[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] [Thank You For Your Support!]
Behind him, the ROOT ninjas were still relentlessly pursuing.
But as long as Kyomu kept running with all his might, with his current strength, no one among the ROOT ninjas could catch up to him.
Moreover, Danzō had overreacted, activating the village's defense alarm, causing chaos throughout the village.
Kyomu had become the target of a village-wide manhunt.
The suddenness of it all left many Leaf ninjas confused, chasing after him without fully understanding the situation, with Minato being the fastest among them.
"Kyomu?" Minato, standing in front of Aragami Kyomu, recognized him at first glance.
"Minato-niisan, there's no time to explain. The situation at the front is dire; you must believe me!" Kyomu's voice was urgent and sincere, causing Minato to hesitate for a moment.
"Are you looking for Kakashi?" But he still asked.
"Yes, Kakashi and that guy Obito." Kyomu once again dashed forward, "Minato-niisan, can you bring Obito to Kakashi's house?"
"This…" Minato hesitated again but decided to trust Kyomu after thinking it over.
Though their interactions had been brief, combining past events and Kyomu's recent achievements, Minato chose to follow his gut feeling.
Feelings can be deceiving, but this time, Minato's gut feeling had indeed helped Kyomu greatly.
In an instant, Minato left behind a Flying Thunder God Kunai in free fall and vanished.
He took a risk using the Flying Thunder God Technique, appearing in the Uchiha Clan's compound, in Obito's courtyard.
If discovered by the Uchiha, with their sensitive nature, they would definitely confront Minato.
But Minato's emphasis on speed allowed him to appear and, without saying a word, grabbed Obito by the collar and disappeared in an instant.
When Minato returned to his previous location, the Flying Thunder God Kunai he had thrown earlier hadn't even hit the ground, being caught perfectly in his hand.
Obito, who was awakened from his sleep, was startled at first but then realized it was Minato.
"Minato-sensei, why are you…"
"I'm not sure why I did it, but Kyomu asked me to find you, and I unconsciously acted."
"Minato-sensei, you mean Kyomu is back in the village?"
"Yes, he's back, but his return has caused quite a stir." While speaking, Minato, holding Obito by the collar, quickly caught up with Kyomu, who was running ahead.
Tossing Obito towards him, Minato made a gesture to Kyomu and then disappeared abruptly.
Minato's message was simple; he didn't want Kyomu to mention his recent presence or the assistance he had provided.
Kyomu chuckled inwardly, looking at Obito, who was still in his pajamas, and handed him a massive summoning contract scroll.
"Don't ask, just do what you're told." Kyomu spoke quickly, "Sign your name on this summoning contract scroll and press your blood on it, quickly!"
Obito, fully trusting Kyomu, didn't ask a single question, running alongside Kyomu while simultaneously leaving his name and blood seal on the scroll.
After Obito completed this, Kyomu showed no intention of taking back the scroll, "Take this summoning contract scroll to Kakashi. I'll hold off the group behind us."
Obito nodded, continuing to run forward with the massive scroll, while Kyomu stopped to loudly explain the situation to some confused Leaf ninjas.
"I am Aragami Kyomu, the front lines are in critical condition, I am here on Orochimaru-sama's orders, do not let misunderstandings delay military matters!"
With these words, apart from the ROOT ninjas who only followed Danzō's orders, the other Leaf ninjas who had followed stopped in their tracks and recognized Kyomu.
"It's Kyomu."
"Is what he said true?"
"It should be. A man who has repeatedly achieved military feats on the front lines, even if his methods are incorrect, would not act recklessly. It seems there really is something urgent."
"But the ROOT ninjas…"
"I'm not sure about that. But until the Hokage gives a clear command, I will follow my own judgment."
"If that's the case, then so will I. Kyomu isn't an outsider."
Having military achievements during the war era is indeed like having an extra layer of protection. Until the end of the war, as long as one doesn't act recklessly, a little commotion isn't a big deal.
Not only would the majority of the village's ninjas understand, but Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably turn a blind eye.
Except for Danzō! Kyomu harbored even deeper resentment towards Danzō, but at the moment, he could only convert this resentment into the energy for his escape, leaving the ROOT ninjas far behind.
Climbing walls, jumping through windows, Kyomu finally entered Kakashi's bedroom, where he had already signed the summoning contract under Obito's urging.
"Kyomu, what is all this…"
"Don't ask, we're running out of time." Kyomu pulled Kakashi and Obito to his side, bit his finger, and slammed it on the ground, causing the seal formula for Reverse Summoning to rapidly spread across the floor.
Bang, bang, bang.
Three consecutive sounds of smoke explosions, accompanied by the dispersal of smoke within the bedroom, had transported Aragami Kyomu and the two others to the Ryuchi Cave.
Just as the trio landed, Ichikishimahime was already losing patience.
Bang, bang, bang.
Kakashi and Obito, still confused, experienced another round of dizzying spatial shifts.
Ugh, ugh!
Both of them retched in unison, resembling symptoms of motion sickness, kneeling on the ground with red faces, but nothing came out.
Ichikishimahime glanced coldly at Kakashi and Obito, who were kneeling on the ground, her expression growing impatient.
"Kyomu, you've wasted eight minutes and only brought these two?"
"Ichikishimahime, I have three more people outside!"
"That's still not enough!" Ichikishimahime's expression turned fierce, "Don't force me to kill you!"
"There's also Aoda!"
Ichikishimahime was initially furious but ended up laughing out of anger, yet her rage dissipated suddenly, "You've planned well, huh? Kyomu!"
Before Kyomu could respond, Ichikishimahime glanced at him again, "Hurry up!"
Kyomu, under the baffled gazes of Kakashi and Obito, bit his thumb again and pressed both hands to the ground.
Bang.
"Kyomu-sama, you…" Before could finish speaking, his expression changed, "Ichikishimahime, you're here too."
"Haha, Kyomu really hasn't forgotten about you," Ichikishimahime smirked coldly, "But it's also a good thing. After this, you truly owe him your allegiance."
Aoda was confused but didn't dare to ask further.
Kyomu had no time for these exchanges, turning to shout outside, "Guy, Genma, Ebisu! Now! Immediately! Come to me at once!"
The three waiting outside the steel gate, barely hearing Kyomu's shout, didn't think twice before letting the surrounding Rōran warriors open the gate, rushing in.
Ren considered following but then decided against it, choosing instead to continue guarding the entrance with the remaining team members.
In less than a minute, Guy, Genma, and Ebisu arrived before Kyomu, naturally also seeing their old friends whom they hadn't seen for nearly three months.
"Kakashi, Obito, how did you…"
Before they could catch up, Ichikishimahime interrupted coldly, speaking rapidly.
"Focus, concentrate! Later, just absorb the chakra contained here as much as you can, it's up to your ability.
And, don't disturb me, don't make any noise, or else… Every single one of you will die!"
As her words fell, Ichikishimahime's illusion of a young girl shattered, transforming into a delicate white phosphorus serpent, diving into the pool at Ryuchi Cave.
The next second.
Boom!
The majestic chakra energy of the dragon vein erupted, illuminating the dim underground cavern in blue-green light, filling the small space with pure, unattributed chakra.
Pure, unattributed chakra, being the most primal form of chakra compared to the later developed five elemental chakras, is milder and more easily absorbed by individuals.
At the moment the chakra tide erupted, everyone, regardless of whether they knew the ins and outs, understood the situation.
This was a golden opportunity to strengthen oneself!
Gratefully glancing at Kyomu, who had already closed his eyes to begin absorbing the dragon vein chakra, Kakashi and the others also quickly entered a state of concentration.
Aoda did the same, even more boldly diving into the dragon vein pool alongside Ichikishimahime.
Ichikishimahime, while dissatisfied, knew that how much one could absorb depended on their own capability, and neither Aoda nor those outside could compete with her.
After all, she was taking the lion's share, and the leftovers were not her concern.
Splashing around, Ichikishimahime multitasked, simultaneously suppressing the incomplete consciousness of the dragon vein and absorbing the liquefied chakra in the pool.
Since the advent of the Divine Tree in the ninja world, the summons of the three great sacred sites became familiar with chakra, integrating it as part of their own power for Ichikishimahime.
Thus, she faced no obstruction in absorption, and amid the liquefied vast ocean of chakra, Ichikishimahime's long-stagnant body began its second development, her power steadily increasing.
Similarly, Aoda experienced growth, his body expanding further, with two small bulges appearing on his forehead, seemingly brewing something inside.
The scene shifts to Kyomu and others seated around the dragon vein pool, their expressions focused, undergoing transformative changes under the nourishment of the chakra tide.
Primarily, their bodies' chakra levels surged as if there was no end, much like the rising tide lifting all boats.
Since chakra refinement involves a combination of cellular and mental power, the reverse nourishment of one's body by a vast amount of pure, unattributed chakra naturally enhances both physical cells and mental power, thereby strengthening the body and mental capacity.
Among them, Obito and Guy benefited the most, with Obito's mental power increase aiding his Sharingan and Guy's physical enhancement benefiting his training in the Eight Gates.
However, compared to them, Kyomu gained differently, as his body already harbored the beginnings of Yang chakra due to the passive skill. The destruction of the Sand ninja field hospital with the "bloodlust buff" had further solidified his physical foundation, and the Yang chakra emerged at that time.
Although he couldn't utilize the "bloodlust buff" further due to the overwhelming number of Sand ninjas, the dragon vein compensated for this minor regret. The dragon vein's pure, unattributed chakra became the best nourishment for the Yang chakra within his body.
As the Yang chakra within him grew stronger, Kyomu's body also benefited, and a stronger body provided a better environment for the Yang chakra.
The surrounding chakra tide also continuously fed Kyomu's body, creating a beneficial cycle of Yang chakra growth, physical enhancement, and chakra volume increase under three supportive conditions.
Gradually, a large portion of the chakra tide from the dragon vein pool was drawn towards Kyomu, resembling a siphoning effect, without him exerting any effort, yet he received the majority.
Despite this, the chakra tide remained abundant, sufficiently nourishing Kakashi and the others.
After about half an hour, Ichikishimahime turned over in the pool, shedding a layer of snake skin, with two more refined bulges appearing on her forehead than Aoda's.
Aoda appeared somewhat weaker; the bulges on his forehead had yet to change, requiring more time for molting.
Meanwhile, the originally full dragon vein pool began to show a decline in "water level," revealing a huge underground cavity resembling a stalactite cave.
The pool's surface was merely the exposed part of the dragon vein, with an enormous reserve hidden within.
Ichikishimahime was satisfied, and as her body's power increased, she could suppress the incomplete consciousness of the dragon vein longer than anticipated, a piece of good news.
Splashing again, Ichikishimahime, while caring for herself, didn't forget those outside, sending a tail whip of chakra tide with a substantial reserve.
As the underground chakra tide thickened, Ren and others guarding the door noticed the anomaly.
The pure, harmless, directly absorbable, unattributed chakra truly astonished them.
Especially Ren, who, using Byakugan through the wall, was so shocked he stepped back several times.
Seeing a chakra ocean for the first and probably the last time in his life, he couldn't help but lament what he had missed out on.
(End of Chapter)