Chapter 201: One Version, One God
Naruto flashed to the left, dodging the middle-aged man's giant sword attack.
He thought for two seconds.
He was wondering which skill to use.
Having too many cards in hand was also a kind of trouble.
They were all trump cards.
"I choose you! Seven-Day Lock of Unbreakable Love!"
Two chains quickly shot out from Naruto's chest, binding the middle-aged man layer upon layer.
"Hmph, it's useless! All Ninjutsu are meaningless to me!"
The middle-aged man didn't panic at all, even taking the time to make a declaration. "The era of Ninjas has passed; now is the era of..."
"Now is the era of kamen rider."
Naruto interrupted him and picked his ear. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'The villain dies because they talk too much'?"
The middle-aged man looked confused.
kamen rider?
Masked Rider?
What on earth is that?
And villain? You're the villain! Your whole family are villains!
We of the Artisan Village are the victims.
"Infinite Pore Armor!"
The middle-aged man shouted, "Absorb!"
The armor on his body suddenly lit up, frantically absorbing Chakra through the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Naruto felt the Chakra draining from his body.
No wonder he dared to say the era of Ninjas had passed.
An ordinary Ninja really wouldn't be able to withstand such a powerful suction.
If it were Kakashi, he'd probably be on his knees in a second.
No matter how many hundreds of Ninjutsu he had, they would be useless.
But of all the things he shouldn't have done, the middle-aged man picked the Ninja with the most Chakra in the Ninja World.
With the Six Paths Sage dead, Senju Hashiramahaving followed his love to the grave, and Nagatonot showing himself, his Chakra was the greatest in the Ninja World.
"How is there so much?!"
The middle-aged man absorbed for nearly half a minute, yet he still hadn't reached the bottom.
He had never seen a Ninja with so much Chakra.
"No matter how powerful a ninja tool is, it has its limits, let alone yours, which isn't even that strong."
Naruto stood in place, talking calmly.
The strength shown by the four ninja tools of the Four Symbols Heavenly Beings was indeed average.
Even their so-called ultimate ninja tool.
The ancestor Seimei wasn't all that great either.
He remembered that in the original work, after he came out, he was actually taken down by Gaara in three moves.
To think he was bragging about a new era and crushing the Five Great Villages; it was truly like a cow jumping at a disco—just shaking with arrogance.
"You're full of it!"
The middle-aged man said anxiously.
He had spent his whole life believing his ninja tools were invincible under heaven.
But he didn't expect to take such a big fall right after leaving the Village.
"Fine, then keep at it."
Naruto beckoned with his hand and said, "I'll see when you can finish absorbing it all."
The middle-aged man's face turned red, and the armor on his body was operating at full power.
But it was useless.
At this moment, he had a feeling of wanting to escape but being unable to do so.
After another half a minute, his armor began to emit hot white steam.
The middle-aged man's pupils shook as he looked at his Infinite Pore Armor in disbelief.
This damn thing had reached its limit!
Commonly known as energy overload.
"It seems your armor isn't infinite after all. Change the name next time."
Naruto noticed that the Chakra was no longer draining and couldn't help but smile.
However, judging by the amount of Chakraabsorbed, it was about two hundred 'Kakashis' worth.
Except for a few Ninjas, most really couldn't have withstood it.
Including Gaara without using Shukaku.
The middle-aged man was so angry his head was throbbing.
This was psychological warfare!
Naruto raised an eyebrow; Shikamaru and the others had already dealt with the other three of the Four Symbols Heavenly Beings.
Their ninja tools had been summoned away by their leader, causing their strength to plummet to barely Jonin level.
Naturally, they couldn't last very long.
Naruto looked at the middle-aged man.
He needed a traitor to help him take over the Artisan Village.
"Try my move, Lightning Cyclone Slash."
Naruto kicked him, knocking him unconscious, and then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to throw the guy to the Langya Pavilion.
After finishing, he looked at the unconscious Matsuri nearby.
Gaara's apprentice.
Naruto had also seen her when she participated in the Chunin Exams in the Hidden Sand Village.
Among the younger generation, she and Jiro were considered the strongest.
"Wake up."
Naruto nudged her body.
He checked her over; there were no injuries, she had just fainted.
A moment later, Matsuri woke up.
"You?"
She recognized Naruto.
Besides the exams, she heard Gaara talking about him every day, so how could she not be familiar with him?
"Where is that person?"
Matsuri looked around, but could only see some traces of a struggle.
"He ran away."
Naruto said casually.
With several'shua' sounds, Gaara and the others appeared.
"Gaara-sensei!"
Matsuri immediately abandoned her savior and ran to Gaara.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
It wasn't that he was angry.
Rather, he was considering Gaara's lifelong happiness.
It seemed Matsuri wasn't bad either.
Forget it, a teacher-student romance isn't great, and if this continues, I'll really become a matchmaker.
[Congratulations to the host for achieving the 'Fox Spirit Matchmaker' achievement. Gained one normal card draw.]
Huh?
This can actually count as an achievement?
I'll accept the matchmaker part, but what's with the 'Fox Spirit'? I'm not one!
Naruto suddenly froze.
He wasn't a fox spirit, but Kurama was.
Well-reasoned and convincing... my foot!
System, please change 'Little' to 'Great', thank you!
Whether it's Kurama or him, they have nothing to do with being 'little'.
"Thank you, Naruto."
Gaara had already learned the sequence of events from Matsuri.
"It's nothing. Even without me, with your strength, there wouldn't have been any problem."
Naruto put away Enma and glanced at Shikamaruand Temari.
Perhaps he should also thank these two for this achievement.
"No need for pleasantries."
Naruto waved his hand and said, "One escaped, and who knows when he might come back. You should be careful."
Originally, he wanted to warn them about the Akatsuki Organization.
But he didn't.
The Hidden Sand Village's top-level combat power was too severely lacking.
There was only Gaara, plus Chiyo-baasan, who had one foot in the grave.
No matter how much he warned them, it wouldn't be of much use.
But what differed from the original work was Shukaku's attitude.
Facing a Gaara who could use the Tailed Beast's Chakra, Deidara wouldn't find it so easy to win.
He just didn't know who his other teammate would be now that Sasori was gone.
"Mission accomplished."
Naruto said with a smile, "Shikamaru, you take a trip to the Hidden Sand Village to check on the situation. After all, their initial attack started from the Village."
"What a drag."
Shikamaru said with his hands behind his head.
"If it's such a drag, then you don't have to come."
Temari huffed, speaking with dissatisfaction.
Shikamaru curled his lip.
He didn't say anything more.
"I'll leave it to you."
Naruto grabbed Shino and returned to Konoha.
Shino adjusted his glasses.
Zero game experience.
Aside from one fight, he seemed to have accomplished nothing.
But leeching an A-rank mission wasn't bad either.
"Naruto, I..."
Before Shino could finish, the person had already disappeared.
But he was already used to it and turned to walk towards his teammates.
Naruto stopped as he passed the Hokage Rock.
In addition to the original four heads, there was another third of a head.
Tsunade's chin.
Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered something.
It seemed a certain trap master named Gennō had buried a large number of exploding tags in Konoha.
Naruto looked left and right, found a secluded spot, and activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Although the Sharingan doesn't have an X-ray function, it can observe the flow of Chakra.
The essence of an exploding tag is to seal a certain Ninjutsu within a talisman.
There must be Chakra inside.
"It's actually real?"
Naruto suddenly felt it was absurd.
exploding tags spread across the entire Konohahadn't been discovered for thirty years; the odds of this were comparable to winning the lottery.
He even began to doubt the loyalty of the Hyuga Clan.
In the original work, Gennō didn't detonate them because he met Naruto and played a treasure hunt game instead.
But it might not be the case now.
Thinking of this, Naruto immediately went to the Hyuga house, picked up Hinata, and ran.
The two Hyuga gatekeepers were dumbfounded.
What, a kidnapping for marriage?
Should we report this to the Clan Leader?
"Quick, look at the Hokage Rock."
Naruto pointed at half of Tsunade's head.
"Wha... what's wrong?"
Hinata was confused.
She looked at the Hokage Rock, then at Naruto.
"Use the Byakugan."
Naruto reminded her.
Hinata's eyes widened, her Byakugan activated, and she immediately realized something was wrong.
"There are so many."
Her small mouth opened slightly as she murmured to herself, a trace of horror appearing on her face.
If all of these exploded, people would die.
And it wouldn't be just one person; it would be a huge crowd.
"Naruto-kun, what should we do now?"
"Go find the Hokage, of course."
Naruto shrugged.
With so many exploding tags, if the two of them tried to find them all, it would take until their next life.
"What did you say?!"
After hearing the news, Tsunade's legs also felt a bit weak.
Anyone would be shocked to know they had been living in a circle of exploding tags.
Especially when they had been there for thirty years.
After all, thirty years ago, Tsunade was a young girl.
Maybe she was even a'Shenzhou Flat' back then.
Hmm, Shenzhou Flat, Inch Power Shatters the Heavens.
Naruto suddenly found that this phrase described Tsunade perfectly too.
With her punch backed by fifty years of power, few people could take it.
"Quick, go find Jiraiya."
Tsunade hurriedly ordered.
She didn't doubt that Naruto and Hinata were telling the truth.
No one would joke about such a thing.
The Anbu protecting her immediately replied with a 'Yes'.
A minute later, Jiraiya asked, "exploding tagsspread all over Konoha? Is there some mistake?"
"There's no mistake," Naruto replied. "Hinata saw them with her Byakugan; there are deeply buried exploding tags everywhere."
"That's unscientific!" Jiraiya shouted. "No one noticed at all?"
"It might be because they are all from a previous version of exploding tags."
Tsunade frowned and said, "The exploding tagsfrom thirty years ago are very different from the current ones. Perhaps that's why they weren't noticed."
Although it was a bit far-fetched, Naruto thought it made sense.
The version is always the true god.
As the saying goes: One version, one god; every version, play Garen.
Ahem.
"I'll immediately have the Anbu and the Police Force investigate."
Jiraiya stopped wasting time and prepared to leave.
"Wait."
Naruto stopped him and said, "It's impossible for a Ninja to spread exploding tags all over Konoha. The only possibility is a trap master."
Tsunade's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"You're right!"
She stood up and paced, a look of recollection on her face. "Thirty years ago, Konoha happened to undergo a renovation and expansion."
"And this discovery happened because Tsunade's Hokage head was being carved."
Jiraiya's expression changed as he immediately identified the target. "It's a problem with the construction team!"
"Where are they now?"
Seeing they had figured it out, Naruto said, "Jiraiya, give me a squad of Anbu. I'll handle the construction team side."
Because he couldn't directly say it was Gennō.
"Fine!"
Jiraiya didn't hesitate at all.
Naruto's performance meant he could no longer be treated as a child.
Besides, he was the one most responsible for discovering this crisis.
"Yamato will tell you."
Jiraiya handed over an Anbu ace to Naruto.
"Hinata, let's go."
When Naruto and Hinata arrived outside the Hokage Building, they met the Anbu squad led by Yamato, totaling 17 people.
"Follow me."
Yamato wasn't in the mood for talking either.
"Open up, I'm Anbu!"
Naruto kicked open the door to the construction team's headquarters. "Everyone, hands behind your heads and squat down! Men on the left, women on the right!"
"???"
Yamato was stunned for a moment.
The Anbu didn't have this procedure.
"Yamato-senpai, why are you standing there? Arrest them!"
"Oh."
Yamato's hands formed seals, and a wooden wall immediately rose around the headquarters.
Regardless, he had to block the escape routes first.
The remaining sixteen Anbu rushed forward and brought the entire construction team under control.
The construction team leader was completely bewildered and shouted, "My lords, I am a law-abiding citizen! I am a very good person!"
"Don't worry, we won't wrongly accuse a good person, but we won't let a bad one go either."
Naruto patted his shoulder, showing a flash of his teeth. "We are the righteous Anbu. Go get your construction team's roster."
"Yes, yes!"
The construction team leader hurriedly ran inside.
Soon, Naruto looked over the roster.
If he remembered correctly, Gennō had used his real name to infiltrate Konoha.
One could only say it was ridiculous.
"Gennō."
Naruto called out.
An old man immediately raised his head.
"Yamato-senpai, it's him!"
Gennō's expression changed; he didn't know how he had been exposed.
But having been called out subconsciously, he couldn't maintain his composure and retreated rapidly.
After hitting the wooden wall, he threw out a large pile of exploding tags which detonated with a boom.
"Wood Release: Tree Wall!"
Yamato pressed his hands to the ground, and countless vines formed a shield that blocked the explosion's aftershock.
"Sorry about this."
Naruto directly blocked Gennō.
You might have a reason for revenge, but I also have a reason why I must go to the World Championship—wait, wrong script—a reason why I must eliminate you.
He didn't hesitate at all; Enma pierced through his heart, ending his pain.
Because Gennō himself was already suffering from illness.
Even without this incident, he was going to die.
But he felt that dying like that was too simple, so he wanted to take Konoha down with him.
Because Konoha had indirectly destroyed his hidden Village thirty years ago.
Naruto shook his head.
Thirty years ago was an era where if I didn't kill you, you would kill me.
Who was right and who was wrong couldn't be easily judged.
"Yamato-senpai, you go help with disarming the exploding tags."
"Mm."
Yamato nodded... In Amegakure.
A series of violent explosions suddenly rang out.
Uzumaki Menma looked speechless.
"I really want to blow something up!"
Deidara's voice came through.
"Blow up, blow up, you only know how to blow things up. You're the kind of guy who kills but doesn't bury. Do you know how hard it is to earn money?!"
Uzumaki Menma couldn't help but complain.
"What did you say? I'll kill you!"
Deidara ran out from the explosion's smoke, glaring at him with murderous intent.
"Oh dear, why are you two senpais arguing again?"
Tobi, wearing his mask, appeared between them. "Our Akatsuki Organization is a loving family."
"I don't have a family."
Uzumaki Menma said with a sharp tongue.
He really didn't.
Because Hinata hadn't married in yet.
But Deidara didn't dare say that.
Seeing this, Tobi quickly held him back and whispered advice: "More than half of the Akatsuki Organization's funds are now provided by Uzumaki Menma and Kakuzu-senpai. If you offend them, your special clay won't be easy to get, senpai."
"He wouldn't dare!"
Deidara roared, "Art must never be defiled by money!"