Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

After confirming that the liver had grown completely, Tsunade immediately transplanted it into the traitorous disciple. Then, Tamura Hiroshi secretly performed a second transplant, transplanting the original liver into his body.

He did this himself, without even going through the hands of Nara Shikaku and the other two, because the three of them had erased that memory with mental magic and modified the relevant memories, making the events of that time a fact.

He is the only one who knows what happened back then, and he even hypnotized himself with illusion magic to cover up the relevant memories so as not to reveal any flaws.

"This is truly agonizing!"

Looking at the wound that had healed again, Tamura Hiroshi couldn't help but make a comment.

First, the original liver was removed, sealed, and transplanted onto a cultured one. Then, the ape demon was guided to dig out that liver. After that, someone else's liver was transplanted to temporarily support it. Teacher Fei Yang had previously performed a liver transplant on him, so now he has to do it again himself.

It's only because he's physically strong; anyone else would have been crippled long ago.

However, as long as it can motivate Fat Sheep Teacher to cheer up and launch an attack on the Hokage position, then all these efforts will be worthwhile.

After complaining, Tamura Hiroshi picked up the small potted plant from the bedside table; it had a small blade of grass on it.

That's the herb that Jiraiya brought. I heard that there aren't many of these herbs in Mount Myōboku. They're special plants that can absorb natural energy on their own.

However, this herb was previously withered and had no roots, suggesting it was a specially processed medicinal material.

It was only after he stimulated it with his life force and Wood Release that it came back to life and grew roots.

The revived herb can indeed absorb natural energy on its own, which may be a unique product of Mount Myōboku.

The summoning beasts of the three holy lands can absorb natural energy and even fuse with Sage Chakra.

Animals have a much greater advantage than humans in this respect, and some plants in the area also have the ability to absorb natural energy.

This little grass is essentially the same as the celestial lotus seed brought from the Fire Temple, but it feels like the celestial lotus seed is of a higher level than this little grass, at least it requires more life force and natural energy to grow.

Because of its lower level, this immortal herb, although it can also draw in and absorb natural energy, does so very slowly, even worse than the lotus seeds of the original immortal lotus.

After staring at the small grass for a while, Tamura Hao plucked it out and sealed it into the Bagua Seal, letting the Immortal Lotus devour it.

This immortal herb is of no use to him; it would be better for the immortal lotus to swallow it and increase his resources.

After consuming that immortal herb, the immortal lotus did change slightly, becoming more responsive to and able to draw in and absorb natural energy.

Meanwhile, Tamura Hao continued to infuse his own chakra into the Sage Lotus, attempting to use the Sage Lotus to fuse with natural energy and form Sage Chakra.

He himself shouldn't risk absorbing it, but using the immortal lotus as a vessel would be much safer.

After cultivating for a while, Tsunade walked in, lifted the clothes of the rebellious disciple to examine his liver area, and nodded in satisfaction only after confirming that the condition was good.

Although the cultured liver is not as good as the original, it is still better than having a rejection reaction.

"When I went to see Grandpa Tofu with Jiraiya-senpai, Grandpa Tofu said that if Minato-senpai didn't make a clear statement, he would support Orochimaru-senpai."

When Tamura Hao mentioned taking the wind, he said that this was indeed that person's idea.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Tsunade was somewhat confused; she had long since given up on getting involved in village affairs.

"Doesn't the teacher want to change the village?"

"You want me to become Hokage?"

Tsunade understood, and then refused without hesitation.

"I'm not going to be Hokage, that's something only an idiot would do."

She had long since given up on that position, even harboring aversion and disgust towards it. After saying this, she tried to leave, but her hand was grabbed by a certain traitorous disciple.

However, Tamura Hao underestimated the teacher's will and strength. He was pulled off the bed and thrown to the ground, leaving him somewhat dazed.

This is not what I expected.

Shouldn't I be the one grabbing your hand and then trying to reason with you?

"open!"

Tsunade was very unhappy to see the claws gripping her hand.

Who gave you permission, you lecherous brat, to lay a hand on me?

"I know the teacher doesn't like that seat, but that's because some people have corrupted it. Originally, that seat was clean and noble."

Tamura Hao casually got up and used his prepared lines to fool people.

"Let's not even talk about the First and Second Hokage. Just let's talk about Nawaki and Dan-senpai. They both aim to become Hokage and want to change and lead the village forward."

Although they failed, their dream of becoming Hokage still exists and has been passed on to you, teacher. This is something you cannot avoid.

These words made Tsunade fall silent for a moment, but her attitude remained firm.

"If you want to find Orochimaru, go find Orochimaru. Don't bother me."

"Orochimaru-senpai is indeed an option, but he's gotten too close to that person, and he's bound to get involved in some things. That person could easily take away Orochimaru-senpai's chance to compete for Hokage with a little trickery, or even make him a rogue ninja and expel him from the village."

This brush with death made me realize how crazy and unscrupulous those people are in their pursuit of power; they are capable of doing anything.

The village must change. I narrowly escaped death this time, but the next time might be different, and so must those around me, including you, teacher.

As he spoke, Tamura Hao once again grasped Fat Sheep Teacher's delicate hand, with a sincere little expression.

"roll!"

Realizing what had happened, Tsunade forcefully flung the rebellious disciple against the wall, then walked away in her low heels, her steps quickening, clearly indicating that her earlier words had somewhat affected her.

No wonder you'll be single forever.

As he pried himself off the wall, Tamura Hiroshi couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

Teacher Fei Yang is really violent.

"Does Hao-jun really not think much of me?"

At that moment, a magnetic voice came from inside. Tamura Hiroshi turned his head and saw that a girl with long, straight black hair had appeared in the dormitory.

It was Orochimaru.

"Uncle Snake, when did you arrive?"

Tamura Hiroshi was surprised; he hadn't heard that this person had come.

"It just arrived."

Orochimaru maintained his elegant demeanor, like a noble young master shrouded in darkness, his golden snake eyes adding to his handsome yet sinister appearance.

"Snake, have some water."

Tamura Hao quickly invited the man to sit down and poured him a glass of cold water.

"Doesn't Hao-jun want to support me in becoming Hokage?"

Orochimaru sized up the boy before him. The last time they met, the boy was just a little kid, but now he had become a powerful figure.

"It's not that I don't want to, but I don't dare to bet everything. Uncle Snake, you have too many and too big flaws. It would be easy for those people to target you."

Furthermore, I sense that you, Snake, are not particularly attached to power, nor do you seem to be genuinely committed to changing the village. Perhaps you've already given up on it.

After thinking for a while, Tamura Hao finally looked directly at Orochimaru and revealed his true thoughts.

"hehe……"

Orochimaru laughed, a very happy laugh.

"I never imagined that the person who understands me best in the village would be a child."

"When Tsunade and Jiraiya left the village one after the other, it was a kind of escape. The reason I stayed in the village is because there are still things I need in the village."

I'm not too fixated on the Hokage position. If the obstacles are too great, I will definitely give up. But I will do my best to try, at least so I don't have any regrets.

He didn't hide this from him, after all, the person in front of him was a smart little guy, and if he tried to hide it after the other person had already seen through him, it would seem pretentious.

"Did Snake come here to help end this war?"

Tamura asked this person about their purpose, sensing that it was different from Jiraiya's.

"I came here on my own, and I want to make a deal with you."

Licking his lips, Orochimaru turned to look at Tsunade, who was already standing at the door.

"What do you want to do?"

Tsunade casually closed the door.

She had sensed Orochimaru just now, but thought he would come looking for her. Who would have thought he would stay in this perverted brat's dormitory?

"I possess the power of the Six-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails. You should be very interested in that."

Orochimaru revealed the bargaining chip he brought: the Eight-Tails, which he obtained when he killed the previous Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. At that time, he removed some of the horn cells, which have grown considerably over the years.

The Nine-Tails' power originated from Gold Horn and Silver Horn, while the Six-Tails was something he had specifically obtained on the battlefield. Although there weren't many, it was enough for trading.

What do you want?

After glancing at the rebellious disciple, Tsunade finally decided to make a deal; as long as the demands weren't excessive, she would agree to them.

This time she was truly frightened; that lecherous brat had almost died, and she had to improve his strength as soon as possible.

Since one's own strength cannot be improved quickly due to age, the only option is to enhance external forces.

As for how Orochimaru obtained these three powers, she didn't care; as long as it could improve that traitorous disciple, that was enough.

"I want all the research data left behind by the second generation."

Licking his lips, Orochimaru had long coveted the legacy left by the Second Hokage.

"Can."

After thinking for a moment, Tsunade finally nodded.

Giving those research materials to Orochimaru might not necessarily be a bad thing.

"This place is a bit small."

Orochimaru's smile deepened; he knew this guy would definitely agree, especially after the little guy's narrow escape from death.

"Go down to my lab."

Tsunade turned and walked out of the dormitory. Orochimaru used his transformation jutsu to become an ordinary Konoha ninja and followed her, with Tamura Hiroshi close behind.

The three arrived at the experimental area, and after the other two went inside, Tamura Hao called over Uzumaki Vanilla and Yamanaka Inoichi.

When they went inside, there were already two coffins, a huge nutrient tank, and a sealing ninja tool.

"As expected, they are Golden Horn and Silver Horn."

Looking at the two figures inside the coffin, Tamura Hao said, "As expected."

The fact that Kabuto was able to resurrect Kinkaku and Ginkaku using the Impure World Reincarnation proves that Orochimaru must have collected their flesh and blood cells, so it's not surprising that he can summon them now.

Of course, it can only be resurrected through Edo Tensei; it certainly cannot be controlled.

"How did Haojun master the power of the tailed beasts?"

Orochimaru, who had completed the transaction, was very curious about it. Although he had read the information from Shimura Danzo, he still couldn't understand the underlying principles.

"You can tell me, but Uncle Snake has to do me a favor and make that ape demon bigger."

Tamura Hiroshi smiled; he had great confidence in this man's abilities.

"You want to use the ape demon as a weapon?"

Orochimaru quickly figured it out. After all, the characteristics of the Monkey King were there, and combined with the intelligence that the little guy's axe and shield had been melted by that woman from Sunagakure, he obviously needed a powerful weapon.

"Yeah, I've been researching this, but I haven't gotten anywhere."

Nodding, Tamura Hao believed that Orochimaru could definitely do it. After all, Kabuto Yakushi had used Manda's cells to quickly cultivate an even larger second-generation Manda, so Orochimaru could definitely do it too.

"With Tsunade's help, it shouldn't be difficult."

Orochimaru agreed to the task. Although he had never done research in this area before, it was not difficult in essence. After all, he had studied the snakes in Ryuchi Cave and knew the essential secrets behind how those snakes could grow so large.

"Does Orochimaru know about the sage-like talent at the Fire Temple?"

When Tamura Hao spoke of the talents of the Immortal Clan, he said that they were the foundation upon which he constructed the Tailed Beast Dharma Form.

"So that's what it was."

Orochimaru suddenly realized that he had heard of the immortal talent of the Fire Temple, which was a secret technique that allowed one to form a powerful dharma image outside the body.

It is somewhat similar to the Susanoo in the legend of the Uchiha clan, both being applications of materialized energy. However, the power used by the monks of the Fire Temple seems to be different from that of their ninjas.

Tamura Hao didn't hide anything and began to explain the mysteries of the Tailed Beast Dharma Form.

"It is difficult to integrate the power of the Tailed Beasts into oneself, but if it is released directly from the seal and applied outside the body without going through the body, the risks and difficulties will be greatly reduced. With the assistance of other means, it can be used very well."

This is similar to the cultivation of immortal arts. The immortal mode of the three holy lands involves introducing natural energy into oneself for fusion, while the talents of the immortal race use spiritual power to guide and fuse externally, which greatly reduces the difficulty and risk.

"There must also be some kind of stellar energy incorporated into it."

Orochimaru thought of the meteorite energy from before, whose mutated chakra was very effective in changing its form.

"Yes, and it is a major foundation."

He nodded. There was nothing to hide about that, after all, this person had also come into contact with that meteorite back then.

"A wonderful idea. Haojun might surpass us in the future."

Orochimaru's opinion of this young man grew stronger. He already possessed exceptional talent, and now with this secret technique that allowed him to utilize the power of the tailed beasts, becoming a top-tier powerhouse was inevitable.

"This is my research on the power of the Eight-Tails. There are some methods to enhance the power of the Tailed Beast. Your secret technique is based on the power of the Tailed Beast, and this should be able to enhance the potential of the secret technique."

After thinking for a moment, Orochimaru summoned a scroll from his mouth, which was his research record on the Eight-Tails' cells.

Initially, only some cells were scraped off from the eight-tailed cow horn, and after extensive research, they were cultivated and enlarged considerably.

"Thank you, Uncle Snake."

Tamura Hiroshi's eyes lit up; he desperately needed this.

"We need to go and modify that ape demon. I have limited time and can't stay here for too long."

Orochimaru said something to Tsunade, who was inspecting the three items being traded, and then walked up on his own.

He was also very interested in his teacher's summoned beast, whose indestructible body was something even his Kusanagi sword might not be able to break, especially after it transformed into the form of the Vajra Ruyi Jingu Bang.

After the two of them went up, Tamura Hiroshi sealed the basement door and called Yamanaka Inoichi and Uzumaki Koufusa, whom he had brought, to the coffins of Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

Although these two were resurrected using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, their consciousness was not awakened, presumably because Orochimaru lacked confidence in controlling them.

However, this transaction involves the Nine-Tails' power within both of them; whether they awaken or not is irrelevant.

"Should we control them to unleash the Nine-Tails' power?"

Yamanaka Inoichi was curious; he had only been called over to help, but hadn't been told exactly what to do.

"It's not just about releasing the power that sealed the Nine-Tails, but also about the Six Paths Ninja Tools they possess."

Back then, they possessed a total of five Six Paths Ninja Tools, but according to the information you obtained from the memories of those Cloud Ninja, it seems that there was only one Amber Purification Bottle in the Hidden Cloud Village.

The other ninja tools were either destroyed or sealed by these two; the latter is more likely. See if you can retrieve them.

Tamura Hao had long coveted the Six Paths Ninja Tools; the Second Hokage was killed because of them.

"Six Paths Ninja Tools!"

Yamanaka Inoichi's eyes lit up; that was a real treasure.

Vanilla Uzumaki was also very interested in those legendary ninja tools, and the three of them immediately started tinkering with them together.

Ultimately, Yamanaka Inoichi used his Spirit Transformation Technique to control the Six Paths Ninja Tools, while Uzumaki Koga used a Sealing Technique to draw them out one by one. Finally, he used a Contract Seal to break the connection between the two.

"If it were an amber vase, that would be perfect when combined with the secret techniques of the mountains."

While fiddling with the red gourd, Tamura Hao wanted the amber bottle even more.

That is a standalone ninja tool; you only need to call its name to activate it. The Red Gourd, on the other hand, requires the Golden Rope and the Seven Star Sword to work together, making it a set of combined ninja tools.

There will be an opportunity.

Holding the Seven Star Sword, Yamanaka Inoichi was overjoyed. This was a legendary ninja tool, which would further enhance the strength of the Ino-Shika-Cho clan.

"Unfortunately, it can only be transformed into a nature change, and cannot be used to assist ninjutsu."

Vanilla Whirlpool played with the banana leaf fan for a moment but then lost interest. This thing could convert the five nature transformations of chakra, and its power was not bad, but that was all. It could not significantly improve her current strength.

She wasn't particularly interested in the other three Six Paths Tools, since her Adamantine Sealing Technique was already very powerful. Even if the Nine-Tails were right in front of her, she was confident she could suppress it for a while. Combined with the Whirlpool Sealing Technique she had learned, its power was immense.

"Tsunade-sensei probably isn't interested in these items, so they'll stay in the clan. The Seven Star Sword and the Red Gourd are a set, Inoichi-nii, you can share them with Shikaku-nii and Choza-nii later."

From now on, this will be the new symbol of our bond among the three of us.

Tamura Hao took the banana leaf fan and pushed the red gourd and the golden rope towards Yamanaka Inoichi, asking him to give them to Akimichi Choza and Nara Shikaku.

Although the Six Paths Ninja Tools require a lot of chakra, with the Yin Seal as an aid, it shouldn't be a problem to withstand it.

As for the banana leaf fan, he wanted to see if he could swallow it with the Creation Lotus to enhance its five elements attributes.

"I had forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it."

As if remembering something, Yamanaka Inoichi took off his earring with a look of disgust.

This is a tradition established by the Sarutobi clan after the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were defeated and submitted to the Sarutobi clan during the Warring States period. They would present each generation of Ino-Shika-Cho with earrings as a testament.

It speaks of witnessing the bond between the three races, but it is actually a reminder of their identities, making them remember who their masters are.

Now that Sarutobi Shinnosuke is openly trying to kill them, there's no need to keep these things anymore; I'd forgotten about them before.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Wishing everyone a joyous reunion with their families!) (End of Chapter)