, the body wouldn't need to be covered by sand; insects and birds would quickly consume it."

"Given the current situation, Sakumo-senpai is either captured, dead, or injured and escaped, but possibly poisoned or severely wounded, making it impossible to return to Konoha."

Although he listed three scenarios, it was clear to everyone that there were only two possibilities.

Either he was dead or captured!

As for the third scenario of escaping and being poisoned… in the environment of the Land of Wind, after such a long time, the likelihood of death is high.

However, Uchiha Obito, clearly emotional, shouted: "Even if he's dead and his body is consumed by insects and birds, there should still be some traces left!"

Minato Namikaze said sharply: "Obito!"

At this moment, Kakashi suddenly said: "Shūichi, you haven't mentioned one possibility: that the enemy might have taken his body!"

Kakashi's voice trembled a bit as he said the last part.

Shūichi nodded: "If the enemy likely cleaned the battlefield, they might have also taken Sakumo-senpai's body."

"Keep in mind, even a body can be of great intelligence value, especially for a ninja like Sakumo-senpai."

Uchiha Obito looked at Kakashi and said: "A powerful ninja like Sakumo-senpai would require the Sand Village's Kazekage or a large number of elite ninjas to subdue him, right?"

Shūichi pondered seriously: "It's possible that the Third Kazekage personally intervened…"

"The strongest puppeteer in Sunagakure is Chiyo, but given Sakumo-senpai's strength and his fighting style, Chiyo couldn't stop him."

"Obito is right. Either the enemy had a large number of people or there were other strong individuals restricting Sakumo-senpai's speed."

He then looked at Minato Namikaze: "Minato Sensei, there shouldn't be much useful information left if we revisit the site previously investigated by the teams."

Minato Namikaze understood immediately: "So, you suggest we infiltrate Sunagakure?"

Shūichi nodded: "The likelihood of Sunagakure being involved is very high, considering Sakumo-senpai had a significant enmity with them."

"Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law were killed by Sakumo-senpai. They were both powerful Jōnin-level puppeteers."

"Infiltrating Sunagakure seems to be the fastest way to make progress!"

Inuzuka Kaku said: "But it's also the most dangerous way!"

"Even if we enter Sunagakure, the most effective method to verify information would be to target Chiyo or the Third Kazekage, right?"

Minato Namikaze added: "We could also verify indirectly, checking if the Third Kazekage led any team out of the village around half a month ago."

"There should be quite a few people who know this information."

Shūichi nodded and then said: "Then it's decided. We'll split into two teams. Minato Sensei and your team will follow the previous traces, while I will take on the task of infiltrating Sunagakure."

Minato Namikaze quickly said: "I should go instead!"

Shūichi shook his head: "Minato Sensei, your transformation jutsu can't compare to mine, and your genjutsu might not be as effective…"

Minato Namikaze had no choice but to agree.

Infiltrating Sunagakure is not better with more people.

However, Uchiha Obito was stunned by Shūichi's confidence.

Shūichi is incredibly bold, isn't he?

The key point is that Minato Sensei actually agreed!

...

Once the two leaders made their decision, it was set.

That evening, they stayed overnight at the border of the Land of Fire. The next day, after crossing the Land of Rivers and entering the Land of Wind, Shūichi and Minato Namikaze agreed on a rendezvous point, and Shūichi set off alone towards Sunagakure.

Additionally, a flock of crows flew overhead!

This was Shūichi Hoshita's first time truly carrying out a mission alone.

In the Root Division, it might have seemed like he was acting solo, but there were always other Root members in the shadows following him.

But now, it was just him and a flock of crows.

Shūichi was grateful he had brought along his trained crows, or he might have genuinely gotten lost.

The desert was incredibly hard to navigate!

...

Finally, he had arrived!

On the third day, after avoiding several of Sunagakure's outposts, Shūichi finally caught sight of the village.

"What a godforsaken place! How do people even survive here?"

Shūichi spat out a mouthful of sand.

"The Third Ninja World War saw Iwa-nin and Kirigakure both launch attacks on the Land of Wind, right?"

As Shūichi gazed at Sunagakure from a distance, he pondered silently, "It makes sense for Kirigakure, since not all of the southern Land of Wind is desert, but the northern part… I can only assume their goal was to eliminate Sunagakure and secure more missions from the Land of Wind."

After taking a brief rest, Shūichi called his crows down from the sky, giving them water and food, and replenishing their chakra.

More cautiously, Shūichi placed seals on each of the crows, temporarily sealing his chakra within them to prevent detection when they entered Sunagakure.

The seals were set to automatically release after a certain time, at which point the crows could turn into his clones.

This was Shūichi's infiltration plan.

If this plan didn't work, he'd have to resort to using the Toad Flatness Shadow Manipulation Technique to enter a lone Sunagakure ninja's shadow and infiltrate that way—but that would require more time and waiting.

Once everything was prepared, the dozen or so crows flapped their wings and took off, scattering as they flew toward Sunagakure.

Within less than 15 minutes.

By a garbage dump in Sunagakure, the crows gathered and transformed into Shūichi, who then quickly slipped away.

Moments later, Shūichi had transformed into an ordinary Sunagakure villager and blended into the crowd.

Wandering aimlessly, Shūichi discreetly observed the village.

However, he didn't linger in any one place for too long, in order to avoid drawing attention.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Shūichi spotted a familiar figure.

That back… there was no mistaking it!

It was Pakura of the Scorch Release!

But after just a glance, Shūichi quickly averted his eyes.

On the other side, Pakura, who was shopping with her student, felt a strange sensation and turned her head. But all she saw was a moving crowd, with nothing unusual.

Her student, asked curiously, "Sensei, what's wrong?"

Pakura turned back with a smile, "It's nothing."

"Alright, break time's over. Let's resume training!"

...

After a quick sweep of Sunagakure, Shūichi set his sights on the building where the Kazekage's office was located.

His ideal target? One of the secretaries working near the Kazekage.

Such individuals wouldn't be too strong in combat but would likely know the Kazekage's whereabouts.

If that didn't work, he could go after one of the Kazekage's bodyguards, but that would mean he'd have to retreat immediately after taking action.

So, he began.

Shūichi started passing by the Kazekage's building multiple times, using different disguises each time, blending in with different groups of people.

Then, he transformed into a child and played with other kids near the Kazekage's building.

At other times, he transformed into a bird, hopping and flapping around on the rooftops, appearing harmless.

Yes, Shūichi had learned to transform into a bird and fly.

He achieved this by repeatedly dissecting birds with his shadow clones, studying aerodynamics, and improving his Wind Release abilities, which allowed him to finally master the art of flying by jumping off cliffs in bird form.

This breakthrough caused his progress with the [Transformation Master] skill to skyrocket, as mastering bird transformations was half the battle in learning to become any type of bird!

Time passed slowly, and soon it was night.

Shūichi had already scouted his spot, transforming into a tiny insect and hiding in the shadows of a balcony, quietly waiting.

Near midnight, the target finally returned.

Shūichi heard the door open and hopped inside the room.

Steam rose from the bathroom, but Shūichi continued to wait.

Not long after, a woman entered the bedroom, completely naked, stretching lazily before slipping into bed.

Sunagakure—hot during the day, freezing at night.

Without a sound, Shūichi appeared and formed a series of hand seals.

Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!

Just as the woman was about to fall asleep, she suddenly realized she was being bound to the bed by roots. Her eyes snapped open.

"A dream?"

"No, it's genjutsu!"

"There's an intruder!"

This woman wasn't an ordinary person—she was a Special Jōnin and reacted swiftly, but she couldn't break free from the genjutsu.

Meanwhile, Shūichi sat calmly beside her, placing a cold kunai against her slender, pale neck.

"Miss Mami, you wouldn't want to die silently in your own bed, completely naked, would you?"

Shūichi had taken on the appearance of a Sunagakure ninja at this moment.

Mami gritted her teeth, "You... you must be from Konoha, right?"

"I won't betray my village!"

Shūichi chuckled softly, "Smart woman. But women who are too smart often die quickly—and painfully."

Mami snorted coldly, "As a ninja, I've long accepted the idea of death."

Shūichi's kunai slowly moved downward, causing Mami to break out in goosebumps. "I believe in your resolve, but I doubt you want to experience what I'm capable of."

"My methods are quite... unpleasant, but I have a mission to complete."

Mami's body trembled, her face going pale. "You devil!"

Shūichi smiled lightly, "Don't worry, as long as you share some information, I won't harm you."

"And besides, the information I want isn't even that confidential."

"So, tell me—has the Third Kazekage left the village on any missions in the past month? And if so, when?"

Mami blinked, momentarily taken aback. "That's all?"

Shūichi grinned, "Of course. It's simple, right?"

Mami hesitated.

Shūichi's kunai moved lower again.

"You bastard…"

Gritting her teeth, Mami finally began to speak, revealing the Kazekage's recent schedule.

Shūichi listened silently, his brow furrowing.

Unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi, who mostly stayed in the village, the Third Kazekage frequently left Sunagakure. However, he seldom left the Land of Wind and only traveled with his personal guard.

And in the past month, the Kazekage hadn't gone on any missions with Chiyo.

Unless Mami didn't know, or she was lying.

But that seemed unlikely.

After Mami finished recounting the Kazekage's movements for the past month, Shūichi quickly formed another set of hand seals.

Mami's eyes widened in alarm.

Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana!

Feathers began to fall before her eyes, and already trapped in the genjutsu, Mami's eyelids grew heavy as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Shūichi left the bedroom and transformed into a bird, flapping away.

Throughout the entire encounter, Mami's blanket had never been disturbed—everything had been an illusion.

In the dark of night, Shūichi continued his work, targeting several other Sunagakure ninja.

His targets were mostly lower and mid-level ninja, allowing him to indirectly verify the accuracy of Mami's information.

It became clear that Mami hadn't deceived him.

In a shadowy corner, Shūichi, now feeling the toll on his chakra reserves, dispelled his crow clones.

In an instant, dozens of crows fluttered into the night sky.

"Huh? Why are there suddenly so many crows?"

A Sunagakure ninja on patrol was surprised to see the flock of crows take off.

Their squad captain, however, paled. "Something's wrong… Maki, report this immediately! There's a strong chance an intruder has entered the village!"

With that, the captain and his team set off in pursuit of the crows.

Maki hesitated for a moment before jumping off to relay the message.

Before long, the previously silent Sunagakure sprang to life, with Jōnin leading squads to investigate.

...

Outside Sunagakure, Shūichi fed his crows and replenished their chakra after they landed.

As the crows flew off, he looked back at the village. "So, they've discovered me... That was fast."

"But based on the intel I've gathered, my previous suspicions have been disproven. If Inuzuka Kaku's information was correct, the puppeteer who attacked Sakumo Hatake wasn't Chiyo."

"But I still can't confirm if the Kazekage was involved."

"And was there a large-scale assault at that time?"

Seeing the approaching Sand ninja, Shūichi rubbed his chin. "Actually, there's a simple way to get the answer."

Time for a big move!

In some way, Shūichi felt responsible for changing the fate of Sakumo Hatake. Emotionally and rationally, he couldn't accept Sakumo's disappearance or unclear death.

Shūichi didn't know if the White Fang of Konoha had reached Kage-level strength, but he was undoubtedly one of the top elite Jōnin of the village. Even Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, the Sannin of Konoha, respected him.

Though he wasn't the highest authority under Hiruzen Sarutobi, his strength and mission experience placed him at the top among Konoha's Jōnin.

Someone like him could be killed, but it had to be in a way that commanded respect—otherwise, it wouldn't be acceptable.

...

Soon enough, the three Sand ninja who had been tracking Shūichi arrived.

"Hey, who are you?" one called out.

"What are you doing in our village?"

"Surrender now, or we won't show any mercy!" the leader shouted from a distance of about ten meters.

Shūichi took a step forward, and in a flash, he vanished.

"He's fast!"

"Where'd he go?"

The Sand ninja captain looked around, trying to spot Shūichi, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, a thud came from behind them.

Turning around, the captain saw his two subordinates lying on the ground.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as his grip tightened on his kunai, his knuckles turning white, and his throat dry with nervous gulps.

Swish!

Suddenly, Shūichi appeared right in front of the captain, their eyes locking. "I am Shūichi Hoshita from Konoha."

Before the Sand ninja could respond, Shūichi grabbed him by the throat, lifted him, and slammed him into the ground, knocking him out with a single punch.

Three prisoners, captured!

"But this isn't enough..." Shūichi muttered as he applied the Five Elements Seal and Limbs Sealing Jutsu to each of them, securing the three in place. Then he remained on alert, waiting for more reinforcements.

Not long after, another squad of Sand ninja arrived. The leader was clearly a Jōnin, someone more formidable than the previous group.

Shūichi, uninterested in small talk, drew his blade. In an instant, his figure split into three, and the swords in their hands shimmered with blue chakra, the intense heat causing the air around them to warp and distort.

His speed was so great that to the Sand ninja, his three figures seemed not only to leave afterimages but also to bend reality itself.

Modified Dance of the Crescent Moon: Three Raging Suns Dance!

"He's so fast!"