Chapter 123: Amazing Grace

It seems a lot has happened during my absence.

Orochimaru removed his hat, his vertical pupils gazing at the rain-drenched and battered village with a hint of melancholy.

Tsunade, accompanied by Shizune, stepped forward, her face filled with confusion.

She had encountered Orochimaru midway, and although she knew that he had been resurrected and had pledged allegiance to Naruto, she still couldn't entirely let go of the past grievances.

The only reason they managed to coexist peacefully on this journey was because Tsunade had other pressing matters on her mind, leaving little room for conflict. Even so, they had barely exchanged any words along the way.

"Tsunade Grandma, you're here," Naruto, accompanied by Konan, greeted them at the entrance of the village.

Tsunade asked directly, "Naruto, what happened here?"

Naruto replied nonchalantly, "Amegakure was attacked, but the situation has been resolved."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What about casualties? Do you need medical assistance?"

Naruto responded, "No casualties, just some structural damage."

Tsunade was surprised. "An attack of this scale, and no casualties? Could it be—"

Naruto interrupted, "For now, come inside. That person is waiting for you."

Tsunade clenched her fists, her eyes flickering with emotion. Without further questions, she strode into Amegakure.

Shizune, holding Tonton in her arms, followed closely behind, nodding at Naruto in passing.

At the nameless lakeside within Amegakure.

"Huff, huff..." Tsunade stopped in her tracks, panting as her eyes fixed on the weathered figure before her.

Before she could call out, the figure seemed to sense her presence and turned around. His lips moved silently in a greeting, followed by a warm and gentle smile.

Tsunade could no longer restrain herself. Ignoring the mud splashing onto her pants, she ran forward and threw herself into his solid embrace!

The two reunited souls embraced by the rain-drenched lakeside. Though no words were spoken, the silence spoke volumes.

"Thank goodness... Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama..." Shizune, holding Tonton with one hand, wiped her tears with the other.

If there were music to accompany this moment, it would undoubtedly be "White Reflection."

From the distant embankment, Naruto and Orochimaru stood side by side, silently observing the scene, each moved in their own way.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile as he slowly opened an oil-paper umbrella. "Naruto-kun, perhaps we should leave those two alone for now. What do you think?"

Naruto nodded. "I think so too."

The two of them headed toward the research base. This facility was one of Amegakure's key infrastructures. After the battle with Obito, it had undergone a second round of repairs and fortifications. As a result, Madara's recent attack had not affected this location. Of course, a bit of luck was also involved.

"Was it successful?" Naruto asked.

Orochimaru replied, "Mito-sama's cells have been successfully extracted and activated into two samples."

Naruto smiled. Orochimaru never disappoints.

Inside the base.

Orochimaru closed the oil-paper umbrella. "The one who attacked the village was Madara, wasn't it? I can't imagine anyone else causing such destruction under your watch."

Naruto's gaze deepened.

"Yes, Madara escaped from the ocean depths and has gained even greater power. If I hadn't combined the secret techniques of the Five Great Shinobi Villages with the Rinnegan to develop a new combat strategy, I wouldn't have stood a chance against him."

"However, any combat strategy ultimately relies on chakra as its foundation. My current reserves are insufficient to support even stronger techniques. To move forward, I must achieve a fundamental breakthrough!"

"The perfect physique of the Uzumaki Clan and the Wood Release power of Hashirama Senju—these are the keys to that breakthrough!"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Then let us proceed! Everything is ready. Follow me into a brand-new realm!"

This was a power that even the Six Paths-enhanced Naruto of his previous life had never touched!

To truly master Hashirama's cells, one often developed a grotesque second face resembling the First Hokage, a clear sign of incompatibility. This imperfection not only limited the power's completeness but also posed significant risks.

Orochimaru had proposed a solution: harness the true power of the Uzumaki Clan!

Even someone as powerful as Naruto only possessed half of the Uzumaki bloodline.

While his chakra reserves were immense, without borrowing the power of the Tailed Beasts, he couldn't compare to the First Hokage. Moreover, the Uzumaki Clan was unique. While outsiders could transplant Senju cells to gain some of their power, transplanting Uzumaki cells to non-clan members yielded minimal results, usually just enhanced recovery abilities.

Through his research, Orochimaru discovered another unique trait of the Uzumaki bloodline: within the clan, cell transplantation could awaken latent bloodline potential.

Naruto, with his half-Uzumaki lineage, was a prime candidate for this process.

The most perfect Uzumaki bloodline belonged to Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage and the first Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. By obtaining her cells and combining them with Naruto's status as the reincarnation of Asura, the ultimate Uzumaki power could be awakened!

Mito's cells would serve as the catalyst, igniting Naruto's full Uzumaki potential.

Orochimaru's task was straightforward: inject Mito's cellular sample into Naruto's body.

In the depths of the research base.

Orochimaru's fingers pressed steadily on the syringe, injecting the substance until the needle was empty.

In a low, raspy voice, he said, "It's done. Mito-sama's cells have been injected. Now, all we can do is wait..."

"Wait for your Uzumaki bloodline to awaken completely. Once that happens, whether it's Hashirama's cells or any other power, they will all be yours to command!"

Naruto slowly closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting. After this, how should I track down Kabuto? Right, Sakura escaped from Kabuto's hideout. I'll ask her later.

A thousand miles away, in Kabuto's hideout.

In the training room.

After rigorous training, the blazing Amaterasu flames had finally transformed into an armor of fire!

Sasuke Uchiha, his aura blazing, sneered, "Hmph, it works! It works perfectly! Without a doubt, this Blaze Release Chakra Mode can surpass Naruto's purple Lightning Release!"

Watching Sasuke's success, Kabuto should have felt genuinely pleased—if not for the complication of Sakura Haruno.

Kabuto said seriously, "Sasuke, Sakura has already joined Naruto. There's a risk that our location has been compromised. We should relocate before it's too late."

Sasuke replied firmly, "No. I'm done running and hiding! We'll stay right here!"

Kabuto frowned. "But—"

Under Sasuke's intense gaze, Kabuto relented. "Fine, as you wish."

Sasuke glanced at a row of coffins lined up against the wall. "Forget that. Let's move on to combat training!"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Who should we use today? I was thinking of the Third Raikage—"

Sasuke interrupted, "Use Nagato!"

Kabuto hesitated. "That's unwise. Nagato's mastery of the Rinnegan's Six Paths techniques is unparalleled. Even Naruto, with his single Rinnegan, can't match Nagato's expertise!"

"Moreover, after absorbing the Nine-Tails chakra from Kinkaku and Ginkaku during the battle against Might Guy's Eight Gates, Nagato has fully recovered. Even you might not—"

Sasuke cut him off again. "I said, use Nagato!"

"Fine, as you wish."

Kabuto formed a series of hand seals.

Clang!

The second coffin on the right fell open.

Nagato stepped out slowly, his expression blank. Despite having fully recovered his chakra, his legs were still frail.

Kabuto asked, "Should I control him, or should we activate his consciousness?"

Sasuke replied coldly, "Let him act on his own."

"Understood." Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold, white light as a sinister smile appeared on his lips. "Rebellious Sasuke is truly hard to please. Let Nagato go all out. After all, even if he dies, we can revive him with the Outer Path's Naraka Realm. Heh heh heh..."

Sasuke's eyes burned with determination. "Naruto only has a single Rinnegan. If I can defeat Nagato as he is now, defeating Naruto will be child's play!"

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