CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 206: THE FUTURE OF THE SHINOBI WORLD RESTS ON YOUR SHOULDERS!

Loud roars shook the mountain forest, startling flocks of birds.

Namikaze Minato was enveloped in red chakra, and a tail made of chakra gradually appeared behind him. First one. Then... another!

Namikaze Minato’s figure was covered by the Tailed Beast’s chakra, but he did not immediately go on a rampage. Instead, he looked at his own hands, seemingly in a state of calm restraint.

Orochimaru’s eyes held a trace of excitement.

"Two tails."

He had witnessed the Eight-Tails’ rampage before and had also seen the power of the Third Raikage in that battle. But the power of the Nine-Tails, he had yet to see until now.

Ryoho Kyohiko extended his hand.

"This should be the limit."

It wasn’t that Namikaze Minato had reached his limit, but that the Nine-Tails chakra within him had reached its limit. Any further would be at the level of three tails at most, but all the chakra in Minato’s body might dissipate into his physique. At that time, it would take more effort to retract it, which would not be worth the gain.

He formed hand seals with both hands. In an instant, resin flowed from his palms like a stream, surging around Namikaze Minato’s body, enveloping him. The amber then rapidly solidified, and vine-like trees grew, gradually growing into large trees that wrapped around it. Then, the chakra receded. Namikaze Minato’s eyes were closed as if he had fainted.

Orochimaru moved closer, a look of shock appearing on his face. Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands! Of course, he wasn’t too surprised by this ninjutsu alone. After all, Kyohiko had already mastered Wood Style, and this Wood Style sealing jutsu wasn’t extremely difficult—provided one was proficient in Wood Style ninjutsu.

What shocked Orochimaru was that Kyohiko had combined this jutsu with the Amber Jutsu. He could feel that the Amber Jutsu had changed; it now had a sealing effect of its own. A double combination... Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, then thought of the key. Ryoho Kyohiko hadn’t even used Sage Mode! If he used Sage Mode, combined with the Sage Art: Gate of the Great God, he might even be able to directly suppress and seal the real Nine-Tails.

Suppressing a Tailed Beast... this was something only Senju Hashirama could do back then! What a shocking junior. Truly remarkable! A look of amazement flashed in Orochimaru’s eyes.

However, compared to Orochimaru, the one who was even more shocked was definitely the Nine-Tails’ clone inside Namikaze Minato’s body. As a chakra creature, the separated chakra carried its consciousness. When the seal arrived, it was immediately suppressed, shrinking back into the Eight Trigrams Seal.

In the dark space, the Nine-Tails’ clone suddenly roared.

"Senju Hashirama!"

This power. The first thing it thought of was Senju Hashirama. The sealing jutsu, the level of sealing, was almost identical! Besides Senju Hashirama, who else had such an ability? In that instant, the small clone thought of the humiliating times in the past. It roared.

Namikaze Minato sighed.

"Stop struggling. It’s not Senju Hashirama at all. It’s Kyohiko. You’ve met him."

"Kyohiko?"

The Nine-Tails recalled. Then, this clone remembered the young man from before. So young. And that level... was already comparable to Senju Hashirama? Does the shinobi world develop so fast!

Namikaze Minato’s consciousness was torn for a moment, then it recovered again. Before his eyes was the outside world. Ryoho Kyohiko and Orochimaru’s shadow clone stood in front, pointing and discussing.

"No injuries."

Orochimaru replied.

"Mm, in the two-tailed state, the Tailed Beast’s chakra won’t harm the body yet. But if it’s enhanced further, it will definitely enter a state of damaging the flesh and cells. I witnessed it before in the Cloud Village."

When it came to Tailed Beasts, apart from Madara and a few others, he considered himself the foremost authority.

Ryoho Kyohiko nodded lightly. According to Uzumaki Naruto’s situation, one and two tails were relatively safe. Danger would only appear upon reaching three tails and above. Upon reaching four tails and beyond... the Naruto of that time could no longer use his own consciousness to resist the Tailed Beast’s power and directly entered a berserk state, injuring Jiraiya. And Orochimaru also had a very difficult and dangerous time facing the four-tailed Naruto.

The current Kushina and the Nine-Tails, Kyohiko didn’t think they could reach an agreement not to influence each other and thus enter a rampage. As for Namikaze Minato.

Ryoho Kyohiko looked at Minato.

"What did you feel just now?"

Namikaze Minato replied.

"I didn’t feel anything too strong. I was chatting with the Nine-Tails’ clone, so I don’t know what happened outside."

He pondered for a moment.

"The power of a Tailed Beast is indeed very strong. Even the separated chakra can form a clone."

A slight smile touched Orochimaru’s lips.

"That’s normal. According to what the Nine-Tails said before, they are creatures created by the Sage of Six Paths, and they can be resurrected after death. It’s very likely they are a combination of special chakra. This is a very interesting thing, Kyohiko, Minato, do you understand? It means that chakra is the main body of life!"

His face showed an uncontrollable fanaticism.

"If I cultivate and replicate my own cells through ninjutsu and medical technology, create new clones, and then transfer my own chakra over... this is equivalent to a kind of eternal life!"

Orochimaru smiled.

Namikaze Minato was silent. He had, of course, thought of this point as well. Eternal life! This was indeed very tempting, and... when Orochimaru mentioned this, he was actually trying to remind them of another matter. Uchiha Madara might really be alive in a special state similar to the Nine-Tails. The person who lured Obito away might not be a fake.

Ryoho Kyohiko replied.

"That was just something I said to calm people down."

"Madara, of course, might still be alive. But even if he is, he must exist in a state of barely surviving, unable to compete on the same stage as us. The future belongs to us, to our next generation."

Namikaze Minato nodded.

"That’s right. No matter how strong Madara is, he is in hiding after all. Now he can only control one Mist Village. As for that Uchiha Obito..."

He frowned. Uchiha Obito, Namikaze Minato had some impression of him, but it wasn’t very deep. It was mostly based on Kushina’s evaluation of him. Kind, motivated, hardworking. A very good child. Before the news of Obito’s defection had fully spread among the jounin, Kushina didn’t believe Minato’s words at all. It was only when she went to the academy the next day that she knew it was all true. That child... he sighed.

"This child, Obito, is it possible to save him?"

Orochimaru shook his head.

"Difficult."

"No matter if the other party is Uchiha Madara or not, since he has the ability to take him away, he has the ability to completely control that child. There’s basically no possibility of saving him."

Ryoho Kyohiko didn’t speak. The current Obito had most likely been implanted with a restriction curse seal. Even if he were rescued, he would be a time bomb for Konoha. He couldn’t possibly let a bomb remain in Konoha. What’s more, the other party was Uchiha Obito! This guy had inherited the Uchiha’s excellent tradition of extremism, skilled at quickly jumping from one extreme to another. He was exactly the dangerous existence Senju Tobirama spoke of.

***

In the dim space.

Uchiha Obito looked at himself in the mirror by the light of the fire, his face filled with shock and disbelief. Three tomoe! I’ve actually awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. These were the eyes he had dreamed of!

Obito chuckled.

"Three tomoe, I also have the three-tomoe Sharingan now. If I were in the clan, I’d already be stronger than many of my peers..."

Suddenly, a low laugh came from above.

"Is this enough to satisfy you?"

Obito scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.

"S-Sorry, senpai. I was just too happy. Because a long time ago, my goal was to obtain a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan, but I was very stupid and could never awaken it..."

Uchiha Madara looked at the young man below, silent for a few seconds.

"You are not without talent, nor are you very stupid. It’s just that you are too easily satisfied."

Obito was bewildered, not knowing why Madara would say that...

"Huh? No, I really wanted to awaken my eyes before..."

Easily satisfied? He had wanted to awaken his eyes so badly before!

Madara said faintly.

"What you had was just a longing, not a desire. You don’t understand these eyes. These eyes require strong emotions, and your emotions are not yet strong enough."

"Your personality is too kind, which is why it’s like this."

This was the first time he had seen a clansman like Obito. In the village, treating every villager equally, even showing respect to old ladies and old men that went beyond their status. In the past Uchiha, such a rarity had never appeared. But... correspondingly, the kinder one was, the more extreme one might become in the process of awakening their eyes. Of course, he certainly couldn’t tell the current Obito the truth.

Madara smiled.

"But this is also why I chose you. Your kindness and persistence are precious, especially within the Uchiha clan. I have almost never seen a child with your qualities."

"The path to peace needs you to realize it."

He stood up, the tubes behind him moving. Obito immediately went to support him.

An ugly smile squeezed onto Madara’s old face.

"Obito, I am just an old man barely surviving by relying on this. Sooner or later, I will return to the earth. The future of the shinobi world rests on your shoulders!"

Obito was a little dazed.

"Senpai, I, I can’t bear such a great responsibility. I still need your help..."

This tone, is it like entrusting a child? Is senpai going to die?

Madara sat down, shaking his head.

"Obito, you must bear it! Otherwise, why did you leave Konoha?"

Obito said.

"But I, but I don’t know what to do..."

Madara smiled.

"I will help you! Do you know about the Rinnegan?"

"I do. You mentioned it in the scroll."

"Yes."

Madara nodded lightly. Then, he began to talk about his past. This was the first time he had told Obito about the "past." Obito listened, enthralled, completely immersed in Madara’s experience. After listening, he couldn’t help but sigh—the ancestor was truly great, and his will was firm!

Uchiha Madara sat in his chair.

"Just like that, Senju Hashirama and I parted ways. We had a disagreement in ideals, which had nothing to do with family or Konoha. He... his vision was ultimately too narrow."

In his description, it wasn’t that he couldn’t accept not becoming Hokage, but that he couldn’t accept Senju Tobirama becoming Hokage.

Obito spoke, but then noticed Madara’s cold gaze and immediately shrank back, not daring to speak.

"Nidaime-sama, was he really that..."

Madara sighed.

"You don’t know about the past."

This past... has the clan completely forgotten it? Madara frowned. Then, he patiently recounted the history between the Uchiha and the Senju clans once more. After listening, Obito gradually closed his mouth. So the Senju and Uchiha clans had such a past, and his senior had such a relationship with Senju Hashirama. He listened silently.

After Madara finished speaking, he said earnestly.

"So, now do you understand?"

Obito said, puzzled.

"Yes, I understand your thoughts. Nidaime-sama’s vision... but, I heard from the elders in the clan that since Nidaime-sama took office, we took over the duties of the Police Force."

"If Senju Tobirama was that kind of person, why would he give power to our Uchiha clan?"

Madara sighed.

"Power? Fool, that was a trap!"

He looked over there, waved his hand, and motioned for Black Zetsu to come and teach. If he kept talking... he’d be angered to death by this fool! Obito wasn’t smart, but he knew he might have angered Madara, and immediately apologized repeatedly.

Madara wasn’t really angry. He just felt helpless. Teaching such a child was extremely difficult. He still had to give him a more severe shock to make him awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. The target... one was Uchiha Obito’s grandmother. The other was that little girl. For a child of this age, love was often more important than family, especially this child. Uchiha Madara looked at Obito, a plan forming in his heart.

***

"Was that you guys experimenting?"

Namikaze Minato smiled awkwardly and quickly raised his hand.

"Yes."

"Tsunade-sama, I was the one who actively asked Kyohiko for help. This matter has nothing to do with Kyohiko."

Kyohiko, on the side, had no intention of shirking responsibility, but instead pointed to the scroll. Tsunade glared at him fiercely. Although the Forest of Death was far away, the Nine-Tails’ chakra presence was special. Even from that distance, she still felt a strong impact through the barrier. At the time, she even thought something had happened to Kushina’s side. She hadn’t expected it to be these two brats secretly conducting Tailed Beast transformation experiments.

She snorted and picked up the scroll. Opening it to take a closer look, Tsunade couldn’t sit still. Amber Jutsu! A derivative ninjutsu of Wood Style.

"You’ve completely researched it?"

Ryoho Kyohiko said.

"Mm, Yamato should be able to grasp the basics of the Amber Jutsu based on this method, but the Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands and Sage Mode will require him to comprehend and research them himself."

Tsunade nodded repeatedly, unable to hide her joy.

"Good, good!"

Yamato certainly couldn’t compare to Kyohiko, let alone her grandfather. But as long as he could learn some of the basics, the Wood Style and Amber Jutsu could exert a terrifying effect on the battlefield. Especially—with the current existence of Kyohiko. Where did the Wood Prison Technique come from? It was because Senju Hashirama’s Wood Style was invincible back then, and the world feared it upon sight. Although the current Kyohiko was not as good as Senju Hashirama, most of the ninjas from other villages today were also not as good as those back then. Relatively speaking, the deterrent effect of Kyohiko’s Wood Style was no less than that of the past. Besides, mastering this method, who knows, he might even be able to suppress the Jinchuriki of other ninja villages... This was the key!