Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 224 Showdown at the Gate of Death

The daimyo of the Land of Fire was furious and issued a death order to Hiruzen Sarutobi, ordering him to personally lead the attack and destroy Kirigakure's plot against the peninsula.

If you can't do that, then you shouldn't be in the position of Hokage.

In other periods, Hiruzen Sarutobi could have used the art of words to soften the blow, or even acted more forcefully.

But the current situation is very bad. If I can't handle it, I will really be forced to step down.

At least the Senju faction would be happy to support the daimyo's orders, and the crippled Uchiha would certainly take the opportunity to retaliate.

That was not the situation he wanted to see, so he had no choice but to fight personally. However, he made a move before setting off.

"Father, go and secretly contact the third son of the daimyo. We can help him ascend to the throne and become the new daimyo of the Land of Fire."

In the basement, after Hiruzen Sarutobi finished examining Hashirama's face on his chest and his Mangekyou Sharingan, he suddenly said something to his father.

He had to prepare for contingencies; if the war were to end in defeat, he would have no choice but to resort to more radical measures.

The daimyo can influence the succession of the Hokage position in the village, and conversely, Konoha can also influence the succession of the daimyo position.

Although doing so would have many negative consequences, when it really comes to that, there's no time to worry about anything else.

"Shouldn't I come with you?"

Sarutobi Sasuke was very worried. This battle was destined to be brutal, with little chance of winning. The best outcome would be a Pyrrhic victory.

"No need, I can handle it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head slightly. His father was focused on the third son of the daimyo, as it was their only way out.

Otherwise, if he loses the position of Hokage, many subsequent plans will be difficult to carry out.

"Should we use the Impure World Reincarnation technique?"

Sarutobi Sasuke asked, still very worried.

"Uzumaki Ashina-senpai's is enough. I'll try to see if I can take the Four-Tails."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had long been eyeing the Four-Tails. According to the information he obtained from the Second Tsuchikage, Dust Release was incredibly powerful, but its consumption was also terrifying.

Although he possessed chakra aptitude in all attributes, his chakra reserves were relatively low, far inferior to those of the Uzumaki clan.

He needs a massive source of chakra to support himself, and the Four-Tails is the best choice. It just so happens that the Sarutobi clan has been with the monkey clan for generations, so they should be able to use this to negotiate with the Four-Tails. If all else fails, they can use the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stayed in the village for a few days, making many arrangements, and waiting for Tsunade and Orochimaru to arrive before heading to the southeastern front together.

He naturally wouldn't go to the battlefield alone, so he had previously ordered Tsunade and Orochimaru to come and assist him.

However, Tsunade and Orochimaru remained silent, appearing quite somber throughout the journey.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't say anything about this, since Nawaki was Tsunade's younger brother and Orochimaru's disciple, and their relationship was extraordinary.

Despite doing everything perfectly, she managed to have her father erase all traces of the past.

But for some people, no evidence is needed; suspicion is enough.

The three of them traveled quickly in silence and finally arrived at the front line.

"teacher!"

Jiraiya was both surprised and delighted to see his teacher arrive, and at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been having a very bad time these past few days, and the situation here was completely beyond his control. It was so good that the teacher had come.

"Orochimaru! Tsunade!"

He immediately turned his gaze to his two teammates, but unfortunately received no response.

Tsunade didn't even glance at Jiraiya, and went straight into the camp to find and treat the injured ninjas.

Orochimaru didn't leave, but he didn't say anything either.

The main reason he came here in person was because he was interested in the Byakugan of the Hyuga branch family.

In such a brutal war, it is quite reasonable to lose a few Byakugan and a few Hyuga ninja.

"Take me to the operations room and summon all the Jonin from the front lines for a meeting."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke swiftly and decisively, demanding an immediate operational meeting to devise an attack tactic before commencing hostilities.

We can't wait any longer.

"Teacher, please come with me."

Jiraiya's expression turned solemn as he led the way.

The news of Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two companions arriving at the front line was quickly discovered by the four-village alliance, mainly because the three of them did not conceal their whereabouts and entered the camp openly.

Not to mention there's also a clone of Black Zetsu and many White Zetsu watching over them, and Black Zetsu has been keeping an eye on Hiruzen Sarutobi for a long time, so he knows even more.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi certainly dares to dream of such a thing!"

Tamura Hao laughed. Sarutobi Hiruzen's idea was pretty good.

"Should we stop it?"

Black Zetsu split into two to ask questions.

"Of course we have to stop them. Only a weak Hiruzen Sarutobi can suppress Konoha's many more geniuses and strongmen."

Tamura Hao would not allow Hiruzen Sarutobi to obtain the Four-Tails. He could tolerate Hiruzen Sarutobi fusing with Dust Release, but he absolutely could not allow him to become a Jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast.

Otherwise, if the massive amount of chakra of the tailed beasts were combined with Dust Release, the power would be far more than just the sum of its parts.

"The Kage is the ceiling of a ninja village, determining the highest limit of the village. Once someone surpasses this limit, they will inevitably be targeted, especially in a situation like Konoha."

He understood this kind of thing very well; in his previous life, there was a phrase that meant someone whose merits overshadowed their master.

In ancient feudal dynasties, why did some emperors kill their meritorious officials and high-ranking ministers in their later years? It was because they feared that the new emperor would be unable to control them and cause trouble.

Some emperors even committed murder during their most powerful periods; the most famous examples are Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang.

Both were relatively weak, so killing them was not an option.

Of course, there are also those who court death and cross the line, and in those cases, death is the only option.

However, all of this illustrates that the emperor is the pinnacle of the nation, and the emperor's ability and prestige depend on the extent to which his ministers can exert their influence.

For example, Qin Shi Huang, who unified the country, did not need to rely on killing his ministers to stabilize his rule; at most, he would impose some restrictions.

This same principle applies to the Naruto world. If Hiruzen Sarutobi had the strength of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, he wouldn't have bothered with all those messy things.

Ultimately, people are forced into things.

"However, we can take advantage of this. The death of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki will definitely further enrage Iwagakure, and we can take the opportunity to seize those four tails."

Tamura Hao also wanted to obtain the Tailed Beasts, or rather, collect their chakra, so that he could further improve the Ten-Tails.

We have already obtained body parts from the Two-Tailed, Seven-Tailed, Eight-Tailed, and Nine-Tailed, and there is also a small Three-Tailed that we can nurture, as well as the tails from the three members of the Blue Tribe.

Since Lord Danzo has set his sights on the Three-Tails and has entrusted me, Tamura Hitachi, with the task, I must naturally demonstrate my abilities and make the arrangements flawlessly.

Only in this way can we gain Lord Danzo's trust, and then, under my guidance, lead him down the path of unification against the entire ninja world, ultimately becoming the supreme and immortal emperor.

The remaining ones are the One-Tailed, Four-Tailed, Five-Tailed, and Six-Tailed. The next target is the Four-Tailed.

"Who should get the Four-Tails?"

Black Zetsu asked, "Since we're going to kill the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki, we need to find a good next home for the Four-Tails."

"Should we let the Four-Tails go home early?"

Thinking of the Gedo Statue near the old man's spot, that thing is currently lacking energy. Replenishing it would make the old man's spot and the future Nagato Uzumaki stronger, making their plans easier.

"Alright, I'll take this opportunity to guide Madara Uchiha in cultivating White Zetsu, and transfer all the White Zetsu that my mother created back then."

After some thought, Black Zetsu also had some ideas.

There are too few White Zetsu now; he needs more. He needs to bring out the entire White Zetsu army that his mother created back then to make things easier.

"What's the current situation of that Otsutsuki who was captured by Lord Danzo?"

They then inquired with Lord Danzo, who also needed to be reprimanded.

"She used her egg to combine the bloodlines of Kaguya and Hinata to create two fetuses that are currently in the womb."

Black Zetsu replied that he had gathered intelligence before coming over and was very clear about all aspects.

"We must find an opportunity to guide the Otsutsuki Relic there; Lord Danzo's ambitions must be kept under control."

Tamura Hiroshi didn't want Danzo to become Hokage too early, as that wouldn't align with his plans for Konoha.

Only by maintaining the status quo of F4 can we better suppress Konoha, which is far more efficient than their exhausting battles outside.

Sakumo-senpai will need Hiruzen Sarutobi's help with planning in the future.

Furthermore, Lord Danzo's current strength is a bit too much; we need to find someone to balance him out so he doesn't become arrogant.

As the saying goes, "Build high walls, store up plenty of grain, and delay declaring yourself king." If Lord Danzo wants to achieve great things, he must be patient and patient.

"It's not difficult, it just needs to be done perfectly, without leaving any trace."

Hei Zetsu understood that this needed to be arranged slowly, without leaving any trace, so as not to arouse Hagoromo and Hamura's suspicion.

After continuing their discussion for a while, the Black Zetsu clone disappeared into the ground and left.

Although he has been much busier since having his younger brother, he feels fulfilled and has more hope in his heart.

"There aren't many players who can truly be players in this game of the ninja world."

Tamura Hao swirled the black liquid in his wine glass, took a sip, then frowned, poured an ice cube from the thermos next to him into the glass, shook it, took another sip, and finally let out a long, satisfying breath.

"Happy water tastes better with ice."

After finishing his iced cola, Tamura Hiroshi pondered another matter.

"I wonder if Might Guy's Eight Gates Formation can reach the level of Might Guy in the future."

Since Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Might Guy over, he must have made the decision to have him open the Gate of Death.

However, Tamura Hao thinks that Might Guy's Death Gate is probably a bit worse than Might Guy's.

Firstly, Might Guy's training method is better, and he has fewer hidden injuries. Secondly, Might Guy was older during the Fourth Shinobi World War than he is now, and he had trained for a longer period of time.

Might Guy's limit is Night Guy. Might Guy should be able to unleash Evening Elephant now, but it's unknown how many times he can do it.

The Eight Gates Formation's attack method, starting with Morning Peacock, has always been an air cannon. The only difference is that it has stronger explosive power and speed, making it a very pure form of taijutsu.

"With my current physical condition, I should be able to withstand the burst of the Eight Gates Formation."

Raising his hand and clenching his fist, Tamura Hao wanted to experience the power of the Eight Gates Formation and explore the deeper mysteries of the body, especially the amplification effect of chakra on the body.

The Eight Gates Formation is the ultimate amplification of the body by chakra, with an amplification effect far exceeding the activation of the body by chakra.

Whether it's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Super Strength Technique, or Sage Mode, the main benefits are in activating the body; the increase in strength and speed is secondary.

The Eight Gates Formation, on the other hand, is purely an enhancement of strength and speed, and an extreme one at that.

He has reached a bottleneck in this area at present, and it will be difficult to make any further progress unless he experiences the power of the Eight Gates Formation.

Even though he possesses a cheat ability, the power of that ability has its limits. It cannot create something from nothing. He still needs to find a foundation for some things, and experiencing the Eight Gates Formation is very necessary.

Moreover, opening the Gate of Death is not necessarily fatal. Naruto Uzumaki used his Yang power to revive Might Guy, who had opened the Gate of Death and was burning to the extreme.

His own foundation is also quite strong. Not only is his physical condition stronger than Might Guy's, but his vitality is also stronger. He also has the Ten-Tails and Kaguya-hime as a base, as well as the two Mangekyou Sharingan techniques for survival, and Izanagi.

These methods are enough for me to try once.

Having made his decision, Tamura Hiroshi left the camp and set sail to find a suitable deserted island as the location for his final battle with Might Guy.

It wasn't a blind search. As a peninsula nation, the Whirlpool Clan was very familiar with the surrounding seas and possessed detailed nautical charts that recorded many islands. He wanted to find a suitable one and then leave the coordinates of the spatial gate.

On the other hand, Hiruzen Sarutobi acted decisively, and ordered the troops to set off on a sunny day.

There was no other way; the daimyo had given him a time limit. If he couldn't defeat the four-village coalition within ten days, he would order the removal of his title as Hokage.

Eight days have passed now, and we must complete the task as soon as possible.

"Dai, your primary task is to eliminate that Thor. He poses the greatest threat to us. Last time, he killed two thousand of our compatriots. We must eliminate him first."

Secondly, there are Tamura Hiroshi and Uchiha Hikaru. Your targets in this battle are these three. For the sake of Konoha, you must succeed.

Arriving at the fortifications built by Kirigakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Might Guy one last piece of advice.

"I understand, Hokage-sama."

Might Guy nodded solemnly. Although he didn't want to be enemies with his confidant boy, let alone kill him, it was an order, and more importantly, it was for the safety of Konoha.

However, he couldn't use those short crutches anymore. He couldn't use the weapons his close friend had given him to fight him. This was his principle, and also his youth.

"The target has been identified; they're all converging there."

At this moment, a Hyuga ninja reported the news, and the other sensory ninjas also confirmed it.

"The Gate of Shock Opens!"

Upon receiving confirmation, Might Guy did not hesitate at all. He opened the Eight Gates to the seventh gate in one go, and then pressed his thumb hard against his heart. Chakra surged forth, opening the Gate of Death located in his heart.

In an instant, the blue steam turned blood red, which was the steam formed by the evaporation of blood. Chakra flowed through his body at an unimaginable speed, and the life force of his entire body was stimulated.

The violent shockwave forced everyone nearby to retreat, all of them utterly stunned.

"This is the ultimate power of the Eight Gates!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened. He knew that opening all eight gates would be powerful, but he really didn't expect it to be this powerful. It was a completely different concept from the previous Gate of Shock.

His lava giant could probably be blown apart with a single punch.

"What amazing power, it's a pity it was only a brief display."

Orochimaru was also amazed; it was incredibly strong, but unfortunately, it was just a momentary burst of power, which didn't align with his goals.

On the other side, Tsunade, who was carrying a giant sword, was also shocked, but felt more regret.

The Gate of Death is called the Gate of Death because it is a gate of certain death; once opened, death is inevitable.

Matt Day's life is already on a countdown; he won't last much longer.

Might Guy knew he couldn't hold on for long. After getting used to the intense pain, he transformed into a streak of blood and rushed toward the people on top of the defensive fortifications. He first targeted a burly young man with blond hair, Thor, who was his primary target.

After glancing at Thor, Yagura and the others decisively leaped away. A shadow clone of Tamura Hao also leaped away, leaving only Thor's clone standing there waiting for Might Guy's arrival.

But Thor's clone wasn't idle either. It swung Mjolnir rapidly, and its entire body burst forth with intense golden lightning, which was very dazzling and obscured the slowly expanding portal behind it.

"First speed!"

Although Matt Day was puzzled, he didn't think much of it and threw a punch as he charged forward.

A cylindrical air cannon shot out and collided with Thor's hammer, the golden and black lightning on it quickly dissipating.

However, the air cannon is not chakra, and lightning release cannot counter it. In addition, the force it carries is too terrifying. After a brief stalemate, it pressed down on Thor's hammer and smashed back into Thor, sending him flying backward.

Might Guy pressed his advantage, but the dazzling lightning prevented him from spotting the portal immediately, and his incredible speed also prevented him from reacting instantly.

By the time they realized something was wrong, they had already found themselves in an unfamiliar place.

It was a very small island, no more than a hundred meters in diameter, more like a large reef.

Tamura Hao stood at the very top of the reef, holding a Masamune longsword, his skin as red as blood.

That's right, he has already activated the Eight Gates Formation, at the same time as Might Guy, and has been adapting to this surge in power and pain.

"Hao Jun?"

Matt Dai was surprised and asked, "Why is Hao Jun here?"

"I originally planned to use my spatial eye technique to put Uncle Dai on the sea and wait for him to burn out his life before I came back to collect his body."

But that would undoubtedly be an insult to Uncle Dai's youth, and also an insult to our friendship.

"We didn't get to have enough fun during the last Chunin Exams, so let's settle things today."

Tamura Hao spoke, his eyes revealing a strong fighting spirit.

Such a strong fighter is a rare find; we must have a good fight with him today.

"Has Haojun also opened the Gate of Death?"

After a moment of silence, Might Guy asked a question, noticing that something was wrong with the boy's physical condition.

"Yes, it was really painful when it was first activated, but the improvement is significant."

Nodding, Tamura Hao held the sword with both hands, the blade held upside down on its side, golden lightning flashing on the blade, its strength greatly enhanced.

"Your youth burned brighter and purer than mine! But for Konoha, I won't hold back. Please live!"

Matt Day said something seriously, then lunged forward and threw a punch.

"First speed!"

"Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique!"

As the powerful air cannon was fired, Tamura Hao also swung his sword at the same time. The combination of overwhelming power and super speed, without any fancy special effects, forcefully sliced ​​through the domineering air cannon.

"Second speed!"

Without pausing, Matt Daly continued to throw punches, faster and more powerful, his air cannons becoming increasingly potent.

However, as a price, the skin on his arm tore open, releasing a cloud of blood mist, and cracks appeared in the bones of his arm.

"Sword Twenty-One!"

Tamura Hao swung his sword rapidly, unleashing twenty-one strikes in an instant with the enhanced Eight Gates Formation. It was a super-upgraded version of the previous eight-slash-per-flash technique, with even greater power.

(End of this chapter)