Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Regardless of the many changes on the battlefield, Ye Yue Ai led the remaining five hundred men in a rapid retreat, not even bothering to rest.

They must reach the coastline as soon as possible. Once they reach the sea, without the land as a foundation, the Earth Release of the Iwa ninja will be greatly reduced, while the Lightning Release of the Cloud ninja can spread with the help of the seawater, making them more advantageous in battle.

Of course, it would be best not to fight if possible, as they are both close to their limits.

However, someone didn't want them to retreat completely. As they were running, explosive tags attached to smoke bombs suddenly exploded, releasing large amounts of mist with a strong, pungent odor that caused Ye Yue Ai and the others to cough incessantly.

One of the Iwa ninjas, who was in relatively good condition, suddenly kicked Killer Bee away, then knocked out Yugito, who was already in poor condition, and carried him as he ran wildly northward, even using the Lightning Flicker Technique.

"The teak figurine has been stolen."

Killer Bee shouted and immediately gave chase, but as soon as he rushed out of the smoke area, he saw countless explosive tags appearing on the ground around him, the sheer number of which made his scalp tingle.

With tears streaming down her face, Ye Yue Ai also caught up. Looking at the densely packed explosive tags on the ground and then at the rapidly receding figure, she was so angry that she almost went mad.

"Brother, it doesn't seem to be an Iwa ninja."

At that moment, Killer Bee noticed a letter stuck to a rock not far away. He walked over, took it down, and unfolded it, and began to have some guesses.

"Konoha?"

After glancing at the letter, Ye Yue Ai had her own guess.

The letter demanded that they exchange Kushina Uzumaki, whom they had abducted from Konoha, for Yugito, and that they only had ten days to do so, with the transaction taking place in the Land of Iron.

Only Konoha was willing to trade Jinchuriki of Tailed Beasts for members of the Uzumaki clan.

"Is there something wrong with their Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Killer Bee considered a possibility: the Nine-Tails is the most powerful tailed beast, even stronger than the Eight-Tails, and not just anyone can bear its weight.

"No matter what, we must save the Teakman."

With a fluctuating expression, Ye Yue Ai finally decided to take people to make the exchange.

After they captured Kushina Uzumaki back then, they forced her to reveal the vortex sealing technique she knew. They've kept her imprisoned for years, and he'd almost forgotten about her. Using her in a trade wouldn't have cost them anything.

"Continue the retreat!"

Turning away, Ye Yue Ai knew very well that there was no way to chase after them. He could only take people to exchange as the other party requested. Now, what he needed to do more was to bring these people back, while praying in his heart that his father could break through safely.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Village Jonin, carrying the unconscious Yugito, ran at full speed despite the strain on his body, quickly covering ten miles, where Nara Shikaku and his three companions were waiting to meet him.

Nara Shikaku stepped forward and beheaded the Cloud Village Jonin, while Uzumaki Kasugano helped the unconscious Yugito down and further reinforced the seal on his Tailed Beast.

At the same time, Yamanaka Inoichi, who had been guarded by Akimichi Choza, opened his eyes one night.

That's right, it was he who just used the Spirit Transformation Technique to invade the Cloud Ninja's mental space, control him, and carry the Two-Tails Jinchuriki over.

They had already set up a trap there to thwart the Cloud Ninja's pursuit.

Of course, that letter was specifically requested by Tamura Hao, as obtaining Kushina Uzumaki would be more beneficial to their plans than obtaining a complete Two-Tails.

Minato's heart will definitely not be at peace if Kushina Uzumaki is brought back.

Without delay, the four disposed of the corpse and then flew from the sky to Iwagakure on their ninja hawks.

The Ninja Hawk was very fast, and it flew to the vicinity of Iwagakure that very night before landing at the designated location.

"Did you succeed?"

Tamura Hao looked at the unconscious girl; this must be the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.

"It went more smoothly than I expected. How about your end?"

Nara Shikaku smiled. They had seen the Eight-Tails left behind, but then discovered the Two-Tails Jinchuriki in the fleeing group. At that time, they guessed that it might be a clone, and there must be some kind of medium involved.

"Things are going very smoothly on my end too."

Tamura Hao smiled as well; things had gone much more smoothly than he had imagined, and he had even managed to pick up a tail without making a move.

Although that tail was nothing compared to the Eight-Tails as a whole, it was enough for his plans.

"There is one person left in Iwagakure, who should be the Four-Tails Jinchuriki."

At this moment, Uzumaki Vanilla suddenly spoke up, using Kagura's Mind's Eye to sense that there was only one Kage-level chakra left in Iwagakure, and it was also mixed with the chakra of a Tailed Beast.

"The Five-Tails Jinchuriki has already left the village to intercept the Third Raikage. We must act quickly."

Tamura Hao has already changed into Cloud Ninja attire and even used transformation jutsu to transform into Killer Bee's appearance. Next, he will wear the Cloud Ninja's disguise to carry out his duties.

Nara Shikaku and the other three understood that time was of the essence, so they went over to set up explosive tags with Shizune and the other two. They had taken ten million explosive tags with them to stop Yozuki Ai and the others from pursuing them, and they used the remaining ninety million tags here. They didn't know if they could kill the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.

After everything was arranged, Tamura Hao activated the Yin Seal, using the chakra within to merge and mobilize the One-Tailed Beast's chakra to transform it into a Tailed Beast Robe that covered his body.

The undisguised fluctuations of the tailed beast's chakra were instantly sensed by Yukari, who was stationed in Iwagakure three kilometers away.

"Tailed Beast?"

Turning her head to look north, Zi sensed the fluctuations of the tailed beast's chakra there.

Although he is not a sensory ninja, he is a Jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast, so he is very sensitive to the chakra of Tailed Beasts.

That's definitely a Tailed Beast. In other words, a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki has appeared three kilometers north of the village. Although that distance is far, if a Tailed Beast Ball is launched, it can definitely hit them.

"We must not let them launch the Tailed Beast Ball."

Thinking of this, Zi immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to head north, determined not to let the opponent release the Tailed Beast Ball.

"Lord Zi, where are you going?"

One of the Iwa ninja accompanying Yukari was stunned and had no choice but to follow.

Three kilometers is not a long distance for a Kage-level powerhouse, and they arrived in no time. Then they saw a black ball, which was the Tailed Beast Ball.

Seeing the Tailed Beast Ball that was condensing and growing larger, Zi didn't have time to think. She immediately entered a semi-Tailed Beast state, put on the Tailed Beast Cloak, and rushed over.

But before they could even get close, the surroundings suddenly changed. Countless explosive tags appeared, and before they could react, they exploded with a bang.

"Rumble..."

Ninety million explosive tags detonated simultaneously, their power terrifying, transforming into a blazing ball of light that rapidly expanded and engulfed everything.

Tamura Hao had already used the Flying Thunder God Technique to dodge, and had no intention of directly confronting the shockwave of the explosion.

As for Nara Shikaku and the others, they had already boarded the Ninja Hawk and were flying high in the sky. They had done what they needed to do, and the battle that followed was beyond their control.

However, he kept his eyes fixed on the exploding ball of light, waiting for the light to dissipate and reveal a deep pit, which also revealed a colossal creature.

It was a crimson ape curled up, with four thick tails behind it that tightly wrapped around its body.

That was Purple in her full tailed beast form. Under such a life-or-death crisis, the Four-Tails took the initiative to help Purple enter her full tailed beast form, which is how she withstood that wave of explosion.

However, the Four-Tails was not in an easy position either. The explosion came too suddenly, and during the initial explosion, the tailed beast had not yet fully transformed, so it was badly injured, especially its four tails used for defense, which were almost blown to pieces.

"Don't even think about running away!"

Zi was furious and followed the tailed beast chakra, determined to keep it pinned down and not give it another chance to condense a tailed beast ball to attack the village.

Shortly after he left, Nara Shikaku and the others quickly landed and collected the shattered pieces of flesh from the four-tailed creature's tail.

Fortunately, the explosion started from the periphery and squeezed inwards, so the shattered flesh and blood did not scatter everywhere but were concentrated in one area, making them much easier to collect.

Just then, a figure rushed over. Upon seeing Nara Shikaku and the others collecting scraps of flesh, the figure roared and charged forward, its body turning black at the same time.

"It's Steel Release, Guy, it's up to you!"

Seeing the changes in the other's body, Nara Shikaku told Might Guy that he would continue collecting the flesh and blood of the Four-Tails, trying to collect it all.

"Finally, it's my turn!"

Might Guy was so moved he almost cried; after following him for so long, he finally had a chance to make a move.

Without the slightest hesitation, he opened the first five gates in one go, grabbed his long staff, and charged forward, swinging the staff in a wide arc as he brought it down.

His physical attributes were already formidable, and with the added enhancement of the Eight Gates Formation and the Super Strength Technique, his explosive power and speed became even more ferocious.

The newcomer was not afraid and threw a punch to meet the attack, but the swiftly slashing staff suddenly and cleverly deflected, avoiding the incoming fist and striking the man's head.

"Clang!"

The dull thud of impact reverberated, making the newcomers' heads spin.

Matt Kai continued his offensive relentlessly, rapidly spinning his long staff around his opponent and striking various vital points on his body, including his ears, eyes, nose, chin, and even his lower body.

Steel Release can enhance the body's defense, but it is not perfect; there are some areas where Steel Release cannot be used for enhancement.

Having trained for so long, and with guidance from a close-combat master like Tsunade, Might Guy's combat skills have long been honed, and his attacks are always aimed at the opponent's vital points.

"Clang clang clang..."

The sound of rapid, sharp blows echoed, lasting less than half a minute before the elite Jonin was forced out of his Steel Release state. He was then knocked unconscious by Might Guy striking him on the neck with a club, followed by the insertion of a steel needle into his cervical vertebrae to damage his nerves.

By the time Might Guy returned carrying the Iwagakure Jonin, Nara Shikaku and the others had almost finished collecting the items. They then activated the Flying Thunder God Technique on their headbands to signal Tamura Hiro, who had lured away the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, that he could return.

The next moment, Tamura Hao appeared on the side, using the chakra released by the Yin Seal to perform the Flying Thunder God Technique, taking the group back to the back of the ninja hawk high in the sky, and then quickly flying away.

At the same time, the intense flames from the explosion were dazzling in the darkness, visible even from the battlefield a hundred kilometers away.

"It's in the direction of the village. Did the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki release a Tailed Beast Ball into the village?"

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, who was flying high in the sky, looked in that direction, and his already poor condition suddenly went black and he fainted.

Fortunately, he was caught by a nearby Iwa ninja. The other Iwa ninja also looked towards the village, filled with worry and anger.

Taking advantage of this opening, the Third Raikage broke free from the Five-Tails Jinchuriki's grasp and charged out, running away without looking back.

He was careless this time. Iwagakure was more troublesome than he had imagined. He had tried to break through several times but failed. If this continued, he would definitely be worn down and die here. He had to break out and escape.

The surrounding Iwa ninja reacted and hurriedly continued to pursue and intercept them. However, without the fighting power of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, they were unable to stop the Third Raikage from unleashing his full power and could only watch helplessly as he escaped.

Thus ended the war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure, with both sides suffering heavy losses.

After waking up, Onoki was so angry that he vomited blood and vowed to be irreconcilable enemies with Kumogakure.

Meanwhile, Tamura Hao and his companions had already flown to the Land of Iron, finding a secluded spot to settle down and wait.

"Are you interested in Steel Release?"

Having seen Tamura Hao researching that Steel Release ninja for the past few days, Yamanaka Inoichi smiled and asked a question.

"Steel Release is the most suitable bloodline for the Expansion Technique."

Tamura Hao nodded, clearly very interested in Steel Release.

Of course, the main reason for this urgent research was that his attempt to fuse Magnet Release bloodline limit had failed.

He tried to fuse the chakra according to the Sand Village's approach, but found that his chakra seemed to be incompatible with the Magnet Release bloodline of the One-Tailed Beast, and he even felt some aversion to that kind of bloodline fusion.

Although he didn't know the reason, he didn't intend to delve into it. After all, there were so many bloodline limits in the ninja world, there was no need to fight to the death over a Magnet Release.

The Steel Release technique used in Iwagakure is quite appealing.

Of course, he can still use the Magnet Release of the One-Tailed Beast, so it doesn't affect his abilities.

"It suits you quite well."

Choza Akimichi walked over, also quite envious of the Steel Release technique.

"The teacher had previously researched a cloning technology that could replicate a complete body using flesh and blood cells."

Within the Thousand Hands Clan's Book of Seals lies a semi-finished forbidden technique that allows one to merge another's body with their own, thereby gaining that person's bloodline limit.

"If we could combine these two technologies, we might be able to mass-produce Steel Release techniques. Even if their strength is slightly lower, combined with the Multiply Technique, their combat power would still be considerable."

Tamura Hao revealed his idea: to mass-produce Steel Release techniques for the Akimichi family.

Of course, that was just an idea; it would be even more perfect if we could directly fuse it into Steel Release.

"This is good!"

Choza Akimichi's eyes lit up; if he could obtain Steel Release, that would be perfect.

"Let's think of a way to appease Lady Tsunade's anger first. Relying on Kushina Uzumaki alone is probably not enough."

Nara Shikaku walked over. They would return after exchanging for Uzumaki Kushina. With Kushina rescued, Tsunade's anger should subside a bit.

But that was certainly not enough. That roar that day even carried a hint of killing intent, clearly indicating that this kid had given Lady Tsunade quite a hard time.

"At worst, I'll get beaten up."

Tamura Hao felt that this was enough. With Kushina Uzumaki's appearance, it was at least enough to ensure that Teacher Fei Yang wouldn't go all out. He could treat it as a practical sparring match.

It's not like I haven't been beaten up before.

"How much chakra have you collected from the Two-Tails?"

Let's shift the topic to the Two-Tails' chakra, the more the better.

Although he had previously obtained the tails of the Eight-Tails and the Four-Tails, he did not seal them immediately, but instead prepared to seal the Two-Tails first.

Just like Madara Uchiha used the Gedo Mazo to seal the nine tailed beasts, there is a specific order to it.

There are clearly some secrets involved, so let's try to imitate it.

After sealing the Two-Tails, we'll see if we can get any parts for the Three-Tails.

"That girl seemed to have seen through our intentions and didn't unleash her tailed beast chakra again for us to extract and absorb."

Nara Shikaku shrugged, looking somewhat helpless.

"If they misbehave, then go and discipline them."

Tamura Hiroshi didn't think it was a big deal; it was just a kitten.

"This is also the reason I came to you; you're better at this kind of thing."

Nara Shikaku would never do something like bullying a young girl; this guy is more professional in this regard.

What does it mean to say I'm better at it?

Tamura Hiroshi felt very uncomfortable hearing this, as if he had been slandered.

However, he could not refuse this task, as the next sealing operation would depend on the Two-Tails' chakra, specifically chakra containing its original power.

After chatting with the three for a while, he went out to do some preparations and went to the deepest part of the cave, where Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, was imprisoned.

The girl was bound by a chain with a sealing technique inscribed on it. At the end of the chain was a jar. Whenever she activated the Two-Tails' chakra, the sealing chain would extract it and seal it into the jar.

"You will not get the power of the Two-Tails from me."

The tethered teak figure saw the figure enter and snorted coldly, stubbornly indicating that it would not yield.

"I like your stubborn nature."

Tamura Hao revealed a relieved smile, then tied the girl to the wooden frame he had just made in his spare time, especially securing her legs, took off her ninja boots, stuffed one of them into her mouth, and finally brought the feather wheel he had made over and shook it.

The feather wheel spun rapidly, constantly brushing against the soles of the girl's feet, the tingling sensation making the teak doll tremble.

Tamura Hao shook the wheel while feeling the steel chakra extracted from the steel ninja.

Although it cannot use the One-Tailed Beast's chakra to guide its own fusion into Magnet Release bloodline, it can effectively assist in training Earth and Wind Release nature transformations.

During this time, he has used the One-Tailed Beast's chakra to cultivate the wind and earth styles to the beginner level. He expects to reach the limit in a year at most, and then he can try to fuse the bloodline limit himself.

The fusion of bloodline limits requires the mastery of the nature transformations of two chakra natures to their limits, that is, the limits of the Kage level. Only then can one be qualified to fuse them.

I have almost mastered the nature transformation of the Yang attribute. Although I am far from reaching the limit, it is enough to fuse with Steel Release.

That's because the Yin and Yang attributes are different from the other five basic attributes, and their limits are much higher.

The limits of those two are at the level of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, far beyond what Tamura Hao could achieve.

Steel Release is a special bloodline limit formed by the fusion of Yang and Earth attributes. Both of these attributes can be applied to the body and are primarily focused on strength and defense, resulting in a very high degree of compatibility, which is why they can be fused into a bloodline limit.

Therefore, all that is needed next is to cultivate the earth attribute's property transformation.

Besides that, there's the research on Steel Release. This is a clear direction. Once we understand the secrets of Steel Release, the fusion process will be much easier in the future.

Then came his contemplation of the power of the Tailed Beasts. His original idea was to steal the Tailed Beasts' bloodline limit and integrate it into himself, becoming a possessor of multiple bloodline limits.

However, he did not expect that his own chakra was not compatible with the bloodline limit of the tailed beasts, so he had to find another way to use the power of these tailed beasts.

"The amount is too small. Even if we use the limit, the effect won't be very high. We need to add other powers. Perhaps we can try immortal techniques."

Thinking of Naruto Uzumaki's Sage Fox Mode in the future, Tamura Hao thought it was worth considering. After mastering Sage Chakra, fusing it with Tailed Beast Chakra would definitely enhance its power, and its potential was very high.

That should be considered the foundation of Naruto's Six Paths Sage Mode. (End of Chapter)