Adopted by Tsunade [263-264] (Patreon)

Chapter 263: The True Body Is Hair

Fire Temple.

Sasuke successfully met Chiriku.

He wore a white monk's robe. His expression was calm, carrying the air of an enlightened high monk.

"I am Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke took out the authorization token Natsume had given him and said, "I've been ordered to protect Fire Temple."

Chiriku silently accepted it and glanced over it. There didn't seem to be any problem.

He was familiar with Sarutobi Asuma, and he had seen Konoha's Hokage-issued orders many times.

And since this was within the Land of Fire, the chance of forgery was extremely low.

But Sasuke's youthful appearance made Chiriku question Natsume's sincerity.

Can this kid really do it?

Natsume's strength and reputation had already been acknowledged throughout the ninja world.

But his three students had not.

Although they had completed several S-rank missions, Natsume's presence had instead taken the spotlight away from them.

So Sasuke being underestimated was normal.

Besides, he really was too young.

"Please come in."

Chiriku put away the token and showed a calm smile.

Fire Temple was one of the ninja forces of the Land of Fire.

But it was far inferior to Konoha.

And Sasuke was the Hokage's disciple.

Naturally, Chiriku had to treat him with proper courtesy.

Sasuke followed him into Fire Temple.

There was a rather magnificent Buddha statue, and dozens of monks meditating.

He swept his gaze around and sensed quite a few chakra fluctuations.

But they were also somewhat special—and familiar.

Sasuke frowned slightly.

Soon he remembered why they felt familiar.

Sage chakra.

A doubt rose in his heart. What was going on with these monks?

Why did their chakra resemble sage chakra so much?

"Lord Hokage sent word to me earlier, saying someone might mean me harm," Chiriku said evenly. "But at present, I haven't sensed anything unusual. Please stay here a few days for now."

"Mm."

Sasuke came back to himself and answered.

Chiriku led him out of the main hall and to a guest room in the rear.

On the way, Sasuke couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "Is the chakra Fire Temple trained different from a ninja's?"

Don't blame him for being so blunt.

It was because he'd just suffered a setback at Ryūchi Cave.

He'd faced a powerful Sage Mode—and been unable to train it.

Now that he'd run into something that looked similar but wasn't quite the same, he naturally couldn't resist asking.

Hearing this, Chiriku smiled.

He didn't feel offended.

After all, it wasn't really a secret.

He explained, "It is a special power that only those with the talent of the Gift of the Hermit Group, and who hold awe and sincere devotion toward the Buddha, can obtain."

Sasuke fell into thought.

Since it was called an "Gift of the Hermit Group," it undoubtedly had something to do with natural energy.

As for awe and devotion, it might lean more toward the use of spiritual power.

Sasuke hesitated.

He wanted to borrow a look, but how could such a secret technique possibly be lent to him?

In the end, he could only sigh.

He planned to wait until the mission ended, then go back and ask Natsume—maybe there would be a way.

…

Night fell.

Sasuke, who was sleeping, suddenly jolted awake.

"This chakra… is it Naruto?"

He froze, feeling it was hard to believe.

Why would Naruto appear here?

Thinking that, Sasuke got out of bed.

He opened the door and followed the chakra fluctuations to a certain room.

Through the window, he saw a small boy.

At that moment, his whole body was emanating a blood-red glow.

Nine-Tails chakra.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

It wasn't Naruto, yet he possessed Nine-Tails chakra?

What was going on?

Excitement surged in his heart.

If he could figure this out and report it to Natsume, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement.

After all, the Nine-Tails was a tailed beast unique to Konoha.

If Fire Temple had it too, something was obviously wrong.

Natsume had treated him very well, and Sasuke had always wanted a chance to repay him—but hadn't had one.

Now he finally did.

Sasuke activated the Mangekyō Sharingan.

His vision became much clearer.

Though it didn't have Byakugan-style X-ray vision, he still obtained quite a bit of useful information.

For example, the boy's chakra was far inferior to Naruto's.

It was like a cheap copy.

Even so, the chakra was still astonishing.

It surpassed the vast majority of jōnin.

Sasuke thought for a moment.

He planned to take advantage of the boy's inattentiveness and control him.

But at that moment, three figures suddenly arrived.

Sasuke immediately stopped.

One man and two women.

The man was rather burly, with a square face, wearing a plain coat.

The older woman was dressed flamboyantly.

She had black eyeliner, pink eyeshadow, and purple lipstick.

She also wore deep pink earrings and a pure black choker—clearly crafty and experienced.

The other woman wore light makeup, her face full of youthful collagen, making her look young.

What stood out most was her exquisite face and her blood-red hair.

Sasuke subconsciously looked at her.

Not because she was pretty, but because of her gloomy chakra.

On her body—especially around her hair—there was a dense Yin Release aura.

It struck Sasuke as very strange.

It didn't feel human—more like a Yin Release monster.

Of course, he could only sense that because he had the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Sora is acting up again," Fuen snorted. "Fire Temple's sealing techniques really aren't as good as Konoha's."

"Fūka," the man called Fudō said expressionlessly.

Fūka—meaning the red-haired woman—walked forward. Without asking anything, she started forming hand seals.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time.

The boy, Sora, was immediately immobilized, and his chakra gradually retracted back into his body.

"Relying on genjutsu every time isn't a solution," Fūka said, twirling her red hair with her finger. "Maybe we should go to Konoha and bring back a ninja who knows sealing techniques."

"What? You're getting a bargain again?" Fuen said with some dissatisfaction.

"Only my Execution by Kiss and Colour Course Change can use other people's bodies," Fūka smiled lightly.

"Enough. Stop arguing," Fudō frowned. "Konoha is too dangerous right now. If we barge in recklessly, we might lose our lives."

"Then what do we do?" Fūka sighed. "Back then, before Boss Kazuma died, he entrusted his son Sora to us, so we could turn him into a Nine-Tails jinchūriki and take revenge on Konoha someday. But it's getting harder and harder."

"Why not just leave the Land of Fire?" Fuen crossed her arms. "We have Sora, this little Nine-Tails. Wherever we go, we'll be treated as honored guests. Why keep butting heads with Konoha?"

"…"

Fudō fell silent.

"Boss Kazuma's been gone ten years already," Fuen continued. "We raised his son this big—we've already done right by him."

"Who's there?!" Fūka suddenly turned around.

A sound receded into the distance.

The three hurried after it, but there was no one to be seen.

"Was it one of the Fire Temple monks?" Fuen asked nervously.

"If it was them, it wouldn't matter," Fudō said, scanning the surroundings, still finding nothing.

"Maybe not," Fūka frowned. "Just now, I sensed a Yin Release aura."

"Tomorrow we'll ask Chiriku," Fudō said in a low voice.

…

Sasuke returned to his room.

He took out paper and pen and hurriedly wrote down what he'd just heard.

Though he'd been discovered, he'd already heard the key points.

Kazuma.

A Nine-Tails.

Hostile toward Konoha.

Put together, it was major intelligence.

After finishing, Sasuke summoned his personal summon.

A snake from Ryūchi Cave.

"Deliver this message back to Konoha—give it to ANBU or the Hokage, either is fine," Sasuke said after thinking.

Puff.

In the smoke, the snake vanished.

…

A new day.

Sasuke had just woken up when he heard knocking.

He dressed and opened the door.

"The abbot asks you to come over," a monk said.

Sasuke nodded, already on guard.

Sora was being raised at Fire Temple—no matter how you looked at it, it had something to do with Chiriku.

And now, especially, it felt like "silence the witness after being discovered."

But Sasuke wasn't afraid.

With the Mangekyō Sharingan, aside from a handful of people, no one could be his match.

Sasuke followed the monk to the main hall.

"Sasuke," Chiriku asked after a brief pause, "did you go out last night?"

"I did," Sasuke admitted directly.

"…"

Chiriku was instantly speechless.

Three figures leapt out and surrounded Sasuke.

"You promised me you wouldn't kill him," Chiriku said quickly. "Take Sora and leave this place."

"That won't do," Fūka licked the corner of her mouth, a greedy look appearing on her pretty face. "He's an Uchiha."

"That's right," Fuen sneered. "Catch him and trade for a few sealing techniques—no big deal."

"What a waste," Fūka stared at Sasuke. "His body must be great. If I take it, maybe I can use the Sharingan too."

"Are you crazy?!" Chiriku could no longer keep his calm expression. "In your current situation, provoking Konoha is courting death!"

"Not necessarily," Fuen waved her hand. "For the sake of you providing sealing techniques, this has nothing to do with you."

Mainly because Chiriku wasn't weak.

If they fought, the three of them would suffer—unless they used Sora, the little Nine-Tails jinchūriki.

Chiriku hesitated, then said, "Go fight outside."

He planned to watch from the sidelines.

As for Konoha's blame, it didn't matter.

He could report to the Land of Fire's daimyo to smooth things over.

Besides, he hadn't acted against Konoha—everything was done by Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen.

Sasuke chuckled, turned, and walked toward the hall entrance.

"This guy's pretty calm," Fuen said, surprised. "Does he have some trump card?"

"At his age, at most he's a chūnin," Fūka said dismissively. "If you're scared, leave him to me."

"Scared of a brat?" Fuen stepped outside and began forming hand seals.

Earth Release: Flying Sand and Stones!

The ground around her crumbled, and countless chunks of stone flew upward.

"Little brother, don't blame your big sister."

"…"

Sasuke was speechless.

Just how much were they underestimating him?

His katana slid from its sheath.

Dazzling lightning erupted.

Lightning Cutter!

Sasuke's body vanished in an instant, leaving only the chirping scream of Chidori.

"What?!"

A sense of extreme danger surged.

Fuen's face changed drastically.

She retreated at once.

At the same time, a giant stone pillar rose to block in front of her.

Bang!

The pillar shattered instantly.

A lightning-wreathed blade shot out of the dust and pierced into Fuen's body.

Crackling sounds erupted.

In an instant, she was charred black.

"Fuen!"

Fudō went blank.

Sasuke's speed was too fast—so fast he couldn't rescue her.

"Three-tomoe Sharingan?!" Fūka cried out despite herself. "How old is he? How does he already have three tomoe?"

Sasuke, meanwhile, was a bit dazed too.

How could she be this weak?

He'd thought someone as arrogant as Fuen had to have real skill.

Because he feared running into another monster like the Third Raikage, Sasuke had opened with Raikiri.

He hadn't expected it to be so easy.

In truth, this was Natsume's fault.

The missions he led had involved opponents like Momochi Zabuza, Mōryō, and the Third Raikage—true powerhouses in the ninja world.

Now Sasuke had finally met a normal ninja.

He wasn't used to it.

"Damn brat!"

Fudō roared, chakra surging and whipping up a fierce wind.

Several stone pillars rose around Sasuke, linking together into a stone prison that trapped him inside.

Seeing this, Fūka formed hand seals.

Even if she didn't particularly like Fuen, they were still partners of ten years.

Naturally, she wanted revenge.

Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!

Her red hair fluttered as chakra sank into the ground.

A stone pillar turned into a spear and shot out.

Sasuke slowly drew his katana.

He looked at Fūka and Fudō standing together and sneered.

The three tomoe transformed into a six-pointed pinwheel.

Mangekyō Sharingan activated.

"Not even a threat," Sasuke said expressionlessly.

He stepped forward, dodged the stone spear, smashed apart the prison with his katana—

and became a ghostly afterimage.

Fudō's vision blurred, and he met those scarlet eyes.

Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!

Illusory stakes pierced through his limbs, and he immediately stood dazed in place.

Sasuke turned to look at Fūka.

"Little brother," Fūka took a frightened step back, but quickly forced a seductive smile. "Come to big sister—I'll make you feel good."

Sasuke didn't react.

Earth Release: Mud Encasement!

The jutsu activated instantly.

The ground turned to mud and trapped Sasuke.

Fūka used Body Flicker to appear before him, her crimson lips pressing in—

"…?"

Sasuke's eyes sharpened. He kicked off hard and leapt backward.

He threw his katana straight out.

Empowered by lightning, it pierced through Fūka's body.

But there was no blood.

Fūka pulled the katana out. Her hair swirled, her body twisting—and the wound vanished.

Sasuke tilted his head.

That wasn't healing.

It was changing bodies.

What kind of jutsu was this?

Thinking that, Sasuke rapidly formed hand seals.

Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

A massive fire dragon roared outward.

Fūka's gaze trembled.

Water Release: Evil Mouth!

She opened her mouth and spewed a stream that circled around her.

But when it met the fire dragon, it evaporated instantly.

In panic, Fūka turned and ran.

She'd lost confidence in fighting.

Just then, a figure appeared and grabbed her by the throat.

It was Natsume, wearing a mask.

He'd actually arrived a while ago.

He and Kakuzu had been watching Sasuke's battle.

Natsume was interested in Fūka.

In the original story, she was one of Kazuma's subordinates among the Guardian Ninja Twelve.

She was a hair spirit.

That's right—her true body was hair.

All her bodies belonged to other people.

It was quite interesting.

As for Kakuzu, he had his eye on Sasuke's heart.

…

Chapter 264: A Serious Punch

Sasuke stopped pursuing.

He quickly picked up his katana and stared warily at Natsume and Kakuzu.

Both were unfamiliar.

Natsume wore a mask and looked unremarkable.

But Kakuzu stared at him with an indifferent gaze that made him extremely uncomfortable.

As if, in the next moment, he would dig out his heart.

Sasuke immediately remembered his mission.

The two in front of him were very likely the enemies Natsume had said would make a move against Chiriku.

During the standoff, Fūka—whose neck was being held—showed a ferocious expression.

Her hair suddenly lengthened, wrapping around Natsume's neck like a scarf.

"You… how are you fine?" Fūka asked, staring at Natsume's unchanged expression.

As she spoke, she tightened the hair even more, but it still had no effect.

His body was like the hardest stone pillar—no matter how she wrapped it, she couldn't crush it.

"Your true body is hair, isn't it?" Natsume asked, reaching out and grabbing her hair.

"What?!"

Fūka's pupils contracted, shock spreading across her face.

The secret that her true body was hair was known only to Fudō and Fuen.

How did he know?

Thinking that, Fūka formed hand seals.

Gold Binding Technique!

Her body was someone else's body.

So even with her throat held, she wouldn't die—or feel suffocated.

Fūka's eyes jolted.

An invisible ripple covered Natsume.

It was a high-level genjutsu that could immobilize a person's body.

It was what she used when Sora went berserk.

But it still had no effect.

"Who are you, exactly?!" Fūka trembled. She had never experienced such helplessness.

None of her attacks worked.

"Are you afraid of fire?" Natsume asked. Flames burst from his palm, and as it neared her hair, Fūka's face filled with panic.

"Don't!"

"Looks like you really are afraid," Natsume said with a playful smile. "But I'm interested in you. Be obedient, and I can spare your life."

"No problem!"

Fūka agreed without hesitation.

Natsume released her.

"My lord, what do you need me to do?" Fūka landed again. After exhaling, she gave a charming smile. "I can do anything."

She leaned in, trying to throw herself into Natsume's arms—

but immediately met eyes filled with killing intent.

Fūka recoiled in fright.

Dense and gloomy.

Not only killing intent, but also ocular power.

In that single second, Fūka felt like she'd fallen into hell.

Only now did she realize Natsume was far more terrifying than she'd imagined.

So she didn't dare act up anymore and obediently stayed behind him.

On the other side, the fight hadn't started yet.

Because Kakuzu was talking.

Normally, he wouldn't.

"You're Uchiha Sasuke?" Kakuzu narrowed his eyes and asked.

"You know me?" Sasuke gripped his katana, confused.

He was sure he'd never met Kakuzu.

With that distinctive look and outfit, there was no way he would've forgotten.

"Uchiha Itachi's little brother?" Kakuzu asked again.

"Uchiha Itachi?!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Where is he?!"

Without realizing it, his voice rose.

"Then you really are Itachi's brother," Kakuzu laughed. "That makes me quite interested. I wonder how strong you are?"

"You and Itachi are members of the same organization?" Sasuke recalled Natsume once telling him that Itachi had joined a mysterious organization.

And Kakuzu's tone clearly suggested he knew him.

"Your intel really is impressive," Kakuzu said casually. "Yes, we're in the same organization."

"So if I catch you, I can learn his whereabouts?" Sasuke's eyes shifted, killing intent surging.

"Catch me? That's funny."

Kakuzu paused, then laughed loudly. "Brat, I'm not like those three earlier."

"In my eyes, you're the same," Sasuke said, already calm again.

"Hmph. Brat, even if Uchiha Itachi were here today, he couldn't save you!" Kakuzu said coldly. "This will be your burial place!"

Sasuke didn't speak further. He raised his katana.

Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!

A dazzling glow burst from the blade and spread rapidly.

Sasuke vanished from where he stood.

Man and blade arrived before Kakuzu in an instant.

Fast.

Kakuzu had already seen this move before.

He had a basic grasp of Sasuke's strength—

especially those Mangekyō Sharingan eyes.

But Sasuke was still too young.

And besides Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu's greatest pride was nearly a century of combat experience.

He had even fought Senju Hashirama.

If it were Uchiha Itachi, Kakuzu would find it troublesome.

But Sasuke was still lacking.

That didn't mean Sasuke had no value.

An Uchiha survivor, the Hokage's disciple, plus Mangekyō Sharingan—

his black-market price far exceeded Chiriku's thirty million.

Kakuzu's heart burned with desire.

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

His arms instantly turned black and his skin hardened.

With extremely precise timing, he blocked the rushing katana.

Sasuke showed surprise.

Clearly he hadn't expected it to be stopped that way.

But he reacted quickly.

Lightning spread, traveling along Kakuzu's arms toward his body.

In the next moment—

a black shadow came down from above toward Sasuke's heart.

Its speed was even faster than the lightning.

Sasuke's expression tightened. He abandoned the sword and retreated without hesitation.

After dodging Kakuzu's flying kick, he opened his mouth and spewed a gigantic fire dragon.

Scorching heat rolled outward.

Kakuzu tossed the katana aside.

Without Sasuke's chakra reinforcing it, the lightning failed to break Kakuzu's defense.

Facing the fire dragon, Kakuzu flickered—and vanished.

A black fist slammed toward Sasuke's head.

As a monster who had lived nearly a hundred years, Kakuzu was practically without weaknesses.

His taijutsu and ninjutsu were both top-tier.

Sasuke didn't fear him.

His Mangekyō Sharingan gave him an enormous advantage.

And most importantly, Kakuzu wasn't as fast as the Third Raikage.

In other words, every movement was still within what those eyes could track.

The two tangled in a close-quarters melee.

Natsume nodded.

Sasuke's taijutsu really had improved.

Even if it relied on the Mangekyō Sharingan, it was clearly more mature than before.

Even so, against Kakuzu he was still at a disadvantage.

Meaning: without Mangekyō, he might get completely dominated.

But considering Sasuke's age—under twelve—that was understandable.

He was already far stronger than his original-story self.

For a short time, neither could determine victory.

Natsume looked toward Chiriku in the distance.

He remembered this man possessed the so-called talent of the Gift of the Hermit Group, something similar to senjutsu.

Besides that, the appearance of Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen suggested Kazuma's son Sora was probably here just like in canon.

Years ago, the Land of Fire's Guardian Ninja Twelve split into two factions over ideology.

Tsunade temporarily took the mission and, together with Sarutobi Asuma, dealt with Kazuma.

Natsume had assumed Kazuma's son would disappear—but he hadn't.

"Where is Sora?"

"In a room in the rear hall," Fūka answered quickly.

Her shock only deepened.

He even knew about Sora's existence.

Natsume walked toward Fire Temple.

"Benefactor, please stop," Chiriku immediately blocked his way. "May I ask what business you have?"

He'd received a message from Konoha, and like Sasuke, could guess their intent.

"Sora is Kazuma's son," Natsume said, looking at him. "Why did you save him?"

"Sora is only a child," Chiriku sighed.

To be honest, he regretted things now.

Saving Sora wasn't the issue.

But he hadn't expected the reckless behavior of Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen—

they actually tried to turn Sora into a Nine-Tails jinchūriki.

Chiriku had tried to stop it, but it was too late.

To protect Sora, he helped with the sealing.

But now that he thought about it, he had indirectly made an enemy of Konoha.

"Hand Sora over to me," Natsume said politely. "This is beyond what you can handle."

"No," Chiriku refused without hesitation.

"I didn't want to fight," Natsume said, shaking his head a little helplessly.

"You underestimate me!" Chiriku's expression sharpened at the dismissive attitude.

Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder!

Golden chakra surged forth.

Centered on Chiriku, it drifted skyward.

In the blink of an eye, a golden Thousand-Armed Kannon statue appeared.

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

Aside from color, it did resemble his Wood Release.

But it was far too small.

It looked only about ten meters tall.

Whereas the Thousand-Armed Kannon formed by True Several Thousand Hands rivaled the Ten-Tails.

The Ten-Tails exceeded a thousand meters.

The gap between them was terrifying.

Still, a Kannon of Chiriku's scale was already frightening to ordinary ninja.

Sasuke and Kakuzu, who were fighting, separated almost in unison.

Both looked at the Kannon statue with some surprise.

Sasuke confirmed that the so-called talent of the Gift of the Hermit Group really did relate to senjutsu.

It made him even more eager to learn.

Kakuzu, meanwhile, was surprised by Chiriku's strength.

He looked quite formidable.

No wonder he carried a thirty-million bounty.

Kakuzu couldn't help but rate him higher.

But the urgent matter was still dealing with Sasuke.

Compared to Chiriku, this brat under twelve shocked him even more.

It was hard to imagine how strong he would be in ten or twenty more years.

Whoosh.

Kakuzu attacked again.

Lightning flared around Sasuke. Every move made the air tremble.

But Kakuzu returned blows calmly, occasionally forcing Sasuke into frantic defense.

Overall, Kakuzu held the advantage.

"Leave now, and I can pretend nothing happened," Chiriku said with hands pressed together, backed by the Kannon—his tone full of confidence.

Fūka, who had been respectful, now had other thoughts.

She knew Chiriku's strength—it truly was good.

Maybe if the two of them worked together, they could take down Natsume.

Then she could escape alive.

Natsume chuckled.

He clapped his hands and entered Sage Mode.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto! [Can casts a massive domain that can accelerate the user or slow enemies]

His dōjutsu activated.

His speed increased.

Monstrous Strength!

Natsume suddenly appeared behind Chiriku and threw a punch.

With almost no pause, the golden Kannon shattered instantly.

The punch landed on Chiriku's back.

A tremendous force sent him flying.

Bang.

His body smashed a crater into the ground.

Pain spread through him.

Chiriku spat blood.

In a daze, he stared at Natsume.

Too fast!

He hadn't even reacted before he'd already lost.

How was this possible?!

Natsume's strength made him feel like he was dreaming.

Fūka's eyes went wide.

Just moments ago she'd been thinking of helping Chiriku and betraying Natsume—

but the fight ended in an instant.

She shuddered.

What kind of monster was this?

"Lead the way," Natsume said, glancing at Chiriku.

In the short term, Chiriku wouldn't be able to get up.

If Natsume hadn't held back, Chiriku would've been beaten to death on the spot.

"Y-yes," Fūka hurried forward.

She had completely submitted now.

Until she had certainty, she wouldn't dare resist.

He could tell her to do anything, and she would.

"Your Execution by Kiss is kissing the target and absorbing chakra, right?" Natsume asked, looking at her back.

"Y-yes," Fūka answered, startled that her secret technique had been named so directly.

But she was already used to Natsume's mystery and quickly responded.

Natsume fell into thought.

Besides Execution by Kiss, there was also Colour Course Change—

switching freely among multiple bodies.

In the original story, Fūka could freely use all five elemental releases, related to that reincarnation.

Thinking about it now, wasn't it like Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear?

Fūka: true body = hair + five corpses.

Kakuzu: five hearts.

Both seemed like long-lived beings.

Natsume wondered: if he found five powerful corpses for Fūka, would her strength rise another level?

Also, could her state be replicated?

If so, using her as a shadow guard would be excellent.

After all, no one would be wary of hair.

While thinking, Fūka stopped.

She opened a door and said, "This is Sora. He went berserk last night. I used genjutsu to control him, so he hasn't woken up."

Sora's Nine-Tails chakra came from Kazuma and the others collecting it.

It sounded absurd.

But theoretically, it was possible.

Collect scattered Nine-Tails chakra and seal it into a body, creating a "small jinchūriki."

How to put it?

Not very useful.

Because this mass of Nine-Tails chakra had no consciousness.

It could go berserk at any time.

Without powerful sealing, it was ultimately futile.

But for Natsume, it wasn't bad.

Ten years of chakra collection—now it would benefit him.

Natsume stepped forward and raised his hand, revealing a black wristband—

a Skynet login device.

Giving this chakra to Kaguya would be pretty good.

Under Fūka's pained gaze, all the chakra on Sora was absorbed.

And he became an ordinary little boy.

After it was done, Natsume returned outside the temple.

Chiriku was already unconscious.

And Sasuke and Kakuzu's battle had reached its fiercest stage.

Because Earth Grudge Fear was now in use.

Kakuzu had removed the Akatsuki cloak, revealing a body full of stitches.

Four mask-wearing hearts, linked by black threads, floated around him.

Sasuke clearly froze at the sight.