Chapter 200: New Practice Direction

Following the review of the attack and Tsunade's encounters during the Five Kage Summit, Konoha's senior officials concluded that the "masked man" is likely the true mastermind behind the Akatsuki organization.

Reports from ninjas who engaged the Akatsuki members during the attack confirmed that the masked man had been issuing orders and coordinating their actions. Even after Nagato's death, when the Akatsuki organization was ostensibly defeated, the masked man continued to pursue the organization's goal of collecting tailed beasts and brazenly prepared for war against the Five Great Ninja Villages.

There was no other explanation—he was clearly the puppeteer pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

The possibility that the masked man was acting as Nagato's successor was also rejected by Jiraiya, who had once been Nagato's teacher. Nagato's ideals and goals did not align with the masked man's actions, suggesting Nagato had likely been manipulated as well.

"So, you're telling me we've only now uncovered the true face of the Akatsuki organization?" Darui asked after listening to Kakashi's explanation.

At this, Kurotsuchi raised a question. "If this masked man is the mastermind, do we have any proof that he's really Uchiha Madara?"

Uchiha Madara—the legendary shinobi who once rivaled the First Hokage—was a name that struck fear in all the ninja villages. If this masked man were truly Madara, it meant they would have to devote everything they had to stopping him.

Konoha was undoubtedly the best village to investigate this matter, as it held the most detailed records of Madara's life and legacy.

After a moment of thought, Kakashi replied, "To be honest, we're not certain. The man wears a mask, and his appearance doesn't match the descriptions we have of Madara. There's also no record of Uchiha Madara ever using space-time ninjutsu that allows him to phase through attacks.

"Furthermore, existing records indicate that Madara was defeated and killed by the First Hokage. It's unlikely that he survived until now. However, one thing we do know for certain is that the masked man possesses the Sharingan."

The room fell into a contemplative silence as the group exchanged theories and information.

After a while, seeing that the information exchange was complete, Kakashi concluded, "Alright, now that we've confirmed the critical details about Akatsuki, let's discuss how to arrange personnel for a full-scale search operation."

While Kakashi and the others were strategizing in the Hokage Building, a fierce duel was underway at the training grounds on the outskirts of Konoha.

Boom! Bang bang bang!

Naruto, in Sage Mode, launched a flurry of punches at Kirito, his movements so fast that TenTen, watching from the sidelines, could barely follow them. She could only hear the dull thuds of Naruto's fists striking Kirito.

The power boost from Sage Mode is unbelievable, Kirito thought as he endured the attacks. Naruto actually hurts me now.

For Kirito, ordinary weapons and basic ninjutsu no longer posed a threat. But Naruto, enhanced by Sage Mode, was different.

Snap!

Kirito caught Naruto's fist mid-air, halting his assault. Realizing he was in trouble, Naruto tried to pull away, but Kirito was too fast. Before Naruto could react, Kirito's foot connected with his shoulder, sending him skidding across the grass and carving a trench in the earth.

"Cough!" Naruto groaned as he struggled to stand. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Kirito extending his index finger.

Whoosh!

A small Rasengan appeared on Kirito's fingertip, spinning violently.

Panicked, Naruto began forming a shadow clone to counterattack. But before he could finish, the Rasengan started growing.

Swish!

In the blink of an eye, Naruto found himself staring up at a giant Rasengan, the size of a house, hovering above him. Kirito held it effortlessly with a single finger.

"Hey! Wait—" Naruto shouted, panic-stricken.

Ignoring him, Kirito moved forward and flung the massive Rasengan toward Naruto's position without hesitation.

"Ahhh!!"

With no choice, Naruto gathered all his remaining Sage Chakra to brace for impact.

Snap!

Just as Naruto raised his hands to intercept the colossal Rasengan, it exploded harmlessly into sparkling chakra fragments that dissipated into the air.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion, realizing he wasn't dead.

"Hahaha!"

Kirito burst into laughter, unable to contain himself.

Naruto immediately understood he had been tricked. Furious, he charged at Kirito, shouting, "Damn it, Kirito! You scared me half to death!"

In his mind, that Rasengan had been powerful enough to obliterate the entire training ground. If he hadn't been in Sage Mode, he'd have been done for.

After venting his frustration, Naruto looked at his hands and said, "But my control over natural energy really has improved."

Jiraiya had brought Naruto to the training grounds to practice mastering Sage Mode. By coincidence, Kirito and TenTen were also training there. At Jiraiya's suggestion, Kirito had stepped in as Naruto's sparring partner.

Jiraiya explained that the fastest way to refine Sage Chakra was to apply it in real battles. Since Naruto's Sage Mode made him too powerful for most opponents, Kirito—who was similarly formidable—was the perfect partner. This also allowed Jiraiya to slip away to collect information.

"Naruto, you've gotten so strong!" TenTen said in admiration as she approached.

"Of course!" Naruto puffed out his chest with pride. "But this still isn't enough. I need to get even stronger!"

While Sage Mode granted him incredible power, its greatest weakness was its short duration. Jiraiya had pointed out two possible paths forward: strengthen the power of Sage Mode to end battles quickly, or find another source of strength.

"The next step is to combine the power of the Nine Tails," Kirito guessed.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, placing a hand on his stomach. "The Pervy Sage said he'd help me master the power of the Nine Tails."

(End of this chapter)

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