Kitazawa activated his Byakugan. Everything in the vicinity became clear to him.
Soon, he spotted two ninjas on the mountainside in the northwest direction. Judging by their Chakra levels, they should be a Special Jonin and a Chunin.
Kitazawa pondered. Rock Blue Moss was a precious medicinal ingredient. However, it took about half a month from its appearance to its maturity.
If Iwagakure ninja discovered Rock Blue Moss, they would certainly send people to guard it until it matured and then take it.
Thinking of this, Kitazawa headed northwest. When he got close, he deactivated his Byakugan. After all, a perceptive ninja could detect the Byakugan's gaze.
Kitazawa looked at the two Iwagakure ninja. A middle-aged man and a young man sat on a rock, chatting idly. And on the rock where they sat, there was a green, moss-like area.
Kitazawa looked at it twice and confirmed that it was Rock Blue Moss. However, judging by its color, it would still take a few days to mature.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin. He couldn't wait here for several days; it would be too much of a waste of time.
That left only one last option — move the entire rock. After returning to Konoha Village, he could find a similar environment for cultivation.
Kitazawa walked out with his right hand behind his back.
"Who's there?" The two Iwagakure ninja immediately stood up, blocking Kitazawa's path from left and right.
Nirvana Temple Jutsu! Kitazawa's Genjutsu activated. Feathers fell from the sky.
The two Iwagakure ninja subconsciously glanced up and immediately felt drowsiness overcome them.
"It's Genjutsu!" The middle-aged man reacted instantly and quickly warned them. But it was already too late.
Kitazawa lunged forward, knocking them both unconscious with a single punch each. He drew Zangetsu and Lightning Blade, aiming at the rock where the Rock Blue Moss was located, and slashed down.
With the enhancement of the Chakra, the bottom of the rock was directly cut open. Kitazawa took out a summoning scroll and stored it.
Just then, he raised an eyebrow and turned around.
What greeted his eyes was a short, big-nosed old man. Beside him was a black-haired little girl who looked about the same age as Uzumaki Naruto.
[Encounter Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki; stall him before Konan arrives.]
[Current mission: Stall for time, wait for Konan to arrive.]
[Mission reward: Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and chose to accept.
"If this old man hadn't been idle and accompanied his granddaughter on a mountain climb, you would have really stolen this Rock Blue Moss," the old man said calmly. Both his expression and tone were full of strong confidence.
Kitazawa felt that after spending so much time with Tsunade, his luck had even worsened; he actually encountered the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki. But upon closer thought, it wasn't a matter of luck.
After all, this place was too close to Iwagakure. Jumping down from this mountain would lead directly to the village.
Although the commotion from his fight with the two Iwagakure ninja was small, it was normal for Ōnoki, with his strength, to notice something.
Moreover, being able to trigger a system mission meant his luck was still decent.
"Kurotsuchi, stand aside." Seeing Kitazawa remain silent, Ōnoki decided to capture him first and then interrogate him.
Kurotsuchi retreated to the side upon hearing this. She was too young now — not yet the future Fourth Tsuchikage — and couldn't help.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
Kitazawa had no habit of being passive and immediately preemptively used ninjutsu.
A massive amount of Chakra gathered in his throat. Kitazawa leaned back and spat out a huge water ball.
The water ball spun and grew in the air, falling from a height like a waterfall, creating a magnificent spectacle.
Of course, Kitazawa's main purpose in immediately using a wide-range A-rank Water Release was to attract Konan's attention.
Ōnoki's pupils constricted. Without a word, he created two Shadow Clones. The two Shadow Clones took the two unconscious Iwagakure ninja away.
His main body, meanwhile, picked up Kurotsuchi and ran out. Although he could withstand Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique, he wasn't confident in protecting Kurotsuchi and the others, so the best solution was to move them first.
"So amazing!" Kurotsuchi looked at the overwhelming waterfall-like torrent, feeling astonished.
"Kurotsuchi, stay here, don't run around." After Ōnoki left the range of Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique, he put Kurotsuchi down.
He turned to look at Kitazawa, frowning slightly. He's not running away?
Ōnoki thought Kitazawa used Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique to escape in the chaos. He stepped on the water's surface and arrived in front of Kitazawa.
"Are you Kitazawa?" Ōnoki suddenly thought of something and asked.
He hadn't recognized Kitazawa immediately because Kitazawa wasn't wearing a Konoha Village forehead protector.
But now, the terrifying Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique reminded him. After all, in today's ninja world, ninjas with such Water Release prowess were few and far between.
Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi — he had met him.
Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī — she was a female ninja.
That left Kitazawa of Konoha Village; during the war with Hidden Mist Village, he displayed Water Release that was second to none.
Ōnoki's response was a roaring water dragon.
"Hmph, Senju Tobirama's Water Release!" Seeing this, Ōnoki had already confirmed Kitazawa's identity.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!
Ōnoki's right arm turned into rock. He punched out, smashing the water dragon into four or five pieces.
Body Flicker Technique! Ōnoki flashed behind him, suddenly throwing a punch.
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
Kitazawa's aura changed, and terrifying Chakra erupted. Their fists collided.
With a bang! layers of visible airwaves emanated from the center of their fists.
Ōnoki's heart trembled, and his expression became extremely solemn. The terrifying force caused the rock on the surface of his fist to shatter at an extremely fast rate.
If this continued, he would undoubtedly be pulverized.
Ōnoki retreated without hesitation.
Uchiha Style: Gale Sword!
Kitazawa drew his chakra blade Zangetsu and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind him. A scorching aura permeated the air. With a swing of Zangetsu, a blade of flame flew out.
Earth Release: Rock Arm!
Ōnoki turned around, and a massive rock arm rose from the ground in front of him. Its five fingers spread open, blocking the blade of flame.
Chidori!
Brilliant lightning bloomed in Kitazawa's right hand. But Ōnoki's reaction was even faster.
Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!
Kitazawa, who was about to charge forward, swayed as the rock beneath his feet directly lifted him into mid-air.
Chidori Current!
Dazzling lightning quickly spread, emanating from Kitazawa and extending outwards. Chidori Current could be used for attack as well as defense.
Ōnoki leaped to avoid the incoming lightning.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!
He repeated the technique in mid-air, his right arm once again transforming into rock. But this time, it was different.
Earth Release: Super Added-Weight Rock Technique!
The rock of his right arm suddenly became extremely heavy. Ōnoki's Chakra erupted, and he charged towards Kitazawa, directly smashing his fist out.
With the added weight, the power of this punch became terrifying. Where it passed, the air whistled.
Senju Chakra Mode! Kitazawa, noticing Konan rushing from a distance, immediately stopped holding back.
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
Kitazawa met him with a punch. Ōnoki immediately showed an expression of disbelief.
How could his strength still increase? And by so much?
Caught off guard, Ōnoki was sent flying backward. When he landed, the aftermath of the force caused the ground near him to explode, creating countless cracks.
Konan, arriving, immediately saw such an astonishing scene, and her expression froze. Ōnoki's strength was known throughout the Ninja World. After all, he had proven himself many times.
Whether it was Earth Release or Dust Release, he was considered the best in the Ninja World — especially Dust Release, which was very threatening.
And Kitazawa being able to gain the upper hand in a fight with Ōnoki truly surprised her.
"Hand." Konan didn't think much and descended. She grabbed Kitazawa's outstretched hand and flew into the sky.
"Trying to run? It's not that easy."
Although Ōnoki was surprised that Konan could fly, having just suffered a loss, he didn't want to let Kitazawa leave.
Earth Release: Super Light-Weight Rock Technique!
Ōnoki's body immediately lightened, and he flew up.
"Hold me." Seeing this, Kitazawa immediately said.
Konan reacted, extending her arms and embracing him. Kitazawa withdrew his hands and formed hand signs.
Compound Ninjutsu: Hurricane Vortex Jutsu!
Water Release: Tearing Torrent and Wind Release: Rasengan were released almost simultaneously.
A large amount of water and high-speed spinning Wind Release Chakra combined, immediately creating a giant tornado with a diameter of over ten meters.
From a distance, the gigantic tornado blotted out the sky, like a natural disaster descending.
"Not good!" Ōnoki realized the problem.
If such a terrifying tornado were to hit the mountain, it would inevitably cause a landslide. At that time, Iwagakure, located at the foot of the mountain, would suffer.
Earth Release: Golem Technique!
Ōnoki immediately stopped his pursuit. He landed beside Kurotsuchi, forming hand seals. Besides Kurotsuchi, the other two Iwagakure ninja were also there, but they were still unconscious.
In an instant, a super-giant humanoid rock monster appeared. It propped up its body, shielding Ōnoki, and met the gigantic tornado with its back.
Boom! A tremendous roar echoed.
A storm raged in mid-air. The force generated by the collision also caused the entire mountain to shake.
Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi, protected by the rock monster, were unharmed. But Kitazawa and Konan had already taken the opportunity to leave.
"Kurotsuchi, are you alright?"
Ōnoki looked at Kurotsuchi, whose face was a little pale. The terrifying, earth-shattering scene just now had frightened her quite a bit. After all, she was just a little girl now.
"I... I'm fine." Kurotsuchi shook her head and said.
"Work hard, and you'll be able to create such a big commotion in the future too." Ōnoki smiled reassuringly.
"Mm!"
Kurotsuchi nodded heavily, her face serious as she said, "I'll definitely be stronger than Grandpa in the future, and then I'll teach that Kitazawa a good lesson!"
Seeing this, Ōnoki couldn't help but smile even more happily.
"Tsuchikage-sama!" A group of Iwagakure ninja arrived.
"We're all fine. You guys take them down for treatment." Ōnoki casually dispelled the rock monster.
"Father, who were you fighting? You actually had to use Earth Release: Golem Technique."
A burly ninja asked with a shocked expression. He was Kitsuchi, Ōnoki's son and Kurotsuchi's father. The other Iwagakure ninja also found it hard to believe.
"It was Kitazawa of Konoha Village."
Ōnoki said slowly, "His strength is just as the rumors say, without any exaggeration; in fact, the rumors were too conservative."
Kitazawa was famous in the Ninja World for his Water Release and as a Medical Ninja.
But from the recent battle, his monstrous strength, swordsmanship, Water Release, Lightning Release, and Wind Release were all impressive — especially that Compound Ninjutsu: Hurricane Vortex Technique.
Ōnoki's gaze suddenly sharpened. Is this Kitazawa a seven-element ninja? It seems he's another Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Although he doesn't have a Bloodline Limit or Bloodline Selection (Kekkei Tōta), his strength still feels very troublesome.
"Kitazawa? The Fifth Hokage Tsunade's student?"
"Is his strength really that strong?"
"I heard before that his Water Release was not inferior to Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi, and I thought it was just Konoha Village's false propaganda."
The people of Iwagakure immediately fell into an uproar.
"What is he doing in Iwagakure?" Kitsuchi asked with a frown.
"Looking for Rock Blue Moss." Ōnoki paused, then said, "He's already taken it."
"Do we need to send people to capture him?" Kitsuchi immediately asked.
"Forget it. With his strength, if you want to capture him, you'll have to pay a considerable price."
Ōnoki shook his head and said, "For him to snatch the Rock Blue Moss right under my nose is a testament to his skill."
"He truly is impressive." Kitsuchi agreed.
It had been a long time since he had seen Ōnoki look so frustrated.
Ōnoki couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Konoha Village had too many strong individuals. While Iwagakure also had many, it lacked those decisive, super-strong individuals—to put it plainly, individuals qualified to become Kage.
Ōnoki suddenly thought of Deidara. His student was extremely talented, but he just loved explosions too much.
From childhood, he had blown up Iwagakure countless times, until Ōnoki, unable to bear it any longer, made him live outside the village.
However, Deidara's nature was restless, and now he was nowhere to be found.
The wind whistled. Konan flew through the air. She could see Kitazawa's back of the head and hair when she looked down.
Konan thought of the Compound Ninjutsu: Hurricane Vortex Technique he had just used.
She suddenly realized that the Akatsuki Organization's information on Kitazawa was not comprehensive. His strength was even greater than she had anticipated.
Konan felt that only Nagato and the mysterious Uchiha Madara in the entire Akatsuki Organization could reliably defeat him.
Kitazawa didn't know what she was thinking. But his first flying experience was good.
He could feel the wind in his face and the soft touch from behind him. Because she had to use Ninjutsu to stop Ōnoki just now, Konan was holding him from behind.
Although Konan was not as good as Tsunade, she was not bad either.
"Did you get the Rock Blue Moss?"
Konan asked in a calm tone. Even though she had never been in such close contact with a strange man.
"I got it, but it's not ripe yet; it'll take another two days."
Kitazawa replied, "Once it's ripe, I'll start mixing and making the medicine, which should take about a week."
"Thank you." Konan paused, then asked, "For the Rock Blue Moss and the blood-increasing grass, what reward do you want?"
The blood-increasing grass was purchased by Anbu at Kitazawa's request. And for the Rock Blue Moss, although she also participated, Kitazawa was still the one who put in the effort—especially since he even fought Ōnoki.
"As for money, I'm not short on it for now."
Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "The Rock Blue Moss and blood-increasing grass are quite valuable. How about this: you owe me two mission requests first."
Konan was slightly startled, then agreed. However, his remark about not being short on money made her feel a hint of envy.
Konan also knew that Kitazawa dared to say this because of Gato's shipping company and the Underwater Exploration Team.
But she wasn't clear about the specific extent of it. She also didn't know that Kitazawa wasn't selling ore, but processed ore—jewelry.
"I'll give you two blank mission scrolls later." Kitazawa thought about it and said, "You sign them first."
Verbal promises are easily broken. Once Konan signed, it would be difficult for her to renege.
After the two left the Iwagakure area, they landed on the ground. Although flying in the air was very convenient, it was too conspicuous; one would be seen at just a glance up.
Konan released Kitazawa and stepped back half a pace.
"Thank you." Kitazawa smiled and said, "Now that we have the Rock Blue Moss, let's return to Konoha Village."
[Current Mission: Stall for time, wait for Konan to arrive.]
[Mission Reward: Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Kitazawa looked at the three lines of text before him and felt satisfied.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique was a very good Earth Release Ninjutsu.
Ōnoki had also used it twice just now. Its effect was to turn the user's arm into rock, increasing its hardness and weight, allowing for a powerful strike.
Kitazawa felt it was a bit like an Earth Release version of monstrous strength. He quickly had another idea — to combine Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique with Chakra Enhanced strength. The power of that, just thinking about it, was terrifying.
All in all, fighting Ōnoki was not a loss; it was a great gain.
Kitazawa and Konan returned along the same path. Both of them were very fast, and they returned to Konoha Village on Monday morning.
"Konan, you should go back to the ANBU Base and rest." Kitazawa waved his hand and said.
"Mm." Konan disappeared from the spot. With the Rock Blue Moss in hand, she no longer had anything to worry about.
Kitazawa thought for a moment and decided to go home first.
"You're back?" Kurenai heard the sound of the door opening and immediately appeared before him.
"When did you all get back?" Kitazawa closed the door casually and asked.
"We were a little earlier than you, arriving back in Konoha last night."
Kurenai replied, "The journey was safe all the way, without any incidents."
"That's good." Kitazawa walked forward, put his arm around her waist, and asked, "How is Shikamaru feeling?"
"He's changed quite a bit."
Kurenai thought for a moment and said, "On the way back, he was very active, whether it was keeping watch or patrolling."
"Let's see how long he can keep it up."
Kitazawa was quite satisfied with Shikamaru's change. If he could keep it up, that would be for the best.
In a sense, Kitazawa also saved Asuma Sarutobi's life.
"Here, take this."
Kurenai took out a scroll and said, "These are the Ninjutsu obtained from analyzing the bodies of those three Kamizuru Clan Ninja."
Kitazawa opened the scroll and glanced at it; they were all Ninjutsu for controlling bees. He wasn't interested in keeping bees, so there was no need to learn about them.
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