Chapter 145: Could It Be… Danzo?
Growing horns.
In the grand scheme of the ninja world, that wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.
Take the infamous lunatic duo from the Hidden Cloud Village—Kinkaku and Ginkaku—they both had horns.
"But the most iconic horn-bearers are definitely the Ōtsutsuki clan."
In Kitagawa Gen's memories, practically all the Ōtsutsuki he had encountered or heard about had horns.
Even Toneri Ōtsutsuki, who lived on the moon, didn't have any visible horns in his normal state. But once he entered the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, a single horn would emerge from his forehead.
"And let's not forget Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito. When they became Jinchūriki of the Ten Tails, they also grew horns. So I guess it's really not that big of a deal?"
Kitagawa Gen stroked his chin thoughtfully. He said that, but something about it still felt… off.
"I'd actually prefer to be like the brothers Indra and Asura."
Those two, likely due to their mixed lineage, never grew horns. Yet no one could question their overwhelming strength.
Gen even thought that, given their abilities, the two brothers might actually stand a chance against some of the Ōtsutsuki who relied purely on brute force.
"If I had to fight either of them now… what would the result be?"
He wasn't the type to blindly glorify the past, but he had to admit: the ancient era's shinobi did seem more powerful on an individual level.
Back then, strength was everything. But as time progressed and the ninja villages formed, strategy evolved, and large-scale warfare became more systematic. The emphasis shifted from solo power to coordinated tactics, especially to reduce the skyrocketing casualty rates.
Cooperation replaced reckless solo charges.
"Forget those two. Even today's ninja barely understand how powerful Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama truly were."
After a moment of reflection, Gen sighed. He knew there wouldn't be any clear answers to these thoughts.
Battles in the shinobi world were fluid—adapt and counter, respond on the fly. Daydreaming about hypotheticals wouldn't help.
Besides, he already had the foundation. What he lacked was actual combat experience and advanced tactical skill.
"But when it comes to potential… I'll only keep getting stronger. Even if there's still a gap now, once my bloodline evolves further—I'll surpass all of them."
Putting aside these distractions, he focused on the changes happening within his body, and started seriously planning his next steps.
"I still need more tailed beast chakra. And then there's the issue of Kekkei Genkai—two is far too few right now."
He wasn't in a rush for the tailed beasts. Eventually, they'd be scattered everywhere like falling stars.
And if it really came down to it, he could just go hunt them himself. After all, Ōtsutsuki Genshiki wouldn't back down from a fight.
But the fusion of bloodline limits required careful thought.
Right now, he possessed Magnet Release and Ice Release, which meant his chakra affinities covered Wind, Water, and Earth. That left him still lacking Lightning, Fire, and—
"Most importantly… Yin-Yang Release."
However, fusing Yin-Yang Release wasn't going well. He had no clear reference, and that frustrated him.
Still, even for the Ōtsutsuki, Yin-Yang Release represented the pinnacle of power. Their entire combat style often revolved around it.
So Gen didn't mind if his progress was slower. He believed that with time and growth, he'd achieve mastery eventually.
"I also need to accelerate the integration of other bloodline limits. For Fire Release, Dust Release would be ideal. As for Lightning Release—best-case scenario, I'd get Storm Release."
He had a clear roadmap and knew exactly how to get there.
"Hm?"
At that moment, he felt a sudden acceleration in the changes within his body. He immediately steadied his thoughts, fully focusing on the transformation at hand.
"Let's see what kind of result this time brings…"
---
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office…
"Kakashi, you're back?"
As Kitagawa Gen concentrated, Kakashi had already returned to the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been informed of their return and was in fairly good spirits. From the reports so far, it didn't sound like there were any major issues.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had also been summoned in advance. Given the issue with Hanzo of the Salamander, the Third Hokage wanted their input.
But there was one thing that puzzled Hiruzen, prompting him to ask:
"Where's Gen? And that kid outside—is she…?"
"Lord Hokage," Kakashi replied with a respectful nod to Tsunade and Jiraiya, "Gen returned home to rest. As for the girl—her name is Karin Uzumaki. We ran into some… complications on the mission."
"Complications?"
Jiraiya didn't look too surprised. Stroking his chin, he asked, "What kind? Something to do with Hanzo? This girl—she from the Land of Rain?"
"Tch. Doesn't sound like too serious a complication," Tsunade remarked, raising an eyebrow at Karin's name before focusing on Kakashi. "You're not injured, so don't tell me that brat Gen is?"
"No," Kakashi shook his head. "We're both fine."
"When we were in the Land of Rain, we encountered Hanzo. But Gen immediately sensed something was off."
"Oh?"
At the mention of Hanzo, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all grew serious.
"Gen's sensory skills are sharp. He noticed right away that Hanzo didn't feel right—his chakra levels were low, and there were no signs of aging. It looked more like… a substitute."
"A body double?"
The three of them froze at the implication. Then, almost simultaneously, they each let out a faint sigh.
Once a feared demi-god of the shinobi world… now reduced to this?
"There's more. That Hanzo also passed on some intel—but some of it may be questionable."
"What did he say?"
"He claimed the Akatsuki have been watching Amegakure closely. And… that there may be someone in Konoha leaking information to them."
Those words brought a heavy silence to the room. The Third Hokage's expression darkened instantly.
"Keep this quiet," Hiruzen said after a long pause. "It could be disinformation from Hanzo. But I will investigate it thoroughly. For now, let's focus on your mission report."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi agreed. He didn't fully trust Hanzo either, but it was his duty to report everything.
"Afterward, we were attacked by members of the Akatsuki. They tracked us to the Land of Grass, and a battle broke out."
"The Akatsuki really made a move?"
"Yes. One of them was Uchiha Obito. Another was Kurosuki Raiga, formerly of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. And the third… was one of your disciples, Jiraiya-sama."
"...Nagato?"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me everything. From the beginning."
"Understood."
Kakashi nodded, then gave a concise recount of the battle—though he glossed over Gen's part.
"The fight ended with Uchiha Obito being forced to retreat, and Gen managed to injure him in the process. He also dealt a serious blow to Nagato and left behind some items."
Kakashi unfurled a scroll. With a puff of smoke, a pair of twin blades and a piece of pale-white tissue appeared.
"These are Gen's spoils from the battle. He also severely injured Nagato."
"He's… that strong now?"
Even with the abridged report, the two Sannin were astonished.
Whether it was the massive sphere that blotted out the sky or Gen casually destroying it in one strike—it all seemed too incredible to believe.
They were now more curious than ever about what Kitagawa Gen was truly capable of… and what his current condition was.
Hiruzen grew visibly anxious. "He really wasn't injured?" he asked.
Kakashi shook his head.
"Rest assured, Hokage-sama. Gen is truly fine. As for the other details, I think it's best to let Karin explain them herself."
"Hm? What is that…"
Just as the Third was about to speak, Tsunade suddenly narrowed her eyes, clearly sensing something unusual.
She strode over to the white tissue sample and examined it carefully. After a brief moment, her expression darkened.
"There's a strange energy within this… This might be the very thing that allowed Uchiha Obito to use Wood Release."
"What!?"
The mention of Wood Release made the Third Hokage's expression grow even more serious.
"You think this is the key? Are you certain?"
"I'm not certain," Tsunade said gravely. "It's just a strong intuition. I'll need to study it further to be sure."
Kakashi added, "Gen also said this chunk of tissue gave him a strange feeling. That's why he kept it and asked me to deliver it to you, Hokage-sama. Looks like his instincts were right."
"This isn't just a problem—it's a huge problem…"
The Third's face grew grim. He recalled Hanzo's earlier words. Even if that Hanzo had been a fake, someone must have been giving him instructions—likely the real Hanzo.
Konoha had long been investigating how Uchiha Obito gained access to Wood Release, but they'd never found any concrete leads. Now, for the first time, they had a direction.
Hanzo claimed there was a traitor in Konoha feeding intel to the Akatsuki. Years ago, although the village officially shut down the Wood Release experiments...
"Danzo and Orochimaru continued their research in secret. Could it be…?"
Hiruzen couldn't bear to finish the thought. The more he followed this line of reasoning, the more disturbed he felt.
A heavy pressure settled over his chest. He rubbed his temples and finally spoke up.
"Tsunade, take that sample and conduct a thorough investigation. But this entire matter must remain top secret. Apart from us here, not a word of this leaves the room."
"Yes."
"Now, bring in the girl. Kakashi, why did you want her to explain things? And why did you bring her back?"
"Because…" Kakashi hesitated. "She witnessed everything firsthand. And… she's quite unique. Her sensory perception is extremely advanced, and reportedly, her blood has potent healing properties. That's why Gen suggested bringing her to the village."
He chose his words carefully, not wanting to reveal too much. As he finished speaking, he glanced subtly at Tsunade—and finally let out a small breath of relief.
Just then, the Anbu escort led Karin into the office.
"Don't be nervous," Hiruzen said gently.
Though Karin still looked visibly tense, the Third Hokage softened his expression, putting on his kindly elder demeanor as best he could.
"I know your name—Karin, correct? I'm the Third Hokage of Konohagakure. Could you tell us what you saw?"
Karin, still visibly anxious, blurted out in a high-pitched voice,
"Someone tried to destroy the Hidden Grass Village—but the Konoha ninja saved us!"
Hiruzen's face froze.
Kakashi quietly took a step back, slipping behind Jiraiya and Tsunade.
"...The Hidden Grass Village?" Hiruzen asked, his voice slightly tight.
"Yes! The Hidden Grass! It was those villains' fault!"
"What happened to the Grass Village?"
"…"
Back at his home, while Kakashi and the others were still reporting in the Hokage's office, Kitagawa Gen slowly opened his eyes.
And in the very next instant, his figure vanished silently from the room.
Far above in the sky, an invisible energy seemed to stir restlessly.
Ripples of unseen force pulsed through the atmosphere—and quietly descended into a remote and hidden corner of the Land of Fire…