Konoha: Gu Master

Suien was not a female ninja but a middle-aged man.

Upon seeing Yamato's Wood Release, he was shocked, but he quickly regained his composure. After all, he had Hidan and Kakuzu on his side.

By now, the entire ninja world knew that every member of the Akatsuki organisation was exceptionally powerful. Moreover, only five people had come from Konoha Village, and four of them looked young and inexperienced, unlike formidable shinobi he had on his side.

"Kill them!"

Suien raised his hand and gave the cold command.

Water Release: Wild Water Wave!

Ninja Art: Rain of Senbon!

Wind Release: Gale Palm!

With his order, various ninjutsu and ninja tools surged forth, like a rainstorm, blotting out the sky and engulfing everything.

This attack not only targeted Shinho and the others but also included Shibuki and Fu of Takigakure.

Shinho stood still, unmoving.

Although Suien had brought along forty to fifty ninjas in this assault on Takigakure, only three or four of them could truly be considered strong.

"Akamaru!"

Kiba dropped to all fours and shouted, "Let's use our new jutsu! Fusion!"

Akamaru barked twice and moved to stand beside him.

Inuzuka Style: Man-Beast Fusion Transformation – Two-Headed Wolf!

Chakra surged around Kiba, enveloping his body. Akamaru dashed toward him, and in a flash of smoke, the two fused.

"Howl!"

As the smoke dissipated, a massive two-headed white wolf appeared before everyone.

The wolf leaped forward, shredding incoming ninjutsu and ninja tools with its claws.

With another swipe, it tore apart a nearby enemy ninja in one blow.

Shino Aburame raised his hands, releasing a swarm of Parasitic Insects.

With a resounding boom, a chain of explosions occurred, destroying most of the incoming attacks in midair.

Hinata Hyuga, however, did not bother with elaborate techniques. After activating her Byakugan, she stood beside Shinho and defeated one enemy ninja with each strike of her palms.

In less than half a minute, the rogue ninjas of Takigakure were utterly defeated.

"Amazing!"

Fu clapped her hands in excitement, "I want to be friends with them!"

"Fu, focus on defeating the enemy first," Shibuki said helplessly.

As a Jinchuriki, Fu had a much brighter personality compared to others of her kind, who were often burdened by hardship and hatred. Her personality frequently gave Shibuki headaches.

Two years ago, she had even snuck away to participate in the Chunin Exams in Sunagakure, nearly scaring him to death.

"Don't worry!" Fu waved her hand dismissively, "There's no way they can beat us!"

"Stay cautious," Shibuki said seriously, "And don't forget about the Akatsuki."

Suien's sudden attack on Takigakure at this critical time was highly suspicious.

What concerned him most was Suien's familiarity with Takigakure's forces, having once been a Jonin of their village. He should know the combat power of Takigakure beast.

And despite the number of ninjas he brought, they were no match for Fu as a Jinchuriki.

The only explanation was that he had powerful allies backing him.

"Yes, Village Chief!"

Fu pretended to listen for a moment before reverting to her cheerful self. "Friends from Konoha, I'll help you!"

She leapt into the air, revealing a pair of butterfly-like wings on her back.

Among the Tailed Beasts, each had a distinct form—Matatabi, the Two-Tails, resembled a cat, while Chomei, the Seven-Tails, looked like a hybrid of a beetle and a dragonfly.

Shibuki's mouth twitched.

It seemed his earlier warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

Secret Technique: Hiding in Scale Powder!

Fu formed a series of hand seals and then opened her mouth, releasing countless grains of glowing powder.

Many of Suien's rogue ninjas failed to dodge in time, getting covered in the powder and rendered immobile.

Hinata dashed forward, swiftly knocking them all to the ground with her palms.

"Damn it!" Suien, seeing the tide turn against him, shouted, "Masters! Please assist me!"

Shinho raised an eyebrow.

Masters?

Adding in the rogue ninjas from Amegakure involved in the attack, this could only mean members of the Akatsuki.

However, several seconds passed with no response.

"No! You can't abandon me like this!" Suien's face twisted with fear, "Come out now!"

He couldn't understand why Kakuzu and Hidan, who had been so fearless before, were now avoiding the fight.

"You Akatsuki have no integrity!" Suien cursed, "Bastards!"

Wood Release: Thorn Bind Technique!

Yamato weaved hand seals, and several wooden stakes sprouted around Suien, twisting like vines to bind him tightly.

With that, all the rogue ninjas were subdued.

Shinho contemplated.

Kakuzu and Hidan had to be in Takigakure already.

Why hadn't they shown themselves?

Could it be because he had defeated Sasori and Deidara?

A slight smile appeared on Shinho's lips.

This was the additional weight one carried with strength and reputation.

"Friends from Konoha, hello! I'm Fu from Takigakure."

Fu descended gracefully from the sky, folding her wings, and extended a hand with a bright smile.

"I'm Shinho Aburame."

Shinho shook her hand, intending to let go, but Fu grasped both his hands tightly.

"Are you the Sixth Hokage?" Fu's eyes lit up, "Please, let's be friends!"

Shinho's renown had risen alongside Akatsuki's infamy.

After all, he was the only ninja to thwart their attempts and even kill two of their members.

In essence, the stronger the Akatsuki's reputation, the more valuable Shinho's achievements became.

"Fu! That's rude!" Shibuki broke into a cold sweat.

Takigakure might have a Tailed Beast, but they were no match for the Five Great Nations.

He was terrified that Shinho would take offense and retaliate.

To be honest, if not for the threat of the Akatsuki, he would never have sent Fu to Konoha.

It was far too risky.

Konoha could easily replace her with a new Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.

"It's fine," Shinho said with a smile, "From now on, we're friends."

He thought of Naruto.

"Yay!" Fu jumped with joy, her excitement evident.

Shibuki sighed in relief.

This Hokage seemed easygoing.

Fu quickly ran over to introduce herself to Hinata, Kiba, and Shino.

"Fu's personality is like that. I hope you can be patient with her," Shibuki said apologetically.

Shinho wasn't surprised.

In the original story, Fu had joined the Chunin Exams with the goal of making a hundred friends.

"Chief Shibuki, prepare yourself,"

Shinho continued, "The Akatsuki has set its sights on Fu. It's best if we return to Konoha today."

Shibuki hesitated before nodding.

Although he was reluctant to part with Fu, Suien's invasion made it clear that Takigakure was no longer safe.

"We'll leave Suien and his men to you," Shinho added casually.

To him, Suien was worthless, even defeating him didn't trigger any achievements.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Shibuki said, his eyes gleaming.

While Shinho might see no value in Suien, Takigakure could still benefit. With so many captured ninjas, there was potential to gather plenty of useful intelligence.

Shinho waved his hand, releasing his Fog Sparrow Gu to scout the area.

He wanted to confirm if Kakuzu and Hidan were still in Takigakure.

To ensure nothing was missed, he also deployed a swarm of Parasitic Insects.

While the Fog Sparrow Gu was a Rank Three Gu, skilled ninjas could potentially detect it upon close observation.

After several minutes, Shinho retrieved both his Gu and insects.

HE saw no sign of Kakuzu or Hidan.

"Hinata," Shinho said after some thought, "Use your Byakugan to scout the area."

Hinata Hyuga immediately activated her Byakugan upon hearing his request.

"So cool!" Fu exclaimed as she observed the Byakugan in action.

Hinata blushed slightly, finding the Jinchuriki's overly friendly personality a bit overwhelming.

Pushing aside her embarrassment, Hinata carefully scanned all of Takigakure.

"Nothing," she reported, shaking her head.

"It seems they're outside the village," Shinho concluded, "We'll confront them once we leave."

However, based on Suien's behavior, it was highly likely that Kakuzu and Hidan had already fled.

Half an hour later, the battle's aftermath had been cleaned up.

Shibuki reappeared with a scroll in hand, which he handed to Fu.

"This contains your daily necessities," Shibuki said, glancing at Shinho before continuing, "Once you're in Konoha, you must follow their rules. Do you understand?"

"I understand!" Fu replied with a cheerful grin, storing the scroll away, "They're my friends, Village Chief. Don't worry!"

It's exactly because of this attitude that I am worried!

Shibuki sighed internally. She was the type to happily count money after being sold off.

"Anyway, be cautious. The world outside Takigakure is full of dangers," Shibuki warned.

"Got it, Village Chief!" Fu replied with her usual bright smile.

"..."

Shibuki noticed the eagerness in her eyes and sighed again, knowing his warnings had gone in one ear and out the other.

Shaking his head, he turned to Shinho and handed him a water bottle resembling a sake flask.

"Lord Hokage, this is the Hero Water," Shibuki explained, "Its production is extremely limited, so I can only give you enough for two ninja to use."

Shinho accepted the bottle, examining it briefly. It looked like ordinary water at first glance.

As for Shibuki's claim about its rarity, Shinho believed it. After all, the effects of Hero Water were extraordinary.

In the original story, only Shibuki himself had been shown drinking it.

"Drinking Hero Water has severe side effects," Shibuki added after some thought, "The more chakra it grants, the more life force it consumes. It's best suited for younger ninjas."

He chose to disclose this information outright. If something went wrong, he couldn't afford to take responsibility.

"Thank you for the warning," Shinho said with a slight nod.

The amount of life force consumed varied depending on the individual, making Hero Water risky to use.

If its effects were too potent, the drinker might die on the spot.

The ideal user would be someone with an abundance of life force, like Orochimaru—but Shinho had no intention of giving it to him.

His first choice was Tsunade.

Thanks to the Longevity Gu, Tsunade's lifespan had increased by sixty-six years.

Drinking the Hero Water in a critical moment shouldn't pose a problem for her.

Moreover, Shinho still had unused Hundred-Year Longevity Gu and Thousand-Year Longevity Gu in his possession.

If he could acquire one more longevity Gu, all the better—but triggering the relevant achievements was exceedingly difficult.

Shinho stored the Hero Water and said, "Let's head out now."

"Goodbye, Village Chief!" Fu waved energetically, bidding farewell to Shibuki.

She didn't seem particularly sad.

It wasn't that she lacked affection for Shibuki or Takigakure, she was simply too young and had long yearned to explore the world beyond her village.

The six of them followed the route used by the Anbu to exit the village.

"Someone's there," Hinata suddenly said as they neared the exit.

Shinho was surprised.

Was it Kakuzu and Hidan?

He stepped out of the waterfall first.

What greeted him was a young man with short silver hair, dressed in a black cloak with red clouds. In his hand, he wielded a large, triple-bladed scythe.

It was Hidan—but Kakuzu was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey! You're Shinho, the Hokage of Konoha, right?"

Hidan licked his lips as he spoke.

"I am," Shinho replied casually, "Where's your teammate?"

"Teammate? I don't need one!"

Hidan shrugged off his cloak, revealing his bare upper body as he sneered. "I'm more than enough!"

With a flick of his scythe, the weapon extended and flew toward Shinho.

"Step back," Shinho ordered his companions.

Hidan wasn't particularly strong, but his immortality and Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood were troublesome.

To avoid anyone accidentally giving him their blood, Shinho decided to handle him personally.

He threw a punch.

The speed of his attack was so great that the air itself seemed to explode in a white mist.

Hidan's scythe, missing its target, spun back toward him.

Stunned, Hidan reached out to grab it but was sent flying by the sheer force of Shinho's blow.

Kiba scratched his head.

"Aren't Akatsuki members supposed to be strong? I could've taken that guy."

"Bastard!" Hidan roared in frustration as he scrambled to his feet, gripping his scythe tightly.

Blood-red light flashed as Hidan suddenly closed the distance between them.

"Die!"

He swung his scythe with all his might.

Multiple Sword Shadow Gu!

Shinho activated the Gu, and a flurry of black sword shadows erupted like a peacock spreading its tail, surrounding Hidan.

Splat!

Blood sprayed everywhere as Hidan's body was riddled with slashes, collapsing onto the ground.

"Is he dead?" Shino Aburame asked, puzzled.

Wasn't Hidan supposed to be an Akatsuki member? How could he be so much weaker than Deidara or Sasori?

Even Kiba began to feel relieved.

So Akatsuki had weaklings too. Maybe being the weakest in Team 8 wasn't so bad after all.

The sound of rushing air interrupted their thoughts.

Hidan's scythe suddenly sprang up from the ground and returned to him.

"I'm immortal!" Hidan declared, standing up.

His blood-covered face resembled a demon from hell ascending to the mortal plane to deliver hell's torments.

"Shinho!" Hinata cried out in alarm. She was startled from Hiden's current appearance coupled with his bloodlust.

Yamato started forming hand seals but hesitated, watching as Shinho calmly faced Hidan.

Beast Phantom of Dragon Elephant Strength!

The Beast phantom of the Dragon Elephant Strength surrounded Shinho as he delivered another punch.

Clang!

The seemingly simple attack shattered Hidan's scythe, sending it hurtling back into his own body and impaling him.

Hidan skidded several meters across the ground, leaving a trail of blood.

Panting, Hidan yanked the scythe from his chest.

"How is he still alive?" Kiba asked, dumbfounded, "Is he really immortal?"

"Looks like it," Shino nodded, watching the bloodied but energetic Hidan.

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