Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 175 The World-Destroying Black Lotus Plan

"Lord Danzo desires a summoning beast capable of combating the evil of this world."

Upon returning to the camp, Tamura Hiroshi quickly met with Black Zetsu and learned about the new developments on Danzo's side.

He wasn't surprised that Susanoo could absorb and integrate some of the evil in this world; what truly mattered to him was Danzo's needs.

As Danzo's most outstanding henchman, I naturally have to find ways to help Danzo solve his problems.

"I remember you mentioned in the information you gave me that there is a Zero-Tails in the Sky Village that can absorb the dark power in people's hearts to grow stronger. It should be a good source of material."

I thought of Zero-Tails from the Sky Village, which was the energy source for the Sky Village to activate its aerial fortress.

"That little thing is quite in tune with the evil of this world."

Hei Jue understood perfectly; using that as a foundation could indeed create a decent summoning beast.

"That Zero-Tail is just an energy body, which is far from enough. We need to create a suitable body for it."

Tamura Hiroshi was already thinking about what kind of summoning beast he should create.

"Go and possess a raptor, use this Grell energy to stimulate its growth, and then find an opportunity to let Zero-Tail possess your body, and then let Lord Danzo obtain it."

He separated a portion of Grell's energy and gave it to Black Zetsu, intending to create an immortal phoenix so that it would be worthy of Danzo's title of Immortal Emperor.

If there's time in the future, I'll forge an immortal sword for Lord Danzo to obtain. This will surely further expand Lord Danzo's ambitions, leading him to embark on the path to becoming the Fire Emperor.

"Shimura Danzo would definitely love a creature catalyzed by Grell's energy."

Black Zetsu laughed, then pondered for a moment and said, "That Zero-Tail has some potential, but I'm afraid it will be difficult for it to control all the evil in this world in the future."

The main problem is that the dark forces are too extreme, and they will definitely become more extreme and massive in the future.

Are there any remnants of the Divine Tree left in the ninja world?

Tamura Hiroshi suddenly asked a question, an idea forming in his mind.

"There's another piece, which was burned by Asura back then, but only the outer layer was burned off. The core still has a little bit left, but it's completely lifeless and almost dead."

Black Zetsu replied that he had been monitoring Ashura and Indra back then, and had witnessed Ashura burning the remains of that divine tree.

However, the Asura used mortal flames, which were insufficient to completely destroy the remains of the divine tree; the tree's core remained.

"According to the information you provided, the Fire Temple seems to enshrine a lotus seed, and in the ancient times of the monks, lotus flowers were also used to make ritual implements such as lotus seats."

"You replace that seed and plant it on that remnant of the divine tree, using Grell energy to stimulate its growth, creating an alternative divine tree. In the future, after absorbing a portion of the Ten-Tails' body and the chakra of the nine tailed beasts, it should be nearly complete."

He revealed his true thoughts, stating that Tamura Hiroshi had not truly abandoned those dark forces, but merely used them as pawns.

He wanted to see if he could conjure up a world-destroying black lotus. The lotus flower has a special meaning in the lineage of monks. For example, the Guanyin image formed by the Thousand-Handed Killer had a lotus platform, which is a kind of ritual artifact in the lineage of monks.

There are even remnants of physical seeds. Although they are not particularly miraculous, if they are integrated with some of the power of the divine tree, they will definitely undergo a transformation.

Furthermore, the shape of the flowers that bloom from the divine tree is similar to that of a lotus flower, so there should be some compatibility between the two.

"I'll arrange it."

Hei Jue understood immediately and then disappeared into the ground to begin preparations for this matter.

The Hidden Cloud Village is already plotting against the Hidden Sky Village, and they will take action within a month at most. I must hurry up and train a ferocious bird.

It must be a pure ferocious bird without chakra, and its soul must be taken away, leaving no memory fragments, lest Hagoromo notice something amiss.

As for the lotus, it can be nurtured slowly to further enhance its potential.

"The three holy lands have already obtained the power of the Slug Sage, leaving only the two great sages of Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave."

Orochimaru will most likely be able to get his hands on the White Snake Sage, but the power of that giant toad from Mount Myōboku will be much harder to obtain. It's uncertain whether those two toads will appear; if they do, perhaps we can devise a plan.

After some deliberation, Tamura Hiroshi began writing a letter and had his teacher, Fukai, deliver it to the village's secret base using a spirit medium. Not long after, the Heavenly Delivery Technique delivered two scrolls: one containing the power of the contract seal, and the other recording the verified and tested Six Yang Seal.

"Has the framework for the Nine Suns Seal been established?"

After reading the record of the Six Yang Seal's structure, Tamura Hao was astonished.

According to what Yu Ye originally said, the Six Yang Seal must be able to perfectly connect with the Nine Yang Seal to be considered complete. Now, the delivery proves that the framework of the Nine Yang Seal has been developed.

This sealing structure is not simply a change of location; it requires countless sealing incantations to be linked together and must maintain perfect and stable operation without any errors or omissions, making it extremely complex.

The fact that Uzumaki Yuye and the others were able to refine their deductions so quickly shows that they must have focused all their energy on this matter during this period.

The perfection of the Six Yang Seal gave Tamura Hao even more confidence for the upcoming battle.

"Jiraiya, don't let me down."

He muttered to himself that he was quite looking forward to it.

He had been studying the characteristics of the immortal techniques of the three holy lands and had made considerable progress, but he still had not yet discovered their essence.

Only the slug itself is special, being part of the Slug Sage, containing pure Sage Technique energy rather than Sage Technique Chakra, which is why he gained the most.

In particular, the self-healing ability combined with the power of the Thousand Hands bloodline allows for a more thorough understanding, which is a major reason why the essence of immortality can be quickly and thoroughly studied.

Now all that's missing is the power of the White Snake Immortal and the Great Toad Immortal, which represent the most authentic form of the immortal techniques of the two holy lands.

As Tamura Hiroshi eagerly awaited, a day passed, and the third duel began.

They hold a duel every three days, which makes it four days in total, including the day of the duel. This is the third time.

Tamura Hao and the others attached great importance to this duel, because not only Jiraiya had arrived, but the White Fang of Konoha had also arrived two days ago, and it was very likely that he would participate in this duel.

They were right; two white-haired ninjas appeared on the Konoha ninja side this time.

Tamura Hiroshi and the others were sizing him up, as was Hatake Sakumo, their gazes mainly fixed on him.

"He has also reached that level."

After observing for a long time, Sakumo Hatake couldn't help but sigh.

Back in Konoha, he had noticed that the boy had extraordinary talent in swordsmanship and that there was a high probability that he would achieve the unity of man and sword and become a swordsman master in the future.

I really didn't expect it to actually happen, and so quickly.

A thirteen-year-old swordsman is unprecedented in history.

Even with his extraordinary talent, he only achieved the unity of man and sword at the age of twenty-three, becoming a Kage-level powerhouse.

"Hao Jun's improvement is unbelievably fast. No wonder the Third Hokage was willing to do anything to kill him back then."

Fugaku Uchiha, standing nearby, also sighed in amazement, utterly astonished by the boy's talent, calling him the strongest genius he had ever seen.

Having the Uchiha bloodline and Sharingan, I am a genius in terms of physical talent, but that other person is a genius in terms of innate ability.

The kaleidoscope was already the limit that his bloodline could reach, but that boy had not yet reached his limit.

This is what he fears most, because they are still enemies in essence and will inevitably clash in the end; their current cooperation is merely based on mutual interests.

"Fugaku-kun, watch your words!"

Jiraiya offered a disapproving reminder: although it was indeed the teacher who was plotting it, the teacher was, after all, the village's Hokage, and there were some things that couldn't be said.

Fugaku Uchiha glanced at him sideways, gave a cold laugh, and said nothing more.

Sakumo Hatake and Kurenai Yuhi's shadow clones pretended not to see this; they were neutral and did not want to get involved in the struggles between these factions.

"Kakagi-kun, he is your opponent. You'd better capture him."

His strongest techniques require time to integrate; with your speed, you can definitely suppress them.

Uchiha Myōkyō suddenly said that after the previous two duels, he had figured it out: the boy's swordsmanship and close combat skills were the strongest among the few people from Kumogakure.

Furthermore, the opponent is immune to illusion magic. I fought against them once before, and my eye techniques had no effect at all. I was even almost outmaneuvered.

They had no better options than to deal with it, so they had to send in Sakumo Hatake, who was also skilled in close combat.

"It's not that simple."

Shaking his head solemnly, Sakumo Hatake wasn't very confident about it.

The swordsman was not as simple as others thought. That child was already a strong person on the same level as him, and it was almost impossible to defeat him.

"Even you're not confident?"

The shadow clone left behind by Kurenai Yuhi was surprised. He knew his friend's strength very well, and Kurenai was the only one who could break through his own red sunset with absolute strength.

But now even his friends say they're not sure. Is that kid really that strong?

"He is the same type of ninja as me. According to your intelligence, although he has not yet mastered the nature transformation of lightning attribute to its limit, his physical attributes are much stronger than mine."

It's difficult to determine a winner based solely on swordsmanship.

After a brief explanation, Hatake Sakumo demonstrated his deep understanding of his type of ninja.

The reason he was able to hold his own in the village was mainly because ninjas didn't pay much attention to taijutsu training, and he could suppress them once they got close.

However, the young man was equally skilled in physical combat and swordsmanship, and quite proficient at both, making it difficult for him to win in a direct confrontation.

One's own advantages will no longer be advantages.

"Then we'll deplete his chakra."

Uchiha Myōkyō did not force the issue; his goal this time was simply to capture one of the opponents, obtain information, and exchange him for Balu.

He still did not give up on that clansman.

"Jiraiya, don't let other things distract you."

Suddenly glancing at Jiraiya, who was staring intently at the opposite side, Uchiha Myokyo knew something about what had happened back then and didn't want Jiraiya to let hatred cloud his judgment.

"I know."

Jiraiya took a deep breath and nodded to indicate that he understood.

I must not let anger affect me, and I hope that Fukasaku and the others will not let anger and hatred cloud their judgment later.

"Naka, you and I will deal with Nafkai and the son of Raikage."

Seeing Jiraiya nod, Uchiha Myōkyō looked at Uchiha Naka.

Judging from the previous two duels, among the high-ranking experts dispatched by the Hidden Cloud Village this time, the Raikage's son and Fukai are relatively weak, at least they don't have any particularly powerful killing moves.

The fighting style of those two Uzumaki ninjas was too underhanded, and their ultimate moves were also astonishing. Their combined power was even greater.

Then there are Tamura Hao and Uchiha Hikaru, the two strongest among the opposing team. One is skilled in swordsmanship and taijutsu, and the other is almost omnipotent.

They are the opponents they need to deal with with all their might.

Uchiha Naka nodded silently. The two duels had been a huge blow to him. The first time he was defeated by that brat, and the second time he faced the son of the Raikage.

Although they were not defeated, they also failed to win.

Keep in mind that the opponent wasn't even a Kage-level shinobi, but just an elite Jonin.

This was undoubtedly a disgrace to him.

This humiliation infuriated him, and at the same time, his usual arrogance subsided somewhat.

He will definitely defeat that Raikage's son; as for that brat...

Recalling the flash of the sword that day, Uchiha Naka still feels lingering fear.

Although I didn't want to admit it, that boy was indeed stronger than me.

"Fugaku, your Susanoo can block the combined ninjutsu of those two Uzumaki ninjas."

Uchiha Meikyo assigned the task of dealing with the two vortex girls to Uchiha Fugaku, since only Uchiha Fugaku could easily activate and control the third form of Susanoo, which was just right to block that kind of combined ninjutsu.

"Chiri, you're still the same Uchiha Hikaru. She seems only interested in you. It would be best to force out her other eye technique."

Uchiha Meikyo looked at his girlfriend. Last time, Uchiha Hikari also wanted to fight against Chiri, which shows that the two women have hit it off.

"Um!"

Nodding, Uchiha Chiri also became more interested in that clansman.

As he looked at the girl opposite him, he couldn't help but reach out and press down on his arm.

The arm that Orochimaru transplanted to Myokyō-kun was special. He extracted some cells and transplanted them into the arm. The chakra he extracted was indeed able to nourish and repair the damage caused by using the Mangekyou Sharingan before, and even the eye power was improved.

Although the results weren't as good as Mingjing's, who had his entire arm transplanted, these were enough.

This time, I won't give the opponent a chance to build up their attack. The only thing I need to be careful of now is the opponent's other eye technique.

"And me?"

Seeing that Uchiha Myokke remained silent, Jiraiya was taken aback.

Why didn't you assign yourself any tasks?

There are six people on the other side who can unleash Kage-level combat power, but the two whirlpool girls are one entity, so they are counted as one.

On their side, there were six genuine Kage-level powerhouses, and the other five had opponents assigned to them. Why were there none for them?

I'm here to fight, not to watch a show.

Moreover, the eldest sister and the others are determined to avenge Bunta and the others. If they don't get revenge, they won't let themselves summon the other toads of Mount Myōboku to fight.

I told the boss when I came here that they must have made all the preparations, and I can't go back on my word.

"According to the rules of the duel, the opponent cannot be chosen in advance. It depends on the opponent's choice. Moreover, anything can happen during the battle, so we need to leave one person to deal with it."

Besides, they have a perfect Jinchūriki to deal with, so your pressure is actually the greatest.

Looking at Mifune, who had been acting as a witness in the distance, Uchiha Myokyo felt rather helpless.

They must abide by these rules. Firstly, the Cloud Ninja are powerful, and secondly, with the Iron Country's general as a witness, they cannot break the rules.

Otherwise, if they give the Cloud Ninja an excuse to push the Iron Country's general over there, it will be troublesome.

In particular, the generals of the Land of Iron, more than half of Konoha's ninja tools came from the Land of Iron, especially during the war.

Their Konoha is currently being targeted by the four great ninja villages. If they were to antagonize the Land of Iron as well, they would be finished.

"I'll summon the leaders and the others right now."

Jiraiya suddenly realized what was happening, and immediately clasped his hands together to gather chakra.

The eldest sister and her group are stronger, and summoning them requires more chakra. He needs time to gather it, and may even need to incorporate some natural energy.

Not long after, Jiraiya opened his eyes, bit his finger, quickly formed hand seals, and finally slammed his hand on the ground.

As a burst of mist dissipated, two small toads appeared, none other than the two great hermits of Mount Myōboku, Fukasaku and Shima.

"Kumakuya Village!"

Shima immediately spotted the Cloud Ninja Army opposite him, and hatred surged within him.

"Honey, don't be impulsive, there are too many ninjas on the other side."

The more rational Fukasaku offered a reminder, then leaped onto Jiraiya's shoulder.

Shima suppressed his anger and leaped onto Jiraiya's shoulder.

Although they were powerful, they faced a force of nearly ten thousand ninja soldiers, which they could not contend with.

To get revenge, they need the help of Konoha.

The people nearby glanced thoughtfully at the two toads, especially Uchiha Fugaku.

He has obtained the Immortal Technique Seal and the Immortal Technique Cultivation Method of Dragon Land Cave, but he has been unable to get started.

This is a good opportunity to witness the magical arts of Mount Myōboku.

Jiraiya quietly explained the rules of the duel and his own role to the two sages, but the two sages didn't care. All they cared about was killing the people of Kumogakure to avenge themselves.

"Those are those two fairy toads. Should we call Dad over?"

Across from the Cloud Ninja Army, Ye Yue Ai asked solemnly.

They all knew the information they had obtained from the memories of the three giant toads, and they knew the power of Mount Myōboku. The two smaller toads were the true high-ranking members of Mount Myōboku, ancient beings who had lived for nearly a thousand years, and their strength was certainly not to be underestimated.

"Those two old toads are not a big problem. The key is that mysterious giant toad immortal. Moreover, my research on immortal techniques has reached a bottleneck, and I need the pure immortal power of the giant toad immortal to conduct my research."

Furthermore, this is also a good opportunity for us to weaken Mount Myōboku. Since we've already formed an enmity, we must eliminate them completely.

Tamura Hao's expression was equally solemn. Those two giant toads were no ordinary creatures; even the Six Paths of Pain could be restrained by them.

Moreover, the opponent's power system was mainly primitive Sage Art, and he was unsure whether his independent pure chakra could withstand that kind of illusion.

However, what he was most worried about was the giant toad sage of Mount Myōboku.

That giant toad provided Naruto with a lot of guidance in the story, even leading him to learn how to control the Nine-Tails' power from the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. It can be said to be a major driving force behind the Fourth Shinobi World War. It was even the toad that reminded Obito of how to use Sage Mode to counter him.

Although it's unclear whether the giant toad truly has the ability to foresee the future or is deliberately guiding it, it is a significant threat.

I'm no match for those kinds of people with my small frame; I need their biggest boss to back me up.

"The giant toad that had dealings with the Sage of Six Paths is indeed not to be underestimated."

Fauci's expression was also solemn, and he then nodded to an old man behind him.

The old man understood and turned to leave, preparing to use his psychic powers to notify the village.

He is an elder of the Yotsuki family and the uncle of the Third Raikage. He is one of their own and knows many of their secrets.

Uchiha Hikaru also created a shadow clone to stay behind in place of himself, while his main body used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the camp and wait for the Third Raikage to descend using the Heavenly Delivery Technique.

Tamura Hao had Kushina and Vanilla Uzumaki check the sealing talismans on the Earth Release wall. This was to better observe the battle and guard against the opponent's Susanoo. At the same time, the barrier reinforced by the sealing talismans could also effectively block the opponent's sensory means, including the Byakugan's X-ray vision.

Not long after, Uchiha Hikaru activated the Yin Seal and brought the Third Raikage directly to him using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The Third Raikage came to the back of the city wall and used the mirror to observe the Konoha ninja army on the other side.

"Can you handle those two little toads?"

After observing for a while, the Third Raikage spoke.

He already knew about the situation here, as well as the situation at Mount Myōboku. What he feared most was that mysterious and unpredictable Great Toad Sage.

According to the memories of the three giant toads, the giant toad immortal seemed to have had dealings with the Six Paths Immortal and knew many secrets.

For example, the existence of the Ten-Tails and the origin of the nine tailed beasts.

If the little guys can hold off the two big toads, he can focus on defending against and targeting the big toad immortal.

Yoruichi and the others did not answer, but instead looked at Tamura Hiroshi.

"Can."

Tamura Hiroshi did not turn around, but gave an affirmative response.

With the help of Bunta and the others' memories, he knew a lot about the two toads, more than what was shown in Naruto, and knew how to deal with them.

"Don't push yourself; your safety is the most important thing."

The Third Raikage said it seriously.

While it is important to take the opportunity to severely damage Mount Myoboku, the safety of the disciples and son is even more important, especially that disciple, who cannot be lost.

"A bunch of beasts dare to participate in the Ninja World War."

He glanced once more at Jiraiya and the two toads on his shoulders through the mirror's reflection, sneered, and then sat down to adjust himself, ready to activate his Sage Art Seal for battle at any moment.

That Great Toad Sage is no ordinary person; he should be a super strong person no less powerful than the First Hokage, and the methods he possesses are not very clear.

To deal with that kind of being, one must unleash one's absolute strongest power and concentrate all that power into a single, decisive strike.

(End of this chapter)