A new day began.
After eating breakfast, Kitazawa released the Wood Release: Four Pillar House.
Konan didn't wait for him to speak; she proactively walked up to him, and white wings spread out from her back.
She embraced Kitazawa, spread her wings, and flew toward the sky.
When the sun was fully risen, around noon, Kitazawa dismissed his Shadow Clone. With a flood of returning memories, he immediately knew the location of Sasuke and the others.
"Konan." Kitazawa recovered his senses, raised his hand, and said, "Go that way."
"Mhm." Konan quickly adjusted her direction.
Not long after, Kitazawa saw Sasuke and the others waiting on the shore in the distance. Konan twisted her body and landed safely on the ground.
"Don't move." Kitazawa looked at Konan's beautiful face and extended his hand.
Konan subconsciously held her breath, feeling inexplicably nervous.
"Your hair is messy; I'll help you fix it." Kitazawa touched her long, blue-purple hair and said with a smile.
"Thank you." Konan was slightly stunned, not expecting it to be for such a reason.
"It's nothing." Kitazawa withdrew his hand and walked toward Sasuke and the others.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Hinata was the first to notice him; a smile immediately appeared on her face, and she quickly ran up to him.
"Teacher Kitazawa, you finally showed up!" Naruto said happily, "You suddenly disappeared! I suggested we go look for you, but Sasuke and Hinata didn't agree!"
"That was a Shadow Clone." Sasuke said calmly, "Staying put and waiting was the best choice."
Although he didn't know when Kitazawa had left the Shadow Clone, Kitazawa dismissing it suddenly must have been intentional. If they had searched blindly, it would have been useless, or rather, pointless.
"But weren't you worried about Teacher Kitazawa?" Naruto scratched his head and asked.
"Given Teacher Kitazawa's strength, he'll be fine," Hinata said with certainty.
"Hinata and Sasuke did very well. I'll add two points for you both." Kitazawa smiled and said.
"Huh?" Naruto instantly felt great regret upon hearing this. If he had known, he wouldn't have spoken up.
Sasuke couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth curl up. Two extra points meant he could temporarily pull ahead of Naruto, bringing him closer to first place in the practical exam.
"Teacher Kitazawa." Hinata looked up at Kitazawa and asked, "What is our mission this time?"
Although she was usually quiet and reserved, she became much more active around Kitazawa.
"This mission is S-rank, and the target is a Jonin from Hidden Mist Village," Kitazawa replied.
"Are we supposed to defeat him?" Naruto's eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly.
"Yes." Kitazawa nodded and said.
"How strong is he?" Sasuke asked.
"Very strong." Kitazawa warned, "If you don't cooperate, you won't be able to defeat him."
Sasuke and Hinata were astonished to hear this. After all, the strength of the three of them was already comparable to a Jonin's.
Naruto had defeated Asuma, Hinata had defeated Raidō, and Sasuke had defeated Uchiha Inabi.
If three Jonin-level fighters needed cooperation to beat one Jonin, was this Hidden Mist Jonin perhaps the Mizukage?
"Youth is all about fighting the strong!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up and said fearlessly.
"I've gathered some intelligence on this mission target." Kitazawa glanced at the sky and said, "Let's travel first. You can look at it when we rest tonight."
"Yes, Teacher Kitazawa." Sasuke and the other two said in unison.
"Let's go, get on the boat." Kitazawa came to the seaside, opened the summoning storage scroll, and released a small boat.
The boat wasn't large, and four or five people seemed a bit cramped, but as Ninja, they didn't fuss over details and could manage.
The group boarded the boat and headed toward the Land of Whirlpools. As for rowing, that job was left to Naruto and Sasuke.
"Teacher Kitazawa." Naruto asked while rowing, "Does the Land of Whirlpools have anything to do with me?"
"Why do you ask that?" Kitazawa looked at him, feeling a little surprised.
Although Naruto already knew who his parents were, Kitazawa hadn't told him about the current state of the Uzumaki Clan and the Land of Whirlpools.
"My surname is Uzumaki (Whirlpool), and the Land of Whirlpools uses 'Whirlpool' in its name, so maybe there's a family connection," Naruto stated his reasoning.
"Could it really be such a coincidence?" Sasuke glanced at him, completely unconvinced.
"I don't know either." Naruto scratched his head and said.
"Your mother did indeed come from the Land of Whirlpools." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said.
"Huh?" Naruto couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"...?" A surprised expression appeared on Sasuke's face. It really was that much of a coincidence.
"Teacher Kitazawa, didn't you say before that the Land of Whirlpools no longer existed?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Naruto's mother came to Konoha Village before the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed," Kitazawa explained.
"That's truly lucky!" Naruto said, looking horrified in retrospect.
"How was the Land of Whirlpools destroyed?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.
Whether it was Naruto or Karin, they both possessed terrifying Chakra from a young age. A Ninja Clan like that should logically produce many strong individuals, so how could it be destroyed?
"The Land of Whirlpools vanished overnight. Konoha Village didn't have time to send aid." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "Who was responsible is unknown."
Naruto and the others were too young; there was no need to tell them about such dark matters. Furthermore, the original story was vague about the incident and indeed never named the culprit.
"When I grow up, I must investigate this thoroughly!" Naruto clenched his fist and said.
Although he wasn't familiar with the Uzumaki Clan, it was still his mother's Ninja Clan.
"After the mission is over, we can go to the Uzumaki Clan's former base." Kitazawa suddenly thought of the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple.
The Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple is where the Uzumaki Clan stores the Shinigami masks.
"That's great!" Naruto nodded emphatically.
He was very curious about the Uzumaki Clan and might be able to find old belongings of his mother.
---
The sun set in the west. The group landed in the Land of Whirlpools.
Wood Release: Four Pillar House! Kitazawa found an open space and summoned a wooden residence on the spot.
Hinata took the lead and opened the door.
"Let's go inside." Kitazawa patted her head and entered the living room.
Sasuke was the last one in, so he closed the door.
"Take a look at the intelligence regarding this mission target." Kitazawa took out a scroll and said.
"Understood, Teacher Kitazawa." Sasuke took the scroll and opened it.
"Let me see!" Naruto immediately leaned his head closer.
"Don't crowd me." Sasuke moved the scroll over slightly.
"You two look first." Hinata wasn't in a hurry. After Kitazawa sat on the sofa, she sat down next to him.
Sasuke glanced at the scroll twice and couldn't help but frown slightly. Because he realized he had never heard of these Water Release techniques.
Although Sasuke hadn't learned Water Release, he still knew a lot about it. After all, Sakura often talked to him about Water Release. And her Water Release techniques came from the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Senju Tobirama was considered the master of Water Release; many of his Water Release techniques were similar to those used in Hidden Mist Village.
For example, the classic Water Release: Water Formation Wall and Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu. But Senju Tobirama was superior and modified them all.
How should I put it? It was normal for the major Ninja Villages to break down and learn each other's Ninjutsu.
Because when Ninja from other villages were captured, they would be interrogated, and this included extracting information about their Ninjutsu.
The reason Sasuke was surprised was that these Water Release techniques were very rare, seeming to belong exclusively to this Hidden Mist Jonin.
This situation usually occurred with Ninjas belonging to major Ninja Clans.
In fact, that was exactly the case. Hōzuki Gengetsu came from the Hozuki Clan and possessed Water Release Secret Techniques.
But due to various reasons, the Hozuki Clan had fallen apart, leaving only the little brat Suigetsu Hozuki.
It was perfectly normal for Sasuke not to be familiar with the Hozuki Clan's Water Release techniques.
"It certainly looks very powerful." Naruto couldn't help but nod.
The contents of the scroll were very detailed, even listing the specific effects of each Water Release Ninjutsu.
Although Naruto was reckless, it didn't mean he lacked combat intelligence. In fact, his combat talent was very high; in the original story, he was known as the most surprising Ninja.
After Sasuke finished reading, he handed the scroll to Hinata and began to ponder.
Hinata looked at the scroll curiously. The reactions of her two teammates made her realize that this Hidden Mist Jonin was not simple.
The scroll recorded quite a few Water Release Ninjutsu. After reading it, she concluded that three Water Release Ninjutsu were the most troublesome.
Water Release: Hydrification Technique, Water Release: Water Balloon Technique, and Steaming Danger Tyranny.
The first two Water Release Ninjutsu were extremely useful, whether for escaping or evading. The last Water Release Ninjutsu sounded incredibly powerful.
Steaming Danger Tyranny is an infinite explosion Ninjutsu; its effect is to create a clone shaped like a child.
This clone is not only fast and high in attack power, but it can also fly freely, and the more it moves, the more heat it generates, leading to an explosion.
The most troublesome thing is that this explosion can cycle infinitely. The only drawback is that the main body falls into a state of weakness after each explosion.
Hinata and Sasuke were too young; if this were an older Ninja, their expression would have already changed drastically.
Because Steaming Danger Tyranny is the signature Ninjutsu of the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki.
Among the generation of Chiyo and Sarutobi Hiruzen, its fame was no less than Ōnoki's Dust Release or Senju Tobirama's Water Release.
"You all discuss strategy, I'm going to make dinner." Kitazawa stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
"Do you need my help?" Konan's clear, cool voice suddenly rang out.
"No need, I can manage alone." Kitazawa glanced at her and asked, "What do you want to eat? Grilled fish?"
"Mhm, grilled fish." Konan nodded and said.
"I noticed you really like grilled fish. Why?" Kitazawa asked curiously.
Konan froze for a moment and fell silent.
"I was just asking casually." Kitazawa noticed her expression, shook his head, and said, "It's not a question you have to answer."
"There's nothing I can't answer." Konan hesitated for two seconds before explaining the reason.
It was actually related to her childhood experiences. She was an orphan, and the Land of Rain was in the midst of war at the time.
Powerless, she could only wander around every day, collecting anything edible she saw. It wasn't until she ate grilled fish once that she realized such delicious food existed, and she remembers it to this day.
"I see," Kitazawa recalled Konan's storyline.
The past she spoke of concealed quite a bit of information. For example, she had wandered around the Land of Rain with Nagato and Yahiko.
Coincidentally, it was the Second Shinobi World War, and they were lucky enough to meet Konoha's Sannin.
Jiraiya stayed for three years to teach them because of Nagato's Rinnegan and the prophecy of the Child of Prophecy. The fate of the three of them changed from then on.
After Jiraiya left, they established the original Akatsuki Organization, intending to bring peace to the Land of Rain and the Ninja World.
Kitazawa didn't expose Konan. After all, it wasn't appropriate to reveal Yahiko and Nagato to him, a Ninja from Konoha Village.
In fact, the mere fact that she could share her past stories with him already proved that their relationship had grown closer.
"Here you go." Kitazawa handed Konan a bento box.
"Thank you." Konan watched him leave the kitchen with the food, then turned and went upstairs.
After so many outings with Kitazawa, her room was now fixed.
"Come eat." Konan ate in her room, while Kitazawa and Hinata ate in the living room.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Hinata took the chopsticks and said.
"How was your discussion?" Kitazawa asked with a smile.
"It hasn't been decided yet," Sasuke replied.
"Then discuss it after dinner." Kitazawa clapped his hands and said, "Let's eat!"
Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto followed suit. Dinner officially began.
After dinner, Kitazawa cleared the table and took the dishes and chopsticks to the kitchen. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he saw Konan wearing an apron.
"I'll wash them." Konan stepped forward and voluntarily took the dishes and chopsticks.
Kitazawa looked at her, and four words appeared in his mind: a good wife and loving mother. He suddenly thought of something.
In the original story, most female Ninja seemed to be very good wives and loving mothers. Even Sakura's temper changed a lot after marriage.
Speaking of which, Hinata should be the most fitting, followed by Ino, Kurenai, and Sakura, among others. As for Tsunade, it's best not to mention her.
Kitazawa came back to his senses and left the kitchen.
In the living room, Naruto and Sasuke were still discussing how to deal with the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki.
Kitazawa didn't disturb them and went outside to continue practicing his Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique.
The night deepened.
Footsteps sounded.
Kitazawa turned around and saw Hinata. He chuckled softly and waved to her.
Hinata immediately ran up to him.
"Are you done discussing?" Kitazawa looked at her and asked.
"Mhm." Hinata nodded and then said, "Sasuke and Naruto have already gone back to their rooms to sleep."
"Then why aren't you going to sleep?" Kitazawa tapped her forehead and asked.
"I... I'm going now." Hinata lowered her head, a little embarrassed as she spoke.
"Let's go, go to sleep." Kitazawa stroked her hair and said, "There's another tough battle tomorrow, get some rest early."
"Mhm." Hinata followed him back into the house. On the second floor, she bid him farewell and returned to her room.
The night passed without incident.
A new day.
After breakfast, Kitazawa took them to the forest where Gengetsu was located.
"He's seventy meters to the left." Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan and said.
"Proceed as planned." Sasuke looked at Naruto.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted in a low voice.
Bang bang bang! Hundreds of Shadow Clones appeared.
Hinata and Sasuke formed hand signs, used the Transformation Technique, and transformed into Naruto.
Kitazawa nodded slightly. He had seen this tactic several times.
But it had to be said that it was indeed very effective, especially when combined with Naruto's Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, making it difficult to distinguish.
However, as the saying goes, plans can't keep up with changes. Having tactics while also being able to adapt on the fly is what truly demonstrates teamwork.
"Good luck." Kitazawa disappeared from the spot.
"Let's go." Sasuke took a deep breath and said.
"Charge!" Naruto gave the order, and hundreds of Shadow Clones rushed towards Gengetsu.
"Konan," Kitazawa called out.
Konan immediately appeared before him.
"Take me to fly into the air so I can watch their battle," Kitazawa spoke with a normal expression.
Watching the battle was very simple for him.
He could see everything clearly by activating his Byakugan or Sharingan. He could even know what was happening without activating them, just by using his sensory abilities.
But Kitazawa chose the most comfortable way to watch the battle.
Konan didn't think much of it and stepped forward, carrying him as she flew into the air.
Kitazawa felt the softness of her body, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and looked down.
Gengetsu had already sensed Naruto's approach. After all, it wasn't easy to hide hundreds of Shadow Clones.
Water Release: Water Balloon Technique!
Upon seeing Naruto's Shadow Clones, Gengetsu immediately formed hand signs. A large number of bubbles appeared around him.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!"
Naruto immediately thought of the effect of Water Release: Water Balloon Technique and quickly shouted.
His Shadow Clones stopped abruptly, lined up, injected Wind Release Chakra into their shuriken, and then threw them out in unison.
Dense Kunai flew towards Gengetsu like a dark cloud.
Spiral Arrow!
Hinata, hiding behind a tree, released her hand. A Yin Release Arrow followed closely behind the Kunai, rushing towards Gengetsu.
Sasuke didn't use any Ninjutsu but hid instead.
Gengetsu waved his hand casually. The bubbles around him met the attack.
Boom! When the bubbles touched the shuriken, a violent explosion immediately occurred.
Although these shuriken were very sharp due to the enhancement of Wind Release Chakra, they were still scattered by the explosion.
Just then, the Spiral Arrow pierced through the center of the explosion and accurately hit Gengetsu.
Hydrification Technique!
Gengetsu's entire body turned into oil.
The Rasengan pierced through his body, but because it was oil, it didn't cause any damage.
And the large hole in his body was rapidly recovering.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
Sasuke suddenly appeared, opening his mouth to spit out more than a dozen fist-sized fireballs. The fireballs, like flowers, attacked Gengetsu from all directions.
Gengetsu's expression changed slightly. His entire body was covered in oil at this moment, and oil was most afraid of fire.
Gengetsu immediately took action, dodging all the fireballs with extreme speed.
"So fast!" Sasuke's heart trembled. Judging from this performance alone, Gengetsu was not an ordinary Hidden Mist Village Jonin.
But he didn't have time to think, because Gengetsu was already in front of him.
Sasuke subconsciously raised his arms.
Boom! Gengetsu kicked him away.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The nearby Naruto Shadow Clones clapped their hands. A powerful airflow erupted from their palms, turning into a terrifying storm.
Water Gun Technique: Two-Handed Magnum!
Gengetsu raised his hands. A series of bullet-like liquids pierced through the storm, hitting the Naruto Shadow Clones on both sides.
In an instant, screams rang out. By the time the storm arrived, Gengetsu had disappeared from the spot with a Body Flicker Technique.
"Left!" Hinata immediately used her Byakugan to locate Gengetsu.
"No, this is Steaming Danger Tyranny!" Sasuke's eyes narrowed, seeing a Gengetsu that was a size smaller.
He split a blade from his right arm, and like a shuriken, he spun around among Naruto's Shadow Clones. In an instant, half of the hundreds of Shadow Clones were lost.
"Naruto, don't get close to him!" Sasuke shouted while forming hand signs.
A piercing bird cry sounded. Lightning Release: Chidori Senbon!
Sasuke aimed at Gengetsu's clone and flung it out violently. Lightning spread, turning into brilliant senbon.
Gengetsu suddenly appeared and blocked them midway. Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
He formed hand signs, and a water wall rose up. The senbon hit the water wall, and the lightning immediately spread in all directions.
Taking this opportunity, Gengetsu's clone leaped up and slashed at Naruto.
Naruto dared not take the hit head-on and quickly retreated. He knew that this special clone would explode if subjected to a fierce attack. If he got too close, he would be severely injured, if not killed.
Spiral Arrow!
At the critical moment, Hinata drew her bow and notched an arrow. The spinning Yin Release Arrow hit Gengetsu's clone.
A terrifying explosion followed, and a deafening sound spread in all directions.
Oil and water reacted quickly, turning into a surging airflow. Nearby trees and land suffered, all turning into dust.
"The power is immense!" Naruto was shocked when he saw this. Fortunately, he didn't get close just now.
"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted loudly.
After shouting, he immediately drew the Sword of the Thunder God without another word and slashed at Gengetsu.
After the explosion, Gengetsu's clone was still there, but the main body would be weakened considerably.
"Rasengan!" Naruto immediately rushed towards Gengetsu upon hearing this.
But Hinata didn't; she immediately drew her bow and aimed at Gengetsu's clone. When the clone tried to rescue Gengetsu, she suddenly released her hand.
Explosive Arrow!
A Yin Release Arrow flew out. Gengetsu's clone subconsciously swung its great sword at the Explosive Arrow.
Boom! The Yin Release Arrow exploded, instantly creating an invisible mental shockwave.
Gengetsu's clone immediately froze in place, falling into a dazed state, temporarily unable to support its main body.
At the same time, Gengetsu, the main body, was being besieged. Sasuke in front, Naruto behind.
But Gengetsu was, after all, the Second Mizukage. In an instant, he reacted.
Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!
Gengetsu Hozuki clenched his fist and smashed it onto the Sword of the Thunder God.
Sasuke was about to release lightning when he felt a terrifying force coming from the Sword of the Thunder God. He involuntarily retreated, and his right arm felt numb and sore.
Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique—its effect is similar to Chakra Enhanced strength, but it concentrates all the body's moisture to unleash super-strong power.
It is a unique Water Release Secret Technique of the Hozuki Clan.
Naruto accelerated, smashing his Rasengan into Gengetsu's back.
Gengetsu dodged the Rasengan with a flash to the left. But after he dodged, Sasuke met the Rasengan.
"Sasuke, get out of the way!" Naruto's expression changed drastically.
Sasuke's pupils contracted, and he unhesitatingly released the Sword of the Thunder God. Body Flicker Technique!
He narrowly avoided the Rasengan.
Naruto didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief when Gengetsu pointed his finger at him.
Water Release: Water Gun Technique! A liquid bullet flew towards Naruto.
"Naruto!" Sasuke subconsciously moved forward, but it was too late.
Whoosh! A Yin Release Arrow struck the liquid bullet.
"Konoha Gale!" Naruto leaped up and rushed towards Gengetsu.
Sasuke, seeing this, felt a little relieved and immediately followed with Konoha Gale. Two spinning kicks were delivered, one from the left and one from the right.
Gengetsu's clone had shaken off the effects of the Explosive Arrow and was about to move when another Explosive Arrow arrived.
Hinata's expression couldn't help but harden. In her Byakugan's vision, Gengetsu's clone was at its limit, and another attack would cause it to explode.
Hinata immediately began to ponder.
Although the explosion of Gengetsu Hozuki's clone was powerful, it would cause the main body to fall into a weakened state. This would be an excellent opportunity for Naruto and Sasuke.
Bang! Gengetsu extended his arms, blocking Naruto and Sasuke's spinning kicks.
But the two immediately twisted their bodies and followed up with a second spinning kick.
Gengetsu blocked again, but the force was much greater than last time, causing him to retreat two steps.
When Naruto and Sasuke were about to kick a third time, he didn't give them another chance. Body Flicker Technique!
Gengetsu distanced himself and clapped his hands. Water Release: Water Hail!
A large number of water bullets shot out. Naruto and Sasuke quickly stopped the Konoha Gale and dodged to both sides.
"Naruto! Sasuke!" Hinata pinched the bowstring and said, "His clone is about to explode!"
Sasuke immediately reacted upon hearing this. He bent his body and gripped his right hand. Chidori!
The sound of a thousand birds chirping rang out. With a Body Flicker Technique, he rushed toward Gengetsu.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto split into hundreds of Shadow Clones. He commanded the Shadow Clones to surround Sasuke and Gengetsu.
Water Release: Water Balloon Technique!
Gengetsu was just about to form hand seals when he suddenly felt a wave of weakness. Water Release: Water Balloon Technique was forced to stop.
As for the reason, naturally, his clone had already been detonated.
Sasuke seized this opportunity and stabbed directly at Hōzuki Gengetsu's heart. His heart was immediately pierced, but no blood flowed out.
Sasuke couldn't help but be stunned. What is going on?
Gengetsu reacted and swung a punch at him.
Sharingan: Genjutsu!
Although Sasuke didn't understand why Gengetsu wasn't bleeding, he still reacted and proceeded according to the original plan. After all, he currently possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Naruto!" Sasuke immediately retreated backward.
Gengetsu fell under the Genjutsu, but instantly dispelled it.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!"
Naruto, who had been prepared, immediately threw a shuriken. His Shadow Clones did the same.
The sound of cutting wind rang out. Gengetsu had just released the Genjutsu when he saw a dense, dark mass of shuriken descending from the sky.
He immediately formed hand seals with both hands, sending out a large number of bubbles.
Explosive Arrow! Just then, Hinata seized the chance and fired a Yin Release Arrow.
The bubbles flew out and collided with the shuriken, causing a violent explosion. But the Yin Release Arrow also exploded afterward, causing Gengetsu's emotions to become chaotic, leaving him stunned in place.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!" Seeing this, Naruto threw shuriken again.
The bubbles were all destroyed, and while Gengetsu was momentarily stunned, countless shuriken engulfed him.
"We succeeded!" Naruto shouted with an excited look on his face.
"Watch out!" Sasuke picked up the Sword of the Thunder God and lunged forward, stabbing out.
Clang! Gengetsu's clone used a large sword to block his Sword of the Thunder God.
Sasuke immediately injected Lightning Release Chakra into the Sword of the Thunder God. Brilliant lightning spread, engulfing Gengetsu's clone.
"Sasuke, retreat quickly!" Hinata noticed an intense reaction occurring inside Gengetsu's clone.
Boom!
Gengetsu's clone suddenly exploded. Thanks to Hinata's warning, Sasuke left in time and was unaffected.
"He looks very strange!" Naruto said, looking at Gengetsu.
Sasuke nodded with a serious expression. Gengetsu was hit by his Chidori and then struck by Naruto's Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken.
Under normal circumstances, he would have died — but he didn't.
Gengetsu's body was recovering at a slow pace. Furthermore, to the surprise of Naruto and Sasuke, he did not possess normal human flesh and blood.
Just then, Kitazawa jumped down and appeared before them.
"Kitazawa-sensei, be careful, he might attack you!" Naruto quickly shouted.
Hinata even raised her moon-chasing bow and aimed it at Gengetsu.
"He can no longer attack. Your mission ends here." Kitazawa shook his head and said.
"Huh?" Naruto looked at Gengetsu with a puzzled expression.
Sasuke and Hinata also felt confused. What exactly is going on with this Hidden Mist Village Jonin? He doesn't seem human.
"This is a certain type of forbidden Jutsu." Kitazawa walked up to Gengetsu and formed hand signs with both hands.
Gengetsu was severely wounded by Chidori and Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken and could not recover in a short period.
Although Edo Tensei grants an immortal body, recovery is extremely slow.
In other words, Sasuke and his companions had defeated Gengetsu. Under normal circumstances, he should be sealed using a Sealing Jutsu at this point.
If the deceased resurrected by Edo Tensei retains consciousness, they can also break free from the constraints through talk therapy.
These are the two methods for dealing with Edo Tensei. Besides that, there are also things like Kotoamatsukami and Yin-Yang Release.
Kitazawa, as the user of the Jutsu, could directly release the Edo Tensei.
As the Edo Tensei was released, Gengetsu collapsed. His original appearance also changed, reverting to that of the young spy from the Konoha Severe Detention Center.
But he had already become a corpse.
"Wait for me outside." Kitazawa waved his hand and said.
Sasuke and the others exchanged glances, but still followed his instructions and left the forest.
Kitazawa waved his hand casually, and Fire Release Chakra surged out. The corpse began to burn. Only after it had finished burning did Kitazawa turn and leave.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Hinata saw him and immediately walked forward.
"Kitazawa-sensei, what was the situation with that Hidden Mist Village Jonin?" Naruto asked impatiently.
"It's like this." Kitazawa began to make things up on the spot.
However, it wasn't entirely made up; it was half-truth, half-lie.
He merely said that someone used a Secret Technique to resurrect this Hidden Mist Village Jonin, intending to strike Konoha Village, but he discovered it in advance.
And the reason he had left a Shadow Clone earlier was to pinpoint the location of this Hidden Mist Village Jonin.
"A Secret Technique like that exists?" Naruto asked, looking shocked.
"It sounds very evil," Sasuke said after thinking for a moment.
"Disturbing the souls of the dead violates the fundamental principles of a Ninja," Kitazawa said solemnly.
"Was the Jutsu user found?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Mhm." Kitazawa nodded and said, "He has been captured by the Anbu."
"Such wicked people should be brought to justice!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up and said.
"..." Kitazawa twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Sasuke suddenly thought of something and asked with concern, "What score did we get for this mission?"
"Full marks." Kitazawa commented, "The three of you performed perfectly in this battle, both in individual performance and team coordination."
"That's great!" Naruto immediately beamed with smiles.
Sasuke also breathed a sigh of relief. Now all that remained was to see his rank in the theoretical exam; as long as he placed in the top five, his final rank might still be first.
Hinata didn't have so many thoughts. As long as she didn't disappoint Kitazawa.
"Next, we will go to the Land of Whirlpools." Kitazawa clapped his hands and said, "Let's go."
Under his leadership, the group arrived at the former ruins of the Uzumaki Clan.
"It's so desolate." Naruto was stunned by the scene before his eyes.
What met their eyes were weeds, vines, and the remnants of ruins, showing no trace of their former liveliness.
"After all, no one lives here anymore." Sasuke glanced at Naruto and said.
"There's an intact building over there," Hinata said, slightly surprised, after activating her Byakugan.
"Where?" Naruto quickly asked.
"Hinatа, you lead the way." Kitazawa had probably already guessed what this building was.
"Mhm." Hinata nodded and walked forward.
After passing through a stretch of forest, they arrived in front of a building. From the outside, it looked like a shrine, the most eye-catching feature being three rows of masks hung at the entrance.
"This building is strange." Naruto scratched his head and said.
"This is the Hall of Stored Masks." Kitazawa explained, "It's the Uzumaki Clan's shrine."
Sasuke immediately thought of the Uchiha Clan's shrine, called the Naka Shrine.
The Naka Shrine wasn't particularly special and was often used by the Uchiha Clan for clan meetings.
If Kitazawa knew his thoughts, he would say that the Naka Shrine was the most special because it held a stone tablet left by the Six Paths Sage.
This stone tablet, after being modified by Black Zetsu, could be considered the most crucial item influencing the direction of the original story's plot.
Both Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Itachi were changed because of this stone tablet.
"Since you're here, go inside and take a look," Kitazawa added.
Hearing this, Naruto immediately rushed inside. Sasuke followed closely behind.
Only Hinata remained standing still. Kitazawa glanced at her, smiled, and then focused his attention on the hanging masks.
These were Shinigami Masks. The Shinigami, judging from the original story, should be a local deity and has no major connection to the alien Ōtsutsuki Clan.
As for where the Shinigami resides, no one knows, but it is certainly not in the Pure Land.
The Shinigami is involved in a Sealing Jutsu of the Uzumaki Clan called the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
This Sealing Jutsu is a forbidden technique, requiring the user to pay the price of their life to use it.
But its effect is heaven-defying: it can consume the target's soul and seal it permanently. The target's soul will forever remain inside the Shinigami's stomach, unable to go to the Pure Land.
In the original story, during the Konoha Crush plan, Sarutobi Hiruzen used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to take away the hands of Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Orochimaru.
Moreover, it can seal more than just souls. Minato used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to split the Nine-Tailed into two halves.
The Yang Nine-Tailed was given to Naruto, and the Yin Nine-Tailed was taken into the Shinigami's stomach.
Kitazawa thought for a moment and decided to put away the Shinigami Masks. Leaving them out here in the wilderness would be troublesome if they were stolen someday.
After all, he would likely release the Yin Nine-Tailed later on.
A Nine-Tailed with only half its power, though still very strong, ultimately cannot compare to the complete Nine-Tailed.
In short, it's better to be safe than sorry.
After Kitazawa put away the Shinigami Masks, Naruto and Sasuke reappeared after wandering around for a bit.
The sole purpose of this shrine was to store the Shinigami Masks. There was nothing else.
"Let's go, we're heading back." Kitazawa patted Naruto's shoulder and said.
"Mhm." Naruto felt a little sad, but not excessively so.
After all, he grew up in Konoha Village. His only regret was not finding any old items related to his mother.
Kitazawa glanced at him, wondering secretly if he should let him meet Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
Of course, he wasn't referring to Edo Tensei. When Minato and Kushina sealed the Nine-Tailed, they left a spiritual body within the seal, which was inside Naruto.
However, the existence of this spiritual body was limited in time, and it would eventually dissipate.
But Edo Tensei was overly unnecessary.
Kitazawa stopped thinking about it and set off on the return journey with Sasuke and the others.