Chapter 228:
Underground Foundation of the Umbrella Organization
Ever since Orochimaru arrived here, Yamato had been dispatched to follow him shortly afterward.
"Yamato."
"Naruto?!" Hearing the voice from behind, Yamato turned around and saw, "And Sasuke? How do you two even have time to show up here together? Or… don't tell me something happened here serious enough to warrant both of you coming together?!"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances. In the end, Naruto stepped forward and said, "Yamato, your mission is over."
"What do you mean..."
Yamato subtly took a step back and, with one hand behind his back, began forming a secret hand seal.
Naruto had always called him "Captain Yamato," never just "Yamato." Though he couldn't figure out what flaw in their disguises had tipped him off, years of experience as a ninja had made him instinctively cautious.
"So, it seems you've figured us out..." Sasuke stepped forward, blocking Naruto, and continued, staring at Yamato, "Let me be straightforward then. Yamato, maybe you don't know this, but we've already infiltrated about eighty percent of the current Hidden Leaf Village. If you're willing to join S.H.I.E.L.D., not only will your life be spared, but in the new Konoha, we can offer you a higher position—say, Hokage. How about it...?"
"Just the two of you? I don't believe you can not only perfectly mimic Naruto and Sasuke's appearance, but also replicate their strength!"
The hand seal formed in secret was now complete. Yamato suddenly crouched down and slapped his hands on the ground. "Wood Style: Tree-Binding Burial!"
Massive trees burst forth from behind Naruto and Sasuke. Vines wrapped around the two of them, pulling them into the earth.
"It worked..."
Prepared for a fierce battle, Yamato muttered in disbelief—but suddenly, a silver-white blade pierced through the tree. Sasuke and Naruto crawled out from within.
Sasuke's arms had transformed into silver-white blades. He stared at Yamato and continued, "Because of your rudeness just now, I've decided to punish you a bit."
"I knew it… there's no way it would be that easy…" Yamato looked at the two and struck first. "Wood Style: Wood Hammer!"
Yamato's right arm morphed into a wooden hammer as he launched into close-quarters combat with Sasuke.
"Is this all your strength amounts to?"
Sasuke's silver blade-arm collided with Yamato's wooden hammer arm, locking them in a stalemate.
"Damn it... this guy's strength is insane..."
Yamato gritted his teeth and held on, but his body was steadily being forced backward.
"Yamato, I'll give you one more chance. Join S.H.I.E.L.D., and not only will you live, but you'll become Hokage!"
"Never!"
Yamato growled through clenched teeth. Then his left arm also transformed into a wooden hammer and suddenly struck at Sasuke.
"This is it?"
Sasuke's left arm transformed into another silver-white blade to block it, mocking him in return.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
As Yamato spoke, wood began growing from both of his arms toward Sasuke, attempting to form a cage around him.
"You know... did you forget about me?"
Naruto, who had been watching from the side, transformed his right arm into a cannon and fired a Rasengan at Yamato.
"Ah!"
Yamato let out a cry of pain as the Rasengan sent him crashing into a wall. Slumping to the ground, he panted heavily and slowly looked up at Naruto and Sasuke, now standing right in front of him.
"Looks like he's not willing to join us. Should we kill him?"
Naruto turned to Sasuke and asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "Per Deputy Director's orders, we'll just throw him in prison for now."
When liquid-metal robots encounter an unexpected situation, they reveal their true form. At that point, the real person's corpse can be used to replace the liquid robot's body.
It doesn't work every time, but it definitely reduces the chances of the liquid robots being exposed.
"Sleep for a bit, Yamato."
Naruto raised his cannon-arm and sprayed a strange gas at Yamato.
Yamato's consciousness gradually faded.
"Let's go."
Sasuke hoisted the unconscious Yamato over his shoulder.
"Hold up—I need to report mission completion to King Gray Wolf first."
Naruto pulled out a scientific ninja tool and tapped on it as he spoke.
Temporary base for King Gray Wolf's secret plan to infiltrate Konoha.
"Hmm?" The cloned Gray Wolf glanced at the scientific ninja tool he had modified to vibrate when a message came in. "The mission's done? Then it's time for me to move on to the next phase."
"Gray Wolf, where are you going?"
Jiraiya, sitting on the sofa with the TV on—though clearly not paying attention to it—saw Gray Wolf's figure and asked.
"It's about the task S.H.I.E.L.D. assigned me. Don't worry, honey. Just keep watching TV."
The cloned Gray Wolf put on a lab coat as he replied to Jiraiya.
"Wait, I'm coming too."
Jiraiya jumped off the sofa quickly.
"Huh? Honey, aren't you usually not interested in this stuff?"
Gray Wolf looked at Jiraiya in confusion.
"Well, I'm suddenly interested now. Got a problem with that?"
Jiraiya shot a look at him. After spending these past days with the clone, he'd already realized Gray Wolf truly liked him… or more accurately, liked his body. So no matter what he asked, the clone would agree.
"Of course not. If you want to do something, I'm all for it."
Gray Wolf squinted and smiled. With him leading the way, the two of them headed underground.
In the massive underground mechanical factory, everything was dedicated to creating a single thing: a small wolf.
The latest model of a liquid-metal robot—Cloned Gray Wolf had even given it a rather meaningful name.
Little Gray!
Naturally, its appearance was identical to the original Little Gray from Green Grassland.
"Honey, take a look. This is what I've been working on these past few days. The newest liquid-metal robot, named Little Gray."
Gray Wolf spoke as he eagerly watched Jiraiya's reaction, hoping that seeing all this would help Jiraiya recall more memories of Green Grassland.
"Little Gray..."
Jiraiya murmured.
"Yep, that's right!"
Gray Wolf nodded furiously.
"...How does he help with our secret plan to infiltrate the Leaf Village?"
Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Gray Wolf's face.