Stark Industries CEO—Tony Stark Returns!
That eye-catching headline was splashed across The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and every other major newspaper beloved by the American public early that morning.
All of New York erupted in an uproar.
Countless people had been convinced that Tony Stark would die in that godforsaken wasteland.
The moment the news broke, Stark Industries' stock—after days of consecutive limit-downs—shot straight up!
When the car carrying Tony Stark arrived at the Stark Industries Tower, the camera flashes never stopped.
It was just short of rolling out a bright red carpet.
The feverish scene rivaled even a gathering of Hollywood superstars.
The moment Tony stepped out of the car, Obadiah Stane walked up with a broad smile plastered on his face.
He looked happier than everyone else there combined.
"Welcome back, Tony. Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?"
Hearing Obadiah's warm concern, a mocking smile crept onto Tony's lips.
With Chu Yang and Happy's reminder still fresh in his mind, Tony already knew that the man who had watched him grow up was the very mastermind who had colluded with terrorists to kidnap him.
And yet now—this same man was wearing such a sincere smile!
The more Tony thought about how much he had trusted Obadiah, the more nauseated he felt. He brushed away Obadiah's hand as it moved to support him.
"I can walk on my own, Stane."
Tony shot him a glance and strode straight past him without hesitation.
Happy followed closely behind.
Obadiah was caught completely off guard. He hadn't expected Tony to treat him like this.
His expression darkened instantly. Lowering his head, he followed after Tony.
At this moment, maintaining his expression was already difficult—he could only hope the reporters wouldn't notice him.
Fortunately, wherever Tony Stark was, cameras and flashes would immediately follow.
"He looks pretty angry, Miss Potts."
"Yang… is it really Mr. Stane?"
"If you don't believe it, during the press conference I can go with you to his office and look for evidence. He won't be back for a while."
"Alright."
Pepper badly wanted to confirm whether Obadiah was truly the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
She needed solid evidence.
More and more reporters rushed to the scene, completely clogging the entrance to the press conference.
Seizing the opportunity, Pepper and Chu Yang quietly headed toward Obadiah's office.
With Pepper's status as the CEO's assistant, she could move freely throughout the building. Even entering Obadiah's office wouldn't raise suspicion.
Especially not now, when nearly everyone's attention was focused on Tony.
They entered the office effortlessly. Pepper deftly turned on the computer at the desk and began searching through the files.
She clicked on a video that looked… strange.
A moment later, her pupils shrank violently.
The footage recorded the entire process of Tony's kidnapping—including Obadiah's meeting with the terrorist leader.
Pepper took a deep breath, pulled out a USB drive from her bag, and prepared to copy the criminal evidence.
At that moment, Chu Yang sensed movement outside the room. He immediately expanded his Observation Haki and locked onto a strange presence.
He moved in an instant, like a hunting cheetah.
The person outside didn't even have time to react—only when Chu Yang was already in front of him did he reflexively raise a fist.
But in front of Chu Yang, his speed was laughably slow.
Chu Yang grabbed his arm at the joint.
Crack—crack.
Two crisp sounds rang out. The man's arms suddenly went limp, and Chu Yang slammed him against the wall.
Boom!
The force made the man feel as though he'd been swatted by a bear—he nearly passed out.
Forcing himself to stay conscious, he muttered, "I think… this is a misunderstanding. I have no malicious intent."
"Tch. Every movie villain says that."
Chu Yang increased the pressure in his grip.
Sneaking around behind people and claiming you're innocent—who would believe that?
"Oh my God… kids these days are really well-fed. Sixteen years old and already this strong."
"You sound like you know me pretty well."
Chu Yang narrowed his eyes. Killing intent—long absent—surfaced as his hand slowly moved toward the back of the man's head.
Whoosh—!
A sharp whistling sound exploded to Chu Yang's right.
A short-haired woman in tactical gear suddenly appeared there, taking advantage of Chu Yang pinning the man with his right arm and delivering a vicious kick toward Chu Yang's waist.
A cruel, precise angle—if it hit a normal person, it could cripple them instantly.
Chu Yang simply lifted the man and placed him in front of himself.
The woman's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Chu Yang to have such monstrous strength.
Lifting a grown man so easily?!
With no choice, she forcefully pulled back her strength, redirecting the kick into the wall.
Crack—
A thin fracture spread across the wall.
The woman's face flushed red as she instinctively went onto her toes—clearly injured.
"Hahaha—easy there! I told you, it's a misunderstanding!"
The man shouted toward Chu Yang.
Pepper came out of the office, having finished copying the evidence.
She froze when she saw Chu Yang holding a strange middle-aged man aloft.
"What's going on here?" Pepper asked in confusion. She'd only heard some noise—she hadn't expected Chu Yang to be fighting someone.
"Miss Potts, please tell him to put me down! I'm a government agent, not a corporate spy!"
"FBI?" Pepper exclaimed, immediately telling Chu Yang to release him.
Chu Yang tilted his head, glanced at the man's receding hairline, and suddenly understood.
He let him down.
"I used to work there. Not anymore," the man adjusted his suit. "My department is now called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."
Pepper stared at him blankly.
"Bit of a mouthful, I know," the man said awkwardly. "In short, my name is Phil Coulson. I'd like to ask about Tony Stark's experience in Afghanistan."
That's right—this man who had nearly been killed by Chu Yang was none other than Coulson, a senior SHIELD agent and a key figure who would later "shine brightly" in the Battle of New York.
Chu Yang looked at the short-haired woman beside him. "Who's she?"
Coulson answered, "My colleague. Agent Hill."
Pepper asked with concern, "That agent looks like she's in quite a bit of pain."
Hill straightened up, her expression stiff.
After the concern, Pepper frowned at Hill's shapely figure. "Is she also here to ask about Tony?"
Coulson hurriedly waved his hands and pointed at Chu Yang. "She's here to ask about him…"
Chu Yang: "???"
Chu Yang hadn't expected to draw Nick Fury's attention so early.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
At this point, Tony hadn't yet developed a truly complete Iron Man suit. Only after defeating Obadiah's Iron Monger would he truly enter Nick Fury's sights.
Still, Hill hadn't come to recruit Chu Yang for the Avengers.
She wanted him to join SHIELD as an agent.
Based on what Chu Yang had shown so far, he wasn't yet a piece of Fury's Avengers puzzle.
"That's too dangerous, Agent Hill. I'm not interested in becoming an agent," Chu Yang rejected the offer without hesitation.
Seriously—he was earning ten times the salary at Stark Industries.
Could SHIELD afford that?
Risking his life every day without even decent insurance?!
"You don't want to reconsider?" Hill's expression darkened—whether from pain or rejection, it was unclear.
"I don't care which department you're from," Pepper stepped in front of Chu Yang and warned Hill sternly. "I must remind you—employing a minor is illegal."
Hill replied coldly, "Then why are you letting him work at Stark Industries?"
"First of all, Yang is not an employee. He's a beneficiary of the Stark Charity Foundation—we are his legal guardians."
Pepper spoke firmly. "Second, I will never allow him to become some so-called agent."
Coulson quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Miss Potts, this is only a suggestion. We're not forcing him to join."
"You know he's not an ordinary boy. We're worried he might misuse his power—he needs guidance."
"Don't you think so?"
Pepper's expression softened somewhat, but she remained resolute. "Thank you for your concern. But guiding Yang to do the right thing is our responsibility."
"OK! OK!" Coulson raised his hands repeatedly.
Pepper didn't waste another word. Before Obadiah returned, she quickly led Chu Yang away.
Hill and Coulson didn't stop them—neither was confident they could win against Chu Yang.
"I don't like that woman," Hill said.
"From my perspective, you two are actually quite similar," Coulson replied.
"I know. That's why I don't like her."
"If this were a movie, the script would make you best friends."
"Shut up, Coulson!"
Coulson shrugged and truly fell silent.
Hill rolled her eyes. "That boy's combat ability is even better than I expected…"
"His counter-surveillance is also impressive," Coulson said gravely. "I was extremely cautious approaching them, and he still detected me immediately."
"I didn't even see his movements before he subdued me," Hill said helplessly. "A report like this will only make Fury more interested in him."
Coulson shook his head. "Next time… let him come personally."
Meanwhile, the press conference had already descended into chaos.
Because just moments ago, Tony Stark had publicly announced—right in front of everyone—that Stark Industries would permanently shut down its weapons division.
The most profitable division of all.
Obadiah sat beside Tony, staring at him in a daze.
After a long moment, fury erupted like a volcano inside him.
And yet—even so—reason kept screaming at him to stay calm.
Tony dropped that bombshell and walked straight out of the press conference, leaving behind a tidal wave of shock.
Afterward, Obadiah stood up and addressed all the reporters:
"Tony was just a bit shaken by his experience in Afghanistan. Once he calms down, he'll realize he made an outrageous joke. Please don't take it seriously."
After saying that, he ignored the reporters' shouted questions and hurried out of the venue.
He chased after Tony in the direction he had left.
But now that Tony already knew the full truth, how could he possibly calm down and have a heart-to-heart talk with Obadiah?
"Stane, what exactly do I need to explain to you? This company is called Stark Industries. It was founded by my father—and I am the one who owns this place!"
Tony was on the verge of losing control as he roared at Obadiah, the sheer force of his anger stunning him into silence.
Seeing this, Happy stepped up beside Tony and whispered a few words into his ear. Only then did Tony gradually calm down.
"Sorry. I just got out of a terrorist base—my emotions aren't very stable right now."
After Tony offered his apology, Obadiah finally snapped back to his senses.
He gently patted Tony on the shoulder, soothing him. "It's alright. I understand. Once you're in a better mood, we can talk about this again."
Then, under Obadiah's gaze, Tony and Happy murmured quietly to each other as they quickly left the area.
"Pepper already got the evidence, right?"
"Yes. It includes the entire process of your kidnapping, as well as footage of him reaching an agreement with the terrorists."
"I really should've punched him just now."
"If you want, I can do it for you."
Tony stopped walking and looked at Happy's bulky frame. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's a good idea—but objectively speaking, Happy, you probably can't beat him."
Happy's eyes instantly turned resentful.
...
The four of them regrouped at Tony's mansion, where Pepper handed the USB drive to Tony.
They watched the footage again in the living room.
Tony ground his teeth in rage and grabbed a vase from the table, about to smash it.
Luckily, Pepper reacted fast enough to snatch it away.
"That's the one you bought at the California art exhibition last time—it's worth five hundred thousand dollars!"
"Only a few hundred thousand? Give it to me! I'm smashing it today no matter what!"
...
Obadiah returned to his office.
The more he thought about Tony's attitude, the more wrong it felt.
An ominous premonition crept into his heart.
His instincts told him that Tony seemed to know the truth.
Whether that was just paranoia or not, Obadiah had no intention of sitting around waiting for disaster.
He immediately called every board member except Tony, preparing to strip Tony of his position as CEO and remove him from the board entirely.
What Obadiah didn't know was that Tony already had all of his criminal evidence in hand—no matter how many calls he made, it was all doomed to be pointless.
The next day.
What Obadiah was met with wasn't the board of directors—but a large group of FBI agents.
"Tony!!!"
Before Obadiah could even create the Iron Monger to face Iron Man head-on, he was dragged away in handcuffs amid hysterical roars.
...
The Naruto world.
After successfully sealing the nine tailed beasts, Uchiha Madara invited sealing experts from the Uzumaki clan to handle the follow-up work.
Since the nine tailed beasts would soon be transported to the Land of Lightning for the Five Kage Summit and subsequent distribution, Madara's seal could only hold temporarily—it couldn't guarantee long-term stability.
Rather than a true seal, it was more accurate to say that he was relying on the overwhelming power of the Sharingan to temporarily suppress them.
Many members of the Uzumaki clan arrived, forming an incredibly grand procession that stretched from the main street all the way into the alleys.
Chu Yang stood atop a rooftop, silently observing the scene.
At that moment, he realized—
This group likely consisted of far more than just a few sealing experts.
Among them should be the future Nine-Tails jinchūriki—Uzumaki Mito herself.
The woman destined to become the wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
"Hashirama's future wife is in that carriage."
Madara appeared beside Chu Yang at some point, speaking in his usual weathered, melancholic tone.
Honestly, anyone listening might think the old man had just gone through a breakup.
"Through this kind of political marriage, the relationship between the two great clans can be completely solidified. Only on that basis would Senju Tobirama agree to let an Uzumaki become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
As he spoke, Madara suddenly fixed Chu Yang with an intense stare.
"I understand everything you're saying," Chu Yang coughed lightly and said cautiously. "But the one getting married is my teacher, not me. Why are you staring at me like that?"
Madara's lips curved upward slightly. He offered no explanation, but in his heart, he had already decided—Chu Yang would become the Uchiha clan's son-in-law.
The only question was… which family's daughter should marry him?
Chu Yang's status was extremely special.
Unless Hashirama's future children far surpassed Chu Yang in talent, the position of Senju clan head would sooner or later fall into Chu Yang's hands.
But could the Senju clan really give birth to a descendant with greater talent than Chu Yang?
Madara didn't think that was possible.
What kind of heaven-defying luck would that require?
Given Chu Yang's rapidly growing prestige within the village, his future as either Hokage or head of the Senju clan was practically set in stone.
Under those circumstances, an ordinary Uchiha girl clearly wouldn't be worthy of marrying him.
After much consideration…
"Seems like only my future child—or Izuna's—would be suitable for a political marriage with him…"
Madara arrived at that conclusion with a deeply troubled expression.
He had never planned on marrying in his entire life, but now—for the sake of stabilizing relations between the two clans—it seemed unavoidable.
"Madara-sama, I think I just heard you mention marriage?" Chu Yang couldn't help but complain. "Who's getting married now?"
"Just because my teacher is getting married, you feel like you have to as well? What kind of mentality is that?"
Madara shot him a cold glance.
Chu Yang smacked his lips and immediately shut up—he suddenly realized he might have said the wrong thing.
Madara snorted and vanished from Chu Yang's sight in the next instant.
"Did I provoke him somehow?"
Chu Yang stood there utterly baffled, completely losing his mood to keep watching the festivities.
The arrival of the Uzumaki clan kept Konoha lively for an entire day.
Villagers could be seen discussing it everywhere.
The next day.
Inside the Senju clan compound.
The elders of the Uzumaki clan were in the process of permanently sealing the Nine-Tails into Uzumaki Mito's body.
Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Madara stood guard nearby.
With such a luxurious lineup, no fool would dare to cause trouble.
As for the one most likely to cause trouble—he had already been permanently confined within Chu Yang's Soul Palace.
Once the sealing was successfully completed, Tobirama finally let out a long sigh of relief.
What was done was done.
"Next, we'll have to trouble you to make a trip to the Land of Lightning."
Uzumaki Mito needed to travel there with the other tailed beasts to let the Five Kage personally confirm her status as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
If she didn't go, the other villages would assume Konoha was secretly hiding the Nine-Tails—
And conflict in pursuit of it would be inevitable.
Uzumaki Mito gently nodded. This had all been agreed upon long ago; there were no surprises.
"As for who will escort the tailed beasts…" Tobirama naturally looked toward Madara. "Since you're already involved, we might as well trouble you to see it through."
Madara nodded.
"Yang should come along as well," Tobirama added with a smile. "My brother hasn't seen you in a long time—he must miss you."
"Alright."
Chu Yang accepted with a cheerful expression on the surface, while inwardly grumbling.
Every time Madara was involved in something important, Tobirama would always arrange for him to tag along.
Tobirama didn't fully trust Madara—yet he also didn't want Madara to realize that mistrust.
Chu Yang was the perfect cover.
Tobirama could clearly sense how highly Madara regarded Chu Yang.
...
After resting for the night, the three of them set off toward the Land of Lightning, accompanied by several ANBU squads.
Traveling alongside them were also some sealing specialists from the Uzumaki clan.
To reach the Land of Lightning, they had to pass through two small countries along the way—the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost.
These two nations lay along the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
Because of their special geographic position, Chu Yang's group had to follow proper diplomatic procedures when passing through the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost.
With the Five Kage Summit currently underway, any conflict occurring within the territory of either country would almost certainly be viewed by the neighboring Land of Lightning as a provocation.
Moving slowly wasn't a problem.
The scenery along the way was beautiful—something not only Chu Yang appreciated, but even someone as unromantic as Uchiha Madara would occasionally stop to admire.
The Land of Hot Water possessed exceptionally beautiful natural landscapes, and in times of peace, countless civilians traveled there for tourism.
Under such an atmosphere, the ninja village of the Land of Hot Water gradually lost its appetite for conflict, eventually becoming an outlier among the ninja villages.
Of course, that was something that would only happen many years later.
At present, the Land of Hot Water still possessed not only breathtaking scenery, but also a Hot Water Ninja Village with a fierce fighting spirit.
Five days later, Chu Yang's group finally arrived within the borders of the Land of Lightning.
By ninja standards, this was an exceptionally slow pace.
The Five Kage had received advance notice of their arrival.
Aside from Senju Hashirama, the others had long since grown impatient.
Chu Yang and the others entered the Five Kage Summit chamber directly, bringing Uzumaki Mito with them, along with the many sealed tailed beasts.
The overwhelming pressure created by eight tailed beasts plus a Nine-Tails jinchūriki continuously proclaimed the sheer power of Konoha.
Uchiha Madara didn't even bother greeting anyone—he walked straight to the seat of honor at the head of the table and sat down.
Not a single person present dared to question his behavior.
Because they all knew this man was fundamentally different from Konoha's First Hokage.
They could show a bit of rudeness or arrogance in front of Senju Hashirama.
Given Hashirama's personality, he wouldn't hold it against them.
But if they dared to act the same way in front of Uchiha Madara—
They would be facing a blood-soaked battle.
That was the essential difference between the two men.
"Hashirama, why are you still standing there?" Madara said calmly. "Isn't there something important we need to decide?"
Senju Hashirama smiled faintly and took the seat beside Madara at the head of the table.
"Alright, let's talk about the distribution of the tailed beasts."
Once Hashirama sat down, the other Kage followed suit in order. However, the Mizukage, Byakuren—whose village was comparatively weaker—noticed that one chair was missing.
Madara had displaced his seat.
The atmosphere instantly grew awkward.
At that moment, Chu Yang swiftly used Wood Release to create a wooden chair.
"Thank you," Byakuren said with a slight nod before sitting down.
"That just now… was that Wood Release?"
The Raikage, A, stared at Senju Hashirama in disbelief.
Since Konoha's founding, Chu Yang had been teaching at the academy, so his reputation was largely confined within the village. There was little information about him outside.
"Hahahaha—Yang is my disciple," Hashirama laughed heartily, looking thoroughly pleased.
With a prodigy like Chu Yang as his student, he had every right to be proud.
Hashirama's undisguised attitude made everyone present realize just how important Chu Yang was to him.
"A good teacher naturally produces a good student," Byakuren said with a smile, the earlier embarrassment completely gone as he sat on the chair Chu Yang had created.
Meanwhile, the Kazekage, Reto, kept shifting his gaze between Chu Yang and Uchiha Madara.
He couldn't understand why Madara would be traveling together with Hashirama's disciple.
And this disciple even knew Wood Release—someone who might very well become the next Senju Hashirama.
If it were him, he would definitely find a way to kill such a disciple halfway through the journey.
A genius like that was a massive threat to any rival clan.
Yet Uchiha Madara seemed to get along exceptionally well with this boy called Senju Yang.
"The relationship between the Senju and Uchiha clans seems far closer than the rumors suggest."
After pondering for a long time, Reto reached this conclusion.
Even if Senju Hashirama were to die, Konoha's internal balance among its major clans would likely remain stable.
For the other ninja villages, this was not good news.
Konoha's stability and prosperity meant—
They would continue to be suppressed for decades, perhaps even a hundred years.
Thinking of this, Reto's expression grew increasingly bleak.
At this point, the discussion on how to distribute the tailed beasts had already begun.
Although money was involved as compensation, tailed beasts were strategic weapons that couldn't truly be bought—"distribution" was a far more accurate term.
In truth, everyone understood that if Senju Hashirama truly wanted to dominate the ninja world, with Konoha's current strength plus all nine tailed beasts, crushing them would be effortless.
Every Kage was striving to secure tailed beasts with higher rankings.
While tailed beasts didn't have an explicit combat ranking, it was undeniable that more tails meant more chakra.
With the Nine-Tails jinchūriki already a settled matter, the Eight-Tails became the focal point of contention among the four Kage!
They argued fiercely, trading sharp words back and forth, refusing to yield even an inch.
Villages they once took pride in were now described as pitifully weak, as though without the Eight-Tails their nations would collapse in an instant.
Hashirama and Madara exchanged a glance.
Both of them had faint smiles in their eyes.
This exact scene had already been predicted by Chu Yang before the tailed beast capture plan even began.
He had even prepared a concrete distribution plan in advance.
When the four Kage reached a stalemate, Senju Hashirama slowly spoke.
"I have an idea. Why don't you all listen to it first?"
The meeting room instantly fell silent.
All four Kage turned their attention to Hashirama, visibly tense.
Their earlier arguments were ultimately meant for him—this strongest of the Five Kage was the one who would finalize everything.
"The Sand Village will receive the One-Tails and Six-Tails. The Stone Village will receive the Two-Tails and Five-Tails. The Mist Village will receive the Three-Tails and Four-Tails. The Cloud Village will receive the Eight-Tails. As for the Seven-Tails, it will be jointly held by the smaller ninja villages outside the Five Great Nations, under an alliance led by the Land of Iron."
After Hashirama finished laying out the proposal, the other four Kage began whispering among themselves.
They nodded frequently, clearly finding the plan agreeable.
The Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, couldn't help but sigh. "To allow the smaller villages to jointly hold the Seven-Tails… Lord Hashirama's vision is truly astonishing."
The Raikage, A, sighed as well. "I never even considered that option. It's honestly humbling."
Hashirama smiled. "Actually, Yang suggested this distribution to me long ago. I merely repeated what he said."
Byakuren stared at Chu Yang in shock.
The other three Kage also turned to look at him.
Even their guards—the future Kage of their respective villages—were now staring at Chu Yang.
This young man's ideas could directly influence Senju Hashirama himself!
"Does anyone have any objections they'd like to raise now?" Uchiha Madara said, seemingly in a good mood. A rare smile appeared on his face, though his gaze remained oppressively cold.
He swept his eyes over everyone and said indifferently, "If anyone tries to backtrack later, that will be considered a provocation."
The four Kage all stiffened.
"I agree," the Raikage said first. Although the Cloud Village received one fewer tailed beast than the others, they gained the strongest one besides the Nine-Tails—the Eight-Tails. It was a clear profit.
"I agree."
"I agree."
"I agree."
The Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage all nodded in succession.
Hashirama nodded in satisfaction and laughed loudly. "From this day forward, I hope the Five Great Nations will have no more disputes, and that we can coexist in peace for generations to come."
Smiles appeared on everyone's faces almost simultaneously.
With the distribution settled, it was time for Konoha to demand appropriate compensation.
Before departing, Senju Tobirama had already drafted a suitable price list and handed it to Uchiha Izuna for execution, so Hashirama didn't need to concern himself with it.
Just as Chu Yang thought the transaction would proceed smoothly, Uchiha Madara suddenly changed the terms.
He demanded that, in addition to money, each ninja village must also exchange a powerful ninjutsu.
The moment he said this, all four Kage's expressions changed.
Even Chu Yang was startled!
"Madara—" Hashirama stood up in shock. This decision hadn't been discussed with him at all.
"Brother, this condition isn't in Senju Tobirama's plan…" Izuna hurried to Madara's side and whispered urgently.
Madara ignored them and continued, "In exchange, I will also offer one of my own secret techniques."
Hearing that Madara himself would contribute a secret technique, the faces of the Kazekage and the others softened considerably.
The four of them discussed quietly for a while, then ultimately nodded in agreement.
Madara smiled knowingly and pointed at Chu Yang.
"Kid, go tell them which ninjutsu you want."
Chu Yang: "???"
Once again, it was this young man.
The same thought surfaced simultaneously in the minds of the four Kage.
He hadn't done anything in particular, yet he had repeatedly become the center of the meeting.
Again and again, these figures who could sway the fate of nations found their gazes drawn to him.
"Brother…?"
Uchiha Izuna looked at Uchiha Madara in surprise. But after a moment's thought, it felt only natural—even he himself greatly admired Chu Yang.
"Haha, Madara, you're going to spoil him like this," Senju Hashirama said as he slowly walked over to Chu Yang and patted him on the shoulder. "Go on. If Madara said so, then he must have his reasons."
Chu Yang nodded and fell into deep thought.
If there was a secret technique he truly wanted, the first that came to mind was undoubtedly Iwagakure's Second Tsuchikage Mu's Dust Release.
This was a kekkei tōta that surpassed kekkei genkai, widely regarded as the most powerful offensive ninjutsu Chu Yang knew of.
Unfortunately, given how important this technique was, even if Ishikawa agreed, Mu himself would absolutely refuse.
To put it bluntly, this was Iwagakure's ultimate trump card—no less important than a tailed beast as a strategic weapon.
It was the decisive force that would allow a future Tsuchikage to intimidate other villages.
And even from another angle, even if Iwagakure somehow agreed, without Mu's personal guidance, Chu Yang wouldn't dare cultivate it recklessly.
A kekkei tōta that fused three different chakra natures—
It was far more difficult than a kekkei genkai, with an extremely high failure rate.
It was better to take a step back and choose Ultra-Lightweight Boulder Technique instead.
In terms of value, it might not compare to Dust Release, but with Chu Yang's and Senju Tobirama's research abilities, they could completely analyze its principles and derive other similar secret techniques from it.
For example—Ultra-Heavyweight Boulder Technique.
One exchange, many gains. A guaranteed profit.
As for Sunagakure's Puppet Technique and Sand Manipulation, Chu Yang was very interested in both.
Among them, Sand Manipulation was the one he wanted most.
However, Sand Manipulation was something the Second Kazekage, Shamon, only began researching after obtaining Shukaku, the One-Tail. At present, he only knew Puppet Technique.
So Chu Yang could only choose that one.
Kirigakure specialized in Water Release, but Chu Yang's teacher, Senju Tobirama, was also an exceptional Water Release user—perhaps even stronger than the Mizukage Byakuren himself.
If Chu Yang wanted to learn Water Release, he could simply ask Tobirama directly.
Thus, Kirigakure's techniques held little appeal for him.
The only one that truly caught Chu Yang's interest was the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki's Steam Imp Danger Tyranny.
This technique could loop endlessly, and when used properly, it was an absolute battlefield-clearing weapon. Combined with Wood Release, Chu Yang alone could hold off an entire ninja army.
And Chu Yang had a little ulterior motive.
To master this technique, one had to first learn Gengetsu's other specialty—Water Release: Hydrification.
That meant buy one, get one free.
Rounding up, Gengetsu was getting completely ripped off.
Then there was Kumogakure…
The techniques that truly dazzled the eye were, of course, the Third Raikage A's Lightning Release Armor and One-Finger Hellstab.
These two were known as the "Strongest Shield" and the "Strongest Spear."
One-Finger Hellstab was out of the question—it was the Third Raikage's signature technique, and at this time, the Third Raikage was still just a child.
As for Lightning Release Armor, its formal name was Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and it was technically only a B-rank technique.
In Kumogakure, anyone who met the requirements could learn it—the results simply varied by individual.
In the Third Raikage's hands, it became the true "Strongest Shield."
In anyone else's hands, it was mediocre—hence the B-rank classification.
If Chu Yang used this as a main bargaining chip, Kumogakure would probably think he was an idiot.
So Lightning Release Armor could only be treated as a bonus.
With his thoughts sorted out, Chu Yang presented his demands to the four Kage one by one.
Ultra-Lightweight Boulder Technique, Puppet Technique, Steam Imp Danger Tyranny—
And in addition, a written compendium of Lightning Release insights, to be personally authored by the Raikage A.
Of the four conditions, three had nothing to do with the current Kage, instead pointing directly at their successors.
Not only were the Kazekage and the others stunned—
Even Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama wore expressions of curiosity.
How did this kid know such detailed information?
Had Konoha's ANBU really infiltrated things to this extent?
The four Kage felt their hearts tense—but in the end, they still nodded in agreement.
A smile appeared at the corner of Madara's mouth.
Just from their reactions, he knew Chu Yang had made an extremely profitable deal.
At this point, the objectives of the Five Kage Summit had been fully achieved—it could be called a perfect conclusion.
Everyone got what they wanted and set off for home in good spirits.
Even Chu Yang himself hadn't expected that the biggest winner of this entire trip would be him.
The two Uchiha brothers gathered together, seemingly discussing something in low voices.
On the return journey, Uchiha Izuna kept a sharp eye on Chu Yang.
Not out of hostility.
Though Chu Yang felt uncomfortable, he still greeted him with a smile—after all, Madara had just given him such an enormous gift.
It made Chu Yang feel too guilty to continue exploiting the Uchiha clan as ruthlessly as before…
He decided that after returning, he'd adjust his overall strategy—otherwise his conscience wouldn't let him rest easy.
Someone even more awkward than Chu Yang was Senju Hashirama.
The usually bold and heroic clan head became uncharacteristically shy when facing his new wife.
Wanting to look at her, yet not daring to—
The sight was so amusing that Chu Yang couldn't help but laugh.
Such a priceless scene absolutely had to be shared with Tobirama later!
"Hashirama, once we're back, I'm also planning to get married. What do you think?"
Uchiha Madara appeared silently beside Hashirama. Hashirama, whose attention had been completely on his wife, jumped in fright.
"What?!" Hashirama stared at him in disbelief. "You, of all people—a block of wood—actually want to get married?"
"Objectively speaking, you're the real block of wood," Madara shot back, glancing at him. "I'm only making this decision because it benefits the Uchiha clan."
Hashirama suddenly understood and nodded. "That does sound like you."
"Do you have someone you like?"
"Like? That has no meaning. As long as she's suitable for the Uchiha clan, that's enough."
"Huh? You're getting married without liking her?"
"Then do you like this woman called Uzumaki Mito?"
"Uh… hehe."
Seeing Hashirama scratching his head with a foolish grin, Madara got his answer. A trace of amusement entered his eyes, and he nodded. "I'll take your opinion into consideration."
A short while later—
After Madara walked away, Chu Yang sneaked over to Hashirama and asked in a low voice, "Teacher, what were you and Lord Madara talking about just now?"
Hashirama waved him off like swatting a fly. "You're too young—why are you poking into things like that? You wouldn't understand anyway. Go, go."
Failing to get an answer made Chu Yang feel terribly uncomfortable.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the Uchiha brothers were looking at him strangely—as if there was some unspeakable secret involved.
After another five days of travel, the gates of Konoha finally came into view.
(End of Chapter)