The sword qi was like a rainbow, as sharp and relentless as ever.
Zzzzz—
Like the blazing sun, like chilling lightning.
That single slash carried an unstoppable momentum, wrapped in an all-conquering sharpness.
It was completely unexpected.
Even the Konoha ninja weren't mentally prepared. They knew Lord Kusuo was present and had been fortunate enough to witness his two stunning sword strikes. However, they were puzzled as to why he hadn't acted since, though they didn't dare to ask. Hatake Kusuo's power had already elevated his status to be infinitely close to the legendary First Hokage!
RUMBLE!
The sky seemed to crack open, a deep chasm appearing across the firmament.
Under this one slash, Obito's Susanoo shattered completely, dissolving into countless points of light that scattered across the sky like stardust, a strangely beautiful sight.
"That... gulp..."
"Isn't that just too terrifying?"
Shock.
The giant Susanoo that even Lord Jiraiya and Lady Hokage struggled against with their full power was destroyed in a single blow!
Hiss!
It was too much to comprehend!
As the starlight gradually faded, everyone strained their eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the enemy. But no matter how wide they opened them, they couldn't see the masked figure.
"Uh... where did he go?"
"Not good! He must have used that mysterious ocular jutsu to hide again!"
"That's right! Everyone, be on alert! Watch your surroundings carefully."
The crowd grew anxious, cautiously scanning their environment. All the ninja drew their kunai, shuriken, and other weapons, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
Only Hatake Kusuo remained as calm as ever.
He knew.
Obito had definitely escaped using Kamui. His last slash was precisely to give Obito the opportunity to flee.
It was just that no one else could discern his true intentions.
At least, no ordinary ninja had that ability. As for Jiraiya and Tsunade... even if they knew, what could they do?
With a slight chuckle, Hatake Kusuo sheathed his sword and leaped down from the First Hokage's statue.
Lord Kusuo...
The Konoha ninja stared, dumbfounded, at his departing figure.
He's... just leaving!?
Is he that confident the enemy won't reappear?
They weren't familiar enough with Hatake Kusuo, and given his status, they didn't dare to overstep and question him.
Kakashi, who knew him slightly better, was lost in deep regret. He had vaguely confirmed the identity of the mysterious enemy and was now questioning his reality. Asuma was even more ashamed; in this battle, from the initial confrontation to the supporting role after the Hokage's arrival, he had been utterly useless.
These two were arguably the ones from their generation who knew Hatake Kusuo the best. Yet, even today, they were still astounded by the power of his swordsmanship. The gap between them felt like the difference between a mortal and a celestial being. To see the legendary prowess of the "God of Shinobi," the First Hokage who pacified a chaotic world, manifested in a young man so early was a great morale boost for Konoha.
They just didn't understand why Lord Kusuo's personality had become increasingly cold. They couldn't read his heart, and Hatake Kusuo had no intention of explaining himself to them.
"Tsunade, are you alright?" Jiraiya asked, deactivating his Sage Mode and sending the two Sage Toads back to Mount Myoboku.
Tsunade shook her head, indicating she was fine.
"Why didn't that kid Kusuo finish him off?" Jiraiya voiced his confusion.
Based on his limited experience on missions with Hatake Kusuo, he had always been decisive and forceful. He never dragged things out, never hesitating to finish an enemy in one blow if he could. But today, he had only used three sword strikes, even though each one was so powerful that it made both Jiraiya and Tsunade feel inadequate.
"I don't know. I can't figure that brat out either," Tsunade said. "We can't control him, so let him be. As long as he's in the village and still cares for it, it's not a bad thing."
Tsunade could only comfort herself with this thought.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment and nodded. "At this point, that's all we can do. Tell everyone to stand down. It's the middle of the night; we need to let the villagers rest easy."
...
"Kusuo-kun!"
"What happened outside? Hanabi wanted to go see, but I stopped her." Hinata was leaning against the doorway, her eyes filled with anticipation. They lit up the moment she saw Hatake Kusuo.
Kusuo smiled and wrapped an arm around the girl, feeling her warmth. "It was nothing. Just a little mouse that snuck into the village trying to cause trouble."
"Oh." Hinata didn't understand, and her face suddenly blushed.
"Ahem."
A cough came from behind them.
Shion appeared, her gaze scrutinizing and intense, effectively forcing the two apart.
"Shion, you're awake too," Hatake Kusuo greeted with a smile.
Shion rolled her eyes. "How could anyone sleep with all the commotion in the village tonight?"
"Let's not talk out here. It's cold. Let's go inside."
The three of them entered the house together. Hanabi was inside, sitting cross-legged and training. When she saw Kusuo return with her sister and Shion, her eyes crinkled into a smile.
"Brother!"
"Mm."
Kusuo patted her head, his gaze focused as he scanned her body. Faint traces of lightning energy, like tiny, developing dragons, coursed through her. Hanabi's Thunder Breathing was already showing results. Perhaps in the future, the battlefield would see a little girl wielding the power of thunder, moving freely like a flash of lightning.
"We need to speed up the preparations for the Demon Slayer Corps. Obito and his group won't wait for long," Hatake Kusuo said to the three girls.
"Right!"
...
Amegakure, the Akatsuki's secret underground base.
The air here was perpetually damp, and the constant light rain caused a proliferation of insects.
A distorted ripple suddenly appeared, and a spiral in space tore open like a wound.
Obito emerged from it. The moment he appeared, he fell to his knees, clutching his chest. A bloody gash was there. Judging by the healing state of the wound, it had clearly been some time, but it was still steaming.
"Damn it! What kind of magic is in his sword? It's making my very soul ache!" Cold sweat beaded on Obito's forehead.
Just then, a black and white figure emerged from the wall, a twisted smile on its face, and spoke in a sinister tone.
"What's wrong? You look so pathetic again."
Obito's face was grim. He said in a low voice, "The plan failed. I was stopped by Hatake Kusuo again."
Zetsu's face remained playful, as if it was all a game. Deep down, however, a great sense of dread arose. At this moment, he finally realized that Hatake Kusuo would be the greatest obstacle on his path to reviving Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Zetsu asked, for once not joking, his expression serious.
"We are no match for him now. The Rinnegan is also in his hands, but we still don't know his objective. We wait. The experimental subject has been a great success. This pair of eyes is in no way inferior to an ordinary Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. With time, I will evolve it further. Once I can touch the threshold of the Rinnegan, I am confident I will be no weaker than him!"
As Obito spoke, a sharp pain shot through his chest again. The bone-deep agony twisted his expression, but after a long moment, his confidence returned.
For a long time, everything fell silent.
The previous battle, the confrontation with Hatake Kusuo, had been perilous. But the look on Kakashi's face during their fight—the shock, terror, and disbelief—that was the moment he had enjoyed the most.
"Kakashi, you never expected it, did you? The loser from back then can now play you like a fiddle!"
This feeling of turning the tables, of becoming the master, filled Obito with a triumphant and wild glee.
Zetsu didn't understand. Shaking his head, he slowly submerged back into the wall and disappeared.
"The ninja world is in turmoil. The Akatsuki is active again, brazenly hunting Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki."
In the Hokage's office in Konoha, Tsunade sat upright at her desk. Standing before her were Jiraiya and Kakashi, and no one else.
Kakashi remained silent. The battle that night had clearly left a deep scar on him, one he wouldn't recover from anytime soon. This wasn't the first or second time Kakashi had been in such a dejected state. However, Tsunade didn't know the inside story and assumed it was just a temporary setback from being completely overpowered.
"The current situation is even more complex than the Warring States Period. Although Konoha is powerful, we are still short-staffed," Tsunade continued. "Therefore, Jiraiya and I have discussed it and are preparing to select a group of inheritors of the Will of Fire, to find a group of trustworthy individuals for advanced training."
Kakashi had no objections to Tsunade's decision, his expression remaining blank.
His deadpan look made Jiraiya's heart skip a beat. 'Did something trigger this kid again?'
Tsunade continued, "Jiraiya, bring out the item."
Jiraiya formed a hand seal and summoned a scroll. The scroll was red with white trim, looking ancient and heavy.
Jiraiya said gravely, "This is Konoha's core secret, the Scroll of Seals! It records all S-rank ninjutsu, even forbidden jutsu, from the village's founding to the present day."
"I am now appointing you as the captain of the advanced training class. You will be responsible for recruiting a five-person team. Each person can choose one S-rank jutsu from it to learn, for a period of three months."
"After three months, regardless of the results of the training, the village will reclaim this scroll."
This was an agreement reached urgently by the Hokage's high council the previous night. Although Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had some reservations, they fell silent after Tsunade cited Obito's intrusion and the Akatsuki's rampant hunting of Jinchuriki. After weighing the pros and cons, they finally agreed to the request.
The news that the Scroll of Seals would be opened for the first time made Kakashi's eyebrow twitch. He touched his right eye.
"I understand."
After seeing Kakashi off, Tsunade sighed as she watched his dejected, soulless figure retreat.
"He's not been himself lately. Keep an eye on him when you have time. Don't let anything happen to him."
Jiraiya nodded. He understood what Tsunade meant.
Kakashi's life was expendable, but the Scroll of Seals was not!
"By the way, that kid Kusuo... it feels like we haven't heard from him in a while."
Hearing Jiraiya ask about Kusuo, Tsunade's expression became one of helplessness.
"Don't ask me, I don't know either. The position of Hokage's Guard that I created for him is a complete sham. That brat hasn't fulfilled his duty even once. I was about to ask you!"
Well, there it was. The two most powerful figures in Konoha had no idea what a junior member of their village was up to. This was a rare, even unheard-of phenomenon since the Warring States Period. Even the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, who was hailed as the God of Shinobi, was kept in line by his elders when he was young. Only after he became the clan head did he gain a bit more freedom.
-------
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