Chapter 235: Professional Beast Taming
For ordinary people inside the wall, the giants are powerful and difficult to fight against.
But in reality, giants are not indestructible. Their bodies are no different from humans. Cannons and sharp blades can easily injure them. Although they possess regeneration, once you understand their weak points, they become far less threatening.
Even in the world of Attack on Titan, nations outside the wall possess technology capable of killing not only Pure Titans but even the Nine Titans.
To ninjas in the shinobi world, Pure Titans are as fragile as hares in the jungle. Their massive, clumsy movements are useless against ninjas who live and die by split-second decisions.
Ryosuke had already made his assessment based on the giant he had slain. Even as a Genin, he could easily kill a titan—so long as he knew the weak point.
As for the Nine Titans… though he hadn't seen them yet, with sufficient intel on their abilities, defeating them wouldn't be difficult. Elite Chunin or Jonin would be more than enough to deal with them.
So…
Ryosuke didn't take Eren and the others very seriously. Probably no more than he did the Yorozuya trio living in the Land of Iron.
The blood and abilities of the titans held no value to him. The same went for most shinobi.
There was nothing noteworthy about these giants. Even if they truly gained the power of the Nine Titans, for a ninja, it might even count as a downgrade in some cases.
Maybe only Orochimaru, with his obsession for human experiments, would take interest in them.
But if it were a giant from a world ravaged by monsters—like the one Shanks once described—then Ryosuke might've paid closer attention. Maybe even issued a challenge.
Though they were all giants, the difference between a burly titan and a Giant of Light was like night and day.
"Speaking of Shanks… I wonder where that guy is now. He should've met with the Saki family already…"
After seeing Eren and the others off, Ryosuke stood silently under the light rain, gazing at the gray sky in a trance.
This rain had to stop soon.
---
The relocation plan for the Hyuga Clan had been in progress for several months.
And during those months, the shinobi world was far from peaceful.
First came the Five Kage Summit. Although the Mizukage of Kirigakure was absent, the meeting still proceeded as planned.
Led by Konoha, the four major villages temporarily set aside their differences due to the growing threat of Akatsuki. Under the neutral supervision of Mifune from the Land of Iron, they formed a provisional alliance—The Allied Shinobi Forces—vowing to hunt down and eliminate Akatsuki across the ninja world.
Each faction had made preparations in advance.
None of them believed Akatsuki would simply sit back and watch the major villages unite. Everyone expected sabotage. Some even anticipated an all-out assault.
But…
The entire summit passed without incident. No attacks. No interference. The treaty was signed successfully.
"Their target is the tailed beasts."
At the five-part round table, Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki scanned the faces around him, expression unreadable. "You brought so many forces to this meeting. Aren't you worried Akatsuki will attack your village while it's defenseless?"
As he spoke, his thick white eyebrows twitched slightly. Finally, his gaze landed on Jiraiya.
"Konoha's Tsunade, the Ino–Shika–Cho trio, Hatake Kakashi… so many capable shinobi have been brought here as guards. Who's defending your village?"
"Tsuchikage-sama, maybe stop pointing fingers."
Jiraiya's voice was calm as he turned slightly, gesturing to the two shinobi behind him.
"You brought Kitsuchichi and other here yourself. Plus, there are at least seven or eight more Jonin from Iwa stationed in the allied army outside. I'd wager your village is just as exposed."
"Heh. I didn't expect Konoha, even without those special eyes, to still enjoy spying on others."
Ōnoki snorted. "I don't know what kind of techniques you're using these days."
His tone was sharp—deliberately provoking.
Jiraiya, ever composed, took it in stride. As Hokage, he had long since mastered the art of diplomacy.
But Tsunade wasn't known for her patience.
A vein popped on her forehead. Her clenched fists creaked with tension. One glance at her expression, and anyone could tell: she was a second away from decking the old man across the table.
"That's enough, Ōnoki-senpai."
Before things exploded, the Fifth Raikage—Darui—spoke up. His voice was low, his tone firm.
"Back then, you all loved to quarrel. Fine. But now we've signed a temporary peace treaty. Are you seriously planning to waste time fighting each other here?"
He turned toward Ōnoki with narrowed eyes.
"I know you've got issues with Konoha. But this is bigger than your personal grudge."
It wasn't hard to guess why Ōnoki was so bitter. Years of defeats at Konoha's hands had left him resentful.
Recently, Hyuga's announcement of the Hyuga Clan's withdrawal from Konoha might've reignited old hopes—dreams of tipping the balance in Iwagakure's favor. That delusion probably fueled his current attitude.
Ōnoki glared at Darui coldly.
"You're just a cowardly commander. Don't lecture me about priorities."
He hadn't forgotten what happened in the Land of Waves. When the tide of battle turned and the Raikage fell, Darui abandoned the Iwa forces and led Kumogakure's troops in retreat.
"Age doesn't equal strength. Only a clear mind can judge the right moment."
Darui's reply was quiet, but firm.
"Tsuchikage-sama, you've lived long enough to understand that, haven't you?"
He didn't bother defending himself. He knew his retreat had been controversial.
But Mabui, the Fourth Raikage's former secretary—now Darui's—cut in coldly.
"If the battle is already lost, what's the point of dragging your comrades down with you?"
"Snort."
Ōnoki huffed again, falling silent.
Truth be told, he knew full well that if the Fourth Kazekage hadn't been so slow to act—if he'd simply stalled instead of engaging directly—then the Fourth Raikage wouldn't have been defeated so quickly.
And if he had been in the same position as Darui, maybe he would've made the same call.
The room quieted.
Inside the temporary summit chamber, each village sat apart. Tension thick in the air. No one willing to speak first.
Among the five represented powers, only the Land of Iron served as a neutral party.
The rest—Konoha, Suna, Iwa, and Kumo—had all clashed in past wars.
If there was any semblance of peace, it was between Konoha and Sunagakure. Their long-standing alliance had brought some stability.
But Iwagakure and Kumogakure still harbored deep resentment toward Konoha.
And the feeling was mutual.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, fell during a coup in the Hidden Cloud Village. Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, and the other disciples avenged their master, leading Konoha in a counterattack that pushed deep into the Land of Lightning.
The Third Raikage of the Hidden Cloud died of exhaustion, having been besieged by the Hidden Rock Village.
When the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was young, he was humiliated and gravely wounded by Uchiha Madara. Since then, he vowed to one day overthrow Konoha.
Even recently, the Fourth Raikage was sacrificed while trying to dismantle the business alliance Konoha had formed…
You strike me, I strike you. Hatred is the continuation of war—and in the shinobi world, war never truly ends.
"In fact, we brought Killer Bee... the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki with us, so we're not worried about Akatsuki targeting the Hidden Cloud Village," Darui finally spoke, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Among those present, only the Sand Village—having lost its One-Tail Jinchūriki—showed unease. The other Kages remained calm, as though they had anticipated this outcome.
Jiraiya chose this moment to speak up. "Naruto is also part of Konoha's team."
Ohnoki narrowed his cloudy, yellowed eyes. "Same goes for our village."
Knowing Akatsuki's target was the tailed beasts, no village was foolish enough to leave their Jinchūriki unprotected while deploying their main forces.
"It seems... everyone's prepared to wipe out the Akatsuki organization once and for all."
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, who had remained mostly silent due to the loss of his tailed beast, finally spoke in his hoarse voice. "Then let's begin by sharing information about Akatsuki's known members."
"First, we in the Sand Village have encountered Uchiha Itachi, a traitor from Konoha, and Hoshigaki Kisame, a defector from the Mist."
"Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan has reached the Mangekyō level, comparable to that of Madara Uchiha. He possesses ultimate genjutsu and the black flames of Amaterasu. As for Hoshigaki Kisame…"
From the Rinnegan-wielding Pain, to Uchiha Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara…
Each time Akatsuki acted, elite members were involved, targeting the tailed beasts. Battle after battle, losses piled up—yet through them, valuable intelligence was gathered and now exchanged among the villages.
There was no denying the fearsome power Akatsuki wielded.
Each member's strength rivaled, or even surpassed, a Kage.
Leaders like Pain and Uchiha Itachi had power that was beyond comprehension—possibly even stronger than the average Kage.
And then there was the masked man—shrouded in mystery, suspected by Konoha to be Uchiha Madara himself. His presence alone cast a heavy shadow over the gathering.
The only sliver of good news was Konoha's revelation regarding the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.
The Mangekyō Sharingan came with a severe toll on the user's body. Without evolving into the Eternal Mangekyō like Madara's, the eye techniques would eventually deteriorate with overuse.
Fortunately, Itachi hadn't achieved that level. That meant he couldn't rely too heavily on his ocular powers, which was a small blessing for the Shinobi Alliance—one less nightmare to face.
"But... I heard there's still a surviving Uchiha in your village," Ohnoki interjected with a sharp tone. "You didn't bring him here, did you?"
His voice dripped with suspicion. "The Uchiha are fickle. Even if he holds a grudge against Itachi, there's no guarantee he won't turn against us. I say, if we're serious about defeating Akatsuki, we can't afford any mistakes. You should eliminate him while you still can!"
"Don't concern yourself with that matter," Jiraiya said at last—but a flicker of unease crossed his face.
. . .
"Hey, hey, hey—don't get so worked up, alright?"
At Konoha's temporary base, not far from the meeting hall, Naruto looked helplessly at Uchiha Sasuke, who trembled in barely contained rage.
"I know you've got a grudge against your brother—"
"He's not my brother!"
Sasuke shot him a cold, piercing glare.
"Okay, okay, he's not your brother," Naruto relented, raising his hands in surrender. "I get it. You want revenge on Uchiha Itachi. But is this really how you should be training? What is this, sharpening your sword right before battle?"
He forced a smile, but his heart was heavy.
Sasuke wasn't just a comrade—he was Naruto's only real friend from his generation besides Ryosuke. And Naruto had been carrying a secret that tore at his conscience.
The truth about Itachi—the genocide, the spy mission, the twisted orders from Konoha's top brass—it was a burden Sasuke didn't know he was carrying.
And Naruto feared what would happen if he ever did.
Uchiha Itachi was the thorn lodged deep in Sasuke's soul. Hatred had taken root in his heart and grown into the very core of his being. His entire life, his goal, his purpose—it was all tied to vengeance.
But if he ever found out the truth… that Itachi had acted under secret orders from Konoha… that the elders had betrayed his clan…
Sasuke's world would collapse. His spirit might break. Or worse, he'd spiral into darkness and become something unrecognizable—an avenger fueled by hatred for the entire world.
That was why Naruto had never told him.
Just as Ryosuke had guided Naruto step by step to face his own past and accept it, Naruto had hoped Sasuke would one day be strong enough to handle the truth.
But reality had moved faster than plans.
The time for truth had not yet come—yet the inevitable battle between brothers was already approaching.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment…"
Unlike Naruto's forced calm, Sasuke's fury burned openly. His killing intent was so intense it had already drawn wary glances from nearby Konoha shinobi.
"Seven years! Do you know what it's like to carry this hate for seven years?!"
"Every time I close my eyes, I see that night. That bloody night! Whenever I feel tired—whenever I even think about slacking off—this hatred turns into a nightmare that wakes me up!"
"I've finally waited for this moment, Uchiha Itachi!"
His voice trembled with emotion, each word sharpened by pain. Unconsciously, his Sharingan activated, the three tomoe spinning violently.
Naruto hesitated, then spoke carefully, trying to anchor him.
"But… can you beat him?"
"Or do you plan to rely on someone else for your revenge?"
They'd been rivals for so long. Naruto knew just how to pierce through the storm raging in Sasuke's heart.
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