Kimimaro Kaguya volunteered to take down all of Gato's subordinates.
Uzumaki Sōnagi slung his right arm around Naruto Uzumaki's shoulder and waved his left hand toward him. "Hey, Naruto, Kimimaro here's really powerful—next to me, he's the strongest guy you'll ever meet."
"Is that so?"
Naruto Uzumaki could feel how strong these people his age truly were.
He had already witnessed how formidable Sōnagi was back in Konoha.
Kimimaro crossed his arms, and sharp bones pierced through his joints.
Naruto watched in shock.
Sōnagi explained, "That's Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai. He can freely control osteoblasts and osteoclasts. His bones are harder than steel, giving him a defense so solid that regular physical attacks can't even scratch him. Then, once he attacks, those same bones become the ultimate spear."
Naruto kept his eyes fixed on Kimimaro. No matter how impressive Sōnagi made it sound, he had to see it with his own eyes.
With a flash of the Shifting Body Technique, Kimimaro appeared among Gato's men.
[Shikotsumyaku: Dance Of The Willow]
Moving like drifting willow fluff, Kimimaro unleashed a series of attacks—a graceful yet deadly taijutsu blended perfectly with his bone technique.
At this moment, Kimimaro was nothing short of a killing machine, easily mowing down Gato's henchmen.
Faced with death, some managed to break free from the overwhelming pressure and attempted counterattacks.
But when their blades struck Kimimaro's bones, they merely bent and shattered.
Naruto stood there wide-eyed.
He imagined what would happen if he had faced them.
He might have won, but it wouldn't have been easy—after all, they outnumbered him greatly.
In no time at all,
Only Gato remained standing on the battlefield.
Gato had already dropped to his knees, trembling all over, his face twisted in fear.
Grabbing Gato by the neck, Kimimaro dragged him over to Zabuza.
"Zabuza-sama, this one's yours."
Looking at Gato whimpering nonstop, Zabuza grew annoyed and kicked him hard enough to knock him unconscious.
Haku had already recovered under Uzumaki Miyuki's healing.
"Thank you, Miyuki-sama," Haku said.
Uzumaki Miyuki chuckled awkwardly. "Please don't say that. I should be apologizing for letting Naruto injure you like this."
Haku shook her head. "Victory and defeat are both part of war. I lost, and injury was only natural. Naruto did nothing wrong—he showed no mercy to an enemy."
Zabuza scoffed. "Talk about not being soft on enemies—did you even follow your own words?"
Smiling sweetly at Zabuza, Haku replied, "Naruto isn't our enemy."
Zabuza turned his head away and sighed silently.
He never knew how to deal with smiles like that from Haku.
Lifting Gato's limp body, Zabuza turned toward Chinya. "Haku and I are leaving first. We'll need some time to extract all of this guy's money."
Chinya nodded. "Alright, thank you for your hard work. See you at the village later."
"Let's go, Haku."
Zabuza, together with Gato and Haku, left using the Body Flicker Technique.
Kakashi glanced at the workers who had been swept to the other side of the bridge by the water currents. "Well then, let's continue this conversation somewhere else. These workers might wake up anytime soon, and Mr. Tazuna could bring others over as well. If they see you here, it'll cause unnecessary trouble. Considering your current low-profile status, it would be a big problem if people found out you're actually in Otogakure."
"Makes sense. Let's head back to our place."
Chinya and his group left the bridge.
Inside Chinya's temporary lodgings,
Naruto Uzumaki and Uzumaki Miyuki were alone in one room chatting.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, Chinya, and Sōnagi Uzumaki were in another room with five others.
Kakashi looked toward Kimimaro Kaguya and the others. "It seems like Otogakure has developed quite well. They've already nurtured so many talented kids."
Chinya took a sip of tea before responding, "Kimimaro and the others were trained directly by Orochimaru-sensei, not truly cultivated by the village itself. Currently, compared to major ninja villages like Konoha, the strength of those solely cultivated by the village still falls far behind."
"That's still impressive. By the way, where is Lady Kushina?"
Chinya answered, "Kushina is helping Daiki with village affairs back at the village."
Then Chinya added, "Oh, and by the way—you'll find out once you get back anyway… Minato Namikaze has awoken."
Kakashi expressed surprise. "He woke up? What's the current situation?"
With disdain, Chinya smiled slightly. "Hiruzen Sarutobi publicly announced Minato Namikaze's awakening. Obviously, he must have convinced Minato to stay loyal to Konoha before making such an announcement. Otherwise, given Hiruzen's cautious nature, he wouldn't dare announce it without confirming where Minato's loyalty lies.
Even after that announcement, Hiruzen still hasn't handed the Hokage title back to Minato. He says Minato's been out cold for twelve years and doesn't know what's really going on in Konoha anymore, so he'll temporarily keep carrying out the Hokage's duties.
Once he gets up to speed with how things are now in Konoha, the Hokage position will then be handed back to him. But exactly how much he needs to learn—well, that's completely up to Hiruzen's judgment.
And knowing Hiruzen like I do, during this period, he certainly won't stop testing both Minato and Naruto constantly. Of course, he's afraid."
Kakashi asked curiously, "Afraid? Afraid of what?"
Chinya spoke contemptuously, "Everything Hiruzen now holds depends upon lies. If the truth ever comes out, everything he's holding together would just collapse immediately. So how can he not be scared?"
Kakashi nodded, "That makes sense. Then what's next? Teacher, you brought Lady Miyuki all the way here to meet Naruto—does that mean you intend to take Naruto back to Otogakure?"
Chinya shook his head. "I brought Miyuki to visit Naruto simply because mother and son should reunite. As for whether Naruto returns to the village or not, that decision entirely rests with Naruto himself."
If Naruto Uzumaki wants to return to the village with Miyuki, I won't stop him. However, you must come back with me as well. As the last jinchūriki in Konoha, if Naruto disappears, they'll stop at nothing to find him. Hiruzen Sarutobi would naturally suspect you.
After all, you're my disciple. No matter how loyal you've acted lately, suspicion will eventually fall on you. Your position would become extremely difficult, and there's no reason for you to stay in Konoha anymore.
From my point of view, though, it's best if Naruto stays in Konoha for now. After Minato Namikaze awakens, his situation can only get better. He'll be able to use Konoha's resources and Minato's support to grow stronger. You can keep gathering intel from inside Konoha too, and Neji won't even be dragged into this."
Chinya glanced toward the room where Uzumaki Miyuki and Naruto Uzumaki were staying. Next, he would wait for Naruto's decision before proceeding with further actions.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>