The moment Utakata saw Kitazawa and Tsunade, he felt slightly relieved.
Because they were not Hidden Mist Village ANBU ninja.
It wasn't until the second glance that Utakata noticed the Konoha Village forehead protector on Kitazawa, and he subconsciously frowned.
Because he remembered that Konoha Village and Hidden Mist Village had already formed an alliance.
If Konoha Village knew his true identity, they might inform Hidden Mist Village.
"Who are you two?" Utakata remained calm as he asked.
Although Kitazawa and Tsunade were already famous throughout the Ninja World, he hadn't met them before, so he didn't recognize them.
As the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, few people in the entire Ninja World could defeat him, which gave him great confidence.
"Tsunade," Tsunade said in a calm tone.
Utakata's heart trembled involuntarily. He had felt that Tsunade looked familiar earlier, but he hadn't expected it to truly be her.
As the Hokage of Konoha Village, she wouldn't normally leave the village so easily.
Utakata immediately understood: they had come specifically for him.
A deep sense of dread instantly rose in his heart.
"Kitazawa," Kitazawa said immediately afterward.
"----?" Utakata's pupils dilated in shock.
This was no longer just a bad feeling—Tsunade plus Kitazawa meant they were after his life.
Although he was the Six-Tails Jinchuriki and extremely powerful, he admitted that he couldn't compare to the Fourth Mizukage, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, Yagura Karatachi.
Since even Yagura had lost to Tsunade and Kitazawa, how could he possibly win?
Especially when Kitazawa had now also mastered the legendary Wood Release.
"What business do you two have with me?" Utakata subconsciously tightened his grip on the bubble pipe and asked.
The bubble pipe was his weapon, which he could use to blow bubbles.
He was skilled at using bubble-based Water Release ninjutsu, which he could coordinate with the Six-Tails, Saiken.
In terms of abilities, the Six-Tails was somewhat similar to Katsuyu, capable of spitting out highly corrosive, acidic liquids and gases.
"Meeting like this is destiny." Kitazawa said with a smile, "We'd like to invite you to be a guest in Konoha Village."
"Do you think I'd believe that?" Utakata retorted coldly.
"No." Kitazawa paused briefly, then said, "Then let our strength do the talking."
"I am a rogue ninja from Hidden Mist Village."
Utakata said in a deep voice, "Hidden Mist Village ANBU are nearby. If you move to capture me, that counts as breaking the rules."
"Konoha Village and Hidden Mist Village are allies, so it doesn't count as breaking the rules." Kitazawa shook his head as he replied.
"Hmph, too much nonsense!" Tsunade leaped up, her chakra exploding as she punched toward Utakata.
The terrifying force stirred up violent gusts of wind.
Utakata's expression changed, and he quickly borrowed the power of the Six-Tails Saiken.
A massive tail grew from behind him and instantly curved forward to block.
Tsunade's fist slammed into the tail.
A terrifying force swept outward.
Utakata was instantly sent flying backward. He crashed to the ground, feeling that his tail was nearly numb.
"Truly deserving of her reputation!"
Utakata stood up as an immense amount of dark red Tailed Beast Chakra surged from his body.
The Tailed Beast Chakra formed an outer cloak around him; although he still retained a human shape, he now possessed six tails.
"What is this?" Sasuke saw the Partial Tailed Beast Transformation for the first time and immediately widened his eyes.
He didn't even need sensing ninjutsu to feel this endless chakra. Could a human really possess this much chakra?
"This is the power of a Tailed Beast!" Naruto immediately said, "Teacher Kitazawa said that as a Jinchuriki, you can borrow the Tailed Beast's chakra!"
Sasuke thought of Yagura Karatachi, and a look of realization appeared on his face.
"This is Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!"
Naruto continued explaining, "There's also Full Tailed Beast Transformation. Teacher Kitazawa defeated Yagura while he was in Full Tailed Beast Transformation!"
"Why didn't I know? Why did Teacher Kitazawa only tell you?" Sasuke nodded, then suddenly asked doubtfully.
"Because I—" Naruto stopped halfway through his sentence.
He scratched his head, remembering that Kitazawa had warned him not to reveal that he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to anyone else.
But he didn't know much either.
Kitazawa had only told him that the better his relationship with Kurama, the more chakra he could borrow.
In terms of stages, there were three.
The first stage was borrowing chakra, the second stage was Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, and the third stage was Full Tailed Beast Transformation.
In fact, Naruto had other stages as well, such as Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
A sudden rushing sound interrupted their conversation.
Sasuke and Naruto subconsciously turned their gazes toward Utakata.
He immediately controlled his six tails to attack Tsunade and Kitazawa.
Chakra Enhanced Strength! Tsunade still punched forward.
The air exploded, and all six tails were blasted away by her punch.
At that moment, Utakata opened his mouth and spat out a stream of gray liquid.
Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall! Kitazawa clapped his hands together, and an arched wooden wall rose directly in front of Tsunade.
The gray liquid splashed onto the wooden wall and immediately began corroding it.
Moments later, the wooden wall was pierced through, and the liquid dripped onto the ground.
Seeing this, Tsunade was not surprised. She had some understanding of the abilities of the Six-Tails Saiken.
Yang Release Chakra Mode!
Tsunade formed hand signs, and her entire body erupted with astonishing chakra; even her golden hair fluttered wildly.
"What?" Utakata's expression changed drastically, his face filled with disbelief.
After Tsunade activated Yang Release Chakra Mode, her chakra skyrocketed, nearly matching his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation state.
In Utakata's memory, no ninjutsu this outrageous had ever existed, making him feel as if his entire worldview had shattered.
"This is truly excellent." Tsunade clenched her fists and smiled broadly as she spoke.
But Utakata couldn't smile at all.
"Grandma Tsunade is amazing too!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
Sasuke nodded in agreement. Tsunade's sudden surge of chakra had truly startled him.
For a moment, he almost thought she was a Jinchuriki as well. But after calming down, a question surfaced in his mind: could he learn this kind of ninjutsu?
After all, his biggest disadvantage compared to Naruto was his insufficient chakra.
Utakata's expression turned grave as he immediately lashed out with all six of his tails.
Tsunade didn't dodge. She reached out and grabbed two of the tails directly.
Using force with both hands, she lifted Utakata and slammed him straight toward the ground.
Boom! Utakata smashed into the earth, creating a deep crater.
Tsunade was about to grab him again, but her expression suddenly changed, and she quickly released her grip.
She saw that the area she had just seized was already oozing corrosive acid.
But Tsunade reacted instantly. She lifted her leg and delivered a powerful kick.
Centered on her position, the ground cracked open, and countless fragments of stone smashed violently onto Utakata's body.
Utakata let out a roar and spat out a large amount of acid.
Seeing this, Tsunade immediately retreated backward.
Utakata seized the opportunity, stood up, and quickly created some distance between them.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He felt that Tsunade could defeat Utakata on her own without him needing to intervene.
The reason was simple: the current Utakata was unable to achieve Full Tailed Beast Transformation.
In the original story, when Utakata encountered the Six Paths of Pain, he was defeated while still in the Partial Tailed Beast Transformation state.
Theoretically, only Perfect Jinchuriki—such as Naruto, Killer Bee, and Yagura Karatachi—could use Full Tailed Beast Transformation.
Of course, there was another method.
That was for the Jinchuriki to lose consciousness, allowing the Tailed Beast to rampage freely.
For example, Gaara had once used this method, achieving a pseudo–Perfect Tailed Beast Transformation.
However, this method could not be considered a true Perfect Tailed Beast Transformation, because the Jinchuriki was no longer the one in control.
Moreover, when a Tailed Beast rampages, it often injures allies as well.
They held no goodwill toward the villages that imprisoned them and would never protect a village the way a Jinchuriki would.
Leech Gap!
Utakata suddenly accelerated, his body seeming to transform into that of a snake.
His speed was astonishing. In an instant, he closed the distance and appeared right in front of Tsunade.
Chakra Enhanced Strength! Tsunade swung her fist, forcibly interrupting his attack.
Utakata's body was knocked backward. But in his retreat, he left behind a cloud of highly corrosive acid gas.
Tsunade leaped upward, narrowly avoiding the acid cloud.
At that moment, Utakata spat out a large number of bubbles.
While still in mid-air, Tsunade flicked her wrists, and six kunai pierced straight through the bubbles.
The bubbles burst, merging with the acid gas, and thick black poisonous fumes spread rapidly.
Tsunade frowned slightly. While airborne, she had nowhere to land.
Although she was the most outstanding Medical Ninja and highly skilled in detoxification, she dared not rush into the poisonous gas produced by the Six-Tails Saiken.
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique! Kitazawa calmly formed hand signs.
A seed fell to the ground, and in the blink of an eye, a Wood Dragon surged upward beneath Tsunade.
Seeing this, Tsunade twisted her body mid-air and landed atop the Wood Dragon.
The Wood Dragon pushed forward through the poisonous gas. Its surface was corroded, rapidly turning black.
But in the next instant, new flesh and wood regenerated, counteracting the poisonous gas.
Through repeated destruction and regeneration, the Wood Dragon appeared completely unharmed.
Seeing this scene, Utakata felt as though he had fallen into a Genjutsu.
Although he had heard of the legendary Wood Release, witnessing his poisonous gas prove ineffective was still deeply shocking.
Tsunade clenched her fist, leaped from the Wood Dragon, and plunged downward at high speed.
Utakata immediately lashed out with all six tails.
Boom! All six tails were knocked aside.
Utakata's figure blurred, and he vanished from the spot.
Tsunade landed heavily, the ground sinking beneath her feet as spiderweb-like cracks spread outward.
She let out a cold snort, locked onto Utakata's position, and chased after him.
Utakata opened his mouth and spat out a stream of acid.
Tsunade accelerated, circled around him, and delivered a powerful kick.
Utakata was sent flying, crashing into the ground and creating an enormous crater.
Having seized the upper hand, Tsunade showed no mercy. She clenched her fist and swung another punch toward him.
A tremendous impact followed, and dust shot high into the air.
"Grandma Tsunade is truly terrifying!" Naruto couldn't help but exclaim.
Although Tsunade had only used Chakra Enhanced Strength from start to finish, the sheer force behind her attacks was overwhelming—crude, yet devastatingly effective.
Moreover, her opponent was Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki.
"That's absolutely true." Sasuke nodded in firm agreement.
He felt that a single punch from Tsunade would be enough to kill him.
Things like Fire Release, Lightning Release, or swordsmanship were nothing more than flashy tricks in front of her strength.
This was a true powerhouse. A trace of longing appeared in Sasuke's eyes.
He wondered when he would be able to casually beat down a Jinchuriki the way Tsunade did.
A roar suddenly echoed through the battlefield.
After being beaten repeatedly, Utakata could no longer endure it, and his extremely dense chakra surged once again.
Tsunade felt a violent gust of wind rush toward her. After throwing a punch, she immediately retreated backward.
Utakata tilted his head back, his six tails thrashing wildly.
Terrifying chakra rapidly condensed, and once it reached a certain density, it turned pitch black.
"What is this?" Karin sensed the horrifying chakra and instantly turned pale.
"This must be the Tailed Beast Ball."
Sasuke said in a deep voice, "The strongest ninjutsu a Jinchuriki and a Tailed Beast can use—said to possess world-destroying power."
"The Rasengan was created by my father, modeled after the Tailed Beast Ball," Naruto added.
"Don't worry." Seeing her expression change, Sasuke reassured her, "With Teacher Kitazawa and Hokage-sama here, we'll be fine."
"Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa shouted while rapidly forming hand signs.
Tsunade didn't try to show off. She immediately used Body Flicker and appeared behind him.
Although her strength had skyrocketed under Yang Release Chakra Mode, she was still human and could not withstand a Tailed Beast Ball head-on.
Yang Release Chakra Mode!
Wood Release: Hobi Technique!
Kitazawa stared at Utakata and clapped his hands together.
A massive wooden shield shaped as a fanged demon's face rose in front of them, protecting Sasuke and the others.
Utakata immediately spat out a black Tailed Beast Ball.
The Tailed Beast Ball collided with the wooden shield, producing a deafening explosion.
It was as if a raging storm had descended—everything near the wooden shield was instantly pulverized.
Terrifying shockwaves swept up dust and debris, forming an enormous mushroom cloud that rose endlessly into the sky.
Inside the wooden shield, Naruto, Sasuke, and the others looked around in fear.
They were at the center of the Tailed Beast Ball's explosion, and both the ground and the wooden shield trembled violently, as if they might shatter at any moment.
Although they trusted Kitazawa deeply, this scene still gave them an ominous sense of unease.
Kitazawa immediately activated his Byakugan. He was worried that Utakata might try to escape.
Fortunately, he did not. After spitting out the Tailed Beast Ball, Utakata collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily for air.
After a brief moment of thought, Kitazawa understood the reason.
Utakata had used the Tailed Beast Ball while still in his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation state, which placed an enormous burden on his body.
After a long while, everything finally calmed down.
Sasuke and the other two subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
Kitazawa formed hand signs and released the Wood Release: Hobi Technique. The wooden shield vanished, and the scene outside came into view.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin immediately wore stunned expressions.
They had originally been inside a valley, but now the valley had completely disappeared, flattened into nothingness.
All the flowers, plants, and trees seemed as if they had never existed at all; the entire valley was gone, leaving behind only ravaged, broken ground.
Although the three of them had heard of the Tailed Beast Ball, they had never seen it before.
Now that they had witnessed it firsthand, they finally understood why the Tailed Beast Ball was said to possess world-destroying power.
Yet such a terrifying Tailed Beast Ball had actually been blocked by Kitazawa.
Tsunade, however, was not as shocked. After all, she had personally seen Senju Hashirama use Wood Release.
After regaining her composure, she dashed straight toward Utakata.
Chakra Enhanced Strength! Tsunade clenched her fist and aimed directly at him.
At this moment, Utakata had just used the Tailed Beast Ball and was in a severely weakened state.
He subconsciously raised his six tails in front of himself to block. But it was completely useless.
An overwhelming force erupted instantly. Tsunade's punch pierced straight through his six tails and then slammed into his body.
With him as the center, the ground sank once more.
At such close range, Utakata felt as though he had been crushed by a hundred-ton giant, and he was completely knocked unconscious.
"Done!" Tsunade clapped her hands together and spoke.
After this battle, she felt thoroughly refreshed. After working for so long, she could finally unleash her full strength once again.
"Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa smiled and said, "With your current strength, aside from the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, the other Jinchuriki are probably no match for you."
Are Jinchuriki strong? Indeed, they are extremely strong—it is no exaggeration to say they far surpass most ninja.
However, they also have their limits, especially Jinchuriki, who cannot fully transform into a Tailed Beast; when facing true powerhouses, they can hardly pose any real threat.
The Kage of the Five Great Villages all have more or less records of suppressing rampaging Tailed Beasts.
Among them, the most troublesome is the Nine-Tails.
When the Nine-Tails goes on a rampage, aside from Wood Release, the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Sealing Techniques, there is essentially no effective way to deal with it.
Fortunately, the current Konoha possesses Wood Release, the Mangekyo Sharingan, and powerful Sealing Techniques.
"It's the credit of Yang Release Chakra Mode," Tsunade said, releasing the Yang Release Chakra Mode.
Last time, without the Chakra Mode, her and Kitazawa's battle against Yagura Karatachi had not been as effortless as today.
Today, Kitazawa had basically not intervened at all, aside from blocking the Tailed Beast Ball for her.
As for the Tailed Beast Ball, if she were alone, she could not take it head-on, but she could still evade it.
In other words, she alone truly could defeat Utakata.
"Teacher Kitazawa, Grandma Tsunade, you're too strong!" Naruto excitedly ran forward and examined the unconscious Utakata.
The blood-red Tailed Beast cloak had already dissipated, and he now looked no different from an ordinary ninja.
"You can also achieve a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation like him." Tsunade smiled and said, "When we go back, have Kitazawa teach you."
"Really?" Naruto instantly became excited.
Although Utakata had been beaten half to death by Tsunade while in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, the boost in strength was undeniable.
Sasuke, who had just walked over and overheard the conversation, suddenly froze in place.
What did they mean—Naruto could also perform Partial Tailed Beast Transformation?
"Naruto is a Jinchuriki?" Karin blurted out in shock.
"I am indeed a Jinchuriki," Naruto admitted honestly, glancing at Kitazawa.
At this point, there was no reason to hide it anymore.
"???" Sasuke stood there, dumbfounded, completely frozen. No—how was he supposed to fight now?
After witnessing the battle earlier, he had gained a clear understanding of how terrifying Jinchuriki were.
He couldn't even defeat Naruto without the Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
If Naruto gained Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, Sasuke suddenly felt his vision go dark.
Would he ever have a chance to defeat Naruto in this lifetime?
[Current Mission: Help Naruto achieve Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.]
[Mission Reward: Ten Chakra Cards.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's eyes lit up instantly. This was good.
It was simple and crude, but the reward was extremely effective—and far more generous than before, instantly granting ten Chakra Cards.
However, the trigger for this system mission was truly strange.
After all, he had already accepted a system mission to help Naruto become a Perfect Jinchuriki.
Kitazawa had originally thought that Partial Tailed Beast Transformation would not trigger a corresponding system mission, but—
It could only be said that the system was free-spirited.
"Of course it's true," Tsunade said as she patted Naruto on the shoulder.
Nine-Tails Jinchuriki are not born with the ability to master the Tailed Beast transformation.
Uzumaki Kushina had been taught personally by Uzumaki Mito.
Under normal circumstances, Naruto should have been taught by Jiraiya, but he was often away, and Kitazawa was far more suitable.
Moreover, Kitazawa possessed Wood Release and was proficient in Sealing Techniques, so there was no fear of the Nine-Tails rampaging.
Sasuke subconsciously clenched his fists.
A powerful sense of crisis surged in his heart. The thought of possibly never surpassing Naruto filled him with deep unwillingness.
Unbeknownst to him, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan automatically activated, emitting a gloomy aura.
Tsunade glanced at him and immediately sensed something unusual. Why had his Yin Release chakra suddenly increased so much?
Kitazawa blinked. He could roughly guess some of the reasons.
It could only be said that the protagonist's halo was acting up again, or perhaps this was the bond between Indra and Ashura.
Just as Kitazawa was about to speak, his brows suddenly twitched.
A group of masked Hidden Mist Village ANBU ninja appeared.
Although they had been misled by Uchiha Itachi and failed to find Utakata, they had not left the Land of Rivers.
After the Tailed Beast Ball exploded, the earth-shaking commotion alerted them, and they rushed over immediately.
Sasuke, Naruto, and the others instinctively prepared for battle.
"It's Utakata!" A Hidden Mist Village ANBU ninja shouted.
"Shut up!" The leading Hidden Mist Village ANBU captain's expression changed drastically as he roared.
Didn't you see Tsunade and Kitazawa standing beside Utakata?
The group of Hidden Mist Village ANBU ninja instantly fell silent.
Their mission was to retrieve Utakata. But the problem was that they didn't dare to act now.
As ANBU ninja, they had all participated in the previous war between Hidden Mist Village and Konoha Village.
They understood all too well the terrifying strength of both Kitazawa and Tsunade.
They could fight with their lives on the line, but losing their lives here would be completely meaningless.
"Hokage-sama." The ANBU captain took a deep breath and stepped forward.
If Konoha Village and Hidden Mist Village were still enemies, he would have turned around and left immediately.
But now that the two villages were allies, he had no choice but to step up and communicate. Otherwise, he would not be able to explain himself to Mei Terumī.
"Utakata is a rogue ninja from Hidden Mist Village. I hope Hokage-sama can hand him over to us." The ANBU captain bowed slightly as he spoke, his tone extremely polite.
"Utakata was defeated by us and is already a war trophy of Konoha Village," Tsunade replied calmly. "Go back and inform Mei Terumī to send someone to Konoha Village to discuss the matter."
"I understand. We'll leave immediately!" The ANBU captain suppressed the shock in his heart, turned around, and left without hesitation.
After all, if Tsunade and Kitazawa wished, they could easily eliminate all of them.
They could then claim it was Utakata's doing, and even Mei Terumī would have no choice but to swallow the loss.
Kitazawa withdrew his gaze and walked over to Utakata. He formed hand seals and added several more layers of Sealing Techniques to his body.
"Gazeru(Antelope)," Kitazawa called out.
Antelope immediately appeared, accompanied by her three ANBU squad members.
"Bring him back to Konoha Village." Kitazawa gave the order.
They still had another mission to complete, and bringing Utakata along would be inconvenient.
That was precisely why he had arranged for Antelope to accompany them to the Land of Rivers.
"Yes, Lord Kitazawa." Antelope immediately instructed her squad members to carry Utakata away.
"I'll have my Shadow Clone follow you." Kitazawa thought for a moment, then formed hand signs and created a Shadow Clone.
He was worried that the Hidden Mist Village ANBU might attempt a surprise attack to snatch Utakata.
With his Shadow Clone escorting them, unless Mei Terumī personally appeared, no one would be able to take Utakata away.
The group gradually disappeared into the distance with Utakata.
"Alright, next we're heading to the Tsuchigumo Clan," Tsunade spoke with great enthusiasm.
After all, once the Tsuchigumo Clan's mission was resolved, she could head to the Casino and enjoy herself for several days.
After a satisfying battle, followed by gambling at the Casino, life truly couldn't be more wonderful.
"Let's go." Kitazawa patted Sasuke on the shoulder.
Sasuke snapped back to his senses and realized that his Three-Tomoe Sharingan had unknowingly activated at some point.
He paused briefly, then deactivated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and followed behind Kitazawa.
By comparison, Karin was relatively calm after learning that Naruto was a Jinchuriki.
After all, her mindset was different from Sasuke's—she had no intention of competing with Naruto.
Kitazawa glanced at Sasuke.
How should he put it? This was actually a good thing.
Kitazawa had once considered helping Sasuke awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, but later felt it was unnecessary.
Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan wasn't difficult for Sasuke; he just needed to be beaten by Naruto a few more times.
Since the mission to awaken Partial Tailed Beast Transformation had already been triggered, Kitazawa could only go with the flow and help him along.
Helping Naruto was, in essence, helping Sasuke as well.
[Current Mission: Help Sasuke awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan.]
[Mission Reward: Mangekyo Sharingan.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's eyes widened instantly.
Wow! Did a new system mission really trigger so casually? And it just happened to be a mission related to the Mangekyo Sharingan?
Kitazawa accepted the mission without the slightest hesitation.
To be honest, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was no longer of much use to him. His current strength no longer relied on it.
However, the Mangekyo Sharingan would be extremely valuable, especially its two innate ocular techniques.
On top of that, it could activate the powerful Susanoo.
If he awakened an ocular technique similar to Kamui, then even against beings at the level of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, it could still play an astonishing role.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
The Mangekyo Sharingan is the eye that reflects the heart, and the ocular techniques awakened are deeply tied to one's mental state at the moment of awakening.
But since his Mangekyo Sharingan was a system reward, what kind of ocular techniques would it possess?
Could he choose them himself?
[Current Mission: Defeat the Six-Tails Jinchuriki Utakata.]
[Mission Reward: 20% Byakugan purity.]
[Host has completed the mission. Reward issued.]
Kitazawa immediately snapped back to his senses and stared at the three lines of text before him.
After he finished reading, the text changed once more.
[Current Byakugan purity has reached 100%. Awakening special ability: Thought Insight.]
[Thought Insight: Allows insight into a person's partial thoughts, depending on the strength difference between both parties.]
Kitazawa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This ability existed in the original story, originating from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
As expected, her ability was far more powerful, allowing her to completely see through the thoughts of others.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had once used the Byakugan to see the thoughts of Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
Kitazawa's ability was somewhat inferior; it only allowed insight into thoughts, and its effectiveness depended on the strength difference between the two parties.
Even so, it was quite useful—for example, during interrogation and questioning.
[When the Ōtsutsuki Clan bloodline reaches 100%, the Tenseigan can be activated.]
A new line of text appeared before Kitazawa's eyes. This was entirely within his expectations.
---
The group quickly arrived at the mountain where Shiranami was located.
"The three of you go up." Kitazawa said, "Try to capture Shiranami alive."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin immediately headed up the mountain.
Kitazawa's mind stirred as he activated the Byakugan. He looked at Sasuke, then used Byakugan: Thought Insight.
In the next second, a flood of thoughts rushed into his mind.
Sasuke's thoughts essentially boiled down to stealing Naruto's thunder and achieving a perfect score on the mission.
Kitazawa then turned his gaze toward Tsunade. However, he did not perceive any thoughts or ideas at all.
"What are you doing?" Tsunade noticed something slightly abnormal.
"Oh, I'm using a certain ninjutsu," Kitazawa replied half-truthfully.
"Then why are you looking at me?" Tsunade glared at him as she asked.
"Because Sasuke and the others haven't started fighting yet." Kitazawa casually offered an excuse and shifted his gaze away.
This confirmed that the thoughts of Kage-level experts could not be perceived using Byakugan: Thought Insight.
Thinking about it carefully, this was perfectly normal. If he could truly see their thoughts, that would be far too monstrous.
In the future, Kitazawa would be completely invincible against them. Furthermore, using Byakugan: Thought Insight would also be noticed.
However, ordinary jōnin, chūnin, and genin below Kage-level should not be able to evade his Byakugan: Thought Insight.
Just as he had thought before, it was extremely useful for interrogation and questioning.
"Enemy attack!" A sudden shout rang out.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin had been discovered by the ninja stationed on the mountain.
In the next instant, various ninja tools flew toward them.
Sasuke immediately drew the Sword of the Thunder God with his right hand and swung it forcefully.
In an instant, brilliant lightning burst outward, knocking away all the ninja tools in front of them.
"Where did these three little brats come from?" Shiranami walked out, looking down at them condescendingly.
"Who are you?" Naruto was beaten to the punch by Sasuke, so he could only ask the question.
"You came to my territory, and you don't even know who I am?" Shiranami immediately revealed an irritated expression.
"You're Shiranami?" Naruto said excitedly, "You're the one we're looking for!"
"Looking for me for what?" Shiranami glanced around and asked, "Where is your squad leader?"
"To capture you, of course!" Naruto formed hand signs and shouted, "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Not good!" Seeing this, Sasuke charged toward Shiranami without hesitation.
"What?" Faced with the dense swarm of Shadow Clones, Shiranami was momentarily stunned.
But he had no time to think, because Sasuke was already in front of him.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall! Shiranami rapidly formed hand signs, and a wall of earth rose up.
A sharp, piercing cry of birds rang out.
Lightning Release: Chidori Current!
Sasuke's entire body was enveloped in lightning. He was like a blade, smashing straight through the earth wall.
Konoha Style: Willow!
Meeting Shiranami's shocked gaze, Sasuke twisted his wrist without hesitation, and the Thunder God Sword trembled violently.
Shiranami suddenly found himself unable to move, while the Sword of the Thunder God appeared erratic, sword shadows filling the air.
Genjutsu? Shiranami was greatly alarmed and quickly dispelled the illusion.
But it was already too late. The Sword of the Thunder God reached him, carving a deep gash directly into his arm.
Because Kitazawa wanted Shiranami alive, Sasuke deliberately avoided striking his heart.
Enduring the intense pain, Shiranami launched a counterattack. A stream of green gas spewed out.
"Poison gas?" Sasuke's pupils contracted as he quickly held his breath and retreated.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Seeing this, Naruto and his Shadow Clones clapped their hands together.
The howling wind surged forward like a tidal wave, blowing the poison gas back.
Caught off guard, Shiranami's subordinates collapsed from poisoning.
"Bastard!" Shiranami cursed loudly, completely ignoring his subordinates.
He had realized the problem: if the battle dragged on, the outcome would undoubtedly turn against him.
Earth Release: Rock Collapse! Shiranami endured the pain and formed hand signs.
He slammed his left hand into the ground, and instantly the mountain peak cracked open, causing a massive number of rocks to tumble down.
Naruto's Shadow Clones were the first to be struck, turning into puffs of smoke amid the falling stones.
"Naruto, go save Karin!" After speaking, Sasuke immediately activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Locking onto the fleeing Shiranami, he leapt across the falling rocks and chased after him.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted once, but seeing him already far away, he could only turn to rescue Karin.
Chidori Current! Sasuke accelerated instantly, lightning surging as he rapidly closed the distance.
"Damn brat!" Shiranami turned his head and threw six shuriken.
"In front of these eyes, mere shuriken are useless."
Sasuke casually raised his hand and used the Sword of the Thunder God to knock all six shuriken aside.
"Three-Tomoe Sharingan?" Prompted by this realization, Shiranami immediately noticed Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
His entire body stiffened in shock. This was unbelievable!
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, sensing that this was the perfect opportunity.
Genjutsu: Unknown Fire!
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan pulsed as Shiranami was instantly dragged into the genjutsu.
Body Flicker Technique!
Sasuke accelerated in a flash and appeared directly in front of him. The lightning coating his body then surged outward.
"Ahhh!" Shiranami screamed as his body was violently electrocuted.
"Too weak." Sasuke calmly twirled his sword and smoothly sheathed the Sword of the Thunder God.
"Sasuke!" Naruto and Karin arrived, but the battle was already over.
An ordinary jōnin struck by Lightning Release: Chidori Current would essentially lose all ability to continue fighting.
After all, it was an A-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu.
"With Sasuke and Naruto's current strength, ordinary jōnin are no longer suitable as training opponents."
Tsunade, who had observed the entire process, shook her head as she spoke.
"There's no helping it—their strength is improving far too quickly." Kitazawa chuckled softly in response.
"Are you really not considering letting them graduate early?" Tsunade glanced at him and asked.
"There's actually no real difference between now and graduating early for them." Kitazawa replied casually, "Later on, we can simply assign them more difficult missions."
"That's true." Tsunade nodded in agreement.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Karin walked up to them.
Behind her were Sasuke and Naruto, carrying Shiranami between them.
The group, led by Kitazawa, headed toward the nearby Tsuchigumo Clan.
"I didn't expect the Tsuchigumo Clan to look like this now."
After arriving at the Tsuchigumo Clan on Mount Katsuragi, Tsunade looked around and couldn't help but sigh.
Because no one had lived there for a long time, the surrounding buildings were coated in a thick layer of dust and appeared extremely dilapidated.
"Who are you?" A young girl stepped forward.
She had long, curly brown hair and green eyes, giving her a very distinctive appearance.
An elderly man followed closely behind her, looking warily at Kitazawa, Tsunade, and the others.
"We are ninja from Konoha Village." Kitazawa said calmly, "We wish to meet the leader of the Tsuchigumo Clan."
"Konoha Village?" The girl's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "I've heard Grandpa talk about you!"
"How do you prove that you are a ninja from Konoha Village?" The old man behind her asked in a deep voice.
"Proof?" Kitazawa extended his hand, and a tree shot up from the ground directly in front of him.
"Wood Release?" The old man's expression changed drastically as he subconsciously asked, "You are Kitazawa?"
"I am indeed Kitazawa." Kitazawa smiled as he spoke.
"It seems Wood Release is even more famous than me, the Hokage." Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't help but tease.
"You are the Fifth Hokage-sama?" The old man's heart trembled once again upon hearing this.
"That's right." Tsunade lifted her head, gazed into the distance, and said, "We bear no ill will. Please come out and meet us."
"Lord Hokage, what an honor. Please forgive our lack of hospitality." An elderly man stepped forward—it was En no Gyōja, the leader of the Tsuchigumo Clan.
"Grandpa!" The girl cried out instinctively.
"Lord Hokage, this is my granddaughter, Hotaru." En no Gyōja introduced her.
"Mhm." Tsunade nodded lightly and said, "I've brought you a gift."
Sasuke and Naruto carried Shiranami forward.
"Shiranami?" Surprise flashed across En no Gyōja's face.
"He is a traitor of your Tsuchigumo Clan, so we are handing him over to you for disposal." Tsunade waved her hand casually as she spoke.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!" En no Gyōja bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Tsuchigumo Clan Head," Tsunade paused briefly before continuing, "I came here because there is something I wish to discuss with you. I hope you can relocate to Konoha Village."
"What?" En no Gyōja and the others had not expected Tsunade's true purpose and were all stunned.
"Konoha Village and the Tsuchigumo Clan signed an alliance during the Third Shinobi World War."
Tsunade spoke unhurriedly. "By moving to Konoha Village, you will be better able to protect the forbidden technique, Fury."
En no Gyōja subconsciously wanted to refuse, but suddenly stopped himself.
He glanced at Hotaru and fell into deep thought. The current Tsuchigumo Clan truly lacked the ability to protect the forbidden technique, Fury.
The reason they had not pursued Shiranami was precisely because they lacked the necessary strength.
More importantly, there was Hotaru—she had no real future remaining with the Tsuchigumo Clan.
Additionally, Tsunade's invitation carried great weight.
As the Fifth Hokage, her words represented Konoha Village itself, and the Tsuchigumo Clan would certainly not be treated poorly upon relocating.
"Let us discuss it." En no Gyōja called Hotaru and his attendant, Tonbee, aside.
It did not take long before they reached a decision and accepted Tsunade's invitation.
However, they proposed one condition: they would only reside there temporarily and would not officially join Konoha Village.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade was quite generous and did not object.
In her view, this condition was essentially meaningless.
After all, the Tsuchigumo Clan now consisted of only three people, and in the end, they would inevitably remain in Konoha Village to develop.