A massive amount of water formed a trumpet-shaped wave.
Water Release: Water Instantaneous Body Technique!
Yūhi Kurenai calmly formed hand seals.
As the wave was about to hit her, she turned into a puddle of water.
The Water Release: Water Instantaneous Body Technique originated from Hanzo of the Salamander.
After learning it, Hanekawa taught it to Yūhi Kurenai.
After all, this technique was indeed very useful, akin to a weaker version of the Water Transformation Technique.
The enormous wave crashed onto the ground, immediately spreading in all directions.
Hiruko lightly leaped onto the back of his summoned creature.
The summoned creature spread its wings and took flight.
Looking down, apart from Hanekawa and Nohara Rin, there was no sign of Yūhi Kurenai.
But he was certain that Yūhi Kurenai wasn't dead—she had simply hidden herself.
Unable to find her, Hiruko turned his attention to Hanekawa and Nohara Rin.
Seeing this, Nohara Rin instinctively raised her hands, preparing to use the Spirit Transformation Technique.
At that moment, the remaining water on the ground suddenly surged upward, transforming into a high-pressure water column.
Hiruko instinctively turned to look.
His eyes narrowed, and he extended his hands.
Dark Release: Absorption Hole!
A powerful suction force was generated, but to Hiruko's horror, the water column remained completely unaffected.
He quickly leaped backward, but the high-pressure water column sliced through his summoned creature like a blade.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The massive body of the summoned creature was cleanly cut in half, like a cake.
"How is this possible?!"
Hiruko was stunned.
His summoned creature was a fusion of three powerful creatures, boasting both incredible offensive and defensive capabilities.
Yet, it had been effortlessly cut down by this water column.
Adding to his shock, his Dark Release: Absorption Hole had failed for the first time, leaving him wondering—what kind of water release technique was this?
Hiruko wanted to ask, but Yūhi Kurenai gave him no opportunity.
Having lost his summoned creature, he began to fall.
Meanwhile, the water on the ground churned and formed a water dragon, rushing toward him.
Dark Release: Absorption Hole!
Seeing that it was the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, Hiruko breathed a sigh of relief.
His Dark Release could absorb this.
Hiruko absorbed the water dragon and landed safely.
But just then, the sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears.
He instinctively turned and saw Yūhi Kurenai.
Water Release: Water Blade Slash!
She was holding a kunai wrapped in a swirling stream of water, thrusting it toward him.
Hiruko, seeing this, dared not use his Dark Release again.
While the Dark Release could absorb ninjutsu, it couldn't absorb physical weapons.
He shifted his body and retreated at an astonishing speed.
This was the Swift Release.
Hiruko glared at Yūhi Kurenai, snorted coldly, and began forming hand seals.
But halfway through, he suddenly realized Yūhi Kurenai had vanished into thin air.
Hiruko was momentarily stunned, a look of confusion crossing his face.
He was certain she hadn't used any technique—she had simply disappeared.
Before he could react, he found himself backed against a large tree, bound by vines.
Was this… Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death?
Hiruko instinctively struggled.
But Yūhi Kurenai was faster.
Her body emerged from the tree trunk, and she drove her kunai down, striking Hiruko's head.
A scream erupted.
At this point, Hiruko hadn't yet acquired the Steel Release, making him a relatively fragile ninja.
Blood gushed out like a fountain.
Yūhi Kurenai showed no emotion, raising her hand again and slashing his throat with the kunai.
The scream stopped.
Hiruko's eyes bulged, his face filled with disbelief.
He never imagined he would die at the hands of a young girl.
In the end, it was because he had underestimated Yūhi Kurenai.
He had been deceived by her water release techniques and failed to guard against her genjutsu.
"How was that?"
Yūhi Kurenai appeared in front of Hanekawa, her expression seeking praise.
"Very impressive."
Hanekawa smiled and patted her head. "I was just about to step in and help you deal with his summoned creature."
"That summoned creature was nothing!"
Yūhi Kurenai said proudly.
"Someone's coming."
Hanekawa withdrew his hand and turned to look into the distance.
Whoosh!
Four figures suddenly appeared.
They wore masks and identical uniforms, exuding an aura that kept others at a distance.
Along with the forehead protectors they wore, it was clear they were Anbu ninja from Kirigakure, tasked with hunting Hiruko.
"Hiruko killed one of our Kirigakure ninja. Please hand over his body—"
The Anbu captain in the middle suddenly froze, his pupils contracting. Behind his mask, his face showed fear as he recognized who stood before him.
It was Hanekawa, known as the Dragon of Konoha and the current Hokage's advisor.
"Captain?"
The young ninja to his left asked in confusion.
"Shut up!"
The captain instinctively snapped.
"...?"
The young ninja looked at him, baffled.
"Lord Hanekawa!"
The captain quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply. "I didn't expect to meet you here. It's an honor!"
The three Anbu ninja behind him trembled, their expressions showing relief.
They were lucky they hadn't acted rashly—otherwise, they would already be dead.
"You want Hiruko's body?"
Hanekawa asked calmly.
"No!"
The captain shook his head vigorously.
"If you don't want it, then leave."
Hanekawa said indifferently.
"Yes!"
The captain bowed again before turning and running.
The other three Anbu ninja followed suit, moving at their fastest speed.
"You're so much more impressive!"
Yūhi Kurenai walked over and hugged Hanekawa's arm, smiling brightly.
Seeing this, Nohara Rin felt a pang of envy.
She also wanted to step forward and hug his arm.
Hanekawa, feeling the softness against his arm, looked up at Hiruko's body.
He waited for a moment, but nothing happened.
As expected, not even a single keyword could be triggered.
At this point, Hiruko had only absorbed the Dark Release and Swift Release, making his strength merely passable.
Moreover, these two kekkei genkai were relatively ordinary.
While the Dark Release could absorb and release ninjutsu, it had its limits.
As for the Swift Release, its only function was to increase speed.
Hanekawa casually waved his hand, and under his control, chakra enveloped Hiruko's body.
Soon, a scroll was pulled toward him.
Hanekawa opened the scroll and glanced at it. It contained the Forbidden Jutsu: Chimera Technique.
After reading it, he used a fire release technique to burn Hiruko's body.
For Hanekawa, the only thing of value from Hiruko was the Chimera Technique.
Now that he had it, there was no need to take the body back.
"The mission is complete. Let's head back."
Hanekawa put away the scroll and said.
"Let's walk back, like before!"
Yūhi Kurenai quickly suggested.
They had only been out for two days, and she hadn't had enough fun yet.
"Alright."
Hanekawa agreed with a smile.
He suddenly thought of Mei Terumī.
Should he go see her?
But after some consideration, he decided against it. After all, he was with Yūhi Kurenai and Nohara Rin.
If he went to see Mei Terumī, the two of them would surely ask questions.
In that case, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Besides, he didn't have anything specific to discuss with Mei Terumī.
...
In the Mizukage's office at Kirigakure.
Mei Terumī rubbed her temples, feeling both physically and mentally exhausted.
After becoming the Mizukage, she realized just how much work there was to do. Day and night, she was constantly busy.
But the root cause of this was Kirigakure's dire situation.
The Third Mizukage's Bloody Mist policy had led to the deaths and defections of many kekkei genkai users.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had managed to end the Bloody Mist era, but he had been controlled by the legendary Uchiha Madara.
The Three-Tails' rampage had caused heavy casualties in Kirigakure.
In such circumstances, Mei Terumī had become the acting Mizukage, and naturally, she was overwhelmed.
Fortunately, she had the support of the Elder Genji and Yagura, so her work wasn't met with much resistance.
The only trouble came from the Hozuki clan.
The Hozuki clan was notoriously arrogant and combative, and they didn't respect her as the acting Mizukage.
But Mei Terumī wasn't afraid.
She was confident she could suppress the Hoshigaki clan.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Mei Terumī looked up toward the door.
The door opened, and four Anbu ninja entered.
"Did you capture Hiruko?"
Mei Terumī recognized them immediately and asked directly.
"Apologies, Lady Mizukage. We didn't capture him. He was killed by three Konoha ninja, led by Hanekawa."
The Anbu captain bowed slightly as he spoke.
"He came to the Land of Water? Are you sure?"
Mei Terumī stood up instinctively.
"During the previous battle with Konoha, I saw him once. There's no mistake."
The Anbu captain paused before adding, "And his two teammates were Yūhi Kurenai and Nohara Rin."
Hearing this, Mei Terumī bit her lip.
Why had that pervert come to the Land of Water without visiting her?
"Has he left?"
After a few seconds of silence, Mei Terumī asked.
"We didn't dare follow him, so we don't know if he's still in the Land of Water."
The Anbu captain replied honestly.
"It's not your fault. Since Hiruko is dead, this matter is settled."
Mei Terumī waved her hand. "You may leave."
"Yes."
The four Anbu ninja bowed and left.
"Damn it!"
As soon as they were gone, Mei Terumī slammed her hand on the desk, her face filled with anger.
She wasn't angry that Hanekawa had killed Hiruko before she could. She was angry that he had left without seeing her.
Mei Terumī gritted her teeth.
She wished Hanekawa were here right now so she could bite him to death.
How dare he not come to see her! Absolutely unforgivable!
After a moment, Mei Terumī sat back down.
She crossed her arms and rested her chin on them, staring blankly at the desk, her mind filled with thoughts of Hanekawa.
...
Hanekawa was unaware of Mei Terumī's reaction.
He spent a week traveling with Yūhi Kurenai and Nohara Rin before returning to Konoha.
"You two go back first."
Hanekawa explained, "I'll report the mission at the Hokage's office."
With that, he vanished on the spot.
But instead of going directly to the Hokage's office, he went to the Uchiha clan's compound.
He had decided to give the Chimera Technique to Orochimaru for modification.
Although Orochimaru had agreed to cooperate with him, he wouldn't necessarily work wholeheartedly for Konoha.
His ultimate goal was still the Immortality.
Hanekawa was worried that Orochimaru might slack off or defect after obtaining the Chimera Technique.
After some thought, he decided to add an extra layer of security.
He would use Kotoamatsukami to control Orochimaru.
Although Kotoamatsukami had a long cooldown, given the current situation, Shisui Uchiha had no use for it.
The only challenge was how to explain this to Shisui Uchiha.
After all, unlike in the original story, Shisui hadn't revealed the details of his Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities.
Hanekawa thought for a moment and came up with a rough plan.
"Senior Hanekawa, when did you get back?"
Shisui Uchiha was surprised to see him.
As the Hokage's advisor, Hanekawa's movements were of great interest to many.
This time, he had been away for two weeks, and Shisui had heard about it.
"Just got back."
Hanekawa smiled. "I need your help with something."
"What is it?"
Shisui asked curiously.
"Orochimaru was stripped of all his authority for participating in the Wood Release experiments."
Hanekawa explained slowly, "But he's truly talented, and many of his research projects are very useful to Konoha."
Shisui had helped Hanekawa control Danzō before, so he knew the details of the Wood Release experiments.
As he listened to Hanekawa, he began to understand what was being asked of him.
"I want you to help me control Orochimaru—or rather, modify his thoughts so that he becomes loyal to Konoha."
Hanekawa stated his goal.
He pretended not to know about Kotoamatsukami.
In theory, the Mangekyō Sharingan could control and manipulate minds, but not permanently.
Moreover, someone of Orochimaru's level would notice.
Only Kotoamatsukami could permanently alter someone's thoughts without them realizing it.
"Does… the Hokage know about this?"
Shisui hesitated for a few seconds before asking.
"She doesn't."
Hanekawa answered truthfully. "Orochimaru is her teammate. She wouldn't do this. This is my personal request."
Shisui was momentarily stunned, then fell into deep thought.
"Orochimaru, as a high-ranking member of Konoha, should be loyal to the village. This is just a correction."
Hanekawa coughed lightly. "What you're doing is for the sake of Konoha."
"I'll do it."
Shisui was eventually convinced.
Hanekawa's reasoning was sound.
Moreover, as the Hokage's advisor, Hanekawa represented Konoha.
There was also another reason.
During the previous battle in the Land of Frost, the Uchiha clan had been betrayed by Orochimaru and Danzō.
Shisui, along with Hatake Sakumo, Sarutobi Asuma, and Shizune, had nearly died in a trap set by Kumogakure ninja.
If Shisui hadn't awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, they would have perished.
"Let's go."
Hanekawa took Shisui to Orochimaru's home.
"Senior Hanekawa!"
Anko Mitarashi greeted him with a bright smile.
"Senior Hanekawa."
Yakushi Kabuto stepped forward and greeted him politely.
He had met Hanekawa at the Konoha Orphanage, so he wasn't a stranger.
"Big Brother Hanekawa."
Lastly, there was Itachi Uchiha.
Hanekawa had once made a deal with Orochimaru.
He had sent Kabuto and Itachi to be Orochimaru's students.
At first, Orochimaru had been somewhat displeased.
But after spending time with them, he realized he had gotten the better end of the deal.
Both Kabuto and Itachi were exceptionally talented.
"I'm here to see your teacher."
After greeting them, Hanekawa met with Orochimaru.
Orochimaru looked at them, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Why had Shisui Uchiha come as well?
Just then, a flash of crimson light passed, and Orochimaru's expression momentarily blanked.
But he quickly returned to normal.
"What brings you here?"
Orochimaru asked in his usual calm tone.
But Hanekawa knew he was no longer the same.
After awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Hanekawa had become highly sensitive to chakra.
Shisui had definitely used Kotoamatsukami.
"Senior Orochimaru."
Hanekawa handed him a scroll. "I'd like you to modify this technique for me."
"Of course."
Orochimaru took the scroll and agreed.
Hanekawa gave a few more instructions before leaving with Shisui.
"The suggestion I implanted will last a long time."
Shisui said proactively. "If there are any issues, you can come to me again."
"Thank you."
Hanekawa smiled. "Next time, I'll treat you to a meal."
"It's my duty."
Shisui nodded slightly.
Like Itachi, Shisui was a practitioner and protector of the Will of Fire.
As long as it benefited Konoha, he wouldn't refuse.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Hanekawa appeared in the Hokage's office.
He steadied himself and looked at Tsunade, smiling slightly.
She was asleep on the desk again.
Hanekawa thought for a moment and walked over.
As he got closer, he could see her delicate profile and the faint glimpse of her fair skin.
"When did you get back?"
Tsunade sensed his presence and looked up, meeting his eyes.
"Just now."
Hanekawa reached out, running his fingers gently through her silky golden hair.
"Did you capture Hiruko?"
Tsunade didn't seem to mind his audacious gesture of touching her head and asked casually.
"He didn't surrender easily. In the end, we had to kill him when he resisted."
Hanekawa's gaze shifted downward, landing on Tsunade's soft, glossy lips.
"How did a single Hiruko delay you for so long?"
Tsunade suddenly changed her tone, catching him off guard.
"W-Well… that's because we hadn't left the village in a long time, so we didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Hanekawa was momentarily stunned and quickly explained.
Tsunade pursed her lips and stared at him in silence.
A cold sweat broke out on Hanekawa's back.
What's going on?
Is she… jealous?
The thought made him feel even guiltier.
After all, over the past two weeks, he had been having quite a bit of fun with two charming young ladies.
Just then, Tsunade's gaze softened.
She slowly said, "I missed you. Can you kiss me?"
Hanekawa's heart trembled. Without hesitation, he leaned in and captured her soft lips.
As she responded to his kiss, Tsunade reached out and wrapped her arms around his head.
One was sitting, the other standing, but that didn't stop them from exchanging their feelings.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Hanekawa exhaled, secretly savoring the soft and smooth sensation—truly delicious.
Tsunade licked her lips, still glistening with moisture, a hint of daze flashing in her eyes.
She really enjoyed this heart-racing experience.
It was something she had never felt before.
"Sensei, leaving work early?"
Hanekawa glanced at the clock and asked.
"Then… let's go to the casino."
Tsunade's eyes flickered as she spoke.
Hanekawa sighed helplessly at her words.
"Can we?"
Tsunade stood up, hugged him directly, and whispered in his ear.
Damn it!
A honey trap!
Hanekawa instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender waist, feeling the indecent softness in his embrace, and couldn't help but nod.
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