"Damn it…"
Terumi Mei and Ao watched as the man wreathed in golden chakra crushed the signal flare beneath his foot. Their expressions darkened immediately.
As shinobi, they had long since come to terms with death. Neither of them feared it.
What weighed on them now was something far harder to accept—the realization that they might not be able to send this information back.
The intelligence they had uncovered was nothing short of unbelievable. If revealed, it could shake the entire shinobi world to its core. Compared to that, their own lives meant nothing. What mattered was getting this information back to the village, into the hands of those they trusted.
But the man standing before them… he was far beyond what they had anticipated.
His speed, his strength, his reflexes, even the sheer density of his chakra—it was all terrifying.
Someone like this appearing within their village could not possibly mean anything good.
After all, that was the power of the Nine-Tails.
That was not something an ordinary shinobi could hope to contend with.
To deal with someone like him, they would likely need the Mizukage herself, along with the village's strongest forces. Only then might they stand a chance of suppressing him.
To their credit, both of them remained remarkably clear-headed.
Even from that brief clash, they had already formed a solid understanding of the situation.
In truth, for Natsuhiko, using the Nine-Tails' power against opponents at their current level was akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. If not for the need to familiarize himself with this state—and to create the maximum psychological pressure—he would have almost felt embarrassed to rely on it.
Looking at how things unfolded in the original story, the growth of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had its ups and downs, yet always seemed to return to a delicate balance.
From their early clashes—Rasengan against Chidori, cursed seal against tailed beast cloak—they had already reached a kind of equilibrium.
Later, Naruto gained Sage Mode, but Sasuke defeated Itachi and awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, restoring that balance once again.
The only time a true gap appeared was when Sasuke obtained the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, while Naruto's control over the tailed beast's power was roughly comparable to what Natsuhiko wielded now.
Even so, Naruto could still contend with Sasuke as long as Susanoo wasn't fully unleashed.
And once Naruto completely released the Nine-Tails' power—entering the so-called Nine-Tails Chakra Mode—and even integrated senjutsu into it, Sasuke responded in kind by fully unleashing the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan. Balance was restored yet again, this time in a more complete sense.
As for their final battle… that was no longer a fight between mortals.
It was a clash of gods.
One wielded the chakra of all nine tailed beasts alongside a perfected Susanoo; the other carried the power of those same nine beasts while also drawing in natural energy itself.
In the end, their battle was effectively a draw—though it was enough to make Sasuke finally yield.
By that comparison, the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode Natsuhiko was using now was closer in level to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
More precisely, it was akin to someone who had just obtained that power and was still learning to wield it.
Even so… the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was already a force that defied all common sense.
And Natsuhiko was using that kind of transcendent power against opponents who were nowhere near their peak.
There was no kinder way to put it—
It was utterly excessive.
But Natsuhiko didn't care in the slightest. There was a saying he quite liked—if you don't feel embarrassed, then the embarrassment belongs to someone else.
In truth, he wouldn't have minded acting like Madara Uchiha, crushing his enemies while casually throwing out a few arrogant remarks for flair. But there was a problem: whenever he held back from using his full strength, the system's evaluation of him didn't seem particularly high.
So rather than taking risks, it was far safer to proceed cautiously and overwhelm his opponents with absolute power. That way, there would be no chance of things going wrong.
Besides, he was playing the role of a supreme villain right now—why should he worry about appearances?
"It seems you have no way out left," Natsuhiko said, his tone calm yet utterly indifferent. "So I'll kindly offer you a choice. Try not to waste my time."
As he spoke, the kunai in his hand shot forward, landing precisely between Terumi Mei and Ao.
The blade struck the ground with perfect accuracy, and the meaning behind it instantly made both of them uneasy. They could already guess what he intended—and that realization only made their anger burn hotter.
Natsuhiko, however, paid no mind to their thoughts and continued flatly, "One of you can live and work for me. The price is simple—kill the other."
He paused briefly before adding, almost as an afterthought, "Of course, you can refuse. But trust me… I have other methods."
Those "other methods" naturally referred to forcing control upon them.
Strictly speaking, Natsuhiko wasn't entirely confident that his control techniques would work on elite ANBU like them. But it didn't matter—no one here could tell whether he was bluffing or not.
After all, he had already displayed such overwhelming power. At his level, few would dare question his words.
Terumi Mei and Ao exchanged a glance. Then, without hesitation, Ao reached down and pulled the kunai from the ground.
There was a resolute look in his eyes, as though he had already made his decision.
"I'll do it."
His voice was calm—almost detached—as he stepped forward a few paces and raised the kunai toward his own chest.
"If I die… she lives. Is that right?"
"Yes."
Natsuhiko gave a slight nod, though there was a faint hint of amusement in his gaze.
"As long as she helps me with a few things—nothing that would harm your Hidden Mist's interests—I'll let her go."
"I hope you keep your word."
Ao nodded quietly, drawing in a deep breath as if to steel himself.
But in the very next instant—
A surge of chakra erupted violently behind him.
A massive water dragon burst forth from the ground, roaring as it lunged toward Natsuhiko. At the same time, Ao hurled the kunai in his hand straight at him, his movements flowing seamlessly into a rapid series of hand seals.
"Ninja Art: Hiding in Mist Technique!"
As the seals completed, dense mist infused with powerful chakra spread swiftly across the battlefield, cloaking everything in a suffocating haze.
The moment he finished, Ao didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat.
With a determined expression, he flashed a quick signal to Terumi Mei—then turned and sprinted in the opposite direction without looking back.
"Ao..."
Terumi Mei bit down hard on her lip. His meaning was obvious.
He wanted her to retreat immediately.
He would act as the decoy, drawing the enemy's attention while slowly withdrawing in another direction.
There was no point in fighting—they couldn't win. Someone had to stay behind, and someone had to survive to deliver the information.
Terumi Mei was uninjured, making her the best choice to carry that burden.
As for Ao… his condition was already poor. Choosing to sacrifice himself was only natural.
Letting out a quiet, helpless sigh, Terumi Mei turned and fled.
But before she could get far, a kunai silently lodged itself in her shoulder.
...
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Terumi Mei, Ao immediately changed direction, heading straight toward the territory of the Kaguya clan.
To him, death was not frightening.
What truly terrified him was the thought that such vital intelligence might never reach the village—that its loss could bring unimaginable disaster.
Even if Hidden Mist had already fallen into its current state, even if the Fourth Mizukage's actions filled people with frustration and despair…
It was still his home.
And within that home, there were still people like Elder Genji—figures worth protecting at all costs.
He was willing to give everything for his home—even his own life.
It's just a pity… this Byakugan…
Ao's thoughts turned heavy as he ran. The Byakugan he possessed was a treasure of the village. The fact that it had been entrusted to him was proof of the village's faith in him.
And yet now, he didn't even have the ability to send it back.
That helplessness gnawed at him, filling him with guilt.
Forget it. There's no point thinking about that now… but even if I die, I must destroy this eye.
He was resolute on that point—better to destroy it than let it fall into enemy hands.
Still, now wasn't the time. His eye was sealed, capable of being activated at any moment. He still needed it—to fight, to endure, to buy more time.
With that thought, Ao activated his Byakugan once more, searching for the mysterious enemy.
To be honest, what they were doing now was incredibly risky. That arrogant man was simply too fast—one mistake, and both of them could be captured.
But they had no other options left. The signal flare had already been destroyed. What else could they do?
"Damn it!"
The moment Ao's vision locked onto his target, his expression changed drastically.
To his shock, the man had used Shadow Clone Jutsu, splitting himself apart to hunt them down simultaneously.
For a split second, Ao almost thought the man was from Konoha.
Nine-Tails, Shadow Clones... everything about him made it too easy to associate him with the Hidden Leaf.
But then again, Shadow Clones weren't exclusive to Konoha. In fact, every village had their own records of the technique.
During wartime, many shinobi used it for reconnaissance. After capture, those users were interrogated, and over time, the technique inevitably spread.
That said, Shadow Clones required a massive amount of chakra, and any damage the clone received would be reflected back to the original body. Combined with each village's own clone techniques, outsiders rarely used the Shadow Clone Technique.
But this man… was different.
With the power of the Nine-Tails at his disposal, he clearly had no need to worry about such drawbacks.
And with strength like his, Shadow Clones became an exceptionally practical tool.
"No… I need to move faster!"
Gritting his teeth, Ao forced himself to look away from Terumi Mei's direction, even though he could see everything clearly.
Concern would only cloud his judgment.
He had to forget about her for now—and push forward into the territory of the Kaguya clan.
Only by creating greater chaos could he draw the village's attention.
But just as that thought crossed his mind—
A kunai glowing with golden light tore through the air, aimed straight at the center of his back.
Ao knew that if he didn't dodge, he would die. With a desperate twist of his body, he narrowly avoided the strike.
And in that same instant—
The golden figure was already standing before him.
"Water Release: Azure Dragon Palm!"
Once again, Ao struck out. His Byakugan flashed as he drove the attack toward Natsuhiko.
But Natsuhiko simply tilted his body slightly, evading effortlessly. At the same time, he flicked a kunai toward the nearby water surface.
The water rippled—and then a humanoid shape emerged, leaping away.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Even while retreating, Ao ignored his injuries and forced out a high-output jutsu.
But either because of his injuries—or because Natsuhiko was simply too fast—he never got the chance to complete it.
The moment Ao was about to finish his hand seals, Natsuhiko, wrapped in faint golden chakra, was already in front of him.
He seized Ao's hand mid-seal and twisted it violently in the opposite direction.
"AAAGH—!"
Pain shot through Ao's entire body like lightning. The agony forced an involuntary scream from his throat.
In truth, he almost wanted to scream even louder—anything to alert others that the situation was critical.
But Natsuhiko didn't give him that chance.
He clamped a hand around Ao's throat, cutting off his voice completely.
"Shh. Don't shout in my ear like that," Natsuhiko said calmly. "I don't like it."
Natsuhiko spoke softly, yet the strength in his grip only tightened. At the same time, his other hand had already gathered chakra.
In an instant, he drove a sealing technique into Ao's body, completely cutting off his ability to circulate chakra.
"I know what you were trying to do," Natsuhiko said calmly near his ear. "You wanted to act as bait… to protect that woman. So I indulged you."
His voice remained steady, almost indifferent, yet every word carried a quiet weight.
"But unfortunately for you, I know the Shadow Clone Jutsu as well. And I'm quite confident… she won't be able to break one of my clones."
He paused slightly, his gaze drifting into the distance.
"...As for you—"
Before he could finish, one of his shadow clones returned, carrying Terumi Mei, who had already lost her ability to fight.
There was a clear wound on her shoulder, and not the slightest trace of chakra fluctuations remained around her body.
The conclusion was obvious—her chakra had been sealed as well.
Her eyes were filled with fury and despair as she stared at Natsuhiko.
She understood now.
It was over.
"I noticed your Byakugan a long time ago," Natsuhiko continued, withdrawing his gaze and speaking in that same detached tone. "At first, I intended to let you make a choice. I had no particular interest in taking your eye."
His expression didn't change in the slightest.
"At least that way, one of you could survive… and perhaps send some information back."
He let out a faint breath.
"Though, strictly speaking, that wouldn't have been a good outcome for us either. After all… we've already failed once in Konoha."
"And personally, I dislike this kind of behavior—lurking in the shadows like rats in a sewer."
His eyes turned cold.
"But if you mistake my goodwill for weakness… then you truly don't know the meaning of death."
"The Byakugan may not be of much use to me—or to us—but I don't mind having it as a research specimen."
At those words, both Ao—still trapped in Natsuhiko's grip—and Terumi Mei felt a deep, suffocating despair rise within them.
Natsuhiko, however, showed not the slightest hint of pity.
His hand tightened.
Then—
With a sharp, brutal motion, he twisted.
Crack.
The crisp sound of bone snapping echoed in the air as Ao's neck was broken instantly.
"No—!"
Mei Terumi cried out in anguish, her voice breaking as she struggled to rise. But Natsuhiko's shadow clone held her down effortlessly, denying her even that small resistance.
Without a word, Natsuhiko reached out and removed Ao's mask. His expression remained cold as he pressed his hand against the sealed eye.
Then, with a sharp motion, he dug in.
Blood quickly soaked into his gloves.
"Go deal with the ANBU and the Kaguya clan members who are on their way," Natsuhiko said calmly as he worked, as though handling nothing more than a routine task. "You know what to do. Keep it clean."
"I'm your shadow clone," the clone replied with a faint smile. "Of course I know."
With that, it vanished in a blur.
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko lifted the bloodied white eye and held it up in front of his face, examining it carefully. Only after confirming there were no issues did he turn his gaze toward Terumi Mei.
She looked dazed, her expression hollow as she stared at everything that had just unfolded. It wasn't until Natsuhiko stepped closer that her eyes sharpened again, locking onto him with icy hatred.
"Not a bad look," Natsuhiko remarked casually. "If you were an Uchiha, I might actually have to be a little cautious."
His tone carried a hint of mockery as he crouched down in front of her.
"Our previous agreement still stands. Killing him… was simply a punishment."
His voice lowered slightly.
"If you want to live—and bring that information back—then you'd better behave."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
"After all… keeping my word is part of my ninja way."
—
While Natsuhiko continued to deal with Ao's body and had his shadow clone eliminate the incoming ANBU and members of the Kaguya clan—carefully staging the scene to cover his tracks—
Deep within the Mizukage's office of Kirigakure, a strange figure slowly emerged from the ground.
Half black, half white… a being with a split face.
And seated in the Mizukage's chair was a man wearing an orange spiral mask, clad in a dark robe—
Obito Uchiha.
He had already been controlling Kirigakure for quite some time.
Ever since Rin's death, after inheriting everything from Madara Uchiha, a plan had taken root in his heart… and it had never wavered since.
At the time, he had been deeply confused.
Why was it that Madara Uchiha possessed such immense influence within the Land of Water, yet had been unable to stop everything that had happened?
Back then, Black Zetsu had given him an explanation—that although Madara's influence was formidable, the one who truly held authority within the Land of Water was still the Mizukage.
Blinded by hatred, he hadn't bothered to question it.
But regardless of the truth, such a vast political legacy would have been a waste not to use.
And so, his plan was simple: control the Mizukage and become the one who truly ruled from the shadows.
Only then could he enact his revenge upon the Land of Water—revenge for the woman he had loved more than anything.
That was exactly what Obito Uchiha had done.
Of course, he wasn't acting alone.
Controlling someone completely—bending them to your will without resistance—was no simple matter. He wasn't Madara, after all, and he possessed only a single Mangekyō Sharingan.
Though he was confident that, given time, he could achieve such control even with one eye… right now, it was beyond him.
But if his target was a jinchūriki, and he himself had learned the proper methods of controlling a tailed beast… if he combined that knowledge with the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan, then everything changed.
Yagura Karatachi, the Three-Tails' jinchūriki, had given him exactly that opportunity.
With the help of that dark, will-born entity left behind by Madara—the gloomy, pitch-black being—Obito managed to seize control of him with surprising ease.
To be precise, the Fourth Mizukage's already fragile will, locked in constant struggle with the Three-Tails, simply couldn't withstand the sudden assault of Obito's genjutsu.
All Obito had to do was entangle Yagura's consciousness with that of the tailed beast.
Unless the two ever reached a point of mutual trust and stopped resisting each other, breaking free from that illusion would be nearly impossible.
With the Mizukage firmly under his control, and after a period of experimentation and refinement, Obito's confidence steadily grew.
And with the assistance of Black Zetsu—repulsive as he was, yet undeniably useful for reconnaissance—he gradually pushed Kirigakure down an increasingly extreme path.
Now, the situation had only grown worse.
Of course, not everything during this time had gone his way.
At the very least, there were two people he would never forget.
One was his former teacher, Minato Namikaze.
The other… was someone who had once been his classmate—
Natsuhiko.
Or perhaps, it was more accurate now to call him… Senju Natsuhiko.
After his initial success with controlling the Three-Tails' jinchūriki, and after unexpectedly learning from Kakashi Hatake about the timing of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki's childbirth, Obito had not hesitated to strike Konoha in a decisive operation.
But he had never imagined the outcome.
He failed.
And not just failed—he was utterly, completely defeated.
First, he lost to Minato Namikaze. Then, he suffered an even more crushing defeat at the hands of Natsuhiko. The blow to him had been immense.
Though the Uchiha clan had long since fallen, and much of his knowledge came from Black Zetsu, his hatred had driven him to learn. Through that, he had come to understand the deep-rooted enmity between the Uchiha and the Senju… and the history that had shaped it.
Which only made his defeat at Natsuhiko's hands all the more unbearable.
Was this… the cycle of fate repeating itself?
Once, Madara Uchiha had lost to Hashirama Senju.
Now, he had inherited Madara's name—and Natsuhiko wielded Wood Release.
And in the end, just like before… he, as "Madara," had once again lost to the power of the Senju.
Since that devastating defeat, Obito had returned to Kirigakure in a subdued state.
But that gloom quickly twisted into something darker.
His methods within the village became more ruthless, more violent, more cruel.
It was as though he had taken all the frustration and humiliation he suffered in Konoha—and poured it out onto Kirigakure, this cursed village.
And now, the Kaguya Clan had become his next target.
It was the most reasonable… and most convenient choice.
All he had to do now was wait.
Wait for the right moment.
Wait for the results.
"Why are you here?" he asked coldly. "Shouldn't you be with those Kaguya fools?"
Obito Uchiha tilted his head slightly, looking at Black Zetsu with an unreadable expression as he spoke in a tone that was neither warm nor cold.
"What is it?"
"I've come across… some interesting information," Black Zetsu replied calmly.
Truthfully, he found Obito's attitude irritating, but to him, it was nothing unusual.
The Uchiha were all madmen in their own way.
Even if Obito had been beaten like a stray dog in Konoha, here in Kirigakure he was the true power behind the Mizukage. Acting arrogant and overbearing was only natural.
"Information?" Obito frowned slightly. "What kind? Don't tell me those fools are about to stage a coup."
"Not yet," Black Zetsu said with a faint, sinister shake of his head. "But it won't be long."
He paused before continuing, his voice lowering.
"That's not why I came, though. I found something in the village… something strange. Something even I find hard to believe."
Obito's gaze sharpened.
"Then say it clearly. I hate it when people speak in half-sentences."
Black Zetsu's lips curled faintly.
"You probably won't believe this… but I found a Nine-Tails jinchūriki."
—
Inside a secluded farmhouse on the outskirts of Kirigakure, Natsuhiko stood quietly, studying the small child before him—a boy no older than three or four.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
At this moment, he had no idea that his presence had already been exposed. His mind was entirely occupied with one question:
How should I extract the power from this child?
Finding the boy—Kimimaro—had gone surprisingly smoothly. Terumi Mei had cooperated more than expected.
Even though the hatred in her eyes was unmistakable—cold enough to tear him apart if it could—she had still chosen to take the risk.
After all, what Natsuhiko had asked for was merely an abandoned child of the Kaguya clan.
A discarded member of the clan… that hardly counted as a significant loss to Kirigakure.
More importantly, his words had struck a nerve. She needed to deliver information back to the village—whether or not she believed a single word he said.
And she didn't.
Not his so-called "ninja way," not his claim that he would keep his promises. To her, he was nothing more than a complete and utter terrorist, a man steeped in cruelty. Someone like that couldn't possibly be trusted.
Besides, shinobi were not creatures of honor. They were cold, pragmatic tools who had long since discarded any notion of moral integrity.
As a former ANBU, Terumi Mei knew that better than anyone.
The only reason she played along was simple—she was waiting for an opportunity to pass on information.
Natsuhiko had seen through her from the very beginning.
But he didn't care.
She could think whatever she liked; it had nothing to do with him. And this time… he actually intended to keep his word.
Not out of mercy, and certainly not because he cared about preserving anyone from the original story. If that were the case, he wouldn't have killed Ao so decisively.
What he wanted was a voice—someone with enough standing to spread news of his existence.
The greater the legend surrounding this "identity" of his, the safer and more stable things would be for him in the long run.
Pulling his gaze away from Kimimaro, Natsuhiko glanced briefly at Terumi Mei, who lay unconscious nearby. After confirming she was still out cold, he found a place to sit.
Although this operation had caused a bit more commotion than expected, everything was still largely under control.
And the rewards…
They were far beyond what he had anticipated.
Leaving aside Kimimaro—the sole wielder of the "Dead Bone Pulse"—he had also obtained something equally valuable: a Byakugan.
In a sense, he had already gathered the foundational elements needed to construct a purer Ōtsutsuki-based power.
Of course, that was still just a concept—and only at its most basic level.
True Ōtsutsuki power was far more complex. Otherwise, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't have nearly lost even when fighting someone with little real combat experience.
Natsuhiko didn't know what he himself would become if he successfully cultivated and harvested such power.
But one thing was certain—
He was looking forward to it immensely.
Especially now…
"Especially now that the other fruits I planted have fully matured. If they can produce seeds, I can plant them directly."
With a slight turn of his hand, several fruits of different colors appeared instantly in his palm.
This time, what he had cultivated were advanced Fire Release chakra, advanced Wind Release chakra…
And one particularly special—
A fusion fruit.
And that meant that at this very moment, Natsuhiko could create a Kekkei Tota entirely of his own.
Even now, he was still somewhat uncertain about what kind of ability he should ultimately construct. But having come this far, there was no reason to hesitate.
If it worked well, then it would serve as an exceptional case study—something that could provide a solid, almost scientific foundation for his future ideas.
And if it failed… that was fine too.
At the very least, it would still be a valuable experiment, helping him understand what combinations worked best and how to balance different chakra natures without causing instability.
With that thought, Natsuhiko decisively swallowed the Fire Release and Wind Release chakra fruits.
In the instant they slid down his throat—accompanied by an almost unbearable, bitter taste—two powerful forces erupted within his body.
They intertwined rapidly, spiraling around each other before gradually merging into his very being.
Once those energies settled, a stream of unfamiliar yet precise information began to surface in his mind.
This was the unique knowledge carried by high-level chakra itself—detailing, with perfect clarity, the processes of extreme transformation and qualitative change.
In that moment, the true strength of the system revealed itself completely.
It was never about simply granting power.
It was about making him understand it.
After fully absorbing the information, Natsuhiko picked up the final fruit—the fusion fruit—and held it in his hand.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself against its strange, overwhelmingly bitter taste and shoved it into his mouth in one motion.
By now, he had already decided on the combination he would use.
Up to this point, this identity of his had only displayed Earth Release—so that element was a necessity.
As for the other two, he chose Wind Release and Water Release.
The combination of these three forces might produce something interesting… and, more importantly, they should be compatible.
Originally, he had considered pairing Earth, Wind, and Fire. But then he remembered that Dust Release was formed from that exact combination.
The last thing he wanted was to accidentally replicate an existing ability.
So instead, he replaced Fire with Water—an element he was far more familiar with.
After all, for a first attempt, it was better to work with something he understood well.
Still, as the power began to take shape within him, a new question surfaced in his mind—
What… should I call this release?
...
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