Chapter 160: The Third Hokage’s Micro-Management, Capturing the Four-Tails! [Bonus Chapter]

[Bonus Chapter]

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Konoha Village, Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the map in deep thought.

Although the alliance with Sunagakure had greatly eased the strain on Konoha's military forces, the pressure from Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure's attacks remained immense.

Especially with Kumogakure recently joining the fray. Their morale was high, and their forces were overwhelming.

Konoha's defenses had been repeatedly breached, forcing a steady retreat.

"We must end one of these battlefronts as soon as possible..."

Sarutobi's gaze settled on the Land of Grass.

Currently, Konoha and Sunagakure held a clear advantage in that region.

At the onset, Iwagakure's forces had launched a surprise attack on the Fire Nation's border, but they had been surrounded. With the arrival of 1,000 reinforcements from Iwagakure, the forces of all three factions were now entangled in a fierce battle, causing the war to expand further.

"Kannabi Bridge..."

Sarutobi's eyes fixed on a critical location previously mentioned by Shūichi Hoshita.

It was a strategic stronghold held by Iwagakure that needed to be destroyed as part of the plan.

If Kannabi Bridge was destroyed, it would severely weaken Iwagakure's war potential, as it would disrupt their supply routes.

However, the presence of Sunagakure made Hiruzen Sarutobi sigh inwardly.

As allies, even though he wanted to swiftly end the conflict with Iwagakure, Sunagakure might not share the same urgency.

And the frontlines with Kirigakure were already stretched too thin, making that conflict even more challenging.

But they had to try!

After a long period of deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke: "Seeker!"

"Yes, Lord Third Hokage!"

The masked figure of Chihiro appeared in the office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered, "Inform Minato and Kakashi to come see me."

"Understood!"

Chihiro nodded and left.

A short while later, Minato Namikaze and Kakashi arrived at the Hokage's office.

Without preamble, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Minato, I need you to head to the Kirigakure battlefield. Assist Jiraiya and the others in completely crushing Kirigakure, forcing them into negotiations and withdrawal."

Minato instantly understood Sarutobi's intent. This was a move to end one battlefront so Konoha could focus on the other two.

"Understood. I will give it my all," Minato responded earnestly with a firm nod.

Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, you will lead a team as a jonin. Your mission is to head to the Land of Grass, avoid the main battlefront, and work with Shūichi's clone to destroy the crucial supply route at Kannabi Bridge, held by Iwagakure."

Kakashi was momentarily stunned, not expecting to be separated from his mentor Minato and lead a team on his own.

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "Kakashi, do you have the confidence to lead a team and complete this mission on your own?"

Minato glanced at Kakashi with slight concern, but since Kakashi had already achieved the rank of jonin at the age of just under twelve, it was only natural for him to handle such responsibilities.

Kakashi quickly regained his composure and responded, "Rest assured, Lord Third Hokage. I will complete the mission."

Hiruzen smiled and nodded. "Be careful. Shūichi will be the main force in this mission."

"Lead your team to the forward camp and meet up with Shūichi. Follow his instructions."

Kakashi nodded without hesitation, "Understood, Lord Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in approval. "Go, then!"

…

Outside the Hokage building, Minato turned to Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, this is your first time leading a team, so be extra cautious."

Minato smiled to himself as he spoke, "But since you've already developed the Chidori technique, you should be fine."

Kakashi nodded confidently. "Don't worry, Sensei. I'll get it done."

Minato nodded and added, "Make sure to bring Obito and Rin back safely too."

Kakashi froze for a moment before nodding seriously.

"Alright then, I'll go make my preparations."

"Kakashi, good luck!"

After giving Kakashi a final pat on the shoulder, Minato's figure disappeared.

Kakashi immediately created a shadow clone to notify Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara, then returned home to pack his things.

Half an hour later, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin met at the village gate.

"Let's move out!"

Kakashi gave the order.

Obito blinked in surprise and asked, "Aren't we waiting for Minato-sensei?"

Without looking back, Kakashi replied, "I'm the captain for this mission. Hurry up and follow!"

Obito was momentarily taken aback, then pouted, muttering under his breath, "This guy is so full of himself!"

"Come on, Obito! Let's go!" Rin giggled, tugging Obito along as she leaped forward to catch up with Kakashi.

Obito quickly followed, though he was clearly still a bit disgruntled.

...

Land of Grass

By Shūichi's side, Asuka asked, "Shūichi, are we also going to take the Four-Tails from this guy?"

Shūichi nodded. "If possible, of course."

Having already taken the One-Tail, adding the Four-Tails wouldn't be a problem.

Besides, to be honest, Roshi and the Four-Tails weren't necessarily stronger than the One-Tail and Bunpuku.

It wasn't that Roshi and the Four-Tails lacked power, but their level of coordination was far inferior to that of the One-Tail and Bunpuku.

"There should be a genjutsu expert near Roshi. Shisui, you'll need to handle them later," Shūichi instructed. "Asuka, you'll assist me in controlling the Four-Tails."

Asuka and Uchiha Shisui both nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, time to go all out!"

A blue light illuminated Shūichi's forehead, and at the same time, the Yin Seal on his chest activated, instantly entering the Fire Release Chakra Mode.

Then, the dazzling light of the Bijuu sealing Mark bloomed as purple lotus flowers appeared on the surface of his chakra cloak.

Beside him, Uchiha Shisui also activated his Bijuu Sealing Mark, his face marked with blue lotus patterns, and his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning into action.

Across from them, Roshi narrowed his eyes. "Here they come!"

"And there's an Uchiha too!"

The three Iwagakure shinobi beside him also wore grim expressions.

"This is troublesome… a three-tomoe Uchiha, and a genjutsu master to boot!"

Sensing danger, the genjutsu specialist, Tobu Wataru, spoke up, "You two keep those two occupied. I'll help Roshi fend off Shūichi's genjutsu!"

The other two jonin nodded in unison.

At that moment, Roshi immediately transformed into his Four-Tails state and shouted, "Wataru, get on my shoulder!"

"Understood!"

Tobu Wataru leaped up, landing on the Four-Tails' massive shoulder.

Meanwhile, Shūichi had already created two shadow clones, and in the next instant, he launched his ninjutsu.

Inferno Lotus!

A blue flame suddenly ignited on all of them, including the transformed Four-Tails and Roshi.

However, the Four-Tails' Lava Release easily dispelled the flames, and the three Iwagakure jonin, being seasoned veterans, sensed the danger in time. Although they didn't use Body Flicker to evade, they all substituted with Earth Clones to escape the attack.

Shūichi didn't mind, his real body now hurtling through the air, with the blooming lotus flowers accelerating him as he charged toward the transformed Roshi.

At the same time, Uchiha Shisui vanished from his original spot, but Shūichi's two shadow clones and Asuka remained where they were, unmoved.

The Four-Tails-possessed Roshi opened his mouth, launching a barrage of massive lava balls, but Shūichi deftly dodged them.

Immediately after, the Four-Tails' long tails shot forward like spears, aiming to skewer the rapidly approaching Shūichi.

Although fast, Shūichi was equally agile, dodging each strike while closing the distance to Roshi.

At that moment, Tobu Wataru on the Four-Tails' shoulder finished weaving hand seals. He spat out a stream of stone bullets that rapidly expanded and accelerated, hurtling toward Shūichi.

Rock Cannon!

Like a graceful butterfly, Shūichi danced around the projectiles, avoiding each one.

Just then, the Four-Tails' arms, coated in molten lava, slammed together in an attempt to crush him.

Boom!

Molten rock exploded in all directions, and shockwaves rippled through the air.

The Four-Tails' palms struck nothing as Shūichi soared upward, flinging several Flying Thunder God Kunai in midair.

Whizz, whizz, whizz!

The Four-Tails' tails lashed out, swatting away the kunai.

Meanwhile, Tobu Wataru finished casting a genjutsu on Shūichi, but to his shock, there was no reaction.

"How is that possible?"

Tobu Wataru was stunned.

In the next moment, darkness enveloped his vision. As he tried to form hand seals to dispel the genjutsu, his body froze.

"Paralysis... so strong!"

Tobu Wataru struggled, realizing just how powerful this genjutsu was. "Damn it… even his basic genjutsu is this overwhelming!"

He naturally assumed the technique used amid such intense combat was an ordinary genjutsu.

And it was, technically speaking—just the basic Binding Jutsu.

However, Shūichi had already mastered the Genjustu Master tag!

While Shūichi effortlessly dealt with this minor nuisance, his two shadow clones simultaneously teleported to the Flying Thunder God Kunai. Before the Four-Tails' tails could strike, they unleashed chains of Fire Nether Chains, which shot from their backs, binding the Four-Tails' tails.

"You won't succeed!"

Roshi roared as he triggered his Lava Release, melting the surrounding terrain into magma while pressing his palms down.

Bind!

Shūichi cast the Binding Jutsu, momentarily freezing the Four-Tails in place.

However, this basic genjutsu couldn't fully restrain a Tailed Beast in its transformed state, and the Four-Tails quickly broke free using its immense chakra.

But that brief moment was all Shūichi needed.

He appeared above the Four-Tails, clasping his hands together.

Spiritualization Jutsu!

Shūichi's spirit left his body, and in the instant the Four-Tails broke free from the Binding Jutsu, he pulled both Roshi and the Four-Tails into a genjutsu world.

Demon Realm: Palace of Memories!

The Four-Tails froze completely, and Shūichi's two shadow clones swiftly secured its body with the Fire Nether Chains, starting the process of extracting its power.

At the same time, Asuka, who had been waiting, rushed forward as soon as Shūichi used the Spiritualization Jutsu.

The two Iwagakure jonin, who had been battling Uchiha Shisui, were shocked to see that Roshi had been subdued so quickly. Even Tobu Wataru, their genjutsu expert, had barely put up a fight, leaving them utterly alarmed. One of them immediately turned to rush to Roshi's aid.

"Your opponent is me!"

Uchiha Shisui shouted, his movements blurring as he split into several clones, surrounding the two Iwagakure shinobi.

Meanwhile, Asuka reached the top of the Four-Tails' head and activated the Adamantine Sealing Chains, binding Tobu Wataru and locking down the Four-Tails with four chains.

In terms of raw chakra, the Four-Tails far exceeded the One-Tail.

After Asuka successfully restrained the Four-Tails, Shūichi's two shadow clones began working together to extract its power.

Although Roshi was easier to handle than Bunpuku and the One-Tail, stealing the Four-Tails itself was proving much more difficult.

From a distance, on the trunk of a large tree, a face emerged from the bark.

White Zetsu stared at the colossal form of the Four-Tails and muttered, "It's over! It's over!"

"The Four-Tails is about to be taken by this Shūichi Hoshita too!"

"I told them to take this kid seriously, but Madara didn't care."

"He said something about how it would be easier to catch the Tailed Beasts if they were all gathered in one place."

White Zetsu grumbled on, "But really, if he's going to stuff two of these massive creatures into his body, won't he explode?"

"What about eating? How does he even eat?"

"Does that mean he won't need to eat, like me?"

"If he doesn't need to eat, does that mean he doesn't need to… you know, poop?"

"What does pooping even feel like, anyway?"

…

Shūichi focused entirely on subduing the Four-Tails, with no attention left to spare for his surroundings.

Meanwhile, although Asuka was periodically using her sensory abilities, she failed to detect the presence of White Zetsu, who had merged with the nearby trees.

After all, her sensory technique, Kagura's Mind Eye, was based on chakra detection.

On the other side of the battlefield, Uchiha Shisui had swiftly dealt with his two opponents. He immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to teleport onto the Four-Tails and eliminate Tobu, the genjutsu specialist who had been under control.

The lurking threat was now completely neutralized.

...

At the Konoha frontline headquarters on the borders of the Land of Grass.

Kakashi and his team arrived and were first greeted by their commanding officer, Orochimaru.

"Kannabi Bridge?"

Orochimaru eyed Kakashi and said, "I had expected Minato to come here personally."

Kakashi quickly explained, "Minato Sensei has gone to the Mist battlefield."

Orochimaru nodded, asking no further questions. "Shūichi is currently on the front lines, dealing with the Four-Tails jinchūriki, though he left a clone behind in the medical unit."

"This mission is incredibly dangerous. Iwagakure must realize how important Kannabi Bridge is, so they'll likely have elite jōnin defending it."

"But to be honest, you should trust in Shūichi's abilities."

Kakashi, however, wasn't swayed by a few words, not even by someone like Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru-sama, we will assist Shūichi in completing this mission," Kakashi stated firmly.

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Very well then, head to the medical unit."

After bowing, Kakashi left the tent, accompanied by Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. They soon arrived at the medical camp, where they found Shūichi.

Seeing the three of them, Shūichi couldn't help but be momentarily distracted.

The butterfly effects had already stirred quite the storm—how had things returned to this point again?

Moreover, even though Kannabi Bridge was heavily guarded, his main body had long made preparations.

"Shūichi?" Kakashi called out.

Shūichi snapped back to reality and, after a brief thought, said, "Kakashi, Obito, the two of you should head north along the border and cross into the Land of Grass from the Land of Waterfalls before proceeding to Kannabi Bridge."

Kakashi nodded. Obito quickly interjected, "What about Rin?"

Shūichi turned to Nohara Rin. "Rin will stay in the medical unit—there are many injured people here."

Rin glanced at Kakashi before nodding. "Understood!"

She then turned to Kakashi and Obito, saying, "Be careful, you two. Work together, okay?"

Obito nodded earnestly, while Kakashi also nodded, though he added, "As long as he doesn't slow me down, we'll be fine."

Obito's fists clenched instantly. "Damn it, Kakashi, you arrogant jerk! I won't hold you back."

Rin chided softly, "Kakashi!"

With that bit of banter over, Kakashi turned and said, "Let's go."

Obito, fighting back the urge to cry, smiled at Rin and waved. "Don't worry, Rin! We'll complete the mission!"

"Wait a second!"

Shūichi suddenly called out, stepping forward and placing a Flying Thunder God seal on both Kakashi and Obito. "This way, my clone will be able to sense you," he explained.

Both Kakashi and Obito nodded before setting off.

As he watched the two of them disappear into the forest, Shūichi turned to Rin and said, "Don't worry. They're more than capable."

He wasn't planning to play the babysitter role—not by a long shot.

If Madara Uchiha had truly set his sights on Obito, then unless Obito stayed locked away indoors, or Madara and Black Zetsu were taken down, there was no solving that problem.

And even if Obito was the chosen pawn, Rin's fate was still difficult to alter. However, perhaps he could plant a seed ahead of time.

That said, was Madara really dead set on Obito as his only option?

...

As Kakashi and his team embarked on their path to growth, Shūichi gradually pulled the Four-Tails out from within Rōshi.

Inside the genjutsu realm, despite his tough exterior, both Rōshi and the Four-Tails were desperately trying to break free from the illusion.

But when it came to countering genjutsu, they were even worse off than the One-Tail and its jinchūriki, Bunpuku.

After nearly an hour of struggle, Shūichi finally extracted the Four-Tails from Rōshi's body.

"Damn it... I can't believe I actually..."

Rōshi collapsed to the ground, unwilling to accept his defeat.

"Shisui!" Shūichi called.

Handing the sealing scroll to Uchiha Shisui, Shūichi summoned chains from his abdomen. They lashed out, binding the Four-Tails that had been restrained by his clone and Asuka, and began pulling it into his body.

Without a jinchūriki host, the Memory Palace genjutsu was enough to completely subdue the Four-Tails, leaving it powerless to resist.

Sizzle!

With the burning sensation of chakra coursing through his body, the Four-Tails was fully sealed within his abdomen, merging with the small version of itself already inside.

Just like with the One-Tail, the process involved heavy chains, followed by a reinforced cage to imprison the beast completely.

(End of Chapter)

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