"Orochimaru… and 'Shura'…"
Kakashi's Sharingan locked onto the two figures standing side by side, his breath slightly uneven beneath the mask.
Judging from the state of the cave, it was clear they had fought—and Orochimaru had come out on the losing end.
Yet now the two of them were standing together, as though some kind of agreement had been reached.
"What do you think of 'Tenzo's' Wood Release?" Orochimaru asked hoarsely, his vertical pupils glancing toward Shura. He wanted to know whether his "creation" held any future value.
"Ordinary," came the cold, indifferent reply from beneath the mask.
"Without the bloodline of a ninja clan, his chakra reserves are destined to be meager."
"Beyond Wood Release, he has no worth."
Yamato's greatest strength lay in Wood Release—but he was only a common-born ninja. He lacked both the massive chakra reserves of the Uzumaki and the robust vitality of the Senju. His upper limit would never exceed that of an elite jonin.
Seeing that Shura showed no interest in the still-young "Tenzo," Orochimaru licked his lips.
'So, his future growth is limited… or perhaps I will create even greater works in the future.'
"I'll leave the rest to you," Orochimaru said as he turned toward another exit.
"I need to leave the Land of Fire."
"I'll continue researching the Iburi Clan's bloodline limit. And… you should already know where I'll be heading next, correct?" he added with a meaningful glance.
He had already been this cooperative. Surely the other side should offer some sincerity in return.
"No need for farewells," Menma replied curtly.
"Hmph."
Failing to obtain what he wanted, Orochimaru let out a cold snort, clutching his injured side as he vanished into the dark depths of the tunnel.
"Orochimaru!" Kakashi called out instinctively—but a figure suddenly appeared before him.
The sound of feet crushing gravel echoed sharply.
"Don't focus only on Orochimaru. How about you play with me for a bit?" Menma said lightly, curious to test Kakashi's current strength.
Bang!
The dull crash of leg meeting arm reverberated through the cave! Kakashi barely managed to block the sudden kick, yet was still sent flying several meters.
"Kakashi!"
After their exchanges earlier that day, Yamato had grown much closer to Kakashi. Seeing his fellow Leaf ninja knocked away, he immediately rushed forward, kunai aimed at Menma.
After sending Kakashi flying with one kick, Menma didn't retreat in the face of Yamato's attack—he advanced.
"Too slow!"
With a cold sneer, Menma deflected Yamato's strike with his left hand, grabbing the wrist, then unleashed a barrage of punches with his right, each blow like a storm hammering Yamato's chest.
Blood spurted from Yamato's mouth as his kunai clattered to the ground.
Crackle—
The shriek of lightning erupted from behind!
Menma hooked Yamato's leg with his foot, released him, and struck him away with a final punch—sending him hurtling toward the charging Kakashi.
Seeing Yamato flying toward him, Kakashi's Sharingan trembled violently as painful memories surged up.
The lightning chakra in his hand dispersed instantly. Kakashi caught Yamato instead.
Holding Yamato in his arms, Kakashi's three-tomoe Sharingan quaked uncontrollably.
The image of Rin dying by his own hand tormented him like a nightmare.
"Urgh!"
Yamato coughed up another mouthful of blood, his chest burning as if crushed by a massive boulder.
"Tsk tsk… Is that all you've got?"
Menma had already reached Yukimi's side, gently placing a hand atop the trembling girl's head.
The sequence of attacks he had just used was a personal taijutsu style he had developed—combining traditional martial arts from his past life with techniques learned from "Big Sister Hinata," blending Gentle Fist principles with explosive short-range force.
Precise, unpredictable, and capable of striking pressure points with devastating effect.
Yamato was only thirteen. His taijutsu and Wood Release still had far to go. To Menma, it all felt painfully dull.
"Yukimi!"
Kakashi, supporting the wounded Yamato, saw the girl "held captive" and grit his teeth.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt her," Menma said softly.
"After all… I'm not Orochimaru."
The frightened little girl—trembling like a rabbit caught by an eagle—was just about to attempt to escape using her smoke transformation.
"Lord Shura!"
At that moment, Gotta reappeared from deeper within the cave.
Still bearing the burning mark of the cursed seal on his neck, he stood behind Menma at a respectful distance.
He turned to Yukimi.
"Do not resist, Yukimi. Our clan already belongs to this lord."
Orochimaru had been defeated. According to the wager, the Iburi Clan would serve Shura for generations.
Gotta and the others had already accepted their fate of submitting to a powerful protector.
Reassured by her kin, Yukimi gradually stopped shaking. She timidly looked up at Menma.
"I will free your clan from the flaws of your bloodline limit," Menma said calmly.
"You will walk openly beneath the sun."
"The Iburi Clan shall serve the lord for generations to come!"
Gotta dropped to one knee before Menma, bowing his head completely and exposing the back of his neck without resistance.
The oath of the Iburi Clan echoed through the cavern.
Menma nodded in satisfaction, pleased beneath his mask.
If their smoke transformation's fatal weakness could be overcome, it might rival the Hozuki Clan's Water Release techniques.
Gotta already possessed jonin-level combat ability. If the flaws were fixed and he learned proper ninjutsu, he might well rise to elite jonin.
As Menma turned toward the depths of the cave, he glanced once more at Kakashi and Yamato.
He already had the Hashirama Cells. Yamato no longer held value to him, and he lacked any means to truly control him.
As for Kakashi… he still had his role to play against Obito.
Watching Shura turn away after that disdainful glance, Kakashi dug his nails into his palm.
Ignored by Orochimaru once—and now ignored again by Shura.
The humiliation burned hotter than the blood Yamato had coughed onto his shoulder.
For the first time, Kakashi began to doubt his own strength.
"Yukimi, let's go," Gotta said. Seeing that Shura had no intention of harming the two Leaf ninjas, he wisely followed behind.
Yukimi hesitated, but after Shura and Gotta vanished into the darkness, she hurried over to Kakashi and Yamato.
"Tenzo… are you alright?" she asked softly, concern filling her voice.
"Cough…"
Yamato forced out a weak reply.
"He… is so strong…"
Then he lost consciousness.
"I need to get him medical help immediately," Kakashi said, lifting Yamato onto his shoulder.
As the only Wood Release user in Konoha, Yamato's life was no longer just his own.
At this moment, his safety mattered more to Kakashi than any intelligence on Shura.
"Please leave quickly… and don't come back," Yukimi whispered, biting her lip.
Orochimaru's plot had failed. The Iburi Clan would likely follow Shura to a new homeland.
She didn't want these two new friends to die. She had already lost far too many people.
"…Understood."
Kakashi nodded, carrying Yamato toward the exit.
Before leaving, he turned back one last time.
The final sight he saw was the girl dissolving into drifting smoke.
"Until we meet again," Kakashi murmured.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ZoroTL442