Chapter 119: Sealing Technique – Chakra Absorption
Orochimaru felt terribly unlucky.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been beaten this badly.
Right now, his condition was beyond terrible—not only had Manda died right in front of him, but his body had completely broken down. With no other choice, he had been forced to perform an emergency reincarnation.
---
In the underground laboratory of the Sound Village, Kimimaro was carefully unwrapping Orochimaru's bandages, guilt etched across his face.
"I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama," he said in a low voice. "Not only could I not assist you, I couldn't even serve as your vessel."
"This isn't the time for that," Orochimaru said, voice hoarse and cold. "Has there been any word from Kabuto?"
Kimimaro hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama. Kabuto sent a report… and there's also a message from Konoha."
"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Tell me."
"It wasn't signed. It only asked whether you had gone to the Land of Wind and warned you to be cautious—Konoha might respond."
"Hmph…"
Orochimaru let out a cold chuckle. He knew that was Danzo's doing. But at this point, he had long since stopped trusting Danzo.
"And Kabuto?" he asked.
"According to him, Konoha and the Sand Village appear to have reached a cooperation agreement. The details are unclear."
"What else?"
"Well… the world believes you went to the Land of Wind to steal some treasure, and in doing so, triggered a massive explosion that caused widespread destruction. Both Suna and Konoha have issued bounty orders for you."
"…Tch."
Orochimaru fell silent.
He wasn't particularly concerned about being wanted—Konoha had branded him a rogue for years and it never stopped him before.
But this time, he realized something.
He was being used as a scapegoat.
He didn't even cause the explosion—yet the blame was pinned on him.
"Orochimaru-sama, are you alright?" Kimimaro asked, seeing him unusually quiet.
"I'm fine," Orochimaru said after a moment, licking his lips. "I've just made up my mind."
He still felt the lingering discomfort in both body and soul from the forced reincarnation. It had been a painful process, done too early and without preparation.
But now that his anger had fully ignited—he was ready to retaliate.
"Kimimaro, send word to Kabuto. Tell him to start investigating next year's Chūnin Exams in Konoha—and begin preparations early."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
Kimimaro didn't ask further questions. He nodded and left to carry out the order.
Orochimaru sat alone, recalling the words of Kitagawa Gen and everything that had happened—from being intercepted by Jiraiya in the Land of Hot Water to now.
His clenched fists trembled with rage.
He wasn't someone who took betrayal lightly.
Now, he only had one thing on his mind—revenge.
But then he thought about the boy who had fought him.
"That Kitagawa Gen… he's not simple. His technique was eerily similar to Pain's abilities."
"And that massive chakra explosion—it was his doing."
"That kid is hiding a lot more than he lets on…"
---
Elsewhere, in the Land of Rivers, Kakashi, Guy, and Kitagawa Gen were finally on their way back to Konoha.
"You know," Guy said once they had left the Land of Wind and shaken off any ANBU escorts, "something's off about the Akatsuki's actions this time."
"They were still a pain, but not as troublesome as I expected."
"Maybe they were focused on the artifact in Rōran," Kakashi mused, recovering well from his injuries. "Still, their behavior was strange… like they were probing us for information."
"Agreed," Gen chimed in.
He'd already sensed something was wrong. In his memory, it had taken Jiraiya a long time to even locate the Akatsuki's base of operations.
After all, not everyone had the same advantage he did—as someone who had transmigrated here, he knew a lot of 'unfair' information.
"Our intel was oddly simple, yet extremely precise. It's like someone wanted us to go there," Gen continued.
"Also, during my battle with Orochimaru, two squads—one from Suna and one from Kumo—arrived. They attacked both me and Orochimaru. That implies something fishy about their motives and allegiances."
He still remembered the soldiers who'd charged straight into death. Unfortunately, they'd picked the wrong time and place—right as his Tenseigan's orbital cannon came crashing down.
They were vaporized almost instantly.
"They're dead. Best not to speak of this further," Kakashi said cautiously after some thought.
"I'll report to the Hokage when we return. As for Suna, since they haven't said anything, we'll act as if we don't know either."
"Gen, remember: aside from our own comrades, even allies must be treated with caution."
"Got it, Kakashi-sensei."
Gen nodded. He already understood well enough.
In his memory, Suna had outright violated their alliance by teaming up with Orochimaru to invade Konoha.
"Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "The betrayal you can see isn't scary. It's the one you can't see that really hurts."
Guy blinked at the cryptic line, but Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "That's… quite profound. Where did that come from?"
"Hmm… Uchiha."
"…Uchiha Itachi!" Gen finished, noticing Kakashi's dead-fish eyes starting to bulge.
"Exactly. Who would've thought he of all people would do something like that? Invisible betrayal, right there."
Guy nodded as if he understood, but then added curiously, "Speaking of the Uchiha… Kakashi, remember our class's underachiever? That spiky-haired kid? Could that have been Uchiha Obito?"
"…"
Kakashi facepalmed.
Guy had always been a bit face-blind and forgetful. If he didn't regularly see someone, he had a hard time remembering them.
And as for his star student—Kakashi suspected Jiraiya's influence might have been rubbing off on him a little too much.
---
After several days of travel, the trio finally returned to the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Gen, want to come with us to make the mission report?" Kakashi asked at the village gate, stretching and confirming he didn't need to go to the hospital.
"You're about to be promoted to Jōnin anyway. Might as well start getting used to it."
"Indeed," Guy added, stroking his chin. "The exam this year will likely be overseen by Lady Tsunade or Jiraiya. But either way, I'm sure you'll pass easily. That kind of rapid promotion is rare, even in Konoha history!"
Graduating and making Jōnin within a year—unheard of, but Gen was anything but ordinary.
"Nah, I'll pass for now," Gen said with a smile after some thought. "Let me rest up first. I'll deal with the promotion when the time comes. Might as well take it easy while I can."
"Suit yourself," Kakashi replied nonchalantly, then added:
"By the way, in a few days, I'll introduce you to some of the others in the village that I'm close with."
"You've been doing missions ever since you graduated, so you haven't had the chance to meet many people. That won't do."
"Besides, you're my student—if you ever run into trouble, you can ask them for help too."
"Sounds good. I've been wanting to meet some of these seniors anyway."
Kitagawa Gen smiled and nodded. He had no reason to refuse.
The ninjas who graduated with Kakashi were the backbone of Konoha today—and would remain so for a long time. Naruto's generation would eventually become the village's next core strength.
As for Kitagawa Gen, caught somewhere in the middle, he could be seen as neither here nor there—but also someone who could enjoy the best of both worlds.
"I know everyone above me, and I've got great relationships with those below. How could I possibly lose?"
He was starting to feel a bit unbeatable. Watching Kakashi and Guy wave back at him before heading into the Hokage building, he simply turned around and began walking back himself.
"In Konoha, I'm not just getting by—I'm thriving."
As he strolled leisurely through the village streets, he tilted his head back, staring at the sky in quiet thought.
"Since I've already demonstrated enough 'talent,' it's time to take the next step."
He had always wanted to "whitewash" his abilities and make them appear reasonable. Until now, he could only show that he relied on hard work and study—but that was necessary.
After all, he had only just "escaped" from the ninja academy. It was okay to show talent and ability, but not to an excessive degree.
He needed to proceed step by step, gradually letting others accept the narrative that, like Minato Namikaze, he had undergone a complete transformation upon becoming a true ninja.
"Just like those two Uchiha punks—already stirring up storms at this age."
Truthfully, he had long surpassed that stage. Now it was time to level up again.
"Kekkei Genkai..."
Gen didn't need to go overboard. He had no plans to let anyone know about the Tenseigan.
A man needs to keep some cards close to his chest—the less others know, the easier it is to strike hard when it matters.
But Kekkei Genkai was different. He'd eventually acquire more of them. It was far better to reveal them gradually and rationally than to shock everyone in the middle of a battle.
---
"Hey, Gen? You're back?"
"Hmm?"
Gen turned his head in surprise and saw Naruto standing nearby, giving him a strange look.
"Naruto?"
"Yeah, you—"
"You skipped training again?"
"...Can't you think better of me just once, you bastard?!"
Naruto was genuinely exasperated—Gen was just too much.
"I've been training with Pervy Sage, you know! I told you—I will—"
"—Become Hokage, yeah yeah, I've heard it a thousand times."
Gen didn't even let him finish. He already knew exactly what Naruto was going to say.
"But aren't you supposed to be training? What are you doing here?"
"Tch. Look at where I am."
Naruto pointed furiously behind him.
"You think I dare go in there? You think I can go in there?!"
"..."
Gen turned his head and glanced back—then gave Naruto a slightly sympathetic look and patted him on the shoulder.
It was a legit hot spring bathhouse—not like those shady ones in the Land of Hot Water—but even so, nothing good ever happened when Jiraiya was inside.
"Hm?"
Gen's brow suddenly furrowed, and he gave Naruto a peculiar look.
"This is..."
He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, and in that instant—though his vision didn't change—he sensed it.
Deep within Naruto's body, the Nine-Tails suddenly jolted awake, eyes wide open, fur bristling, scanning its surroundings in confusion!
At the same time, Naruto clutched his stomach.
"Ugh... Why's it so hot all of a sudden...?"
"You've been standing in front of a bathhouse. Of course it's hot."
Gen withdrew his hand and gave a nonchalant reply.
He hadn't expected the Nine-Tails to be that sensitive.
"Was it because of my recent power boost?"
---
[Name: Kitagawa Gen]
[Bloodline: Otsutsuki Clan (Development: 33%)
[Dōjutsu: Tenseigan (Awakened Stage)
[Chakra Capacity: SSS (Above Kage Level)
[Chakra Natures: Water, Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Yin, Yang]
[Special Techniques: Ice Release, Magnet Release]
[Special Energy Source: Dragon Vein Chakra]
---
He glanced at his status. With the infusion of Dragon Vein Chakra, he had activated Three-Tails and Seven-Tails chakra, and his bloodline development had been steadily rising.
The burning, boiling sensation had faded somewhat, but the lingering effects remained.
Clearly, this process would continue for a while, though the results likely wouldn't be as explosive as before.
"But that's not the key point. The key is in the eyes."
Having already received the 'doctrine' from the Giant Tenseigan, and now with continued infusion from the Three-Tails and Seven-Tails, his eyes had evolved again—
He had acquired two new abilities!
"Fūinjutsu Absorption" and "Mind Layer Dive."
One allowed him to absorb chakra; the other was for reading memories.
Both were highly practical—but also a bit puzzling.
"Huh... aren't these both Rinnegan abilities?"
Gen stroked his chin thoughtfully. Maybe to him, whether it was the Rinnegan or Tenseigan, they were all just byproducts of the divine tree's legacy.
Only by constantly absorbing tailed beast chakra could he further develop his bloodline—and evolve his eyes.
---
"Whoa... Weird. I feel better now."
With Gen's hand gone, Naruto immediately felt the heat vanish. He looked back at the bathhouse with a frown.
"That pervy old man is seriously a menace. I thought I was going to get heatstroke."
"That's still better than me. Back then, I had to stay cooped up in a hotel the whole time."
Gen pursed his lips—then suddenly broke into a mischievous grin.
"But I just thought of a way to deal with this kind of thing."
"Oh? Do tell!"
Naruto's eyes lit up. He was sick and tired of Jiraiya's antics too.
"It's simple."
Gen winked, then gathered chakra into his throat—and, mimicking Naruto's voice, shouted:
"Pervy Sage! You're peeping again, you damn pervert! Somebody catch the lecher!!"
"..."
Naruto stared at Gen in shock. Is this guy trying to get me killed?!
"What are you standing there for? Run!"
Gen didn't wait—he bolted, and Naruto, still dazed, scrambled after him.
"It's a misunderstanding! I swear it's all a misunderstanding!!"
Moments later, Jiraiya came fleeing out of the bathhouse in total panic.
Chasing him was a furious mob of bathhouse workers wielding brooms and mops—along with a group of kunoichi armed with actual ninja tools...
--