Sasuke's strength left Uchiha Itachi utterly astonished. Sasuke's abilities had surpassed Itachi's expectations. Initially, Itachi had anticipated that Sasuke's power would be approaching his own at this point, but still not quite at his level.
However, from the moment Sasuke effortlessly dispatched his clone with a single move, it became clear that Sasuke had already surpassed him.
It wasn't just Itachi who was shocked; the entire Akatsuki organization was taken aback by Sasuke's displayed prowess.
Previously, the ninja world only had rumors of Sasuke possessing Kage-level strength, but after facing him in battle, it was evident that he was on the verge of surpassing even that level.
Despite this, Nagato didn't regard Sasuke's strength as a threat. After all, with the Rinnegan in his possession, he believed himself to be far superior to Sasuke.
Within the borders of the Land of Earth, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki were on the move.
Kisame remarked, "Itachi-san, your brother's strength now likely surpasses yours. Aren't you worried he'll come seeking revenge?"
"He seems to harbor a deep hatred for you." Uchiha Itachi remained silent, merely curious about how Sasuke had achieved such growth.
He knew Sasuke was talented, but it was evident that Sasuke's combat style had changed significantly.
The most baffling part was that Sasuke had activated the Mangekyo Sharingan multiple times without any decline in vision.
Was the pair of Mangekyo Sharingan he had prepared for Sasuke now unnecessary?
While Itachi was pleased with Sasuke's newfound strength, he felt no joy because he had lost control over Sasuke.
This was a feeling Uchiha Itachi was reluctant to accept. He had originally laid out a plan for Sasuke's future, but now Sasuke was growing in a way that was completely incomprehensible to him.
Seeing Itachi's silence, Kisame continued, "His ocular powers seem to surpass yours, Itachi-san. As a fellow Uchiha, he doesn't seem to have your issues."
"In the future, he might become an obstacle in our mission to capture the Nine-Tails, right?" The two walked through the pouring rain, one speaking, the other silent, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Regardless, during the mission to rescue Sunagakure, Sasuke's performance was outstanding, further amplifying his reputation in the ninja world.
He was on the path to becoming the foremost figure in the ninja world. As of now, aside from Nagato, there truly wasn't anyone confident enough to defeat him.
Of course, Yoruha wasn't included in the rankings, as including him seemed pointless.
With Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura around, Yoruha found himself with more leisure time. They handled the high-difficulty missions, while there were plenty of others to take on the moderate ones.
Yoruha stayed in Konoha, essentially collecting a paycheck without doing any work.
Tsunade wanted to find something for Yoruha to do, but she couldn't think of any task that absolutely required his involvement.
On the rooftop of the Hokage building, Yoruha leaned against the railing, with Jiraiya standing beside him.
At that moment, Jiraiya was peering through binoculars, indulging in his usual antics. Yoruha, feeling utterly bored, gazed into the distance. Suddenly, Yoruha looked up at the sky.
"Clown," Yoruha suddenly remarked, leaving Jiraiya puzzled. "Yoruha, what's going on?" Yoruha didn't respond.
Jiraiya was bewildered, momentarily thinking Yoruha was referring to him.
A massive projection appeared in the sky. A person with bandages wrapped around their face emerged in the air. Such a phenomenon in the sky caught the entire village's attention.
Tsunade and Shizune appeared on the rooftop. They walked over to Yoruha and looked at the apparition in the sky. Soon, the apparition began to speak, "I am Hiruko, a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village."
As soon as Hiruko's name was mentioned, Tsunade and Jiraiya were utterly shocked. "Hiruko? How can he still be a child!?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya found it unbelievable. Hiruko was once their teammate, yet the Hiruko appearing now looked like a child.
Yoruha commented, "He must have used some kind of rejuvenation jutsu, right? Orochimaru can do it too."
Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded in agreement. Hiruko continued, "I will use the Chimera Technique to seize the Kekkei Genkai of the four great ninja villages. Once I obtain the fifth Kekkei Genkai, I will be invincible, becoming the perfect immortal ninja."
"At that time, I will initiate the Fourth Great Ninja War." With that, Hiruko's apparition vanished. However, Hiruko had caused an unprecedented disturbance.
He had captured Kekkei Genkai ninjas from the other four great ninja villages and declared himself a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, threatening to start the Fourth Great Ninja War.
This could lead the other four great ninja villages to believe that the Hidden Leaf Village was planning to attack them, potentially prompting them to strike first.
Tsunade was troubled. "Damn it, that guy's words are putting our Hidden Leaf Village in a dangerous position." Jiraiya's expression was equally grave. "The other four great ninja villages might preemptively attack the Leaf."
"If not handled properly, it could indeed trigger the Fourth Great Ninja War." Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, "Tsunade, what's the deal with Hiruko?" Tsunade replied, "I sent the Anbu to investigate, but we didn't know it was Hiruko before."
"He has the ability to absorb chakra after turning it into a jutsu, making it impossible for the Anbu to get close to him." Jiraiya was somewhat shocked, "The ability to absorb jutsu? That's indeed troublesome."
"What about Sasuke and the others?" Jiraiya asked. Tsunade replied with a serious expression, "They are out on a mission."
Jiraiya said helplessly, "Looks like I'll have to go myself." Yoruha, who had been standing quietly, stretched a bit at this point. He said calmly, "Let me go instead; I'm faster."
Tsunade was momentarily stunned, having almost forgotten that Yoruha could go.
After all, Yoruha hadn't been on a mission for a long time, and she subconsciously overlooked his presence. Jiraiya chuckled, "Finally, you're showing some enthusiasm."
Yoruha looked at Tsunade and said, "Lady Tsunade, send a statement to the four great ninja villages explaining the situation. After that, I'll take care of Hiruko." Tsunade had no doubts about Yoruha's abilities.
After Yoruha finished speaking, his eyes focused slightly. In the next instant, he disappeared from the rooftop.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were already used to it; Yoruha's Flying Thunder God Technique was always mysterious, so his sudden disappearance didn't surprise them.
What they didn't know was that in the next moment, Yoruha appeared right beside Hiruko.
Hiruko, who had just broadcasted his image to the five great ninja villages, was smugly discussing his future plans. In front of him were five frames, with four already occupied.
The fifth frame was empty, and Yoruha knew who Hiruko intended to place there.
As Yoruha suddenly appeared, Hiruko, who was chatting with his subordinates, sensed something. He turned to look in Yoruha's direction.
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