Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

The long-awaited rest made Chiba feel more relaxed than ever before.

There was no need for intense training; he could simply lie quietly in the yard without a single worry, letting his mind drift.

With his eyes closed, he listened to the rustling of leaves and the soft chirping of birds.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sensation washed over him.

Countless breaths echoed in his ears, as if a gathering of unseen figures surrounded him.

"What is this?"

Startled,Chiba sat up abruptly and looked around.

However, the yard was completely empty except for him.

"Could it be...?"

Without hesitation, he rushed into the house and retrieved the Thunder God's Sword.

Holding the blade firmly with both hands, he stood in the yard, closed his eyes, and tried to reclaim that strange feeling.

Minutes passed in silence.

Then, in a sudden burst of movement, Chiba swung the sword down with all his might.

Buzz!

A crescent-shaped sword energy, nearly ten meters long, erupted from the blade, hurtling forward.

Crash!

The energy sliced through the yard wall effortlessly before continuing its destructive path, cutting through countless trees until it finally dissipated in the distance.

A deep rumbling echoed as trees collapsed in its wake.

Feeling the sensation again, Chiba slowly opened his eyes.

"So, the key to cutting through steel is mastering sword energy?" he muttered, gazing at the Thunder God Sword in his hands.

Just as he was about to swing again, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears.

Moments later, a group of Uchiha guards appeared in the yard.

"Chiba, do you have any idea what just happened?" the leading guard asked.

Realizing his mistake, Chiba felt a bit embarrassed. He had been too focused on perfecting his swordsmanship, oblivious to the commotion he had caused.

"Apologies, I was training and didn't expect things to get out of hand. I'll compensate for the damage caused."

The guards exchanged uncertain glances.

Swordsmanship?

What kind of swordsmanship could create such devastation? The attack was as powerful as a high-level Wind Release jutsu.

Even Konoha's most skilled swordsman, Hatake Sakumo, couldn't achieve something like this—let alone Chiba.

After a brief silence, the leader finally spoke. "Alright, then. The compensation will be 50,000 ryō."

Chiba winced. Just one swing of his sword had cost him a hefty sum.

If he had known this would happen, he would have trained in the forest instead.

After settling matters with the guards, he decided to seek out Hatake Sakumo.

Once deep in the forest, Chiba swung his sword once more.

Buzz!

The sword energy cleaved through thick branches like butter. Watching the clean cuts, a slow smile spread across his face before he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I did it! I finally mastered sword energy!"

His ecstatic laughter startled flocks of birds, sending them soaring into the sky.

This unexpected breakthrough had come during a moment of rest rather than rigorous training.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Chiba longed to share his achievement.

But with whom?

Konoha Hospital

Arriving at Tsunade's office, he was surprised to find it empty.

Scratching his head, he stepped out and caught sight of a passing nurse.

"Excuse me, do you know where Tsunade-sama is?"

The nurse recognized him from his previous visits to Tsunade's office.

"If you're looking for Tsunade-sama, you've come to the wrong place. She didn't come to the hospital today."

Chiba frowned. If Tsunade wasn't here, where could she be?

"Thank you." He nodded politely before leaving the hospital.

Deciding to check the Senju Clan compound, he made his way there.

Upon arrival, he noticed several Anbu operatives stationed outside.

Something was wrong.

Why hadn't anyone informed him?

As he approached the entrance, an Anbu operative blocked his path.

"Stop. This is not a place you should be."

The other Anbu members turned their attention to him.

For most, being stared down by multiple elite shinobi would be intimidating.

But Chiba wasn't most people.

Buzz!

With a subtle pulse of his Conqueror's Haki, half of the Anbu collapsed instantly, while the remaining ones clutched their heads in pain, barely managing to stay conscious.

Ignoring them, Chiba stepped past and entered the Senju compound.

"S-Stop... You can't go in..." one of the remaining Anbu stammered, still reeling from the impact.

Chiba didn't spare him a glance and walked straight in.

As he advanced, he overheard hushed conversations among the Senju clan members.

"Do you know what's happening? Why won't Hokage-sama let us leave?"

"I'm not sure, but I saw Hokage-sama leading a squad of Anbu towards Mito-sama's residence. Maybe something happened to her?"

Hearing this, Chiba's eyes narrowed.

Could this be related to the Nine-Tails?

Why hadn't anyone contacted him?

Wasn't it his mission to sever the Nine-Tails' influence?

He was about to find out.

Secret Chamber

Dim candlelight flickered against the walls.

Uzumaki Mito sat cross-legged on the bed, her face uncharacteristically tense and weary.

Surrounding her, Sarutobi Hiruzen and several members of the Senju clan observed anxiously.

"Sousuke, we can't afford to wait any longer," Hiruzen said grimly, taking a slow drag from his pipe. "If Mito-sama exhausts her chakra completely, and the Nine-Tails breaks free, Konoha will be in grave danger."

Senju Sousuke's frown deepened. "Are you certain your plan will work? If anything goes wrong, it will be too late to fix it."