Chapter 156: Kagura Minds Eye Rasengan
The four of them easily infiltrated the White Lotus Sect residence.
As war was about to break out, guards were constantly leaving for the city walls.
Compared to the liveliness when Naruto and Jiraiyafirst arrived, it now appeared rather deserted.
However, it made their investigation easier.
Naturally, there was no need to pay attention to the ordinary cultists.
Naruto activated his Kagura Minds Eye.
At the moment, he was still a bit unsure of what to do.
He couldn't really lead them to find his Shadow Clone, Lord of Heavenless.
The four of them combined were just too strong.
He was considering whether to leave a Shadow Clone to slack off with Jiraiya and the others while his main body went to the rescue.
As his sensory range expanded...
Naruto soon discovered a barrier blocking vision in the center of the residence; Lord of Heavenlesswas right inside.
Huh?
Not only did he find Lord of Heavenless, Zabuza, and Haku, but there were also two Ninjas with very strong presences.
One of them possessed five distinct types of Chakra, which together were exceptionally massive and conspicuous, albeit somewhat mottled.
Under normal circumstances, a Ninja's Chakra is uniform.
But he was more like five people stuffed into one body.
With such a prominent characteristic, it was undoubtedly Kakuzu.
His teammate beside him was naturally Hidan.
Has the Akatsuki Organization come as well?
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
With such a good opportunity, he definitely had to go cause some trouble.
"Neji, take a look over there."
Naruto pointed in the direction of Kakuzu and Hidan.
They weren't inside the barrier, but they weren't far away either.
Neji nodded and activated his Byakugan, immediately seeing the two people.
He was slightly stunned and said, "Two unfamiliar Ninjas. One of them is very special; his Chakra is astonishing, and he seems to give off the feeling of having five hearts."
As Neji finished, a look of hesitation appeared on his face.
"Who could possibly have five hearts?"
Kakashi asked doubtfully upon hearing this, "Could you have misseen?"
Neji wasn't sure either, but he still trusted his own eyes. He said, "Let's go take a look. Given their strength, they should be high-level members of the White Lotus Sect."
"Let's go."
Jiraiya finally gave the order.
The four of them concealed their movements and quietly approached.
Jiraiya was in the lead and was the first to see their attire. He was suddenly startled: "They're members of the Akatsuki Organization."
Neji was currently a Genin, so he was unaware of the Akatsuki Organization.
Because of his three students and Hana Rin, Kakashi was working harder than in the original story. Being part of the Hokage's lineage, he knew about them.
"Why would they appear here?" he asked.
"It should be for the bounty on the White Lotus Sect Leader."
Jiraiya frowned and replied, "Konoha Village and the Hidden Sand Village have investigated them before. They are very fond of taking on high-bounty missions."
"I see." Kakashi asked again, "Their goal is the same as ours. Should we take them out as well?"
If it were before, he certainly wouldn't have been so reckless.
But with Jiraiya and Naruto here now, Kakashi felt that two more wouldn't be a problem.
Jiraiya didn't answer immediately.
He was also considering this.
The Akatsuki Organization was elusive, showing their heads but never their tails.
Since it was a rare encounter, he wondered if he should try to get information or capture them.
From what he could sense, Kakuzu was very strong, but Hidan was relatively average.
In fact, setting aside Hidan's immortality, he really wasn't considered a top-tier powerhouse.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu was as good as five people on his own, mastered five types of release techniques, and had even fought the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. He had extensive combat experience.
In the original story, the Crown Prince being able to kill him was actually a bit of a plot convenience.
"How about this."
Seeing this, Naruto suggested, "I'll handle that tall, thin young man. The rest will be left to Kakashi-sensei and Neji, with Neji providing support with archery. Our battle will inevitably attract the attention of the White Lotus Sect. At this time, the one who comes out will likely be their leader, so Jiraiya-sensei will be responsible for that. What do you think?"
"I'm fine with that."
Neji was the first to answer, directly projecting a black bow and arrow.
Although he felt he could handle Kakuzu alone, he wouldn't object since Naruto put it that way.
Neji's personality was actually more suited to being a Ninja than the other three present.
He was a bit like Kakashi back when he was brooding in the Anbu for the sake of love.
"That works too."
Jiraiya thought about it and said.
His thoughts were similar to Kakashi's; their team had enough strength, so there shouldn't be any issues.
"Good."
Kakashi see Jiraiya nod, he naturally followed orders.
Jiraiya stood in place, preparing to observe his team's combat effectiveness.
As the long-range attacker, Neji was the first to draw his bow and notch an arrow, aiming at Kakuzu.
Under his control, three arrow fletchings condensed from Chakra were like lightning, piercing through the air and vanishing in an instant.
Kakuzu and Hidan immediately jumped to the left and right.
They had already sensed it while in mid-air.
Hidan grinned, looking at the four of them, and said, "I didn't expect Lord Jashin's sacrifices to deliver themselves to the door."
Jashin?
Except for Naruto, the other three were puzzled.
Kakuzu wasn't as arrogant as Hidan; he was slightly surprised and asked, "One of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya laughed proudly and said, "You have a good eye."
"Are you also here for the White Lotus Sect Leader?"
Kakuzu scanned the four of them; this was a bit troublesome.
He also recognized Kakashi.
After all, as a bounty hunter, he had seen portraits of every valuable face in the entire Ninja World.
Jiraiya and Kakashi were very valuable.
Jiraiya was one of the Sannin; his status and strength were intimidating.
And Kakashi had the Sharingan and was famous himself.
The two of them combined were already worth about as much as the White Lotus Sect Leader.
Because Lord of Heavenless was clearly a special case who had offended the Daimyo, his bounty was far higher than his actual worth.
"In a way, but I'm more interested in your organization."
Jiraiya sized the two of them up from a close distance.
Unfamiliar and powerful.
He wondered where these guys had come from.
Hidan brought out his peculiar weapon.
He didn't feel anything about the so-called Sannin.
After all, Orochimaru was just so-so.
"Hehe, Kakuzu, no need for nonsense. After sacrificing Jiraiya, I'm sure Lord Jashin will be very satisfied."
Idiot!
Kakuzu cursed inwardly.
But he also understood that there was no room for negotiation.
Orochimaru and The Fool's actions had already caused the Akatsuki Organization to be marked as dangerous in Konoha.
Otherwise, Jiraiya and the others wouldn't have attacked them for no reason.
Kakuzu sighed.
This was pure scapegoating.
The Akatsuki Organization certainly wanted to move against the Nine-Tailed, but the time wasn't right yet.
Furthermore, when Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki went to Konoha, they were also driven back by The Fool.
Their Akatsuki Organization got nothing out of it, yet they had to take the blame for two traitors.
A total loss.
Kakuzu never did business that lost money.
But he would have to make an exception today.
But then again, it wasn't a loss.
He looked at Kakashi.
He would take the Sharingan and his Lightning Release heart.
As for Jiraiya, although he found him troublesome, it was still within an acceptable range.
You ask why?
That's where the prestige of surviving against the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, comes in.
It used to be a disgrace, but now it could definitely be called an honor.
He had long understood that the one who remains is king.
The moment Kakuzu's killing intent surfaced, Kakashi had already formed hand seals.
A giant fireball rushed toward him.
"This kind of Ninjutsu is useless against me."
Kakuzu snorted and dodged directly.
At that same moment, an arrow fletching descended from the sky, trailing a faint afterimage in the air.
It perfectly predicted his landing spot.
Kakuzu felt even more disdainful.
What kind of Ninja still uses a bow and arrow?
Suddenly, the interior of the arrow fletching expanded rapidly, like a sudden volcanic eruption. High-temperature explosions occurred, and a dazzling wave of fire was generated.
Kakuzu had completely failed to anticipate such a change.
Because in his perception, this arrow fletching was unremarkable except for being condensed from Chakra.
A huge sound wave spread out.
Hidan naturally knew Kakuzu was fine.
He looked at Jiraiya and Naruto, who hadn't made a move.
Hmm, a teenage kid is boring.
Not qualified to be a sacrifice.
Holding his Triple-Bladed Scythe, he moved with wide, sweeping motions and charged straight at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya was somewhat puzzled and said, "Naruto, this guy is a bit strange. He has too many weaknesses and seems completely indifferent to getting hurt himself. Be careful."
From his perspective, Hidan's reckless attack was practically like that of a Ninja Academy student.
Naruto nodded casually and took out Enma. Without any fancy tricks, he slashed directly at the scythe.
Hidan was also stunned, feeling that he was being looked down upon.
"If you're looking for death, don't blame me!"
His face was hideous, and his speed didn't change at all.
His eyes were fixed on Naruto; he could already see the boy and his sword being cut into three pieces.
But upon contact, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
Such immense strength!
Amidst the sound of clashing weapons, Hidan slid backward, leaving two-meter-long tracks from his feet.
He steadied himself and looked at Naruto, his gaze shifting slightly.
But he still didn't care much.
What's the use of just having great strength?
As long as I can get some blood, I can even kill the God of Shinobi for you to see.
Hidan got a bit more serious, and the scythe flew out of his hand with a whistling sound.
Naruto knocked it away with a single sword strike.
The next moment, Hidan was already close. He kicked out while pulling with his right hand; the scythe spun back into his hand, swinging in another arc and unleashing a sharp flash of blade light.
Naruto sidestepped to dodge the kick. The Enma in his hand was like a butterfly, fluttering up and down, elusive and unpredictable.
Hidan's eyes narrowed; Enma had already passed through the gap in his scythe and pierced straight through his right shoulder.
Blood sprayed, and intense pain struck.
But his expression was very strange.
It was a mix of pain and excitement.
Hidan grabbed Enma with his left hand. The sharp blade made his palm bleed, but he gripped it tightly, not letting Naruto pull away.
He pulled back his right hand, and the scythe that had missed performed a reverse spin in the air. Killing intent surfaced as it descended from the sky like a giant guillotine.
Naruto's body suddenly turned into a wooden log.
Watching from the side, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief.
He instinctively looked at Hidan.
The blood flowing from his right shoulder had already stained half of his body red.
What's wrong with this guy?
Isn't he afraid of death?
Although Jiraiya wasn't afraid of death either, he couldn't possibly fight like Hidan, using this style of trading injuries and risking his life.
So in his eyes, this fellow was very strange.
But he was an old hand after all, and he roughly guessed that Hidan had some secret technique that could kill people.
He just didn't know what the trigger medium was.
"You're qualified to be a sacrifice now!"
Hidan's mouth split into a wide grin, laughing with immense joy.
The physical pain only added to his excitement.
Naruto had absolutely no desire to pay attention to this guy.
Although he had a so-called immortal body, he actually had quite a few weaknesses.
For example, if his head and body were separated, he wouldn't be able to move.
Naruto could even use Sealing Jutsu directly.
But he didn't; he was stalling for time.
Waiting for Lord of Heavenless to appear.
If he finished this guy off in a few moves, Jiraiyawould make him deal with Lord of Heavenlesstogether, which would be ridiculous.
It just so happened that Hidan was immortal, so he could play around a bit longer.
"Come on, keep going!"
Hidan's smile widened further, almost rivaling the Uchiha Four.
Holding his scythe, he closed in once again.
He continued to use his suicidal fighting style.
The two clashed repeatedly, with sparks and roars occurring one after another.
Jiraiya finally realized it.
Hidan should be immortal.
This made him feel very surprised.
Indeed, the Ninja World is vast, and there is nothing too strange for it.
However, it still couldn't compare to the shock of Orochimaru turning into a loli.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Even though Naruto had pierced Hidan's heart, he was still lively.
But it was clear that the pain was not diminished.
Yet Hidan actually endured such pain, getting more excited the more he fought.
This person definitely has mental issues.
Jiraiya thought to himself that he couldn't let him leave; otherwise, more people would suffer.
But because Naruto had been maintaining high speed, he hadn't been injured so far.
He also hadn't seen through Hidan's secret technique.
Jiraiya glanced at Kakuzu's battle again.
He felt it was even more absurd than Hidan's.
Because he could understand the five elemental releases.
After all, Jiraiya had seen several people use them.
Kakashi could also use five elemental releases.
But Kakuzu's combat experience was simply too rich!
One person was suppressing both Kakashi and Neji.
If Neji didn't have that archery skill, he would have failed long ago.
Well, he didn't know Neji had Sage Mode.
Jiraiya estimated that if he didn't use Sage Modehimself, it would probably be difficult to beat this guy.
Logically, such a powerhouse should have become famous in the Ninja World long ago.
While he was thinking about the identities of the two, he suddenly sensed a third person.
Jiraiya's spirit jolted, and he quickly looked toward the sensed location.
He saw a young man with long black hair standing quietly on the wall.
He leapt over, came to face him, and asked, "Are you the White Lotus Sect Leader?"
The battles of Naruto, Kakashi, and Neji certainly wouldn't end in a short time.
From the battle situation, it wasn't too bad.
So Jiraiya temporarily focused his attention on the newly emerged Lord of Heavenless.
He was actually quite interested in the suddenly appearing White Lotus Sect.
After all, it was rare for Ninjas in the Ninja Worldto lead commoners in rebellion.
He didn't know how this kind of thinking was cultivated.
"You seem very curious."
Lord of Heavenless glanced at him nonchalantly and said, "You're wondering why I, as a Ninja, would establish the White Lotus Sect and oppose the Daimyo and nobles."
Jiraiya was startled in his heart.
This person is so sharp.
Because for someone who doesn't know him, under normal circumstances, it's difficult to guess his thoughts.
But having experienced great storms, he smiled and said, "Since your Excellency says so, could you enlighten me?"
"Jiraiya."
Lord of Heavenless called out his name directly and said, "You've spent your whole life searching for the child of prophecy. Have you found him?"
Jiraiya's gaze became sharp, and he asked, "Who are you? How do you know about that?"
The Great Toad Sage's prophecy was indeed famous.
But it was limited to the high-level officials of Konoha.
Outsiders could never know.
Lord of Heavenless smiled, pointed at Naruto, and said, "His strength is good. Do you think he is the legendary child of prophecy?"
Jiraiya frowned and did not answer the question.
"Don't be nervous; we are not enemies."
"What do you mean?"
Jiraiya was slightly stunned.
The Land of Fire's army is at the gates, and you're telling me we're not enemies?
You probably have a problem.
"We will soon become friends."
Lord of Heavenless took out a small card, handed it to him, and said, "My White Lotus Sect has two protectors, Left and Right; they possess eyes that can see the future."
Jiraiya instinctively looked at the card.
There was a line of text on it:
"Kind Big Brother, Merlin."
"Are you playing with me?"
Jiraiya's expression was not very good.
What the hell is a Kind Big Brother!
If you were a Kind Big Sister, I might consider it.
"No, I am very serious."
Lord of Heavenless didn't mean to joke at all, his expression serious. "I know many things about you because of Merlin. He possesses unimaginable magic power, and most importantly, he knows how to bring peace to this world."
"Peace?"
Jiraiya couldn't help but speak out.
He sought the legendary child of prophecyprecisely because he would bring world peace.
As a Ninja who grew up in war since childhood, he had long since grown tired of the endless fighting.
But he quickly shook his head and said, "I don't believe what you say."
"Why don't you believe it?"
Lord of Heavenless thought for a moment and said, "I remember Merlin told me that you like the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade."
"???"
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
An expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
He didn't even react when Lord of Heavenlessstuffed the small card into his hand.
After a long time, he broke into a cold sweat.
If Lord of Heavenless had acted just now, he could have definitely killed or severely injured him.
Jiraiya stared at the card.
There was another line of text on the back:
"Life is all predestined; fate cannot be defied."
"The White Lotus Sect has two protectors and four great dharma kings."
Lord of Heavenless ignored his shock and astonishment and continued, "But in fact, there is only one of the four great dharma kings. Do you know why?"
After a moment, Jiraiya snapped out of it and asked, "Why? Because it sounds more intimidating?"
He casually put away the card; even if Lord of Heavenless was very mysterious and knew many things about him, he still didn't trust him.
"It's because in the future, the White Lotus Sectwill have four great dharma kings."
"Hmph, playing tricks."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and said, "I don't care who you are or what you want to say; our chat ends here. Your head is worth five hundred million ryo, and I won't let it go."
"If you want my head, it's simple; I can give it to you."
Lord of Heavenless pointed his finger at his temple and said, "Do you want it?"
Jiraiya's face suddenly became murderous.
He was already certain that this White Lotus Sect Leader was lying to him, wanting to disturb his mind before the battle.
"Jiraiya, you are one of the future four great dharma kings."
Lord of Heavenless casually drew a sword.
"It seems you are indeed at your wit's end to even say such things."
Jiraiya shook his head with a chuckle.
No need to pretend anymore.
I have seen through your purpose.
He took a step back, increased the distance, and said, "Let me witness the strength of you, this mysterious Sect Leader."
"I await your return."
Lord of Heavenless smiled and placed the sword against his own neck, saying, "Jiraiya, the White-Haired Lion King of the four great dharma kings, the White Lotus Sect is your final destination; this is the fate you cannot escape. Remember, in three days, at the top of Wudi City, go see Merlin."
Blood sprayed.
Lord of Heavenless's head rolled down.
Jiraiya stood frozen on the spot.
You're doing this for real?
...Naruto, who was fighting Hidan, was slightly startled.
Accompanied by a wave of pain, many memories flooded into his heart.
[Congratulations to the host for achieving the 'Prophet, Slain' achievement, obtaining three attribute points.]
[Congratulations to the host for achieving the 'sky city' achievement, obtaining one normal card draw.]
"You're distracted! Die!"
Hidan was overjoyed; although he didn't understand why the guy in front of him was dazed for a moment, it was a perfect opportunity for him.
He had fought for so long and hadn't even touched the corner of his opponent's clothes.
It was simply a great humiliation!
At this moment, Hidan held the scythe with both hands and slashed directly at Naruto's neck.
Only a clanging sound was heard.
The scythe seemed to have slashed against some incredibly solid metal.
Hidan was stunned, his expression suddenly froze, and then he became very confused.
"What kind of monster are you?"
He instinctively tried to pull back the scythe.
But it didn't budge at all.
Naruto looked at him indifferently and asked, "You have an immortal body, but I'm curious, if I grind your flesh and bones to dust, can you still be reborn?"
Hidan's body shook, but in the next instant, he was furious.
"Bastard! How dare someone like you talk big to Lord Hidan?!"
Naruto didn't speak.
The Enma in his hand was like a galaxy, instantly transforming into countless sword moves, covering Hidan's entire body in a flash.
How is it possible!
Hidan felt that he completely couldn't keep up with his sword moves.
Incredibly fast!
So exquisite it was unstoppable!
How could there be such terrifying swordsmanship?
In a panic, Hidan's entire body was covered in sword wounds.
Blood stained him red.
It splattered everywhere like it was free.
Although Hidan's body's healing ability was strong, it was far from reaching the level of Senju Hashirama.
Eye shadow appeared around Naruto's eyes.
"Try this new Ninjutsu I developed."
He casually threw away Enma, and a Rasenganappeared in his palm.
The wind howled.
With him as the center, the gale blew apart the surrounding buildings.
The weeds in the cracks and the wall bricks shattered together.
Jiraiya was suddenly startled and instinctively looked at the battlefield.
A shuriken-shaped Rasengan was above Naruto's head.
He completely froze.
This is a Rasengan?
His hand began to tremble.
Endless wind, plus a massive amount of Sage Chakra, and then the Rasengan.
While Jiraiya was in a daze, he saw the shurikenrotating until its shape was indistinguishable; from a distance, it looked like a pigeon egg.
Sage Art: Wind Release: Ultra-Big Ball Rasenshuriken!
It was like countless fine needles, piercing into the cells in an instant.
Hidan began an inhuman scream.
He had never felt this kind of pain.
For the first time, he felt he would die, and an unspeakable fear surged in his heart.
The three people in the melee on the other side suddenly stopped.
It was impossible not to stop.
This scream was simply harrowing.
Kakuzu bit his tongue hard, waking up from the shock.
What kind of monster is this?
He turned and ran without hesitation.
Without staying for a second.
Behind him, an earth-shattering explosion suddenly rang out.
With Hidan as the center, the ground tore apart inch by inch.
The White Lotus Sect's mansion was like paper, turning into scattered fragments.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Even after pulling back nine-tenths of the power at the end, it still has such destructive force?
"..."
Jiraiya suddenly understood the Great Toad Sage's prophecy a little bit.
This kind of power indeed has the qualification to bring world-shaking changes.
But at the same time, it is a double-edged sword.
First Lord of Heavenless, then Naruto.
At this moment, his mood was incredibly complex.
Six thousand words.