The coffin lids creaked open, revealing the familiar figures of the First and Second Hokage. Perhaps because Orochimaru hadn't been particularly sociable in his lifetime, he often summoned these two for his Reanimation Jutsu. It was truly baffling that Danzo had been the one to provide their bodies.
The two Hokage stepped out of their coffins and charged directly at Kawasaki. Fortunately, this was a dreamscape, and his opponents were mere illusions. Otherwise, Tobirama wouldn't have missed the chance to sneer, "Another one of those Uchiha brats."
Orochimaru followed close behind, rushing forward alongside the two legendary leaders.
Hashirama, the First Hokage, clapped his hands together!
Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!
A pitch-black darkness spread rapidly, so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Kawasaki's eyes snapped open!
A golden Susanoo erupted into existence, instantly shattering the suffocating darkness. The nearby Tobirama was sent flying, and Orochimaru's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands were forced to retreat without success.
Hashirama pressed his palms together.
Deep Forest Emergence!
Rumble, rumble... The earth trembled as countless trees burst from the ground. Massive roots twisted and writhed, their branches intertwining into a dense, inescapable forest.
At the same time, Tobirama rapidly formed hand seals.
Water Style: Water Severing Wave!
A jet of water, compressed like a high-pressure cutter, shot toward the Susanoo, slicing a deep gash across its surface.
Orochimaru formed his own seals and spat onto the ground. Countless snakes slithered forth.
Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!
Kawasaki pushed his ocular power. The Susanoo grew flesh and muscle over its skeletal frame, its height swelling to seventy meters. The gash left by Tobirama healed in an instant. With a powerful wrench, Kawasaki shattered the trees coiling around its legs.
He drew the Susanoo's weapon and swung at the First Hokage. Hashirama leaped high into the air to evade the strike. Kawasaki then hurled the massive chakra blade, which vaporized Hashirama's reanimated body into a cloud of paper talismans. Amidst the fluttering scraps, the First Hokage began to regenerate from his feet up.
By now, Tobirama had already unleashed another jutsu.
Water Style: Water Shockwave!
A colossal volume of water spewed from his mouth like a broken dam, flooding the entire battlefield. But it was useless. Despite the massive quantity, the water only managed to submerge the Susanoo's feet.
Kawasaki channeled his ocular power once more. The Susanoo soared to a height of one hundred meters, now clad in a full set of armor, appearing even more majestic than when he had confronted Obito. Its weapon solidified, becoming even more distinct.
Orochimaru remained at Tobirama's side, and they attacked in unison. Orochimaru flickered to the Susanoo's side with the Body Flicker Technique, his Sword of Kusanagi slashing down.
Clang!
The Sword of Kusanagi was sharp, but the armored Susanoo was incredibly hard. Orochimaru was thrown back by the impact.
Tobirama clapped his hands together, and countless paper talismans swirled around him, glowing with light.
Tandem Paper Bombs!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
An unending chain of explosions rocked the battlefield. Explosive tags materialized endlessly in the air, attaching to the Susanoo and detonating on contact. The continuous blasts were concentrated on a single spot.
Kawasaki's ocular power and chakra were draining at an alarming rate. As a reanimated corpse, Tobirama was caught in the explosions but simply regenerated amidst the dissipating smoke and scattered paper. Once his body was completely destroyed, the chain of explosions ceased.
Kawasaki deactivated his Susanoo, falling from the sky.
Orochimaru had been waiting below, and he lunged forward with his Sword of Kusanagi. Kawasaki drew the blade he had intended to give to Sasuke and parried the attack. With a sharp clang, their swords met. They were evenly matched, though Kawasaki seemed to possess a slight edge in raw strength.
As their blades flashed, Kawasaki's left hand shot out and clamped down on Orochimaru's serpentine arm. Orochimaru twisted his body with an unnatural fluidity, pulling his sword free. His body contorted and elongated as he swung down in a sweeping arc. Kawasaki couldn't dodge in time, and a long gash was cut into his side.
He lashed out with a kick, halting Orochimaru's assault and creating distance. As he moved, he bit his own wrist. Healing power coursed through him, and the wound quickly sealed itself.
By this time, Hashirama had fully regenerated. He formed a new set of hand seals!
Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!
Rumble! Rumble!
The shattered remnants of the previous forest absorbed nutrients from the ground and began to grow with explosive speed. Twisted, massive trees rose from the earth, their growth splitting the ground and shattering rocks, rapidly blanketing the entire area. Thick branches coiled upward, and from them grew enormous flower buds.
Within moments, the buds bloomed, releasing a thick cloud of pollen.
Orochimaru took the opportunity to vanish into the shadows.
Kawasaki activated his ocular power. The Eye of Susanoo! His Mangekyo spun wildly, and he finally located Orochimaru hiding in an inconspicuous corner. In the dreamscape, Orochimaru had to personally control his Reanimation Jutsu. In their previous encounters, he had remained relatively stationary while commanding the two Hokage. Kawasaki hadn't fought him directly in a while and was surprised to see his improvement; he could now coordinate flawlessly with the legendary shinobi.
This was, however, the first time Kawasaki had seen him use the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees. To control such an advanced jutsu, Orochimaru couldn't move freely and had to remain hidden, focusing solely on manipulating Hashirama. The jutsu was incredibly powerful, but this version seemed like a simplified one. It lacked the overwhelming, world-changing presence Hashirama had projected during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Nevertheless, the pollen released by the flowers still had a potent paralytic effect.
Kawasaki held his breath, wondering if he could use a one-time jutsu in the dream. He subconsciously tried to use Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
And then...
Nothing happened. He couldn't hold his breath any longer. He took a gasp of air, his vision went black, and he woke up back in the real world.
Looking at Orochimaru's profile in his faction template, Kawasaki sighed. He wasn't the only one getting stronger; even someone as busy as Orochimaru was constantly improving. The summoned Hashirama could now use Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, and Orochimaru still had his Eight-Branched Serpent Technique in reserve. Perhaps he couldn't use it while controlling two reanimations at once.
.....
Though defeated, Kawasaki felt a sense of accomplishment. He didn't mind the loss; after all, he still had much to learn. Ever since his first victory over Obito in the Land of Water, Kawasaki had been using the dreamscape to relentlessly hone his swordsmanship. He wanted to ensure his future attacks, like the Heavenly Cloud Slash, wouldn't miss their mark, and he also hoped to teach Sasuke a thing or two. Fortunately, his faction template's Uchiha clan was filled with master swordsmen, allowing him to quickly grasp the fundamentals.
Although he had acquired several new talents since arriving in the Hidden Sound Village, he hadn't yet had the chance to organize and master them. He was quite pleased with his Earth Release enhancement, but there was a problem: the 'Konoha Ninjutsu Compendium' he possessed mostly contained basic techniques. It lacked advanced jutsu, especially the one he coveted most for flight—the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique.
As for the prized Flying Thunder God Technique, that required a specific innate talent. Without it, no amount of effort would suffice. Orochimaru was a prime example. When Hiruzen Sarutobi had taught him, he had been a prodigy who grasped nearly every jutsu instantly, yet he had never managed to learn the Flying Thunder God. Thus, even with his Orochimaru-like talent for analyzing jutsu, Kawasaki found the Flying Thunder God to be an unsolvable puzzle. While his Eye of Susanoo could perceive space-time coordinates, it consumed a tremendous amount of ocular power. He couldn't possibly keep it active while trying to use the technique. After several nights of failed experiments, he had reluctantly put his research into space-time ninjutsu on hold.
During another dream battle, a thought struck him: could he use newly acquired jutsu in the dream? The answer was no.
In the days that followed, Kawasaki spent his time discussing strategies with Orochimaru and his nights training relentlessly in the dreamscape. Among his new talents, only Kimimaro's combat intuition provided an immediate boost to his fighting prowess. It allowed him to accurately predict an opponent's next move in close combat, leading to a significant improvement in his swordsmanship. His Earth Affinity remained on the back burner, as he had yet to find a suitable high-level Earth Release jutsu to learn.
As for Nature Affinity, Kawasaki was wracking his brain for a way to learn Sage Mode from one of the three great sage regions. Kabuto had just left, so there was no news from him. For Mount Myoboku, he would need a sponsor. Alternatively, he could try asking Tsunade about her slug summon, Katsuyu. For now, the Sage Mode plan was also on hold.
Although Kawasaki now possessed Uzumaki-level chakra reserves, he dedicated most of it to fueling his Susanoo. He tried creating a massive number of Shadow Clones like Naruto, but when they dispersed, the mental feedback nearly crashed his brain in the dreamscape. The experience solidified his belief that only Naruto could use the technique so recklessly. When he imagined using Shadow Clones to summon multiple Susanoo like Madara, he was struck by a humbling realization: Madara Uchiha was a true god of shinobi.
In theory, Susanoo's chakra should be distributable to Shadow Clones just like the Nine-Tails' chakra. In practice, however, it required distributing not just chakra but ocular power as well. Not enough chakra, and it wouldn't work. Not enough ocular power, and it was equally impossible. Worse, if a Shadow Clone's Susanoo was defeated, the backlash would be immense—a losing proposition. Of course, things were different if one could use Wood Clones, as they were far more durable. For now, Kawasaki could only focus on mastering his own Susanoo, since he couldn't use Wood Release. In these moments, he felt the vast chasm separating him from Madara. But Madara was still in his coffin, which meant Kawasaki had plenty of time to surpass him.
The remaining talents, Music Mastery and Archery Mastery, were useless to him. He had no intention of changing his fighting style, so he set them aside.
However, the Dual Concentration talent he acquired from Sakon and Ukon came as a tremendous and welcome surprise. Uchiha typically didn't use other ninjutsu while their Susanoo was active. The drain was already immense, and casting other techniques would consume even more energy and chakra, not to mention making it harder to control the colossal avatar. Most standard ninjutsu couldn't compare to a single punch or kick from a Susanoo anyway. Madara using his Susanoo to form hand seals for Tengai Shinsei was, of course, a different matter entirely.
Kawasaki discovered, by chance, that even while his Susanoo was active, he could freely cast other ninjutsu with a separate part of his mind, without affecting his control over the avatar at all. This was the power of Dual Concentration. The more he experimented with it, the more he realized just how extraordinary this talent was.
.....
Inside the dreamscape.
This time, his opponent was Fugaku Uchiha.
Susanoo!
After just a few exchanges, Fugaku summoned his own Susanoo. Perhaps because some of Kawasaki's ocular power had been sealed within Fugaku's eyes, he was able to manifest his Susanoo up to its third, armored stage. Fugaku's Susanoo weapon was also something Kawasaki had never seen before: its hands were enhanced, transformed into gigantic chakra claws.
The forms of the Susanoo were truly diverse. Swords were the most common, but Sasuke's was a bow, and Shisui's was a drill. He never would have expected Fugaku's to be claws.
Rumble!
If they clashed head-on, every blow from their Susanoo would make the earth tremble. But Fugaku rarely engaged Kawasaki in a direct brawl. When it came to using the Susanoo, Kawasaki was far less experienced. Fugaku only manifested his avatar to its full power when absolutely necessary. Most of the time, he would flash it into existence for a moment to block an attack and then immediately retract it, displaying a level of control far more fluid than Kawasaki's. The experience made Kawasaki acutely aware of his own clumsy handling of the technique.
.....
After settling in at the Hidden Sound Village, Kawasaki finally had time to properly organize his abilities. He spent every day in the dreamscape, relentlessly optimizing his combat system.
Haku's body was gradually recovering, and he was now able to begin basic chakra-molding exercises. He was an incredibly focused student, his mind pure and free of distractions. During theoretical lessons, he absorbed key points with ease. If not for his physical condition, he would have already started learning ninjutsu.
Seeing as he was already teaching one, Orochimaru figured teaching two wouldn't be much more trouble. After recognizing Haku's talent, he decided to instruct him as well.
.....
In the Hidden Sound Village, Kawasaki subjected himself to high-intensity battles every day, growing more and more adept at controlling his own powers. His combat experience and tactical skills grew at a phenomenal rate as he gradually forged his own unique fighting style.
Inside the dreamscape.
"Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"
Flames erupted from Itachi's mouth, igniting the shuriken he had thrown. The projectiles rained down like a celestial shower, the massive fireballs leaving countless craters upon impact. Kawasaki weaved left and right, effortlessly dodging the attack. With a flick of his wrist, the Sword of Kusanagi was unsheathed, its sharp ring echoing through the air.
Clink... Clang...
Kawasaki deflected Itachi's shuriken, and the two immediately closed the distance for a fierce melee. Itachi held a kunai in his left hand and a long sword in his right, his attacks fluid and graceful. He spun, attempting to stab Kawasaki in the head with the kunai, but the Sword of Kusanagi casually parried it. Itachi then flipped through the air, bringing his long sword down in a reverse grip.
With his free left hand, Kawasaki formed a one-handed seal.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Boom! A massive wave surged from the ground, deflecting Itachi's weapons and obscuring his vision. Before the water could recede, the Sword of Kusanagi pierced through the torrent, running Itachi through the ribs.
Susanoo!
A skeletal, crimson ribcage materialized around Itachi's body.
Clang! Kawasaki's blade struck the ethereal armor with a sharp sound.
A smile spread across Kawasaki's face. *Finally got you to bring out your Susanoo.*
After blocking the attack, Itachi immediately dispelled the technique. Taking advantage of Kawasaki's momentary lapse in concentration, he looked up, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning rapidly.
Tsukuyomi!
A powerful ocular jutsu surged into Kawasaki's consciousness. He flinched for a split second, but as his own Mangekyo spun, he resisted being pulled into the Tsukuyomi's world. Kawasaki's ocular power was far superior to Itachi's; the illusion was ineffective.
The Itachi in the dream lacked memories and emotions. Seeing Tsukuyomi fail, his expression remained unchanged. He formed hand seals so quickly that Kawasaki could barely track them.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
A massive orb of fire erupted from Itachi's mouth, rapidly expanding as it shot toward Kawasaki. Kawasaki flickered to the left, dodging the inferno.
Swish, swish, swish...
A hail of shuriken flew through the air, their trajectories difficult to predict. Kawasaki drew his Sword of Kusanagi, his own Sharingan spinning furiously.
Clink... Clang... Clink...
Every single projectile was precisely cut in half. While deflecting with his sword, Kawasaki used his free left hand and Dual Concentration to form a one-handed seal.
Water Style: Water Severing Wave!
A high-pressure jet of water shot from Kawasaki's mouth, forming a blade aimed straight at Itachi.
Screech...
The Water Severing Wave sliced through Itachi's body with lightning speed.
Crack...
Itachi's body slowly split apart. "Caw... caw..." The pieces dissolved into a flock of crows. It was the Crow Clone Technique. In an instant, Itachi vanished.
Kawasaki's eyes narrowed, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning wildly as he activated the Eye of Susanoo! His gaze flickered, and he instantly locked onto a single crow.
Body Flicker Technique!
In a blur of motion, Kawasaki's Sword of Kusanagi stabbed toward the targeted crow.
Poof!
The crow exploded into Itachi's true form.
Susanoo!
Thud!
The Sword of Kusanagi was once again blocked by the Susanoo's ribcage. Before Kawasaki could retract his blade, Itachi's right eye snapped open!
Amaterasu!
Black flames instantly engulfed Kawasaki.
Susanoo!
A golden Susanoo erupted from Kawasaki's body, blocking the Amaterasu and allowing him to escape the flames.
*Tch,* he thought, *I was hoping to beat him without my Susanoo.* Amaterasu was a technique you could only block, not dodge. The way Itachi used it so casually against Sasuke was a clear sign he was holding back. The flames had to chase Sasuke for so long before they finally hit him. Was Sasuke's movement speed really faster than the turn of Itachi's gaze?
The Amaterasu was blocked, and the dream Itachi paused, seemingly exhausted by the effort. Immediately after, his full Susanoo manifested. The Itachi in the dream mirrored his real-world counterpart. Over the years, Orochimaru's medicine had suppressed Itachi's ocular power. As a result, his crimson Susanoo had only evolved to its second stage; it had yet to don the Tengu armor.
A light flashed in the hand of Itachi's Susanoo as the crimson glow of the Yasaka Magatama shot forward. The projectile was incredibly fast, but Kawasaki's intuition screamed at him, and he dodged to the right just as he activated his own Susanoo.
A golden Susanoo instantly materialized.
BOOM!
It slammed violently into Itachi's. Even as they clashed, Kawasaki was able to split his focus and prepare another jutsu. He brought his hands together to form a seal!
Water Style! Water Severing Wave!
Pshhh!
Fueled by his immense chakra, the high-pressure water blade cut through the air in an instant. Itachi's Susanoo was sliced open, and as the avatar momentarily faltered, Itachi himself ducked to avoid the jet's path.
Kawasaki's Susanoo pressed its advantage, ramming forward and sending Itachi's staggering backward. Kawasaki's avatar reached out, its hand closing in to grab Itachi's...