Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 203 Sarutobi's Trump Card

Tamura Hao, who was fighting a snake sage, immediately abandoned his opponent and rushed to the white snake sage's side, using a sealing technique to seal him into the sealed space.

The ten tails of the little ten-tailed creature immediately wrapped around it, and it opened its blood-red maw to tear and devour it.

Princess Kaguya, standing atop the head of the ten-tailed fox, also used her power to suppress the spirit of the White Snake Sage, rendering him unable to resist.

"Goddess of the Rabbit!"

Upon seeing Princess Kaguya in her loli form, the White Snake Sage was terrified, especially with the presence of the little Ten-Tails, which made her even more desperate.

This was a childhood trauma for her, an extremely terrifying existence.

She never imagined that the goddess of the rabbit and the ten-tailed fox existed inside that human body. Weren't these two sealed away by the Sage of Six Paths?

What exactly happened?

The White Snake Immortal regretted it. If she had known there was such a terrifying being here, she would never have come, even if it meant death.

Unfortunately, it was too late to regret it now. Not long after, the White Snake Sage was completely devoured by the Ten-Tails, and his soul was consumed and refined by the massive amount of chakra.

Tamura Hao then used Kaguya's Byakugan and Sharingan powers to carefully observe the situation, preventing any small white snakes from separating and burrowing into the ground to escape.

The Third Raikage went straight for the three snake sages. He was no match for the White Snake Sage and could only fight him, but dealing with these three snake sages was not difficult.

However, the three snake immortals were terrified when they saw that the white snake immortal's body had been interrupted by that terrifying attack. They dared not continue fighting and all chose to run away in one direction.

However, their speed was far inferior to that of the Third Raikage, and with Yotsuki A and Fukai, as well as a group of powerful Cloud Ninja entangled with them, they had no chance of escaping.

After completing his inspection of the White Snake Sage and confirming that nothing had been missed, Tamura Hao also attacked a Snake Sage without any mercy, slashing him with his sword.

If it were a snake spirit from another world, he might consider becoming a grass python hero if it had any use, but with these snake spirits in this world, forget it.

Princess Tashin was furious at being targeted by Tamura Hao, and even considered taking him down with her. Unfortunately, the boy was too cunning and didn't give her a chance to entangle him.

On the other side, the Third Raikage was even more efficient, having already stabbed the snake sage with double buns. His Sage Art Black Lightning made the sage twitch violently, and Kushina Uzumaki followed up with the Adamantine Sealing Barrier, temporarily sealing him away.

These three snake sages are different from the white snake sage. They devoured many ninjas who went to Ryuchi Cave to train in sage techniques, and their bodies had long been corrupted by chakra.

Since it has chakra, it can be countered by the Adamantine Sealing Technique; at least a short-term seal is not a problem.

Immediately afterwards, with the help of several elite Jonin from the Cloud Ninja, Tamura Hao also killed Tashin Shinhime and sealed her into the sealing space for the little Ten-Tails to devour.

The last Snake Sage didn't last long either, dying under Yotsuki Ai's Murakumogiri, and was then sealed and devoured by Tamura Hao.

Not far away, Shinya was also chopped down by Uchiha Hikaru's Susanoo. Even though Shinya entered a berserk state and his strength increased dramatically, he still could not withstand the sharpness of the Ama no Kusanagi sword.

It was that petrification ability that caused some trouble for Uchiha Hikaru, as part of his Susanoo was petrified.

The Konoha ninjas, who had initially held some hope, were plunged into despair once again upon seeing the two giant snakes killed by the Hidden Cloud Village. Some even knelt on the ground and surrendered.

The Cloud Ninja showed no mercy to these Konoha ninjas, even severing the tendons in their hands and feet of those who knelt and surrendered to prevent them from causing trouble.

With some free time, Yoruichi and the others were quite happy to see the Konoha prisoners, who were all excellent candidates for the evil god ritual... no, volunteers.

Although we captured quite a few ninjas from the Sky Village last time, there weren't many Jonin, and the only Kage-level ninja was the Sky Village leader.

They need more powerful individuals to perfect the evil god ritual, and these Konoha ninjas are now filling that void.

In this way, the evil god ritual can be perfected to a certain extent, and then it can begin to be popularized in the village.

As for Fugaku Uchiha, he had already run away with Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had prepared an escape route before he came; now he was simply taking one more person with him.

Having already led a hundred men far away, Hatake Sakumo looked back at the battlefield, his heart filled with complex emotions.

The hundred Konoha ninja who followed were also survivors, their legs still trembling and panting heavily.

They weren't the elite of the ninja army; they just followed the Cloud Ninja after seeing that Lord White Fang's forces weren't being attacked. They ran out of the battlefield and escaped with their lives.

"Lord White Fang, what should we do now?"

A Jonin asked in a low voice, and everyone turned to look at Hatake Sakumo, then at the unconscious Uchiha Myōkyō on his back, awaiting orders.

The defeat in this battle made them extremely disappointed in their commander, and since their lives had been saved by Lord White Fang, they had no choice but to obey him.

"Withdraw from the Land of Hot Water and establish a new defense line by setting up camp in the Fuji River, 500 kilometers from the border."

After some deliberation, White Fang chose a location.

"Lord White Fang, this..."

Everyone was shocked. They knew that the last line of defense they had built was only on the border. Now, White Fang wanted to abandon all the defenses they had built and retreat 500 kilometers. This was tantamount to handing over 500 kilometers of territory to the Hidden Cloud Village.

"I will carry out the order and bear all the consequences."

Sakumo Hatake coldly stated that this was an order. Seeing that everyone was still hesitating, he could only helplessly explain, "We only have one hundred people. Even if we gather all the people guarding the rear lines of defense, we won't exceed three hundred. We simply cannot fight against the Cloud Ninja."

This time, we launched a surprise attack first, which will surely anger the Cloud Ninja. They will then retaliate and retaliate, so we cannot confront them head-on.

Having some defensive line is better than losing control completely and being driven all the way to the village by the Cloud Ninja. Also, be careful not to leak any information about this battle, or you will be court-martialed.

Upon hearing this, all the Konoha ninja fell silent, knowing that this battle was not over yet.

They initiated this battle, but when it ends is not up to them, but rather up to the Cloud Ninja.

Hopefully, the Hidden Cloud Village won't be too greedy!

As Hatake Sakumo had predicted, the Kumogakure ninja army set off at dawn and advanced all the way to the north bank of the Fujinobe River.

The terrain on both sides of the Fujino River is treacherous, making it ideal for building defensive fortifications. In addition, the Fujino River itself is wide, making it a very easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain.

This is also the main reason why White Fang chose to establish a new defensive line here; he believed that the Cloud Village ninjas would stop here.

It's impossible for the Hidden Cloud Village and the Land of Lightning to conquer the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire. If they really go too far, they will inevitably invite a crazy retaliation.

Based on the performance of the Hidden Cloud Village in this Shinobi World War, they will inevitably prioritize stability.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others stationed in Konoha learned of the battle report, they were greatly shocked and immediately sent someone to bring back Uchiha Myōkyō, whose eyes had been gouged out, to inquire about the details of that battle.

At the same time, we must send people from the village to support White Fang, and absolutely not allow the Hidden Cloud Village to advance any further.

"Our battle plan was leaked, and we were outmaneuvered by the Hidden Cloud Village."

Uchiha Myōkyō, who had been brought back, didn't waste any time and pointed out the main reasons for the failure.

From the situation in that battle, it was clear that the Hidden Cloud Village was waiting for them to attack. They even used illusions to hold them back and arranged for people to gouge out eyes at the same time, completely targeting their tactics.

This was clearly caused by the complete leak of the battle plan. It couldn't be the family's fault, since all the high-ranking members had their eyes gouged out, including Fugaku, whom he had always been wary of. In the end, he was forced to use Wood Release and the power of the Seven-Tails.

Therefore, it must have been information leaked by someone else. There aren't many people who can obtain their combat intelligence, which makes him suspect certain people.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two immediately thought of their old friend, Danzo. Why was Danzo still so inflexible in his actions?

The three of them were now in an awkward situation. Last time, it was Shimura Danzo who leaked detailed information about the Uchiha high-ranking officials. Now, he had pulled another stunt, wiping out the Uchiha's elite forces and even losing thousands of ninja soldiers.

Danzo was really too ruthless, showing no regard for the overall situation.

"Mirror..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to explain, but Myokyo Uchiha was completely disheartened and only wanted to go home.

"Hokage-sama, I'm tired and want to go back to rest. I don't know anything about Fugaku's matter, but perhaps the clan head knows. You can go and ask him."

After saying that, without waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's response, he got up, leaned on his wooden stick, and groped his way out of the Hokage's office.

He was truly exhausted, not only from the betrayal and the loss of his eyes, but also from the loss of Chiri.

They had all agreed that they would return to get married after this battle, or even leave their family and village.

But now he's all alone, making him feel like all his previous efforts were a joke.

This posture made Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two frown, but they didn't say anything.

After Uchiha Myokkei left, all three of them were troubled by this.

"Hiruzen, why don't you try to persuade Danzo? His rigid approach is making things very difficult for us."

Xiaochun, who was switching dorms, couldn't help but complain that her old friend had handled things so carelessly that they didn't know how to clean up the mess.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, simply smoking his pipe.

He couldn't say it because it was something that had been agreed upon beforehand.

Danzo specialized in doing those shady, underhanded things, while they were responsible for cleaning up the mess.

Although Danzo acted ruthlessly this time, he did indeed wipe out the Uchiha elite.

It's unrealistic to expect someone to do something perfect; after all, these are the conditions, and we can't demand too much.

Moreover, they didn't leave any clear evidence this time. Even Uchiha Myokyo only had suspicions, without any concrete proof.

Mitokado Homura knew that there was no way to blame Shimura Danzo for this, so he changed the subject.

"What should we do about Fugaku Uchiha's situation?"

He was quite shocked when he read the letter sent back by Hatake Sakumo. He really didn't expect that Uchiha Fugaku had obtained the First Hokage's cells and the Wood Release. It was also Uchiha Fugaku who destroyed Takigakure and stole the Seven-Tails.

It was hidden too well.

If Danzo hadn't planned ahead against the Uchiha, who knows how long Fugaku would have remained hidden? He would have surely delivered a ruthless blow at the crucial moment.

"The Uchiha clan can't access the First Hokage's cells, so the problem likely lies with Orochimaru and Danzo, or possibly the Senju clan."

Taking a drag of his cigarette, Hiruzen Sarutobi had an even worse suspicion.

Only three parties possessed the First Hokage's cells: Orochimaru, Danzo, and the Senju clan. All three parties could potentially trade with Fugaku Uchiha.

"Fortunately, Kumogaku has taken Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, which will greatly reduce his strength and make him much less of a threat to us."

Koharu was rather fortunate, as she was more wary and cautious of the Uchiha clan compared to the Hidden Cloud Village.

"According to the intelligence sent back by our people there, Hatake Sakumo's strength is much greater than we knew, and his chakra reserves are also extremely large. His concealment of his strength must be for some ulterior motive, and he is not as simple as he usually appears."

Mitomon Homura spoke with a grave expression about another piece of information, noting that this act of concealing their strength made them very wary.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared more serious, even wary.

Sakumo Hatake was already very strong. He used to be able to suppress others in battle with the help of Enma, but after losing Enma, he no longer had the confidence to suppress them. He might even lose if they got close.

Sakumo Hatake was hiding his true strength; if he were to unleash it all, he would be no match for him.

These young people are all so patient and good at hiding their true intentions. If Danzo hadn't pulled this stunt, they wouldn't have known at all.

"Leave Shuo Mao alone for now; the northern front still needs his strength."

The key now is dealing with the Cloud Ninja who have invaded the country. The envoy from the Daimyo Prefecture should have already set off.

The last time Sunagakure invaded the country, it almost caused an uproar in the Daimyo's territory, with wave after wave of condemnation and threats.

Now the Hidden Cloud Village has invaded again, and it seems they're also aiming to seize territory. They've not only taken over the Land of Hot Water, but also occupied 500 kilometers of the Land of Fire.

It is conceivable that the reaction from Daming Prefecture this time will be even greater.

However, it is not easy to reclaim the territory occupied by the Cloud Ninja, mainly because they cannot spare more troops and strong warriors to go there.

Even if all the people left in the village went there, they still wouldn't be able to defeat Kumogakure.

First of all, the strength displayed by the Third Raikage was terrifying. In addition, according to Sakumo Hatake's report, Kumogakure seems to have a weapon that can attack from a very long distance, which even crippled a powerful figure like the White Snake Sage.

There's no way to fight!

Mito Menyan and Koharu Utatane were both troubled by this and didn't have any good solutions for the time being.

The three discussed until nightfall before finally parting ways. After returning home, Hiruzen Sarutobi went back to the basement, where the reanimated Sarutobi Sasuke was still.

"This surgery is very dangerous; even Tobirama Senju didn't seem to be able to perform it."

Sarutobi Sasuke, who was studying some materials, looked up at his son who was walking towards him, and was very worried.

"It's worth taking some risks for the sake of the family and the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a resolute expression, while taking off his shirt to reveal his lean upper body.

Although he was lean, his muscles were clearly defined, indicating that he was skilled in martial arts and had a strong physique.

Sarutobi Sasuke didn't try to persuade him any further and injected a syringe of First Hokage cell tissue fluid into the subcutaneous tissue of his son's chest.

At the same time, he retrieved the Mangekyou Sharingan he had stolen and prepared for its transplantation.

The first-generation cells are highly invasive. The small sac, supported by the cellular fluid, swells up like a mouse and grows rapidly.

The first thing to be devoured was the skin, which turned pale white and began to transform into a human face shape.

Hiruzen Sarutobi mobilized his abundant chakra to suppress the First Hokage's cells, slowing down their rate of erosion and expansion.

He knew that transplanting the first generation of cells was very dangerous, and even he himself would have a very high chance of dying. Even with the idea of ​​the second generation of teachers, there were still huge risks.

However, he has no other choice but to master the forbidden technique of Impure World Reincarnation as soon as possible, otherwise the situation may collapse.

The initial cells eroded very quickly, and the face was formed in a short time. However, the erosion did not stop and even accelerated.

Sarutobi Sasuke had been waiting for this moment: to transplant the two Mangekyou Sharingan into the eye sockets the instant the First Hokage's face took shape.

The two opposing forces immediately clashed, and the power of the First Generation Cell was also attracted by the Mangekyou Sharingan, greatly reducing its erosion on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi extracted a large amount of chakra and integrated it into the First Hokage's face, attempting to connect and merge with the two in order to gain some control.

This is an idea left by the Second Hokage: to use the Mangekyou Sharingan to suppress the First Hokage's cells, so that the two can counterbalance each other, thus buying time and opportunity to fuse with the First Hokage's cells.

The reason for transplanting it to the heart is that a blood vessel connection can be established there, allowing for better fusion and easier control.

Furthermore, he possesses chakra of all attributes, which is compatible with the chakra attributes of the First Hokage, greatly increasing the chances of fusion.

However, the risks are also greater. If the transplant is to the limbs, the patient can be saved if the limbs are severed due to loss of control, but this is not the case for the heart area.

This was a gamble, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's stake was his own life.

Tobirama Senju's idea was good, but Hashirama Senju's power had already far exceeded that of the Mangekyou Sharingan, and Naka Uchiha's pair of Mangekyou Sharingan alone were not enough to balance with Hashirama's cells.

But at least it allowed Hiruzen Sarutobi to establish a connection with those eyes, enabling him to control them to some extent and mobilize the power within them.

Without the slightest hesitation, using the flesh and blood from Uchiha Naka's head as a medium, and a person who had been prepared beforehand as a sacrifice, he performed the Impure World Reincarnation, summoning Uchiha Naka's soul from the Pure Land of the Underworld.

Without giving the other party a chance to speak, he forcibly controlled the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, causing Uchiha Naka to inject the power of his soul into the Mangekyou Sharingan, followed by the injection of chakra, thereby enhancing those Mangekyou Sharingan.

With the continuous infusion of chakra, the two kaleidoscopes finally withstood the erosion of the First Hokage's cells and reached a relatively stable balance.

Noticing the change in both of them, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sasuke Sarutobi both breathed a sigh of relief.

"How much control do they have?"

Sarutobi Sasuke couldn't help but ask, his heart filled with a mixture of trepidation and hope.

After all, that's the Wood Release that pacified the Warring States period, and the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"It still needs time to adjust."

After sensing it, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

Wood Release power and Mangekyou Sharingan are not easy to control. He can only mobilize some Wood Release chakra now, which is not enough to use for Wood Release ninjutsu. Otherwise, the First Hokage's cells might go berserk if he is not careful.

The same applies to the Kaleidoscope; it can only simply mobilize the lower pupil power and cannot yet activate the inner pupil techniques.

That makes sense, considering it was just a transplant and he doesn't have the blood of either family, making it undoubtedly more difficult to control.

"Once we have a basic grasp of it, we will control the Second Tsuchikage to reveal the Dust Release Fusion Technique. If we can fuse it into Dust Release, we should be able to control Wood Release chakra and Mangekyou Sharingan with the help of the Kekkei Tota chakra."

Sarutobi Sasuke pinned his hopes on the Dust Release fusion technique. He believed that if he could obtain the Dust Release fusion secret technique from the Second Tsuchikage, his son would have a high probability of successfully fusing it.

Wood Release and the Mangekyou Sharingan are not suitable for exposure to light, but Dust Release is. Even if problems arise, it will only be the Iwagakure village that is dissatisfied, and Konoha will not have any objections to it.

"No, first I'll wear down the Wood Release chakra in the First Hokage's cells. I only need to use the First Hokage's cells to support these Mangekyou Sharingan and control the Impure World Reincarnation."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't value Wood Release much, at least not because his simple transplanted cells were enough, and the power of Wood Release he could use would be limited.

He valued the characteristic that the first generation cells could counterbalance the Sharingan, thereby enabling the Mangekyou Sharingan to be carried.

While the Sharingan doesn't possess the terrifying corrosiveness of the First Hokage's cells, its use is extremely taxing, especially the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Even Uchiha ninjas struggled to control the Mangekyou Sharingan, let alone outsiders.

The unstoppable, continuous drain on his chakra was enough to break him; he wasn't the kind of ninja with a massive amount of chakra.

But with the First Hokage's cells, it's different. All that's needed is to wear down the Wood Release chakra within the First Hokage's cells to perfectly support these Mangekyou Sharingan and make them the foundation for controlling the Impure World Reincarnation.

He values ​​Dust Escape more than any other method for improving his own strength.

(End of this chapter)