The next day, Natsuki went straight to the Hokage's office to request a mission.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You just got back from a vacation, and now you're eager to take a mission? Don't tell me you're looking for another excuse to browse the Senju archives. And you're taking Sasuke along… looks like his last visit to the archives really benefited him."
Oh? She misunderstood?
Well… it wasn't exactly wrong, so he decided to just go along with it.
Natsuki nodded. "Sasuke said the Senju and Uchiha were once rivals. The Senju understand the Uchiha very well, and the archives record plenty of information about their abilities, techniques, and weaknesses—it's very helpful for him."
Tsunade chuckled. "Alright then, work hard for me! With helpers like you two, my job really does get easier."
Natsuki grinned. "Then, Tsunade-sama, when Tenten and I get married, you'd better not be stingy. How about giving me a lifetime free-access pass to the Senju archives as your wedding gift?"
"In your dreams!"
She laughed, but added, "Still, not a bad idea. Lifetime access is impossible, but a three-to-five-day reading pass is doable. Fine, when you and Tenten get married, I won't have to worry about a gift—you've already picked it yourself."
Perfect—topic successfully diverted. No need to have her suspect anything.
After getting the mission, Natsuki was ready to leave, but before going he said in a low voice, "Tsunade-sama, I've noticed that Sai has been secretly watching Sasuke."
Her face hardened immediately. "I understand. I'll handle it. You and Sasuke just focus on the mission."
When Natsuki left, Tsunade's expression turned downright ugly. "That old bastard Danzō! The Uchiha only have one heir left, and he still won't let him be?! If he's so idle, I'll give him something to do. Shizune, get Kakashi here—there's a troublesome mission I want him to take Sai on."
Kakashi (somewhere else): …Why am I getting dragged into this too?
Outside the Hokage building, Natsuki met Sasuke and even glanced at the hidden Sai in the shadows, but didn't bother with him.
"Mission approved—let's go."
He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and in an instant they vanished. No matter how good Sai was, he wasn't following them through Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique).
In the blink of an eye, they were outside the village.
After confirming the location of the lake, they quickly and quietly set out, making sure no one else discovered their objective.
Two days later, they reached the lake area. Mist hung thick over the surface, hiding the water itself. Clearly, the Three-Tails was well-hidden and living quite comfortably—compared to the other eight beasts trapped by humans, this one was truly free.
"The Three-Tails… it's at the bottom of the lake!" Sasuke's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Yes, it's definitely down there," Natsuki confirmed—then suddenly added, "Sasuke, there are two things I need to warn you about. First, Orochimaru may not actually be dead. His soul could be hidden in the cursed seals on you and Anko-senpai, so you must stay cautious. Second, Tailed Beasts are dangerous—they've been sealed many times over the years and have absorbed a lot of negative emotions. They might influence you, so you must keep your cool."
Sasuke was surprised.
He hadn't expected Natsuki to suddenly bring this up, let alone claim Orochimaru was still alive.
He touched the cursed seal on his shoulder but didn't doubt Natsuki's words—Orochimaru always gave off an immortal, snake-like vibe.
If the man really was hiding in the seal, Sasuke would have to be careful. If that snake found an opening, it would be a disaster.
As for the beast's influence, he had already prepared himself mentally. He understood Natsuki's concern and was grateful.
He nodded solemnly. "I understand. I'll be careful."
Without further words, they dashed across the water to the center of the lake and then dove in, searching slowly beneath the surface. Before long, they found it—a massive, spike-covered turtle with three tails: the Three-Tails Isobu.
Sasuke could feel the immense chakra radiating from it, and excitement surged through him.
Natsuki signaled with his hand, and Sasuke immediately surfaced, activating the chakra battery device on his arm. Sealing a beast this large would require massive chakra reserves, and he needed to be fully prepared.
Meanwhile, in the water, Natsuki silently apologized to the carefree creature before pressing his hands together.
Suiton: Kraken!
In the next moment, a colossal water-formed octopus—nearly as large as the Three-Tails itself—unleashed its tentacles, wrapping them around the spiked turtle.
The Three-Tails thrashed and shrieked, but the Kraken dragged it toward the surface, its tentacles binding it so tightly that it couldn't move.
The Kraken could restrain even Susanoo—let alone the Three-Tails.
Natsuki also had the tentacles clamp over the beast's mouth, preventing it from using a Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Bomb) or Water Release. It was completely helpless.
Sasuke wasted no time. He rushed to the restrained beast without fear, immediately weaving signs for a sealing jutsu. He trusted Natsuki to hold the creature completely still—there was no need to worry about his own safety.
"Fūinjutsu: Shishō Fūin! (Four Symbols Seal)"
Slamming his palm against the Three-Tails, sealing chains shot from his body, wrapping around the beast and forcefully pulling it toward him.
Realizing what was happening, Isobu's struggles grew even more desperate. It had been living peacefully and hadn't even sought revenge on humans—why wouldn't they just leave it alone?
Damn humans!
Sasuke felt the intensified resistance and immediately poured in more chakra, strengthening the seal's power and dragging the beast into himself.
Thanks to Natsuki's restraint and Sasuke's well-trained fūinjutsu—plus his massive chakra supply from the battery—the Three-Tails didn't resist for long. Soon, it was wrenched fully into Sasuke's body.
A sealing mark appeared on his stomach, and he immediately pressed his hand over it, casting another Shishō Fūin.
Two layers of Four Symbols Seal formed the Hakke Fūin (Eight Trigrams Seal), perfectly binding the beast inside.
The dual-layer seal also compressed the beast's power, turning it into an enormous living chakra battery—no more worrying about running out of energy.
"Ha… it's done!"
Sasuke could feel the Three-Tails tightly sealed inside, and that he could draw on its chakra at will. Testing it immediately, he cloaked himself in a layer of tailed-beast chakra. The overwhelming power made him almost giddy—he wanted to challenge Uchiha Itachi right then and there.
Of course, he also felt the beast's negative emotions—but thanks to Natsuki's warning, he pushed them down without difficulty.
(End of Chapter)
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