Hiruzen persuaded me to die

Compared to the darker complexions typical of the Cloud Shinobi, Mabui's skin was dusky but smooth, her short white hair framing a strong yet graceful face. Her plump figure gave her a unique allure—dignified, composed, and formidable.

"The Heavenly Transfer Technique is generally used for item transmission," Mabui said firmly, glancing between Hyuga Naraku and Uchiha Shisui. "If you're thinking of using it on yourselves, you'd best abandon the idea."

Her gaze sharpened.

"The human body simply can't endure the pressure of high-speed transmission. The stress from the velocity alone could cause the body to tear apart mid-transport."

She paused, then added with a touch of pride, "Only the Third Raikage ever survived teleporting himself using this technique."

Naraku's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What's the underlying principle?"

Shisui leaned in, listening carefully.

Mabui continued, "The Heavenly Transfer Technique moves the target at the speed of light to a known destination—but the caster must be intimately familiar with the location beforehand."

"In other words," Shisui muttered thoughtfully, "you still need a spatial understanding of the endpoint."

Naraku nodded, analyzing. "The caster must visualize the destination's coordinates to direct the target precisely."

"And not just that," Mabui added, "You need immense durability. The friction caused by traveling at light-speed is enough to rip a normal person apart."

Naraku considered this. "So it's quite different from the Flying Thunder God Technique. That one essentially teleports between marked coordinates without any actual movement—instantaneous and frictionless."

He touched his chest where a faint shimmer of chakra glowed. "My Tenseigan's space-time ninjutsu works similarly—it opens a portal between two fixed points. Anyone can step through, but the chakra cost is enormous."

He looked up. "That's the trade-off—speed versus sustainability."

"In the future timeline, even Sasuke needed his Rinnegan to open such portals," he added. "But the more he used it, the more strain it placed on his chakra. His six-tomoe Rinnegan even vanished from overuse."

Shisui exhaled deeply. "Then, compared to Flying Thunder God, this Heavenly Transfer is easier to pick up… but far more dangerous to the body."

Naraku nodded. "Flying Thunder God is versatile and has more potential in the long run."

He tossed a kunai etched with a unique seal—an intricate eye-shaped pattern—onto the ground.

Forming a quick hand seal, he vanished in a burst of electric light.

Crack!

A flash.

Naraku reappeared just outside the Cloud Village barrier, his long robe fluttering in the aftershock.

Mabui's breath caught in her throat.

He actually survived.

She had braced herself to see blood… fragments… anything but this. But here he was—intact, calm, and unharmed.

Before she could even react, another flash, and Naraku stood before her again.

"You… you're still alive?!" Mabui exclaimed, stunned.

This made him the second person ever, after the Third Raikage, to survive self-teleportation using the Heavenly Transfer Technique.

"The speed was acceptable," Naraku said, brushing a bit of static from his cloak. "It's comparable to the Flying Thunder God in raw speed, though it lacks its flexibility."

He raised his hand, the pale-blue glow of his shadowy armor dispersing.

He had not used Tenseigan Chakra Mode. Instead, he'd shielded his body with Yin Chakra Armor, a defensive construct he'd refined to withstand extreme conditions.

"The tearing force was intense," Naraku said calmly. "Even my armor crackled from the friction. But it held."

"Senpai," Shisui said, eyes wide, "you've also mastered the Flying Thunder God?"

Naraku gave a modest nod. "Only the basics. I still can't follow moving Flying Thunder God markers. That requires a different level of spatial awareness."

Shisui's heart raced. Naraku had only recently begun studying space-time techniques. To leap this far in such a short time...

"But you should try too," Naraku encouraged. "Use Susanoo for defense. It should be enough."

"…Alright." Shisui activated his green-hued skeletal Susanoo, forming a shimmering shell around him. With uncertain fingers, he performed the hand seals Mabui had just explained.

Crack!He vanished.

Mabui's heart skipped a beat.

"He—he made it," she whispered, stunned. "Another success..."

Shisui reappeared near the kunai Naraku had thrown earlier, panting slightly but otherwise fine.

"I barely managed," he said, clutching his chest. "But it's doable."

Mabui stared at them both, dumbfounded. "How did you learn it this quickly?!"

Naraku smiled faintly. "It's simple. If you've mastered Flying Thunder God, your understanding of spatial mechanics is already deep. All that's left is physical tolerance."

He looked at her, gently. "You've done well, Mabui. But don't underestimate the influence of combat-forged bodies and ocular power."

Mabui opened her mouth to speak… but found no words.

Elsewhere – Kirigakure

In the swirling distortion of space, Uchiha Obito stepped into the mist.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waited inside, hidden deep in the heart of the village he now realized was compromised.

Obito's voice was filled with smug disdain."Forget Hyuga Naraku. He's as good as dead."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed. "What happened?"

Obito sneered. "The fool had the nerve to move into the Cloud Village with Konoha's shinobi, thinking he was untouchable. He has no space-time jutsu to escape… and yet dares to stand tall."

He crossed his arms.

"Cloud has been working on a secret weapon—a chakra cannon. It's nearly complete. When it's ready, Naraku will be the first to die beneath its fire."

A flicker of jealousy crossed Obito's eyes as he recalled the day Naraku lifted a mountain with raw chakra.

That power... it's beyond anything I can control. It threatens the Eye of the Moon Plan.

"But no matter," he continued coldly. "That idiot still doesn't realize it—he's marked for death."

Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent, though unease twisted in his stomach.

Was this truly the man to trust? Or was he trading one form of manipulation for another…?

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To be continued...