Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Orochimaru: Ryoho Kyohiko, You Understand Me Best!
"Interesting. So, have you mastered another special ninjutsu?"
Orochimaru licked his lips. This was a sign of his extreme excitement.
After a moment, Orochimaru composed himself.
"Would you mind letting me see it?"
"I can, but..."
"Mm, for safety’s sake—"
Orochimaru walked outside. "I should probably use the Rashomon gates."
If it were the Kyohiko of the past, he might have dared to say something like "you can’t kill me," but the current Kyohiko... whether in terms of strength or his level of life, seemed to be undergoing an incredible leap. He had not yet completed his research on eternal life and immortality. Even if he had mastered the Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique, it still had its limits.
What if I can’t block it? So, Orochimaru didn’t dare to gamble.
The next second, he bit his lip.
Summoning: Triple Rashomon!
A slight smile touched Orochimaru’s lips.
"I’ve stacked the three gates. Although the effect of resisting a chakra blast will be weakened, it will increase its ability to cope with pure force."
"Well then..."
Before he could finish, Ryoho Kyohiko raised his hand and struck the gate. A plain and unremarkable punch. But as it neared the gate, a chakra fluctuation suddenly appeared, and then—
Boom!
One punch, a superposition of Superhuman Strength and the Added-Weight Rock Technique.
The triple-stacked Rashomon gates instantly shattered and collapsed, disappearing before his eyes at a speed Orochimaru had not expected. He blinked, a look of astonishment on his face.
After a long while, Orochimaru finally took a deep breath.
"If Onoki saw this scene, he would surely be ashamed, and then he would bombard you with Dust Release all over the world."
Added-Weight Rock. Ryoho Kyohiko had already thoroughly researched it. In fact, in Orochimaru’s view, Kyohiko’s Added-Weight Rock Technique was now even more terrifying than Onoki’s! Of course, it wasn’t that Onoki’s skills were poor, but that his body limited the extent of his abilities.
People were different. At least, the current Ryoho Kyohiko, in Orochimaru’s view, could no longer be described as a normal human.
He couldn’t help but laugh hoarsely.
"Kyohiko-kun, sometimes, I really want to take over your body. Your kind of power is truly fascinating!"
Ryoho Kyohiko chuckled lightly.
"Senpai, if you really have such thoughts, I advise you to dispel them early. After all, you are no match for me."
Orochimaru nodded in deep agreement. Because—at this moment, Ryoho Kyohiko hadn’t even activated Sage Mode.
As a researcher, Orochimaru had never given up his pursuit of Sage Art. The more he researched, the more he understood how powerful this force was. Although it couldn’t grant eternal youth and immortality, it also transcended the category of ordinary people. If Kyohiko activated Sage Mode, even he would find it difficult to survive against him.
What incredible talent! Completely unreasonable!
Orochimaru’s heart was filled with emotion. A few seconds later, his attention returned to the present, and his thoughts began to wander. Kyohiko demonstrating this thing to him... was definitely not to show off. What is he trying to do?
He pondered for a moment, frowning slightly.
"Are you trying to improve this jutsu? Or do you want to modify it for some other function?"
Ryoho Kyohiko stated his purpose.
"I want to modify a gravity barrier, but I don’t have any clues at the moment, so I wanted to ask for your advice, senpai."
Orochimaru was stunned for a few seconds, then fell into deep thought. A gravity barrier. This idea...
He thought for a long time.
"What’s the use of this kind of barrier jutsu? If this jutsu is turned into a barrier, won’t the effect be reduced exponentially?"
Ryoho Kyohiko answered.
"It’s certainly useless in combat, but for taijutsu training, not necessarily."
He sighed.
"If it could be made into a Chakra Armor, that would be the best. But to achieve that step is extremely difficult..."
The barrier was just a transition. The weighted Chakra Armor was the final goal.
Orochimaru couldn’t help but think for a moment. To research such a barrier jutsu just to enhance the taijutsu training efficiency of the ninjas in the village, wasn’t that a bit too extravagant? But soon, he thought—for ordinary people, the usual training methods were of course enough. But there was one type of person that was different. The practitioners of the Eight Gates Release!
Let alone Might Dai who could open the Seventh Gate. Even for Might Gai, ordinary training methods were already of little help. They tied heavy sandbags to themselves every day. Even that couldn’t provide better training. After all, sandbags could only enhance the load on a part of the body and couldn’t make the whole body uniformly heavy.
If it’s really effective... he thought for a long time.
"Improving the Added-Weight Rock barrier is easy, but after improvement, the learning difficulty will not be reduced. It’s not as good as the Chakra Armor you mentioned."
But the Chakra Armor also couldn’t produce such a precise effect—the Chakra Armor ability they currently mastered was more about amplifying and enhancing some simple basic ninjutsu. Directly realizing a certain ninjutsu effect was basically impossible.
Ryoho Kyohiko tried to think of an improvement plan using the concept of skills.
"Perhaps, we can use the Chakra Armor to achieve a delayed solidification of the ninjutsu."
Directly realizing the Chakra Armor was difficult. Then increase the duration of the ninjutsu, so that it can be effective for longer.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru was slightly taken aback, then pondered for a long time.
"Perhaps feasible!"
If it could be done... who knows, Konoha might produce many more taijutsu masters. And the body’s functions, at the same time, affected the amount of chakra to a certain extent.
Orochimaru.
"This technology shouldn’t be difficult, but it needs a chakra supply to maintain it. Wouldn’t it be rather useless?"
Ryoho Kyohiko smiled.
"That’s not difficult. Just leave it to me."
The current "chakra battery" was based on the effect of White Zetsu cells and an improved Yin Seal. Then, as long as the outlet was shrunk, such an effect could be achieved. This ninjutsu had to be maintained once a day. The two together could do it.
Thinking of this, he immediately made a decision.
"Then let’s start doing it!"
"This is simple. As long as your side can solve it, it can be done in half a day."
"Alright."
***
In the Konoha office.
Tsunade and the two advisors were haggling with Yahiko and Konan, each fighting for the interests of their own village, neither willing to back down. However, there was one point of consensus between the two sides—in the north of the Land of Rivers, they would negotiate with the Land of Rivers to establish a tripartite peaceful zone for ninjas, to be jointly managed and traded. Since it was a tripartite arrangement, before long, Rasa was also invited over and joined the discussion. The three parties each held their own views. A deal like this was by no means something that could be discussed in a day or two.
Yahiko also didn’t plan to solve it in one day. He had Konan send a letter back to Amegakure to ask for Hanzo’s opinion, while he himself stayed in Konoha to continue negotiations.
***
A few days earlier, in the northern Land of Snow.
Namikaze Minato, along with Yazawa and a portion of the researchers, was finally about to embark on the journey home by boat. And at this time, in the Land of Snow, on some of the snow-capped mountains in the vast snowfield, one ice wall after another had appeared, blocking a part of the cold north wind. Behind the low mountains, several greenhouses were spread out along the outskirts of the city. Here, they could use the city’s heating, and a part could be supplied by the hot springs in the mountains, which could greatly reduce energy consumption.
Kazahana Sosetsu’s tone was filled with reluctance.
"Shikaku, Minato, you are, like Kyohiko, forever friends of our Land of Snow. You must come and see us often!"
Nara Shikaku smiled.
"We will. After all, the greenhouses on the Land of Snow’s side are not yet completely finished. They will need maintenance and expansion later on."
The current greenhouses in the Land of Snow were just about a dozen pilot projects. The main purpose was not to make money or for large-scale planting, but to attract investment. Although the Land of Snow was covered in snow all year round, it was rich in resources, and there was no shortage of wealthy people. As long as these rich people saw the benefits, the expansion and large-scale construction of greenhouses in the future would be a matter of course, and all of this would be an income for Konoha.
"Hahaha, right, right!"
Kazahana Sosetsu was very happy with Shikaku’s words.
The Land of Snow was a small country. Building a good relationship with the Land of Fire and Konoha was definitely beneficial and harmless.
"Daimyo-sama, we are boarding the ship."
"Alright."
Kazahana Sosetsu waved his hand.
Only after the ship had left did he let out a sigh, his mood quite complicated. If not for the arrival of the Konoha ninjas, he might have been killed by his own younger brother by now, and even his wife and daughter would have all been killed.
"I owe them a huge favor!"
***
"Minato, what kind of ninjutsu is this?"
"Wind Style: Spiraling Blade."
Namikaze Minato smiled and stretched out his hand.
The next moment, chakra quickly appeared, and one wind blade after another spun on his palm like an electric fan. This was his special Wind Style Rasengan. Even the famously defensive Earth Style ninjutsu, or the Third Raikage, could not possibly withstand such sharp cutting.
Namikaze Minato looked into the distance, a trace of confidence in his eyes.
"With this jutsu, even if we encounter the Third Raikage, I can fight him alone."
The outcome was still hard to say, but Minato was confident he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
Yuhi Kurenai said curiously.
"Is this the Rasengan? Listening to Gai’s description, the one you used that day seemed to be a version of wind and fire combined..."
Minato dissipated his chakra, and the Rasengan gradually spread out and collapsed.
"Yes. The previous one was actually an immature product of the Wind Style Rasengan. After it’s fully mastered, it doesn’t need the help of fire."
"Gai is dizzy again?"
"Yes!"
Yuhi Kurenai looked back and sighed helplessly. "This guy, he’s clearly so strong in sports, but he gets seasick as soon as he gets on a boat. He keeps clamoring to run back to Konoha..."
"Hahaha."
Minato couldn’t help but laugh. What an unexpected weakness.
Nara Shikaku was a little worried.
"Minato, you should rest more. It will take some time to get back to Konoha from here. In the middle, we have to pass through the sea areas of the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Water."
Previously at sea, they had had a friction with the A-B combo of the Land of Lightning and had directly captured their Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. In the Land of Snow, they had encountered Onoki’s Anbu ninjas. The Land of Water, needless to say. The conflict between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water had not subsided since the previous war. In the final analysis, as long as Kirigakure was still controlled by Uchiha Madara, the conflict between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water could not be resolved.
Now, the conflict between the three countries and them was intensifying. Passing through their sea areas would also be frightening. And that area happened to be a relatively active sea area for the Cloud and Mist Villages.
Minato looked back at the cabin and pondered for a moment.
"We can land in the Land of Waterfalls or the Land of Rice Fields."
Nara Shikaku’s eyes lit up.
"You mean, land in these two bays and send the people directly to the border of the Land of Fire by land?"
That was an idea! He quickly pictured the situation of the two countries in his mind, then said.
"The Land of Rice Fields is more suitable. It’s closer to the northern border. Most importantly..."
Minato took over.
"The Eight-Tails is with us!"
Nara Shikaku nodded.
"Also, Wind Style ninjutsu can counter Lightning Style to a certain extent. Overall, a collision with the Cloud Village would be more advantageous for us."
"It’s settled then!"
Nara Shikaku made the decision directly.
A few days later, the ship, following its route, arrived at a bay outside the Land of Rice Fields in the north. Just as it was entering the bay, suddenly, a ship appeared from the distant harbor. The flag on it was, shockingly—the Cloud Village!
Nara Shikaku cried out in surprise.
"Minato!"
But without his reminder, Namikaze Minato had already instantly come out of the cabin. In the distance, the Cloud Village’s ship was getting closer. He squatted down, his fingers touching the deck. A few seconds later, Namikaze Minato frowned.
"There are quite a few of them."
Nara Shikaku quickly proposed.
"First notify the northern border. There are many ninja squads stationed there who can quickly come to support..."
Minato nodded and took out a scroll, quickly writing. In the blink of an eye, the intelligence about this matter appeared on the paper. He roughly locked onto the spatial direction.
The next instant—Flying Thunder God!
He sent the scroll directly away, and then he stood up, his face grave.
"In that direction, I sensed a powerful chakra. It’s very likely that even the Third Raikage has come."
"Then..."
"I’ll go and meet him!"
With a body flicker, Namikaze Minato’s feet seemed to form a skateboard on the water, quickly carrying him towards the distant ship.
A moment later, the figure of the Third Raikage appeared from that ship.
"Chichi-ue, let me go instead!"
"No need."
The Third Raikage raised his hand, then grinned. "Namikaze Minato is cautious by nature. He must have known I was here to come over on his own initiative."
"Is he trying to cover for the people behind him?"
"Mm."
The Third Raikage nodded.
Then, he stretched his muscles.
"Namikaze Minato’s ninjutsu is not as destructive as Ryoho Kyohiko’s. So although his speed is fast, he poses no threat to me."
"If we can defeat Namikaze Minato, we can directly capture a whole ship of people and exchange them for Killer Bee!"
The Third Raikage said.
A also thought the same.
"Then, why don’t I just go..."
But before he could finish, the Third Raikage’s gaze swept over like a knife. A immediately stopped his words.
The Third Raikage snorted coldly.
"Your impulsiveness has already harmed Bee. Do you want to kill the entire Cloud Village?"
"Chichi-ue..."
"Alright. I let you come out this time, not to cause trouble. Stay put for me!"
After the Third Raikage finished speaking, he suddenly flickered.
In the air, his whole body bloomed with lightning.
Lightning Release Armor.
Boom!
Landing on the sea surface, in an instant, a splash of water flew everywhere.
Namikaze Minato stopped steadily.
"Raikage-sama, you were indeed on this ship."
The Third Raikage looked at the distant ship.
"Minato, we were going to visit your village. I didn’t expect..."
Although that ship had changed, it was still in the style of the Land of Snow. There was no Namikaze Minato among the people who went before! What on earth is Konoha up to?