Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 212 Susanoo

Tamura Hao's guess was correct. Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed very wary of Kumogakure. After much deliberation, he finally transferred Sakumo Hatake to the eastern front to assist, while asking his former teammate Torifu Akimichi to take charge of the northern front.

By the time Hatake Sakumo arrived at the eastern front as quickly as possible, Jiraiya and the others had already arrived and taken over the ninja forces on that front.

At the same time, following orders from Hiashi Hyuga, the Hyuga ninjas leading this side also actively cooperated.

They were all branch family ninjas, and their orders were based on those of the main family and the clan head. It didn't matter who led them, because the credit would never go to them anyway.

This is the consistent attitude of the Hyuga branch family ninjas: they have little passion and seem to be just getting by.

There's nothing we can do. We can't even control our own life, death, freedom, or dignity. What other ideas can we possibly have?

"The Hyuga clan is finished."

After reviewing the list of personnel and strength assessments on the front lines, Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh.

There wasn't a single Kage-level ninja on this front, and the Hyuga branch family also lacked one. The main family only had the previous clan head, Hyuga Munemasa, as a Kage-level ninja; the other main family members were all just elite Jonin.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan is known as one of the three great dojutsu bloodline techniques, and they consider themselves to be on par with the Uchiha clan. But this is what they are like.

Having already witnessed the Uchiha's formidable strength, his heart sank when he first saw the Hyuga's lineup.

Especially the Hyuga branch family ninjas all had calm expressions, a deathly calm.

Can such a force really withstand the combined attack of Kirigakure and Kumogakure?

"Be careful what you say!"

Yuhi Shinku offered a reminder. Although he also felt that the Hyuga family's system was strange, it was their family matter, and they, as outsiders, had no right to comment, otherwise it could easily lead to misunderstandings.

"Koizumi is here too?"

Jiraiya could only continue watching, and soon he saw a familiar name.

He was an orphan and used to often eat at his teacher's house, so he was very familiar with his teacher's son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, and his daughter-in-law, Shimura Izumi.

Although Shimura Izumi is Shimura Danzo's daughter, she has always lived with her teacher and has a poor relationship with Shimura Danzo. She is someone you can trust.

Koizumi is great here; he's practically a Kage-level shikigami.

"According to the records, she is on a mission and will be back in a few days."

Mitarashi Shishou, who was looking through the documents, casually replied and then continued to look through the documents. Through these documents, he could grasp the situation on the front lines more quickly and make arrangements more easily in the future.

"The situation in Kirigakure is strange. According to intelligence, they intend to launch a decisive battle and have dispatched two thousand ninja soldiers from the village to provide support, bringing the total to five thousand."

However, there was only one Kage-level ninja, Yagura Karatachi, who was suspected to be the Three-Tails Jinchuriki. The others were only elite Jonin, none of whom were as strong as the Kumogakure support team.

While reviewing information about Kirigakure, Yuhi Shinku was puzzled and couldn't understand Kirigakure's actions. Surely they couldn't rely entirely on the strong members of Kumogakure to hold things together.

After all, it could be a large ninja village. Even though it suffered heavy losses during that coup and rebellion, it still had plenty of Kage-level ninjas.

"That Yagura Karatachi is too young, he's not even twenty years old yet."

Jiraiya also found it strange. Even if the Third Mizukage wanted to pave the way for Yagura Karatachi, it was impossible to do it this way. There must be something wrong with it.

"I suggest we request the Hokage to transfer Gekko Genpu to fight. None of you are skilled in taijutsu and close combat, so you'll be at a disadvantage against the ninjas of Kumogakure."

At this moment, Sakumo Hatake, who had been silent until now, spoke up and made a suggestion.

After seeing the lineup here, he was very worried. Only by truly facing those people from Kumogakure could one understand their strength.

Although taijutsu (body techniques) is the weakest of the three ninja skills (ninja, body, and illusion), the Hidden Cloud Village has clearly trained it to a new level, making it very dangerous to be caught in close combat.

"Are the ninjas from Kumogakure really that strong?"

Mitarashi Shishou raised his head, quite surprised by Hatake Sakumo's attitude, which was clearly one of apprehension.

"They are extremely strong. I'm not confident I can defeat Tamura Hiroshi and Uchiha Hikaru."

Sakumo Hatake spoke frankly, saying that the strength of those two men was evident from their last battle, and that even he wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Mitarashi Shishou was even more surprised and turned to look at her friend Yuhi Maku on the other side.

"Don't look at me, I'm here to deal with the Hidden Mist ninja."

Kurenai Yuhi didn't want to fight those Cloud Ninja, mainly because they all had a certain resistance to genjutsu, and she would be at a great disadvantage if she fought them.

Moreover, his strongest illusion technique has a time limit and has already been seen through by the opponent, making him more passive in the fight.

His mission this time was to target those Hidden Mist Ninjas. His genjutsu was always effective against them, especially after he obtained that summoning beast.

"How much has his strength improved?"

Jiraiya asked with a complicated expression, for his karmic ties with that brat ran quite deep.

And since my strength has improved considerably over the past few months, the kid's strength must have improved significantly as well.

"If it's an extreme burst, it has already surpassed the concept of Kage level."

After some reflection, Sakumo Hatake gave an assessment.

"It has surpassed the shadow!"

Everyone was startled, and Minato Namikaze, who had been standing behind the teacher, was even more shocked.

He and that guy were the same age, but the guy had already become stronger than a Kage. Even if he used Sage Mode and the power of the Nine-Tails, he could only contend with a Kage.

How exactly did that guy cultivate?

"That kid isn't even fourteen yet, is he?"

Mitarashi Shishou was the most surprised. Are young people these days so fierce?

"His abilities are not actually exaggerated, especially his chakra reserves, but he skillfully combines all his powers, and the power he unleashes is terrifying."

Sakumo Hatake was well aware of the boy's power; he could understand each individual aspect, but the combination of them was simply outrageous.

Especially his physical attributes, which are the strongest I've ever seen, even stronger than Might Guy who has undergone twenty years of arduous training.

"He is the kind of ninja who specializes in close combat, especially swordsmanship. Although that specialization is easy to be countered in the early stages, he has already broken through. Only Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique can avoid it here."

Kurenai Yuhi agreed, noting that the speed was indeed difficult to avoid, and ninjutsu attacks were hard to land. The opponent was also immune to genjutsu, and even the Uchiha clan was helpless against it.

Only Minato Namikaze, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, was able to avoid it, but that was all he could do.

"The second generation's Flying Thunder God Technique? To what extent has he mastered it?"

Sakumo Hatake inquired, explaining that he had heard of the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique, a seemingly unsolvable technique of instantaneous movement.

If someone on their side has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, they will have a much better chance of winning.

"I have already mastered the second stage of Flying Thunder God Technique, and I can attach a talisman to a kunai and throw it to move."

Minato Namikaze glanced at his teacher, and after seeing his teacher nod slightly, he recounted his progress in mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He is indeed very suitable for the Flying Thunder God Technique, not only because he has that rare spatial talent, but also because his reflexes are very fast.

However, the Flying Thunder God Technique is really difficult to master. I've only managed to learn the second stage so far, which involves making Flying Thunder God kunai to assist with movement.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll spar with me and get used to their fighting style as quickly as possible."

Sakumo Hatake is preparing to train Minato Namikaze, hoping it will give them some initiative on the battlefield.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior White Fang!"

Minato Namikaze thanked him happily, as this was exactly what he needed.

During the Chunin Exams, he was put in a very difficult position by that bastard's swordsmanship. Afterwards, he kept looking for someone to help him adapt, but none of them had that pure swordsmanship style. Only Senior White Fang fits the bill.

However, Senior White Fang was very busy and was on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water, so he was unable to ask for advice. This time, however, it was a good opportunity to meet him.

"I will write to the teacher to suggest it."

Jiraiya was also very happy about this, and immediately nodded seriously, indicating that he would apply to the teacher to transfer the Night Dancer over.

He knew a little about the Night Dancer; she was a powerful member of the Moonlight Clan and possessed the Bloodline Limit Transparent Escape, which was very suitable for nighttime combat. She could almost completely become invisible, making her perfect for surprise attacks.

Furthermore, the Gekko family is also skilled in swordsmanship. Like the Hatake family, they were transformed from a samurai family, and their swordsmanship skills are no less impressive than the Hatake family's.

Of course, that person's strength is still far inferior to that of Senior White Fang.

"The village is now completely devastated. How could Konoha have fallen to such a state?"

Mitarashi Shishou sighed, feeling a deep sense of worry and unease.

The pressure on Konoha during this Ninja World War was immense. If it weren't for their strong foundation, they would have been wiped out by the Four Great Ninja Villages long ago.

But the situation is not optimistic. Can they really hold out until the end of the war?

"Be careful what you say!"

Kurenai Yuhi solemnly reminded him that some things should not be said.

They all understood that the formation of the Four Villages Alliance originated from the War of the Land of Whirlpools, in which the Hokage faction annihilated the Sand Village and the Stone Village, thoroughly enraging the two great ninja villages.

With the help of the Hidden Cloud Village, the Four Villages Alliance was formed, which has been targeting Konoha.

But this matter cannot be discussed; it is a taboo in the village.

Jiraiya said nothing, took out a piece of paper, quickly wrote a letter, and handed it to the disciple behind him.

Minato Namikaze took the teleport and went outside, preparing to use the ninja hawk to send the message back to the village as soon as possible.

Since it's Senior White Fang's advice, it's best to follow it to avoid being put on the defensive in the war.

The letter was quickly delivered to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who agreed after only a brief consideration.

So many people have already been sent out, what difference does a Moonlight Xuanfeng make?

Moreover, the eastern front is really important, and there has been an unexpected variable: the Third Raikage's disciple, Raijin.

This was the first time the Third Raikage had taken on a disciple; it was thought that the old man had no intention of taking on any more disciples.

It is clear that the Thunder God's talent and aptitude must be top-notch. Most importantly, the Thunder God is not young, he looks to be around twenty years old, he is an adult ninja, and his strength must be even greater.

At least he's better than that brat.

"Is that all the information you have?"

After reviewing the intelligence report handed over by Mitokado Homura, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not very satisfied; it was too little and lacked crucial information.

For example, they lack both the strength and the means.

"He appeared out of nowhere; he might be a talent secretly trained by the Third Raikage."

Mitokado Homura was quite helpless; there was simply not enough time to gather any more information.

"We'll have to let Danzo think of a solution."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. This was something that his old friend could only arrange for an investigation.

The other party has spies planted in Kumogakure, and their positions seem to be quite high, allowing them to obtain a lot of crucial intelligence.

We must obtain information about the Thunder God as soon as possible, before the war begins, so that Jiraiya can make the necessary arrangements.

The letter was quickly written and delivered to Danzo Shimura via Shinobi Hawk.

"What does the teacher want us to do this time?"

Orochimaru, standing nearby, wondered what the teacher was planning to do this time.

"He's demonstrating his incompetence again."

Shimura Danzo read the contents of the letter, sneered, and pulverized the letter with wind-style chakra.

He knew a little about the information about that Thor, which was sent with the last time, but the kid didn't know much either. Obviously, that Thor was a talent secretly trained by the Third Raikage, with a priority even above his son, and his own talent must be top-notch.

The sudden appearance of this Thor has made Hiruzen anxious, but he doesn't intend to pay any attention to him.

The old buddy had long been eyeing his trump card, and even sent Orochimaru to investigate, advising that the less he used that trump card, the better, to avoid exposing his identity.

As for the safety of the Eastern Front, what does that have to do with me, Danzo Shimura?

Orochimaru didn't seem to care and continued the previous conversation.

"The teacher has directly assigned Jiraiya and the others to the eastern battlefield. It seems that he is very wary of us. Lord Danzo, your plan is going to be scrapped."

They had previously proposed gathering powerful individuals to launch a strong attack on the Sand Village army, relying on the numerical advantage of Kage-level ninja to defeat the Sand Village army and reclaim the battlefront in the Land of Rivers.

But the teacher refused, and the deeper meaning behind it made them think twice.

"We have submitted our strategy for breaking the deadlock, but it was rejected by Rizhan. He will have to bear the pressure from the Daimyo Prefecture in the future."

Danzo Shimura wasn't in a hurry; the Fourth Shinobi World War was far from over.

"It's fine as it is now. If the Ninja World War had ended too soon, we wouldn't have been able to easily obtain those materials."

Orochimaru is indifferent to war; he has put aside everything from the past and only wants to explore the mysteries of ultimate power.

After discussing it further, Orochimaru finally formed hand seals to dispel the shadow clone.

In a secluded underground experimental base, Orochimaru, who was making final adjustments to his new body, received the memories transmitted back by his shadow clone. He paid little attention to them and continued to examine the young boy in front of him.

"What a perfect work!"

After a while, Orochimaru finished all the checks and looked at the young boy in front of him with great satisfaction.

His original plan was to take over this body after it grew to adulthood, but unexpectedly, after transplanting Uchiha Myōkyō's eyes onto it and nourishing and harmonizing them with the chakra of Uzumaki ninjas and tailed beasts, they fused together successfully.

The secret of this fusion was discovered during his research on Fugaku Uchiha. As for the tailed beast chakra, he secretly collected it from the battlefield in the Land of Grass, which was the chakra released during the battle of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.

The results so far are very satisfactory, and my guess was correct.

At the same time, this body has reached the standard for invasion, and it's time to merge.

Without hesitation, Orochimaru took out a portion of Hashirama's cells and injected them into his own heart, allowing them to circulate throughout his body via his heart's blood.

After Hashirama's cells came into contact with chakra, they began to rapidly erode and grow stronger. Orochimaru's originally pale skin became even paler, and after a while, it even pierced out wooden spikes.

But Orochimaru ignored the pain of his body being eroded and pierced, and tightly grasped the hands of the perfect body, forming two hand seals with them, using the power of Hashirama's cells to connect himself with them.

This body, cultivated using Hashirama cells, is extremely corrosive, especially after incorporating the First Hokage's chakra, which further enhances its corrosiveness.

It is impossible to erode it with the power of the curse seal; in fact, it will be devoured instead.

Therefore, the secret techniques he had previously researched could not be used, so he chose to reverse the fusion, letting this body devour himself.

Although it is the one being devoured, it is still a kind of fusion, thus creating a degree of compatibility, allowing one's own soul to merge into this body later.

As the cellular erosion deepened, Orochimaru's entire body gradually turned to wood, and was then absorbed and integrated into the Perfect Body.

Having absorbed Orochimaru's entire body, that body also underwent some changes. It grew larger, transforming from a young boy into a teenager. At the same time, it no longer felt lifeless; it possessed vitality, and its heartbeat became stronger.

After lying there for an unknown amount of time, the boy suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of golden snake pupils. These pupils then transformed into two overlapping patterns of Mangekyou Sharingan, the very same pair belonging to Uchiha Myōkyō. They had perfectly merged with this body and could be controlled to open and close.

"There are still some flaws, but it's largely a success. This body's potential far surpasses that of the previous one."

Sitting up, Orochimaru tried refining his chakra, and he was quite satisfied with the enormous amount of chakra he obtained.

"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"

They raised their hands together, and a massive amount of Wood Release chakra was injected into the ground. A huge wooden dragon emerged, bursting through the laboratory and destroying the equipment inside.

Orochimaru paid no attention to this, focusing only on the wooden dragon.

"It still needs to grow for a while."

The Wood Dragon Technique is the strongest Wood Release ninjutsu that this body can currently unleash; the even stronger Wood Human Technique is not yet available.

After all, the body has not yet fully developed, and the size of the body severely restricts the extraction of chakra. At the same time, this body has not been trained or strengthened.

However, this wooden dragon technique is very compatible with the immortal mode of Ryuchi Cave.

After a moment of preparation, he quickly entered the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave, and purple eyeshadow appeared on his eyelids.

With the infusion of Sage Art Wood Release chakra, the wooden dragon expanded and grew stronger, becoming harder and tougher, more flexible, and growing wooden scales, just like a real divine dragon.

"Perhaps we can develop this ninjutsu further."

Observing the changes in the Wood Dragon Technique, Orochimaru understood that this was the most suitable way to use Sage Chakra for this body. Even if he could use the Wood Human Technique in the future, it would be difficult to achieve this kind of compatibility.

Furthermore, there's no need to limit yourself to humanoid Wood Release creations; dragon-shaped ones are just as good. As long as they're large enough, they can still demonstrate formidable combat power.

"I wonder if it could be combined with the Eight-Headed Serpent Technique?"

Orochimaru suddenly thought of another forbidden technique, which might allow him to combine the two.

Having noted this idea down, Orochimaru activated the power in his eyes, and the power of Susanoo quickly covered the wooden dragon, eventually transforming it into a suit of armor that provided all-around protection.

He saw this in the records. During the battle at the Valley of the End, Madara Uchiha had put Susanoo on Kurama. He thought about it and figured that Wood Release creation should also work. Now, he tried it and it worked.

"This is the true power of the pinnacle of the ninja world!"

Looking at the enormous Susanoo dragon, Orochimaru was utterly captivated. After all his hard work, he had finally begun to possess the power of his peak.

(End of this chapter)