The ratio between exchanging Chakra for points and points for Chakra was never balanced—Naruto would never make a losing deal.
Points could be traded for Ninjutsu to enhance one's power, while Chakra granted vitality and energy. In doing so, the Umbrella Organization's overall strength rose by several levels.
Imagine the luxury of using Ninjutsu without end—an endless well of Chakra. For ordinary shinobi, this was nothing short of a blessing.
Those who specialized in Chakra cultivation were ecstatic, while the martial artists couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Still, they were soon compensated: the organization developed high-gravity training chambers that drastically accelerated their physical cultivation.
Before Naruto stood a glowing blue reactor, radiant and magnificent.
He had constructed three such Chakra Reactors within the Umbrella Organization. To prevent their existence from being exposed, he surrounded each with multiple layers of barriers, using every ounce of his mastery over Sealing Techniques and Barrier Ninjutsu.
His caution was well-founded. After all, Black Zetsu was still lurking somewhere in the shadows.
To counter that ancient schemer, Naruto even devised his own original Sealing Technique, one that integrated Natural Energy specifically to resist Yin–Yang Release techniques—Black Zetsu's greatest strength.
But the Chakra Reactor wasn't solely meant to empower shinobi.
It could also convert Chakra into electricity through Ninjutsu, adjust voltage levels, and even function as a transformer. The system could channel Chakra into power grids, turning it into usable energy.
The concept of Chakra absorption and conversion wasn't new. It had been shown throughout history: the Chakra-absorbing barrier user in the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru's mechanical clone of Naruto, and, most notably, the Rinnegan—the most refined form of Chakra manipulation known to man.
Among all of them, the Rinnegan's application remained the simplest yet most efficient.
And now, one of the most vital purposes of the Chakra Reactor had been realized—it powered the Chakra Cannon.
It could even energize aerial vehicles, allowing aircraft to move purely on Chakra.
To Naruto, Chakra had become more than a life force—it was a form of information, transmission, and limitless potential.
Meanwhile, far away, Kumogakure's envoys were still en route. Elsewhere, Obito, hidden behind his swirling mask, and Danzo were engaged in another plot.
Obito had recently learned of the Raikage's capture, and though his face betrayed little emotion, his heart was weighed with unease.
He hadn't acted recently, having focused on helping Danzo recover from the backlash of Hashirama's cells—those same cells that had nearly destroyed the man. Using White Zetsu tissue and the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Obito had stabilized Danzo's condition. The old warhawk had been a crippled relic before; now, he stood whole again, if only just.
Danzo had quietly recalled some of his former Root shinobi. Though the Root had long been disbanded, a few diehard loyalists had remained at his side, abandoning Konoha to follow him.
When Obito dispatched Zetsu to investigate Konoha, he hadn't expected to uncover something shocking.
He returned to Danzo almost immediately.
"Danzo," Obito said with a sly grin, "our opportunity has arrived. I've discovered something that might... interest you."
Danzo opened his one good eye, the Sharingan under his bandages faintly throbbing.
"Speak."
"Konoha's buildings," Obito said softly, "are filled with Explosive Tags. Layer after layer of them—enough to obliterate the entire village in an instant. Tell me, isn't that quite an opportunity?"
Danzo's brows furrowed deeply.
Explosive Tags embedded throughout the village? Why? His desire to reclaim Konoha burned bright, yet Obito's words filled him with an uneasy dread.
If that were true, had he been living atop a bomb all along?
He doubted Obito would lie—there was no reason for deceit here. The masked man was many things, but not wasteful with lies.
Obito smirked beneath his mask. Truthfully, he was growing weary of Danzo. The old man had outlived his usefulness. It was time for this pawn to move—or be removed.
"I'm only offering you information," Obito said coolly. "What you choose to do with it... is your decision."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and vanished into the night, leaving Danzo in the flickering candlelight of his hideout.
Danzo sat in silence for a long time, his expression unreadable. Finally, he stood.
"Assemble the remaining Root shinobi," he ordered coldly.
"We're going back to Konoha."
Unbeknownst to him, Tsunade remained blissfully unaware of the approaching storm.
After days of travel, the Kumogakure delegation finally arrived on the outskirts of the Umbrella Organization's territory.
They were immediately halted by a group of shinobi and martial artists bearing the Umbrella insignia.
The Kumogakure envoys' tempers flared.
They were messengers of the Hidden Cloud, yet they couldn't even step through the gate?
How dare this organization block their path?
The air grew tense—lightning chakra crackled faintly in the air, signaling that diplomacy might not last much longer.
"Too much!"
The Kumogakure shinobi who had been beaten earlier shrank back, hiding silently behind his comrades.
Only those who had faced the Umbrella Organization firsthand could understand how terrifying they truly were.
"Enough with the nonsense," snapped an Umbrella squad leader, arms crossed.
"You're here to ransom your people—so pay up and stop wasting time!"
His tone was casual, even mocking. He wasn't afraid in the slightest. After all, numerous Umbrella gunmen were already positioned around them, hidden but ready to fire at a moment's notice.
"You… you're asking for death!" a Kumogakure ninja growled, chakra flaring in anger.
"Stand down," Darui ordered sharply, his voice firm. "Don't forget why we're here!"
"Captain!" one of his men started to protest.
"Quiet. Listen to me," Darui cut him off, tone low but commanding.
Beside him, Yugito Nii's chakra surged—hot, volatile, and dangerous. Her feline pupils glimmered faintly with the Two-Tails' presence.
"Yugito," Darui said in a warning tone, "don't lose control. You remember what Mabui instructed."
At his words, the Jinchūriki's murderous aura slowly subsided. Her gaze, however, remained sharp as steel.
At that very moment, deep within the Umbrella base, Naruto finished overseeing a few key procedures. He had already been informed of Kumogakure's arrival in the Land of Snow.
The order to stop them outside had come directly from him—after all, there were things within Umbrella's borders that no foreign shinobi could be allowed to see.
Naruto strode out with several subordinates, bringing with him a few of the captured Kumogakure personnel.
As he approached the envoy, his gaze fell upon Yugito.
She wore a tight-fitting purple combat suit that accentuated her athletic build. Her braided hair swayed slightly, and her fierce, unrestrained presence radiated danger.
The Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, huh… Interesting.
Then his attention shifted to the man beside her—Darui. A young shinobi with slightly dark skin, his silver hair fell over one eye. A long blade rested across his back, its hilt etched with lightning marks.
So that's Darui… the future Fifth Raikage. The inheritor of Black Lightning and wielder of Storm Release. Not bad.
"Did you bring the ransom?" Naruto asked casually, as though conducting business at a marketplace.
"Hurry up and pay. I've got things to do."
His tone was so indifferent, so blatantly transactional, that it made the Kumogakure shinobi clench their fists in silent anger.
Only the one who'd been beaten before knew better than to provoke him again.
"I'll give you one billion ryō first," Darui said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "Release Lord Raikage."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Fine. Bring the Raikage out."
He clapped his hands, and moments later, two Umbrella operatives escorted A, the Fourth Raikage, forward. His once-imposing frame now seemed heavy with fatigue; bloodshot eyes glared from beneath his brow, but the power that once shook nations was suppressed beneath Umbrella's sealing formulae.
"Money for the goods," Naruto said lightly, patting the Raikage's shoulder before handing him over.
"The seal will wear off in about an hour."
He turned away, grin widening.
"Can't say I'm not ethical, right? Business is business."
...
TN:
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