Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 202: Trump Cards

"Shinra Tensei!!"

Tonari pressed both hands against the ground, expecting an immediate reaction.

Nothing happened.

A brief silence followed.

A faint sense of embarrassment settled over him.

His chuunibyou tendencies were truly showing today.

But despite the awkwardness, he could still feel it.

Beneath the surface of Amegakure, an abundance of iron sand and metallic elements lay embedded within the city's infrastructure. The towering bamboo-like structures, too, contained traces of metal.

As a Magnet Release (Jiton) user, his abilities weren't limited to manipulating sand.

The reason why most Magnet Release users in the Land of Wind focused on iron sand or gold sand was purely due to environmental constraints.

The Third Kazekage had an innate sensitivity to iron, whereas Rasa (the Fourth Kazekage) had an affinity for gold dust.

It wasn't that either of them couldn't control other metals—it simply wasn't practical for them. The desert left them with few alternatives.

In truth, the Magnet Release Bloodline Limit wasn't restricted to iron or gold.

It was much more versatile.

The Third Kazekage may have realized this at some point, but for whatever reason, he never pursued it.

Perhaps it was due to the lack of necessity.

Or maybe he simply feared change.

But Tonari?

He was different.

Unlike the Kazekage, he had no preconceived limitations on Magnet Release.

The vast possibilities of the ability intrigued him, especially considering the concept of magnetism in his previous world.

He had seen what was possible.

For example, the power of Magneto, a character from fiction in his past life, was essentially the same ability taken to its absolute peak.

A slow smirk formed on his face.

His hands remained on the ground, feeling every metal particle within range.

Then, he rose to his feet.

Following his movements, the ground trembled.

The metallic sand particles he had gathered began spiraling around him.

The streets of Amegakure shuddered.

The soil split apart, cracks forming as something deep underground began breaking free.

Although Tonari had many new ideas on how to develop his Magnet Release, he didn't have time for experimentation right now.

The mission came first.

"Magnet Release—Iron Sand Waterfall!"

Boom—!!

The ground erupted.

A colossal tidal wave of iron sand and ordinary sand surged into the sky, forming a massive spiraling sand dragon.

Atop the tallest tower in Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander furrowed his brow.

Standing by the window of his office, he felt the faint tremors through his feet.

The liquid in his teacup trembled, ripples forming across its surface.

Hanzo's sharp gaze flicked toward the source of the disturbance.

"Someone," he called.

Two masked Ame-nin immediately knelt before him.

"Hanzo-sama."

"What is happening outside?"

The two ninja hesitated.

They weren't sure how to answer.

Hanzo's expression darkened.

He turned back to the window.

From this vantage point—the highest building in Amegakure—he could oversee the entire city.

And then—

BOOOOM!!!

A monstrous sandstorm exploded into the air, twisting and coiling like a dragon of iron and sand.

Its size was enough to engulf entire buildings.

Hanzo's eyes hardened.

"Gather our forces," he commanded, his voice low and frigid.

Before his subordinates could respond, Hanzo shattered the window and leaped into the stormy skies.

This was no ordinary event.

Someone capable of manipulating sand at this scale could only mean one thing—

Sunagakure.

The only nation with Sand Manipulation techniques on this level was the Village Hidden in the Sand.

He raced toward the source of the attack, only to witness the sand dragon descend upon the city, obliterating several buildings in a single strike.

The structures collapsed instantly, crushing countless civilians and shinobi under their weight.

Hanzo's heart chilled.

He clenched his fists, rage boiling inside him.

Whoever had done this…

They had made a mistake.

Meanwhile, Tonari simply stood there, watching his destruction unfold.

His cold eyes reflected the sight of Amegakure drowning in the sandstorm.

Somewhere, deep inside…

A twisted sense of satisfaction bubbled up.

He had known for a while now.

With every enemy he killed, with every life he took, his perception of life and death continued to deteriorate.

It was inevitable.

He had spent too much time among killers.

Under Orochimaru's influence, no matter how much he tried to resist, some part of him had already changed.

Once, he had told himself that human experimentation was cruel and inhumane.

Now?

It was necessary research.

Once, he had told himself that innocents shouldn't suffer.

Now?

Collateral damage didn't matter.

He was cold.

Emotionless.

Efficient.

This wasn't about the war.

This wasn't even about revenge for Uchiha Yoshinari.

This was about making Amegakure choose a side.

Either stand with Konoha against Suna, or get swallowed by the war.

As Hanzo closed in, Tonari's puppet body trembled.

Then—

Pfft.

His Shadow Clone dispersed.

The three-eyed puppet of the Third Kazekage collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.

A moment later, it vanished in a puff of smoke.

By the time Hanzo arrived, Tonari was already gone.

Only the ruins of Amegakure's shattered buildings remained.

Hanzo landed in the middle of the destruction.

His men arrived seconds later, kneeling in fear.

His cold gaze swept over the carnage.

Then, his eyes locked onto something shimmering in the sand.

Hanzo bent down and plucked a golden grain from the wreckage.

He rubbed the golden dust between his fingers.

His expression darkened.

"Gold Dust…" he muttered. "Magnet Release… Sand Manipulation… Sunagakure."

His grip tightened.

"Sunagakure… you dare?"

An icy, murderous intent rolled off his body.

This was a clear provocation.

First, the Second Shinobi War, where he had sided with Konoha against Suna.

And now, this?

"Fine," Hanzo whispered.

"If you want a war, then I will give you one."

He turned to his men.

"Save the survivors."

"Yes, Hanzo-sama!!"

---

Meanwhile…

Tonari's real body sat in a hidden underground hideout.

His thoughts raced as the memories of his clone flooded back.

His plan had worked.

Amegakure was no longer neutral.

Hanzo would ally with Konoha against Suna.

Perfect.

Tonari leaned back, his mind drifting toward his own power.

His greatest trump card was still his Two-Tails Jinchuuriki transformation.

However, in terms of pure strength, he had begun to reach a limit.

He needed…

More.

More chakra.

More control.

More evolution.

His next step would be…

"I need Uchiha Shisui's eyes."

The strongest genjutsu ever created—Kotoamatsukami.

If he could acquire Shisui's Sharingan…

He would be unstoppable.

---

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