151-160

Chapter 151: Arrival at Iwagakure Village

Pain felt great joy in his heart; he hadn't even given the order yet, but the two of them had already captured two tailed beasts.

It was Uchiha Obito's idea to capture the tailed beasts, so Pain thought it was understandable.

However, Pain sensed that Touji's strength seemed to have improved again in just half a month.

Everyone else was also staring at Touji in shock.

After all, the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails was none other than Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage. Defeating him was no small feat, especially considering the sheer number of Mist Village ninjas who would come to his defense.

Not only did it test one's strength, but it was also a huge test of combat strategy.

Uchiha Itachi, in particular, could relate to this, as one of his former comrades had died at the hands of Yagura, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.

No one dared to underestimate Touji anymore, especially since he managed to defeat Yagura while bringing along the "deadweight" of Tobi. His strength was undeniable.

What the Akatsuki members didn’t know was that Touji had defeated Yagura all by himself!

"Since we’ve already captured two tailed beasts, some adjustments are necessary."

Pain began to announce everyone's new targets.

Touji and Uchiha Obito were assigned to the Land of Earth, tasked with hunting either the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, or the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han!

Though Pain’s orders implied they could capture just one, it was clear he hoped they would capture both.

Although Iwagakure was a strong village, it didn't have many standout ninja.

The only true top-tier ninja was the Tsuchikage, Ohnoki.

The next generation of Iwagakure ninja was nowhere near as impressive.

Assigning Touji and Uchiha Obito—who had just defeated two tailed beasts—to Iwagakure made it clear that Pain wanted them to capture both Jinchuriki.

Touji just smiled slightly.

While Pain might not think much of Iwagakure, to Touji, it was a treasure trove.

Iwagakure had unique Kekkei Tota (advanced bloodline techniques). It would be a waste not to earn some goodwill while he was there.

After disconnecting from the communication, Uchiha Obito sidled up to Touji and nudged him.

"You looked pretty happy just now. Do you have someone you like in Iwagakure?"

Touji shot him a glare, wishing he could smack Obito.

Obito had become somewhat fixated; whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he’d ask Touji if she was his lover.

Despite getting beaten for it multiple times, Obito never seemed to learn.

After a long journey, the two of them finally arrived at Iwagakure.

While Iwagakure might not have many elite ninjas, the two still had to take things seriously.

Obito was busy planning how to take down the two Jinchuriki, while Touji was thinking of how to sneak into Iwagakure and gain some favor.

As they were lost in thought, a kunai flew straight at Touji, followed by a figure quickly rushing toward him.

Both Touji and Obito noticed right away.

However, seeing that Touji wasn't planning to move, Obito kept quiet, pretending not to notice.

The kunai flew toward Touji, but he made no effort to dodge, even when it was only half a meter away.

The young woman’s face lit up with glee, and she sneered, "So much for your reputation. Time to take you down and show grandpa how strong I am!"

Touji frowned.

He had never crossed paths with any Iwagakure ninja, much less a female one.

But this woman seemed to bear a deep grudge against him.

At least she wasn’t trying to kill him, so Touji let go of the killing intent he had felt for a moment.

The young female ninja looked about the same age as Touji, and she had particularly long legs, so much so that even Obito couldn’t help but stare.

"You said you didn’t have anyone in Iwagakure. So why’s this girl attacking you without a word?" Obito snorted.

Touji glared at him, then caught the incoming kunai with two fingers.

He was still puzzled, having no idea what was going on.

As Touji and Obito were talking, the girl had already reached Touji, aiming a kick at his vital region.

Touji frowned again.

Typically, ninja attacks target the heart or throat, but this woman’s kick was aimed low.

If it hit, well, it would be devastating.

Touji smirked coldly but didn’t move. The young woman’s face lit up again with glee.

"I’ll ruin you! Let’s see if grandpa still forces me to marry you after this!"

But the expected impact never came. She hadn’t even felt herself make contact.

Wide-eyed, the woman watched her foot pass straight through Touji’s body.

Due to her momentum, she was flung into the air, ending up in an awkward position as she crashed to the ground, knocking herself out.

Obito’s mouth twitched. He nudged Touji with his shoulder.

"Man, you’re ruthless. Even knocking out fools like her? And from the sound of it, you’ve got her grandpa in your pocket. You sure you don’t have any connections in Iwagakure?"

Touji was now thoroughly confused.

He had never even met an Iwagakure ninja, much less gotten engaged to one.

Sure, the girl had a pretty face and long legs, but she clearly wasn’t right in the head.

Touji thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

He had been wondering how to infiltrate Iwagakure, and now here was the perfect opportunity, handed to him by this foolish girl.

This way, he wouldn’t even need to use genjutsu.

Hopefully, this girl wasn’t mistaken and wouldn’t cause any complications later.

But now that Touji thought about it, she did seem vaguely familiar.

He had seen her somewhere before, though they’d never interacted, and he hadn’t gotten any details on her.

"I’ll use her to sneak into Iwagakure," Touji said.

Obito was stunned, staring at him in disbelief.

"No way! Are you seriously going after this fool? You’re not lying to me—you look serious! Did you drink too much and forget?"

Touji shot Obito a sharp look, and Obito quickly shut up.

"You keep watch outside. Wait for my signal."

"Yeah, sure. Can’t believe you’re ditching me for a girl," Obito muttered as he activated his Kamui and disappeared.

About half an hour later, the girl slowly opened her eyes. She grabbed her head in pain, and tears began streaming down her face.

"It hurts so much! Who attacked me? Wait, I was attacking that jerk Touji! It must have been him!"

"You know me?"

"Ah! You jerk! What did you do to me?!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 152: Baffled and Confused (Please Subscribe!)*

[Ding Dong! Connection established with Kurotsuchi! Favorability: 40 points! Pay attention!!!]

[Favorability at 50 points unlocks: Earth Hiding Dragon Technique!]

[Favorability at 60 points unlocks: Earth Stalagmite Technique!]

[Favorability at 70 points unlocks: Rock Fist Technique!]

[Favorability at 80 points unlocks: Heavier Rock Technique!]

[Favorability at 90 points unlocks: Super Heavier Rock Technique!]

[Favorability at 100 points unlocks: Lava Release! Gain all the rewards and activate Infinite Sign-In (with a sign-in interval of 7 days!)]

Touji was stunned for a moment.

He hadn’t expected that this silly girl in front of him would be the future Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi.

She had competed with Chojuro for years over who was the weakest Kage.

Letting such a foolish girl become the Tsuchikage was a sign of how far Iwagakure had fallen.

“Say something! What did you do to me while I was unconscious?!” Kurotsuchi demanded angrily, backing away as she spoke.

Touji smiled wryly and pointed at himself. “Do I look like that kind of person to you?”

“You totally do! When my grandpa said he wanted me to marry you as part of a Konoha alliance, I thought you were some kind of Prince Charming! But when I got to Konoha, I found out you had multiple girlfriends! A scumbag like you—I wouldn’t marry you even if you were the last man on earth!”

Suddenly, Touji understood everything.

Shortly after the Konoha Crush plan, an envoy from the Land of Earth had been sent.

However, Touji had gone to find Tsunade at the time. Afterward, he left Konoha and had only recently returned, completely avoiding the situation.

Now that things were clear, Touji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At least he hadn’t done something bad while drunk.

Seeing Touji lost in thought, Kurotsuchi’s eyes lit up, and she charged toward him again, her hands quickly gathering rocks into a large fist.

Bang!

This time, Kurotsuchi’s punch connected, and she felt a surge of happiness.

After all, any ninja from her village struck by this punch would be bedridden for days. Even Jonin wouldn’t dare take it head-on.

Feeling proud, Kurotsuchi’s face lit up.

But her satisfaction didn’t last long. As the dust settled, she realized her punch hadn’t hit Touji. Instead, he had caught it with his bare hand.

“How is this possible?! You caught my Rock Fist Technique with your hand?!”

“Among the ninja your age in Iwagakure, where does your strength rank?” Touji asked with a smile.

Kurotsuchi was taken aback by the unexpected question.

But it wasn’t a secret, so she proudly responded, “First… or second. Besides Deidara, I’m the most talented genius!”

Touji shook his head slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Kurotsuchi’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Do you know why your grandfather, Onoki, wanted you to marry me?” Touji asked.

Kurotsuchi’s face flushed with embarrassment and anger, though curiosity overcame her.

“Go on, tell me!”

“Because your generation is too weak. After Deidara left, Iwagakure hasn’t had any geniuses to speak of. If someone like you is considered a top-tier genius, your grandfather sees no hope for the village and is resorting to other methods,” Touji said with a smile.

Kurotsuchi’s face turned red with fury, her eyes blazing with rage as if she wanted to devour Touji on the spot.

“You—Are you looking down on me? Let’s see how great of a genius you are!”

[Ding Dong! Kurotsuchi’s favorability decreased by 5 points! Current favorability: 35 points! Pay attention!!!]

Kurotsuchi leapt back, putting distance between herself and Touji, quickly forming hand signs.

Suddenly, spikes of rock emerged from the ground beneath Touji’s feet.

He barely reacted, simply hopping lightly, landing perfectly on top of the rock spikes.

“That’s it?”

Kurotsuchi’s face darkened, her anger overtaking her rationality.

“I just wanted to teach you a lesson before, but now you’ve really pissed me off! Die!” Kurotsuchi roared, quickly forming more hand signs.

With a deep breath, she spat out a stream of dark gray cement, encasing Touji completely.

The cement rapidly hardened into a solid stone pillar.

“You brought this on yourself!” Kurotsuchi snorted, preparing to break open the cement.

But when she did, she found no trace of Touji—only a log inside.

“A substitution technique! When did he—”

Kurotsuchi turned and saw Touji sitting calmly a short distance away, watching her with mocking eyes.

“Damn, he’s fast!” Kurotsuchi’s heart sank, her hands once again flying through hand signs.

But just as she completed the final Tiger Seal, Touji appeared in front of her, grabbing her fingers.

“You’re too slow. Is this the talent Iwagakure is so proud of?” Touji smirked.

Kurotsuchi’s face turned grim.

Though she wanted to argue, the truth was clear: in front of Touji, someone her age, she was being completely toyed with.

She had no chance of defeating him, not even a glimmer of hope.

Her face darkened further, filled with frustration and disappointment.

But deep down, Kurotsuchi had to admit that Touji was far stronger than her.

“Do I really have no hope?” she asked bitterly.

Touji chuckled to himself.

Kurotsuchi could be considered a genius, even by other villages' standards. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have become the Tsuchikage.

But she wasn’t one of those extraordinary geniuses.

Moreover, comparing herself to Touji was simply setting herself up for failure—she clearly didn’t understand the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Now that everything had played out as expected, it was time to reel her in.

“Do you want to become stronger, to show Onoki that you can make Iwagakure great again without marrying me?”

Kurotsuchi’s eyes brightened with hope, though she still looked at Touji suspiciously.

“I do…”

“Great! I’ll train you. Once you prove your strength, your grandfather will be happy to see you find a love that truly satisfies you.”

Kurotsuchi nodded eagerly, excitement shining on her face.

“Please teach me!”

[Ding Dong! Kurotsuchi’s favorability increased by 25 points! Current favorability: 60 points! Sign-in available!]

“Sign in with Kurotsuchi!”

[Ding Dong! Kurotsuchi sign-in successful! Gained Transformation Technique! Favorability increased by 5 points! Current favorability: 65 points! Sign-in available!]

[Ding Dong! Since Substitution Technique has already been acquired, low-level Substitution is upgraded to a higher level!]

[Ding Dong! Kurotsuchi sign-in successful! Gained Earth Stalagmite Technique! Favorability increased by 4 points! Current favorability: 69 points!]

Please support with subscriptions! Three chapters in one go!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 153: Kurotsuchi's Comeback Plan

After their rapport improved, Kurotsuchi wasn’t as resistant as before. At least, she stopped targeting critical areas in her attacks.

However, Touji wasn’t going to let her off that easily. After all, if he hadn't successfully defended against that earlier kick, his life would have been ruined.

Touji started recalling the Five Elements Seal. If it were a system ability, Kurotsuchi wouldn’t have been able to mobilize any chakra at all. But the Five Elements Seal he was about to use was something Touji had learned on his own. And this was the first time he was using it on a real person.

"Are you ready?"

Seeing the chakra in Touji’s hands, Kurotsuchi swallowed hard. Although she wasn’t sure what Touji was planning, she had decided to give it her all in order to grow stronger.

“Yeah, I’m ready!”

Touji's lips curled up slightly, and he swiftly lifted Kurotsuchi’s shirt. She froze, her face turning bright red, completely unprepared for his actions.

Before she could react, Touji’s other hand struck toward her dantian (lower abdomen). In an instant, Kurotsuchi flew several meters before landing hard on the ground.

Struggling to her feet, she quickly realized that mobilizing her chakra had become even more difficult. It took several attempts before she could gather a small amount of chakra.

“Ninety percent of your chakra is sealed, huh?” Touji stroked his chin, nodding slightly. He was satisfied with the results.

“Why did you seal my chakra?! Without it, I can’t use any jutsu! You’re sending me to my death in this wilderness!” Kurotsuchi yelled.

Touji just smiled and casually removed his weights, tossing them to Kurotsuchi.

She instinctively tried to catch them but was immediately pinned to the ground, completely unable to move due to their immense weight. The shock of the situation hit her even harder.

She couldn’t believe that Touji had been walking around with such heavy weights in his daily life.

“Ahh! Much lighter now!” Touji stretched and jumped around, feeling the newfound lightness in his body. It was liberating.

“Stop jumping around and help me!” Kurotsuchi pleaded in frustration.

Touji chuckled and walked over to her, but instead of lifting all the weights at once, he removed them piece by piece and strapped them onto various parts of her body.

“What are you doing?! This is way too heavy! I can’t take it anymore! Please, let me go!” Kurotsuchi begged.

Touji smirked mischievously.

“Today’s training goal is for you to flip yourself over. I call this exercise the ‘Flipping the Fish’ training.”

“No way! There’s no way I can flip over with this much weight!” Kurotsuchi immediately shook her head in refusal. Weights need to be added gradually; no ninja could handle this amount all at once.

But Touji just continued smirking as he casually picked up a water snake, using genjutsu on it before placing it a few meters away from Kurotsuchi.

“This snake will reach you in about an hour. If you haven’t flipped over by then, I won’t help you,” he said.

Kurotsuchi’s pupils shrank in fear. With her chakra sealed, she couldn’t use the Lightweight Rock Technique to escape. Under normal circumstances, a water snake would be nothing to worry about, but now, unable to move, the snake might just be the end of her.

Though it wasn’t venomous, it was still terrifying!

“Alright, let’s begin!”

“No, wait! Don’t do this!” Kurotsuchi screamed in panic, but Touji paid her no mind, leaving her to struggle on her own.

After several moments of intense effort, her limbs finally began to budge.

Touji watched from the treetops, stroking his chin with a satisfied smile.

*Ding! Kurotsuchi’s favorability has decreased by one point! Current favorability: 68 points!*

*Ding! Kurotsuchi’s favorability has decreased by one point! Current favorability: 67 points!*

*Ding! Kurotsuchi’s favorability has decreased by two points! Current favorability: 65 points!*

*Ding! Warning! Kurotsuchi’s favorability is continuously dropping. Please stop your beastly behavior!*

Touji rolled his eyes and then sat back, continuing to observe Kurotsuchi’s "Flipping the Fish" plan from above.

After about 15 minutes, Kurotsuchi finally managed to flip herself over. Her face lit up with joy.

“You bastard, Touji! I did it! Now, let me go!”

But no matter how much she yelled, there was no response from Touji, and the water snake kept slithering closer.

“Touji, you jerk! Where did you go?!”

Kurotsuchi was on the verge of tears as she desperately began crawling forward. Just moments ago, even flipping herself over was a struggle, but now, she was moving with surprising speed.

However, she quickly noticed that the water snake was moving even faster than she was. In a panic, she used every ounce of her strength to crawl faster, but the snake was relentless.

After a few minutes, the snake slithered up onto Kurotsuchi’s leg.

She screamed in terror, tears streaming down her face.

At that moment, Touji appeared in front of her like a savior.

“Touji, you bastard… help me!” she cried.

Touji smiled and waved his hand. The snake immediately turned and slithered away.

He crouched down, looking at Kurotsuchi, who was sobbing like a rain-soaked flower, and couldn’t help but laugh.

“This exercise was meant to show you just how much potential you have. But to unlock it, you need extreme pressure to bring it out!”

*Ding! Kurotsuchi’s favorability has increased by five points! Current favorability: 70 points! You can now sign in!*

“Sign in for Kurotsuchi!”

*Ding! Sign-in successful! You have obtained the Hidden Earth Dragon Technique! Kurotsuchi’s favorability has increased by three points! Current favorability: 73 points!*

*Ding! Since you have already learned the Hidden Earth Dragon Technique, the lower-level version has been upgraded to the higher-level version!*

Kurotsuchi felt a pang of guilt. At first, she thought Touji was torturing her, but now she realized he truly wanted to help her grow. She had cursed him out earlier, shouting until her voice was hoarse.

“I understand now… Touji-kun.”

Touji nodded and removed the weights from her hands.

“You can handle the rest on your own.”

Kurotsuchi quickly removed the weights from her feet, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the ones on her abdomen to come off—not even with a kunai.

“Touji-kun, please help me!” she pleaded.

Touji frowned, but after fiddling with it for a while, he still couldn’t get it off.

He finally pulled out his Thunder Blade.

But even the Thunder Blade couldn’t cut through the weight.

Touji’s expression darkened, and he looked at Kurotsuchi with serious eyes.

“There’s only one way left… I’ll have to use my teeth.”

Kurotsuchi’s face flushed red. The weight was strapped in an embarrassing spot on her waist. If Touji used his teeth…

But there was no one else around, so it didn’t really matter.

“Alright, just hurry up!”

Touji didn’t waste any time and got to work.

“What are you doing to Kurotsuchi?!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 154: You Continue (Please Subscribe!)

With a roar, Touji felt the chakra around him surge wildly. Suddenly, a sharp spike lunged toward him.

Touji frowned, quickly jumping to avoid it.

However, when he leaped into the air, he noticed the surrounding space beginning to ripple, and it seemed like he was trapped inside a cube.

"Particle Style!"

Touji's pupils shrank.

He never expected Onoki would appear, and at such an awkward moment, too.

The posture just now, if seen from the wrong angle, could easily be misunderstood.

Clearly, Onoki had misunderstood.

If it were someone else trapped in Particle Style, they'd be as good as dead. But with Touji's Kamui, he easily escaped.

"He dodged it?" Onoki looked at Touji, surprised.

That last move was supposed to be a guaranteed kill, but Touji had managed to find a way out of a seemingly impossible situation.

Moreover, Touji looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old. Onoki couldn't help but keep sizing him up.

"A real talent... If my granddaughter weren't already betrothed to the Shadow of a Moment, I'd seriously consider it," Onoki muttered, rubbing his chin.

At this, Kurotsuchi's face immediately flushed red. She lightly tugged at Onoki's clothing and whispered, "That's Touji..."

"I've told you so many times, call me Tsuchikage in front of others!"

Onoki started to lecture her but then felt something off. He quickly turned and asked, "Who?"

"That's Touji!"

Onoki was stunned for a moment before putting on a pair of glasses and giving Touji another look.

"Ah! So you're the grandson-in-law! Whatever you were doing, continue. I'll head back to Iwagakure and wait for you!"

With that, Onoki flew off at high speed, covering his eyes with both hands, as if trying to avoid the awkwardness.

Touji's mouth twitched.

He didn’t even have time to check Onoki's elemental jutsu before he disappeared.

And what did he mean by "continue what you were doing"?!

Kurotsuchi glared at Touji angrily and said, "Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and help me take off these weights!"

Touji could only smile helplessly as he knelt down again.

But just as Touji bit down on the buckle, Onoki suddenly flew back.

"My granddaughter forgot to tell you—be a little more assertive! Good luck!"

Onoki said this and flew off once again.

Touji froze in place, still biting down on the buckle, while Kurotsuchi seemed to calm down.

"If my grandpa insists on us getting married, but I refuse, what will you do?"

Touji finally unclasped the buckle and looked at Kurotsuchi seriously.

"Your grandpa is worried about having no successors. He fears that Iwagakure will have no one to protect it and that it will eventually be swallowed up by the other great nations. But if your strength grows, he won’t pressure you anymore," Touji patiently explained.

Kurotsuchi's eyes became more serious.

She reattached the buckle she had just unfastened.

"Teach me for a month. If I can’t earn my grandpa’s approval within that time, then I’ll agree to marry you!"

"What?" Touji responded, confused.

It seemed like he had never said he wanted to marry Kurotsuchi in the first place?

Why did both Onoki and Kurotsuchi insist on imposing their own ideas on others?

"I’ll teach you, but even if you fail, I won’t marry you."

"Don’t worry, I understand your kindness. But when I say something, I mean it!"

"I really don’t have that intention…"

"I’m a woman, and I’m not afraid. What are you scared of?"

"It’s not about being scared…"

"Touji, help me up. These weights are too heavy; I can't get up..."

"..."

Touji removed all of Kurotsuchi’s weights and strapped them onto himself.

He then swapped them out for a set that was half as heavy.

Physical training is a gradual process. It’s impossible to become strong overnight.

But even with half the weight, Kurotsuchi was still gasping for breath.

Especially since her chakra had been mostly sealed, even moving normally was a struggle.

But Kurotsuchi showed no sign of giving up, following Touji step by step.

What should have been a two-hour journey took them until nightfall.

In the end, they had no choice but to camp out in the wilderness.

"If we run at full speed, it’s only half an hour away. How about I take your weights off so we can run back?" Touji suggested.

"No! Training is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you fall back. I won’t give up here!" Kurotsuchi replied determinedly.

Touji’s mouth twitched.

If you want to become immortal, why drag me into it?

As night fell, the temperature in the forest dropped significantly. For Touji, who had Ice Release, the cold was nothing.

But Kurotsuchi hadn’t prepared for spending the night outdoors and was shivering from the cold.

At that moment, a figure flashed above Touji.

In the ninja world, this wasn’t unusual.

And they were already in the Land of Earth, so safety wasn’t much of a concern.

But Touji saw through his Byakugan that the figure was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

Touji’s gaze immediately turned cold.

By now, Sasuke had joined forces with Uchiha Madara and had greatly improved his abilities.

And his purpose for coming to the Land of Earth was probably the same as Touji’s.

He was after the tailed beasts!

Touji had long considered the tailed beasts his own. How could he let others covet them?

Especially Madara.

But there was one thing Touji couldn’t figure out.

How had Sasuke managed to keep himself composed after being hit twice by the Rasengan's “Thousand Years of Death”?

"Kurotsuchi, I need to leave for a bit. Stay here and don’t wander off."

"What? You’re going to leave me here?" Kurotsuchi looked at Touji, scared, her eyes pleading for him to stay.

"I have to go, but I should be back soon!"

Without giving Kurotsuchi a chance to respond, Touji used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

Sasuke was fast, but to Touji, he moved like a snail.

It only took Touji a few minutes to catch up and stand in front of Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sasuke, we meet again!"

Touji’s sudden appearance startled Sasuke, who quickly backed away to put some distance between them.

One hand hovered over his ninja tool pouch, ready to attack at any moment.

His other hand, however, was defensively placed behind him.

"Touji! Are you trying to stop me again?" Sasuke snarled, glaring at Touji.

Touji simply smiled indifferently.

"Why let Madara manipulate you? What’s he offering you?"

"Offering me? He just told me the truth. I’m grateful you helped me kill those people, but now I have a mission: to destroy Konoha! To destroy that cursed village!"

Touji hadn’t expected Madara to use the secret from years ago as leverage to win over Sasuke.

But Touji had promised Uchiha Itachi that he would look after his younger brother, so he couldn’t just let things slide.

"Looks like I’m going to have to teach you a lesson!"

Chapter 155: That's It? (Subscribe!)

Uchiha Sasuke’s eyes grew serious.

The injuries Touji had inflicted on him last time still throbbed faintly, and some of his organs hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Every time Sasuke slept, he would dream of Touji’s actions during that moment.

However, recently Sasuke had gained many benefits from Uchiha Madara, even obtaining the First Hokage’s cells. His chakra and ninjutsu had drastically improved.

“Touji, since you’re determined to stop me, I’ll show you how powerful I’ve become!”

With a cold snort, Sasuke began forming hand signs rapidly. Instantly, the surrounding trees seemed to come to life, relentlessly attacking Touji.

“This is the First Hokage’s Wood Release! It’ll be interesting to watch Konoha be destroyed by the very same Wood Release used by the First Hokage!” Sasuke said with a smug grin before sharply turning his gaze toward Touji.

“But first, I’ll show you just how strong my Wood Release is!”

As soon as he finished speaking, countless branches wrapped around Touji.

Touji didn’t move to evade them, allowing the branches to entangle him freely.

“Not dodging? Is it a clone technique? Or a substitution jutsu?”

“Don’t bother guessing. I didn’t use any ninjutsu.”

Seeing Touji’s calm eyes, a wave of irritation surged in Sasuke’s heart.

“If it’s really your true body, then die!” Sasuke yelled, tightening his grip.

The branches around Touji constricted even tighter.

“Don’t bother resisting; Wood Release can absorb your chakra. Once you’re bound, there’s no escape!” Sasuke’s tone grew more triumphant.

Yet Touji showed no signs of pain. Instead, he smiled slightly.

“You’re still smiling when death is upon you?”

“I’m laughing because you think such a weak Wood Release can kill me. Who do you think I am?”

Suddenly, Touji’s chakra exploded outward.

As the chakra surged, the ground began to shake.

Out of nowhere, a massive wooden hand emerged from beneath the earth, followed by an enormous figure rising entirely from the ground.

A giant, more than ten meters tall, now stood before Sasuke.

Sasuke stared in disbelief, shaking his head as he stumbled backward.

“Wood Release... How can you use Wood Release too? And this chakra... Weren’t you always low on chakra, like Kakashi?!”

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

With that, Touji shrugged off the branches binding him. They shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.

The massive wooden figure swung its hand.

Sasuke, still stunned, was grabbed effortlessly.

“Is that all it takes to break your fighting spirit? You’ve really disappointed me,” Touji said coldly.

He had expected Sasuke to at least put up a fight after his supposed power-up.

But to his surprise, he had captured Sasuke with just one move.

“That’s it? You think that’s enough to kill me? Who do you think you’re underestimating?” Touji said angrily.

Just then, a shadowy figure appeared, gripping a woman by the throat, glaring defiantly at Touji.

The woman was Kurotsuchi.

“Let Sasuke go, or this woman dies right here!” the shadowy figure threatened.

Touji frowned, a hint of anger rising within him.

Out of respect for Itachi Uchiha, Touji didn’t want to make things too hard for Sasuke.

But now White Zetsu was using Kurotsuchi as leverage, and that was something Touji couldn’t tolerate.

“Do you realize you’re asking for death?”

“Death? I don’t think so. As long as this woman is in my hands, I’m safe!” White Zetsu sneered, tightening his grip on Kurotsuchi’s throat.

“But she’s no longer in your hands.”

White Zetsu froze, and as the space around him distorted, he realized that Kurotsuchi had disappeared—and so had his own hands.

A howl of pain erupted from White Zetsu.

When he looked up, he saw Kurotsuchi now safe in Touji’s arms.

“You’re too weak to even be considered my opponent,” Touji said, shaking his head.

Chakra surged around White Zetsu once more.

This time, the space around White Zetsu twisted again.

But it wasn’t just his limbs being severed—his entire body was split in two, and all signs of life faded from his face.

“Amazing! So powerful!” Kurotsuchi exclaimed, looking at Touji in disbelief.

Before, Kurotsuchi had thought Touji was strong only because she couldn’t defeat him.

But now, after seeing him easily cut White Zetsu in half with one move, she fully acknowledged his strength.

At that moment, Kurotsuchi’s admiration for Touji was sealed.

“Touji-kun, you have to teach me! Teach me how to become stronger!” she said excitedly, completely forgetting their previous arrangements.

But just then, the sound of wood breaking echoed from behind them. Kurotsuchi turned and saw that Sasuke had already escaped from the wooden figure’s grip.

“Not good! That guy ran away!” Kurotsuchi said anxiously.

Touji shrugged indifferently.

He had noticed Sasuke’s tricks from the start.

But out of respect for Itachi, he had pretended not to see.

Besides, Sasuke was just a small fry. Killing him wouldn’t bring any real satisfaction.

If Touji wanted to kill someone, it would be Madara Uchiha, the mastermind behind it all.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s not capable of causing much trouble on his own.”

As Touji spoke, he quickly formed hand signs. Instantly, a wooden house emerged from the ground.

“Let’s rest here for the night. That way, you won’t be cold.”

Hearing his words, Kurotsuchi shivered slightly, her eyes softening as she looked at Touji.

“So, you knew all along…”

Touji smiled gently and tapped Kurotsuchi’s forehead.

“Don’t overthink it. Get some sleep. Don’t show up tomorrow looking all sleep-deprived and make your grandfather think I’m mistreating you.”

Watching Touji walk into the house, Kurotsuchi stomped her foot in frustration before following him inside, pouting.

The next morning, Touji sluggishly climbed out of bed.

Still half-asleep, he stumbled toward the bathroom.

Pushing open the bathroom door, a wave of heat hit him, causing him to take a step back.

Without thinking much, Touji walked straight in.

But as soon as he entered, he realized something was off.

The sound of running water echoed in his ears—it sounded like someone was taking a bath.

“Bathing? Oh no!” Touji suddenly understood, but it was too late.

“Ah! Who let you in here?!”

(End of Chapter)