Chapter 64: Wood Release vs Susanoo, Uchiha Itachi Flees!
"What is that!"
As the smoke cleared, Kakashi looked at the scene before him in surprise.
A Red Giant over ten meters tall had actually appeared before everyone.
Kakashi had originally thought his understanding of the Sharingan was very thorough.
But watching Uchiha Itachi control such a terrifying giant, he fell into silence again.
Was the function of the Sharingan not just for copying Ninjutsu and seeing through enemy movements?
Why was the Sharingan Uchiha Itachi used not even on the same level as his own!
Then, Kakashi looked at Byakuya with even greater astonishment.
"Even in this state, Uchiha Itachi is no match for Byakuya!"
At this point, Kakashi no longer knew just how strong Byakuya really was.
"Ittachi-san!"
Kisame Hoshigaki, supporting his injured body, could barely move.
Too much of his Chakra had been consumed.
"Go!"
At this moment, there wasn't a hint of hesitation in Uchiha Itachi's expression.
"You want to leave? It won't be that easy!"
Byakuya truly came close to using the Wood Release: Wood Dragon Jutsu to keep Uchiha Itachi there.
But he thought about it carefully.
With Uchiha Itachi's body, he might not survive this hit intact.
If that happened, he wouldn't get to see the famous 'Pacific War' battle later.
Thinking of this, Byakuya spared Uchiha Itachi's life.
Uchiha Itachi didn't dare delay for a second.
Grabbing Kisame with one hand, he leaped and vanished from sight.
"Is... is this Byakuya's current strength?"
Kurenai Yuhi stared blankly at Byakuya in the sky, who had single-handedly driven away Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki.
"Hokage-sama!"
Asuma, forcing his injured body, hurried over with Kakashi.
"Byakuya-sama, should we pursue them?"
Kakashi looked toward the direction where Uchiha Itachi had fled.
If they pursued now, Kakashi had at least a seventy percent certainty of stopping them.
"No need, I let them go on purpose!"
But Byakuya shook his head.
"What!!"
The group was instantly surprised; they hadn't expected Byakuya to let them go intentionally.
"Does Byakuya-sama have some kind of plan?"
Kurenai Yuhi looked at Byakuya curiously.
She knew Byakuya must have his reasons for doing this.
"It's fine, Uchiha Itachi isn't someone who absolutely must be killed!"
At this point, on the surface, Uchiha Itachi was still a spy planted in the Akatsuki Organization by the Third Hokage.
Though this spy was of no use to Byakuya anyway.
Byakuya knew more than Pain did.
And Byakuya also knew the things Pain didn't know.
Whether it was the endless stream of masterminds behind the Akatsuki Organization or other matters,
Byakuya wasn't interested in any of it.
"Kakashi, you seem to be a bit overconfident in yourself!"
At the same time, Byakuya looked at Kakashi with a look of concern.
"Me?"
Kakashi didn't react to what was happening for a moment.
Only Byakuya knew that if he hadn't appeared here today, Kakashi would have had to endure three days and three nights of torture.
"Take some time to learn more about your Sharingan; its functions might not be as simple as just copying Ninjutsu."
Byakuya could only give him this much of a reminder.
If Kakashi continued to underestimate the Mangekyo Sharingan,
The next time Uchiha Itachi sent him into the Tsukuyomi world to be stabbed for three days and nights,
With Kakashi's body, he might truly not be able to handle it.
"I understand!"
Kakashi was incredibly shocked internally.
It seemed Byakuya's familiarity with the Sharingan was superior to his own.
Otherwise, how could Byakuya tell him to learn more about his own Mangekyo?
"By the way, Kakashi, take Asuma to the Ninja Hospital!"
Only then did everyone notice Asuma, who was bleeding incessantly.
"Understood!"
Kakashi quickly agreed.
If they were any later, Asuma might really not make it.
Kakashi then hurriedly took Asuma to the Ninja Hospital.
The reason Byakuya didn't take action was because he had quite a few things to do next.
Just as Byakuya was preparing to head back,
"Whi... Byakuya!"
A somewhat anxious voice from behind interrupted him.
"Oh, Kurenai!"
Byakuya then thought that letting Kurenai Yuhi go back alone wasn't an option either.
"Come back with me!"
Byakuya could only shake his head helplessly.
"Okay!"
Seeing Byakuya agree, a happy expression appeared on Kurenai Yuhi's face.
"Hold on tight!"
Byakuya said plainly.
Actually, there were no restrictions on taking someone along using the Instant Shadow Killing Array.
As long as there was physical contact.
But unfortunately, every time Byakuya teleported, these women would take the opportunity to take advantage of him.
"When I said hold on tight, I meant hold my hand; there's no need to press so close."
Byakuya explained to Kurenai Yuhi, who had dove straight into his arms.
This immediately made Kurenai's face flush with embarrassment.
She had thought Byakuya wouldn't notice.
"Never mind!"
Byakuya didn't bother to argue anymore.
After so many times, he was used to it.
Besides, Kurenai Yuhi had also been injured just now, almost taken out by a single strike from Uchiha Itachi.
In the next second, the Instant Shadow Killing Array was instantly activated.
Like a ghost, Byakuya brought Kurenai Yuhi back to the Hokage Office in an instant.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is this? How can it be so fast!"
Kurenai said with a look of regret.
They had returned in such a short time.
"Just a Ninjutsu I developed on a whim!"
Byakuya explained indifferently.
The Instant Shadow Killing Array could achieve short-distance flickers, and because the speed was so fast, it was often mistaken for Teleportation.
"By the way, now that you've become the Hokage, does that mean I won't be able to see you often?"
Kurenai Yuhi asked curiously while looking around the Hokage Office.
"You make it sound like we saw each other often before I became Hokage."
Byakuya recalled that the first time he and Kurenai Yuhi met was back at the Ninja Academy.
"Hokage-sama!"
Just then, the door to the Hokage Office was opened.
It was Nara Shikaku.
However, Shikaku's expression was currently a bit grim.
"What happened?"
This was exactly why Byakuya hadn't wanted to become the Hokage.
There were too many matters to deal with.
Even though he had already handed over most of the affairs to Nara Shikaku,
in the end, there were still many things that required him to make the final decision.
"Hokage-sama, the group from the Hidden Sand Village has been settled as you ordered."
"The Sand Ninjas who participated in the invasion have been locked in prison."
"As for the children of the Fourth Kazekage, they have been placed in a hotel according to your instructions."
Nara Shikaku slowly reported these matters to Byakuya.
"What, do those Sand Ninjas still dare to have objections?"
Byakuya's gaze gradually turned cold.
He believed he had already given those Sand Ninjas a massive opportunity.
Otherwise, he would have sent them all down to accompany the Fourth Kazekage back during the Chunin Exams.
"That's not it; they wouldn't dare to have any objections!"
"It's that the Fourth Kazekage's daughter wants to see you!"
Nara Shikaku explained.
"Temari?"
Byakuya fell into thought for a moment.
He certainly wouldn't keep these people from the Hidden Sand Village for too long.
When the time came, they should all be used to exchange for ransom.
However, right now, the Hidden Sand Village likely didn't have anyone who could truly hold the power of speech.
Of course, it was also possible that Chiyo would come out of retirement.
But if Chiyo did return, she might not be willing to pay a heavy price to exchange for the hostages.
After all, among these people, only the Jinchuriki was worth the Hidden Sand Village's serious attention.
The rest were all the Fourth Kazekage's confidants.
Chiyo certainly wouldn't care whether the Fourth Kazekage's children lived or died.
"Hokage-sama!"
Nara Shikaku called out once more.
"I've noted what you said. In a while, I will personally make a trip to the Hidden Sand Village!"
Thinking of this, Byakuya still felt he should go to the Hidden Sand Village himself.
"You're going personally?"
Nara Shikaku was somewhat surprised; after all, Byakuya was currently Konoha's pillar of stability.
As long as Byakuya was there, the people of Konoha didn't have to worry at all.
"That's right, I'll go to the Hidden Sand Village myself."
Byakuya replied calmly.
"I think this prisoner exchange mission can be given to someone else, like Kakashi; there's no need for you to step in personally."
Nara Shikaku still didn't recommend that Byakuya act personally.
"And although the Hidden Sand Village is leaderless, the older generation like Chiyo and Ebizo are still there."
"With Kakashi's abilities, he is fully capable of completing the mission successfully."
For a moment, Byakuya couldn't tell if Nara Shikaku wanted Kakashi dead.
"Have you forgotten? Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law died at the hands of Sakumo Hatake!"
"This!"
Nara Shikaku hadn't considered this point at all!
Or rather, he didn't know that Sakumo Hatake had killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law.
"You didn't know?"
Byakuya shook his head.
It seemed that the old Third Hokage hadn't publicized the detailed process of those past events at all.
Even now, not many people knew this piece of intelligence.
It made sense; after all, in the original story, Kakashi was completely bewildered when facing Chiyo's revenge.
It was also possible that Sakumo Hatake had killed too many people, and Kakashi wasn't clear on the details.
Of course, it was more likely that even Kakashi Hatake didn't know who his father had killed.
After all, Kakashi wasn't familiar with them; was he supposed to set up a monument to commemorate them?
"In short, don't let Kakashi go to the Hidden Sand Village."
Byakuya rejected Nara Shikaku's suggestion.
"But, Danzo is still watching like a hawk over at the Daimyo's place. If you leave Konoha..."
Nara Shikaku said worriedly.
He really couldn't imagine what Konoha would become without Byakuya.
"Don't worry, it won't take me very long. During this time, you just need to handle the normal affairs."
Byakuya said indifferently.
"Then how many Anbu does Hokage-sama plan to take along?"
Nara Shikaku asked.
Byakuya didn't plan on taking anyone with him.
He would just take Temari and her two brothers back to the Hidden Sand Village himself and settle everything.
"You're going alone?"
It wasn't that Nara Shikaku didn't believe in Byakuya's strength.
But the key was that Byakuya was now Konoha's Hokage; even if he wanted to keep a low profile, he still needed to take a few Anbu guards.
"By the way, can I go?"
Just then, Kurenai Yuhi, who hadn't left the Hokage Office yet, suddenly applied.
"Kurenai?"
Nara Shikaku didn't expect Kurenai Yuhi to volunteer.
"Hokage-sama, what do you think?"
Nara Shikaku still left the decision to Byakuya.
Byakuya turned back to look at Kurenai Yuhi's pitifully pleading face.
"Fine, whatever!"
Byakuya shook his head helplessly and said.
On the contrary, Kurenai Yuhi showed a joyful expression.
"In that case, the affairs of Konoha will be temporarily left to you."
Byakuya was relatively at ease leaving things to Nara Shikaku.
"I'll go see Temari first!"
Byakuya said with a bit of a headache.
Sometimes, having too much charm really wasn't a good thing.
Because Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara weren't exactly prisoners.
After all, in a strict sense, they hadn't participated in the Konoha Crush plan.
So, the three of them were only restricted to being confined in the hotel.
All daily necessities were provided by Konoha personnel.
"This is where Temari and the others are staying, right?"
Under the lead of a subordinate Anbu, Byakuya arrived in front of the hotel door.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Byakuya gave a token knock on the door.
"You all can head down."
Then, Byakuya dismissed the Anbu personnel responsible for supervision.
After all, with him personally coming, even if the Fourth Kazekage himself were here, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Let alone three children.
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