Hokage Building.
Yugao Uzuki stood in the hallway, lifting her head to see Kurenai Yuhi.
She wore a sleek black pencil skirt, her cheeks slightly flushed with a shy smile that gave her a particularly captivating charm.
Kurenai noticed her gaze, tensed slightly, then instinctively turned away.
A moment later, she regained her composure and greeted, "Yugao."
Yugao Uzuki nodded and said, "Hokage-sama sent for me."
Though somewhat curious, she didn't press further.
Their relationship wasn't close enough for such familiarity.
"I see."
Kurenai said with a smile. "Then go ahead. Don't keep Hokage-sama waiting."
Yugao acknowledged briefly and walked toward the Hokage's office.
"Oh, Yugao."
Suddenly remembering something, Kurenai spoke up. "How is Hayate Gekko's health?"
"Not very well."
Yugao gave her a mildly surprised glance before replying.
"Has he been to the hospital?"
Kurenai hesitated briefly before explaining, "Recently, the hospital has developed new technology. I heard even severed limbs can regenerate—it's quite amazing."
"Hayate Gekko's condition stems from his bloodline limit, the Toton. It's incurable."
Yugao said calmly.
"I'm sorry."
Kurenai quickly responded.
"It's nothing—I've gotten used to it."
Having seen so much death under Orochimaru, Yugao remained emotionally composed.
Moreover, unlike the original storyline, her relationship with Hayate Gekko hadn't been particularly close.
Because back when she was still at the Ninja Academy, Orochimaru had taken her as his disciple.
As a result, she hadn't spent much time with Hayate.
Yugao turned and knocked on the door, and entered only after receiving permission.
"Hokage-sama."
She bowed respectfully.
One reason was that Natsume had rescued her from the dangerous Orochimaru.
The other was the ninja instinct drilled into her over the years.
Regardless of her personal feelings toward Orochimaru, she had always obeyed his orders.
Now that she had been given to Natsume, her loyalty had naturally shifted accordingly.
"You're currently the contract holder of Ryuchi Cave, right?"
Natsume lifted his head and directly asked.
"Yes."
Yugao answered. "It's been several years, but I've been too slow to master Sage Mode."
Natsume arched a brow.
Her answer went beyond what he'd asked.
By laying everything out like this, she seemed to be expressing her loyalty.
Thinking about Orochimaru, Natsume genuinely believed that man had a gift for leadership.
All of his subordinates were completely loyal, willing to sacrifice their lives without hesitation.
If it were Natsume himself, he could only force obedience through power.
He could never match Orochimaru's level.
Therefore, he actually felt wary toward Yugao.
But judging by appearances, she didn't seem particularly fond of Orochimaru anymore.
"I have a mission for you."
Natsume pulled out a scroll and said, "I previously struck a deal with the White Snake Sage, earning Konoha more contract spots. I called you here to lead them to Ryuchi Cave."
Yugao Uzuki stepped forward, took the scroll without even glancing at it, and nodded, saying, "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Natsume divided the list into two groups.
One group consisted of Jonin and talented Chunin or Genin.
The second group was made up of people he knew well—Hinata Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka, Kurenai Yuhi, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha were the second group.
He planned to lead the trip himself.
In theory, the contractees of the Three Great Holy Places could summon any of their summoned beasts.
But the snakes from Ryuchi Cave were notoriously unpredictable.
Manda, for example, was difficult to control.
Later, Sasuke Uchiha specifically chose a snake named Aoda as his personal summoned beast.
Of course, those days were long gone.
Natsume, however, had no reason to fear Manda.
Therefore, his goal was straightforward: bring Hinata and the others there, defeat some of the strongest snakes, then sign contracts.
At the same time, he would have the White Snake Sage assess their potential to train in [Sage Mode].
"You take my order and gather the ninjas on this list. Head to Ryuchi Cave."
Natsume dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Yugao bowed respectfully and left the office.
Soon after, Kurenai entered.
"Natsume, they're all waiting for you outside the Hokage Building's square."
"You come along too."
Natsume stood up, smiled, and said.
"What's going on?" Kurenai asked curiously.
"I'll tell you later," Natsume teased.
The two arrived at the square.
"Natsume-sensei!" 'Do we have an important mission?' Naruto Uzumaki asked eagerly.
The reason he said that was because so many people had been gathered.
Hinata Hyuga and Ino Yamanaka thought the same.
But they felt slightly disappointed there wouldn't be a chance for some private time.
Kurenai, being more familiar with Natsume, suspected otherwise. This was highly unusual.
"Do you know where Ryuchi Cave is?" Natsume smiled and asked.
"The Ryuchi Cave, one of the Three Great Holy Places for summoned beasts," Ino Yamanaka answered.
Though the Three Great Holy Places were secret, most ninja clans knew something about them.
In the room, probably only Kurenai hadn't known much.
But when Orochimaru's name came up, she finally grasped the significance of Ryuchi Cave.
After all, his deeds were widely known in Konoha Village. Everyone knew he commanded a fearsome giant snake.
There's more to this chapter—excitement ahead!
"Calling you here is to bring you all to Ryuchi Cave."
Natsume didn't wait for anyone to react before activating the Flying Thunder God Technique.
When they opened their eyes, they were already standing before Ryuchi Cave.
On the way to the White Snake Sage's temple, he explained [Sage Mode] to them.
This filled everyone present with excitement.
After all, becoming stronger was always appealing.
Especially for Sasuke Uchiha.
He had recently suffered a crushing defeat from the Third Raikage and had been pushing himself relentlessly ever since.
Natsume glanced at him.
In the original story, he didn't have access to Sage Mode.
Knowing Orochimaru's nature, there was no way he wouldn't have taught it.
The only possible explanation was that Sasuke simply couldn't master it.
"Hokage-sama,"
They hadn't even reached the temple when the White Snake Sage sensed their presence and came out to greet them.
His attitude was unusually amiable.
As for the Three Serpent Goddesses, they were still in Konoha Village teaching Pharmacist Kabuto about Sage Mode.
"White Snake Sage, please check whether they're capable of training in Sage Mode," Natsume said casually.
"No problem."
The White Snake Sage nodded as he spoke.
Under normal circumstances, those wanting to learn Sage Mode must first pass a test administered by the Three Serpent Goddesses.
This test wasn't really about talent—it was more about one's mindset,
with a bit of luck involved.
This time, however, that step was skipped entirely.
"I'll inject natural energy into each of you," the White Snake Sage looked at the group and said. "Follow the method I teach you to absorb it. If you can't handle it and your body begins turning completely into snake scales, that means you lack the talent or ability to master it."
The five listened carefully and solemnly nodded.
The White Snake Sage began his test.
Normally, anyone who underwent snake transformation would be devoured immediately by snakes.
Thanks to Natsume, they all survived.
In the end, only one person showed potential—
Naruto Uzumaki.
Though disappointed, Kurenai Yuhi, Hinata Hyuga, and Ino Yamanaka remained rather calm.
But Sasuke Uchiha was so furious his entire body trembled.
Even the power of his Sharingan increased significantly.
He had lost again to Naruto Uzumaki.
If no one had talent, maybe he could accept that.
But why did things turn out like this?
What followed was relatively simple.
Natsume took them all to fight against Manda, Shinta, and other snakes.
From this trip alone, they successfully gained one hundred and thirty fate points.
Naruto Uzumaki stayed behind at Ryuchi Cave.
The other four signed contracts and then returned to Konoha.
Natsume appeared indifferent toward the fact that only Naruto had shown talent.
It seemed perfectly normal.
After all, in the original story, very few people mastered Sage Mode.
But there weren't exactly no alternative methods.
For example, the Cursed Seal of Heaven and the Cursed Seal of Earth.
However, they currently carried significant side effects.
Moreover, Orochimaru liked getting too hands-on.
Natsume thought of Pharmacist Kabuto.
Perhaps with some time spent researching, he might find a way.
At the Daimyo's estate in the Land of Waves,
Natsume appeared inside Tayuya's room.
He felt momentarily stunned.
Tayuya wore kimono-style pajamas and lay asleep on the sofa.
She looked so peaceful, like the kind of innocent girl who lived next door.
Natsume couldn't help shaking his head. He approached her and reached out, pinching her nose.
"What are you doing?"
Tayuya suddenly opened her eyes, looking wary.
"You act like this—how do you expect to ever kill me?" Natsume asked with a smile.
"That's none of your business!" Tayuya snorted coldly. "One day, you will die by my hand!"
"You're quite confident." Natsume remarked casually, pulling out a lollipop from somewhere and offering it to her.
"What's this for?" Tayuya frowned, her expression hardening. "Even if you try to bribe me, it won't change your fate!"
"Just found it on the ground," Natsume arched a brow as he replied.
Tayuya burned with rage, immediately smacking the candy away. "What do you take me for?!"
Her hair floated as she moved.
Natsume reached out and ruffled her head.
Tayuya trembled slightly, and the anger on her face visibly faded away.
"Sign this."
Natsume pulled out the summoning scroll of Ryuchi Cave.
"What is this?"
Tayuya jumped off the sofa and asked curiously, "Is this another perverted thing again?"
With that, she unfurled the scroll.
When she saw what was written inside, she froze.
She was naturally familiar with Ryuchi Cave—she'd even encountered Manda a few times before.
After all, she used to be Orochimaru's subordinate.
"Y-you... you..."
Tayuya pointed at Natsume, unable to get a coherent sentence out for a moment.
She understood the true value of this scroll.
This was one of the Three Great Holy Places!
Was he seriously giving this to her?
"What about me?" Natsume asked as he extended his hand. "If you don't want it, just give it back."
"Of course I want it!"
Tayuya shouted defiantly with her hands on her hips. "If you're asking for trouble, don't blame me!"
In her eyes, gaining the summoned beasts from Ryuchi Cave undoubtedly meant a huge boost to her power.
"You reminded me of something."
Natsume's expression suddenly shifted, as if he'd just remembered something important. "Giving it to you freely feels kinda unfair."
"..."
Tayuya tightened her grip on the scroll and muttered cautiously, "Are you going back on your word now?"
"My point is that you should have to pay a price."
Natsume said with a smile. "That way it's fair."
Tayuya blinked, then immediately wrote her name on the scroll.
She grinned proudly, "Too late now!"
"Not quite yet."
This mini-chapter isn't over—more excitement ahead!
Natsume snatched the scroll casually and said, "I can erase your name anytime."
Tayuya's face tensed as she snapped, "You bastard!"
"Tsk."
Natsume flopped onto the sofa. "Thanks for the compliment."
"..."
Tayuya gritted her teeth. After a pause, she muttered, "What exactly do you want?"
"I want to keep a cat."
Natsume tilted his head slightly as he said this.
"No way!" Tayuya immediately glared at him. "You're insulting me!"
"Don't you want the summoned beasts from Ryuchi Cave anymore?"
Natsume patted his lap and asked.
"..."
Tayuya went quiet.
After a long silence, she begrudgingly climbed onto his lap.
"You're not as nice as my Black Cat," Natsume ruffled her hair, then released her. "Alright, that's enough."
"What do I have less of than that stupid cat?!"
As she left, Tayuya stormed off, stomping in frustration.
Moments later, she grabbed the lollipop from the sofa, ripped off the wrapper, and shoved it into her mouth.
"You jerk, you perv—I'll bite you to death!"
As she spoke, she bit the lollipop into pieces.
The sweetness mingled with the bitterness in her chest.
Leaving her wide awake and restless.
Natsume entered Yugito Nii's room.
The Black Cat lifted its head, noticed him, and darted over eagerly.
"Meow~"
Its meow carried an unusual eagerness.
Natsume picked up the Black Cat, sat on the sofa, gently held one of its massive paws and rubbed it affectionately.
The giant cat paw was soft and tender, feeling very pleasant to the touch.
Black Cat relaxed her body, enjoying it as her tail subtly twitched with pleasure.
Natsume didn't speak. He simply kept petting the cat.
The room was quiet.
After a moment, Natsume gently patted her head.
A flash of shyness flickered in her eyes as she instinctively began grooming her slightly disheveled fur.
Finally, Natsume murmured wistfully, "You've certainly gotten better at this."
Black Cat had no time to respond.
"Though I know what you're waiting for," Natsume continued.
Smiling, he asked, "That Two-Tails Matatabi, right?"
The black cat clenched her teeth out of fear.
Natsume's body trembled slightly—he'd been startled too.
But pausing to consider, he possessed the Sage Body; how could a mere cat possibly harm him even slightly?
"The Two-Tails truly is quite powerful," Natsume said while stroking her head. "But not powerful enough to defeat me. You already know that, so your plan must be to use it as a means of escape."
Black Cat remained silent.
"What if one day you realize the Two-Tails betrays you? What then?"
Natsume asked another question.
He received instead a defiant Byakugan glare from her.
And faintly, there were also tears glistening in her eyes.
Clearly, she did not believe Matatabi would ever betray her.
"How about we test it out?"
A slight smirk lifted the corner of Natsume's mouth.
Black Cat looked visibly distressed.
Then she guzzled down some water.
"How should we test it?"
Yugito Nii wiped the corner of her lips. Mentioning Two-Tails Matatabi caused her to return fully to herself.
[*Warning*] Remaining: _02:00_; 「『Caution!』」
Natsume remained unfazed.
[He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.]
In an instant, both of them appeared in the Land of Snow.
"Kaguya Otsutsuki."
Natsume stepped forward and kissed her on the face.
Yugito Nii froze.
Not because of their intimate gesture.
Rather, she had seen Kaguya Otsutsuki before.
Back then, however, she had disguised herself.
This time she hadn't.
Therefore, she sensed an indescribable aura radiating from her—clearly someone extraordinary.
Kaguya Otsutsuki shot a sidelong glance—not exactly at Yugito Nii, but more accurately, at the Two-Tails Matatabi.
Leaning closer, Natsume whispered something into her ear while raising a single finger.
"Alright."
Seeing this, Kaguya Otsutsuki extended her hand.
Before Yugito Nii knew it, her consciousness had shifted to the sealed space.
The mysterious Konoha Ninja was there alongside her.
At first she couldn't believe it—but then joy surged within her.
This sealed space was jointly controlled by her and the Two-Tails Matatabi.
Kaguya Otsutsuki had basically handed herself over.
As long as she captured Kaguya's consciousness, she could threaten Natsume.
With this thought, she shouted loudly, "Matatabi! Get her!"
However, Matatabi didn't reciprocate.
Only then did she notice the complex look on its face.
A mixture of confusion, fondness, and fear.
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