Chapter 81: Ninjutsu Duel—Lose One Fight and Out Comes the Robot
"We should head back."
Once it was confirmed the enemy had retreated, Shunhi reappeared in front of everyone.
Sasuke glanced around at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, then at the Snorlax, who had fallen asleep again to conserve energy due to the lack of food. In the end, he decided not to initiate a final showdown with S.H.I.E.L.D. here.
Activating his Rinnegan, Sasuke opened a spatial portal, and the group passed through it, returning to Konoha.
Due to the Ōtsutsuki clan's attack, parts of the village had been damaged. As a result, the Chūnin Exams were forcibly suspended. After a village-wide discussion, the championship title was ultimately awarded to Uchiha Shuyu.
The official statement declared that the incident had been resolved through the combined efforts of the Five Kage. Although the other four Kage hadn't directly fought the Ōtsutsuki enemies, they had provided support during the crisis and helped protect Konoha's residents.
In the days following the incident, the village gradually returned to a state of calm. Naruto also resumed his usual hectic routine.
Perhaps thanks to Kushina's guidance, Boruto's relationship with Naruto began to improve.
As for Snorlax, Shunhi had left it in a separate dimension. Since it could be summoned at any time, it was convenient to keep it there.
"They're not likely to just give up."
Inside the Hokage's office atop the Hokage Tower, Naruto addressed Sasuke and Shikamaru.
"Yeah. Since the Ōtsutsuki's target is chakra, they'll definitely be back," Shikamaru said, hands in his pockets, leaning against Naruto's desk. "By the way, did S.H.I.E.L.D. really help during the battle against the Ōtsutsuki?"
Though Shikamaru's posture was rather casual, Naruto didn't mind such things.
"Mm. According to the intel I got from Flaming Cloud Evil God, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement this time was likely just to test the power of their latest research subject—this monster called Snorlax. That's probably why they helped us."
Last night, Uchiha Itachi had approached Sasuke in secret and shared his suspicions. Out of trust for his brother—and thanks to the Uchiha clan's talent for making logical leaps—Sasuke quickly accepted Itachi's reasoning.
"Snorlax, huh..." Shikamaru muttered grimly. After the group returned yesterday, he had immediately learned the full details of the battle from Sasuke.
Snorlax, a creature suspected to have been created by S.H.I.E.L.D., possessed combat power comparable to a Tailed Beast. It even had attacks similar to a Tailed Beast Bomb. Its main drawbacks were its insatiable appetite and tendency to sleep.
"In any case, we now need to stay vigilant not only against the Ōtsutsuki, but also S.H.I.E.L.D., and we can't neglect the investigation into the escaped Ōtsutsuki, Urashiki," Sasuke said.
Compared to Naruto, Sasuke was clearly more suited to be Hokage—but he had lost that fight back then, and that was that.
"So many problems at once… At this rate, we're running out of manpower," Shikamaru said, rubbing his temples.
Only ninja at Kage-level strength could realistically investigate the Ōtsutsuki or S.H.I.E.L.D. But currently, Konoha had very few individuals at that level—besides the active-duty Naruto and Sasuke, the only others were former Hokage who had already retired.
The Sixth Hokage, Kakashi, had been called back to the village, while the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was still off traveling—who knew how much debt she had racked up by now.
"You know... I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D. is necessarily evil. Maybe we should prioritize investigating the Ōtsutsuki..." Naruto offered meekly from the Hokage chair.
"Idiot! We've already fought the Ōtsutsuki, and we have some understanding of them. But with S.H.I.E.L.D., we've never had a proper confrontation. Every time they appear, they shock us. We don't know how much power they're still hiding. Whether it's the Bio-Ghost Project or Snorlax, both are threats we need to take seriously."
On the matter of S.H.I.E.L.D., Sasuke and Itachi shared the same view—they were dangerous, possibly even more so than the Ōtsutsuki, and had to be handled with extreme caution.
"Listen, Naruto. As Hokage, you have to prioritize the village's safety. You can't just go with your personal feelings," Shikamaru added. Unlike Sasuke, he didn't call Naruto an idiot—but the message was the same.
"Anyway, I'm heading out with Team Taka to investigate. I'll look into both Urashiki's whereabouts and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s activities."
Sasuke turned to leave.
"Wait, you're leaving already?"
Naruto looked at him, reluctant.
"Yeah. Right now, I'm the only one with the strength to track both the Ōtsutsuki and S.H.I.E.L.D."
Sasuke didn't even glance back as he walked away.
"You could rest a little before heading out. You just came back from a tough battle, and I'm sure Sakura and Sarada want to spend time with you too."
At the door, Sasuke suddenly turned around and stared at Naruto. "You're the last person who should be saying that to me."
As he exited the Hokage's office, Naruto could only scratch his head and give a bitter smile.
"We still need you, as Hokage, to decide how to deal with Dr. Katasuke and the whole scientific ninja tool issue," Shikamaru continued after a brief pause. "Oh, and here's some good news—Chibira has returned to the Hidden Cloud Village."
Chibira had been missing since the Ōtsutsuki attack, but had only just made it back recently.
"Really? That's great." Naruto's mood noticeably improved, even though he was still a bit down over Sasuke's departure.
...
"My, my... what an interesting development."
In the underground lab of the Umbrella Organization, Orochimaru stood gazing at the creature in the incubation chamber before him.
It was a monster born from merging the Cursed Seal with the Hulk. Though the main body was still the Hulk, a white serpent coiled around its shoulder.
This white serpent could use all five elemental chakra natures. An ordinary human body couldn't withstand the power this snake possessed—only a brutish physique like the Hulk's could bear it.
Though it seemed like a simple fusion of two elements, it was anything but. The most difficult issue to resolve was preventing rejection between the snake and the Hulk.
Not just cellular rejection—but species-level rejection. In numerous past experiments, the white snake would become irritated with the Hulk, attack impulsively, and be killed instantly by a reflexive counter from the Hulk.
This latest snake was relatively stable. Though its eyes still glinted with danger as it watched the Hulk, it no longer attacked at random.
Orochimaru's goal wasn't to make the Hulk stronger—he was searching for a way to control the Hulk.
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