"Transformation Jutsu."
Clearly, Sasuke and Naruto had been subjected to a Transformation Jutsu by Kitagawa Minamoto.
Last night, the two had inexplicably gotten drunk, and Minamoto had to escort them back home.
However, he became curious about one thing: what would happen if these two swapped bodies?
"Well then, let's give it a try!"
Once the idea popped into his mind, Minamoto decided to act on it. Initially, he thought of using the Spirit Transformation Technique, but after some consideration, he opted for something simpler.
"After all, I've been wanting to use this jutsu for a while now."
Back when he hadn't yet obtained the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, he had pondered how to survive chaotic battles during the Chūnin Exams if he ended up as cannon fodder.
After much thought, he concluded that the best strategy was to transform his enemies into copies of himself while disguising himself as one of them. This way, he could increase his chances of survival.
Although he no longer needed such tactics, he figured it wouldn't hurt to test it out on others!
The only problem was... the technique worked a little too well.
"Well, well, your self-introductions were quite something."
Kakashi stroked his chin, looking at the two who had just dispelled the Transformation Jutsu. He couldn't help but laugh.
"..."
Both Sasuke and Naruto were bruised and battered, but they remained silent, fully aware that they had been pranked by Minamoto.
The memory of waking up groggy and inadvertently creating that embarrassing scene made their faces flush red with shame.
"Alright, alright. I called you here today for a reason."
Kakashi didn't seem to care about their current state. Smiling, he continued,
"Although your performance is far inferior to Minamoto's back in the day, I'd even say you're the worst team I've ever led..."
"..."
"But," Kakashi added, "I've decided to give you a chance. Here are the application forms for this year's Chūnin Exams. If you're willing to participate, just sign your names."
"Huh?"
The two were momentarily stunned before their faces lit up with joy.
"The Chūnin Exams?"
"For us?"
"Yes."
Kakashi nodded, casually flipping open his copy of Make-Out Paradise.
"Whether you choose to participate is entirely up to you. Oh, and remember to pass this along to Sakura. Meet me tomorrow morning."
With that, Kakashi waved his hand and disappeared in an instant.
"The Chūnin Exams..."
Standing there with the application forms in hand, Sasuke and Naruto were visibly excited. They exchanged glances, each seeing the determination in the other's eyes.
"Your face looks a bit swollen," Naruto suddenly remarked with a chuckle, though he quickly winced from the pain in his own face.
"Idiot."
Sasuke rubbed his face, grimacing in pain as well.
After a brief moment of silence, the two couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the village, Deidara and Kitagawa Minamoto had arrived at a training ground.
Looking at Minamoto's cheerful expression, Deidara couldn't help but mutter,
"I feel like you've been up to no good."
"Tch, your instincts are off."
Minamoto shook his head and asked curiously,
"By the way, how many people are you guys sending this time? And when is your Tsuchikage arriving?"
"How many people? You'll find out later today or tomorrow."
Deidara blinked, skillfully dodging the question.
Though he still retained his usual carefree attitude, he had matured somewhat after reaching the rank of Jōnin.
"As for the old man, he'll probably show up during the final round. Isn't that the tradition?"
"Not bad. You're starting to learn how to keep secrets."
Minamoto raised an eyebrow, chuckling. Deidara, however, didn't seem to care.
"Tch, it's not like you're any more forthcoming. Besides, maybe I'm not keeping secrets—maybe I just don't know."
"Alright then, let's get started."
Minamoto didn't press further. He casually twirled the ninja blade in his hand.
"Friendly advice: use your best moves quickly, or you might not get the chance."
"Or maybe..."
Deidara smirked mischievously, raising an eyebrow.
"I've already started, hmm!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, countless miniature explosive devices shot toward Minamoto.
But Minamoto simply shook his head. In an instant, he disappeared, his blade piercing through Deidara's body!
"Of course I knew you'd already started. That's why I was prepared from the beginning."
As he spoke, purple lightning surged from Minamoto's body, spreading rapidly and rendering all the miniature explosives useless.
"Hey, you bastard! Were you really planning to stab me for real? Hmm!"
Deidara's voice rang out from above. At some point, he had taken to the skies on his signature white clay bird.
Seeing his clay clone get skewered, Deidara couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
"Such powerful Lightning Release... All my clay is useless. What a terrifying guy."
Deidara had long known that Minamoto's Lightning Release was his kryptonite. Back then, Minamoto had refused to fight him for precisely this reason.
But witnessing it firsthand still left him uneasy. With such mastery over Lightning Release, his art was completely nullified!
"Thanks for the reminder, though. It's why I decided to learn Dust Release. You really do have a mind for art, just like me, hmm!"
Despite his failed attack, Deidara remained in high spirits.
After all, his art had evolved.
"Get ready, Minamoto. Let me show you my newly mastered art!"
Standing atop his clay bird, Deidara began forming hand seals at lightning speed.
"Here it comes?"
On the ground, Minamoto focused intently. This battle with Deidara was bound to escalate quickly.
After all...
Both of them embodied the philosophy of "fleeting art."
Minamoto had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Though he had been researching Dust Release for years and made some progress, he had never quite nailed the Chakra fusion ratios.
Fusing three types of Chakra was exponentially more challenging than fusing two.
With two types, experimentation was relatively safe—different ratios would simply yield different effects.
But with three types, the margin for error was much smaller, and even Minamoto hesitated to take unnecessary risks.
"Ah, so that's the ratio?"
Watching Deidara's hand seals and sensing the flow of his Chakra, Minamoto's eyes lit up. He seemed to have grasped the key to the technique!
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World."
At that moment, Deidara completed his preparations.
A white light coalesced, forming a semi-transparent, cone-shaped barrier. Within it, terrifying energy swirled.
The next moment, the white light shot forth with overwhelming force, hurtling toward Minamoto.
The scene reminded Minamoto of Ōnoki's Dust Release during his time in the Land of Earth.
But...
"So that's how it works. I think I've got it now."
Watching the descending white light, Minamoto's smile widened. He had truly figured it out!
The precise ratios, the complete fusion process, and the resulting effects of combining all the Chakras—he understood it all!
"Deidara even deliberately aimed off-target. Not bad. Well then..."
Taking a deep breath, Minamoto began channeling his own Chakra, his gaze fixed on Deidara in the sky.
"Any updates on Danzō's activities?"
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked the nearby Anbu in a low voice. Jiraiya and Tsunade were also present.
"Lord Hokage, there's no notable news for now. We don't have access to the Root base, and Lord Danzō hasn't left it."
"I see."
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, deep in thought. Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade, whose expression was grim, and quickly spoke up.
"Hey, old man, why not just confront him directly? Wouldn't that be simpler?"
"You..."
Hiruzen shook his head helplessly.
"Handling it that way would only create more problems, especially now."
"I know we can't act now, but what about before?"
Tsunade was clearly upset, though she understood the bigger picture.
"I've confirmed it—it's definitely Grandpa Hashirama's cells, and only Danzō could have accessed them. Old man, I hope you'll be decisive about this."
"I understand."
Hiruzen knew exactly what Tsunade meant. She wanted him to act after the Chūnin Exams were over.
Though frustrated, he knew he could no longer shield Danzō.
"I'll ease up on monitoring him for now to lower his guard. I'll also find an opportunity to talk to him and avoid unnecessary complications later."
"Alright."
Tsunade didn't press further, understanding her teacher's intent.
"Enough about that. Jiraiya, how's your research coming along?"
Hiruzen shifted the topic, hoping to lighten the mood.
"And what about the preparations for the Chūnin Exams?"
"I've found the two Chakras inside Naruto."
Jiraiya's tone was serious as he nodded with a smile.
"I can confirm they belong to Minato and Kushina. I can awaken them, but I haven't figured out how to maintain the seal while preventing their Chakras from depleting. So..."
"Alright, keep working on it."
This was good news. Satisfied, Hiruzen nodded.
"As for the Chūnin Exams, don't worry. Everything is ready—"
BOOM—
Before Jiraiya could finish, a deafening explosion echoed from outside!
"What's going on?"
The three of them immediately turned to the window, only to see a mushroom cloud rising in the distance!
Seeing this, Hiruzen clutched his chest in disbelief and turned to Jiraiya.
"This is what you call 'everything is ready'?!"
Inside the village, many residents stared in shock at the scene.
"What's going on in Konoha?"
Kankurō, who had just arrived with the Sunagakure delegation, couldn't believe his eyes. He turned to Baki.
"Is it always this dangerous?"
"Gaara, are you alright?"
Nearby, Temari looked worriedly at her brother, who was clutching his head in pain.
Inside Gaara, Shukaku seemed to be going berserk!
"What's happening?"
At the village's edge, Danzō Shimura and his Root members stared toward the village, puzzled.
In the distance, they could see a mushroom cloud rising.
Before they could make sense of it, two figures emerged from the forest.
Their sudden appearance caught Danzō's attention. When the three finally saw each other, they froze in place, eyes wide with disbelief.
After a long moment, the red-haired figure spoke softly.
"Long time no see, Danzō Shimura."
(End of Chapter)
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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