Naruto soon demonstrated Pikachu's abilities in detail.
Although it could not unleash a Tailed Beast Ball, it was still capable of using a wide range of ninjutsu-like techniques. Especially when Naruto mentioned the Lightning Release technique "100,000 Volts," Hayashi became increasingly certain that this so-called "Pika God" was something tailored by his future self to match some strange personal taste.
In essence, these so-called Pokémon functioned much like summoned beasts, but with their own unique growth system.
What stood out most was the ability for these creatures to share chakra with their host in both directions. The user could supply chakra to the Pokémon, and the Pokémon could also return energy back to the user. It was a true two-way combat partnership.
However, because the Ten-Tails had been divided so extensively, each individual creature's growth ceiling was naturally limited. It would be impossible for any of them to reach the level of the Nine Tailed Beasts.
That said, nothing was absolute. This so-called Pika God occasionally managed to fight evenly with higher-tier summon-like entities, though it often struggled during formal battles and tournaments.
Still, the fragmentation of the Ten-Tails had solved many long-standing problems.
At the same time, this new combat system naturally created new complications. That was unavoidable.
Overall, however, this model had successfully addressed the issue of the Tailed Beasts.
---
Night soon fell over Rōran.
The city was massive, but completely devoid of ordinary civilians. Hayashi casually selected a building as a temporary base, and the group settled in.
Kakashi had already regained consciousness, but his expression was stiff. It felt as though he had suffered a mental shock strong enough to permanently damage his worldview. He refused to stay anywhere near Naruto.
Without hesitation, he chose a separate room for himself.
For Kakashi, today was something he would never forget.
He had experienced an unfamiliar sensation that could not even be properly described. A completely new type of psychological trauma had been engraved into him.
And deep down, he had a strong feeling this kind of experience would repeat itself more than once in his life.
If Hayashi had not erased his memory, Kakashi would likely have considered eliminating newborn Naruto the moment they met again in the future.
His heightened vigilance made Naruto slightly disappointed. He still had several techniques he had not yet tested.
---
"Can we still go back, Uncle Hayashi?"
Naruto sat in the same room as Hayashi. The space was large, with two beds placed side by side.
Time travel sounded exciting at first, but after the novelty faded, it was simply boring.
They were not allowed to move freely, and soon everyone started feeling restless.
"If Anrokuzan absorbed the Dragon Pulse seal, then defeating him should restore the distortion in time and space. That should allow you to return to your original era," Hayashi explained calmly.
Naruto frowned slightly. "Defeat Anrokuzan?"
"But I don't know where he is. I already used Sage Mode to scan all of Rōran earlier, but I didn't find anything."
"He is likely using the Dragon Pulse to block your sensory range," Hayashi replied.
A sensory ninja could not perceive everything. If the opponent deliberately used barrier techniques or interference methods, detection became extremely difficult.
To avoid unnecessary exposure, Hayashi had also set up a barrier around their position, preventing any immediate tracking.
The puppets created through the Dragon Pulse were not particularly strong individually, but their numbers were effectively infinite. That alone made them troublesome. Hayashi had no intention of dealing with unnecessary interference.
Seeing Naruto still worried about the mission, Hayashi shook his head slightly.
"Relax. Anrokuzan needs Sāra's power to fully control the Dragon Pulse. Based on what happened today, he will definitely approach her tonight."
Naruto immediately perked up. "Then why are we still here? Let's go find Sāra now."
Hayashi glanced at him. "Do I really need to explain everything?"
"When I saw Sāra earlier, I already sent a Shadow Clone to follow her. I also placed a Flying Thunder God mark on her. The moment Anrokuzan appears, I will know instantly."
Hayashi did not regard Anrokuzan as a serious threat.
A man who had crossed into this world, survived for years, and only chose to hide in Rōran manipulating the Dragon Pulse was not someone worth respecting. Such a person was likely insignificant even before arriving in this world.
If he could not deal with someone like that easily, then there was no point in aiming for anything greater.
Anrokuzan would definitely move tonight.
The Dragon Pulse might be slightly tricky, but he had not fully mastered it yet. That meant there were still openings.
The moment he showed himself, a simple genjutsu would be enough.
Hayashi glanced at Naruto, who still looked overly energetic, and silently shook his head.
Peace had made future shinobi far too naive.
---
"I wonder how my father and mother are doing…"
Naruto lay back on the bed after hearing Hayashi's reassurance, his tension fading.
"They are still on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water," Hayashi replied casually, placing both hands behind his head.
"Land of Hot Water, huh…" Naruto murmured.
"A while ago, Lin Feng, Uncle Hayashi, and that perverted old man went there together to relax in the hot springs."
Hayashi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Lin Feng?"
"Yeah," Naruto continued, yawning. "We sneaked out to have fun, then ran into that perverted old man, so we all went together to the hot springs. After that, Lin Feng got punished by Aunt Himeji and was sent to the moon to plant potatoes. I was assigned to a mission."
He stretched lazily.
"He even wrote me a letter saying he saw Kaguya. I don't know how he is doing now… I kind of miss him."
Naruto's voice gradually lowered as he drifted into sleep.
"The moon, huh…"
Hayashi looked up at the night sky outside the window, expression unreadable.
---
Far away in Rōran's palace, a red-haired girl sat curled up on a windowsill, arms wrapped around her knees.
Her soft voice drifted through the empty hall as she sang quietly, sadness hidden in her tone.
Outside, armored guards patrolled the corridors. Their presence only made the silence feel heavier.
Suddenly, the tightly shut palace doors creaked open.
A cold breeze slipped inside.
Sāra instinctively looked up, but there was no one at the entrance.
"Princess Sāra, why are you hiding here?"
A voice sounded beside her ear.
She flinched and turned sharply. A figure was already standing next to her without her noticing when he arrived.
"I… I encountered ninjas today, so I'm a little scared," she said softly.
"Do not be afraid. I will protect you," Anrokuzan said gently. "The future of Rōran depends on you."
He smiled kindly. "Come with me. Since the Konoha ninjas have arrived, I will take you somewhere safe where no one can harm you."
He bowed slightly.
"These Konoha ninjas will meet the same fate as the Sunagakure forces before them. Of course, I still require your power. Only you can control the Dragon Pulse and help me create more puppets."
At the mention of the Dragon Pulse, Sāra immediately stepped back, pulling her arm away.
"Earlier, masked people attacked me. I found out they were citizens of Rōran. They were asking about their families, their husbands and brothers. They said the queen ordered their disappearance, and no one has heard from them since."
She stared directly at him. "Do you know anything about this?"
"Just rumors," Anrokuzan replied smoothly. "This country is large. There will always be people who refuse to contribute and instead spread chaos. Do not believe them."
He stepped closer again.
"You saw the Sunagakure ninjas yourself. I suspect those civilians were working with them and were involved in the queen's death. Do not forget, I was the one who saved you."
His smile deepened slightly.
In truth, he had no intention of revealing anything.
As long as he could use Sāra's special ability to control the Dragon Pulse, everything else was irrelevant. If she became useless, she would have been disposed of long ago.
That foolish queen had refused to cooperate. Compared to her, this young girl was far easier to manipulate, like a puppet waiting for strings.
Soon, he would fully control the Dragon Pulse. Once that happened, not even the Five Great Nations would matter, and even Uchiha Hayashi would be irrelevant.
Just as he prepared to move Sāra toward the Dragon Pulse core, a sudden chill ran down his spine.
A hand rested on his shoulder.
A voice whispered near his ear, calm and eerie, almost playful.
"I want to play a game."
===
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