"Never mind."
Under the tense gaze of the three captives, Uchiha Hikari sheathed her sword.
'This fusion isn't that kind of fusion,' she thought, aware of the distinction.
Moreover, the three men who had fused with Summoning Beasts using the Chimera Technique showed no signs of being "furry lovers," indicating they were still normal and not the kind of growths found in the Limited Tsukuyomi World.
"Thank you for your mercy, Great One. We..."
One began to pledge allegiance, but Two glared at him, cutting him off mid-sentence.
That's right.
He realized, this isn't the beginning anymore.
Their former leader, Hiruko, has already joined their side.
That means Hiruko still has value.
'If we pledge allegiance now, it feels like betraying Hiruko. What if they grant him authority to deal with us?'
'He might kill us all!'
'But if we don't pledge allegiance, what if they assume we're still loyal to him?'
'As uncontrollable living assets, they might see us as a destabilizing factor and kill us anyway!'
'A single-minded approach with two dead ends.'
"The Hidden Rain Village will take charge of these three subordinates of yours," Orochimaru said, turning to Hiruko.
"Any objections?"
"No objections," Hiruko said, his lips twitching.
Even if he had objections, what good would they do? Besides, he had no further ambitions.
Ever since dying once, Hiruko viewed his past self from a detached perspective.
He could now calmly reflect on how pathetic he had been. What use were these three subordinates anyway?
"Very well," Orochimaru nodded, then turned to Makoto. "Shall we have these three learn that technique? Since their abilities are related to Summoning Beasts, they should have some aptitude for it."
"An excellent idea," Makoto agreed.
As they had discussed, the trio's inherent abilities weren't lacking, but they had taken an inefficient path.
Instead of learning the Hidden Shadow Snake Hand, they had wasted their efforts merging with Summoning Beasts.
It was akin to Konohamaru learning the Rasengan by first transforming with the Sexy Technique and then unleashing his "Puff!" and "Bang!"
However, these three shared one unique trait: their connection to Summoning Beasts.
As previously analyzed, the Summoning Technique could be considered a form of Space-Time Ninjutsu, requiring far less Space-Time aptitude than true Space-Time Ninjutsu.
The more proficient one was with the Summoning Technique, the higher their innate aptitude for Space-Time Ninjutsu would be.
These three were perfect candidates to learn the Flying Thunder Formation Technique and form a teleportation squad in coordination with Ajisai.
This arrangement would alleviate the need to rely on Senju Tobirama for every task.
After all, Tobirama's energy needed to be focused on collaborative research with Orochimaru to tackle pressing scientific challenges.
In addition to Ajisai's teleportation squad, Orochimaru also assigned the Sound Four to teleportation duty.
The more teleportation squads, the better!
The Sound Four:
Tayuya could summon the Doki demons.
Kidōmaru could summon the Giant Spider.
Sakon and Ukon could summon the Rashōmon Gate.
Jirōbō could summon the Mud Golem.
Their natural talents were superior to those of the Fourth Hokage's subordinates.
However, this superiority was relative.
Compared to ninjas capable of learning true Space-Time Ninjutsu, they still lagged behind and would require immense effort to master it.
Fortunately, the Sound Four were individuals who had clawed their way out of countless others, struggling under Orochimaru's pre-redemption regime.
They were not ones to settle for complacency.
After Orochimaru left Otogakure with Yakushi Kabuto, the four of them grew restless.
Orochimaru hadn't left them any specific tasks, leading them to fear he had abandoned them.
Thankfully, new missions soon emerged: assist Sasuke in his training, and coordinate to practice the Flying Thunder Formation Technique.
In addition, Orochimaru had a new idea: By simultaneously using the Four Black Fogs Formation and the Flying Thunder Formation Technique, he could transform a small-scale teleportation into a large-scale mass-transit method!
The theory was already laid out and it was now up to the Sound Four to master it.
...
Mount Myōboku.
Naruto's astonishing speed and mastery of Sage Mode left the two Sages speechless.
They praised him as a prodigy in this art, surpassing even Minato's genius!
"Naruto-chan, who would have thought you'd master it so quickly? Let's consult the Great Toad Sage one last time. If everything checks out, you can stay for a grand feast tonight and return to Konoha tomorrow," Sage Shima chirped, leaping up to pat Naruto's shoulder.
"Uh, another grand feast? Isn't that a bit much?" Naruto's delighted smile froze.
Since having mastered Sage Mode quickly, he hadn't eaten many of Mount Myōboku's insect feasts.
Afterward, he mostly ate instant ramen brought back by Sage Shima.
But when she mentioned a "grand feast," what else could it be but Mount Myōboku's usual bug fare?
"Don't worry, Naruto-chan," Sage Shima waved her hand. "I know you're picky. No plump, juicy insects for you. I've prepared some of Konoha's famous dishes, including your favorite ramen. Just wait—you're in for a feast fit for a king!"
"Eh? Really? Granny Toad, you've finally seen the light!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, I'm staying for a proper meal before leaving!"
...
An hour later.
Sage Shima and Sage Fukasaku stood in the main hall.
Naruto sat cross-legged nearby, dozing off.
"Snore..."
This wasn't Naruto's snoring; it was the Great Toad Sage's!
Their timing couldn't have been worse—the Great Toad Sage was fast asleep. Though to be fair, the Great Toad Sage spent ninety-nine percent of his time sleeping.
"No way, I can't wait any longer. Who knows when this old toad will wake up?" Naruto muttered, his patience wearing thin.
If they waited any longer, it would be dark soon.
What about his grand feast? Even if the feast was off the table, dragging this out for days was a real possibility.
Wouldn't that mean he couldn't immediately rescue Sasuke... and the Pervy Sage? Oh, right, and that mother he'd never met.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto continued to feign sleep, but secretly crossed his hands and created a Shadow Clone, which slipped away.
The Shadow Clone crept behind the Great Toad Sage and rubbed its hands together.
"I've been practicing Wind Release nature transformation these past few days. Might as well give it a try now," the Shadow Clone muttered to itself.
Although Naruto had mastered Sage Mode through unconventional means, his only offensive technique was the Sage Art: Massive Rasengan—a brute-force approach focused on sheer volume.
He still couldn't use the Rasenshuriken.
In the original timeline, Asuma had taught him the Wind Release nature transformation.
But Asuma was long dead now, leaving the Third Hokage to instruct him briefly.
The problem was that the Third Hokage had to manage his official duties at the time.
Shortly after, he was taken to the Hidden Rain Village, leaving him no time to teach Naruto the finer details.
Naruto had to rely on the foundational knowledge the Third Hokage had imparted to explore the technique on his own.
Fortunately, as the God of Shinobi, Hiruzen had provided a comprehensive foundation, even better than what Asuma had taught him in the original story.
Naruto had managed to grasp it reasonably well.
"Wind Release: Thousand Years of Death!"
The Shadow Clone Naruto struck the sleeping Great Toad Sage with a vicious attack!
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