Chapter 202: Yuto and Katsuyu

Yuto sat on the sea surface, gazing at the large ship shrouded in mist.

Even from a great distance, his eyes could clearly capture the figures of the young boys and girls standing on the deck.

It wasn't until the ship completely disappeared that Yuto finally withdrew his gaze. He then used Reverse Summoning to return to the Shikkotsu Forest.

"You should cut your hair, Yuto-kun," Katsuyu's voice rumbled from deep within the forest.

"Mm," Yuto responded softly, lying down on a clean stone platform and casually removing his Konoha forehead protector, which bore a scratch down its center.

A purple, diamond-shaped mark rested on his forehead—this was the "Strength of a Hundred Seal."

Next to the diamond-shaped mark, four thin green lines crisscrossed—a remnant of the Caged Bird Seal.

Over the past four years, Yuto's mastery of fuinjutsu had grown increasingly profound. He had already sealed most of the cursed seal, leaving only some residual traces. If someone were to activate the Caged Bird Seal now, Yuto wouldn't be driven to madness by the pain; he would have ample time to counterattack.

—That is, if anyone actually tried to activate the cursed seal.

However, even with advanced fuinjutsu, this was the limit of what could be achieved. The Caged Bird Seal, perfected by the Hyuga Clan over a millennium, was famous for a reason—completely eradicating it using conventional means was nearly impossible.

The plan to devour the four great clones remained of paramount importance. This wasn't just to rid himself of the last remnants of the Caged Bird Seal but also to gain power—if he wanted to overturn the rules of this world, he first needed to shatter everything.

"Yuto-kun, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about what you'll do first once you return to the surface, Katsuyu-sama."

"Me? I will... sleep."

"Sleep?" Yuto chuckled. "Katsuyu-sama, you're getting senile. Don't you sleep all the time underground?"

"Yuto-kun, that's losing consciousness out of necessity; it's not sleep." Katsuyu's voice was gentle and kind as she spoke of her small, pitiful dream in a whisper: "True sleep isn't done in a dark, underground place."

"True sleep means being able to open your eyes and see the sun and sky, feeling the wind scented with fresh grass on your skin, rolling around freely, and getting up whenever you want. That's what sleep really is, Yuto-kun."

The long-haired young man chuckled and nodded. "My eyes can already see that day coming."

"Yuto-kun, don't push yourself too hard. Actually, I..."

"Katsuyu-sama, there's no need for pleasantries between us," Yuto interrupted. "I will sever all the futures the Sage of Six Paths saw."

Katsuyu had supported Yuto for many years, acting as a powerful ally. Moreover, after the Crimson Night, Yuto was the only shinobi left who could summon Katsuyu. He had every reason to help her fulfill her long-cherished wish.

—On that night, the jutsu Yuto used to restore his eyes was a secret technique developed by Shikkotsu Forest. Combined with the exposure of the hidden Hyuga bodies on the battlefield over the years, the entire shinobi world knew that Slug Sage had sided with Yuto.

Konoha was helpless against Slug Sage, but they couldn't pretend nothing had happened either. As a result, the "Summoning Blood Contract Scroll" of Shikkotsu Forest was placed on the highest shelf, and the Third Hokage even ordered that no shinobi was allowed to summon Slug Sage.

"My appearance before Shisui and the others will definitely be a big event," Yuto said as he stood up, a sly grin forming on his face. "But during this time, Konoha's attention will be focused on Obito. Given Orochimaru's usual methods, he will likely find a way to hunt Obito down... No matter how I look at it, Obito's death is only beneficial to me. Even if Konoha doesn't take him down, I can use this turmoil to get my hands on the Summoning Blood Contract Scroll."

Freeing Katsuyu from her underground prison required specific conditions to be met. The first step was to obtain the Summoning Blood Contract Scroll from Shikkotsu Forest and erase all names on it except his own.

"Are you planning to storm into Konoha? Don't be rash, Yuto-kun. Konoha currently has two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Two Nine-Tails are indeed troublesome, but don't worry. I won't force my way in if it's unnecessary... I'll just steal it."

"Steal? Yuto-kun, do you know how to slip through Konoha's protective barrier?"

"That is indeed a problem." Yuto rubbed his chin and then suddenly burst out laughing. "I have a rather ridiculous idea..."

…

Five days later, in Konoha Village.

"Danzo's influence is growing more and more," Orochimaru said, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of the Hokage's office. He looked at Minato Namikaze's face on the Hokage Rock, his expression calm. "Sensei, do you need me to cut him down?"

"Don't speak nonsense, Orochimaru. Danzo is also devoted to the village."

"Sensei, you're too lenient with Danzo." The man with golden snake eyes snorted. "Danzo's foundation has already affected the normal functioning of the ANBU. Not to mention, he has repeatedly opposed my decisions in high-level meetings. And on that night four years ago, Danzo hid away somewhere while only the Fourth and you, Sensei, dared to face the powerful enemies..." Orochimaru paused, his voice now openly mocking. "If 'I love Konoha' is a free pass, I might as well carve it into my forehead protector."

"Ha ha ha..." Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't angry. Now nearly sixty, his temper had mellowed with age. "Orochimaru, it's rare to see you act like a child. Can you really not tolerate Danzo?" The old man took a puff from his pipe, tapped it on the desk, and suddenly adopted a stern tone. "You're the one destined to become the Fifth Hokage. You must learn to tolerate your subordinates' shortcomings."

Orochimaru remained silent, not saying another word.

Everyone in the office, the ANBU, the village... even the entire shinobi world knew that Orochimaru was the inevitable choice for the next Hokage.

With Jiraiya crippled and Tsunade having left the village with no word of her return, no one could match Orochimaru in terms of qualifications. To resolve the crisis, Hiruzen Sarutobi had even shifted the blame for the human experiments onto Yuto, "clearing" Orochimaru's name. Having shouldered the responsibility of saving the village during those difficult times, Orochimaru had certainly earned the position.

If Hiruzen didn't pass the title of Hokage to Orochimaru this time, it would be entirely unjustifiable.

As silence filled the room, an ANBU member suddenly appeared, kneeling on one knee and speaking respectfully: "Hokage-sama, Orochimaru-sama, this is an official letter from Amegakure."

Hiruzen Sarutobi made a small sound of surprise as he accepted the letter. After a brief glance, he exclaimed, "The leader of the Akatsuki from Amegakure wishes to visit Konoha..."

Orochimaru was also taken aback by the contents of the letter. But before he could get a closer look, another ANBU member appeared in the office.

"Hokage-sama, Orochimaru-sama, Captain Shisui has returned. He has urgent information to report to both of you privately..." The ANBU hesitated before continuing, "Before reporting, he requested permission to set up a barrier in this office."

(End of Chapter)

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