Chapter 160: Dust Release! Long Time No See, Shimura Danzo
"Transformation Technique..."
It was obvious now—Sasuke and Naruto had been hit by Kitagawa Gen's transformation jutsu.
Last night, those two idiots got drunk for no apparent reason, and Gen had to drag them home. That was when a curious thought struck him:
"What if those two switched bodies?"
The idea alone was too tempting to resist.
"Guess I'll test it out."
He'd originally considered using the Spirit Transformation Technique, but decided to go for something simpler.
"After all, I've been meaning to try this one out for a while."
Back when he hadn't yet awakened the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, he'd pondered how to survive the chaos of the Chūnin Exams.
In the end, he'd concluded that the best option was to turn his enemies into copies of himself, while disguising himself as one of them—perfect for laying low.
While he no longer needed such tactics now, testing them on others? Still fun.
It's just... maybe it worked a little too well.
---
"Hmm, not bad. Your self-introductions were pretty convincing," Kakashi said, rubbing his chin as he observed the now-untransformed Naruto and Sasuke.
Both of them were bruised and battered, standing in silence—clearly aware they'd been pranked hard by Gen.
Worse, they had absolutely no idea what happened at first—just woke up with pounding headaches and acted on instinct.
Embarrassed, both their faces turned red.
---
"Alright, alright, I came to talk to you two about something," Kakashi said cheerfully, completely ignoring their beaten-up state.
"Though honestly, compared to Gen, you two are definitely the worst genin I've ever trained."
"..."
Sasuke and Naruto were both stunned speechless.
"That said, I'm still giving you a chance. Here—Chūnin Exam application forms. If you want in, just sign them."
"Huh?!"
They were shocked, but then joy instantly bloomed across their faces.
"The Chūnin Exams? For real? We're in?"
Kakashi nodded, already pulling out his beloved Icha Icha Paradise and reading.
"It's up to you to decide. Oh, and make sure Sakura gets hers too. Be at the usual meeting spot tomorrow morning."
With that, Kakashi waved his hand and vanished.
---
"Chūnin Exams, huh..."
Sasuke and Naruto stood there holding their forms, clearly excited.
They locked eyes—and in that look, they both saw determination.
"Hey, your face's a little swollen."
Naruto grinned, only to wince as his own face throbbed in pain.
"Idiot."
Sasuke rubbed his cheek, wincing just as much. They glanced at each other... and suddenly, they burst into laughter.
---
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the village, Deidara and Kitagawa Gen had arrived at a training ground.
Gen was all smiles, clearly in a great mood.
Deidara gave him a side-eye and muttered,
"Tch... You're definitely up to something."
"Wrong," Gen replied calmly, shaking his head.
"By the way, how many are coming from the Sand Village this time? And when's your Tsuchikage arriving?"
"Not telling," Deidara replied with a smirk.
"You'll find out soon—either later today or tomorrow."
Though he still had a free-spirited style, Deidara had matured somewhat since becoming a jōnin. He at least acted the part now.
"As for the old man, he'll probably show up for the final round. Tradition, you know?"
"Huh, look at you—keeping secrets now?"
Gen raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Please. You're not exactly forthcoming yourself. Besides, maybe I'm not keeping secrets. Maybe I just don't know."
"Fair. Let's get started, then."
Gen casually unsheathed his ninjatō.
"Friendly advice—use your best techniques fast, or you might not get another chance."
"Or maybe... I already did."
Deidara's grin widened mischievously.
The moment the words left his mouth, a storm of micro-explosives shot toward Gen.
But Gen merely shook his head—and in the blink of an eye, vanished.
In the next instant—shing!
His blade pierced straight through Deidara's body.
---
"Of course I knew you started. I was already ready for you."
Crackling purple lightning erupted from Gen's blade, instantly frying the nearby explosives and rendering them useless.
---
"You bastard! Were you really gonna stab me like that?! Hm!"
Deidara's voice came from above. He was standing on one of his signature clay birds, watching as his clone was run through.
"Damn, that lightning jutsu of his... It's insanely strong. Completely shuts down my clay. What a terrifying guy."
He'd always known lightning jutsu countered his style—that was why Gen had once refused to fight him.
But seeing it in action for the first time? That hit differently.
"Still... thanks for the reminder. If not for you, I wouldn't have gone back and studied Dust Release. You really are a kindred spirit in the pursuit of artistic perfection. Hm!"
Even though his surprise attack failed, Deidara didn't seem discouraged at all.
His art had evolved.
"Ready, Gen? Time to show you... my new art!"
Standing tall on his bird, Deidara rapidly formed hand seals.
"Here it comes..."
On the ground, Gen grew serious.
He knew that their battle would push both of them to their limits.
After all, they both believed in 'art as a moment of explosion.'
Dust Release—he'd waited a long time to see it again.
Even though he'd been studying it for years, the fusion ratios of its three chakra natures were incredibly hard to get right.
Combining two chakra types was already difficult, but three? That was an entirely different beast.
If it were just two types, he could experiment more freely—the worst outcome would just be a weaker jutsu.
But with three...
There was no room for error.
But even for him, experimenting with three chakra natures was too risky to attempt lightly!
"So this is the correct ratio…"
Kitagawa Gen watched Deidara's hand seals closely, sensing how his chakra fluctuated and how the different nature transformations intertwined.
His eyes lit up slightly—he had begun to grasp the key to this technique!
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
At that moment, Deidara completed the technique.
Bright white light condensed into a translucent, conical barrier—a warped zone of destructive force forming within.
In the next second, a blinding beam of energy exploded outward, roaring down toward Gen with unstoppable might.
This scene made Kitagawa Gen instinctively recall the moment Onoki's Dust Release rained down in the Land of Earth.
But—
"So that's how it works… I think I've finally figured it out."
As he stared at the descending white light, Kitagawa's smile bloomed. He had truly cracked the mystery!
The precise chakra ratio.
The full fusion process.
The actual result when all three chakra natures were successfully combined.
He understood everything now!
"Though… Deidara deliberately aimed wide. Not bad at all. In that case—"
Kitagawa Gen took a deep breath. Chakra surged around him as he looked up at Deidara in the sky.
---
Elsewhere – Hokage's Office
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the nearby ANBU and asked quietly:
"Any movements from Danzo lately?"
Jiraiya and Tsunade stood nearby, listening.
"Hokage-sama, there's nothing significant so far. We still haven't been able to enter Root's base, and Lord Danzo hasn't left recently."
"I see…"
Hiruzen bit on his pipe and fell silent, deep in thought.
Seeing Tsunade's growing frustration, Jiraiya spoke up:
"Hey, old man. Why not just go talk to him directly? Wouldn't that be easier?"
"You…"
Hiruzen shook his head helplessly.
"We can't handle this directly—not now. It would only cause bigger problems."
"Then what about before?" Tsunade frowned. "I've confirmed it beyond a doubt. That's my grandfather's altered cells. And the only one with access is him. Old man… I need you to act decisively."
"I understand."
Of course, Hiruzen knew what Tsunade meant—she wanted him to deal with Danzo after the Chunin Exams.
Though frustrated, even he could no longer defend Danzo's actions.
"I'll ease surveillance on him for now. Keep him from getting suspicious. I'll also find a chance to speak with him—hopefully to prevent a bigger mess later."
"Good."
Tsunade said no more. She understood her teacher's intentions.
As absurd as it was, given her and Jiraiya's situation—not to mention Orochimaru—she couldn't press it further.
"Anyway, enough about that. Jiraiya, how's your research going?"
"And how are preparations for the Chunin Exams?"
"I've already found the two chakra signatures inside Naruto," Jiraiya replied earnestly, smiling.
"It's Minato and Kushina for sure. I can awaken them. But maintaining the seal and managing the chakra drain is still a challenge…"
"Good. Keep working on it," Hiruzen nodded, pleased.
"That's promising news."
"As for the exam setup, don't worry. Everything's ready—"
BOOM—
Before Jiraiya could finish, a deafening explosion erupted outside!
"What was that?!"
All three jolted, rushing to the window—only to see a mushroom cloud slowly rising in the distance.
Seeing this, Hiruzen clutched his chest, then turned furiously to Jiraiya.
"This is what you call everything is ready?!"
---
Inside the Village
Across Konoha, people stood frozen in disbelief.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Kankuro, who had just arrived with the Sand delegation, stared wide-eyed at the growing mushroom cloud.
He turned to Baki in shock.
"Is it… really that dangerous here?"
"Gaara, are you alright?!"
Temari rushed to her brother's side. Gaara had suddenly crouched, clutching his head in pain.
The One-Tail inside him was reacting wildly!
---
Outskirts of Konoha – Root Division
At the village's edge, Shimura Danzo and several Root operatives were also gazing toward the village center.
From their distance, they too could see the mushroom cloud billowing in the air.
"What's going on…?"
But before Danzo could make sense of it, two silhouettes slowly emerged from the forest.
His attention instantly sharpened.
The three locked eyes in stunned silence.
For a long moment, none of them moved.
Then, the red-haired man among the newcomers finally spoke:
"Long time no see, Shimura Danzo…"
---