Chapter 69: Confronting the Three-Tails

---

In the Hidden Mist Village, a vast lake shimmered under the sun.

At its center, a massive turtle with three tails, known as Isobu, the Three-Tails, happily swam through the waters.

Isobu's fate had been tragic. It had endured the loss of two Jinchūriki, both of whom had died under mysterious circumstances.

Though tailed beasts are made of chakra and cannot truly die, the death of their Jinchūriki leaves them significantly weakened.

After losing both hosts, Isobu had retreated to this tranquil lake to recuperate.

Despite its weakened state, Isobu relished this peaceful life. Free from the constant threat of humans coveting its power, the tranquility of the lake was a welcome change.

However, that peace was about to be shattered.

On a small island in the center of the lake, the air began to warp and twist. A man in a navy blue robe appeared out of the distorted space.

He had short hair, red eyes, and a series of scars marring the right side of his face. The chakra he radiated sent a chill through Isobu's body.

Something was wrong. Its days of peace were coming to an end.

Panic set in as Isobu sensed the imminent danger. The man, Uchiha Obito, focused his left eye, and the space around Isobu began to distort.

In an instant, one of Isobu's tails was severed. The beast howled in agony, its massive form thrashing violently in the water.

Obito glared at the struggling beast, his anger palpable. "Trying to run away? How pathetic! Well then, let's see you escape this time!" he taunted with cold fury.

"Three-Tails, don't worry. I'm not here for your insignificant power. I just don't like you and want to beat you down!" Obito declared, his voice dripping with disdain.

Isobu was bewildered by the statement, but the searing pain from its severed tail was all too real. In a fit of rage, the Three-Tails began to gather chakra, forming a Tailed Beast Ball in its mouth.

With a mighty roar, Isobu unleashed the enormous sphere of chakra. The Tailed Beast Ball tore through the air, aimed directly at Obito.

But it passed right through him, obliterating the island beneath him into nothingness.

Obito remained unfazed. With a single gesture, he summoned blue chakra, which coalesced into a complete Susanoo.

The towering ethereal warrior stepped into the lake, each footfall creating massive waves that rippled across the water. Isobu looked on in horror as memories of past fears flooded back.

But Obito was relentless. The perfect Susanoo seized Isobu by the neck and delivered a crushing blow to its head, sending the beast into a daze.

If Isobu weren't crucial to Obito's plans, he might have ended its life right there.

For half an hour, Obito unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, his eyes burning with a mixture of rage and determination.

Blood and tears streamed down his face as his emotions overwhelmed him.

The shell on Isobu's back cracked under the force of the assault. Finally, Obito dispelled the Susanoo and stood atop Isobu's head.

"Next time you see me, run away! I'll beat you down every single time!" he warned, his voice cold and menacing.

Isobu trembled beneath him, realizing its days of peace were truly over.

---

Meanwhile, in Konoha Village, within the Hokage Building, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was engrossed in handling government affairs when the door burst open.

Nara Shikaku entered, urgency etched on his face.

"Hokage, we've received a mysterious commission," he announced.

Tsunade sighed, "You can handle it yourself, Shikaku. Why bring it to me?"

Shikaku hesitated, "It's a commission from the descendants of the Phantom Kingdom."

Tsunade's interest was piqued. "The Phantom Kingdom?"

"Yes," Shikaku confirmed. "It's a nation older than even the Warring States Period, established before Konoha. The king obtained immense power through a mineral called the Gelel Stone, which allowed him to build the kingdom. However, for reasons unknown, the kingdom was destroyed overnight."

"The person who issued the commission is named Kahiko. He manages a caravan that travels between countries, and he's been under our surveillance because he may have clues about the Gelel Stone."

Tsunade frowned. "And what does this have to do with us?"

Shikaku replied, "With the Gelel Stone, we could gain an advantage against the Uchiha! Although Konoha has the Nine-Tails, it's now closely tied to the Uchiha..."

Tsunade's anger flared. She had not been in the village during the Uchiha coup, but she knew well the reasons behind Minato's death.

After losing Kato Dan and Nawaki, Tsunade had distanced herself from the village, turning to gambling to dull the pain. Yet, despite everything, she held deep respect for Minato.

"You treated Naruto poorly from the start, and now you resent him for being close to the Uchiha! If you had shown him even a little love, he wouldn't be in this position now!" she shouted, her voice shaking with emotion.

Shikaku responded, "But the villagers' anger has to go somewhere..."

"Then don't expect Naruto to take on the Uchiha! Let the villagers you rely on deal with them! Some people aren't worth protecting. Naruto is the son of a hero and the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails!"

Tsunade's voice was fierce, her words cutting through the tension.

Shikaku understood Tsunade's frustration, but the damage was already done.

Most of Konoha's power now rested in Uchiha hands—Uchiha Fugaku commanded the Konoha Military Police, and Uchiha Itachi led the Anbu.

This shift in power left Konoha's higher-ups feeling increasingly powerless.

Tsunade contemplated for a moment before finally saying, "You're in charge of this matter, Shikaku."

Shikaku nodded. The commission involved locating a snow ferret, a task classified as C-rank.

The next day, at the Konoha training grounds, Teams 7, 8, and 10 gathered.

Shikaku addressed the young ninjas, "Our village has received a special commission. However, we won't be operating as separate teams this time. Instead, we'll randomly select one ninja from each team to participate, promoting teamwork."

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto."

"Team 8: Haruno Sakura."

"Team 10: Nara Shikamaru!"

"Instructor: Hatake Kakashi!"

A new team was formed, specifically for this mission. Upon hearing his name, Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "This is such a drag. Dad, you won't pull any strings for me, will you?"

Shikaku shot him a glare. "Shut up and get to work!"

With the team ready to go, Kakashi informed them that their mission would take them to the Land of Waves.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, realizing this mission didn't involve him, took Hinata's soft, delicate hand and began to leave the training grounds.

Hinata blushed slightly at Sasuke's touch, but he seemed not to notice. "Hinata, let's go to the grove for a picnic," he suggested.

Hinata nodded eagerly, "Okay, Sasuke-kun! What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."

Sasuke thought for a moment before replying, "As long as it's made by you, I'll love it."

As they walked away, Sasuke spotted several familiar figures—his classmates who had bullied Hinata in the past.

As Hinata went home to prepare food, Sasuke decided not to let them off easily.

He approached the three boys, noticing the forehead protectors they wore. "Hey, hey, hey! Long time no see!" he called out with a mischievous grin.

The boys turned around awkwardly, recognizing Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun! Long time no see!"

Sasuke eyed their forehead protectors with interest. "So, you've all become ninjas too? Let's have a fair fight!"

The three boys were instantly frightened.

"Sasuke, we just failed a mission..." one of them stammered.

Sasuke's interest was piqued further. "Failed a mission? Tell me what happened, I'll help you correct your mistakes!"

The boys hesitated, but Sasuke's expression darkened. "You don't want to see your parents locked up in prison by the Konoha Military Police tomorrow, do you?"

The three boys paled at the threat. The Uchiha clan had become notorious for their strict enforcement of the law.

Any unfounded accusation could lead to a villager's imprisonment. It was rumored that the Uchiha had even built a prison specifically for this purpose, guarded by clan members year-round.

With trembling lips, the boys replied, "Then please help us correct our mistakes, Sasuke-kun!"

It wasn't cowardice, they were simply aware of the Uchiha clan's power. After the Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha clan had been marginalized, their lands reassigned to other clans.

They had been falsely accused of various misdeeds, leading to the entire clan's ostracization.

Sasuke was about to teach them a lesson when Kakashi suddenly interjected, "Sasuke, don't bully them."

Reluctantly, Sasuke decided to let the boys go. He turned to Kakashi, noting the bandage over his left eye.

The Mangekyō Sharingan had been returned to Obito, and Kakashi had regained his title as the Copy Ninja.

"Sensei, without the Sharingan, how will you fight your enemies?" Sasuke asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Kakashi replied, "I still have my short sword. Before I had the Sharingan, my swordsmanship was formidable."

"But after acquiring it, I relied too heavily on its copying ability. Now that I've lost it, I'm returning to my original path. Perhaps without the Sharingan, I can rediscover my true self."

---

Meanwhile, in the Land of Wind, at the Sand Village's coastline, ninjas were training on the golden beach. Gaara sat quietly, observing the scene.

Chiyo's death had deeply affected him. In the wake of her passing, Kankuro had resolved to become the most powerful puppeteer, aspiring to inherit Chiyo's puppets.

However, the White Secret Technique was forbidden and beyond Kankuro's current capabilities. For now, he could only use the four-in-one puppet he had created himself.

During this time, Shukaku, the One-Tail, had grown quieter. Gaara realized that Shukaku was not the fearless beast he once thought, even it had its fears.

Witnessing Shukaku's vulnerable side had diminished Gaara's awe of the beast.

Surprisingly, Shukaku had been well-behaved lately, even refraining from taking control of Gaara's body while he slept.

It seemed that Shukaku had come to understand that it was safer within the Jinchūriki's body. Though he would never admit it, Shukaku recognized Gaara as a suitable host and feared losing him.

Suddenly, the sand on the beach began to shift. Countless armored monsters emerged from the grains, wielding sledgehammers and attacking the Sand Village ninjas indiscriminately.

Kankuro felt a surge of excitement at the sight. He quickly manipulated his puppet to engage one of the monsters, but the creature retaliated, smashing the head of Kankuro's puppet with a single punch.

Furious, Kankuro shouted, "How dare you treat the number one puppeteer in the ninja world like this!"

In desperation, he pulled out a white scroll from behind him. Unfurling a corner, he called out, "White Secret Technique! Kinmatsu Hitobu!"

But as the white mist enveloped the area, nothing happened. Kankuro felt a wave of embarrassment, realizing he couldn't even control one puppet.

The Sand Village ninjas soon discovered that these monsters were immortal, if one was defeated, it would simply resurrect itself.

One ninja shouted to Gaara, "Lord Kazekage, these monsters can't be killed!"

Gaara nodded, rising to his feet. He raised his hands and commanded, "Sand Waterfall Burial!"

Waves of yellow sand surged forth, wrapping around the undead monsters. The sand seemed alive, dragging the creatures beneath the surface.

Gaara thought to himself, 'Since they can't be killed, I'll just bury them forever beneath the sand!'