Chapter 155: A New Mission

In this world, there are a total of nine tailed beasts, each possessing unique abilities.

The Five-Tails is not the strongest among them, but it was chosen precisely because of its special ability.

By becoming a Jinchūriki, one not only gains access to the immense chakra of the tailed beast but also inherits the derived abilities of the beast, commonly known as the "Power of the Sacrifice."

Take the Four-Tails as an example—this beast possesses the power of magma, and anyone who becomes its Jinchūriki will directly gain the ability to manipulate magma.

The Five-Tails, on the other hand, has the ability to emit steam from its body. By implanting this tailed beast into Tōshirō, he would gain direct access to the third Kekkei Genkai, "Boil Release."

This is the power granted by the tailed beasts. Theoretically, Tōshirō could use it to further develop his own Boil Release Kekkei Genkai.

This would accelerate the fusion speed of Kekkei Tōta.

As the years passed, Uchiha Madara could feel his body showing clear signs of decline.

He needed to accelerate his plan.

Enhancing Tōshirō's strength was merely a side task.

His true goal was to implant the tailed beast into Tōshirō and send him into Konoha at the right moment to release the beast, destroy the village, and kill many innocent villagers.

By doing so, Tōshirō would undoubtedly be shunned by the entire village.

At that point, two scenarios could unfold. First, if his lover, Tsunade, distanced herself from him, Tōshirō's personality would take a drastic turn, creating an opening for Madara to manipulate him.

Second, if Tsunade chose to stay by his side, she would become one of the few lights in his life, making Tōshirō cherish her even more.

The cruelty of life lies in giving someone hope, only to crush it.

If the second scenario occurred, Madara would ignite a war among the great villages. As Konoha's elite forces, Tōshirō and Tsunade would undoubtedly be sent to the battlefield. At that moment, if Tsunade were to be killed, the resulting despair would be even more devastating.

Either outcome would achieve Madara's desired result.

Additionally, he had a vague suspicion that the tailed beasts shared a unique connection with the Uchiha clan.

Why is it that only the Sharingan can perfectly subjugate and control the tailed beasts in battle?

In the past, he sought answers on the stone tablet within the Naka Shrine, but its contents were too obscure. The most he could decipher was that combining the powers of the Senju and Uchiha clans could potentially bring one closer to the power of the Sage of the Six Paths.

Legend had it that the Sage of the Six Paths possessed the Rinnegan, so combining the two clans' powers should theoretically lead to the Rinnegan.

Based on the tablet's past revelations, more information could be uncovered as one's ocular powers evolved. Perhaps only by evolving the Sharingan into the Rinnegan could the true relationship between the tailed beasts and the Sharingan be fully understood through the inscriptions on the Naka Shrine's tablet.

——

The next day, Tōshirō woke up, had a simple meal, and headed straight to the hospital. As usual, he frequently visited to check on the recovery of two individuals.

Coincidentally, Sarutobi Hiruzen was there as well.

"Oh, Tōshirō, you're here to visit Orochimaru again…"

Seeing Tōshirō arrive, Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted him with a warm smile.

Out of respect, Tōshirō addressed him as "Hokage-sama."

Afterward, he bypassed Hiruzen and began conversing with Orochimaru while briefly exchanging a few words with Hiruzen as well.

At that moment, Hiruzen changed the subject:

"Tōshirō, do you have any free time lately?"

Tōshirō was momentarily stunned, looking blankly at Hiruzen, unsure of what he meant.

"The thing is, there's a guard mission that needs one more person, and since you're the only one in your squad who's available, I'd like you to take it."

Two members of Orochimaru's squad were incapacitated, and Tsunade had to stay at the hospital to oversee their recovery, leaving Tōshirō seemingly unoccupied.

"Why me?"

Tōshirō pondered, thinking there should be plenty of other candidates in the village besides himself.

"Your strength is exceptional, so I feel more at ease sending you." Hiruzen provided this explanation.

"Aren't you afraid that I might…?"

He trailed off, knowing that Hiruzen was well aware of his usual demeanor.

"I trust that you won't tarnish the reputation of Orochimaru's squad."

Hiruzen, like a wise elder, calmly stated his belief.

"Tch, what a hassle… Fine, I got it."

Tōshirō took a few steps forward when Hiruzen's gentle voice called out from behind:

"From time to time, try interacting more with others in the village. We are all family, after all."

To outsiders, it seemed that Tōshirō, having formed bonds, was beginning to restrain himself, no longer acting recklessly. And that was exactly what Hiruzen had hoped for.

"…I will." His body paused for a moment before he softly replied, then left the room.

Yeah, right...

He thought to himself, hands resting behind his head, just as he bumped into Tsunade, who was on her way to check on Orochimaru and Jiraiya's recovery.

"You're injured?"

Tsunade noticed the bandages wrapped around Tōshirō's right arm and assumed he had been hurt.

"Oh, you mean this?" Tōshirō raised his right hand, waving it around like a kid showing off a new toy. "Looks pretty cool, doesn't it?"

"Tacky…"

Tōshirō glanced down at Tsunade's green skirt, where bandages were wrapped around her legs like leggings.

Noticing his gaze, Tsunade snapped, "What are you looking at?"

"You're the one using bandages as leggings, so what's wrong with me wrapping them around my arm?"

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

As usual, their encounter quickly turned into a bickering match. To outsiders, it was hard to associate them with anything beyond constant squabbles.

"Oh, almost forgot! The Third Hokage assigned me a mission, so I won't be sticking around to mess with you. See ya~"

"Tch, who wants to play with you anyway?"

Tsunade stuck out her tongue in mock annoyance, but as he walked away, a hint of worry flickered across her face.

"Be careful…"

Her right eyelid had been twitching all morning—an omen that the left side meant good fortune, while the right meant bad luck. She could only hope it was just a coincidence.

At the appointed time, Tōshirō entered the Hokage's office, where Sarutobi Hiruzen had been waiting for quite a while.

Aside from him, there was a middle-aged man wearing a Jōnin vest, a Konoha forehead protector, and standing alongside two kids about Tōshirō's age. They were dressed in casual clothing, likely Genin.

The Jōnin recognized Tōshirō instantly. As if realizing something, his eyes widened in shock.

"Hokage-sama, don't tell me Tōshirō is part of this mission?"

The two had history. This Jōnin had once led Tōshirō on a mission, but their differences in opinion led to an argument. He had intended to teach Tōshirō a lesson, only to nearly lose the fight himself. Fortunately, he had managed to subdue Tōshirō in the end—barely avoiding becoming the laughingstock of the Jōnin ranks.

"We're all shinobi of the same village. There's no grudge that can't be resolved," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

He had deliberately arranged this mission to help Tōshirō integrate into the Konoha family.

The Jōnin pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

"Tōshirō, you remember what you promised me, right?" Hiruzen reminded him.

Tōshirō sighed in resignation. "I got it. I'll cooperate on this mission. No repeats of last time."

Hiruzen smiled, clearly pleased, and turned to the still-protesting Jōnin with a look that seemed to say, See? Now you can relax.

Understanding the silent message, the Jōnin turned to Tōshirō and spoke seriously, "This time, don't drag us down like before. The person we're escorting is no ordinary individual, so there's no room for recklessness."

Somewhere within the Land of Fire…

In a public restroom, the air was thick with a foul, putrid stench.

A man in a black trench coat, his face concealed except for a pair of eyes, entered the filthy space.

His pupils were an eerie, oily green, while the whites of his eyes had an unsettling crimson hue. A sinister aura, as if exuding from a corpse, clung to him, seeping from within.

Someone like him clearly wasn't here to use the restroom.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be carrying a corpse over his shoulder—a pale, lifeless body, completely devoid of any sign of life.

(End of Chapter)

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