Chapter 123: The Arrival of Ōtsutsuki Urashiki
A few days later.
Shiromo's side finished dealing with the Dragon Vein, and the land of the Wind began to recover.
Temari and Gaara did not go to Konoha with Shiromo. They had their own tasks to handle, including cleaning up the mess left behind after the daimyō's death.
On the way, while conveniently escorting the two back to Sunagakure, Shiromo's group ran into a rather dusty and disheveled Sasori.
This was where Shiromo's previously mentioned theory of "say what needs to be said directly" came into play.
Sasori was clearly someone introverted, even taciturn to the point of being a sealed bottle.
After receiving Shiromo's assassination mission targeting the Land of Wind daimyō, he said "boring" on the surface, but in reality he took the mission extremely seriously.
He absolutely could not accept failing a mission with no real difficulty.
And what happened?
He controlled his puppets and went on a rampage in the daimyō's residence, spraying attacks everywhere, only to realize in the end that the daimyō didn't seem to be there.
The key people had all been killed, and he hadn't even left a single survivor to interrogate.
Sasori could only search around on his own.
As for reporting the result, that after killing people for half a day he still hadn't killed the daimyō, to Shiromo? Sasori couldn't afford to lose that face.
So Sasori held it in and kept searching.
If he hadn't coincidentally run into Shiromo's group, no one knew how long Sasori would have continued searching through the Land of Wind.
After all, that group accompanying the Land of Wind daimyō had already been reduced to ashes by the solar disc.
Aside from the few involved parties, to everyone else they could at most be considered missing.
In short, matters in the Land of Wind were concluded.
Shiromo's group returned to the Land of Fire.
Yes, including those who had been brought back via Impure World Reincarnation.
According to newly gathered intelligence from White Zetsu, they learned of Jiraiya's movements, as well as the news of Asuma's death.
After hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only continue blaming himself in silence.
Besides the people who had followed Shiromo out from the Dragon Vein, Uchiha Itachi, who had been stationed in the Land of Waves with Kisame, was also summoned by Shiromo. In addition, there was a special invited guest: Black Zetsu, who rushed over from the Amegakure Village.
What was about to happen next, if Uchiha Itachi didn't witness it in person, it would truly be a shame.
As for Black Zetsu, this was essentially to let him completely confirm the matter of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
The group holed up in a temporary base.
Senju Hashirama was forced to learn Wood Release: House Construction.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, meanwhile, used the Telescope Technique to monitor movements in the surrounding area.
Finally.
While Adult Sasuke was training in the forest with four children, "two people and two pills", and Jiraiya was scouting nearby, a figure suddenly appeared in midair.
It appeared so abruptly, like a monster spawning straight out of a refresh cage.
A pair of Byakugan eyes, pale white skin, clothing dominated by gray and white tones, and in his hand was a bright red fishing rod.
"So this is an Ōtsutsuki? Just standing in midair without relying on anything."
Tobirama rushed over immediately, pushing aside the Third Hokage who was standing in front, his gaze locked tightly onto the image displayed by the Telescope Technique.
He needed to gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible.
"That's right. He's the Ōtsutsuki Urashiki I mentioned. The fishing rod in his hand can hook away other people's chakra."
Shiromo's voice came from behind.
After hearing the Third Hokage's report, everyone rushed into the room.
"Hahaha, Uzumaki Naruto, I've finally found you."
Urashiki let out a wild, arrogant laugh and swung his fishing rod, hooking it toward Naruto's abdomen.
The rod passed straight through Naruto's stomach, and Urashiki pulled back on the line.
"Huh?"
Fisherman Urashiki successfully caught nothing.
Looking at the empty hook, Urashiki froze.
"It's a sealing technique."
Adult Sasuke explained from the side to the equally confused Naruto, Boruto, and the others.
"Well damn, that red fishing rod looks creepy as hell, but a sealing technique alone can block it?"
Watching the live feed, Senju Hashirama casually complained.
"Big brother, you're too naïve. Other than jinchūriki, who would set up a chakra-sealing formula on their own body?"
"And even if you seal it, when you need to use chakra you still have to unseal it. At that point, the opponent can still use that fishing rod to steal your chakra."
Tobirama analyzed it seriously.
Unable to take Naruto's chakra, Urashiki decided to take Naruto himself first.
The fishing line wrapped around Naruto. Urashiki tossed out a few rocks from his fish basket, rocks that weren't even as sturdy as Kakashi's Earth Style: Earth Wall, blocking the others.
Then, relying on his ability to fly, Urashiki took Naruto away right in front of everyone.
Everyone watching fell into silence.
"Is Sasuke really the Shadow Hokage in the future?"
Itachi was the first to pose a soul-searching question to Shiromo.
This "Shadow Hokage" sure supported absolutely nothing.
"Don't rush. It gets even better later."
"Is that so?"
Itachi nodded slightly.
He believed in Shiromo.
He assumed that what Shiromo meant was that future Sasuke had deliberately hidden his strength and let the enemy escape.
As for why, he didn't know.
At this moment, Jiraiya rushed back, summoned a toad to smash the rocks, and the group sat atop the toad's head and began pursuit.
Meanwhile.
Urashiki discovered the seal on Naruto and decided to break it open and directly seize the chakra.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mastery of the Telescope Technique was so refined that even the First and Second Hokage began to look at him differently.
What the hell has this perverted monkey been peeping on in Konoha all day to get this good?
Fortunately, the newly unfolding scene once again seized everyone's attention.
Urashiki thrust his hand into Naruto's abdomen, preparing to start plundering the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"This is bad. Jiraiya and the others are too slow, Urashiki has already started extracting chakra. Lets stop hiding, we should move too. Big brother, and Shiromo!"
Seeing this, Tobirama immediately grew anxious.
"Ah!"
Urashiki suddenly let out a scream in the image.
It turned out that his hand had been burned by a small amount of Nine-Tails chakra leaking out. His hand was directly scorched and ruined.
"..."
Tobirama fell silent.
Everyone fell silent.
"So this is the strength of the Ōtsutsuki clan? Then Mother, no, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya creating White Zetsu to fight them doesn't seem like a bad idea after all."
Black Zetsu, crouched in the corner watching, spoke gloomily.
"Everyone, don't underestimate the Ōtsutsuki. Don't forget, I was instantly killed by a single strike from Boruto possessed by an Ōtsutsuki!"
Seeing everyone's expressions, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly spoke up.
"So now we suspect that you're just weak too, Monkey."
Hashirama patted Sarutobi Hiruzen on the shoulder and said earnestly.
Damn it, getting burned just by chakra leaking out, huh?
And that was without it being condensed into an attack or a Tailed Beast Ball.
"Just now, didn't he convert his Byakugan into a Rinnegan for a period of time?"
Nagato also looked quietly toward Shiromo.
"Why didn't he use the Preta Path's ability even though he had the Rinnegan? Is his Rinnegan different, or did he simply not want to use it?"
"Don't ask me. Just keep watching. The strongest combat power of the future ninja world, Uchiha Sasuke, is about to arrive. It will definitely be a battle that leaves people dumbfounded and utterly awestruck."
Shiromo spread his hands.
What was he supposed to do?
All he could say was that it was fortunate Momoshiki was still inside Boruto, able to boost the Ōtsutsuki clan's image a bit.
Otherwise, based on Urashiki's track record alone…
Once this was over, everyone really might start suspecting that Shiromo was just using the Ōtsutsuki name as a pretext to expand his own power and conquer the ninja world.
(End of this chapter)