Bzz!
Arata extended his palm, about to grasp the black sphere.
But in the next moment, his movement suddenly froze. The corner of his eye twitched slightly as he looked toward another direction.
He ran.
Yes, Hiruko had actually run away.
Without the slightest hesitation, he directly used Swift Release and escaped.
If Arata tried to chase him, he really wouldn't be able to catch up.
This was the first time Arata had encountered someone so shameless. As a so-called senior, Hiruko had just finished saying a few threatening words, taken one punch, and immediately activated his bloodline limit to flee in panic.
Even someone as cautious about survival as Orochimaru wouldn't do something like that.
That guy really was a sharp-nosed rat, he fled the moment he sensed even a hint of danger.
"What a pity."
Arata sighed and rubbed his eyes, which were throbbing painfully.
I still wanted to try out my new ability. At the very least, I could've asked Hiruko to pass a greeting to dear Lord Orochimaru.
Thinking this, he raised his head and looked at the panel before him.
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (6.8% → 9.8%)]
[Kekkei Genkai: Tenseigan, Stage Two (22.3% → 30.2%)
Abilities: Mental Puppet, Chakra Beads]
Looking at the 9.8% Ōtsutsuki bloodline, Arata's gaze flickered slightly.
'No wonder Ōtsutsuki Toneri could awaken the Tenseigan so quickly after transplanting pure Byakugan.'
After all, when Uchiha Madara transplanted Hashirama's cells, he had to wait until the end of his life before finally awakening the Rinnegan.
Although Toneri's bloodline was powerful, it still shouldn't have been possible for him to awaken the Tenseigan within just a few days.
Now it seemed very likely that the reason was the giant Tenseigan on the Moon, which contained the ocular power of the entire Ōtsutsuki clan.
Although Arata's connection to that giant Tenseigan had already been cut off, the feedback of its eye power had still greatly accelerated his awakening process.
Toneri likely awakened his Tenseigan through that giant Tenseigan as well.
"Still, Hiruko reminded me of something."
Thinking about the Chimera Technique, Arata pondered silently.
'In theory, since I possess Ōtsutsuki blood, I should be able to awaken other kekkei genkai as well.'
For example, Shikotsumyaku.
Or even, Wood Release.
So what was he missing?
"Just a key."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Arata's mouth.
"The chakra and cells of bloodline-limit users."
As long as the dormant genetic fragments in his body were activated, the purity of his current bloodline should allow him to awaken other kekkei genkai.
And perhaps this could even further complete his Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
After all, Ōtsutsuki Toneri was not the end point of the Ōtsutsuki lineage.
"Arata!"
A serious voice from an ANBU ninja echoed from the distance. They had probably noticed he had fallen behind and come to find him.
Arata snapped out of his thoughts and followed the direction of the voice.
If the ninja world continued maintaining this fragile and false peace, he would have no chance to leave the village and arrange certain plans.
Nor would it be possible to seize bloodline-limit users from other villages.
So, War.
War. War was the necessary prerequisite.
At the same time. After Arata rejoined the group and explained that he had been using the Byakugan to observe the aftermath of the distant battle,
At the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain, a woman in a cave unfurled a summoning scroll.
Poof!
With a burst of smoke that quickly dissipated, the battered figure of Hiruko appeared.
"Lord Hiruko! What happened to you?"
The woman's expression immediately changed as she rushed forward to support him.
But Hiruko raised his hand and slapped her aside.
"Damn it! Damn it! Just a brat from the Hyūga clan…" Hiruko growled bitterly.
Just as he was fuming over his humiliating state, a teasing voice suddenly echoed through the cave.
"Hehe…"
The laugh sounded almost genderless, as if two voices were overlapping.
"Our Lord Hiruko looks quite miserable."
Hiruko suddenly raised his head and looked toward the depths of the cave.
Seeing the shadowy figure approaching with a writhing movement, and smelling that peculiar, pungent scent, an uncontrollable look of disgust appeared on his face.
As someone who frequently experimented on rats and snakes, he knew exactly what that smell was.
When a female snake enters heat, a brown, sticky secretion with a strong odor flows from her cloaca to attract male snakes.
That was exactly what this smell resembled.
"Orochimaru," Hiruko said coldly.
"If you're in heat, then go outside and handle it. Don't disgust people in front of me."
"Heh."
Orochimaru's tone was indifferent.
"Isn't your soul just the same as mine, equally ugly and disgusting?"
.....
10:00 a.m., nearing noon, Hokage's Office
Faint sunlight shone through the half-open window onto the redwood desk, but it was completely blocked by the mountain of documents piled high upon it.
Rustle…
Seated in his chair, Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the files with one hand while skillfully holding a pipe in the other.
"Phew…"
He brought the pipe to his lips. The tobacco inside glowed faintly as he inhaled, releasing thin wisps of white smoke that drifted out through the window.
"Cough! Cough!"
After taking a deep drag, Hiruzen choked slightly and coughed hoarsely.
Yet even after the tickling sensation in his throat faded, he immediately took another puff.
"Cough… Hiruzen, haven't you been smoking too much these past few days?"
Homura Mitokado, sitting on a chair against the wall far from the smoke-filled window, reminded him:
"I know you're under a lot of pressure right now, but you should still take care of your health."
"…"
Hiruzen didn't respond.
He silently lowered his head and continued flipping through the letters delivered yesterday.
In truth, he had already read them hundreds of times.
But he still felt uneasy.
It had been three days since the escort team carrying Hyūga Hizashi's body left Konoha.
Normally, it should take no more than two days to reach the border.
A letter sent by Akimichi Todo via ninja beasts one day earlier had confirmed this.
In the first letter, Todo said the team was already close to their destination.
But in the second letter, he mentioned encountering a group of Iwagakure rogue ninja along the way.
He emphasized that the team was safe and had suffered no losses.
He even praised Arata's ability and character.
Hiruzen was pleased that Arata might one day shoulder great responsibilities.
Yet the sudden appearance of Iwa rogue ninja left him uneasy.
And now, It had already been a full day since the last message.
That was too long.
'Could it be that Iwagakure intends to interfere as well?'
Thinking of this possibility, Hiruzen's expression turned worried as he took another deep drag of his pipe.
Knock! Knock knock!
Just as Homura was about to remind him again to smoke less, Hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat as he looked up.
An ANBU ninja wearing a mask rushed into the office.
"Lord Third! The escort team has returned, but…"
In the ANBU's hand was a scroll stained with blood.
Before he could finish speaking. Hiruzen vanished and instantly reappeared in front of him, snatching the scroll.
He unrolled it and quickly scanned its contents.
His pupils shrank.
His aged face turned pale.
Shock and fury appeared simultaneously on his expression.
"What happened?"
Seeing Hiruzen's hand trembling as he held the scroll, Homura immediately sensed something was wrong and stood up.
"Hiruzen! What happened? Speak!"
"War… war… how could this happen…"
Hiruzen's face turned alternately pale and flushed.
He clutched his chest painfully, his voice hoarse.
"The Fourth Great Ninja War… is coming!"
"What?" Homura froze for a moment before his expression drastically changed.