"Focus on controlling the chakra flow through your meridians. Then, use a sealing technique to condense the mark in your hand so you can inscribe it onto an object..."
Uchiha Kaien was brimming with excitement as he attempted to form the Flying Thunder God mark for the first time.
With the aid of his Sharingan, his chakra flowed flawlessly along the designated route. Everything was going smoothly...
Until the final step—condensing the seal.
Just as he was about to complete it, Kaien's chakra suddenly dispersed.
"...It failed, huh."
He stared thoughtfully at the dissipating chakra in his hand.
To be fair, failure on the first try was expected. After all, this technique was known for its difficulty. So, Kaien started his second attempt without hesitation.
"This time, I'll form the seal first using the sealing technique, then infuse it with chakra."
He sighed, a little frustrated. While he could dispel seals easily, his proficiency in actual sealing arts was... lacking, to say the least.
He had spent most of his time honing ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. Sealing techniques had always taken a backseat. There just wasn't enough time for everything.
Fortunately, time was something Kaien had plenty of.
The knowledge of the Four Symbols Seal was stored in his mind—he just needed to cultivate it slowly.
He would learn sealing techniques.
And he would master the Flying Thunder God.
...
Konohagakure.
Tsunade and Orochimaru stood at the village gates, overwhelmed by a feeling of surreal nostalgia.
The war in Amegakure had drained them completely—not just physically, but mentally as well.
The journey back to Konoha had been anything but easy. They had to stay alert for the possibility of Hanzo of the Salamander turning on them, not to mention rogue shinobi who might try to ambush them while they were wounded.
Though Tsunade had already tended to her teammates, her chakra reserves had yet to recover.
Honestly, Jiraiya choosing to stay behind in Amegakure was a huge risk.
They'd only agreed to let him stay after he swore he'd escape to Mount Myoboku with the Reverse Summoning Technique if things got dangerous.
"Let's go report to Hiruzen-sensei. We suffered considerable losses this time," Orochimaru said, eyes fixed on Konoha's gate.
His team had been completely wiped out. On top of that, he'd been branded with an insulting title. The bitterness in his heart only grew stronger as they approached the village.
Still, the battle against someone of Hanzo's caliber hadn't been without its benefits.
If he organized what he'd learned and gained from that fight, the so-called threshold of a Kage-level shinobi was no longer out of reach.
Accumulating spiritual energy wasn't just a matter of training—it also came from real experience and insight. Commanding troops in war and being pushed to the brink by elite opponents had brought Orochimaru to the final step of his breakthrough.
All he needed now was some focused training, and his strength would surge. Tsunade and Jiraiya were no different.
The three of them bore the expectations of every Konoha shinobi who had followed them into the Amegakure battlefield. The only way forward was to grow stronger.
"Yeah... even though the war's ending, I still feel so frustrated," Tsunade said, punching a nearby tree and snapping it in two with a loud crack.
"That poison Hanzo uses—if I'd had just a little more time, I would've neutralized it!"
Chiyo had figured out that Hanzo's poison took five minutes to prepare. Before retreating with the Sunagakure forces, she'd managed to pass that intel along to Tsunade just to spite Hanzo.
"That sly bastard... next time, if the three of us team up, the outcome might be very different."
There hadn't been a clear victor between Konoha, Amegakure, and Sunagakure.
All three sides had tacitly agreed to end hostilities.
Konoha had defended its territory once again—but not without sacrifice. Meanwhile, Hanzo's reputation had spread far and wide. His title of "Demi-God" struck fear into the hearts of shinobi everywhere, giving Amegakure some breathing room.
Sunagakure's ambition to play both sides had backfired. Defeated on all fronts, their losses exceeded even Konoha's. All they could do was lick their wounds in silence.
No one cared about their desert territory. After the war, Konoha recalled Hatake Sakumo in triumph, and the name "White Fang of the Leaf" became legend across the shinobi world.
The Konoha-Sunagakure border returned to its normal, quiet state, with only minimal forces stationed on both sides—an unspoken truce.
...
Hokage's Office.
"I see," Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered, eyes flickering with mixed emotion before he sighed. "If Jiraiya wants to stay in Amegakure, let him."
Aside from the Amegakure front, Konoha had completely overpowered Sunagakure in the Land of Wind and Fire.
He knew Jiraiya's temperament well—especially when it came to the matter of the "Child of Prophecy." No one could stop him from following that path.
"We'll just assign him a long-term reconnaissance mission. That'll satisfy the higher-ups."
Hiruzen made the decision without hesitation.
"I've already heard the name 'White Fang of the Leaf' a dozen times on the way here. As expected of Sakumo-senpai," Orochimaru said.
Tsunade, on the other hand, still looked annoyed.
"But that bastard Hanzo gave us such a humiliating title!"
It didn't sit right with her. While Sakumo was praised for his incredible feat of taking down an enemy commander, they were branded with a mocking nickname—by their enemies no less.
It was infuriating.
...
"Heh... Still, you three gained a lot from this war. Now that the major villages are only engaging in minor skirmishes, take some time off and rest."
"If you can't stand that title, then get stronger—take Hanzo down and reclaim your name. A few years from now, the shinobi world will be your stage. By then, I'll be close to retirement..."
Hiruzen chuckled.
Konoha's power was growing. Everything was moving in a promising direction. Maybe he truly had lived up to the title of Hokage.
"Once I've had some time to recover, I'm going to find Dan," Tsunade said, a gentler expression forming as she mentioned Kato Dan. After this experience, she was ready to move forward—and maybe take on some missions together with him.
"That's perfect timing," Hiruzen said. "According to intel from Danzo, Sunagakure's forces didn't return to their village after withdrawing from Amegakure. Instead, they're loitering near the Amegakure border. If you're free, you could assemble an elite team to check it out."
Danzo's intelligence indicated that while Chiyo had returned to Sunagakure, a portion of their forces remained in the borderlands. There might be something more going on behind the scenes.
"I want to pick out a few more techniques from the Scroll of Seals, Sensei," Orochimaru said.
"Heh, of course."
Without hesitation, Hiruzen handed over the scroll. Aside from a few truly forbidden techniques, he had no problem with Orochimaru learning anything from it.
With his war record, Orochimaru had more than earned the right. And even if he hadn't—he was Hiruzen's student, after all.
"By the way... Kaien's gone undercover in Kumogakure. I wonder how he's doing. He chose to learn the Four Symbols Seal—he should be able to crack Kumogakure's sealing techniques with that brilliant mind of his..."
Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru, his thoughts drifting to all the students in their lineage. All three of them were exceptional shinobi. They were Konoha's future.
"Kaien went undercover in Kumogakure?"
Orochimaru frowned slightly. "That mission sounds dangerous."
"Kaien's strong enough... but he's still a little too naive. If Kumogakure manages to deceive him, things could get ugly..."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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