In addition to that, he was also the first wandmaker to insist on using powerful magical materials as wand cores.
In the past, many wandmakers had abandoned these powerful materials in pursuit of stability. They preferred to use more ordinary magical materials instead.
Ordinary materials used as cores could easily fuse with the wand wood, while powerful magical materials became far more uncontrollable during that process.
No one knew how Ollivander managed to control it.
Among wandmakers, many coveted Ollivander's closely guarded secret.
That the old man had lived safely to such an advanced age clearly meant he had real substance to him.
After Chu Yang had worked as an apprentice in the wand shop for about half a month, Ollivander finally revealed the secret to him.
"Treat every magical material in your hands as a living being. Imagine that they can 'breathe.' That breathing produces a unique pulse. Once you grasp that pulse, you can easily fuse them together."
"Only after working in this trade for a very long time, and coming into contact with enough magical materials, will you have a chance to feel the kind of pulse I'm talking about…"
"The reason I'm optimistic about your future in this field isn't just because you're smart, but because I sense something similar within your magic."
"You can use your magic to resonate with that special pulse."
Chu Yang asked curiously, "So how exactly do I do that?"
"I don't really know how to do it either. These are just my conjectures," Ollivander said as he took out a large number of materials and laid them out in front of Chu Yang. "For now, we can only communicate in the most primitive way. Hold the materials in your hands, wrap them in magic, and try to feel it."
"You're sure it won't explode? Some magical materials are extremely active!" Chu Yang suspected the old man was using him as a test subject. His look grew a bit wary.
"As long as you don't try to fuse them together, they won't explode," Ollivander coughed lightly and urged, "Hurry up and start."
Chu Yang grasped the magical materials in front of him and wrapped them in magic just as Ollivander had instructed.
Having never tried this before, Chu Yang truly felt a strange pulse.
Like a human heartbeat.
"You felt it?" Ollivander leaned in excitedly and asked, "What does it feel like?"
"A heartbeat," Chu Yang replied honestly.
"That's right. Next, all you need to do is practice repeatedly to master the trick," Ollivander nodded in satisfaction. "With your talent, you'll quickly meet my standards. After that, you can try fusing the core with the wand wood. Once you reach that step, you'll be considered fully trained."
"It's just that the supply is a bit insufficient. For some reason, unicorns have been hard to find lately, phoenix tail feathers and dragon heartstrings are also scarce. Practicing with ordinary materials would be meaningless…"
As he spoke, Ollivander began to frown in worry.
Chu Yang immediately said, "No need to worry. If nothing else, I can get unicorn hair."
Ollivander shot him an annoyed glare. "Do you think unicorns are cats or dogs you keep at home? Even though unicorns are relatively gentle among magical creatures, that doesn't mean they'll let you approach them easily!"
"It's one thing for women, but if a man appears near a unicorn, it'll flee immediately. Even if you grew two more legs, you still wouldn't catch up!"
Chu Yang didn't bother arguing with an old man—especially one this old.
He pulled an empty suitcase from beneath the cabinet. While Ollivander turned around to organize wand boxes, Chu Yang used Apparition and vanished from the shop.
In the next instant, Chu Yang appeared in the Forbidden Forest. Not far away stood a towering tree, and beneath it a group of unicorns were playing, the scene peaceful and serene.
When the unicorns noticed Chu Yang, not only did they not scatter, they instead rushed toward him in groups.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Yang was completely surrounded by unicorns.
They affectionately rubbed their heads against him, just like pets at home.
If a magical creatures expert were to see this, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets.
"Alright, alright, stop rubbing," Chu Yang said, pushing their heads aside to avoid their saliva. "Which one of you has been shedding badly lately? Help me out—I need some hair."
The moment he finished speaking, the unicorns began hopping around as if electrified, trying to shake some hair off their bodies.
Chu Yang didn't even have time to speak again and hurriedly lowered his head to pick up the hair.
"Where did that kid run off to now?"
Ollivander searched the storeroom for a long time before finally finding some unicorn hair. When he came back out and realized Chu Yang was gone, he became rather irritated.
"Mr. Ollivander, are you looking for me?" Chu Yang suddenly appeared beside him and handed over the suitcase.
"What's this?" Ollivander asked suspiciously as he took the heavy suitcase from Chu Yang's hands.
"Unicorn hair," Chu Yang replied.
"I don't know where you got an entire suitcase of hair from, but let me reiterate—unicorn hair is not that easy to—"
Before Ollivander could finish speaking, a soft glow spilled out from the half-open suitcase, pure and bright like moonlight. He was intimately familiar with that light. Without a second thought, he snapped the suitcase shut.
Swallowing hard, he asked carefully,"Do you really keep a herd of unicorns at home?"
...
The Ninja World
The "Tailed Beast Capture Plan" was nearing its end. Aside from the Nine-Tails, whose location remained unknown, and the Eight-Tails, which had escaped capture several times, all other tailed beasts had already been successfully sealed.
What should have gone smoothly encountered an unexpected complication.
Although Konoha had tried hard to suppress information during the capture of the tailed beasts, other ninja forces eventually became aware of it.
Konoha's strength already surpassed the other villages. Once news of the tailed beast captures spread, panic quickly set in everywhere.
Even the Fire Daimyō couldn't withstand the pressure and sent people to inquire whether the rumors were true. Left with no choice, Hashirama Senju personally stepped forward to explain and publicly announced his plan to distribute the tailed beasts.
As a result, the Five Kage Summit was hastily moved up and set to be held in the Land of Lightning.
When Hashirama left, Tobirama Senju fully took over the Hokage's administrative duties. Meanwhile, Uchiha Izuna, the public head of the ANBU, accompanied Hashirama to the Land of Lightning as his bodyguard.
Hashirama continued to demonstrate his unwavering trust in the Uchiha clan.
However, Izuna's departure left a vacancy in ANBU command—especially the unit responsible for tracking tailed beasts.
That unit had always been personally overseen by Uchiha Izuna.
After repeated consideration, Tobirama Senju decided to hand temporary command of ANBU over to Madara Uchiha.
But Madara rejected it without hesitation.
"I only deal with fighting tailed beasts. I won't handle anything else."
Madara's refusal was absolute. He had become increasingly detached from such matters.
This gave Tobirama a serious headache.
Konoha's talent pool was decent, but finding the right person to deal with tailed beasts was extremely difficult. After all, even Uchiha Izuna had let the Eight-Tails escape multiple times.
After much thought, Tobirama finally remembered a certain mischievous little brat with an unconventional way of thinking.
Ninja Academy
Chu Yang was in class.
Today's lesson was advanced training in ninja tool throwing. He had taken the students outdoors to the target range to practice shuriken and kunai, two of the most common throwing weapons.
The future Third Hokage still performed exceptionally well in his youth. Mischievous as he was, his talent was undeniable, ranking near the top in every subject.
By contrast, the equally mischievous Danzo Shimura lagged far behind. His grades were only middling within the class.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado both performed better than him.
Just as Chu Yang was about to scold Danzo and tell him to focus, another teacher walked over and whispered something in his ear.
"The Hokage wants to see me?" Chu Yang looked surprised, but he still set his work aside.
After handing the remaining lesson over to a substitute teacher, Chu Yang hurried to the Hokage Building. With the First Hokage away, Tobirama Senju was practically there twenty-four hours a day handling affairs.
"Teacher." Chu Yang pushed open the door and immediately saw Tobirama Senju bent over documents.
"Oh, you're here," Tobirama exchanged a few pleasantries, then pulled a scroll from the stack beside him and handed it to Chu Yang. "Take a look at this first."
Chu Yang accepted the scroll and opened it. After reading only a line or two, he frowned. "This is tailed beast intelligence? And previous mission records?"
"That's right," Tobirama nodded, tapping the desk lightly with his finger. "This should have gone to Uchiha Izuna, but you know he's not here right now."
"So… this job is mine?" Chu Yang looked troubled. Dealing with kids was far easier—and safer—than dealing with tailed beasts.
"Prepare yourself and depart," Tobirama said lightly.
That casual tone nearly made Chu Yang lose it.
Listen to yourself—are you even human?
Those were the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails, top-tier combat power in this world. You talk about them like they're nothing.
"Alright."
Complaints aside, Chu Yang didn't refuse. Tobirama choosing him clearly had its reasons, and Chu Yang himself was well suited for the task.
His quick acceptance put a hint of a smile on Tobirama's face. "Aren't you afraid of danger?"
Chu Yang smiled. "It's not as dangerous as war between the Senju and Uchiha clans."
Open threats were easy to avoid; hidden daggers were not. Human malice was far more terrifying than any tailed beast.
"Actually, from the very beginning, I hoped you would take over this task. If you complete it successfully, your prestige in the village will rise significantly. Even stepping in now isn't too late."
"The plan to weaken the Uchiha has been quite successful, but at the same time, their influence within Konoha must continue to be reduced. Handing over the ANBU is a risky move—we need to keep a close eye on it at all times."
Tobirama Senju reminded him, "After this mission is over, until Uchiha Izuna and my elder brother return from the Land of Lightning, you will temporarily take charge of the ANBU. During that period… do a few things. You understand, right?"
Chu Yang nodded. He understood the implication behind Tobirama's words—this was to let him familiarize himself with ANBU operations ahead of time, paving the way for the future.
After that, Tobirama tested Chu Yang on his progress in ninjutsu before finally allowing him to leave.
The next day, Chu Yang departed Konoha with three squads—a total of twelve ANBU members.
Their target this time was the Eight-Tails. According to mission records, the last known location of the Eight-Tails was near the border between the Land of Waterfall and the Land of Fire.
Chu Yang inferred that the Eight-Tails was likely within the territory of the Land of Waterfall.
The Land of Waterfall was a peculiar country. Its geographical position was poor, surrounded by four nations—once war broke out, it would be attacked from all sides.
If not for the abundance of waterfalls within its borders, with many settlements hidden behind them, life here would likely be extremely difficult.
Yet despite its harsh circumstances, this country had established its own ninja village earlier than many other small nations.
One had to know that in this era—when the Five Great Nations had only just founded their ninja villages—many countries couldn't even muster enough ninja to form one.
The ninja village of the Land of Waterfall was similar to its other settlements, also hidden behind waterfalls, existing in a reclusive and concealed state.
Chu Yang found this rather tragic.
After entering the Land of Waterfall, Konoha's ANBU made little effort to conceal their movements. Aside from the fact that ANBU had only recently been established and their operational proficiency was still lacking, there was also a sense of disdain rooted in sheer strength.
The war between the two great clans had ended not long ago, and most Konoha ninja still adhered to a value system that revered strength—especially the Uchiha clan.
As long as it didn't interfere with the mission, Chu Yang had no intention of restraining or lecturing his subordinates. The weak would be beaten—that was an immutable truth since time immemorial. If you weren't strong enough, you couldn't blame others for showing no courtesy.
The Land of Waterfall wasn't large. At a ninja's pace, it would take at most a week to traverse the entire country.
To save time, Chu Yang ordered the three ANBU squads to split up. Their primary task was to locate the tailed beast, not to engage it head-on. As long as they were cautious, their lives wouldn't be in danger.
This plan was met with opposition from some of the members.
"Lord Yang, before the operation began, Lord Tobirama repeatedly emphasized that ensuring your safety is the top priority—even more important than capturing the tailed beast!"
Although he understood his teacher's concern, Chu Yang felt this order stemmed from excessive worry.
"If protecting me is more important than capturing the tailed beast, then what's the point of us being here?" Chu Yang said coldly. "Sightseeing?"
The members looked at one another. Finally, someone steeled himself and spoke up, "We must leave personnel behind to ensure your safety."
Chu Yang fixed him with a deep, icy stare. "What's your name?"
The squad members felt their hearts tighten. They cast sympathetic looks toward the one who had spoken. A flash of panic crossed the man's eyes—afraid Chu Yang would mark him as insubordinate—but then his gaze hardened.
"Uchiha Yōto."
"Yōto…" A faint smile appeared on Chu Yang's otherwise impassive face. In an approving tone, he said, "Then I'll trouble you to stay. The rest of you, disperse according to the original plan."
Uchiha Yōto's face lit up with unrestrained joy.
The members of the other two squads were stunned, then quickly realized Chu Yang had been testing them. Regret flashed across their faces.
Everyone understood one thing clearly.
Once they returned, this man named Yōto would definitely be promoted and reused.
"Remember—search behind the waterfalls!"
After Chu Yang's final instruction, the members dispersed with envious looks, vanishing rapidly from his sight.
The only thing they could do now was find the tailed beast as quickly as possible.
Only then could they reclaim some dignity.
Once only Yōto remained by his side, Chu Yang began releasing his Observation Haki to search for the Eight-Tails' presence.
As one of the top-tier powers of the ninja world, the Eight-Tails possessed an overwhelming aura. Even if it deliberately concealed itself, under the perception of Observation Haki, it would stand out unmistakably.
Two nights later.
Inside a cavern within an enormous waterfall, Chu Yang sensed an extremely powerful presence. Within his consciousness, that aura took the form of a colossal creature with the head of an ox and the body of an octopus.
The Eight-Tails—Gyūki!
"Found it," Chu Yang said, turning to Yōto beside him. "Notify the others to regroup here, and send the information back to the village."
Facing the massive waterfall that looked like a celestial river pouring down, Yōto shuddered.
Suppressing his doubts, he used ANBU's special communication method to send the message.
"Lord Yang… how did you determine that the Eight-Tails is here?" Yōto asked cautiously.
"Instinct," Chu Yang replied with just two words, offering no further explanation.
Yōto now wanted nothing more than to slap himself twice. If he had asked a few more questions, he wouldn't have sent the message so rashly. If Madara Uchiha showed up… how was he supposed to explain this?
Chu Yang didn't notice Yōto's regretful expression.
Within the cave, the Eight-Tails seemed to stir. The spray from the waterfall suddenly grew violent.
"Suppress your breathing and chakra."
No sooner had Chu Yang spoken than the waterfall before them seemed to be drawn aside like a curtain, revealing a vast empty space behind it.
Beyond the waterfall stood an enormous shadow.
Goosebumps erupted all over Yōto's body. He stared at Chu Yang in disbelief—at this moment, true conviction finally took root in his heart.
The Eight-Tails hadn't discovered them.
Instead, bathed in moonlight, it left the cave it had been inhabiting. A vague sense of unease urged it to abandon this place.
With just a casual turn of its body, the lake beneath it erupted into towering waves, flooding the surrounding land and nearly reaching the spot where Chu Yang and the others were hiding.
The Eight-Tails scanned its surroundings, then turned indifferently and vanished into the boundless night.
Only after its massive form had faded into the darkness did Yōto impatiently say, "Lord Yang, let's pursue it!"
Chu Yang remained motionless, his gaze icy. "Wait."
Just as Yōto was about to persuade him, the distant lake began to ripple again. The shadow in the darkness reappeared, and Yōto immediately shut his mouth.
The Eight-Tails had circled back—this time leaving in the completely opposite direction.
"Just now… was it trying to lure us out?" Yōto stared in disbelief at the Eight-Tails' retreating back.
"After being hunted for so long, even the stupidest creature should be on guard," Chu Yang said, frowning as he glanced at him. "How did you get selected for ANBU?"
Yōto scratched his head awkwardly and laughed. "In terms of combat… I'm pretty confident."
Only then did Chu Yang's expression ease.
Relying on the power of Observation Haki, Chu Yang stayed just outside the Eight-Tails' sensory range, following closely behind it.
Yōto acted as the liaison, continuously updating the others on the Eight-Tails' movements.
Another day passed.
The Eight-Tails seemed tired. It stopped advancing and instead found a ravine, slowly stepping into a deep pool before plopping its massive body down.
The pool couldn't fully contain its bulk. Sitting inside, half its body remained exposed—like an ordinary person soaking in a bathtub. The sight was oddly comical.
Leaning against the mountains behind it, the Eight-Tails gradually closed its eyes.
By now, all ANBU members had regrouped around Chu Yang. Seeing the timing was right, he gave the order:
"Set up the barrier."
The moment the command was given, everyone vanished from Chu Yang's side.
Three squads—a total of twelve men—took up positions from twelve different directions, surrounding the Eight-Tails.
All twelve formed hand seals at the same time. Moments later, twelve distinct beams of light shot into the sky, converging into a polygonal, diamond-shaped barrier.
"Next, we'll leave it to you, Madara Uchiha."
A dark figure leapt down from the waterfall. As Chu Yang spoke, the man walked calmly toward the Eight-Tails.
Madara chuckled softly. "Well done, kid. No wonder Hashirama and Tobirama value you so highly. If you were an Uchiha, I might even have taken you as a disciple."
Madara's overwhelming chakra instantly startled the Eight-Tails awake. It rose to its feet and let out an earth-shaking roar.
The surrounding land trembled violently, rivers and lakes churning as if the end of the world had arrived.
Only then did Chu Yang realize a critical problem…He really shouldn't be here.
The collateral damage from a battle between Madara Uchiha and the Eight-Tails was more than enough to annihilate everything nearby.
A serious miscalculation.
Not daring to linger and admire the highest-level battle the ninja world had to offer, Chu Yang retreated from the battlefield at top speed. The next second, a wave of scorching heat surged from behind him.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Chu Yang turned his head, only to be blinded by a sky filled with flames, towering infernos roaring upward.
His heart jolted. He didn't dare delay and sprinted at full speed toward the edge of the barrier.
Just as he let out a breath of relief, every hair on his body stood on end. He hurriedly formed seals, erecting layers of barriers around himself.
Wood Release: Wood Style—Tree World Wall!
Feeling that a single Tree World Wall wasn't enough, Chu Yang poured chakra into it continuously. Layer after layer of defenses rose around him, stacked like mountain ridges.
On the other side, Madara's Great Fire Annihilation engulfed the Eight-Tails. Unwilling to be outdone, the beast swung its massive tails, whipping up surging waves that escalated into a colossal tsunami.
The wall of fire collided with the tsunami. Superheated steam exploded outward, rolling across the land. Trees and plants clinging to the cliffs around them withered and yellowed the instant they touched the scalding vapor.
Madara drew in his chest and gave a light blow. The breeze from his breath spread rapidly, forming a powerful gale that swept all the steam away.
As expected, the first Tree World Wall was destroyed by the intense heat.
Madara glanced back at Chu Yang, then looked up with a grin. "I was planning to warm up a bit, but it seems I don't have the time to play with you. Let's finish this quickly."
With that, Madara directly summoned his Perfect Susanoo. A colossal, armored energy giant rose from the ground, standing face-to-face with the Eight-Tails, its presence no less terrifying.
Sensing the threat, the Eight-Tails roared again. Its gaping maw opened wide as dark crimson chakra condensed into a sphere.
A Tailed Beast Ball!
Seeing this, Chu Yang hurriedly raised several more Tree World Walls.
Having fought tailed beasts many times, Madara knew all too well how powerful a Tailed Beast Ball was. Susanoo spread its four arms wide, the great swords in its hands poised and ready.
Hummmm—
A suffocating vibration rippled through the air—the sound of the Eight-Tails compressing the Tailed Beast Ball.
Even the twelve ANBU elites maintaining the barrier were crushed by the oppressive force, struggling to breathe.
Suddenly, the vibration stopped.
The Eight-Tails fired the Tailed Beast Ball.
It streaked through the air like a cannonball, tearing apart the atmosphere with a piercing roar.
In the blink of an eye, it reached Madara.
Susanoo's swords came down in unison, slashing fiercely into the Tailed Beast Ball. Violent energy waves surged outward like a tsunami. Under this shock, the diamond-shaped barrier cracked again and again, like a mirror on the verge of shattering.
At that very moment, Susanoo unleashed terrifying power, cleaving the Tailed Beast Ball into four pieces and sending them flying in different directions.
One of those fragments shot straight toward Chu Yang!
Damn it—friendly fire too?!
Watching a fragment the size of a football field fly straight at him, Chu Yang cursed internally.
When it landed, the dozen layers of defenses he had painstakingly erected were obliterated in an instant.
Thankfully, those Tree World Walls absorbed the remaining force of the blast, leaving Chu Yang completely unharmed.
When he opened his eyes again, all that remained before him was devastated land.
Waterfalls, green mountains, trees, flowers—everything had vanished.
"This is basically on par with a nuke…" Chu Yang swallowed hard. No wonder tailed beasts could influence wars between nations. How many ninja could one Tailed Beast Ball erase in an instant?
Aside from the fragment that struck Chu Yang's side and was blocked, the other fragments hit the barrier directly.
The immense impact made the entire barrier wobble violently, cracks spreading rapidly—it clearly wouldn't hold much longer.
Perfect Susanoo and the Eight-Tails engaged in brutal close combat, the commotion immense. These two titans, if unleashed in any city, would spell total annihilation.
"Once the barrier breaks, we have to find a way to restrain the Eight-Tails. Otherwise, not a single one of these three ANBU squads will survive."
The barrier ANBU had deployed was no small matter. If it were shattered by brute force, backlash was inevitable.
In severe cases, there could be casualties. Even in milder outcomes, most of them would lose the ability to move.
Chu Yang's Wood Release was highly effective at suppressing tailed beasts and could produce a surprise effect—but that also meant he would have to risk interfering in the battle between Madara and the Eight-Tails.
The danger level skyrocketed.
"Yōto's a good one. It'd be a shame for him to die here. And sensei wants me to cultivate my own people within ANBU—he's a solid choice…"
As Chu Yang weighed his thoughts, he made thorough preparations.
As the clash between Susanoo and the Eight-Tails intensified, the barrier finally failed to withstand the shockwaves. With a crisp shattering sound, it collapsed completely.
Runaway chakra erupted into a storm that swept over everyone. All twelve ANBU members were heavily injured and completely lost their ability to move.
Freed from restraint, the Eight-Tails grew even more rampant, entering a berserk state.
Conversely, without the barrier, Madara became the one constrained—any further shockwaves could easily kill the incapacitated ANBU.
What to do?
As Madara pondered his next move, the corner of his eye caught Chu Yang approaching.
What was he doing?
A flash of realization crossed Madara's eyes. He dismissed the sword in his hand.
The rampaging Eight-Tails whipped all its tails at Susanoo, wrapping tightly around it and trying to drag it closer.
Susanoo's four arms seized four of the tails, the two giants locked in a contest of raw strength.
In terms of brute force, the tailed beast still held the edge. Susanoo was slowly dragged forward.
At that moment, Chu Yang had already reached a position not far from the Eight-Tails. Engrossed in battle, the beast failed to notice him closing in.
Chu Yang began forming hand seals.
He intended to use a Wood Release sealing technique to restrict the Eight-Tails' movement. It would only be restraint, of course—true suppression required Hashirama Senju himself.
And it had to be Hashirama in Sage Mode.
As Chu Yang completed the seals, massive crimson torii gates materialized above the Eight-Tails' head and plunged downward, slamming precisely onto its eight tails.
Wood Release: Deity Gates!
Originally a technique that could only be used in Sage Mode, Chu Yang had made minor modifications during his time teaching, allowing it to be cast even without senjutsu chakra.
The surging tailed beast chakra within the Eight-Tails suddenly stalled—like a car slamming the brakes on a highway.
Its eight powerful tails went limp all at once!
With Chu Yang's current Wood Release level, achieving even this much restraint on the Eight-Tails without Sage Mode was already extremely impressive.
"A perfect opening!" Madara burst into triumphant laughter. Susanoo surged with power, yanking the Eight-Tails forward and breaking free of the tails. Chakra gathered again as the great swords reformed.
Under Madara's control, four swords slashed down simultaneously at the Eight-Tails' tails!
The sound of tearing flesh rang out. All eight tails were severed in an instant. The Eight-Tails howled in agony, bellowing toward the sky!
Madara pressed the advantage, giving the Eight-Tails no time to recover. His crimson Sharingan fixed on the beast in its severely weakened state.
Moments later, the Eight-Tails stopped struggling, its eyes gradually turning numb and hollow.
Chu Yang understood—the Eight-Tails was now under the control of the Sharingan. Next, Madara would seal it and hand it over to a suitable candidate to become its jinchūriki.
As the dust settled, the battle came to an end. After resting for a while, the ANBU members gradually regained their ability to move.
Everyone gathered before Madara Uchiha and, without a word, dropped to their knees one after another. Behind their masks were faces filled with shame.
"Lord Madara, it was our failure to maintain the barrier that caused so much trouble for your battle!"
"Lord Madara, please punish us for our incompetence!"
Apologies rang out nonstop, but the cold Madara only found the lot of them noisy. He said impatiently, "With ability like this, you're allowed to stay in ANBU? Thinking that Konoha's safety depends on people like you really makes it hard for me to rest easy."
Hearing this, the twelve ANBU members lowered their heads even further. Chu Yang felt that if Madara kept going, they might end up burying themselves alive in the ground.
"Thank Senju Yang properly. If he hadn't sealed the Eight-Tails' movements in time, at least half of you would already be corpses!"
With a cold snort, Madara turned to Chu Yang. For the first time, a trace of a smile appeared on his otherwise indifferent face. "If I'm not mistaken, that technique you used just now should be Hashirama's Deity Gates, something he only developed recently. When did he teach you?"
Chu Yang smiled and brushed it off casually. "The Hokage didn't teach me. I figured it out on my own."
He had no idea when Senju Hashirama actually mastered Sage Mode, so he could only gloss over it.
Fortunately, Madara had long heard of Chu Yang's talent and didn't doubt him.
Madara asked curiously, "Hashirama's Deity Gates require a special state to activate, but when you used it just now, it seemed you broke that restriction. Did Tobirama help you modify it?"
Chu Yang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I made part of the adjustments myself."
Madara studied Chu Yang for a long while, an indescribable expression appearing on his face.
"If possible… I really want to snatch you away from the Senju clan."
After the Eight-Tails capture plan was successfully completed, Chu Yang led the ANBU squads back to Konoha to recuperate.
Madara, who returned to the village first, handed the sealed Eight-Tails over to Tobirama Senju for further arrangements.
At this point, most of the tailed beasts had already been sealed by Konoha. Only the Nine-Tails remained unaccounted for.
After this operation, Chu Yang earned recognition within ANBU, and his reputation gradually spread.
A portion of ANBU members, led by Yōto, began drawing closer to Chu Yang. With Root—secretly established by Tobirama—acting as a driving force, cultivating influence within ANBU went even more smoothly than Chu Yang had expected.
ANBU affairs were progressing steadily, but for Chu Yang, capturing the Nine-Tails was the real challenge ahead.
Because the ANBU squads had failed to play their intended role during the direct confrontation with the Eight-Tails, Madara suggested that they withdraw from the Nine-Tails operation.
In other words, capturing the Nine-Tails would become a matter solely between Chu Yang and Madara.
Chu Yang felt both flattered and alarmed by Madara's confidence in him.
Deep down, however, he strongly opposed the idea. The scene of the Tailed Beast Ball's world-destroying power was still vivid in his mind.
Honestly speaking, taking one of those head-on—there wouldn't even be ashes left.
So Chu Yang firmly expressed his opposition in front of Tobirama.
Faced with Chu Yang's resistance, Tobirama didn't force the issue, and the Nine-Tails capture plan was temporarily put on hold.
...
Demon Slayer World
After completing a large number of demon-hunting missions, Chu Yang had fully mastered Sun Breathing: Total Concentration Constant. Judging purely by breathing technique, he was already at the level of a Hashira.
Of course, in terms of actual combat power, Chu Yang far surpassed the highest standard of this world. Even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni were to be reborn, it would be difficult for him to gain any advantage against Chu Yang.
At this moment, if Muzan Kibutsuji dared to appear before Chu Yang, he would be facing a swordsman countless times more terrifying than Yoriichi.
During this period, Chu Yang had been hunting demons almost nonstop, with the number already approaching fifty.
As a result, he was known throughout the entire Demon Slayer Corps, becoming the hottest new swordsman.
Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki was considering whether to promote him directly to Hashira.
Chu Yang's rapid rise not only drew attention from within the Demon Slayer Corps, but also caught Muzan's eye.
However, since Chu Yang never used Sun Breathing while hunting demons, Muzan was merely curious and didn't focus too much attention on him.
That didn't mean others were indifferent to Chu Yang's performance.
"I've heard from other demons that this newcomer has an incredibly strong physique, almost comparable to ours. I don't believe it, so I want to test him myself," said Akaza.
His tone carried a lofty arrogance, as though he were looking down from the clouds at Chu Yang, viewing him as nothing more than an ant.
Among the Twelve Kizuki, all demons shared the same belief: demons were the pinnacle of evolution, while humans were a species already eliminated by nature.
"I'm also quite curious what kind of person could slaughter so many demons in such a short time. If you find him, be sure to notify me so I can watch," said Doma, covering his mouth with a fan as he chuckled softly.
Akaza didn't even look at him, his face full of disdain.
His dislike for Doma wasn't new.
Akaza enjoyed fighting strong opponents and thrived against powerful enemies. He despised Doma, who preyed on women and children, believing him to lack the dignity befitting a demon.
Once both Upper Rank Two and Upper Rank Three expressed interest in Chu Yang, the other demons already considered Chu Yang a dead man, no longer worth paying attention to.
Including Muzan himself.
Chu Yang, however, had no idea that Akaza and Doma had already set their sights on him. He had just finished a mission and was on his way to the Butterfly Mansion.
Under such high-intensity demon hunting, Chu Yang rarely returned to the temple where he had once trained with Gyomei Himejima.
The reason was simple—he had no time to cook and couldn't be bothered to do so. Gyomei often went out to track demon activity, leaving Chu Yang alone at the temple.
Rather than guarding a dilapidated temple by himself, Chu Yang preferred to freeload meals at the Butterfly Mansion. As a place for injured slayers to recuperate, the food there was nutritious, delicious, and plentiful—more than enough to satisfy him.
The Butterfly Mansion also welcomed Chu Yang warmly. Nearly every injured slayer there regarded him as an idol. After all, aside from him, few in the Corps' history had slaughtered so many demons in such a short time.
Beyond admiration, many new swordsmen humbly sought Chu Yang's guidance, whether in combat experience or sword techniques—they could learn a great deal from him.
Tanjiro's senior sister Makomo had recovered part of her mobility.
Unwilling to remain in bed all the time, she began helping around the Butterfly Mansion with whatever she could manage, easing the burden on Shinobu Kocho as Kanae Kocho's assistant.
Her teacher, Sakonji Urokodaki, had yet to visit her even once.
Makomo was still waiting for him.
Chu Yang pushed open the door to the Butterfly Mansion and ran into Kanae Kocho, who was just about to head out. The two met face to face.
Kanae was as beautiful as ever, her movements elegant and gentle.
"Senior Kanae, where are you heading?" Chu Yang asked curiously. Not long ago, Kanae had asked him to address her as a senior rather than formally calling her "my lady."
"Oh, it's you," Kanae said with a warm smile. "I heard you've slain quite a few demons again lately. At this rate, the next time we meet, you might already be called a Hashira like me."
"That doesn't really matter. Whether I become a Hashira or not doesn't stop me from killing demons," Chu Yang replied with a smile, then asked again, "You still haven't said where you're going."
"On a mission, of course!" Kanae sighed lightly. "Treating the injured and going on missions—sometimes when I think about it, I'm really busy. At this rate, I might even retire early."
Chu Yang knew she was just pretending. In truth, she enjoyed this life more than anyone else, so he didn't bother pointing it out.
Most members of the Demon Slayer Corps complained with their mouths, but their resolve to slay demons was unwavering.
"Then I wish you a smooth mission."
"Thank you."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they passed by each other. But after only a few steps, Chu Yang suddenly felt a pang in his heart and turned around abruptly.
What met his eyes was Kanae's retreating figure. She looked so fragile—like a wisp of willow in the wind, as though she could be destroyed by a storm at any moment.
It felt as if a heavy stone was lodged in Chu Yang's chest, leaving him inexplicably uneasy.
Staring at Kanae Kocho's solitary departing back, a sense of foreboding welled up inside him. Unable to stop himself, he blurted out, "Senior, if you think it'll be boring, I can go with you."
Kanae paused, turning back in surprise. She hadn't expected Chu Yang to say something like that. Then, a playful smile spread across her face.
She looked at him with a half-smile.
Chu Yang himself didn't know why he had spoken on impulse. Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "If you don't want to, then forget it."
But Kanae smiled sweetly and replied, "Going on a mission alone… is indeed a bit boring."
(End of Chapter)