"What's with that look, you bastard, Kakashi?!"
Obito snapped, instantly losing his temper.
His hand swelled and morphed into a massive wooden stake, shooting toward Kakashi with full force.
But Kakashi wasn't about to back down.
Years of battle-hardened experience in the Freedom Fighter had sharpened his instincts.
To him, Obito's attacks looked no more threatening than a child flailing a toy.
His hands shifted into razor-sharp claws, instantly coated in Armament Haki.
With a fierce slash, he tore through the wooden stake like a predator ripping apart its prey.
Boom!
A violent shockwave burst out as both were sent skidding backward from the sheer force of their clash.
Kakashi flexed his fingers, feeling a faint sting in his palm.
"Not bad… looks like Wood Style really has boosted your power," he admitted, raising an eyebrow.
Obito snorted, crossing his arms.
"If Teacher Simu hadn't given you that fruit, I'd be the stronger one!"
He wasn't wrong.
After much consideration, Simu had entrusted Kakashi with the Ancient Zoan Pteranodon Fruit, an ability that drastically enhanced his physical attributes.
Given Kakashi's natural deficiency in chakra reserves, the fruit was a perfect fit.
Not only did it grant him a massive boost in stamina and raw power, but its flight capabilities also turned him into a near-untouchable force on the battlefield.
His lightning-fast reflexes, ruthless efficiency, and overwhelming speed had earned him a fearsome title
The Black Shinigami.
For now, Obito had only mastered the Sharingan and basic Wood Style techniques.
Compared to Kakashi, the gap in strength was undeniable.
This frustrated Obito to no end. He couldn't shake the feeling that Simu was playing favorites, favoring Kakashi over him.
Seeing Obito's sulking expression, Kakashi sighed and said casually,
"Then challenge me again after you've mastered Sage Mode."
Obito froze, his crimson Sharingan gleaming with excitement.
"Sage Mode? Wait, you mean Simu-sensei is going to teach me Sage Mode?"
Kakashi shot him a deadpan look.
"Yeah, but with your talent, learning Sage Mode might be a bit of a struggle."
But Obito was too caught up in his excitement to care.
Even in the face of Kakashi's mockery, he didn't lash out. Instead, he waved a hand dismissively.
"Just wait! Once I master Sage Mode, I'll gonna beat you!"
Before Kakashi could respond, a sharp voice rang out from the yard.
"You two! If you're going to argue, take it somewhere else!"
Kushina's fiery temper flared as two massive chakra claws, formed from Nine Tails' energy, lunged toward them.
Obito's eyes widened.
"RUN!"
Without hesitation, Obito used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared in an instant.
The two didn't stop running until they had put several hundred meters between themselves and Kushina's wrath.
Catching his breath, Obito grumbled, "Ever since Kushina got pregnant, her temper's been getting worse by the day."
Kakashi adjusted his mask and muttered, "Maybe that's just how women are."
Obito was about to retort when—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the entire village.
A blinding flash of light shot up from within Konoha, slamming into the protective barrier surrounding the village.
A massive hole was blown open!
Panic spread instantly.
The Konoha Security Force snapped into action.
Anbu operatives moved at lightning speed, heading toward the source of the explosion.
Across the village, startled civilians and shinobi alike sprang into action. Some grabbed their weapons, preparing for the worst.
Though the ninja world had been relatively calm for over half a year, peace was far from guaranteed.
Konoha, the most feared force in the ninja world, was always a target. A sudden raid wasn't impossible.
But right now…
Everyone's expressions were grim.
If an enemy had infiltrated the village through some special means, a battle inside Konoha would cause massive destruction.
Kakashi and Obito exchanged a glance.
Without hesitation, they rushed toward the source of the explosion at top speed.
By the time they arrived, Anbu operatives and Namikaze Minato, the head of Anbu, were already on the scene.
At the center of the crowd stood none other than the Fourth Hokage himself—disheveled, unshaven, and looking like he hadn't slept in days.
Beside him sat a massive cannon, still smoking from its barrel.
It didn't take a genius to figure out who was responsible for the explosion.
As dozens of stunned eyes locked onto him, Simu scratched his messy hair and gave an awkward grin.
"Uh… it's late. Why's everyone still up?"
Silence.
If anything, that question only made things more awkward.
"Our great Lord Fourth Hokage bombarded the village's barrier in the middle of the night… and then wondered why we weren't asleep."
In the end, Simu and his mighty cannon were escorted to the Forest of Death.
Meanwhile, the gathered Anbu worked to calm the villagers.
As for the official explanation?
A gas explosion caused by poor oversight from the Konoha Police.
Once again, the Konoha Police took the blame.
Not that they cared anymore.
For the past six months, their reputation among the villagers had already hit rock bottom right alongside the Shimura and Sarutobi clans.
….
At the Forest of Death, Shikaku rubbed his tired eyes and sighed.
"Alright, Hokage-sama, mind telling us what happened?"
At this point, he didn't even know who the real Hokage was. He and Minato handled everything while Simu barely lifted a finger.
Simu grinned and gestured toward the massive, three-meter-tall cannon.
"This," he said proudly,
"is my latest invention, the Senjutsu Chakra Cannon!"
He patted the side of the machine.
"I'm calling it… Thunder Type I."
The name instantly caught Shikaku and Minato's attention.
"Senjutsu Chakra?"
Everyone knew that Senjutsu Chakra could only be formed in Sage Mode, combining regular chakra with natural energy.
The difference in power was massive—just compare regular Jiraiya to Sage Mode Jiraiya.
But Sage Mode had a huge drawback: it was incredibly hard to master.
Only the Three Great Summoning Lands could teach it, and even then, very few succeeded.
Right now, Konoha had only two Sage Mode users, Jiraiya and Simu.
And Jiraiya's version wasn't even complete.
Which meant Senjutsu Chakra was incredibly valuable.
…..
Simu nodded. "That's right. The shells inside this cannon can automatically absorb natural energy, mix it with stored lightning chakra, and create devastating Senjutsu Chakra shells."
Shikaku stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Breaking Konoha's barrier in a single shot… That's impressive, but—"
Before he could finish, Simu cut in.
"Ah… yeah, about that " Simu scratched his head sheepishly.
"That was just a test round. I… didn't expect it to be that strong."
The explosion in the middle of the night had already caused enough chaos—breaking the village's defensive barrier on top of that just made it worse.
And yet, Simu casually added, "Since this was just a prototype, I set it to the lowest power."
Shikaku froze.
"Wait... You're saying that was the weakest shot?"
Simu nodded. "Pretty much."
Shikaku swallowed hard. "Then… what happens at full power?"
Simu's eyes lit up. "Wanna find out?"
He rubbed his hands together eagerly.
Shikaku quickly shook his head. "No need. Let's just say the Police were testing their strength out here."
"Hmm… not a bad idea," Simu muttered, scratching his head.
But since there were no objections…
He casually cranked the cannon's power to max.
A grin crept across his face as he slammed the launch button.
"Thunder I—fire!"
A brilliant blue light surged inside the cannon's barrel.
Everyone present could feel the terrifying energy building up inside the cannon.
As the shells absorbed natural energy and Chakra, the ground trembled.
Then—
A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the night, exploding forward as a massive thunder pillar that ripped through the forest ahead.
"BOOM!"
The deafening explosion shook Konoha once again.
A brilliant flash of lightning revealed a massive crater 30 meters wide deep in the Forest of Death. The trees along its path were charred black, some even catching fire.
Shikaku's eyes widened.
"With this kind of power… who wouldn't panic?"
If this had landed in a battlefield full of enemy ninjas, the casualties would be catastrophic.
Kakashi and the others stood frozen, shocked by the sheer destruction.
Meanwhile, Obito, even the stubborn one, was already wondering if his Wood Style could block it.
His conclusion?
"Probably… but I'd be in bad shape afterward."
Minato immediately grasped the strategic potential of this weapon.
If mass-produced and stationed at Konoha's border fortresses, it could repel an enemy force more than five times its size.
However, due to its sheer size, it wasn't suited for mobile combat. It couldn't become a standard ninja weapon.
If only…
As if reading Minato's thoughts, Simu pulled out another device.
A thick mechanical arm guard—large enough to cover an average person's entire forearm.
"Lightning Type I: Individual Combat Weapon."
Everyone's eyes lit up at the name.
If there were no surprises, this had to be the portable version of Thunder I…
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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