Chapter 272

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Madara led the group, with Shisui and Itachi at his side, followed by Kimimaro and Kisame. Trailing behind them in two rows were the elite members of the new generation of ninjas from the Land of Dragons.

At the forefront was Sasuke, standing beside Neji. The second row consisted of Toneri and Hinata, followed by Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.

Just by looking at the lineup, it was clear that the Uchiha clan wasn't as populous as the Hyuga clan, which was due to the structural differences between the two clans.

Additionally, Neji no longer needed to cover his forehead with a forehead protector. Although the ugly green pattern of the cursed seal was still visible, it was only temporary. All Hyuga clan members who ventured outside the village had temporary caged bird marks on their foreheads.

Since obtaining the two giant Tenseigan from the moon, the distinction between the main and branch families within the Hyuga clan had become less severe, reducing the once-intense internal conflicts.

The permanent caged bird seals that restricted the potential of the Byakugan had been abolished, and the temporary caged bird seals created by the two giant Tenseigan were widely used, resolving the primary source of conflict.

As a result, the Hyuga clan had become increasingly prosperous, not just in numbers but also in strength.

With the lost techniques from the moon now in their possession, the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist had been fully perfected, eliminating its previous shortcomings in mid-to-long-range combat.

Combined with the clan's defensive technique and the Byakugan's abilities, the Hyuga clan members had truly become well-rounded warriors, capable of close, mid, and long-range combat while maintaining strong defense and exceptional sensory abilities.

The Hyuga clan now had the potential to rival the Uchiha clan and was even showing signs of surpassing them.

However, these were only signs for now. The Uchiha clan's new generation had Sasuke, who still outclassed the three contemporary Hyuga geniuses.

First among them was the new generation's "Twin Stars," with Neji consistently losing to Sasuke for years, earning him the unshakeable title of the eternal second.

Toneri, had the potential to rival Sasuke, but the Tenseigan Chakra Mode wasn't something they could use in friendly matches.

When it came to the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, the three Hyuga geniuses of the new generation all had the talent to resonate with it. Toneri was undoubtedly the strongest, followed by Hinata, with Neji trailing behind.

This was related to the purity of their Byakugan, where Neji couldn't quite match up.

However, Neji's true talent lay in his learning ability and comprehension. After systematically learning the perfected Hyuga techniques, his combat prowess far exceeded that of Toneri and Hinata.

Although he still lagged behind Sasuke by a significant margin, the comparison was hardly fair.

Let's not forget that Sasuke had been boosted by Kyomu twice, as well as by Hagoromo, and had the chakra of Indra and the Yang half of Kurama within him.

No one would dispute that Sasuke was the strongest cheat character of the current generation. Even the original timeline's Naruto would have to shed tears and give Sasuke a thumbs-up.

With so many advantages, if Sasuke didn't hold the title of the strongest of the new generation in the Land of Dragons, he might as well give up.

However, because of this, Sasuke had grown incredibly arrogant, and there were only three people in the Land of Dragons whom he respected.

First and foremost was Kyomu, without question. The second was Uchiha Itachi, an uncontested choice since Sasuke idolized his brother.

The third person Sasuke respected was Kimimaro, who had once defeated Sasuke and nearly killed him.

Kimimaro had also been boosted by Kyomu twice—first, when his Shikotsumyaku evolved into Kōka Amatsukami, and second, when his Byakugan evolved into the Tenseigan, combined with the Hamura lineage's Sage Body.

The combination of these three factors made Kimimaro a formidable competitor, on par with Sasuke.

Kyomu was clearly playing a smart game by not putting all his eggs in one basket.

If Kimimaro and Sasuke were in the same grade, it would be challenging for Sasuke to claim the title of the strongest of the new generation. It wouldn't be a complete loss, but they would be evenly matched.

In fact, if it came down to a life-or-death battle, Sasuke would have no chance if Kimimaro's Kōka Amatsukami touched him—it would be a one-hit kill, with no other possible outcome.

However, Kimimaro was still in his growth phase, not yet fully mastering the integration of the three forces within him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be part of this team; he would have moved on to a different level.

Kimimaro could be considered the strongest below the Six Paths level, not just undefeated but also capable of a one-for-one exchange with anyone above that level.

This was why Sasuke respected Kimimaro—he simply couldn't win against him and was always on the receiving end.

"Madara-sama," Minato greeted as he approached the formation at the Hidden Dragon Village's deployment grounds, offering a slight bow.

"Are the preparations complete?"

"We're ready to depart at any time."

Minato stepped aside, revealing a platform behind him etched with intricate sealing jutsu patterns.

This spatial teleportation platform was the work of Orochimaru. Whenever ninjas from the Land of Dragons had to carry out missions, transfer work, or when civilians needed to travel long distances, those who had access would use this platform.

Although those with insufficient strength might experience nausea, dizziness, or even brief unconsciousness during the spatial transfer, the teleportation platform was incredibly convenient. No matter the distance, as long as the destination had a corresponding platform, the travel would be instantaneous.

Of course, activating the teleportation platform required a large amount of chakra. Civilians would have to pay a significant fee to use it, while ninjas on official business could use it for free.

As a result, the Land of Dragons had developed a new type of ninja employment: teleportation platform operators and drivers.

For instance, Minato was now the Minister of Transportation in the Land of Dragons, responsible for planning, routing, and maintaining the teleportation platforms across the country.

In essence, Minato's ninja job was akin to that of a teleportation platform driver.

To qualify as a driver, a ninja needed exceptional spatial awareness and had to navigate the teleportation network, accurately transporting people from point A to point B.

The vast amount of chakra required to operate the teleportation platform was provided by the platform workers.

As the name suggests, these workers supplied chakra to the platform. This job didn't require combat skills, just a decent amount of chakra.

This was one of the employment options for lower-tier ninjas in the Land of Dragons. By providing chakra to the spatial teleportation platform, workers could receive their monthly pay based on the amount of chakra they contributed, with even the weakest earning enough to support their families.

Today, Madara's group's journey was personally ordered by Kyomu, so Minato took it upon himself to operate the teleportation platform.

However, it wasn't just because of Kyomu. Minato had another, more personal reason for being so eager.

He knew that Madara and his group were targeting the increasingly restless Kara organization.

Although Minato didn't have access to classified information, he and Kushina had privately speculated that Naruto was somehow involved with the Kara organization.

So, Minato cautiously asked, "Madara-sama, is the Kara organization really so formidable that it requires your personal involvement?"

"You shouldn't ask questions that are not your concern."

Madara's reply was cold as he led the group onto the platform, reported the destination, and gestured for Minato to get on with it.

He was in a hurry.

"I'll leave him alive," Madara added, just before departure, softening his tone slightly.

Minato was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly, bowing in gratitude as he saw them off.

With a hand seal, Minato closed his eyes, focusing on the established spatial network to precisely locate a distant teleportation platform.

Simultaneously, the platform workers in the underground facility received the signal. They immediately grasped the chakra transfer devices and began injecting their chakra.

These workers weren't particularly powerful ninjas, so they didn't have much chakra. But with enough people contributing, the collective chakra was sufficient to power the teleportation platform, sending Madara and his group to any location, no matter how distant.

For larger groups or longer distances, even more workers would be involved, sometimes numbering in the thousands, with even Jinchuriki brought in as reinforcements.

Whoosh!

With everyone working together, the teleportation platform filled with chakra and operated smoothly under Minato's guidance. As the sharp sound of air being sliced echoed, Madara and his group vanished from the platform.

Wiping a nonexistent bead of sweat from his forehead, Minato exhaled slowly, his face clouded with worry.

He was now certain that his son Naruto was one of Madara's targets, and it was clear that Naruto had been drawn into the Kara organization.

Moreover, Naruto had likely been chosen as a test for the new generation of ninjas from the Land of Dragons, indicating that Naruto had been living and training well and had grown significantly stronger. Otherwise, Kyomu wouldn't have sent such a formidable team after him.

On the positive side, Minato now knew where Naruto was and that he was doing relatively well. On the negative side, he was deeply concerned about whether Naruto would be able to reintegrate into the Land of Dragons.

If he could, that would be ideal. But if he couldn't...

Furrowing his brow, Minato turned and walked away, heading straight for the capital of the Land of Dragons, making his way to the royal palace.

He needed to have a word with Kyomu and see if there was any way to plead for mercy.

Minato had long since lost his sharp edges, with no memory of his time as Hokage. All he wanted now was to bring his son back.

Hokage, Konoha, the Land of Fire...

These were distant memories.

In today's world, Kyomu was the only voice that mattered.

(End of Chapter)