"Should we go to the Forest of Death? I want to see sensei's Wood Release with my own eyes."
"Now?"
"Mm, now."
Tsunade hesitated for a moment before nodding.
She raised her hand and placed it on Kiyohara's shoulder.
The next moment, the figures of the two disappeared from the street.
The Forest of Death.
Tsunade stood in a relatively open clearing, while Kiyohara leaned against the trunk of a large tree not far away, his arms folded across his chest.
Tsunade took a deep breath and formed a series of hand seals.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.
She slammed her palm against the ground.
The soil beneath her feet cracked open, and several emerald green saplings broke through the earth.
Those saplings grew at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within only a few breaths, they had already grown to more than half a person's height, with tender green bark covering their trunks.
Tsunade straightened up, placed her hands on her hips, and looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction.
"How is it?"
She turned her head toward Kiyohara.
Compared with the technique her grandfather had used back then, the scale of this technique was not even one-thousandth of his. However, for her, it was already an enormous breakthrough.
Just a few months ago, she would never have dared to believe that she could awaken Wood Release.
"Very good."
Kiyohara walked over to her side and looked down at the proud expression on her face.
"As expected of sensei, you really are the best."
Tsunade became somewhat embarrassed by his praise. She raised a hand and tucked the loose strands of hair scattered across her face behind her ear.
"I'm still far behind Grandpa. But in a few more years, I'll definitely be able to use it on a much larger scale…"
"I believe in you."
Kiyohara nodded.
It was quite simple. If she used this technique with the enhancement of Sage Mode, it would definitely become much more powerful.
Moreover, the weakness Tsunade had previously possessed in terms of chakra reserves had already been greatly supplemented.
Learning Sage Mode was only a matter of the next few days.
Kiyohara thought for a moment before pulling Tsunade into his arms.
Tsunade's body immediately softened, and both of her hands instinctively pressed against Kiyohara's chest.
Kiyohara lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Tsunade let out a muffled sound.
Kiyohara's hand slid downward along the curve of Tsunade's waist, his palm supporting her full curves.
Through the thin layer of her robe, he could feel the softness beneath it.
Tsunade's body stiffened slightly, but she soon relaxed again. She even took the initiative to lean closer toward Kiyohara.
"You troublesome disciple… thinking about improper things again."
Tsunade whispered beside Kiyohara's ear.
As she spoke, the faint lingering fragrance of sake accompanied a certain warmth that seemed to radiate from within her body.
Kiyohara did not answer. He simply held her more firmly, narrowing the distance between them until there was none left.
After a long while, Tsunade gently patted the hand Kiyohara had placed against her lower back.
"We should go back."
"I haven't had dinner yet."
"I'll treat sensei to dinner."
Kiyohara spread his hands.
...
A few days later.
Konohagakure, the Hokage's office.
A familiar mechanical female voice sounded in Kiyohara's mind.
[Please retrieve your alternate future self's last will and urn. Make sure to properly take care of their remains.]
Kiyohara put down his calligraphy brush, closed his eyes, and allowed his consciousness to sink deep into his spiritual world.
The new urn was quietly floating in midair. As Kiyohara's consciousness approached it, the lid began to loosen, producing a faint clicking sound.
Kiyohara took a look and discovered that the clan crest on it looked very similar to the crest of the Hyuga clan.
Could this be a future from the Hyuga clan?
Kiyohara felt that would be quite good as well.
He had already experienced a future like this before.
If another layer were added to it, the purity of his Byakugan could be doubled once again, accelerating the formation of the Tenseigan.
Click.
The lid slid open.
A figure slowly emerged from within the urn.
It was a slender man dressed in the white robes of the Hyuga clan, with the Hyuga family crest embroidered on the sleeves and the back.
What surprised Kiyohara the most was that his eyes were not white!
His pupils seemed to be light blue, while the sclera were completely black.
What kind of eyes were those?
Just as Kiyohara was puzzled, an answer suddenly occurred to him.
Could it be…
Kiyohara took the initiative to ask, "Are your eyes the Jōgan?"
The new future nodded and looked toward Kiyohara.
"That's right. They are the Jōgan."
Jōgan Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Kiyohara immediately felt as though he had hit the jackpot.
According to legend, Jōgan was the star of hope that would appear in the face of the coming destruction. Possessing this eye meant bearing the fate of the world upon oneself.
Moreover, within the Otsutsuki clan, this eye was also extremely special.
In the original story, the only person known to have awakened this eye was Boruto, the son of Naruto.
"Compared with an ordinary Byakugan, what is the difference?"
Kiyohara asked directly.
Although he knew that the Jōgan possessed the basic abilities of the ordinary Byakugan, he wanted to know whether it was significantly stronger or whether the difference was relatively small.
"The Byakugan's perception, clairvoyance, and long-distance vision are all possessed by the Jōgan, and they are even more advanced."
Jōgan Kiyohara spoke.
"Besides that, the Jōgan possesses the ability to see through space and time. No matter what kind of space-time ninjutsu is used, nothing can escape my vision."
Jōgan Kiyohara paused before pointing toward his own eyes.
"If I had to describe it, this dojutsu is practically something created specifically to counter the Otsutsuki. Whether it is Kamui, the Flying Thunder God Technique, or the various abilities possessed by the Otsutsuki clan, traces of them will be visible to my eyes."
Kiyohara fell silent for a moment.
This ability was truly powerful.
The Otsutsuki clan was exceptionally skilled in techniques involving space and time.
Otsutsuki Momoshiki possessed the ability to freeze time, and it was precisely through that technique that he implanted the Kāma into Boruto.
Otsutsuki Urashiki could even reverse time, allowing himself to return from his current point in time to a few seconds earlier.
As for spatial abilities, there were even more examples.
Otsutsuki Isshiki could shrink objects, while Otsutsuki Kaguya could open black portals out of thin air and freely travel between different dimensions.
If the Jōgan could truly see through all of these abilities, then when fighting against the Otsutsuki, he would possess an overwhelming advantage.
"Besides countering the Otsutsuki, what other abilities does the Jōgan possess?"
Kiyohara pressed further.
Jōgan Kiyohara shook his head slightly.
"Like the Sharingan, the Jōgan requires constant adaptation and growth. Throughout my entire life, I only managed to develop its spatial abilities. However, the potential of this eye goes far beyond that."
Jōgan Kiyohara continued.
"My guess is that the abilities of the Jōgan will gradually unlock according to the host's level of power."
"As for the rest, you will have to explore them yourself."
Kiyohara engraved these words into his memory before asking the most important question.
Kiyohara continued chatting with Jōgan Kiyohara for a while, learning about the future he had experienced.
Only afterward did Kiyohara ask, "What are your last will?"
"To revive Kaguya."
Upon hearing his words, Kiyohara's brows immediately furrowed.
"…What?"
"To revive Otsutsuki Kaguya."
Jōgan Kiyohara repeated himself.
Kiyohara stared at him for a long time.
He knew that anyone whose Last Will's was collected by the system was usually somewhat extraordinary.
But this was the first person who actually wanted to revive Kaguya.
"Why?"
Kiyohara asked.
"Because I want to see her with my own eyes."
There was a hint of fanaticism in Jōgan Kiyohara's voice.
"I want to know exactly what level the power of the Six Paths reached. That woman, Kaguya, was the only true god in the entire history of the shinobi world."
"The Sage of Six Paths and Hamura had to join forces to seal her. A thousand years later, even Six Paths Naruto and Six Paths Sasuke could only barely defeat her by fighting together."
Jōgan Kiyohara explained.
"For a thousand years, no one has been able to defeat her alone."
"In the end, every method used against her was merely a fuinjutsu technique rather than a means of killing her. That alone proves one fact. She is extremely powerful."
Kiyohara listened silently.
Was this guy joking?
What would happen after she was revived?
Would Kiyohara even have the ability to deal with her?
Unless…
Kiyohara suddenly thought of his artificial Tailed Beast project.
If he could create a weakened version of Kaguya, then perhaps it would not be impossible.
"So how did you die?"
"Old age."
Jōgan Kiyohara shook his head.
His gaze returned to Kiyohara.
"So I'm counting on you."
Upon hearing this, Kiyohara stroked his chin.
Although this final wish was crazy, it was not completely impossible for him.
"What is your second will?"
Kiyohara asked.
The first will was already extremely difficult. The second one probably would not be any easier.
Jōgan Kiyohara raised a finger and touched the edge of his eye socket.
"Evolve the Tenseigan."
When he said those words, there was anticipation in his voice.
"I have already experienced the power of the Jōgan, but I have never had the opportunity to witness the legendary Tenseigan with my own eyes. According to the legends, it is the ultimate evolution of the Byakugan, a power on the same level as the Sharingan evolving into the Rinnegan."
Kiyohara breathed a sigh of relief.
"This will… isn't difficult."
A trace of surprise flashed through Jōgan Kiyohara's eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said."
Kiyohara replied.
"My Tenseigan just happens to be in the process of being formed."
Jōgan Kiyohara's pupils contracted slightly.
He floated over and stared at Kiyohara's eyes for a while before finally noticing some clues.
"I see."
Jōgan Kiyohara nodded slightly.
"You also possess the bloodline of the Byakugan, as well as a portion of Otsutsuki chakra."
"That's right."
Kiyohara nodded.
After chatting for a little longer, Kiyohara returned to reality.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Kiyohara said.
The door opened.
Yugao walked inside, her long purple hair gently swaying over her shoulders.
"Hokage-sama, the latest batch of Chakra Armor from the Land of Snow has arrived in Konoha. There are a total of two hundred sets, and all of them have already been inspected and accepted."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Very good. Put them into storage first. I'll personally inspect them afterward."
Yugao turned around and left.
The door closed again, and the office once more became quiet.
Kiyohara leaned back against his chair, and the image of that batch of Chakra Armor appeared in his mind.
After reaching a cooperation agreement with the Land of Snow, its Chakra Armor technology had undergone several years of improvements and reverse engineering. It could now finally be mass-produced.
Although the performance of the mass-produced version was slightly inferior to that of the original, its greatest advantage was its abundance. There were enough suits to equip the entire ANBU.
His plan was very simple.
Every ANBU shinobi would receive a set.
The armor would not only greatly increase the overall combat strength of the ANBU, but more importantly, it could effectively protect the shinobi who carried out missions for Konoha from the shadows, reducing unnecessary casualties.
Once this batch of armor had been distributed, the ANBU's casualty rate should decrease by another significant amount.
Kiyohara silently calculated the possibilities in his mind.
Then there was the artificial Tailed Beast vessel.
The infusion of the Dragon Vein chakra was also approaching completion. Once all of these matters were taken care of, he would make a trip to Roran.
Kiyohara withdrew his thoughts and was just about to continue reviewing the remaining documents when a violent twitch suddenly came from deep within his eyeballs.
Kiyohara closed his eyes.
Even through his eyelids, he could feel his eyeballs trembling slightly.
His thoughts moved, and with a single Body Flicker, he returned to his residence.
Standing before the mirror in his bedroom, Kiyohara stared at his reflection.
The darkness within his eye sockets was slowly fading, replaced by a crystalline white.
Then, within that expanse of white, a faint light-blue ring gradually appeared.
At the exact moment that the light-blue ring emerged, Kiyohara felt a phantom figure float out from within his body.
He turned his head and looked over, only to discover that it was the spiritual form of Jōgan Kiyohara.
"Looks like the progress is pretty fast."
There was something in Jōgan Kiyohara's tone that was difficult to describe. It might have been envy, or perhaps simply emotion at witnessing the development.
When the sky had become completely dark, another knock sounded from the Hokage's office.
The visitor was Hyuga Hiashi.
He was dressed in a dark gray kimono, with the crest of the Hyuga main family embroidered on the sleeves. Several clan members followed behind him, carrying gift boxes.
The gift boxes were wrapped in high-quality silk. At a glance, it was obvious that they were extremely valuable.
"Hokage-sama."
Hiashi stopped in front of the desk and bowed deeply.
"Last time, you personally intervened and drove away those villains. The Hyuga clan will never forget this favor. I have specially prepared a small gift as a token of our gratitude. I hope Hokage-sama will accept it."
Kiyohara sat behind his desk. His gaze moved from the documents in front of him to Hyuga Hiashi, and he gently shook his head.
"Clan Head Hiashi, you are being too serious. They infiltrated Konoha, so dealing with them was simply part of my responsibility as Hokage. There is no need to be so polite."
However, Hiashi did not straighten up. He maintained his deep bow.
"As the head of the Hyuga clan, I was completely unaware of when they infiltrated Konoha and approached Hinata. If Hokage-sama had not intervened, my daughter might have met with disaster."
Kiyohara smiled.
"Clan Head Hiashi, there is no need to blame yourself so much. The methods used by those two were far beyond what ordinary ninjutsu could compare to."
Hiashi finally straightened up, his face filled with guilt as he said, "Even so, I sincerely ask Hokage-sama to accept this small token of gratitude."
Several clan members placed the gift boxes on the desk before quietly stepping back.
Kiyohara did not look closely at the gift boxes. Instead, his gaze passed over Hiashi and fell upon the small bundle being held by Hyuga Natsu not far outside the door.
Hinata was staring at him with her large eyes, not even blinking.
"Hinata came too?"
"Yes."
Hiashi followed Kiyohara's gaze, and a hint of affection appeared in his voice.
"I happened to bring her out for a walk tonight. If Hokage-sama does not mind, I can have Natsu bring her inside so that you can have a look at her."
Kiyohara nodded.
Natsu quickly walked inside while carrying the swaddled baby. She stopped in front of Kiyohara and bowed slightly.
Hinata, still nestled in her arms, continued staring directly at Kiyohara with her pale white eyes. Her tiny fists were raised beside her ears, and she made a series of meaningless little sounds.
Kiyohara bent down and gently brushed aside the few strands of blue baby hair beside Hinata's cheek. The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.
"When she gets a little older, I can bring her along to train."
Hiashi's eyes immediately lit up. His face filled with unmistakable delight, and he hurriedly bowed.
After everything that had happened during this period, Hiashi had already become certain of one thing.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with firmly attaching himself to Kiyohara.
In fact, it was undoubtedly the correct choice.
"We are deeply grateful for Hokage-sama's favor. The Hyuga clan will certainly devote all our efforts to nurturing Hinata and will not disappoint Hokage-sama's expectations."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and nodded.
Hiashi offered a few more words of gratitude before finally bidding farewell to Kiyohara together with the other clan members and Natsu.
...
Akatsuki Base, an underground chamber.
The walls of the secret chamber were covered with densely packed fuinjutsu formulas. Candle flames flickered in the darkness, casting the shadows of several people across the stone walls.
At the center of the chamber stood a stone experimental table. A man was lying on top of it, bound tightly by restraint seals.
A piece of torn cloth had been stuffed into his mouth. His eyes were filled with fear, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Orochimaru stood in front of the stone table, looking down at the sacrifice lying before him.
"The sacrifice is ready."
He turned around and looked at Obito and Black Zetsu, who were standing at the entrance of the secret chamber.
Obito leaned against the wall with his arms folded and slowly nodded.
"Good. Begin."
"Who should we start with?"
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"Shimura Danzo."
Obito replied.
A trace of surprise flashed through Orochimaru's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding.
Danzo had been killed by Kiyohara. If this technique could successfully revive Danzo, then it would mean that it could likewise revive Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and all the other powerful figures who had left their names in history.
"I need his DNA."
"It was prepared long ago."
Black Zetsu extended a hand from the shadows. In his palm was a carefully preserved section of white bandage.
It was one of Danzo's belongings, and traces of his blood and cells still remained upon it.
Orochimaru took the bandage and placed it beside the sacrifice on the experimental table.
He took a deep breath and formed a series of hand seals.
A cold, sinister chakra began to spread throughout the secret chamber.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
Orochimaru slammed both hands onto the experimental table.
The sacrifice let out a muffled scream from behind the cloth stuffed into his mouth. His body began to twist violently.
Countless tiny pieces of paper-like material emerged from thin air and attached themselves to his body, covering him layer by layer.
When the final layer of paper settled into place, the person lying on the stone table was no longer the innocent ordinary man who had been there before.
Instead, an elderly man with long black hair appeared.
His right eye was wrapped in bandages, and a cross-shaped scar marked his chin.
Shimura Danzo.
His face was covered with cracks resembling scars, while his chest showed no sign of breathing at all. He looked no different from a corpse.
Not long afterward, Danzo opened his eyes.
There was a brief moment of confusion in his gaze, but it quickly sharpened.
He instinctively tried to sit up, only to discover that he could not move at all.
"This is…"
Danzo's pupils contracted.
He remembered.
He had been killed by Kiyohara!
After that, everything he had accumulated over so many years must have been completely destroyed by Kiyohara.
The thought filled Danzo with rage.
Then he saw the person standing in front of him.
A tiger-striped mask.
A pair of scarlet Sharingan.
"Uchiha…"
Danzo instinctively attempted to circulate his chakra, but his body remained completely motionless. He could only allow those scarlet Sharingan to look down upon him.
"Don't waste your strength, Danzo. You're already dead."
Obito could hear the contempt in Danzo's voice, and a trace of mockery entered his tone.
"The reason you can move now is because I revived you."
Shock appeared on Danzo's face.
His gaze passed over Obito and landed on the pale figure standing beside the stone table.
Orochimaru was dressed in Akatsuki's black cloak with red clouds. He was looking at Danzo with a sinister smile.
"Danzo, long time no see."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"I never imagined that when we met again, you would appear before me in this manner. Tsk, tsk. It certainly brings back memories."
Danzo's eyes widened.
"You… Orochimaru… How are you with him…"
"That is something you does not need to concern yourself with."
Orochimaru interrupted him.
He turned around and spread his hands toward Obito.
"You see? It went very smoothly."
Obito nodded.
Danzo had indeed been successfully revived.
Although the body produced by Impure World Reincarnation could not compare with his body when he was alive, it at least retained his memories, personality, and combat abilities.
More importantly, he was completely under the control of the caster. There was no possibility of betrayal.
"Very good."
Obito said this as his gaze returned to Danzo.
"Next, we will prepare more powerful pieces."
...…
One year later.
The border of the Land of Wind.
An endless desert stretched as far as the eye could see.
The scorching sun hung directly overhead, baking the golden sand until it was unbearably hot. The air itself seemed to distort from the heat, while the distant dunes rose and fell like enormous waves.
Kiyohara stood at the top of a sand dune.
Behind him stood Tsunade, who had traveled all the way here with him.
Today, Tsunade was wearing a tight-fitting white sleeveless shirt, with a green robe casually draped over it.
The hot desert wind blew her long golden hair backward. Several strands clung to her slightly damp neck.
"You dragged me all the way to this godforsaken place. What exactly are you planning to do?"
"The Dragon Vein."
Kiyohara replied as he raised a hand and pointed toward the desert beneath their feet.
"The kingdom of Roran is just ahead. There is an enormous amount of chakra stored there."
"The Dragon Vein?"
Tsunade frowned slightly.
"What are you going there for?"
"My goal is to collect a portion of the Dragon Vein's chakra. Just keep an eye on our surroundings for me."
Kiyohara replied.
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully and did not ask anything else.
The two leaped down from the top of the sand dune and continued toward the depths of the desert.
Suddenly, Kiyohara's brows moved slightly, and his footsteps unconsciously slowed.
From the other side of the desert came the fluctuations of clashing chakra.
And there was more than one source.
"Someone is fighting."
Tsunade had noticed it as well.
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
The two of them tacitly concealed their presence and quickly moved toward the source of the chakra fluctuations.
After circling around an enormous sand dune, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
A battle was taking place in the desert.
No.
It would be more accurate to call it a one-sided pursuit.
Kiyohara recognized the person being pursued.
Green hair with orange tips.
The attire of a wandering shinobi.
It was none other than Pakura.
The person chasing Pakura was also a familiar figure to Kiyohara.
Sasori of the Red Sand.
He was wearing a dark gray shinobi outfit.
However, his body was clearly different from before. A metallic sheen could be seen around his joints, and his movements were both more rigid and faster than they had been in the past.
It was obvious that he had upgraded his puppet technology.
Standing beside Sasori was another young man.
He had grayish-white hair styled into a large pompadour, pale purple eyes, and a metal pendant engraved with strange symbols hanging around his neck.
His forehead protector was not worn on his forehead either. Instead, it was tied around his neck like a collar.
He carried a strangely shaped triple-bladed scythe over his shoulder. The blade reflected a dark red glow beneath the scorching sunlight, while a rope connected the bottom of the scythe to the coiled rope around his waist.
"Pakura, you can't escape. Join the Akatsuki willingly, and you'll suffer a lot less."
Sasori's voice came from within his puppet body.
Pakura gritted her teeth and raised her hand, launching a scorching fireball.
The orange-red fireball carried a wave of heat powerful enough to distort the surrounding air as it shot toward Sasori.
Sasori merely raised his left arm casually.
A metal shield covered in chakra appeared and blocked the fireball completely.
The scorching flames scattered in all directions and dissipated, while Pakura stumbled backward.
"Isn't that Pakura?"
Tsunade's eyes widened.
Pakura, the hero of Suna.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Tsunade had also heard of Pakura. According to what she knew, Pakura had died during a secret mission.
Yet the person standing before them, despite being covered in dust, was undoubtedly Pakura herself.
Kiyohara nodded and swept his gaze over the group one by one.
After a moment, he turned his head toward Tsunade.
"Sensei, would you like to test your skills?"
Tsunade was stunned for a moment.
Then the corners of her mouth curled upward into a confident and spirited smile.
"That sounds perfect."
She pushed off the ground with one foot.
Her entire body shot toward the battlefield like a green meteor, and her right leg rose high into the air.
Wrapped in the distinctive white aura of her monstrous strength, her leg came crashing down toward the sand between Sasori and Hidan.
Heavenly Foot of Pain!
BOOM!!!
The desert floor was smashed open, forming a massive crack several meters deep.
Yellow sand exploded into the sky, while the shockwave simultaneously forced Sasori and Hidan backward.
Pakura was also blown several steps backward by the force of the impact. She barely managed to stabilize herself before raising her head in shock.
As the dust gradually cleared, she saw that familiar green figure.
Tsunade!
Pakura's gaze then passed over Tsunade and landed on Kiyohara, who was standing atop the sand dune.
"Kiyohara…"
Joy appeared on Pakura's face.
She had never expected that she would encounter Kiyohara even in a place like this.
Sasori had also been forced several steps backward.
After stabilizing himself, his puppet eyes remained fixed on Tsunade for several seconds.
Then his gaze slowly shifted toward the white figure standing atop the sand dune.
A hint of gravity entered his voice.
"Who would have thought that I would run into you in a place like this, Kiyohara?"
"I never thought that the great Sasori of the Red Sand would end up chasing a woman through the desert."
Kiyohara spoke calmly as he slowly walked down from the sand dune.
Hidan pulled the Triple-Bladed Scythe from the sand and rested it on his shoulder. His pale purple eyes swept back and forth between Tsunade and Kiyohara before his lips stretched into a grin.
"This woman has quite a nice figure. If I offer her to the Jashin-sama, he'll definitely be pleased."
Tsunade's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disgust appeared on her face.
"Sensei, be careful of his weapon. Things will become troublesome if it comes into contact with your blood."
Kiyohara's voice came from behind her.
Tsunade nodded slightly, her gaze falling upon the strange three-bladed scythe in Hidan's hand.
Although she knew nothing about Hidan, her many years of combat experience allowed her to immediately sense that there was something unusual about that weapon.
With her strength, she could completely withstand a direct attack from it. However, since Kiyohara had specifically warned her, it meant that the threat posed by this technique was far greater than it appeared on the surface.
"Hmph!"
Upon hearing those words, Hidan guessed that Kiyohara had somehow obtained information about him. He immediately decided to make the first move.
He flicked his wrist.
The Triple-Bladed Scythe shot through the air, dragging its long rope behind it. The three blades spun rapidly in the air, cutting through the wind and sand as they swept toward Tsunade's waist.
Hidan's fighting style was extremely reckless and aggressive. He held nothing back and made absolutely no attempt to defend himself. His only goal was to attack as quickly as possible and injure his opponent in the shortest amount of time.
"This guy…"
Tsunade watched Hidan's extreme fighting style.
He only attacked and never defended, as though he was completely unconcerned about being injured himself.
The next moment, Tsunade dodged Hidan's scythe.
She then slammed her right foot down.
Chakra poured into the sole of her foot, and the sand dune beneath her exploded with a tremendous crack. The sand collapsed, causing the entire slope to tilt toward Hidan.
The ground beneath Hidan's feet suddenly gave way.
His footing collapsed, and his body sank downward. Yet instead of panicking, an even more fanatical smile appeared on his face as he attempted to use the tension of the rope to leap out of the sand pit.
Tsunade brought both hands together in front of her chest.
Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique!
The sand beneath Hidan suddenly split apart.
Several thick and sturdy wooden stakes burst from beneath the sand and rapidly wrapped toward his body.
The surface of the wooden stakes was covered in rough bark, and their speed was astonishing.
Hidan swung his scythe in midair. The three blades cut through the first several wooden stakes at their middles, severing them cleanly.
Wood chips flew in every direction. The broken pieces of wood crashed into the sand, sending clouds of yellow sand into the air.
However, Hidan had underestimated both the speed and density of Tsunade's Wood Release.
More and more wooden stakes continued emerging from beneath the sand.
One of them circled around his scythe and slammed heavily into his back.
Bang!
Hidan's body was sent flying.
He crashed into the sand and rolled several times before finally managing to stabilize himself.
He spat out a mouthful of sand, and the expression on his face finally changed from fanatic excitement to anger.
"Damn it. She can use Wood Release too?"
Sasori's voice came from the other side of the battlefield, remaining as emotionless as ever.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Hidan growled.
He jumped up from the ground and once again flicked his wrist.
The Triple-Bladed Scythe attacked Tsunade from the side.
Just as Sasori slightly raised his hand, the joints of his puppet limbs producing a faint clicking sound as he prepared to coordinate with Hidan and attack Tsunade from the flank, a scorching wave of heat suddenly swept in from the side, interrupting his movement.
Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!
Pakura was breathing heavily.
Two orange-red fireballs condensed in the palm of her right hand before she hurled them violently toward Sasori.
The fireballs tore through the air, and the residual heat left two blackened trails across the sand.
Sasori twisted his body and avoided the attack, but part of his sleeve was still caught by the flames.
He turned his head and looked coldly at Pakura.
"Pakura, are you looking to die?"
"You are the ones who deserve to die."
Pakura snorted coldly.
"I have been running for so long already. Even if I die here today, I will never join forces with a group of lunatics like you."
Sasori said nothing more.
He raised both hands simultaneously.
Two openings appeared in his palms, and countless poisoned senbon shot out from them in a dense barrage.
Pakura quickly formed hand seals and condensed a scorching wall of flames in front of herself.
The moment the senbon passed through the wall of fire, most of them were melted by the intense heat.
However, several still managed to pierce through the flames.
They grazed Pakura's arm and shoulder, leaving several shallow bloody cuts.
Pakura grunted softly, and her complexion became even paler.
The poison was beginning to seep into her body, and her movements were already becoming noticeably slower.
On the other side, the battle between Tsunade and Hidan had entered its most intense stage.
Hidan's attacks became more and more frantic with each passing wave.
The Triple-Bladed Scythe constantly whirled through the air, but it never managed to touch Tsunade's skin.
Every time the scythe was about to cut across her body, Tsunade managed to evade it.
The longer they fought, the more frustrated Hidan became.
This woman was superior to him in both taijutsu and reaction speed. His scythe could not touch her at all, while her Wood Release continuously created one problem after another for him.
"Can you do nothing but dodge?!"
Hidan roared as he brought the scythe crashing down.
Tsunade did not answer.
She shifted her body to avoid the blade, and green chakra appeared in the palm of her right hand.
Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique!
The sand beneath Hidan's feet suddenly split apart.
Dozens of thick vines burst out from beneath the sand and wrapped toward his limbs.
Hidan swung his scythe and severed several vines in front of him, but the vines behind them immediately followed.
One vine wrapped around the wrist of his weapon-bearing hand.
Immediately afterward, another vine wrapped around his ankle.
The vines tightened more and more, firmly locking Hidan in place.
Yin Seal: Release!
The purple diamond-shaped mark on Tsunade's forehead suddenly lit up.
Black markings surged out from the seal and spread downward along her forehead.
The surrounding sand was shaken outward by an invisible force, forming a circular wave of sand that expanded from Tsunade as its center.
Hidan could feel it.
The amount of chakra inside the woman standing before him was increasing at a terrifying rate.
The growth was so rapid that it even altered the flow of the air around her, causing her golden hair to dance wildly despite the absence of any wind.
Tsunade withdrew her palm and brought both hands together in front of her chest.
Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!
The sand beneath their feet began to shake violently.
Massive wooden vines burst from beneath the sand, lifting the section of desert beneath Hidan along with them.
The vines rapidly condensed at a speed visible to the naked eye, forming an enormous wooden figure.
The tremendous force launched Hidan into the air.
Residual vines were still wrapped around his body.
He spun several times through the air before barely managing to stabilize himself. He landed on one knee and supported himself against the sand with one hand.
Sasori, who was not far away, was also caught in the impact of the wooden figure.
Several vines rolled toward him, forcing him and several puppets backward at the same time. He had no choice but to increase the distance between himself and Hidan.
"This monster…"
Hidan raised his head.
He stared at the enormous wooden figure that seemed to block out the sky, then looked at Tsunade standing majestically upon its shoulder.
He cursed furiously in his heart.
He could not touch this woman at all.
He had not even gotten a chance to obtain her blood, which meant his trump card had been completely countered.
To make matters worse, there was also Kiyohara standing nearby, watching them with a cold and watchful gaze.
From beginning to end, Kiyohara had not even raised a hand.
His very presence was enough to place enormous pressure on them.
As a result, they could not devote themselves entirely to the battle. They had to constantly spare part of their attention to keep an eye on Kiyohara.
"Let's leave first."
Sasori said.
Hidan nodded.
He pulled the Triple-Bladed Scythe from the sand, turned around, and immediately fled together with Sasori.
The two figures quickly disappeared into the distance between the sand dunes.
Tsunade, standing on the shoulder of the wooden figure, did not pursue them.
After confirming that they had truly left, she snorted softly and raised her hand, releasing the Wood Human Technique.
The enormous wooden figure slowly collapsed, transforming into countless pieces of wood that scattered across the golden sand.
Tsunade landed lightly beside Kiyohara.
She patted the sand from her palms before turning her head toward him, a smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.
"How was that? Sensei's Wood Release didn't embarrass you, did it?"
"Sensei, you are improving very quickly."
Kiyohara praised her sincerely.
"Although there is still a gap between you and me, you are already stronger than many other Wood Release users."
What Kiyohara was thinking was that Tsunade's Wood Release had already surpassed Tenzo's.
The smile on Tsunade's lips became even wider.
She raised a hand and brushed the golden hair that had fallen over her shoulder.
"Of course. Did you forget whose granddaughter I am?"
Kiyohara did not continue the conversation with her.
Instead, he walked over to Pakura.
Pakura was kneeling on the sand.
The wound on her right arm was still bleeding, but her gaze remained fixed directly on Kiyohara.
"I'll treat your injuries."
Kiyohara crouched down and began treating Pakura's wounds.
At the same time, he started asking Pakura how she had ended up here.
Pakura explained that she had been wandering around the Land of Wind during this period while simultaneously looking for a way to overthrow Rasa's regime.
"So you have been here ever since leaving the orphanage."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"Why not come to Konoha?"
Kiyohara added another sentence.
Then he took a sealing scroll from his shinobi pouch and unfolded it.
After releasing the sealing formula on the scroll, there was a soft pop.
A brand-new set of Chakra Armor appeared in his hands.
Compared with the original Chakra Armor from the Land of Snow, which had been bulky and cumbersome, this version was more refined and lightweight.
Its entire surface was silver-white.
"This is the Chakra Armor recently developed by Konoha. It can increase the user's chakra recovery speed and strengthen the power of ninjutsu."
"Furthermore, it can block most fatal attacks, so you will no longer have to worry about being killed by a surprise attack."
Kiyohara handed the armor toward Pakura.
Pakura really was a genius.
For the past several years, she had been wandering outside as a rogue shinobi, causing her talent to remain buried.
If he supported Pakura and helped her rise again, Kiyohara could also directly gain control over Suna.
Occupying the village through force was obviously inferior to allowing someone like Pakura, a legitimate native of Sunagakure, to become Kazekage while Kiyohara controlled the village indirectly.
Pakura stared at the silver-white armor.
The hot desert wind blew her long green hair into a disheveled mess.
"Won't I cause trouble for you?"
"Do you really think I'm afraid of trouble?"
Kiyohara asked in return.
Pakura lowered her head and looked at her dusty hands.
Those hands had once achieved great feats for Suna.
Yet in the end, she had been betrayed by her own people and nearly died from a surprise attack with a kunai.
She took a deep breath.
Then she raised her head.
Something had reignited within her brown eyes.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
Tsunade stood to the side with her arms folded across her chest.
Her gaze moved between Pakura and Kiyohara.
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, but she said nothing.
With her eyesight and experience, she could naturally tell that Pakura's strength was not weak.
Her Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai was also something extremely rare in the shinobi world.
Having someone like this join Konoha could only benefit the village.
Thinking of this, Tsunade opened her sake flask and took a sip, suppressing all the unnecessary thoughts in her mind.
Once Pakura's injuries had stabilized, Kiyohara led the two women deeper into the desert.
The kingdom of Roran was hidden behind a series of continuous sand dunes and covered by a faint, barely visible barrier.
The barrier itself was not particularly powerful.
Its primary purpose was concealment and deception, causing travelers who passed through the area to unknowingly avoid it.
Kiyohara raised his hand and pressed it against the edge of the barrier.
A trace of chakra appeared in his palm, and ripples spread across the surface of the barrier.
The barrier parted like a curtain of water, revealing a stone-paved road leading downward.
Pakura followed behind Kiyohara, cautiously scanning her surroundings.
The city of Roran was much brighter than it had been the last time Kiyohara came here.
Although most of the buildings on both sides of the streets were still ruins, several structures around the central plaza had already been restored to a fairly complete state.
At the very center of the plaza stood a towering structure.
A fist-sized crystal was embedded at the top of the tower, radiating a faint purple glow.
The chakra of the Dragon Vein was being restrained by that crystal.
Following the chakra patterns engraved across the ground, the enormous energy was continuously transported to every corner of the city.
Several residents of Roran were repairing a fountain in the plaza.
When they saw Kiyohara and the others approaching, they stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully.
Clearly, Kiyohara was not a stranger here.
"Is this where the Dragon Vein is located?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
Back then, Minato had used the Dragon Vein chakra sealed within the necklace to draw out a thread of energy connected to several key nodes within the city of Roran.
In this way, Roran could maintain its most basic operations without attracting the greed of outsiders.
As they were speaking, the Queen of Roran walked out from the tower.
(End of Chapter)