Konoha's lexicon of ninjas

Chapter 155 Extracting a Tail! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

The Sunagakure village's endurance was far more astonishing than Hoshinobu Shuichi and Orochimaru had anticipated.

May and June passed in the blink of an eye.

On the River Country side, Konoha and Sunagakure remained locked in a stalemate, with small-scale skirmishes taking place between the two sides.

Shukaku was just a bit too enthusiastic, and he would fight with Hoshino Shuichi every two days.

Although neither could do anything to the other, Hoshino Shuichi was happy to take the opportunity to observe Shukaku and occasionally extract some chakra to replenish the energy consumed in his research.

If he weren't still unsure about taking the Fire Nether Lock sealing technique to the next level, Hoshino Hideaki would definitely use "A Flash of Inspiration" to perfect the technique and then split off one of its tails.

……

The war between Konoha and Kirigakure is still raging, and the annihilation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist has once again brought great upheaval to Kirigakure.

Having lost this sharp weapon, Kirigakure inevitably retreated step by step in the Land of Fire, a battlefield where they had no geographical advantage.

However, it must be acknowledged that Kirigakure is also extremely tenacious, even mad.

For example, the Kaguya clan.

When Hoshino Shuichi was gathering information from various regions from Orochimaru, he heard Orochimaru comment that the Kaguya clan were war madmen and would be wiped out sooner or later.

Furthermore, in the past two months, the Sand Ninja have launched two more large-scale attacks against the Iwa Ninja.

Unfortunately, all of them ended in failure.

After that, Hoshinobi Shuichi discovered that the Sand Ninja and the Iwa Ninja had quickly entered a strange state of silence.

They seemed to be gathering strength for a final battle, but Hoshino Shuichi sensed that the Fourth Kazekage and the Third Tsuchikage were up to something underhanded.

December 18th, Konoha Year 45, Night.

Hoshino Hideaki, who was resting in the medical camp, opened his eyes and the next moment appeared directly in Orochimaru's tent.

"Looks like the Sand Village is making a move?"

Looking at Hoshino Shita Shuichi, who was soaking wet, Orochimaru asked with a serious expression.

Hoshino nods solemnly: "A force of elite Sand Ninja is rushing eastward from the north at high speed, numbering around 800."

"This commotion couldn't be hidden from the Iwa ninja; it was clearly intentional on their part."

Orochimaru nodded: "The Iwa ninja need the Sand ninja to further tie down our forces."

"It seems the Iwa ninja are about to make their move."

Hoshino Hideaki said, "If the Iwa ninjas make a move, the Kumo ninjas will follow suit."

Orochimaru laughed, "Shuichi-kun, there's no need to think that far ahead. We just need to defeat the Sand Village ninja first!"

Hoshino nodded, then released the Yin seal on his forehead, and a surge of powerful chakra flowed out.

Bang!

A shadow clone appears.

Orochimaru said, "I'll leave this place to you from now on."

"Lord Xiaochun should arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

Xingxia Xiu nodded.

It is indeed quite difficult for him to command an army of a thousand men.

This isn't something that can be accomplished by simply waving a hand and having everyone rush forward.

Watching the shadow clone leave with Orochimaru, Hoshino immediately created a clone to inform Koharu Utatane, and also had Shisui Uchiha convey the order to summon the Konoha Jonin.

Of course, this was done on Orochimaru's orders.

Half an hour later, six Jonin who had no important missions arrived.

Hoshino Shuichi then sat down in Orochimaru's seat, which surprised everyone.

Hoshita Shuichi didn't give them a chance to ask questions and said directly, "Some of the Sand Ninja who are fighting the Iwa Ninja in the north have headed straight for the border of the Land of Fire, so Lord Orochimaru rushed there overnight."

"I have already sent someone to invite Lord Xiaochun; he should arrive tomorrow."

"Tonight, and tomorrow, until Lord Koharu arrives, everyone should continue to follow Lord Orochimaru's arrangements, but be on high alert."

Everyone inside the tent was startled upon hearing this, and then Shinichi Sarutobi was the first to speak, saying, "Shuichi, don't worry, we absolutely guarantee that there won't be any mistakes."

Following closely behind, several Jonin who were on good terms with Hoshino Shuichi, such as the Nara clan and the Yamanaka clan, also expressed their opinions.

In the end, only Shimura Hien remained. Under these circumstances, although he was dissatisfied with Hoshino Shuichi taking power, he could only nod silently.

Hoshita Shuichi nodded in satisfaction: "Very well, in that case, everyone, please take your places!"

Shinichi Sarutobi and the others nodded and then took their leave.

After everyone left, Uchiha Shisui walked in and asked, "Shuichi, do you think the Sand Village will launch a large-scale attack tonight?"

Hoshino Hideichi shook his head and said, "If we don't move, the chances of the Sand Ninja making a move are very small."

"But there are always exceptions, so the necessary preparations are essential."

Uchiha Shisui nodded, then said, "Then I'll go to the front lines!"

Xingxia Xiu nodded: "Let's go together!"

"The Sand Ninja will probably test whether my true form is present!"

The two immediately went to the front line. When the Konoha ninjas stationed there saw Hoshinoichi arrive in his true form, their emotions changed.

As Uchiha Shisui reflected on this, he couldn't help but think to himself, "Shuichi has truly become the spirit of the Konoha ninja!"

As a friend and teammate, he felt honored.

Opposite, in the Land of Wind, behind the Stone Pillar, a Sand Ninja responsible for sensing opened his eyes: "Another chakra of Hoshinobi Shuichi has appeared. This is very likely the real body."

Another Sand Shinobi immediately replied, "I will go back and report to Lady Chiyo right away."

Shadow clones are quite difficult to identify, even with chakra perception.

It was even more difficult for Hoshino Shuichi and his group to distinguish them.

Chiyo quickly received the report and said, "Does the One-Tailed Beast need to be sent to test the main body?"

She looked at Fenfu and said, "I'll have to trouble you with the rest."

"Provoke him every now and then, have a fight, and make sure that Hoshino Shuichi's true body is here. We absolutely cannot let his true body appear on the border of the Land of Fire."

Chiyo knew very well that the actions of Sunagakure would be monitored by Konoha.

That flying ninja beast is too powerful.

Therefore, he must ensure that Hoshino Shuichi's original body remains here.

As for the clones, there's no way to stop them.

However, given the great distance, the clone's chakra was also a problem, and she felt that the impact could be minimized.

After hearing this, Fenfu nodded immediately, and Shouhe couldn't wait to go out and play in the sand.

He also held a grudge and wanted to teach Hoshino Shuichi a lesson.

……

An hour had passed since Orochimaru left.

While resting at the front lines, Hoshino Shuichi suddenly opened his eyes: "The One-Tailed Beast is here!"

The shadow clone returned the memories.

He immediately leaped up and his figure soared into the sky.

Uchiha Shisui, who was standing next to him, immediately stood up and whistled.

In an instant, Konoha ninjas, who had been hiding in the forest, appeared.

Shinichi Sarutobi approached Shisui Uchiha: "Shisui, are the Sand Village ninja going to attack?"

Uchiha Shisui shook his head: "No, it's the One-Tailed Beast."

"I'm afraid they're here to confirm whether Shuichi's original body still exists."

Shinichi Sarutobi frowned upon hearing this: "The forces on the border of the Land of Fire are insufficient. Given the speed of the Sand Ninja, they will arrive before the reinforcements."

Just then, Shukaku's distinctive long howl rang out from ahead: "Yo-ho, you brat, today I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

In the forest, one by one, the Konoha ninjas leaped up and reached the top of the trees to look across to the other side.

Shukaku's enormous body is striking even in the darkness.

Especially now, with the good moonlight, it's even clearer.

Meanwhile, Shinichi Sarutobi and the others saw Shuichi Hoshino standing in the air, now wearing his signature blue chakra cloak.

"The Blue Flash of Konoha, what a fitting title!"

Shinichi Sarutobi praised it.

This title wasn't given by Konoha ninjas, but rather by the enemy's recognition.

For Shinichi Sarutobi and his comrades, this was perhaps one of the greatest honors a ninja could receive!

……

In the air, Hoshino Shuichi looked at the clamoring Shukaku and said calmly, "Shukaku, you've been saying that for months."

"To be honest, if it weren't for Senior Fenfu, you would have been sealed away by me long ago."

He still respected the elderly.

Above Shukaku's head, Fenfu saw through the little fox's sinister intentions at a glance: "Shukaku, he's trying to provoke me."

"How could I not see it?"

Shukaku snorted coldly.

That wretched brat, I underestimated him!

Raising its paw and pointing it at Hoshino, Shukaku let out a long howl: "Bunpuku, let's take him down together!"

Before he could finish speaking, sand erupted, swirling like a dragon towards Hoshino Shuichi in the air.

"It seems you've made quite a bit of progress lately!"

As Hoshino Shuichi watched the approaching salon, blue lotus flowers bloomed behind him. He shot forward, drew his sword, and slashed, the blue blade cleaving the salon in two.

Boom boom boom!

Spurts of sand erupted from below, attempting to capture Hoshino Shizuka.

But Hoshino Shuichi was like a butterfly, fluttering and dancing in the air, so slippery that Shukaku couldn't catch him.

"hateful!"

Shukaku snorted coldly, then opened its mouth and spat out a series of wind balls.

Hoshinobi Shuichi easily dodged the attack, and then a spiraling shuriken with wind and fire light appeared on his left hand, which he threw out with a sharp scraping sound.

Shukaku, however, manipulated several streams of sand together, transforming them into a massive sand curtain, which actually blocked the Wind and Fire Light Wheel Spiral Hand Sword.

Intense light illuminated the night sky as a sandstorm swept across the land.

Hoshino Shuichi suddenly rose to a height, charging behind Shukaku, his shoulder radiating fiery dragon breaths that slashed at Shukaku like giant scissors.

Shukaku leaped into the air, turned around, and first spat out two wind balls. Then, with a swipe of its left claw, a large number of sand bullets condensed.

At the same time, the hands of the person above his head clasped together.

Sand bullets!

This time, it was a joint effort by the Jinchūriki and Shukaku.

Hoshino Hideichi landed after dodging the whirlwind, and in front of him, a thick wall rose up, covered with exquisite lotus reliefs.

Earth Release: Lotus Earth Flow Wall!

Kakashi sculpted a dog's head, while he sculpted a lotus flower.

At the same time as the sand bullets were blocked, the Yellow Springs Swamp erupted.

Shukaku was immediately enveloped by the swamp as soon as it landed.

"These tricks are no match for me!"

Shukaku scoffed, then grinned excitedly: "Got you, you brat!"

A glob of sand grabbed Hoshino Shuichi's ankle and surged upwards, wrapping around his body like a rope, one after another, until it enveloped his entire body in the blink of an eye.

"Yo-ho!"

Bury him!

Shukaku laughed loudly, and layer upon layer of sand waves descended, with runes appearing on top of them.

But Fenfu frowned slightly, then warned, "Be careful, that's not his true form, look behind him!"

Sensing the unity, Shukaku also realized what was happening, his laughter abruptly stopped, and he hurriedly tried to turn around, only to find that the Yellow Springs Swamp beneath him had not yet been completely filled with sand, and for a moment he was unable to pull himself out.

Behind him, Hoshino Shuichi, who used his hair as a clone, had already raised the Lava Release: Rasengan and then launched it.

in!

The attack hit precisely, and the swirling lava enveloped Shukaku's entire massive body.

"asshole!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

Shukaku let out a painful sound.

Meanwhile, Chiyo, who was watching from behind, narrowed her eyes: "As expected, he has mastered the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai, and... he doesn't have the Four-Tails' chakra."

"This guy..."

Chiyo couldn't immediately determine whether the Lava Release traces left at the scene of the Third Kazekage's disappearance and death were the work of Hoshinobu Shuichi, since it was the power of the Four-Tails.

Even if Hoshino Shuichi obtains the power of the Four-Tails, can he master Lava Release in such a short time?

……

The melted sand fell away, and a smaller version of Shukaku appeared.

Hoshino Shuichi had already approached, and the chains on his back whistled out, binding Shukaku tightly, with one of them even piercing into Shukaku's body.

"hateful……"

Just as Shukaku was about to turn around and Bunfuku was about to use a sealing technique to counter, their bodies froze, and their consciousness was pulled into a mental space, appearing in Konoha Village.

Magical Realm - Memory Palace!

"Is this Konoha Village?"

"It's an illusion, Shukaku! Break the illusion!"

Fenfu reminded him.

Shukaku looked around, his forehead full of doubt: "This is different from the genjutsu of that Uchiha brat before. How do I break it?"

Above Shukaku's head, Bunpuku looked at the seemingly real Konoha village and said, "Chakra!"

"Eliminate everyone who possesses chakra!"

Shukaku smiled immediately upon hearing this: "Very good!"

"I really like this method!"

"Then let's destroy this Hidden Leaf Village!"

Shukaku looked toward the Hokage Rock.

At that moment, figures leaped in from all sides; they were none other than Konoha ninjas.

……

Outside the illusion, the fiery netherworld locks that Hoshino Xiu had used to bind Shukaku also began to penetrate Shukaku's body.

This was the first time he had used the illusion of the Magic Palace on Shukaku and Bunfuku.

The reason why they didn't use Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport directly to Shukaku was because it would be more dangerous to appear directly on Shukaku.

The reason for using the Lava Release: Rasengan first was to weaken Shukaku's power, so even though he knew it was impossible to defeat him in one hit, Hoshino Shuichi still used it.

Compared to the past, he has indeed made progress.

One person is enough to completely suppress Shukaku and Bunfuku.

And the next step is... to pull Shukaku out of Bunpuku's body!

Hoshino Hideaki clasped his hands together and pulled with all his might, using the Fire Nether Lock to pull Shukaku into his body.

Meanwhile, seeing that Shukaku and Bunfuku were being controlled, Chiyo immediately led her men out to fight.

On the opposite side, Uchiha Shisui and others also charged out.

Within the illusion, both Shukaku and Fenfu sensed the unusual movement of their true forms.

"That brat... actually tried to take me out of your body."

"Old monk, quickly find that guy's true form... otherwise, you're doomed!"

Shukaku roared, easily crushing the weaker Konoha ninjas one by one.

At this moment, the entire Hidden Leaf Village was in ruins, and even the Hokage Rock had collapsed!

With hands clasped in prayer, Fenfu remained silent, conducting a thorough search to identify his target.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes: "Found it!"

(End of this chapter)