"One person suppressing a tailed beast?"
Kakashi's visible eye widened in shock as he listened to Kurenai's words.
One person… suppressing a tailed beast!
The scene of the Nine-Tails ravaging Konoha just a few years ago still felt fresh in his mind, as if it had happened yesterday.
Back then, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, had fought with all their might just to seal the Nine-Tails again.
Yet, they paid the ultimate price for it, and the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice became one of Konoha's most tragic and heavy memories.
Could it be… that Genya had suppressed a tailed beast in the Land of Lightning?
Countless thoughts surged through Kakashi's mind like a tidal wave. His tone grew grave, carrying a faint trace of fear.
In the ninja world, a tailed beast's power is earth-shattering. Anyone capable of suppressing one is unimaginably strong.
If this was true, then Genya's strength could rival that of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, or even Uchiha Madara.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, ended the Warring States period by himself, founded Konoha, and possessed the powerful Kekkei Genkai, Wood Release. He even defeated Madara at the Valley of the End, securing Konoha's position in the ninja world.
As for Uchiha Madara, a legendary figure of the Uchiha clan, he possessed a powerful Sharingan. The strength of his Mangekyo Sharingan was terrifying, and his battle with the First Hokage became an eternal legend in the ninja world.
Thinking of this, Kakashi's gaze returned to Kurenai, and he asked again, confirming, "Are you saying… Genya suppressed a tailed beast by himself?"
"That's right…" Kurenai looked at Kakashi with seriousness, speaking deliberately, as if to make him fully understand the weight of her words.
"After we left the Land of Lightning, they sent people after us, including the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Killer B!"
Hearing this, Kakashi's brows furrowed tightly, and his surprise boiled like molten lava in his chest.
Rumor had it that Killer B had mastered the Eight-Tails' power perfectly, and… the Eight-Tails' power was second only to the Nine-Tails!
Kakashi knew well the strength of tailed beasts. They were rare in the ninja world, each possessing terrifying power, coveted by every ninja village as a strategic weapon.
The Eight-Tails, Gyūki, was massive and incredibly strong, with eight thick tails, each containing immense energy.
As its jinchūriki, Killer B could not only freely wield the Eight-Tails' power but also merge perfectly with it, achieving combat strength far beyond ordinary humans.
"That's right… I see you already realized it!" Kurenai nodded lightly at Kakashi's stunned expression, then continued, "I saw it with my own eyes—Genya easily restrained the Eight-Tails. The beast had no strength to resist him, and even its chakra was almost completely drained by Genya!"
"."
Kakashi's shock reached its peak. Defeating a tailed beast so effortlessly?
Such power—there was probably no one in the entire ninja world capable of that.
He had always known that Uchiha Genya was strong, but only now did he realize he had severely underestimated Genya's true strength. Genya's power had exceeded his imagination.
It could be said that Genya's current strength was enough to easily change the balance of a faction, or even a whole village.
With such immense power, Genya had undoubtedly become a force in the ninja world that could not be ignored.
After a long pause, Kakashi finally spoke. "What happened to the Eight-Tails and its jinchuriki afterward?"
If Genya had really killed the Eight-Tails and its jinchuriki, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Though a tailed beast would eventually revive elsewhere after death, a jinchuriki was not so easy to replace.
Moreover, Killer B was a perfect jinchuriki. His synchronization with the Eight-Tails was extraordinary, allowing him to fully utilize the beast's power.
Losing Killer B would be a massive blow to the Land of Lightning, possibly sparking war between villages—a brutal, endless conflict.
In the ninja world, tailed beasts and their jinchuriki were always sensitive topics.
Villages often clashed over them, and killing someone's jinchuriki would only make matters worse.
"I don't know. After suppressing the tailed beast, Genya just let us leave," Kurenai said, shaking her head. Then she added, "But knowing Genya's reasoning, he probably wouldn't do anything rash."
Kurenai had spent some time with Genya. She understood that while he was extremely powerful, he was not a bloodthirsty person. He had principles and limits.
"It's hard to say. Genya has always lived by the rule: 'If no one harms me, I harm no one.' But when Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to kill him, he returned and blocked Konoha, directly targeting the Sarutobi clan members," Kakashi said with some helplessness.
When facing enemies, Genya's methods were ruthless—vengeance was absolute.
But if you didn't provoke him, he would not act aggressively.
This side of Genya's personality commanded both respect and caution throughout the ninja world.
Now, the Land of Lightning was trying to intercept him. Would he easily let those people go?
"I don't know about that. But judging from Genya's behavior, he didn't eliminate Killer B. It seems like he's setting up an even bigger plan," Kurenai said after a moment of silence, thinking over her words.
She felt that Genya's actions carried a deeper purpose. With his intelligence, he wouldn't act recklessly just because of a single interception.
"An even bigger plan?" Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. What kind of plan could that be? He recalled what Genya had once said—he wanted peace in the ninja world.
Peace—a dream so distant in a ninja world torn by constant war. The villages constantly fought over resources, territory, and tailed beasts. Countless shinobi and civilians lost their lives in these conflicts.
Could Genya really achieve peace in the ninja world by himself?
The two of them continued talking, but eventually, they didn't know what else to say, sinking deep into thoughts about Genya's true intentions.
In the Hokage's office…
"Dad, do you think what Kurenai said is true? Is Uchiha Genya really still alive?" Asuma Sarutobi couldn't hide the restlessness in his heart the moment he entered the room, asking anxiously.
Genya wasn't dead? That news hit him like a bomb, stirring a huge wave of emotions inside him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, who had also entered, looked extremely grim, even displeased.
Today's events were a humiliation for Konoha's leadership.
They had all believed that Uchiha Genya was dead. Yet the news Kurenai brought back forced them to feel a sense of helplessness.
After a long pause, Hiruzen lit his pipe, took a slow drag, and said, "I'm not sure. But the people we sent to monitor them haven't returned."
Hiruzen's mind was full of worry. The fact that those monitoring ninjas hadn't come back made the situation very troubling.
"There are only two possibilities. One… they didn't encounter each other. Two… something unexpected happened to them," Hiruzen analyzed the two possible scenarios.
If it was the first situation, that would mean Kurenai might be lying, or perhaps she never even encountered Genya.
But if it was the second situation, it would mean Genya had likely noticed their surveillance and had taken action.
"Uchiha Genya is utterly lawless. He didn't just target our Sarutobi clan—he even injured Konohamaru!" Asuma Sarutobi spoke seriously, his tone full of anger.
"If Uchiha Genya is allowed to return to Konoha alive, the prestige of the Sarutobi clan will be greatly diminished!"
The Sarutobi clan had always held a high status and reputation. As a prominent Hokage's clan, if Genya returned alive, it would be a severe blow to their authority.
"Let's deal with this once Uchiha Genya returns to the village," Hiruzen Sarutobi said after a moment of thought.
"But…" Asuma Sarutobi grew impatient. "If we know Genya is just outside Konoha, we should send someone to eliminate him right now!"
In Asuma's view, he didn't want Genya to come back alive.
"Asuma, hehe… perhaps you don't yet understand the influence the Uchiha clan holds around Konoha," Danzo Shimura said, looking at Asuma with a hint of disdain at his recklessness.
Asuma, however, kept arguing. "What influence?"
He didn't comprehend Danzo's meaning. In his eyes, Genya was nothing but a worthless fool, a waste of both the Uchiha clan and Konoha itself.
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